Alii's POV…

I peered through the binoculars, adjusting the lenses until the image was perfect. I scanned the fences surrounding the large building ahead, looking for a way in; a chink in the armor. Floodlights scanned the surrounding areas, the guards behind them lax and unworried. There hadn't been enough crime recently to warrant them to be alert, and after tonight there still wouldn't be if everything went smoothly. Moving to look at one of the fences, I saw an area of fence that wasn't well kept. Rust dotted the links and it was directly behind a potential hiding spot. I smirked, finally finding the perfect place. I put down the binoculars and estimated the distance to the target area and the time it would take to run to it.

The other girl in my head paced back and forth nervously within our mindscape, distracting me. I shoved her into a cage in the back of my mind and she screamed at me for doing so. Tonight was my night. There could be no distraction. Her screams were nothing more than a slight buzz and could be tolerated. Shaking her from my thoughts, I focused back on the task at hand, my tails twitching in excitement. I packed everything up into its bag or pocket and readied myself to run.

Watching the floodlights for a minute longer to ensure my plan of action, I jumped up and ran to my target, my suit simulating the surrounding grasses and bushes. I stopped for a second, letting the floodlight in front of me swipe past, then ran closer, ducking into a nearby bush. The fence stood right in front of me, a faint hum of power emanating from the metal. Frowning, I calibrated my suit to conduct electricity. The scales flipped and shifted for a few seconds then stilled. Still crouching, I reached out a hand to touch the fence, only feeling the smooth metal and a faint pulsing as the electric current moved along the metal. Reaching for one of my pockets, I pulled out a thin tube, twisting it until a small blade emerged, the edge glowing bright orange with heat. I put the edge of the blade against a link in the fence and cut through the metal cleanly. I sliced a small passageway in the fence, pulling the cut metal away from the rest and hiding it in a nearby bush. Returning the blade to its pocket, I slipped through the hole in the outer defenses easily, coming to crouch behind a stack of crates.

I glanced around the side of the crates to look for guards, but found that I couldn't see anything. The crates obscured the rest of grounds, providing excellent cover, however I couldn't keep tabs on the guards. I sighed quietly, reaching for another pocket and pulling out a small black sphere about the size of a marble. I pressed a button on the top and six small legs extended out from the ball, a lens emerging from the front.. I pressed a spot on my arm, a display from the suit appearing and showing the view from its camera. I set it down on the ground and laid my hand on my thigh, using my hands to control the drone, each finger tapping to indicate a direction. The walking camera moved out from behind the crates, and began making its way towards the building, coming to stop at a corner of the crates blocking my view. From here the drone could see the guards patrolling this area. A pair of guards walked by, two men in dark colored armor, a pair of Houndoom prowling beside them. The guards continued by, none the wiser. Scanning the rest of the area with the drone, I ensured that there were no other guards coming and instead turned to the building ahead. The angle was too low to correctly judge distance, so I turned the drone to crawl up the crate. Settling into a crack, I stopped the drone and turned to the building, looking for a way in.

The doors would be too easily traced. The lowest window was at least a storey above the ground, proving difficult. I could reach it but it would be difficult to find a hold. There weren't any lights on, but that didn't mean that there wasn't someone in there. I flicked the display showing the drone's perspective and the screen changed to show an infrared version instead. I had been correct. There was a person in there, leaned low over the desk, intently working on something. I frowned, turning the drone towards the next window, a bit farther away. No one seemed to be in that room. I bit my lip and turned off the display and temporarily shutting down the drone. Inhaling deeply, I let out the breath slowly, letting out a small bit of fire from my mouth, then set to the task of getting in the window.

I dashed around the edge of the crates and stopped at the corner, listening for incoming footsteps for a second, then ran to the wall, tapping a button on each wrist, then tapping one on each ankle. The palms and soles of the suit began to glow a soft blue and I touched my hand to the wall, the suit sticking to the concrete like a magnet. I lifted a foot and moved it to the wall as if I was to climb a ladder and began to move up the wall. I reached the window, disengaging a hand and pulling out a clay ball, affectionately named Disruptors. The Disruptor would interrupt the electric current controlling the window and allow it to be opened manually. Flattening the Disruptor against the glass, there was a quick buzz and then silence.

Checking over my shoulder, I saw that the two guards that had walked by earlier had returned and would be back in approximately a minute. I immediately set to work, pressing my hand to the glass and allowing the magnets to adjust to the surface. I pushed up on the glass, forcing the window up wide enough to let me through and into the dark office inside. I pulled my feet up closer to me and put my hands through, my weight supported completely by my toes. Grabbing the edge, I pulled myself through and dropped onto soft carpet, rolling back up and pulling the window back down, leaving a slight crack. The guards passed under the window, oblivious.

I breathed a soft sigh of relief, allowing myself to relax a moment. The other girl in my head had practically fainted and was hyperventilating inside her cage. I rolled my eyes mentally at her, then focused back on the office. A desk of dark wood, a chair of shiny faux leather, and various shelves filled with books and files. The nameplate on the desk said "Capt. Ryan Jenson, Military Justice." A few family pictures dotted the desk, but otherwise the work surface remained tidy. I frowned, hoping for a bit of information, but that would have to be for another time. I walked to the door, putting my ear against the wood, closing my eyes. The sound of footsteps passed in front of the door, but continued down the hallway to the office adjacent to this one where an exchange between the guard and the occupant inside took place. I couldn't hear much, but guessed from the retreating footsteps that the guard had moved on. I listened for a few more seconds then opened the door, hoping the it's hinges were well balanced so as to remain undetected.

I opened the door a small amount, scanning the hallway quickly, and spied a camera in the corner, a small, white lens that swiveled to survey both sides of the corridor. I watched the camera rotate to look the opposite direction then dashed to the corner, a blind spot beneath it. I looked down the hallway, looking for air vents. There was one about halfway down the corridor at the top of the wall. I watched the camera above me until it turned away from the corridor then ran to the wall just under the air vent, tossing up a mini camera not unlike the one I had used earlier. The small sphere managed to fit inside the slats of the vent and I heard a small metallic thunk as the sphere landed in the shaft. I ran to the other side of the hallway, to the next camera. Hiding under it, I heard another guard about to round the corner. I cursed under my breath, eyeing the camera above me, then made a dash towards the nearest office. I stealthily nipped inside, shutting it behind me and scanning the room quickly.

I had chosen the wrong room to hide in. A man in a military uniform looked up, alarmed. I cursed again, and had to think fast. No chance to reach him, I focused on his eyes, feeling my own heat up and glow. Forcing my will against his, I only spoke one word:

"Sleep."

The soldier's eyes drifted shut and he slumped onto his desk, unconscious. I let out a breath I had been holding and immediately felt the effects of what I had done. My head pounded and my body felt weak. The other girl screamed in agony, taking the brunt of the pain, a side effect of using that ability. I only used it in desperate situations for this very reason. Pushing through the pain, I put my ear to the door, listening for the guard's footsteps. The guard was closer. I quickly surveyed the room, choosing to hide in a corner that wouldn't be seen from the door's perspective. Not a second to spare, I squeezed into the corner just as the guard knocked on the door.

"Everything alright in there, Mr. Ramsey?"

There was no answer, as the man in question lay on his desk, snoring softly.

The door knob turned as the guard announced he was coming in. I felt my palms heat up in anticipation of being caught. A particularly loud snore escaped the office worker's mouth and I heard the guard chuckle.

"Another late night. He'll have a crick in his neck in the morning. Goodnight, Mr. Ramsey."

The guard closed the door quietly, locking it behind him. I waited a few more seconds and then sighed in relief, the flames encasing my palms disappearing and cooling. That had been close, but was expected. I walked over to the door again, turning it to open the door, then locked it again, going back into the corridor. The same routine continued, hide under the cameras, run to the air vents and deposit one of my own cameras, run to the next, until I found the office of the Military Commander in Chief. This one would be where I had to go inside and deposit a camera. Checking to make sure there were no guards, I ran to the door, turning the knob, except that this office was locked. A fingerprint scanner next to the door blinked at me, mocking me. I frowned and looked around. There was no way to get a fingerprint other than at its source.. This would have to be dealt with later.

I continued down the halls until I had circled the entire building and come back to the office I had arrived in. I slipped back inside silently, shutting the door and locking it back. I checked the time left before private mode ended. Only fifteen minutes left. This would be very difficult. I checked out the window, making sure there were no guards, then opened it, climbing out and activating the surface magnets. Once safely perched, I pulled the glass back down and plucked the Disruptor off the glass and put it back in my pocket. I turned down the magnets until I slid down the wall and onto the ground, then took off running back to the crates I had first arrived at. I crawled back through the fence, picking up the fence piece I had cut and placed it back into its hole, using a bit of fire to melt the metal back together hastily. Watching the lights, I dashed around them and back to my original hiding place outside the building and slid onto my maglev, speeding back home.

Well, here's chapter three! Read and review please! Love you all!

~Bree