Chapter 36: The Pitch (Spectacular, Spectacular)
A/N: I LIVE! But really, please enjoy this.

"Welcome back, kiddo."

Mike smiled broadly down into Lara's face, relieved, even as sweat dripped down his forehead and fell onto her cheeks. She groaned, a deep sound of exhaustion that wrenched Mike's heart. Wiping her hand across her face, she squinted at her fingers, pursing her lips when she saw them tinged pink with blood. Her head throbbed and pounded as though at any moment it could just split apart. Gritting her teeth, she pulled herself to a sitting position, only then noticing the purplish bruises that had begun to form under Mike's eyes.

"What… what happened?"

With a sigh, Mike slowly moved her out of his lap, and rose, reaching down to offer his hand. Reluctantly, she slipped her thin fingers into his, and he gingerly pulled her upright. When she swayed precariously, he gripped her arms, keeping her from tumbling back to the floor. Her gaze met his, and Mike found himself relieved at the glint there. At least if she was angry, she'd keep moving. He wouldn't have to carry her around. He didn't know if he could anyway.

"You had a little.. moment. I had to subdue you. You did manage to get a good shot in." His expression hardened, and he waited for a burst of rage. Instead, Lara's brow furrowed, and understanding flashed across her gaunt face. Slowly, she raised her eyes, and softly whispered, "I'm sorry." Her vision blurred as her eyes filled with tears. This time, though, she didn't let them fall. No. Now it was time to get serious. She had to be strong, or she knew she'd go crazy down here. Remembering how the rage and anguish had filled her, and had overflowed out of her, she shivered. Whatever it took, she would not lose herself that way again. She'd die before she'd go crazy.

Mike reached out with a meaty fist and gave her a light nudge in one arm, one corner of his mouth twitching up in a faint smile. Lara returned that smile, albeit meekly, and turned to grab the duffel bag, pawing through it for a weapon; any weapon, that would make her feel the slightest bit safer. After a few moments of digging, she pulled out a Beretta. The weight was satisfying in her hands, and she went through the process of checking its clip and safety before tucking it into the back of her pants.

"We have to go. The longer we stay here, the less likely it is that we'll be able to get the fuck out."

"Yeah. But where are we supposed to go? We can't take the tunnels, the elevators are shut down, and topside is probably locked down anyhow, so even if we could get up there, we couldn't get out… What does that leave us, exactly?"

Mike grimaced, and ran a hand through his hair, trying to remember the blueprints he'd been given. It felt like years ago now, but it reality, it had only been a couple of months. There just HAD to be some other way out…

From the hallway came a drawn out growl, and Subject T's craggy face slid into view from the shadows. He flexed his fingers, his stance implying that Mike wasn't the only one eager to get a move on.

"Chill out, you fucking hulk." Mike spat in the direction of the door and threw up his arms, inciting a snarl from Subject T. "I'm trying to fucking think. Could you call off your big ugly mutt, please?"

Lara set the bag down by Mike's feet, and moved closer to Subject T, placing a hand on his arm and giving it a gentle squeeze. Subject T huffed, clearly displeased, but did not move closer to Mike. With a sigh, Mike began to pace, eyes narrowed at the floor while he ran through what he could remember of the blueprints in his head. Most of the exits would have been locked down when the alarm was declared. Some would have likely been locked down from the outside by those who managed to flee before the auto locks were engaged. Obviously, neither he nor Subject T could fit in the air ducts, and even if they could, it would be near impossible to climb their way to the top of the complex.

Suddenly, Mike's face brightened. "I think I've got it." He snapped his fingers, and stopped pacing, turning to Lara and Subject T with a lopsided grin.

"All the regular staff elevators are set to lock down in the event of an alarm… but the executive elevators stay functional during lockdowns. It just requires a key to operate, so as nothing… undesirable can get out. We just need to find a key."

Lara's eyes widened. "Holy shit. You're right. I'm not sure what kind of key, though. Any idea what we'd be looking for?"

Mike paused, and then slapped himself in the forehead with one palm. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

"What? What is it?"

Blowing a big puff of air, Mike turned to rest his forehead against one of the cool walls. "This is going to be a pain in the fucking ass."

"Care to share, or are you just going to leave me in the fucking dark?" Lara raised her voice, but when it began to echo out and into the tunnels, she clutched her head and groaned. Mike snorted, and shook his head.

"I think those locks are retinal and fingerprint scanners. We'd need someone with that kind of clearance… and I'm pretty sure they're all fucking dead."

With an exasperated sign, Lara plopped into the nearby chair, and drummed her fingers on the desk. "Is there a way you can hack into the computer and get us a list of high-clearance execs? Everyone is required to wear nametags at all times inside the facility, so if we're lucky, we can find someone with clearance."

Mike cocked a brow, and folded his arms over his chest. "And just what do you plan to do if and when you find one of these undead execs? Ask him real nice to pretty please stand still for the scanners so we can get the hell out?"

With a grimace, Lara averted her gaze to the floor. "Not exactly… I figured we could… borrow the important bits."

"…You must be out of your fucking mind. Do you know what you're asking?"

"Yes. We find one of these people, cut off the head and hands, and use them to get the elevator up and running."

Mike simply stared, mouth partly agape. Lara met his gaze, and crossed her own arms over her chest, jutting her chin out defiantly.

"You know something, kid? You're fucking twisted." He jabbed a finger in her direction, shaking his head more vehemently. "A sick, sick puppy, you are."

"Damn right. Are you going to get us a list, or what?"

"Get outta my chair, princess."

Slowly and shakily, Lara pushed herself to her feet, then plopped down on the floor near the doorway, glancing up at Subject T; who stood stolidly and broodingly just outside the room. 'A silent protector.. like Batman,' she thought, and had to stifle a giggle. From that thought alone, she knew she was severely exhausted. Her whole body felt like it was made of sand… She just wanted some real sleep. A big, nasty cheeseburger, a shower, and sleep; not necessarily in that order. Her eyelids drooped a little just thinking about sleep. She felt like she could just sleep forever if she got the chance. A warm bed, comfy soft pillows, her favorite down comforter… Oh, how incredible that would feel when she finally got the hell out of this mess. It sounded like heaven.

Suddenly, Mike's hand was on her shoulder, and she jolted upright, scrambling to her feet.

"Whoah. Relax. You just dozed off for a few."

Licking the dryness from her lips, Lara rubbed at her eyes, and then leaned over the desk to try and see what Mike had found. "So what's all this?"

"You wanted a list? Bam. There ya go."

Scanning the computer screen, Lara gnawed at her lower lip. After a moment, she slammed her fist down onto the desk, snarling in frustration. "Dammit, Mike, there must be fifty fucking names here!"

"Exactly, sweetheart. Those fifty-two execs were all on the clock when the alarm was triggered. That's a pretty good chance of running into at least one of them. If it were fewer names, it wouldn't be so easy. So, relax. We'll figure it out. Plus, all badges are color coded. You know that. As long as they are wearing them, we'll know what to look for."

Brushing a hand through her matted, greasy hair, Lara nodded. "You're right. But… they could be anywhere. That's five floors. That could take forever."

"It's our only option right now… so unless you have a better idea, I'd suggest shutting your pie hole." Mike spat again, reached for the duffel bag, and then slung it over his shoulder. With another heavy sigh, Lara followed his lead, and Subject T took up the rear. They trudged to the ladder, and slowly made their way upwards, the only sound down here being their heavy footsteps as they ascended.