Rook nodded. "Get in your gear Hamilton. Wear this under the hood of the stealth armor." He handed the Wastelander his headset. "It will let you communicate with Morgan and me."
"Yeah. We need to get moving. It's almost time..." Morgan agreed. "Out the window?"
Rook handed Morgan her headset and put his own on. "Yes. But Hamilton must approach the casino long before us. We will sneak to the rear wall at dark."
Hamilton glanced at the thing with a degree of disgust but put it in anyway, he'd never used such technology before and he imagined that he'd get a great degree of annoying crackling.
"I'll get changed and head downstairs, I just hope that my suit conceals my armour."
And I hope you don't run off with our money if it goes wrong...
Morgan nodded, plopping the headset in her ear.
"Stealth armor is skin tight, it should." Rook reassured him. He looked over at Morgan now. "Ball up the parachute and put it in the jacket. Leave the rifle here, we will get it on our way out.".
The Wastelander stepped into the washroom and emerged in just under two minutes, he was alarmingly fast at getting changed as he had to be in his line of work. The suit, however, wouldn't fit under his party suit and even if it did it would be incredibly noticeable.
As a result, Hamilton decided that he'd have to put it in a suitcase, he swore that he saw one in Morgan's hotel room. He stepped out, adjusting his jacket, not giving a rat's ass about the bullet hole at this point as he grabbed the abandoned suit case and undid the latches.
"Going to have to take it down in this..."
Morgan silently grabbed the parachute and balled it up tightly before stuffing it into Rooks jacket and pulling it on.
Her heart was pounding. She could hear it thudding in her head, echoing ceaselessly.
"Ready..." She exhaled.
"They will search it." Rook pointed out glancing at the suitcase "Be sure to activate the stealth cloak so that they think it is empty."
"I'm way ahead of you..." Hamilton uttered, wondering if they thought that they thought that he was as stupid as 'Rook' was.
"Ready..." Morgan said.
Rook turned to her. "Lets move out then." He moved to the window. "Climb out, I will lower you down."
Morgan gulped and nodded. She walked over to the window and pulled it open before sitting on the sill and glancing back.
"See ya on the otherside, Sir."
"Be careful and stick to the plan, let me know if anything changes..." The Wastelander uttered, marching over to the front door and pushing down on the handle, swinging it open and leaving for the club.
He wasn't looking forward this part, blending in with the snobs...
Rook gripped Morgans sides and extended her out the window like she was nothing. He slowly slide her towards the ground, his hands sliding up her sides to her forearms, and leaned further out. He set her down on bottom of her toes, then released her, letting her stand flat on her feet.
Rook came out after her: vaulting from the window and landing in a squat, letting his mechanized joints absorb the shock.
He stood up straight.
"All good?"
"Yes." Morgan gasped, stretching now she was outside.
I love having my sides rubbed by androids!
"Stay close to me." Rook instructed. "And keep silent. No one must see us." At that, he started off.
Morgan simply nodded, and followed behind Rook as best as she could.
The neon lighting of the city in the city sparked alive, flickering slightly before shining bright, ready to illuminate the dark night sky.
People started queuing up at the entrance of the Ania Ray Lounge, all dressed to the nines with colorful masks on. Some self-made some self-found... Regardless it didn't at all look Post-Apocalyptic, it looked rather glamorous.
From the megaphones dotted around Time square, the music from the lounge boomed carefree. Wetting the appetite of the partygoers.
Tyrone looked on from behind the curtains as the people started streaming in. Taking their favourite places, whether at the bar, at the front of the stage, near the small dance floor or just anywhere they'd wish to sit or stand.
A bit of him was nervous to see either Rook or Morgan get in here, and start doing stupid things like shooting the place up or something. He couldn't keep thinking about it. Instead he calmed himself by mentally playing his piano pieces again.
Hamilton approached the front door of the lounge, he would only be able to smuggle in his Derringer and that only had one shot. Still, it was better than nothing, maybe he could top a guard and get some sort of knife.
The Wastelander marched up to the front door, suitcase in hand as he awaited to be granted entry to the establishment.
After a few minutes of waiting the bouncer that jumped in because Rook didn't show up looked down at Hamilton.
"You know the rules. No weapons inside, and only booze from the establishment."
"I'm not carrying either..." Hamilton replied, in his usual, cold tone as if it was a bizarre thing to accuse him of. Though, to be fair, only one of those things was out of character for him.
"Are you letting people in?"
"Yes, of course. If you pay up." The bouncer grinned.
"Entry fee is 1000 caps. Miss Ray does not truck with bums"
Hamilton paused for a minute, weighing up his options as he thought on it, he didn't have that money.
"Clearny not, she gives them jobs as bouncers..." He uttered as he honestly didn't see a way to bullshit his way past this.
"Alright, you're not getting in then." the bouncer pushed Hamilton to the ground.
Causing some laughter from the upperclass of the queue.
The Wastelander was tempted to jump up and rearrange the prick's face.
No, he needed to go for the more preferable plan, he'd sneak in around the side...
He paced around as if he was moping off home, feeling terrible for missing out on the most hyped up insignificant vanity project of the century. It was a difficult act to pull off, hiding how pleased he was that he wouldn't have to mingle but he pulled it off.
He decided to enter the building at the back or down a side alley if there was one, the more discrete the entrance was, the better it would be for him.
The back entrance was locked. The back alley clearly wasn't frequented often. Though as soon as Hamilton approached a pack of patchy fired horribly feral dogs on long metal chains started barking loudly.
Rook lead Morgan along side streets and behind buildings. For such a large person, he could be very quiet, and obviously had extensive stealth training. Eventually, they reached the back side of the longue, away from the people and the lights.
"Open the jacket." Rook whispered to Morgan.
Morgan nodded and pulled open the jacket. She was keeping a tight hold on the parachute as well.
"I'm so nervous.." She whispered as Rook set up.
"Take deep breathes." Rook recommended, sliding his arms into the shelves of the jacket, then pulling it taunt and lifting Morgan from the group. He then approached the side of the building, ready to climb.
"Contact Hamilton. If he's available, ask him how far he is."
Morgan took a long breath as she steadied herself. She activated the headset and spoke quietly, trying to hide her fear.
"We're about to start climbing. How far are you?"
"I couldn't get in through the front door, there's a 1000 cap entrance fee or some bullshit. I'm looking for a back entrance..." He uttered, glancing at the door and the fence into the alleyway.
"I'll be able to get in round the back, one way or another... It'll take me longer but I'll get in."
Meanwhile, Miss Ray looked at herself in the reflection of a small powder puff box. making sure her face was fully covered by the mask.
After which the elevator came to a standstill and she arrived at her party.
As she entered the lounge she was greeted by applause. All the way up to the stage. She basked in the glory of the moment, seeming humbled by it all. Eventually things settled down a bit and she placed her glove on the microphone.
"Thank you all for coming tonight..."
Rook climbed onto the metal frame, digging the pads of his fingers onto the surface. He then brought his feet onto the lower girder and began his ascent. He climbed with mechanical efficiency from hand hold to hand hold, foot hold to foot hold. He was the ultimate climber: he did not tire, did not sweat, or get nervous. Each move was sure and calculated.
"R-rook, he has had some difficulty, but he's getting in through the back." Morgan whispered as she clung on.
"I can't express how much of a joy it is to be able to mingle with all you once again." Ania continued.
"It does not matter. As long as he can get in and in position." Rook said without effort as he climbed.
"O-okay. H-he'll contact us when he's in-inside.." Morgan stammered quietly.
Hamilton lingered for a moment until the dogs died down before he quickly changed into the stealth suit, activating its cloaking mechanics from behind cover and slowly creeping out, to test the waters.
The dogs didn't see anything amiss, the stealth suit was far beyond their tiny dog brains, even though they smelled Hamilton, they didn't bark, instead they were just confused.
"Tonight we will enjoy ourselves with the spoils of nuclear war..." Ania continued her speech.
The Wastelander slowly approached the dogs, making sure that he didn't make any noise as he reached over for a rock and looked for any sort of doorway in the alleyway before throwing the rock and creating the distraction.
The dogs looked up, stupid as they were, they barked at the noise. Allowing Hamilton passage.
He crept on in and slipped in the door that they were guarding, he had no choice but to leave the suitcase behind, not that he gave a damn. He had his gun and now he'd just lie in wait until the power cut...
Now to see where this door leads...
"I used to be an actress here in Broadway myself..." Ania regaled.
Rock didn't look back or down.
"Close your eyes, Morgan. Deep breaths. You will not fall."
"Mmm!"
Rook could feel Morgan tighten her hold on him the further they climbed and the windier it got. She breathed calmly, but her heart was thumping a mile a minute.
Hamilton was in the hallway that lead to the backstage, he could hear Ania Ray muffled through the empty hall.
The Wastelander kept his cloaking mechanic on as he looked around to see if the coast was clear...
After seeing that it was, he activated his head piece...
"I'm in, had to take the stealthy route... Remaining in the shadows until I see the signal..."
Suddenly, clumsy as ever someone bumped into the invisible man in front of him.
Tyrone muffled his
"oompf" but looked confused as if he thought he had just gone mental.
"What was that?" he said under his breath.
Rook stilled as a particularly strong wind rolled over. He pressed himself flat against the wall to avoid losing his balance, until it passed, and then continued his climb.
"H-he's got in." Morgan relayed. "He's using the suit!"
The Wastelander almost broke the clumsy fucker's neck at that point, to stop him from blowing his cover. However, he hadn't seen him yet...
He wondered if he could get away with making this seem like Tyrone's imagination, he slowly crept away from the man, so that he wouldn't be tangible again.
Tyrone looked around clumsily. Scratching his head as he did.
After which he realised, he had places to be... And merely shrug it off as a result of not getting enough sleep.
"odd..." He said, still not 100% what had just happened.
"Most distinguished guests... I am quite thirsty." The lounge audience chuckled.
"I am going to end the speech here and have a little drink. Enjoy yourself!" She ended.
While she walked off the stage she checked if her headphone-like wig, matching her porcelain face was still on correctly. It would be a disaster otherwise.
Rook was at about the 50th floor now.
Ania's office window was a large whole-wall spanning art deco/gothic long arch window. No light shone from the 75th. So there probably was no one in the office.
"Tell him to get into the party and keep an eyr on Ania."
"You hear that?" Morgan had to shout because of the winds intensity now. "KEEP AN EYE ON ANIA!"
"Moving around in here is a great risk... I've already been bumped into once and I'm in an empty corridor!" He hissed, looking around to make sure that nobody was dropping in on him.
"It's too crowded for me to be sneaking around, I can attempt it but it just increases our chances of things going south."
"Hamiltons pussying out on us..." Morgan grumbled into Rooks ear before she turned back to yell into the headset.
"GO FIND A DARK CORNER TO SKULK IN THEN! YOU DON'T NEED TO BE RIGHT IN HER FUCKING FACE!"
Rook climbed up to the office, so that his eyes were level with the floor, and peaked in.
"Don't let him."
"Fine but if anyone spots me, this thing's turning into a blood bath, it's hard enough not killing some of these assholes right now... I'm not going to be able to restrain myself if they start shooting at me." Hamilton hissed, getting his pistol at the ready, just to be safe before slipping out and searching for Ania.
Only the moonlight behind them drew large shadows across the tall nave-like office. At the right of him there was a bunch of monitors and next to that a safe with an electronic lock that needed to be hacked in order for it to open.
"Right, he's going to get a better eye on Ania." Morgan sighed, leaning up to look into the window.
"S-seems clear..."
Ania meanwhile had elected a seat in the VIP lounge near the large glass walls and flower.
She appeared to be waiting on someone to join her.
"Ania is in the lounge, she doesn't appear to be going anywhere..." Hamilton whispered, as faintly as possible, hanging back, just behind the door.
Rook quickly analysed the office.
"Cover you face." He instructed Morgan, before punching his hand through the glass.
Suddenly a man in exactly the same mask as her, with the weird headphone-like accessory joined her. He was however in fancy formal military wear. with a sword hanging from his hip. It was a Chinese uniform.
He came to sit next to Ania, who didn't seem to like his company but let him join regardless.
After which he started talking, though Hamilton was too far away to hear what they were saying.
Morgan buried her face in Rooks shoulder and felt the glass shatter over them.
"He's got an eye on her."
Rook dug his hand into the window, and the jagged edges sunk into his hand. He then tore at it, and the glass splintered. He punched bits of it out until he had a space big enough for, he and Morgan to fit through. He then pulled himself up, and slid through the gap on his stomach.
"Whew. We're in..." Morgan gasped in amazement. She freed herself from the jacket and stood up to peer around the office, using her pip boy as a light.
"There's the safe over there."
Rook pulled his leather jacket on, happy to have it back. Blood dripped down from the cut in his hand and droplets gathering on the floor. He approached the safe and examined it for a few moments before punching his hand through the locking mechanism, tearing shreds of flesh from his hand. Once it was inside, he gripped the interior of the safe's door and tore it off its hinges.
The safe opened with no alarm...
The two could now look what was inside.
"Why was there no alarm?"
Morgan peered inside to see...
Inside there was only a cylinder in the back, a sort of jewel box with a glass top, so you could see what was inside. And a lot of documents. 'Not' the motherload they had expected.
Rook looked dead on at the safe's contents, then reached in and picked up the container. "What this?"
It was a porcelain stand in the shape of a face on which, disgustingly the flaked remains of skin were carefully placed, like a jigsaw puzzle.
"Fucking hell!" Morgan sighed. "Its her face."
She grumbled and grabbed the documents, wondering if there was any instructions or directions to something actually worthwhile.
"Ania Ray does not have a face." Rook agreed. He noticed Morgan reading them and shook his head. "Not now, lets go."
"R-right!" Morgan nodded, looking over to the window. "This guys gonna be pissed..."
The first document Morgan held was some sort of official medical document signed with a strange seal:
"Governor Island Clinic"
It detailed transactions made under Ania Ray's name, figures with 5 zeros behind it filled the page. And this word came back time and time again: "Psychotronic". It appeared to be signed by a certain Dr. Percival Governor, Chief of the clinic.
The second document was a secret service report from before the war, the pages were yellowed and seemed like they could fall apart any moment. NSA rapport on Doctor Lao-Xing. A Red Chinese secret agent. Working undercover as a scientist at TEMPEST. he researched again, Psychotronic therapy.
The third page was a sketch of a sort of antenna. A huge thing to be constructed out of metal.
The last page Morgan held in her hands was a sketch of the Antenna placed on the top of the Empire State Building.
"Rook." Morgan said, halting him as she continued to read. "She's been working with Governor..."
The Wastelander remained silent, trying his best to read their lips and body language to build a picture of what was going on. He couldn't risk going in there, the light would reflect off of him, like a disco ball and he'd be exposed.
The best that he could do is use his powers of perception to try and deduce what the meeting was about.
The man in the uniform looked as if he wanted Ania to confirm something.
Ania replied by loosely pointing at the corners of the room. Where the speakers stood. After which she took a sip from her drink, through a straw.
Hamilton continued to observe, weren't she and the republic at odds with eachother? It wasn't a surprise, in all honesty, well it was but not the kind that made him give a damn.
The Wastelander continued to observe the meeting, glancing around at the speakers that she was pointing to.
They seemed like regular speakers.
Hung up so that the music could be heard all around the club to its fullest potential.
Hamilton continued to observe, wondering if this was some sort of arms deal, it seemed like the most logical conclusion given the Chinese's large supply of guns and military grade hardware.
Rook peered over Morgan's shoulder at the document. "This is bad."
Another batch of documents were transcripts of threats.
The PRCT threatened to invade Time Square & Broadway if Ania did not cooperate and work as financial aid to get equipment from Governor island.
In exchange the PRCT vowed to see TS & BW as neutral in their conquest of New York.
On the ground... And via Radiowaves.
There was also an holotape with an audio log on it.
Rook didn't hesitate. He jammed the tape into Morgan's Pipboy and played it.
"Fucking hell..." Morgan sighed. "Chinese are gonna be doing something at the Empire State building. They were getting info from Governor..."
She glanced over to the holotape and listened.
"Psychotronics. Mind control. An old war era fad- nothing ever came of it. Until now, that is."
"Dreadful... Absolutely dreadful." an old voice sounded.
Ania Ray could be heard sighing.
"Not your style?"
"No... Just look at how big this place is... a hundred people could fit in here."
"If they can afford it, they probably could yes" Ania snarled back.
"This is were our ideologies clash, miss Ray..." The older voice pointed out.
"Just get it over with. I don't like being threatened."
"Alright. This is one last request; after which I guarantee you will have no more problems with my Thongzi..."
"Good. I'm listening." Ania sounded relieved.
"I want you to have one of your masquerade balls. Something that appeals a lot of people to your club."
"My club already attracts a lot of people." Ania protested
"... A club packed with rich fatcats. Only your fancy parties attract the creme de la creme..."
"And install the technology Dr. Governor was so kind to provide us."
"What? In my own club?! You must be mad!"
There was a silence.
"Sigh... Fine. But I'm not turning into one of your zombies..."
"Of course not."
some muffling.
"Here... Wear these headphones. They cancel out the psychotronic waves."
"Chao-Xing you are a right bitch... you hear." Ania protested. Feeling somewhat scared of the old woman commanding her.
"We need to test if psychotronics work on a mass scale. Miss Ray. That is all."
The tape ended.
Meanwhile Ania Ray straightened the headphones on her head. and looked at her watch. It was about time...
Hamilton activated his earpiece, believing that the meeting looked like it was coming to an end.
"Morgan... What's happening on your end?" Hamilton whispered, growing concerned with the lack of status reports.
"Get out of there." Morgan hissed. "The Chinese are gonna frigging test their psychotronic in about three minutes!"
Rook took about two seconds to process this before keying on his headset and shouting into it.
"Hamilton get the fuck out of there right now!"
He then grabbed Morgan by the waist, sprinted for the window, and jumped out of it.
Ania nervously looked at her watch again. The Communist agent across from her on the other hand, seemed quite relaxed.
"Psycho...?
Fuck!" The Wastelander turned around and began to creep away, making sure not to blow his cover, though in truth he was growing less and less concerned about it as he felt his time running out.
At this point, he was about half way there, he continued to move through the building as he considered running.
But sadly for Hamilton, the building had been locked down.
On request of Ania Ray.
The Wastelander sprung to his feet, drawing his gun, just in case as he darted towards the door that he had used to enter. He stopped just short of it and kicked the front door, with as much force as he could, enough to break it off of its hinges.
The door budged, but not completely
The racket could be heard in the backstage.
Tyrone looked into the hallway
"Is someone there?"
Hamilton ignored the clueless prick and kicked it again, with even more force this time as he put his anger into it.
There was a flash, the EMP Ania had received from Zimmer, detonated the moment Rook jumped out of the office. Hitting him in the back during freefall.
"Rook wait!" Morgan begged, looking at the cylinder activating before she was flung out the window. The EMP detonated and Morgans eyes grew wide.
Shit. Shit. Shit!
She fumbled onto the parachute, pulling at it.
The EMP struck Rook, immediately scrambling his electronics. He wasn't even aware it was happening when it happened, he simply shutdown. His arms slackened around Morgan, so that the only thing holding them together was momentum.
Morgan couldn't help but scream as Rook and her tumbled through the air. She was still clung onto him and she pulled open the parachute, the wind tearing her arms almost.
C'mon...stay with me Rook!