p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"The light. The noise. The pain./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Every inch of him burned, like nothing had ever burned before. The flames of the explosion scorched through him like was nothing. The top layers of biomass shriveled up and died within seconds; his core mass was melted instantaneously, dropping from the sky when no mass remained. The blaze was replaced by suffocation on all sides; water forcing its way into his system and choking him out, in a dozen places at once as his core tore itself apart to fight gravity./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"And he felt it. He felt it all. He was ready to die, he wasn't ready for this, why was he still alive, just let him fucking die span style="font-style: oblique;"IT HURT SO MUCH MAKE IT STOP JUST MAKE IT STOP-/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"His legs suddenly gave out from under him, sending him crashing onto the linoleum floor. He dug his claws (when had he unsheathed them?) into the ground, gasping and wheezing. He tried to get back up (where was he going?), but he was shaking too badly, hitting the ground yet again the second he tried to stabilize himself. Something wet streamed down his face, and he clawed at it, hissing when he could catch his breath./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He couldn't tell what was going on, nor where he was-but some part of him did, those instincts that kept him alive. With them in control, he could do nothing but scream the first name he was given./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""RAGLAND-!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Hey, shush, it's alright-" A soft voice came from near him, as careful hands wrapped their shaking form in a blanket, carefully propping up the man who'd come to him for help with a well worn pillow. Although he noted the clawed hands, the short tendrils lashing out from every inch of Alex, it made no difference to Ragland. He pulled the blanket close around their shoulders, meeting Alex's gaze with concern. "It's alright now, Alex. You're safe. I promise."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"It's alright. A gentle and soothing sound, an utter relief compared to the roaring explosion that still rang in his ears. He whimpered and squirmed as something was pulled around him, but when the two locked eyes, his struggles ceased. It's alright. You're safe. Safe. The word felt surreal to him, he was never safe, but he'd accept it-just this once./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Slowly but surely, some of the light came back to his eyes, and the world around him came back into focus. This was a time loop. It was September. He was in Ragland's morgue; he must have run here after... he winced, pulling the blanket tighter around himself with a shaky exhale. It hurt to think about. He didn't know why, but it hurt./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""...R...Ragland." He managed, his already rough voice somehow hoarser than normal. He could barely talk... after a moment, his eyes widened, and he tried again to force himself to his feet despite his trembling. "Shit- where's- where's the others. Ragland, where's the others. Gentek- the whole building, it-"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Hey- don't get up-!" He didn't expect it but he was prepared, gently but firmly pushing Alex back into the pillow until their legs gave way again. "You're not able to walk, you have to wait. Do you want the weighted blanket-?" He cut himself off, shaking his head. He held his hand up in an obvious 'wait there' motion, and disappeared into a side room for a moment before returning with a odd, patchwork looking blanket which he placed over their legs./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""You stay there, breathe for me- that's right- and when you're ready tell me what's going on. Alright?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""I need to go, I- Cross and Doc-" Even with his complaining, he was quick to listen, slumping back onto the pillow with a few weak murmurs. Ragland knew best-a lesson he learned the moment he was rid of the parasite. Even so, Alex reached for him in a moment of slight panic when he disappeared into another room. By the time he'd returned, Alex had already retreated to the first blanket, stray curls just visible past his hood./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Even with the obvious implication of weighted blanket, he couldn't help a small grunt of surprise as it was draped over him. A little too restraining for his tastes on a normal day, but today was anything but. Although breathing was somewhat tougher with the two blankets, he did his best, squeezing his eyes shut and focusing on trying to catch his breath. Things couldn't be fixed if he was too out of it to help./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"For a good several minutes, all he did was lay there. He tried to sort out just what had happened. Why did he get a memory of the nuke? When memories came to him, they were Doc's, and they were never that vivid. And they had a reason-all that had happened was the radiologist. Walking down the hall with her and Cross. A sound, like something about to burst. He writhed at the memory, the tendrils that made up his arms trying to force the claws back out against his will./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He opened one eye, peering over at Ragland for a few moments in silence. What was going on? Ragland would know better than him, definitely./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""I-..." A small sigh. "I don't know. I was with... Cross. Blackwatch- former Blackwatch. We were at a meeting. Then a woman came in. Smelled like, y'know... radiation equipment. We followed her, and-" He visibly winced. "It burned. There was... just light, and... an explosion, like-" He clamped his mouth shut, shivering. "...Now I can't stop shaking. I can't control my body. And- I'm here. I wasn't here. I- I don't know what happened. But I need to... check on them, Ragland. Cross and Doc."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Ragland's lips pursed, considering the situation. Alex had gotten into something to get those... Writhing tendrils. And it seemed he didn't know much- quite out of character for the composed, wit filled man who sometimes came to him for odd little things. But, a person upset was a person upset, and he shouldn't let confusion or fear get in the way of helping him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""The shaking's a stress response, when you're calmer it should go down to normal." He held his tongue, considering whether to bring the elephant in the room up, but eventually decided against it. Normally he'd just stick with Alex, conversate idly until he felt better- or until he got worse- but he had a feeling that staying still wasn't in Alex's cards today. "Do you want to call someone...?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Well, at least it would stop. Spikes as a stress response, he could handle. The trembling, though, was unbearable. It was like when the Leader kidnapped Dana all over again. He wrapped his arms around his chest, huffing a little through his nose. Time must have looped again-after all, if the entirety of Gentek exploded, Ragland would have been reacting a little differently. That question, though-calling someone./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Dana. My sister." He knew the answer before he even opened his mouth. It'd been far too long since he'd seen her... but considering the fact things kept ending horribly in these loops, he was fine with that. Hopefully, she would have better luck. He paused, though, considering. "...Do you have her number? I don't wanna call her." Not like this, when tremors lurked in the back of his tone. He was supposed to protect her; he couldn't imagine her hearing him in a state of total weakness like this. "Just... tell her we're ok. That we got Cross. Please."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""I didn't know you had a sister, Alex." The pathologist sighed, "I'll go with you if you need some support, you know that, but I can't call a number I don't have."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Alex started to say something-only for his attention to snap to the door. After a moment, the soft patter of footsteps was audible to someone other than the virus, and the door swung open to reveal a familiar face that both relieved and panicked him at the same time./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Jesus, traffic is fucking shit today," Dana grumbled, only for her words to die in her throat as she faced Alex. He immediately pulled the blanket over his head, retreating to it so he could hide from her. Not unlike the way he'd hidden from the rain-several... loops ago. Either way, it wasn't normal. She glanced to Ragland, the softness and worry in her tone a total juxtaposition to her introduction./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""What the hell happened-?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He gave a vague shrug in response, well used to the impulsivity of Alex- it made sense his sister would share that trait. "His sister, I presume? I'm not certain, but he's asked me to tell you that... They're ok, and they got Cross?" Then, quieter, "He's not been the most coherent I'm afraid. If you can do anything to help him, it seems he needs it."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"The doctor stepped back somewhat, giving Dana a clear line of sight of the nervous blanket tent that Alex was currently huddled within, gesturing quietly. He could recognise a family moment when he saw one./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Yeah-sorry, shit's been weird." Well, that was the understatement of the year, but that aside. So Cross was in the loop now. Maybe being stuck in an infinite cycle of time would make him be slightly less of a Blackwatch bitch, but that was high hopes. When it came to how coherent he was, though, she frowned and nodded. Poor guy wasn't a talker, much less when he was scared shitless./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Dana knelt beside the blankets as Ragland suggested-though, before she even got a word out, Alex was sitting up and wrapping his arms around her tightly. It was a little stiff, a little uncomfortable, but it was a hug. She blinked in surprise, but quickly returned it, wincing a little as she felt how badly he was shaking./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Hey. What happened?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"So much. So much happened, he realized. They got Cross, only after Doc died at Alex's hand twice, then everyone was blown to bits in a nuke-explosion. Something. He clung to her a little tighter, though not without glancing up to Ragland./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Just got startled. It's... nothing, Dana."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"_/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Far from Ragland's morgue, Cross stepped out from an elevator. His morning had been far less eventful, to say the least. Waking up, getting ready, heading out, as though nothing had happened. Because... it hadn't. The explosion was unexpected, yeah, but considering the fact every loop he'd been involved in ended with his death? It really didn't mean anything. As much as he wanted to insist that to everyone around, even the general had a slightly startled look on his face when they locked. ...Ah. Take the rest of the day, Captain. McMullen and I can proceed on our own./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He huffed at the memory. Randall hadn't been paying any damn attention if he thought the dead look in Cross' eyes was something to worry about; he'd worked after hard missions a dozen times before. What was dying three times in a row?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"The captain came to a stop at one of the various apartment doors, briefly comparing it to what he'd been told. He had to coax Mercer's address out of some terrified intern, but given how the scientist reacted to the last death cycle, it was worth it. He was... worrying, to say the least. Him and Alex both-reckless bastards who had no sense of self preservation. It was like dealing with fresh Wisemen./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"One knock, then two, harsh enough to make the door shudder in its frame. "Mercer. It's Cross."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"The scientist came to the door quickly, clearly already awake, and pulled it open a crack, glowering out at Cross. "What do you want."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Everything seemed pretty normal so far. Cross merely raised a brow, tucking his hands behind his back and moving his head as he talked. "I was checking on you. Seems you're mostly in one piece, though."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Of course I am," He snapped, "Injuries don't carry over- that much is consistent. If that's all could you leave? I was busy."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""If injuries carried over, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I wasn't talking about physical wounds. Thought that'd be obvious." He shrugged, glancing the scientist over a few times before meeting his gaze. "Maybe, maybe not. I'm bored, and being a pain in the ass is pretty entertaining."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Even so, he backed away, merely shrugging. He didn't expect anything less, really; he was surprised the door had been opened at all. "If you're planning on destroying anything else, you know where to find me. So I can at least say I tried to stop you."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Mercer sighed, and glanced back into his appartment, eyes widening with minute alarm. "... If you've seriously decided to skive off work to check on me, I might as well let you in." He grimaced, "Just give me a moment." He closed the door sharply in Cross' face- though the distance helped lessen the social consequences./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Scuffling sounds could be heard from within, all muffled swears and knocked over glasses, and after several long minutes Mercer finally called out- though muffled by walls. "If you're serious, just come inside. Doors unlocked."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Cross would have clarified that he was given the day off, but the door was being slammed before he could say anything. From the sound of it... Mercer definitely wasn't wrong about being busy. Maybe he had Alex around, though the virus would have undoubtedly made an appearance already if that was the case. He merely paced outside the door, glancing up only when he was called out to./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Worked for him. Without further delay, he stepped inside, nudging the door closed behind him with his boot. He stopped at the doorway to the living room, adjusting the collar of his turtleneck as he glanced about the room./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Mercer emerged from the backroom, carefully closing the door behind him and wiping a bleeding finger off on his trousers- evidence of the trials of whatever had occupied him. He was utterly unconcerned about it, peering at Cross from a separate doorway in awkward silence for a long moment. "...You want something to drink or-?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"It was odd to see the soldier in casual wear- though the overall look barely shifted really. Mercer could hardly talk about clothes though, given he was wearing his vest and wrecked hoodie, both thoroughly rumpled from sleeping in them many times over. "Don't just stand there like a fucking lemon, take a seat somewhere." He snapped, silence grating on his thin nerves./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"If Mercer wasn't concerned about the blood, Cross certainly wasn't-while he was curious, what the scientist did was ultimately none of his business. Seeing as he was snapped at before he could even answer the first question, he merely raised a brow, before finally stepping further into the living room and taking a stiff seat on the couch./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Cross wasn't sure why he was so antsy today. It wasn't like him; something about this house combined with not working for the rest of the day. He hardly considered himself a workaholic, but just sitting here had him drumming his fingers against his thigh in suppressed nervousness. Of course, he'd rather go up in another nuclear explosion than admit to it, expression remaining as stoic as ever as he glanced to Mercer./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""If I want a drink, I'll get one myself. Don't worry about it. Thank you for the offer, though." Not that the gratitude came across as anything but half-hearted. "For the record, I'm not skipping work. I was given the day off. The general decided he didn't need me to stare blankly at a wall for an hour." Tap, tap, tap. "Figured I'd check on you. I'll look into our situation some when I'm back at the barracks, for good measure."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Mercer sat down on a sofa chair across the room, folding himself into it like some origami creature as he watched Cross. "It doesn't matter if they agreed, you know. Skipping work is still skipping work. Besides, what could even be looked into?" Mercer cracked a wry grin, head perched on his knee. "Very little remains other than our minds. I've been observing this since I was brought into it- it's simply not enough to do tests on."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"When Cross took some time to respond (though it was really nothing at all) Mercer frowned. The man looked like a very nervous labrat- tapping away and tense as anything. "You usually this hyper...?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""I'm not talking about experiments, not in a scientific sense. I'm talking about testing the limits. Seeing how far we can push our luck, what makes this whole cycle tick. It's a perfect situation for scouting out weaknesses." Knowing one's enemy was critical, after all-even if the enemy happened to be time itself. While peculiar, this wasn't ultimately different than any other fight. He didn't focus on the scientist as he spoke, sharp gaze flicking between the walls around them more times than he'd like to admit./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""You seem fond of recklessness. I'm willing to put myself in the firing line if it means figuring this out." The question made him pause, a split second frown crossing his features before settling back to neutrality. He pinned his own hand down, metallic fingers of his prosthetic glinting in the light. He nearly started bouncing his leg to counteract it, but grit his teeth to still himself. "It's nothing."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Mercer watched carefully, easily reading the actions despite Cross' attempts to hide them. "If you want to suffer from all that energy be my guest," He rolled his eyes, "But don't try to hide it. Its irritating. So- your idea would be to... Try to alter it? Fight to the death a dozen times? It'd be interesting for certain, but we've no way to record it."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He pulled out a worn notebook from the coffee table's drawer, flipping through it as he fidgeted in the chair, eventually settling on his side holding it above him. "Any traditional methods get wiped clean, no matter what I've tried. So itd be very... Trial and error- with lots of recursion. Whatever makes this go by quicker though, I suppose."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""If I was trying to hide it, you wouldn't even be asking." Not to say he wasn't tempted to continue, but he wasn't that much of an asshole. He settled for getting to his feet, pacing in front of the couch with his hands tucked behind his back. Once he was done summarizing his plans, he could leave. Focus on that. "Something akin to that."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Recording would be easy. You said it yourself-our minds stay in tact. We use that." A shrug. "The one of us three with the best memory just remembers what happened. It'd be basic drilling, nothing difficult. Embed whatever information we get in our heads so we can use it. No purpose to pointless reptition beyond what we already have to do; that's enough of a fucking pain as it is."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""I want the ins-and-outs of the entire situation." Cross stopped briefly, meeting Mercer's gaze for a split second before resuming. "Can't put a stop to something you don't understand. And we happen to have all the time in the world."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""...Fine." Mercer acquiesced, grumbling tone showing exactly how he felt about a mental record of events. "If we're talking about memory, however... We should use Dana for that. Seems she's sharper than I thought."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"With that, he rolled off the couch, nearly losing his balance, and strolled over to the door beyond Cross with more under breath mutterings about notes and interuptions the whole way. Before opening it, he paused just long enough to tap a blue dot on a map. "It's not terribly far, you could run if you'd like. I'll take the streets."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Why was he complaining? Better some record than no record. They didn't exactly have room to be picky. The name 'Dana' spurred a slight raise of his brow-there were more people involved in this?-but he said nothing, letting Mercer fumble with the map to show him the location./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"A run... definitely not a bad idea. Running or otherwise working out was how he usually worked off the excess energy. Not that he showed any visible approval or denial of it, save for the fact he was already making his way to the door./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Works for me. I'll meet you there, then."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"_/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"The journey there passed quickly, now roughly familiar with the flow of pedestrians on this route on this day- but as he climbed the stairs with Cross (he'd not even seemed out of breath- how peculiar), and set to knocking on the door, a strange anxiety settled in. The insipid silence from within was unusual, and she didn't respond to the knocks in the slightest./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Mercer reached for his phone, to text her quickly, only to realise he'd left it behind. He stiffened in place hunched in front of the door, body frozen while his mind writhed trying to think of why she wouldn't be home./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Cross let Mercer handle the knocking, mentally mapping out the interaction-what, exactly, he had in mind that could be tested-only to glance up as there was no response. He wasn't terribly perturbed. She wasn't home, no big deal. Mercer, on the other hand, looked like a damn deer in headlights. Well, that was helpful. With a grunt, he knelt next to the door, skimming it for a couple moments./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""No sign of breaking in or tampering. She left naturally." He glanced to his stiff companion, furrowing his brow a little in the vaguest show of concern. "She's likely fine. We can just wait for her to get back."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He paused for a moment, considering something before letting out a quiet sigh "...Or, if you're feeling particularly impatient, I can pick the lock."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Mercer shook himself out of his head when Cross addrsssed him directly, trying to understand the words for a long moment. "... Maybe not. She probably doesn't want company if she left." He stuffed his hands into his pocket, looking away from Cross. "This was a bad idea."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"That was that, then. Cross got back to his feet, hands dropping to his side as he glanced between Mercer and the door. "Not a bad idea. Just poor timing. If she's in the loop, her schedule's as predictable as ours." What now, though? "You can call her when you head back to your apartment. I can get you something to eat in the meantime. Might as well."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Tch..." He responded, mulling over the offer with a mulish frown before relenting. "Sure. Don't think I've eaten real food in a few days anyways, might as well. You're picking the place though."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"If their bodies just reset, food really wasn't that necessary, was it? Cross could have argued that he hardly new anywhere around, but it'd be the equivalent of complaining to a brick wall. "Fine."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Off they went yet again, lacking any better things to do. The rain was still coming down, ruining Cross' slicked back hair more than it already had, but he hardly seemed to mind. Even at a speed walk he was a ways ahead of Mercer, frequently stopping to let the scientist catch up before heading off again. The trip had no true direction, truthfully-he only happened to wander across a pub, recently opened for the morning with few guests./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Cross lingered at the doorway, stature and scarred features earning him a few anxious glances before Mercer finally caught up. He motioned to the building with his good hand, as though he was presenting his find./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""This work for you?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Mercer peered inside, shivering from the rain, and gave a tiny half shrug. "It's as good as anything." He stepped inside, dripping onto the welcome mats for a moment, before stalking to a closed off booth in the back and settling within, grateful to be off his feet./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"After waiting a moment for Cross to join him in the safe, walled in space, he met the old man's steady gaze with a sharp stare usually reserved for people who he was curious about- such as Dana or Alex- but he assured himself he wasn't curious about Cross. Cross was just a hired gun for Blackwatch who he'd had the unfortunate luck to get stuck with today. "You seem quite certain of your idea- we can discuss it over food. What boundaries did you wish to test, exactly?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Cross, on the opposite hand, was reluctant to still again-he sat across from Mercer, only to immediately start bouncing one leg and resting his chin in both hands. He paid no mind to the menu; food was the last thing he had on his mind. His mind was in overdrive, determining the perfect course of action, his goals, who to achieve it with and how to achieve it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""That's the plan. It'd be kind of stupid to leave you in the dark." He brushed a few stray strands of hair back, then continued. "Assuming the 'everything resets at the end of the day' mentality, I want to see just how far that goes. Death's caught the most of my attention. It's extreme, it's an end-all, usually. And we're in a situation where death doesn't mean shit. It's a freedom a human being can only be left with for so long before the universe gets pissy. So how many times and how many ways can a man die, before something changes?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""That's just one example. It's critical to figuring this whole thing out, though."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"A slight grin slipped onto Mercer's face, without thinking. "So you'd like to orchestrate our deaths to see if that results in alternate loops? I have to say, I'm not averse to the idea. Though if it's anything like the last variation..." He grimaced. "Well, experimenting is the only way to improve after all. We could always free Greene to get a quick death scenario, I suppose."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He quietened his musings as the waiter approached, pointing out his order choice with a dark mutter. Unpeturbed- perhaps too tired to care- they turned to Cross, "And you, sir?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Cross merely glanced the waiter's way, slight annoyance at the interruption easily concealed by the deadpan and monotone. "Just water will do." He eyed them as they walked off, waiting until they were out of earshot to face Mercer and continue-in a lower, quieter tone than before. A simple precaution./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""...Essentially, yes, that's my plan." There was a slight furrow of his brow, pondering over the name 'Greene' for a second. "I'd rather keep the deaths of unrelated parties to a minimum, at least until we run out of tests. As for our team, we need to be precise about it. Focus on one person at a time. I'm going first. The emotional toll is obvious, and I'm the most equipped to handle it, on account of my training."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Mercer forced down the gut reaction- if Cross wanted to put himself on the chopping block that was up to him. "Alright." He lingered for a moment, considering something. "Hold on, do you even know who Greene is?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Vaguely." Cross shrugged, leaning back in his seat to start drumming his fingers against the table. "The name came up a few times when the general and McMullen were conversing, though they kept it obnoxiously vague. I assumed it was a codename. Your son seemed pretty convince she was a monster, though. His description matched that of a Runner before he went off on a paranoid tangent. If we were dealing with a Runner, though, I would know." He narrowed his eyes somewhat, frowning. "That's what I've heard. I assume you're talking about something different."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He sighed, adjusting his glasses as he talked quietly,"... Hate to break it to you, but she is a runner. Tried to kill me when I found a way into the containment area to investigate." The thought of the information Gentek had kept hidden from him made his stomach churn. "She had the strain which I made Alex from- though I didn't realise until recently. How much do you think you know?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He fell silent for a good, long moment, but his tapping only picked up pace and intensity; despite his tight frown, it was clear he was gritting his teeth./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Dammit. We were told you had a sample of the virus, not..." He exhaled slowly, sternly not breaking his calm demeanor. "So they've been holding a Runner captive. Good to know. I don't think they realize the amount of hell they're in for the second the general learns this." Except, he already knew. He'd been talking about it with McMullen. Randall wasn't a trustworthy force by any means, but this was a Runner. A viral bomb ready to blow at any second. Why would he let that slide?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Cross nearly got up and started pacing again, but clenched his fists to fight it. "I know enough. Runners aren't anything to fuck around with."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""You would know that, wouldn't you?" Mercer half muttered, eyes going to the slight red tint peeking out of Cross' collar, and beyond the ends of his sleeves, curling without pain over the man's organic hand. To him, the symptoms lined up quite well- but he wondered if he realised./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He was prevented from continuing by the sudden reappearance of the waiter, this time bearing a tall glass of water and a bowl of bread buns. "Here you go, sirs. Your meal will be arriving shortly- will you be paying with cash or card?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Card, after the meal." Mercer responded, pushing the bread buns across the table with a pointed look at Cross./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Cross was by no means dense; he knew exactly what Mercer was getting at, and it earned him a sharper than usual glance as he pulled up on the collar of his turtleneck. Last he checked, he wasn't running around in a crazed, 'infect everything' daze-the Redlight rashes, blotches of crimson scattered across his body, were an unfortunate side effect of an age old infection, nothing more. But whatever helped him sleep at night, he supposed./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He merely nodded to reaffirm Mercer's statement, taking a sip of water despite his somewhat unsteady grip on the glass. Cross huffed a little as the bread was pushed his way, but he took a piece anyways. Soon he was distracted, though, biting into it like he hadn't eaten in the past three days. He'd had other priorities./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He swallowed what was in his mouth before he continued, turning the bread about in his artificial hand. "Whatever the Greene situation, I'll handle it. It's ultimately not your problem. We should focus on the loop."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""The Greene situation would be the focus of this loop," Mercer snipped, "There's little else to do. Unless you'd like to explain how else you've got matching marks to her?" The waiter was long gone by now, so he felt no guilt in probing the 'Specialist' who seemed to have a special lack of knowledge for his role./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"His grip on the bread roll tightened somewhat, and the pace at which he was bouncing his leg increased, but he didn't dare show an ounce of emotion on his face. It'd be easier if he could just get up and move./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Really. By that logic, you could say anyone who has a rash or birthmark is a Runner, too. I'd be in great business." Cross rolled his eyes, but after a moment, he rolled up his sleeve-leaving the red markings in full view to prove his point. "I can explain just fine. I never said I wasn't infected. I just carry a variation of the strain. It's an artificial one made by scientists prying at Redlight. They wanted to see how they could enhance us. If I was a Runner, everyone would be long dead. They infect everything they touch."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Don't make assumptions about a situation you aren't part of, Mercer."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""I've been researching Blackwatch and Gentek for months," He hissed lowly, "It gets me killed by your coworkers if it gets out. I daresay I'm part of the fucking situation- if not Achilles' specific mess."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"The last name made even Cross' face immediately darken, the bread in hand promptly crushed as he forced himself to look away. He wanted to die, if he was digging around that much./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""I don't see what you're going to get out of this." He motioned between them. "Say it turns out I'm a Runner. Which I'm not. How does that benefit either of us right now. You get a little fun fact about me, I become an enemy of the state. We shouldn't sit here like fucking ducks when we have a very real issus-the fact time is looping in the first place."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He couldn't do the stillness any longer, promptly getting up and pacing the length of the table. "This isn't a free for all, it's a real problem. Theories and accusations will only make things worse."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""I get a fun little fact, you get to come out of the virus closet, no one gets permanently hurt because of the issue with time." Mercer rolled his eyes, "What are you going to do, kill me?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Do you want the sarcastic answer or the genuine answer?" Come out of the virus closet, he says. He must have been great at parties./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""I'm not going to kill someone for having a conversation with me, for fuck's sake. You're stating your perceptions, and even if I'm calling bullshit, I respect that. I just don't see how this will cause us anything but trouble." A small pause. "Of course. I have to entertain the idea that you're right, too. And that just puts emphasis on me being the death test dummy."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Though Mercer longed to snap out a reply, half out of his seat- the waiter interrupted him. They cleared their throat, getting the attention of both the tense men, and their smile had the slightest hint of irritation this time. "Sirs, I'm afraid this is a restaurant. If you wish to fight, there are plenty of other venues I could direct you to. Please, enjoy your meal and sit down."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"With that, they placed the meal ordered onto the table and stepped back, staring Cross down. Mercer had already slunk back into his seat, glowering at them- it was only the large man left to deal with./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He should've seen this coming-there wasn't anything subtle about their argument, after all, much less Cross' pacing. He met the waiter's gaze in silence, lips drawn in a tight frown. The thought of stilling right now, with so much going through his head, made him want to bash his head against the nearest wall. But there was an easier solution to this./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""I'm going to step outside. I can pay now to avoid any trouble. The meal was mostly for him." He set the crushed, half-eaten bread roll back in the basket, moving to hold his hands behind his back. "It's been a long morning."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Like hell you are," Mercer growled, grabbing the back of Cross' jumper and trying to drag him back to the seating. "You're going to fucking eat the bread, I'm going to eat this fucking salad and then we'll talk. It's been a long week so you're not slipping off."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Mercer trying to pull Cross was the equivalent of trying to push a tank into position, with Cross not even faltering despite it. He merely glanced back to the scientist, huffing through his nose. "Or you could take it to go. I'm just going to walk around the block. It's really not a huge deal."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"The waiter huffed in amusement. "For a small fee we can offer that service, shall I bring the card reader?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Mercer slumped, glaring between the two. "Fine. We're going."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"_/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"The walk through Gentek was simple as always- what with the employees scrambling out of the two dead eyed men like they had the plague. Or perhaps like Cross was infectious- the thought amused him somewhat. He would love to see what a proper Redlight Host looked like- merely the sickness rather than the form twisting animalistic variants. Cross wasn't the slighest worrry to them./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"But as the duo (one slightly out of breath) exited the stairwell onto the pustule filled floor with bubbling fleshy walls, Mercer felt his chest tighten more. They were really here- ready to fight the runner to the death. He had to focus if he wanted to get useful information from this./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"The second they stepped into Gentek, the persistent nervousness that had been plaguing the captain all day was gone. Gone was the aimless fidgeting, replaced instead by a quick and steady stride as his attention remained wholly on his goal. Maybe it was a little extreme for a first death-sending an unarmored man to brawl a captive Runner. But he was ready. Ready to map out what she was capable of, ready to truly grasp how a Runner thought so he could properly apply it to combat./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"As they came to the doorway for her containment, Cross rolled up his sleeves, briefly checking the status of his prosthetic before moving both hands to rest behind his back./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""Anything I should know? I imagine she's unresponsive right now. Captivity has likely been grating on her."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""She doesn't respond to anything, until you get to about a meter off the containment. Pretty patient, but once you get too close..." He shuddered a little, remembering his encounter viscerally. "Well, you can guess."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He walked up to the box which held the centre of Gentek's corruption, pulling the key to her cell out. As expected, she lifted her head from the curled up position, just enough to watch them. Barely noticeable if you didn't know she would move in that specific way. "I'll let you in when you're ready. You've got time- do what you need."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""I was ready the moment we stepped in here, Mercer. This isn't my first time." The Runner of Two Bluff came immediately to mind-tracking her down in the blazing Arizona sun, ending her life on a railway about a mile away from the decimated town. He didn't even have to chase this one down./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;""This could last minutes to hours. Keep a close eye."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"He nodded wordlessly, opening the first door to let him in and handing him the inner key, shutting the door behind Cross. After a small moment of hesitation, he locked the outer door and moved to watch from the observation window uneasily. Greene had lifted her head up, watching Cross with her full attention now./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Cross moved forward without hesitation or delay, not even bothering a glance back to Mercer. He was going to die-he fully expected it. But seeing as that was the idea, he wasn't exactly phased. He unlocked the inner door, closing and locking it behind himself before going to stand at the front of her cell. He said something, clearly directed at Greene, but it was inaudible past the soundproof glass of Greene's containment./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"She stood up slowly, as if from a gentle rest rather than months of being curled up in the same position. For a long moment, she was completely still, then something like- though distinctly not- a smile spread over her features. She stepped closer to Cross almost welcomingly, some phrase rolling off her lips as she reached a hand towards him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"In a motion completely unlike the ever-stoic captain, he recoiled, disgust and shock genuinely visible on his features as he backed away from her. His response was sharp and harsh, accompanied by him raising both fists and glaring daggers. Her attempt to touch him seemed to be the only reason he hadn't lashed out already, as he was clearly debating it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Although she looked- betrayed? saddened?- by his response, she did not let that stop her. She grasped his organic fist, pale fingers threading around it, and whispered something again, meeting his eyes earnestly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"Cross moved to pull away, but the moment her hand came into contact with his... he stopped. His shoulders slackened, and he returned the grasp she had on his organic hand with his metallic one. It was an odd scene by all means, aggression having faded into an odd sort of bonding-a family reunion./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"From beyond the containment, slouched against the wall of the mutated area, Mercer scowled at the duo. He was supposed to be killing the Runner, not holding hands with her like a pair of schoolgirls surprised to meet! But... This could make for quite the good scenario to observe. It certainly leant much more credence to his runner theory- but he'd need to try disproving it if he wanted to be certain. No value in confirmation bias after all. With that in mind, he slumped to the floor resting cross legged to wait for either of them to do something./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #cecece; background-color: #1e1e1e;"But from the looks of it? He'd be here a while./p