Chapter Sixty Three: Encounter! A Curious Puppet!
Neo watches the boy slide out of the van. Soon as he's out, Roman continues his drive around the blocks. The two CRBN members keep an eye open until finding a loading dock fenced in at the back of the hospital grounds.
That's where the employee entrance is. ID scanners to allow one person entry at a time. Neo nods to Roman, smirking. "Right. Out with you, Neo. I'll ditch the van someplace safe and enter the back. You enter the building from the front and rendezvous with me inside."
Neo winks, popping the van door open and exiting. As she does so, her body flashes with her semblance. Replacing her is the image of a preppy blonde woman in a long sleeved dress and heels. She begins walking around to the building front, keeping a tight grip on Hush, now colored yellow in her Shatter disguise.
Rounding to the front, she enters the building immediately after seeing Carmine disappear around a corner. Smiling pleasantly, she takes the same tact strolling down a different set of halls. Leading her to a different wing of the complex, she quickly finds a restroom nearby. Inside, Neo enters a stall. She reaches for her own earpiece.
Click click.
"Neo. You hear me?" Blair's voice comes in.
In response, Neo repeats on the button. Click click. An affirmative.
"Good. Roman has parked and is en route. For now, get on the Eastern most wings and move to the one of the Sky Bridges. The nearest is on the fourth floor of Wing E, but being closer to the research facility's ground floor will mean more foot traffic."
Neo grimaces. Click. Pause. Click. A negative.
"Thank goodness one of you is cautious. Higher floors have much less to worry about. Find a worker on break and see about swiping a key card. Multiple if possible." Watts chimes in. "Go to the bridge on Wing-H floor 15."
Click click. Neo taps in the positive before leaving the restroom in her disguise. She begins hopping from public restroom to public restroom. At some point, she should finally come across- Ah hah! Entering a restroom on the second floor, a nurse in brown scrubs is tending to her looks at the mirrors.
Neo smirks gleefully. Target one.
. . .
Five minutes pass, and Neo's new disguise is a blonde ponytail woman with green scrubs. She'd now collected three scan badges. Making sure to find differing positions. The nurse, a surgeon, and a janitor. Hush was now disguised as the handle of a Shatter roller cart. The girl still smiles pleasantly as she moves on a mission.
A little wave at a passerby here. A wink to foolhardy man there.
Once she begins reaching key card scanners, she systematically goes through the employee badges to get through. Now in the employee areas, Neo changes her walk. Being alone, she doesn't need someone thinking she's a nurse able to help at request. If she looks like she's busy with no time, nobody will come and waste her time!
Eventually, she finds herself at the beginning of the sky bridge connecting to the research facility. Taking a deep breath, Neo pushes her shatter cart to the wall and conjures papers to glance over.
She just has to wait for Roman so they each have an idea of a time table to work under.
"We sew you, Neo."
Neo glances out the large windows, spotting a bird flying by. Said bird then hovers. Knowing what to look for, she catches the lenses for eyes. Watts' bird. Winking to it, she returns her attention down.
"Just keep your head down and try not to draw attention."
"Hey you!" Speak of the devil... here comes attention. A string of curses burn in Neo's mind as Watts had jinxed it. She peeks up to see a younger doctor in blue scrubs nervously approach with a chart in hand. "Hey, I can't find doctor Turner, and I don't have have a clue what to do about my patient. Can you spare an opinion?"
Neo's illusion eyes blink wide like a deer in headlights. "Oh of course." Blair's groan sounds in her ear.
"Think of something quickly." Watts grumbles.
Neo purses her lips and stares back at the guy before he nervously waves his hand. "Nah, forget I said anything. Sorry to bother." He shuffles away, glancing around for other staff.
The disguised girl releases a breath. That was close. She returns to looking at her fake shatter papers waiting for Roman. However, her awareness calls back as the nervous scrawny guy is skulking about. Annoyed, Neo reaches for the ear piece. Click click.
"Yes, we're aware."
"He's like a lost puppy."
"Interns always are. I have an idea if he comes back." Watts grumbles back.
A minute passes, and the lost puppy returns. "Um... sorry..."
"Scroll call incoming. Put me on speaker." Blair cuts in. An alert nerve strikes Neo as Watts continues.
"The headset has no lag, while scroll calls in that area of town have a half second delay in audio. Your friend will speak for you. You will have half a second warning time to lip sync to the words coming from the scroll." Watts explains... as panic erupts in Neo.
They plan on having her 'speak'?! A nervous sweat shows on her illusion as well as real self... Gulping, she feels the buzzing of her scroll in her pocket. She answers and flicks the speaker option.
Making a dramatic display of looking behind the nervous clown. The intern furrows his brow, looking behind himself. Neo immediately clips her scroll at her throat as her shatter illusion covers it, the scroll replaced with a stethoscope.
Blair's voice comes from her earpiece. Half a second! Neo mouths as the words sound out from the scroll!
"What is your issue?" Neo's stiff face awkwardly moves, almost off sync with the words as she's startled. Blair's voice coming from her? Sounds so wrong. Her eyes almost scream in unfocused nerves. "You seriously cannot find your attending?"
Damn it Blair! Speak less formally.
The nervous man starts and stops before presenting Neo with her chart. "I-I have this patient, Miss Siers which what looks like a skin condition." He shifts to be shoulder to shoulder with Neo, backs to the window.
In the window, Watts' mechanical bird floats in place, its camera lens eyeing the chart board.
Nervous guy continues, talking with his hand almost. "The guy's skin doesn't have any deformation or blemishes. No irritation. But the issue is... well..." He hesitates before Neo glares. "Well, she's orange." He states blatantly.
Neo blinks twice. What? Blair's comes in, and Neo almost misses the first word entirely as she mouths with it. "What of the dermatologist? Whoever is on call should be the go to for skin care. Also, define orange. Are you speaking of a sun tan gone horrifically wrong? What?"
The guy double takes. "Well, Turner IS the top guy, and he isn't answering his pager..." He sulks. "Every test came back negative. The woman seems perfectly healthy all things considered. Also, no tan. She works indoors, and that gut doesn't tell me she jogs in her downtime."
Silence. Neo's lips pull into a firm line as she pretends to look at the charts... charts she has absolutely no idea what they mean. Pretend. Keep pretending-
Blair's voice cuts in. "Dietary consequences?" The words come out while Neo's head is cocked, focused on matching syllables rather than keeping a straight face. She catches herself before the scared guy focuses on her.
"Well, I know certain parasites can discolor you green, but contrary to her body build, she's not big on snails."
"Carotenemia, you fool." Neo picks up on Blair's tone and plays into annoyance, though it's noticeably absent until after the insult. "Excess beta-catotene discolors the skin tilting yellow, or orange in the case of some people's natural skin tones. Carrots, pumpkins, papayas. Have you not checked what she eats?"
The young intern flinches, blinking. "I'll, uh, get a dietitian." He points awkwardly away. "Thanks, uh... I'mma go."
Neo glares at him until he's gone. Soon as the man is absent, the disguised girl sighs in relief, ending the scroll call. She reaches for the earpiece. Click click.
"You're welcome. That fool won't last to his residency. That should help until Roman arrives."
Neo sighs, continuing to wait for Roman. She glances out the window at the robotic bird outside. Smiling, she flicks a wave at it appreciative. It felt... nice speaking again, even if not remotely really her speaking.
A moment later, and she spots Roman enter...
His hat is gone, as is his new white long coat he'd gotten when the team got new outfits. Instead, he wears black pants, red scrub top, and a white doctor coat. His hair is swept more tot he side than usual, allowing both eyes to be visible. With Watts' fake badge hanging from his neck, and Velvet Valentine in hand.
Neo smiles, pushing her shatter cart out in front of him. She blinks twice, allowing her pink and brown eyes to flash to him, alerting the man. Roman smirks. "Ah, there you are. Come, enough playing nurse. We got work to do."
"Now that you two are together, you can use Watts' key card to enter the facility through the sky bridge. However, the longer you take, the more risk there is." Blair advises as the two CRBN members begin their trek from the hospital to the research facility.
Roman huffs and keys his earpiece. "So, we split. Once we hit a location with air ducts, Neo will use them to hit Dr Polendina's lab. I'll take Wattsworth's entry flash drive and enter Dr Near's. We hit in similar time frames with the extraction flash drives, get out to the van, and be off in the sunset. Easy."
"I would not describe this as easy. The facility does have sensors that, while some admittedly go bad and are ill trusted, will still bring alert to some authorities when your girl enters Pietro's quarters. The sensors remain active so long as the scanners don't register active staff inside." Watts retorts. "Be aware that this time of day for researchers is typically filled with physical meetings. It's the only time of day Pietro won't be in his lab, which makes data theft easier, but makes detection almost a guarantee."
In other words, since Roman is using a badge, the scanners will ignore him. But if she enters Doctor Polendina's lab when no one is there, the sensors will alert security...
Neo looks at the mechanical bird out the windows in through, but Roman merely chuckles. "Barbie, Neo, did I ever tell you how I helped kidnap Silver Streak?" Neo blinks off guard, raising a brow. "See, I was in charge of occupying all the police in that damn city to keep them from interfering with the crime. Would you like to know how I did so?"
Catching on, the disguised girl behind slowly allows a grin. A dangerous glint in her eyes... She LOVES when Roman decides to be fun.
"There's a reason I took an extra bit getting up here." Roman snickers, a sinister satisfaction pulling at his lips. "We got five minutes before they start, and we should have an open season for about half an hour with a city this large."
"... Well, I dare say I am starting to actually like you lot." Watts chimes in.
Indeed, within five minutes, several stores and administrative buildings within a three block radius of the hospital all succumb to a single burden. Spontaneous, arson. Fires begin, prompting emergency response, backed up traffic, and extremely poor response times for law enforcement.
. . .
A mechanical lock disengages with a loud thunk. Roman and Neo pass into the research facility, finding stark white halls and reflective pearly floors. The two come to an intersection, halls directing out like a spider web. Roman puts his hand to his chin, pretending to speak to Neo as some researchers pass by. "Now, where did you have to run off to."
The question wasn't directed to Neo. It was a request from their 'techies' for her directions. Watts' voice chimes in. "The mute will find a ventilation shaft capable of fitting her stature in the center of the left hall."
Neo makes a point of gesturing left, so Roman smirks and nods. "By quick about it. Without those reports, the big jerk's head will roll." The conman watches as Neo twists and marches off. He turns from her as Blair's voice calls to him.
"You will go down the right hallway and take the next left." Roman taps his cane and marches with a smile.
Back down the halls, the moment the passing scientists clear the area, a shatter sounds! One assistant turns around, glasses straightening to see the source. Nothing. He misses the small fading aura shards wisp away on the floor.
In the ceiling of the white halls, a vent cover is observed being placed back. Neo smirks from inside the vents. The girl's illusion is gone, Hush with her as she begins crawling onward. She keys the earpiece. Click click.
Watts' voice calls. "Now, follow these instructions to the letter. Any mistake will place you in a wildly different location. Understood?" Click click. Neo prepares to memorize what she can. "Good. Your directions are left, down, right, straight, straight, right, up, up, up, left, right-"
Eyes spinning, Neo rapidly clicks the earpiece for him to stop. Once he does so, she responds in the negative. Click, pause, click.
A sigh rings in her ears. "If I must go slow... Left. Is that simple enough?"
Now belittled, Neo's grumble echoes in the vents sound. Frustrated, she taps the piece to the affirmative. Click click. She begins following his directions...
. . .
Following the directions, Neo begins allowing other thoughts to drift in. The facility must have impeccable janitorial staff and procedures. She manages to drop through a shaft, sliding between the spinning blades of a large vent fan. All without a single smudge on her hands or knees.
It's SO clean!
Seriously. These are vents. Where dust collects! Yet, she feels like she could eat off the metal under her. If she could have CRBN's home in Haddon made and maintained like this vent, she would be living high class again.
The girl pauses at the next right... That word. Again.
Being in Atlas for the first time in what? Six years maybe? But, no. Her mind clears of the AZRL days. Rather, she thinks before that even... Living in an admittedly well kept and high grade apartment in the City of Atlas itself was fairly wealthy. Still, her mind continued even further back...
A mansion. A sleek and clean ballet room to stretch and play about? That was really nice. She wonders briefly about maybe setting up a hard wood spot at home... But, she'd so rarely be around to keep it clean. Maybe?
Continuing down the ventilation shaft, she muses over how Carmine would react to her having a gymnast set up at home. Her eyes shimmer slightly amused... because Carmine would get so flustered inevitably over her flexibility on full display. Okay, that's low hanging fruit, though. She can get him blushing crazy pretty much whenever she wants. Gymnast routine with Shatter fox ears and tail? Why, that's evil enough to tickle her fancy.
How easily including him in her thoughts reminds her too. Even back at the mansion with her Mother and Father, Misty and Rocky, she would always wonder about the weird kid from the woods she'd bonded with over a single weekend. Maybe it was because she had been home schooled, never once seeing someone her age except for giant extravagant affairs with other families.
There were lonely days back then where she would've appreciated Dumb-Dumb being around. He'd interested her the moment they met. Lo and behold, it would be him forcing Roman to literally buy her freedom years later because he remembered her too.
Which only made her dwell on if others thought of her. Well, really that only leaves the two people... Her mother...
Neo's body tenses, a surge of anger barely contained. She doesn't need to dwell on whether that bitch thinks about her. Honestly, Misty Rhodes was likely doing just fine. Manipulating some businessmen or being a sleazy corporate monster would likely be her occupation.
Slit.
"tss!" Neo breathes out a wince as, in her distraction, her right finger scrapes off a metal seem. Pulling up, the girl calms, a soft glare on the flesh wound.
A wry chuckle comes. Thinking about her mother, and she goes and gets a cut that said mother would never deal with. It's like poetry! It rhymes, right? Neo's aura heals the cut immediately, the girl clenching and releasing the fist before continuing.
Although, that brings her mind to the other person she can wonder where he is... Where would George be these days? While her mother would ignore thinks like cuts and the like, she knew the servant man would always be attentive. How is he doing?
Being a faunus, probably not well, given how Atlas is. He's likely to still be doing servant work for someone wealthy... Hopefully not someone abusive.
Neo blinks and freezes. It'd been years since she thought of the servant she'd tormented, but she finds a small tug. A hope that nothing worse than what she'd done terrorizing him had happened since. On the one hand, Neo knew she was far from the worst thing a faunus servant like him could experience. Granted, she was also far from tame.
Sneaking off to find a blood covered boy by a dead body under the pretense of needing to pee? That would be a shining example of what looking after Neo was like. Which, to be fair, she feels bad for NOT feeling bad about.
Watts' voice calls over the receiver. "Only three more turns. You're almost directly over his lab. You'll want to drop by what I presume is his prep area. It will have his computer to steal the info. Go left, then-"
SCREECH!
Neo recoils, ear in pain at the single second whine piercing her! Soon as it cuts off, Neo removes the earpiece. She stares at it, alert, then puts it back on.
Click click... Nothing. Click click...
Uh oh... Neo waits and listens. Nothing alerts her in the vent. So, was something wrong on their end? She tries again. And again. Again. A slight panic was starting to set. In the days of prep, the CRBN team hadn't observed Watts' equipment malfunctioning even once! Blair double checked everything, too.
And Watts was the one cut off from speaking. He couldn't be doing something, could he?
Neo pulls out her scroll, typing a message to Blair. Bzzt. A message comes to her...
Blair – Enemy found Watts. Continue mission and get out. Will contact ASAP.
Well shit. Carmine wasn't tagged in the message. Likely a time saver since his mission is supposed to be the least action heavy. Still, that pushes Neo to push forward. She takes the next left...
After the left, she's at another intersection in the vents... Watts didn't get the directions out. He said left, and there's two more turns. Shit. That's two coin flips ahead of her. Left or right here? Then after that, another left or right?
Lips pursing, Neo sighs.
She'll need to take a guess.
So, she goes right, then left. One in four shot! Quickly then finding a vent cover to crawl from.
. . .
Roman continues to hum upbeat as he walks through the facility, the face of an enigmatic intellect. That's the presentation he's pushing for, anyway. He finds himself moving around a corner, face blanking at a security guard marching his way.
The guard is equally chill in his demeanor, but he quirks his brow at the disguised conman. He halts and nods. "Hey there, guy. New face around here! What brings you around?" The ever slightly overweight man cheerfully addresses Roman, but still keeps a healthy distance. Just enough to be aware of Roman's full stature.
Smart...
Roman tries to smile friendly, not smarmy. He puts on a light lilt to his speech, slightly nasal. "Hey, boss. I'm grabbing some notes from one of the labs this way on prosthetics." He leans on Velvet Valentine, slightly forward. "Is it me, or are a lot of faces here less than pleasant conversation?" He snickers. "It's me, isn't it? Something with my face?"
The guard smiles good natured. "Nah, don't let the higher ups rattle you. Stick to Polendina if you can. Guy's a saint with a heart of gold. Got a name, bud?"
Roman holds his hand out, friendly. "Dr Delarge, Resident from Vale. I just got here recently, actually." The two men shake hands. Roman continues to strike up friendly conversation until Blair's voice chimes in.
"If only you could speak to me this kindly." Her near playful tone could almost be misconstrued as a flirtatious one. "Move on, though. Neo's getting close to Polendina's lab."
The conman snickers. "I'll second about the good doctor. It's always easier to be nice to people who are the definition of amicable. Anyhow, I need to be off." He waves the guard off, attempting to walk by.
A hand halts him, the guard smirking. "One second, friend. I monitor these halls. Only labs this way are doctor Halsa's and Stein's. I scan anyone who heads this way." He holds up a hand scanner.
Shit... Time to put Watts' fake badge to the test. Roman smiles despite his stomach dropping. "Of course! Here!" He offers the badge, so the guard moves to scan...
Then the scanner sparks... Roman's eyes catch it. It's a taser!
The pudgy guard lunges, only for Roman to twist, pulling the man in and kneeing his first leg out. He throws the man off balance, quickly cracking Velvet across the jaw. Knocked silly, Roman snatches and wrenches the taser arm, disarming the guard. He then jerks the man around before slamming him face first into the wall.
The friendly guard drops blacked out. Roman stands over the man, raising a brow.
Curiosity typically pays off, so he pulls the back of the guard's shirt down. Sure enough, red ink tattoo numbers show. "AZRL plant." Roman grumbles, pulling the rotund man up and fireman carrying him down the hall. "Of course it's the fat one!"
Soon enough, Roman finds himself outside of a metal door. A scanner console shows built into the wall. "This it?"
"According to the building layout, yes." Blair responds. "Now-"
SCREECH!
Roman jolts, fumbling the fat guard onto the ground as his hand clamps on his ear. "Hey! What was that about?"
No answer.
He sobers, a firm frown coming on. "Barbie, don't mess with me." No answer. He scoffs. "Damn it!" He pulls out Watts' flash drive as he interacts with the wall console. With a beep, a message appears on the screen. A password screen.
The password hint displays.
"'Of sound body and mind. Even Death becomes adventure, Evermore.' What passage?"
Roman inserts the flash drive into the wall. The screen flickers as the section for the password entry populates with the answer.
"42-42-564"
With a beep, the door opens wide for the man. Entering, Roman drags the guard and quickly closes the door. Soon as he can, he finds a post, tying the man in place before appraising the immediate area. The room is large and dark.
However, a soft teal glow hazes a soft outline of the corner inside. Roman's eye cuts to the source as he investigates. Rounding the corner to go further into the lab, he finds the source of the glow. An operating table. The table has a clear surface with a soft teal illumination from underneath. All around the table, Roman finds a cleaning station decorated in red marred tools, several protective supply carts with surgical items, and shelves upon shelves of mechanical gadgets.
Roman's attention is more focused on the table itself, however.
A body sits on the table...
Roman glares at the scene, walking ever so slowly around the centerpiece of the room. Each step echoes out into the darkness. No overhead lights have yet to turn on in the room. Does this Near guy, or Stein, or whatever despise solid lighting? Roman peers closer to the body on the table-
Pump... pump...
"What the..." Roman's green eyes widen.
It's a female. A girl. Woman? The young girl is splayed out on her back, wearing nothing but black shorts and white wrapping around her breast. Fabric covers her eyes and hair, various tubes and tools locked into place into her nose nostrils and cranked open mouth.
Pump... pump...
Her stomach is open! Just under her rib cage exposing her organs. Wires are expertly woven into her insides, the wires pulsing teal with each pump. The pumps are in tune to the soft sound Roman catches.
A heart beat. This girl is still alive.
Roman jolts at the realization. The horrific procedure before him nearly making him wretch. Killing people? That had always been something necessary for Roman. Hell, even torturing people often came with his territory. No one else mattered but him...
Yet, this... this sadism... this girl is alive, and she's been left open on the operating table with whatever this thing here even is!
Quickly, Roman looks around for a computer. A console... SOMETHING to explain this gods damned splatter horror in front of him!
He follows the wires extending out of the girl's abdomen, following the connection to a small circular device in the side. Each pulse is rewarded with a blinking light on the orb, no larger than a soft ball. Roman glances about until he finally finds a computer at the end of the dark room.
Roman quickly comes up to a log in screen. The conman grimaces and looks to Watts' flash drive. "This had better work... Cause now I'm more than curious about this shit show." He enters the drive, eager to get some answers for himself along with this damn data. There are some limits to what one can stomach with this...
. . .
A vent cover pulls inward before Neo drops down from the ceiling. In contrast to Roman's target, the lab section she lands in is perfectly lit. Landing, Neo crouches against a cabinet beside her. She knows from the schematics that Doctor Polendina's lab covers several sections.
Without a doubt, she's dropped somewhere in the labs... But, she needs to find the man's personal computer. Everything being lit would have been a plus, but Neo finds herself beside... a wardrobe? She glances around.
A bed, shelves with books, a few wooden cabinets, night stands, lamps... It's a bedroom?
Well, high level researchers who have their own labs here likely need space with their own sleeping space. Although, literally living where you work makes Neo grimace. As though you could never get away from work...
Of course, Team CRBN literally lives out of hotel rooms as they go about. But! Like! That's different!
Neo gives a good natured smile and shakes her head at her defensive train of thought. Her mind is awfully loud in spite of her inability to speak. Being here seemed to be making it worse, too.
Alright, so if she were a scientist that was willing to sleep here, where would she place her own personal research computer..? Crap. She must have taken a wrong turn in the vents. She needed to get to the actual lab portion itself. A logging computer with research notes would be there.
Neo exits the room, finding a white hallway. Looking around, she realizes another thing. The sensors! They'll be on her any minute since she's the only one here! Throwing caution to the wind, Neo moves quickly down the hall, finding an open lab down the way.
She can even see the vents above where she was SUPPOSED to come down from... Damn. That annoys her.
The lab itself is like a robot future. Dozens of half made and tweaked prosthetic limbs litter several work stations. One of the open areas seems to be for testing. In the middle is a pedestal with a locked metal arm in place.
The metal arm is raised, holding up a large, THICK metal piston. A stress test, if she were to guess. The metal arm was very fancy. Sleek. Steel gray plating. Military grade, it seems.
Neo walks around the displays, noting the different purposes of the fake limbs. There's slender limbs with varying points of connection. If she were to guess, limbs usable for citizens able to pay for them. Metal legs and feet, some with wheel or other attachments. They were separated by purpose, too! The civilian models appeared to be various twists of offering daily function assistance. Meanwhile, the military issue limbs seemed decked with weapons, reinforcement, survival tools, and more.
It's like this doctor's entire life revolved around rebuilding what others lost...
That thought tugs at the girl, hand going to her chest unbidden. Her mismatched eyes find another section. Not just prosthetic limbs! A mechanical ear, next to a model. It looks like an entire mechanical ear canal. Something to implant in those that are deaf, perhaps? If he's made things for them, what about those that are blind-
Never mind. Neo rounds the shelf and finds specialized tech glasses, and even a fake eye! Well, fake is the wrong word. Peering closer, it looks like a contained bulb with mechanics inside. A complete replacement eye! It's so weird, but cool.
… If there's tools for the deaf and blind, would there be something for a mute?
Neo remains lost as she goes up and down ramps from demonstration areas to storage areas of the lab. The large area appeared to keep going and going. How much is there?!
Only when she happens upon a large console with a computer screen does her reverence end. Neo shakes herself to focus. Right, security will be on her any minute!
Reaching the computer, Neo plugs in a Watts verified flash drive. Soon as she does so, a black queen chess piece appears on the screen of the computer as a data transfer begins. She taps her foot, impatient, but sees that the process is rather quick. These computers are the highest of high end.
The data transfer takes exactly seven minutes. Neo pulls the drive and smiles at a happy success. However, it's still... too easy. No one had come. Nothing?
Wait... why hasn't security already responded?
In fact, why are the lights all on? Isn't that quite inefficient and irresponsible for power consumption? Neo leaves the computer. She rounds a tall shelf until-
"ACK!" Neo squeaks out as she topples over a moving object! The two moving bodies collapse into a heap on the open floor!
Neo winces, her eyes opening disgruntled as she peers down. What the actual hell did she just walk into-
Green eyes. Green, curious, blinking eyes look at her almost an inch apart from her pink and brown. "Eep!" Neo yelps and jolts to her feet! Neo looks at the girl on the ground. The girl that, despite being obviously short and young, appeared to still have an inch or two on the CRBN member.
Were they the same age maybe? Or was this girl a year or two older?
The girl on the ground has bright orange hair in a bob haircut. Her skin is pale porcelain with some sparse freckles. She wears a stark white pleated shirt with a prim closed collar. The sleeves start pure white at the shoulders and darken green down to the wide open cuffs revealing pale, pristine hands. Her shirt is perfectly tight fit flowing into a black battle skirt with green frills. Underneath, she has black pants with green side lines running from the hips down the legs. She has black boot like shoes as well.
Neo and the girl continue to stare at one another, blinking.
So that's why the sensors hadn't alerted security. There WAS someone registered in here...
Thankfully, Neo cannot speak, because she would not be capable of stopping herself from mirroring her mental reaction.
SHIT!
. . .
Roman glares at the screen as a data transfer begins. However, he wasn't interested in the quick in and out. He instead begins actively looking through notes, trying to make heads or tails of the GIRL ON THE OPERATING TABLE LEFT OPEN!
The last update to a folder of notes was from this morning. Jackpot. Roman opens the folder and finds that the notes are in dual tracks. One file for audio, one file for video. Roman grimaces and finds an audio file.
He hits play on the audio file: 'Project Soul Servant'.
As the audio plays, Roman looks to the wincing woman bound to the table.
"Audio notes. Journal date 01 – 31 – 2063" Roman raises a brow. This audio log was from three years ago. The voice was a detached, clinical voice. Zero emotion. Doctor Near, he presumes? "First session of Project Soul Servant begins now. The purpose of this project is to perpetuate and produce the power of aura entirely through technology."
Roman looks to the table and eyes the injured woman.
"Aura is a fickle thing that still baffles the world. Some believe that it is simply life force, a power of the physical biological body. However, efforts undertaken by Doctor Franklyn Naero Stein and Doctor Pietro Polendina contradict this theory. That aura can be amplified and continue to exist separate of the physical body."
"Others view aura as the person's soul. A literal piece of oneself. The manifestation of the religious belief and proof of the universe's rule. While we cannot fully disprove such a notion, this project will push these definitions to their breaking point. We will begin using probing sensors to isolate a person's personal aura into a tangible force. One that can be measured. This is a simple matter with Hunter technology such as SDC scrolls capable of measuring aura levels of those paired with the device. This part is simple."
"The hard part will be drawing aura out of an existing person. We will require someone with a matured aura, capable of generating it themselves. This will allow us to know the best means of accessing this power for further tests. We will begin."
The log ends, Roman looking at the woman on the table. Grimacing, he plays the next log.
"Audio notes. Journal date 06 – 20 – 2063." Five months? Jeez. "Sessions have yielded interesting results. A subject who is willingly offering their aura can project from any connection they please. This is how many people go about unlocking the auras of others. However, willingly offering aura is a harm in this case as it requires constant use of someone who otherwise has duties to perform."
"Instead, we have discovered how to draw aura out of an unwilling subject." The woman on the table winces, pulling Roman's attention to her. "Aura flows through the body like any other life essence. One must find the pathways. Sensors can be placed along the inner highways of a person's essence, finding that as an aura hot spot. Even someone without an unlocked aura can have their living auras found in such a manner. Subject range has increased substantially. This will further the project greatly."
The log ends.
Roman glares at the table, eyeing the wires that pulse teal from the woman. Sensors. That's what the wires are. She's hooked into a machine that must be accessing her living aura. Hesitating, Roman plays the next log.
"Audio notes. Journal date 03 – 05 – 2064. Attempts to keep aura alive post removal has stifled progress. The creation of the Soul Servo has been revolutionary. The device can draw aura through sensors and gain a charge similar to that of a battery."
Roman's eye cuts to the mechanical orb blinking by the woman. Each pulse of teal with the woman's heart beats, the device blinks as well. So, a Soul Servo, eh? It's draining her aura directly, against her will. Damn...
"While the process of drawing aura out has become a clear success, keeping that aura stable has been an issue. Worse yet are the attempts to make it self generating. The aura that is drawn into the Servo cannot sustain itself. The best uses we've found for the project thus far is in the cyber initiative. A living person whose body is converted can have a Servo placed inside to draw from their living aura and power mechanical functions."
"However, we continue to find issues with the generation of aura. Perhaps aura is itself a soul? If that is the case, then this project will not find further success, as self generation will be tied directly to biology. After all, a machine cannot bear a soul. Still, the merits of the project are worth further devotion of resources."
The log ends.
So, that explains Miguel in Sanctuary. Certainly explains Ray in Mountain Glenn as well. Both were cybernetic monsters, and this explains how their power source functioned. These Soul Servos were key to it all.
However, seems Near still hadn't managed to crack a self sustaining aura. Watts had mentioned that Doctor Polendina was ahead of Near in that regard...
How would a machine with self generating aura come off? Would it have a soul?
. . .
Green eyes blink at pink and brown. Neo's hairs stand on end as she awaits something wrong to happen. She needs to leave. NOW!
"Are. You. An. Assistant?" The girl on the ground speaks in stiff, enunciated patterns. Neo blinks back. Neo cocks her head slightly, and the mystery girl mimics the action on the ground. Both girls stare with cocked expressions before continuing. "I. Do not. Recognize you."
Neo opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. She gives up and points to the floor.
The girl blinks, looking at the ground. "Oh." In a single, mechanical movement, the girl hopping up to her feet. Neo takes a step back. The girl leans a bit, glancing at the mute. "Your. Throat. Is injured. Right?"
The mute's jaw slackens, the girl eventually nodding.
The ginger girl maintains static eye contact. "I am capable of reading sign language." She speaks slightly more fluidly, more confident stating her skill.
Neo blinks twice. She hesitates before signing. "Hello. Who are you?"
The girl blinks with a static smile. "My given name is Penny Polendina. What is yours?"
Penny Polendina
Physical Age – 16
Actual Age – Three Months
Polendina? SHIT! Neo blinks in shock. Watts didn't mention a damned daughter! Neo tenses and smiles. Quick. Distract from names. Neo's eyes instinctively swap colors, catching Penny's interest. "Your father's lab is very neat, but I must go."
Penny blinks once, body stiff as she turns towards the computer. Neo sucks in a breath as the 'transfer complete' prompt was still on screen! Neo squeaks for the other girl's attention. The green clad girl jolts, looking wide eyed back. "What is it?" She slowly enunciates.
Think on your feet. Neo thinks to the shelves of different prosthetic pieces. So, for both her curiosity and much needed distraction, Neo signs. "All those disability devices. Are there any that could help a mute?"
The ginger girl remains stone rigid, but responds excitably. "Father has orchestrated the construction of implants or wearable devices for almost all disabilities." Her smile falters slightly. "Unfortunate though. He has yet to make something that could assist one who cannot speak. The idea of an implant requires a cooperation of the implant and the inner esophagus, lungs, or throat." She then perks. "He has drafted plans on a wearable collar that could sound out based on sensing throat vibrations, but father has yet to find the time to begin a proof of concept."
Neo blinks. That's... rather heartwarming. She shakes herself and gives a fake smile. "Well, I better be off to assist others. I was just turned around here. Bye."
The mute turns and begins walking away stiffly as Penny frowns. "I do not see record of you badging into these labs."
What?
Neo stiffens. How did this girl know that off hand? She takes in the ginger, seeing her too still. The girl is too stiff. Suddenly, Penny looks around, Neo unable to stop her. Penny's green eyes widen on the computer before she turns and narrows her gaze on the mute. "Are... you a thief?"
Poker face. Neo blinks.
Then a sudden move. The mute sweep kicks, striking Penny's left foot out to throw the ginger girl off balance! "Huh?" Penny dumbly mumbles with no reaction as her body wobbles from the sweep! Blinking, the ginger girl's face hardens as she swipes an arm at Neo.
Shatter!
Penny spins on her right foot until regaining balance, eyes trailing around her. Neo is gone. A frown forms on the stiff girl as she looks to the direction of the living quarters. Her eyes close, a deep thought coming. She speaks out loud.
"Power output capped at 80%. Only functionally able to produce one laser at a time. Mobility programs and strength enhancement active. Sword control functional with 100% capacity." Penny's hands clench into fists. Her eyes snap open and glare in the direction of the living quarters.
. . .
The final log plays as Roman looms over the bound woman before him.
"Audio notes. Journal date 11 – 13 – 2064." Roman grimaces. This was a little over a month ago. "Constant attempts with individuals of common nature have yielded no change in response. We've decided to try atypical cases of aura to see if transfer and stability can be achieved. New subject experiences an atypical neural and aura degradation known Aurstigma."
"This state is caused by a genetic reaction to Grimm venom. After exposure to the venom, even curing the individual of the substance doesn't stop the victim's aura from slowly degrading over time. Similar to a type 1 diabetic's diabetes being triggered by another illness affecting the immune system, the venom triggers the victim's genes to start rejecting their own aura. The body begins to degrade and eventually, the victim's brain will shut down, unable to function with the same aura within them."
Roman looks at the woman on the table in horror. Is this broad the one Near is describing? He makes a mental note to ask Blair about this disease. It sounds rare, but what does 'same aura' mean?
"In response to this atypical illness, we have decided to see if this would respond differently to the Soul Servo. As theorized, the aura removed from the victim does NOT degrade upon storage in the Soul Servo. However, a new reaction did occur."
A pulse of the wires to the Soul Servo this time elicits a wincing whine from the bound woman. Her limbs twitch as a whimper escapes. Roman grimaces. The woman is awake. Or at least cognizant enough to know she's in pain.
"Subject's brain recently lost a storage of memory when she learned to tie knots with her family. When attempting to tie those same knots, while muscle memory allowed her to do so, she could no longer recall the memory of how she learned the skill. However, reintroducing aura stored within the Soul Servo also restored this memory to the subject. She was able to respond perfectly upon having her own aura returned. Aura that had not been degraded as far as her current bodily aura."
"This means that there is something to the zealotry of the religious. That aura, in and of itself, appears to store part of the person. Memory was carried inside. Personality, even. This would imply that a person suffering from Aurstigma could store their unaltered aura into the Soul Servo, preserving themselves inside. Then such aura could be reintroduced to them after degradation, undoing the loss of memory."
"Still, such an act would be short lived at best. Without a means of perpetuating the aura taken, one would still run out of the untainted aura, so the victim's eventual fate of becoming brain dead would only be put off."
Roman glares at the table. So, this test, barbaric as it is, does hold some value.
"However, there is substance to be observed. If aura is indeed able to be proven as a person's soul, then we must test to see if the problem of self sustaining is tied to the mortal coil." The Soul Servo pulses as the bound woman gurgles in pain, jolting Roman's attention.
"If the mortal subject should perish, will the Soul Servo's aura be all that remains of this person's soul? Upon becoming the only source of this unique aura, would it be allowed to perpetuate? Is it possible that all our setbacks at perpetuation come from an inherent limitation?"
"..."
"We must find out. So, I've left the subject to pass slowly of nutrient deprivation. Mortal death will cut off aura creation in the body, and the Soul Servo will obtain aura until the last breath. The last experience. Then, we will test the Servo to see if the obtained aura can finally become self sustaining."
Roman double takes. "What the hell?" He isn't able to stop himself from muttering. This woman is just left open to die, drained by this machine? Just to see if her soul will live on trapped in a self sustaining battery?! The fuck!
"If this is successful, then through the Soul Servo, we may find perfect immortality of individual auras. Testing will be held off while I attend other studies and projects."
The log ends... Roman sneers. "To hell with this." He approaches the woman and wrinkles his nose at the sight and scent. First, he needs to close the surgical opening. He finds surgical staples, and quickly washes his hands off in a prep station. Approaching the girl, he finds where the wires link to the insides.
Using his semblance, he sparks the air and lights the opening enough to see the connection clearly. Ignoring the pit in his stomach, he removes the wires from the organs and veins.
Beep. Beep.
The Soul Servo whines as Roman grumbles and shuts off the device. Wringing the wires around the orb, he puts it into a small pouch, ties it to his belt, and returns attention to the girl.
"Ugh! Eh!" She begins groaning out in pain as Roman gets to work.
Remove clamps, close wound, and staple-
"Ah!" The woman cries out at the puncturing in her gut!
"Stay still. Can't move you with a gaping wound." Roman flippantly snaps. He begins stapling down the line of the incision until it's closed fully. Her limbs tug and jerk at the table bindings, so Roman snaps. "Sit still or I'll mess this up! Take the charity or I'm leaving you."
The girl dulls to a whine, sniffing in pain as Roman wipes off the incision of blood smears. Roman Then goes to her mouth. "Alright, let's hope Barbie knew her stuff when demonstrating some of these." He removes the breathing tubes from her nose.
Her breathing increases, nostrils wheezing. Roman then accesses the tools locked into her mouth and throat. It takes a moment, but he gets them out and tosses the tubes aside. The woman coughs out, choking for air before settling weak on the table. "Ha... ha..." She wheezes as Roman tends to the bindings.
Nearby, the computer ticks with a pop up message. 'Procedure interrupted.'
. . .
Meanwhile, inside Doctor Stein's offices confronting Carmine.
Carmine sucks in a breath. AZRL is aware of magic? Near has witnessed it twice before him?
He and the doctor stare down for a moment too long. He isn't sure which of them would move first, nor how long they remained still. Doctor Near's cold eyes remain on the boy. Still, one had to break the silence, and it is the doctor to do so. The man's body stiffens as his face turns to the wall. As if... looking at something. Through everything in the way...
"I see. So, you're after my lab. A foolish endeavor."
His magenta vision flickers, a wireless command and awareness of his computer at the lab...
. . .
Roman releases the woman's bindings, allowing her to sit up, almost coiling on her pained gut. On her shoulder is a black tattoo of 3,672. A series black. Roman scoffs, pulling the cloth covering from her head.
Pale lavender, almost soft gray under the light, hair is revealed in a short cut, hair roughly having four inch bangs to the left side of her face. Hazel eyes strain with unfocused vision. She weakly looks at Roman as the man removes his fake doctor jacket. He offers it to her, spooking her from him in a flinch. "Take it. I'm not about to go dragging a half naked girl around unless it's fun time." He pauses for a moment. "And I'm taken, so even that's out. Damn."
The girl breathes weak before both flinch.
Beep. Beep.
Both look to the computer, now flashing red with a ignition program displaying.
"Oh... come on." Roman grabs the woman, ignoring the pained whimper as the two sprint for the door! Passing the guard he'd tied up earlier, Roman grimaces. "Not enough time."
He triggers the door to open, sprinting out and-
BOOM!
The lab explodes in a violet flame!
. . .
A small rattle of the vents makes Neo stop. She grimaces wondering what the heck could have caused that quake. Neo drops down a vertical shaft and slides to a stop at a pivot. Alright, now to pick a direction and stick with it until she hits a wall. Then exit.
Bang, bang, bang!
The vent shaft shakes violently, Neo's eyes going wide. Above, the shaft begins to light in a bright green. Neo's mismatched eyes peer up as the sound of spewing flames- "Eep-" She squeaks before a blasting girl slams down into her.
The vents rip and shake apart before Neo and Penny both erupt out of the metal airway! The two of them descend in a dark support room. A wide open room, over a hundred yards wide, with dozens of support pillars and elevated catwalks. A volatile testing room, likely for the more risky tests of the facility.
Neo and Penny separate, each landing apart atop a high cat walk. Neo's soft landing is off set by the loud clang of Penny's. Penny sets an almost childish pout of a frown on her. Neo blinks at her, unable to help an excited smirk.
She signs. "Nice hit. Wanna be friends?" She flutters her eyes innocent at the ginger.
Penny huffs. "I will not allow a thief to steal my father's research." Her stand widens, lowering slightly. "Such dishonest people can not be defined as friends."
Neo's confident smirk drops slightly. Honestly, this girl was so straight and narrow, it reminded her of another freckled teen she knows. She shakes her head and signs. "You wouldn't be willing to stand down if I told you it would help people, would you?" At Penny's narrowing glare, Neo raises Hush and takes a confident stance.
Outside of Neo's view, Penny's back opens up. From her, six floating swords slowly drift out. In the low light, thread like wire shimmers and reflects, showing a connection from the girl and the blades. Neo's eyes widen, seeing the puppeteer weapons hang in the air.
Eerily similar to Rowa's semblance from her memory.
Penny sets a determined look on her. "Warning has passed. I'm no simple guard." Her hands raise up, fingers out and lightly twitching with the movements of the swords around her. "I'm combat ready!" (Techno melody builds quietly to main instrumental)
All six blades fly forth, three on each side! Neo blinks wide before zigzag dodging back! The right three miss, each pinning in the cat walk before ripping chunks out! The first two of the left miss before Neo's back hits a support beam. She ducks the last blade piercing into the thick metal! (Heavy rock instrumental begins.)
As it pulls out, Neo grabs its hilt, letting it drag launch her forward. She releases and cartwheels over another sword whipping in a lash. Closing on Penny, her slash it parried by another flying sword. Neo flips back, kicking the lunging sword aside. Neo opens Hush, drifting into open air. (Heavy rock instrumental begins.)
Neo and Penny each blink at one another, surprised at the reactions. Penny recovers, sending all six blades at Neo. The thief closes Hush, dropping under the six attacks and landing in an open braced testing zone. (music quiets as first verse begins. A male voice starts. "We spin the world like a pinball machine. We have thoughts of a life in abundance.")
Looking up to Penny, Neo winks and nods for her to join. Penny scowls and drops down. Her feet smash into one of the barriers to land. Neo loses her smirk. How heavy was this girl? ("Day and night we wish movies were real, and what's behind the screen is our entrance!" instrumental builds up.)
From the girl, the swords dig into the broken barrier chunks before chucking them at the mute! Neo sprints forth, sliding under the first, then double jumping the second! Mid air, Neo twirls, deflecting the remaining two blades. (Female voice begins. "I'm like a satellite Transmitting different eras!" Male returns. "I am the voice of the next generation!")
Penny uses two wire swords to pierce the far wall, pulling her back from Neo's slash! Using the wires for mobility, Penny redirects back, fists together to slam down! Neo brings Hush up to block! (Female continues. "Completely digital. Create synthetic auras!" "Start a revolution now-" Male bridges to chorus.)
Explosive force bashes Neo's block, collapsing one leg to a knee. Just this girl's strength is crazy! Neo slides out to roll dodge a sword. Neo counter slashes, but another flying sword parries Hush off. Two sword clashes exchange. ("You will never have to cry 'Cause the future is sold! You can never die, and you'll never grow old")
Two blades wire in from above, so Neo twists left, dancing around whipping blades as she throws ripostes and bashes with Hush's side. Penny grabs one sword out of the air, swinging broad into Neo's block. ("Oh, oh-oh! But everything surrounding you is digital!")
Neo hooks Hush's curve handle and wrenches the sword up, then bashes Penny in the jaw up! Three more swords lash from all sides into Neo. SHATTER! Neo's image falls apart, Penny stumbling back with a blank face. She frantically checks her sides. ("Never break the mold. You do as you're told! Freedom is for sale if you give them control!")
Neo gently lands behind her, Penny's head twitching at the sound. Penny twists as Neo thrusts Hush forward. Clang! Hush's blade stops at skin level as Penny clutches the point of impact. ("Oh, oh-oh! Erase return! In the digital world!")
Both girls pause and see the blade not piercing. Neo because she's wanted to land an aura draining hit. Penny because she got hit so clearly. However, the ginger grips Hush in place as she glares at Neo. (Heavy instrumental plays out)
"You will need to strike much harder to damage me!" Penny slowly enunciates before pulling Neo in to dig a punch into the mute's abdomen. Neo chokes out before getting launched through another set of barriers. (Instrumental bridges to next verse, dulling.)
Penny follows through, but Neo is gone. Green eyes scan around her, vision shifting. Her gaze flicks side to side as she steps into the open. Movement above. ("I know it feels like you're part of a dream. You can fly and fight wars without judgment!")
Neo slices support cables to a cat walk, letting one side swing down like a wrecking ball. Penny notices and lurches back, but Neo lands and kicks Penny forward into it! It strikes Penny in swing, launching the girl into the air. ("You respawn and mistakes will repeal. But you will always be searching for an answer!")
Penny shakes the hit off mid air, her swords and wires lashing out. She pulls herself onto the swinging metal. Several more overhanging pathways begin dropping and swinging. Penny uses her swords and wires to leap and anchor herself on them. (Female begins. "I'm like a satellite. Transmitting different eras!" Male returns. "I am the voice of the next generation!")
Around a twisting metal frame, Neo appears again, sprinting down the unstable object at Penny. They clash, Neo twisting around and sweep kicking one of Penny's anchors out. (Female "Completely digital. Create synthetic auras!" "Start a revolution now-" Male bridges to chorus.)
Penny gasps, footing unsteady as she swings for Neo again, but Neo uses Penny as a stand, twisting around her to dodge a flying sword. She kicks another sword anchor out, Penny drifting off the swinging metal. ("You will never have to cry 'Cause the future is sold! You can never die, and you'll never grow old!")
Neo flips down, hands gripping the railing as her legs wrap Penny's waist. Swinging her legs and releasing, Neo throws Penny from the swinging cat walk! ("Oh, oh-oh! But everything surrounding you is digital!")
Penny flips and lands on both feet. The concrete floor cracks on impact! At this point seeing a pattern, Penny lurches back to dodge a slash from Hush! Penny's hands flick, all six swords circling them. ("Never break the mold. You do as you're told. Freedom is for sale if you give them control!")
Neo dodges back as the swords begin attacking from different sides. Sliding back, Neo adopts her smirk to goad further action from Penny. ("Oh, oh-oh! Erase return! In the digital world!")
Penny remains stoic as both arms reach forward, fingers twitching. The swords continue their odd pattern, forcing Neo back and back as other swords swing needlessly in the air further beyond. (Instrumental breaks down, building. "Start a revolution now!")
Neo, oblivious to the trap, gasps when her back feels wire. All the swords then direct out, pinning themselves into pillars as the wires spider web restrict Neo on all sides! SHATTER! ("Start a revolution now!" Instrumental cuts quiet)
The ginger's eyes widen as she looks over, finding Neo landing a short distance off. Neo continues to smirk, eyes swapping color enticing action. Penny's gaze remains wide, blank. "Very well." (Quiet techno beat slowly builds as vocals return. "-We have thoughts of a life in abundance.")
All six swords come down, connecting each of them at the spines of the blades, the point of the six pointed weapon directs at Neo, green pulsing. "Full power!" ("Day and night we wish movies were real, and what's behind the screen is our-" Music breaks to final chorus)
The swords charge green with raw energy, pulling Neo's attention. Her confidence gone, Neo raises Hush point aimed at the swords. From the shared points of the swords, a green laser fires! ("You will never have to cry 'Cause the future is sold! You can never die, and you'll never grow old")
Quaking force shakes the ground as the laser passes on route to Neo. The point of Hush meets the laser, the parasol of the weapon opening! The green energy strikes and pours around Hush! ("Oh, oh-oh! But everything surrounding you is digital!")
Arcs of the green pierce around them, ripping into the walls, floor, and ceiling! The lasers begin breaking into other floors, alerting people in other labs! Chaos erupts across multiple floors of the complex! ("Never break the mold. You do as you're told. Freedom is for sale if you give them control!")
Neo opens Hush fully as the laser cuts out in an explosive shock wave. Neo and Penny both stagger back from the blast, each girl staring forward in shock afterward. ("Oh, oh-oh! Erase return! In the digital world!" Music plays out)
Penny's wide shocked eyes remain awkwardly still as she voices. "You blocked my laser." She states, an undercurrent of shock bleeding through. Neo likewise looks shocked at the amount of force behind that last attack. The amount of dust and aura required must be massive.
The two recover composure, taking wide stances and squaring off again...
"Neo! Are you there? It's Roman!" Neo blinks, the comms working again. At least for her and Roman's channel. However, Penny cocks her head. The green eyed girl looks to Neo's ear, inquisitive... she can't hear it, can she? Neo shakes her head and reaches up. Click Click.
Penny mumbles under her breath. "Radio. Other thieves." She decides to let the mute listen, hoping to get some information. "A man named Roman..." She quietly adds.
. . .
Roman and the rescued girl sprint around a corner. The woman now has Roman's doctor coat around her, at least two sizes too big and practically being an overcoat to her. A blood stain taints the white chest, evident of her bleeding through the surgical staples. She winces with each stride, tears threatening the corner of her eyes.
Ahead of her, Roman halts at a corner, peering around to see other researchers and scientists. Emergency lights. The man is left with his tight red shirt for his top and nothing else. Small singes of burnt fabric show on him and the woman behind him. He keys the radio. "Alright, so my end is a bust. Bastard was experimenting on a series Black, a woman, and I just HAD to unhook her like a bleeding heart idiot! Turning into Silver Street." He sarcastically drawls and attacks his own actions.
He looks back to the girl, seeing her concerned look. The conman rolls his eyes. "Yeah, don't go with the 'my hero' shtick." He sees an opening in emergency response teams moving around to the now growing fires around Near's lab. "Me and the tag-a-long are getting around the fire fighter teams to one of the helicopter pads. Try to meet us at one of those. Near's lab was rigged to explode, so I got nothing but the rescued damsel to show for it."
. . .
"Can you make it to one of the pads? We gotta meet up with Silver Streak and get out of here. People are freaking over the fires and explosions."
Neo and Penny remain locked in their gazes. Neo reaches for the radio to respond in the negative, but Penny speaks. "Human testing? People are hurt?" The words come out, and Neo stops at them. Suddenly, the green eyed girl looks at the various pierced lines in the room from her deflected laser attack. A clear frown appearing. "I... Are people in danger?" She looks at Neo, concern clear on her.
Neo jolts, realizing Penny can literally hear Roman's transmission! However, a frown pulls as she looks over Penny.
Penny looks torn. "You're... helping people?"
Guilty, Neo raises a hand, flattening it before rocking it back and forth to signal to a mixed answer, but nods after.
"But." Penny pulls a glare. "You have my father's research! I can't-"
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Both girls glance up to a flashing hazard alarm. An intercom system comes on. "Attention all personnel! Fires have spread within the building. Flammable lab materials are at serious risk, and evacuation is top priority. This is not a drill. Damage sustained in multiple floors of the building. This is not a drill. Repeat. Not a drill."
Penny looks down. "Partly our fault." She shakes her head and looks at Neo with a frown. "This is not over!" Neo blinks back, shocked. "I will figure out who you are and what your interest in my father's research is!" The determination fades as a guilty look takes over. "But, I must go help anyone who might be at risk. Go."
Neo remains transfixed on the girl before her before nodding with a smile. "Neo, can you meet up with me?" She reaches for the radio piece. Click click.
Neo waves and signs. "Nice to meet you, Penny." SHATTER! Her image breaks apart, leaving Penny alone.
Penny scowls, glaring at the floor. "... No current listed testing across the facility denotes human trial... There should be no human testing in any capacity currently." A grimace, Penny shakes her head. "A problem for later." The green clad girl turns around and sprints for the nearest exit herself.
. . .
The doors slide open, Roman stepping out into the open air. Looking around himself, he sees that the helipad to the facility is completely vacant. "Ah, thank the gods something finally was easy." He leads the girl behind him out into the open.
Stepping out to the colder air and metal platform, the woman with him shivers incessantly, wincing at her footsteps. "Ah..." She cries at the numb cold feeling in her legs. She gulps looking around, finding nothing. "W-where is... your ride?"
"On the ground. We're jumping." Roman speaks with no hesitation. She looks incredulously back, so he gives a smarmy grin back. "Can't exactly leave our actual ride behind, and there's no Bullhead transports for us to nab."
"I can help with that!" Blair chimes in through the earpiece.
Roman flinches at the sudden voice. "Ah! You're back! Mission's going to just North of shit, by the way." He hums and keys. "Neo, can you listen? We're all on the same channel now, so are you close?"
Click click. The sound taps in his ear.
He looks into the air, finding one of Watts' mechanical birds watching them. "Who is the friend?" Watts asks.
"Series black that was being experimented on. By the way, Doctor Near blew up his damn lab before I got the data. Neo has hers, though." He updates. "Fires and explosions abound as domino effect, and I was planning on using Neo to help the three of us drift down to ground level, find the van."
Beside him and the freed woman, Neo drifts from a higher helipad and lands with a flourish. The girl smirks at Roman before sending a curious look to the other woman.
Blair's voice chimes back. "Let me worry about the van. Carmine is on his way to you, so find a pad with a chopper and steal it. I'll pick you all up outside the city in the van. We run for it from there. Watts is evacuating himself. They must have been investigating his position before this mission."
Roman grimaces. "Well, hate to cut to the problem there, Barbie, but it's a touch difficult to steal something that isn't here."
Watts chimes in. "Then you're in luck. It would seem there's a transport inbound to the next helipad."
The CRBN members each look to the next helipad, two floors down and roughly fifty yards over. The bullhead transport slowly comes in from the far distance, Roman smirking. "Well, good luck finally comes. Neo, how do you feel about carrying two?" He looks to the mute.
Neo's small smirk washes off to a pout. She looks at the freed mystery woman, raising a brow. Raising a hand to the woman, she mimes gripping.
"She's asking if you can hold on." Roman clarifies for the woman.
Hazel eyes blink before she slowly nods. "I think so."
Roman grumbles. "K. How about you just grab onto me. I'll pull the weight." Neo sets an irritated glower. "Well, fine. You'll pull the weight. I'll just hold it."
The girl nervously allows herself to move to the man, grabbing Roman at the waist. Neo opens Hush before all three of their images Shatter! On the other helipad, Neo slowly drifts over, Roman hanging from her ankle, the woman clutching for life at his hip. Mid drift, Roman's feet touch ground, so he releases Neo.
Neo drops down beside him, the new girl slowly pulling from them and frantically attempting to rub warmth into her arms. Neo gives the man another look.
"You take a turn watching her. I'll hijack the transport. After all, I actually know how to fly it, or do I need to bring up Vaterra?" He ends with a smarmy grin.
The mute huffs, crossing her arms before flippantly signing. "That was Dumb-Dumb's fault!"
"Whatever you say?" Roman then nods to her. "Or. Don't say, I should say." Neo turns a dull glower at him, making him chuckle, shaking his head.
As the bullhead transport closes in, the mechanical birds flying above suddenly twitch in place before freezing in the air. The slight action catches all three of the fleeing escapees. One of the birds releases a whine before suddenly bursting apart...
Neo sucks in a breath, eyes widening.
Blair's voice calls back in. "Cancel that plan! That transport is not neutral! It's-"
The voice turns to static, both Roman and Neo flinching at the whine in their ears! They remove the earpieces before suffering hearing damage. An off look at the radios persists until Roman's gaze narrows. "Something is shifting in the air, affecting the radio waves."
Once again, he and Neo meet gazes. A look of fear filling the smaller girl before she turns towards the landing transport. As the metal machine docks in place, Roman's confusion turns to deathly serious. Behind them, the saved woman shakes, coming to a similar realization. "Hey, Black. You got an actual name?"
The woman gulps, her voice shaking. "I-it's... It's Makara. M-Makara Riva."
Roman hums. "And you know who we are? AND who is likely on that transport?" He presses.
The woman grimaces. "I... do not recall any information on you, but I remember a man." She gulps. "He frequents coming and going to Doctor Near's lab, so I'm aware of his voice... and his power."
He nods. "Right... So, I really hope you have a back bone. Because if this is who Neo and I think it is, we won't have time to make sure you don't run away." The bullhead transport releases a slowly petering spew sound as the engine shuts off, the sides of the doors opening.
Neo gulps, hands shaking as they form clenched fists.
"Man, I come from another job to find that even Frankie can't keep you lot down." The chipper male voice sounds from the opening transport side. "Throwing him a surprise party unannounced? Now... that's my kind of party."
The lax disposition mixed with an undertone of irritation. Perhaps anxious excitement in his case? The metal black business jacket, pants, and tie over the cool gray buttoned shirt underneath. Shoulder length green hair hangs just as Neo remembers. His orange eyes offset any warmth offered by the gleeful smile on his visage. All in spite of the small bandages and scuffs over his hands and cheek.
Spyyra Barnall cocks his head and chuckles. "1075, 2814, 3672. Why, how do you do?" He hums at the semi intentional rhyme he'd realized as he spoke it. "Pardon the energy. It's just that... alumni reunions get me all emotional."
With a single broad gesture of his hand, the metal grains of sand forming his suit arm warp over his right hand. The limb turns into a long bendable blade arm as he flashes a toothy grin.
Makara flinches back, knowing exactly who he is. Neo flinches, raising Hush defensively, as Roman simply glares. The conman huffs, reaching behind him and producing his drum magazine. Velvet Valentine shifts to gun mode as he pops the magazine in! Shouldering the weapon, Roman steps ahead of Neo, presenting himself as the primary threat to the man.
Roman smiles his smarmy grin, matching Spyyra's energy. "Good man! You bring us a ride, AND I can put you in the ground!" He aims his gun directly at AZRL's number one agent. "A perfect way to end the day."
Bit of an abrupt ending to this one. I had planned to include the Spyyra fight in this chapter, but I have a four day vacation with friends tomorrow morning and promised I would get this chapter out before going. I can work it in at a different time.
Boom! Neo vs Penny! Hope Penny's appearance came as enough of a surprise. Some good Neo time as well. Pretty fun time. Neo successfully stole the information on Polendina while Roman unfortunately was in the location with the rigged traps. Not fun.
A note to readers, the Soul Servo logs contain bits that pertain to a LOT of future events, including and mostly pertaining to this story's eventual sequel. Also rounds out some speculation on something that's involved in this story.
Also, as a small note to this world's world building. CRBN stealing Doctor Polendina's research notes from his computer? Yeah, in this world, that is how the Cult of Salem knows who Penny is. So, in this world, when things come about to the RWBY era, the Cult having and planning around that knowledge is a direct consequence of CRBN's focus on fighting AZRL and unwittingly making the larger threat worse.
Food for thought...
References:
The code to enter Near's, or Stein's, lab is an Easter Egg to Soul Eater. In Soul Eater, the saying goes "42-42-564, whenever you want to knock on Death's door." In this context, it's the code to AZRL facilities.
'Dr Delarge' as an alias for Roman is based on Alex from Clockwork Orange giving himself the surname Delarge. Roman's character design is based on Alex in canon, so having his disguise ego using a similar or same last name was neat to me. Sue me.
Song today is Digital World by Amaranthe, Cover by Minniva is what I prefer. Song about the intoxicating and slightly unnerving commercial nature of technology, particularly entertainment. I kinda liked it for a Penny fight, seeing as she's an unnerving creation of the technological marvel of the world. Plus, it's a banger.
New character, Makara Riva. I'll explain who she's based off of very loosely when she has time to actually be a person without all the mess. Despite her number being significantly above Neo's, know that she is definitely older. So as not to assume this is some small child.
Reviews:
Crimson Mist (AO3) – As far as the maidens go, at this point I hope it's outright known that one of AZRL's main opponents is the Cult of Salem. Hence, CRBN working with the cult now. So, they're at least aware and have observed the maidens, but possibly still never directly interacted with them.
Join next time to chapter sixty four: Setbacks and Breakthroughs.