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Esmme
See you later, Cole. "How do you...
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#1
Old 09-27-2014, 06:26 AM

Is it fate, or chance? I can never decide.
((Thread and premise inspired by Xavirne, and pieces of character profile borrowed for the sake of not recreating what we already had!))

Some situations are mere coincidence - chance. The accidents in labs, for instance. Here in the agency, I see them occur all too frequently. That's what they wish I never saw, of course, but you can't exactly have an all-seeing piece of the system that you can turn off when it's convenient.

Fate, though. Fate steps in at the strangest moments and surprises us all. The recent escape of Agent Artemis and Breaker B2 Vlad was such a moment. It was fate that they escaped. It showed us what our weaknesses were, and where to shore them up. Here in the agency we take extra care to make sure things go according to plan. Vlad and Artemis think they're free. Perhaps, fate willing, it will stay that way. Perhaps it's time to alter fate. The agency has their hand in everything. No one is free from their grasp.

Strengthening the agency isn't necessarily my task. I am here - I have always been here - to aid in anything the SFA desires, but it's been a long while since fate brought me here. A very, very long while.

[Receiving incoming transmission] Labyrinth, come in.

Perhaps they should have called me Fate. I am the hand that deals the cards, the eyes that see all within the agency ... but that wasn't meant to be. Labyrinth it is. Time to get to work.


SPOILERX

IDENTIFICATION CARD FOR AGENT LABYRINTH
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Threat Level: -- [No threat level listed]
Name: Unknown
Code Name: Labyrinth
Alliance: Criminal
Position: AI and information keeper for the agency
Age: Unknown; looks to be in late twenties
Sex: Male
Hair: Unkempt; silver
Eyes: Grey
Other: Labyrinth has glowing "markings" that were fused to him via Purium. There are various android-like qualities about him now, such as the panel on his forearm and ability to access computer systems merely by touching them.

ATTITUDE TEST INFORMATION ON FILE FOR AGENT LABYRINTH
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Labyrinth is rather passive about most anything in relation to the agency. He is the brooding sort - he'll give you dirty looks from the corner of your eye, and even blatantly glare at you, but he won't strike. This is a large improvement upon his feral demeanor when he first joined the agency in [date not enclosed].

He isn't known for his conversational skills, and is best left on his own. Technology seems to speak his language better than any SFA member has been able to.

Labyrinth takes orders without question, and has not failed in completing such orders since his transformation to AI status. His sense of "right and wrong" that many criminals feel when they arrive is worn and has long since faded.

Most agents are not aware that Labyrinth exists. High ranking SFA members including selected agents receive permission to speak with him, though rarely in person. Most of it is through intercoms and various electronic means. Needless to say: Labyrinth is not used to human interaction. Take caution when approaching him.


NOTES ON FILE FOR AGENT LABYRINTH
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Weapons/Purium: Labyrinth has not been granted a weapon for combat; his Purium has been etched into him and upgraded with technology enhancements for many years. If danger were to threaten him, it is possible that he would strike back. It is unknown as to how.

Abilities/Powers: None listed. ((Note: Labyrinth has gained the ability to prioritize tasks much like a computer would, which means he can split his attention between various things.))

Skills Lacking: He has battle training from when he first joined the SFA, but Labyrinth is not meant to be sent out with teams. He lacks the capability to react quickly and without specific direction and authority.




SPOILERX

IDENTIFICATION CARD FOR AGENT EIDOLON
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Threat Level: 178
Name: Cole
Code Name: Eidolon
Alliance: Criminal
Position: Enhancer B
Age: Nineteen
Sex: Male
Hair: Dirty Blond; constantly in need of trimming
Eyes: Pale Green
Other: Cole is known for wearing rather baggy clothing, mostly tattered and outdated. His hat is known to bother most people, and often gets in his eyes. He uses it like one would use a curtain of hair to hide one's face.

ATTITUDE TEST INFORMATION ON FILE FOR AGENT EIDOLON
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[First Agent Note: Agent Eidolon spoke incomprehensibly, and I have written in all I can find. File will be updated as more is learned about the subject.]

Cole is mild mannered, quiet, and altogether forgettable. It is assumed that this is why he avoided being caught for so long. The subject is difficult to understand, for he speaks in fragments and often speaks nonsensical ramblings that apply to nothing relevant.

Added content [Time 16:51] The subject is forgettable until he is riled. When Cole reacts in anger, it builds quickly. Since he is difficult to understand and speak to in any logical form, there is no calming him. It is marked as some form of insanity, and feeds itself until he must be restrained. This has led to various events with other criminals, and he has been marked for a separate containment ward next week.


NOTES ON FILE FOR AGENT EIDOLON
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Weapons/Purium: Cole has taken two clean-edged daggers, and uses them well. His abilities allow him to fade in and out of one's consciousness, except when you're focused directly on him. This makes his fighting skills very difficult to counter. Cole's Purium is a set of dog tags - it's the form of identification they gave him so the agency can follow his movements. They learned to keep his Purium as Cole's identification soon after they realized they kept forgetting his name.

Abilities/Powers: Cole is much like a wallflower, and is easily forgotten. He can make you forget him, and if you haven't seen him recently, you have likely forgotten him - even if you were close friends with him. Cole is always underfoot, but unseen. He is the perfect infiltrator, and often knows information privy only to few. The boy has the ability to alter memories as well, which opened the door for minor mind reading and memory scraping. This was more difficult to harness, as Cole's reactions to some things were erratic and difficult to monitor.

Skills Lacking: Cole is swift and stealthy, but he can't take brutal hits. He is particularly weak in the presence of those who suffer - he seems drawn to the suffering of others. Cole is not good at any normal functions - cooking, cleaning, conversation, etc.

HISTORY ON FILE FOR AGENT EIDOLON
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Cole was brought in mere months before the facility went dark. His life as a criminal has been short, though quite lively. It is true - he has been convicted of various serial killings, and doesn't deny them. In fact, he openly admits to them.

As to his past before the agency, no one knows much about him. It isn't that he lies, but Cole is difficult to understand. All that the agency has noted on Cole's past is his liking for dark places, for hiding, and for staying out of people's way. He has no family, no friends, and no home. A drifter, perhaps, as well as an orphan?
__________________
Es apologizes for any delays - she has just moved and is piecing things together again. If Es is behind on something, feel free to poke her.

Last edited by Esmme; 01-20-2015 at 03:20 AM..

a91nicole
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#2
Old 09-27-2014, 07:16 AM

I am not a warrior, I am not a killer, I am a Guardian


People are cruel- they hurt and they torture and they kill. People are weak- they become injured, they get sick, and they die. But there is nothing more beautiful than to be perfectly, completely, and utterly human. Unfortunately, there are those that would find joy and in the destruction of all that is beautiful and true and human.

War had never been her intention, she'd never chosen to be a soldier, but sometimes we aren't given a choice. She became what she had to become to keep innocent people from hurting, from dying. Someone had to protect them. And that's why she'd taken the name she had- Guardian.



SPOILERX

IDENTIFICATION CARD FOR AGENT GUARDIAN
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Threat Level: 50 - generally well-balanced, but can become a vicious fighter when needed
Name: Tehra LeVerryn, and she prefers to be called this
Code Name: Guardian
Alliance: Agent
Position: Upper level field and intelligence agent
Age: 26
Sex: Female
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Crystal Blue
Other: She has scars upon her sides that bring to mind vicious claws. Upon very close inspection, one can also note that she as crescent shaped scars upon her wrists and scars that resemble fangs upon her neck. Though she is not forthcoming about the exact story, she had them when she joined the agency which heavily inferred that she had encountered the monsters before, and lived.

ATTITUDE TEST INFORMATION ON FILE FOR AGENT GUARDIAN
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Agent Guardian considers herself to be on the goodest side of good possible. That doesn’t mean she is, however- due to the very violent nature of working with the SFA, Agent Guardian does quite a lot of killing- monsters, typically. And she very much enjoys it. Confident to the point of putting her foot in her mouth in the face of danger. Though she is not to be taken lightly- her skills are quite exemplary.

Agent Guardian is hell-bent on protecting humans, even if her own humanity is questionable at best. It is widely believed that she can be quite dangerous, should you find yourself on the opposite side of her very strict moral guidelines. Fortunately, her guidelines are easy enough to define- does it hurt someone innocent? If it does not, Agent Guardian takes no qualms with it.

She has a rather serious demeanor a large amount of the time, but there is a sense of humor to be found within her. Oftentimes, however, she finds herself too concerned with completing her duties correctly to spend time cutting up with the other agents. If she's not in the field or working on intelligence, she is typically in the battle-dome training.

NOTES ON FILE FOR AGENT GUARDIAN
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Weapons/Purium: Guardian tends to prefer using various knives, daggers, and short swords. Her typical weapons are two short swords, though she is rather talented with throwing knives should she need to use ranged weapons.

Abilities/Powers: Extremely skilled with her weapons and in hand-to-hand combat. An impressive stamina for a human, likely stemming from her extremely strong willpower.

Skills Lacking: She is not known to be very open-minded. Everything has a place and a job, and she rather prefers it stays that way.

HISTORY ON FILE FOR AGENT GUARDIAN
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Agent Guardian came to us in one of the strangest ways we've ever received an agent. She showed up at our [REDACTED] branch, wearing [REDACTED], yet she'd been [REDACTED]. After an immediate psych evaluation, Agent Guardian joined our ranks and insisted she be transferred to a location far from [REDACTED]. We obliged.

As far as her history before the agency, we obviously had to find out why she was [REDACTED]. She regaled to us a story of a [REDACTED] - which we corroborated, her parents [REDACTED]. Agent Guardian told us how she'd been [REDACTED]. Her injuries corresponded with [REDACTED] including [REDACTED] marks on her [REDACTED] as well as injuries consistent with [REDACTED].

Her mental state was found to be miraculously intact, and she began her training.

Last edited by a91nicole; 01-20-2015 at 05:53 AM.. Reason: "Added" a bit of history to give Labyrinth some blanks to fill in

Esmme
See you later, Cole. "How do you...
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#3
Old 09-28-2014, 05:35 AM

Guardian. The gadget in the woman's ear made a soft sound so it wouldn't startle her. Your last mission went well. In light of this, your presence is requested in the war room. The digitized voice was one every agent found familiar - the AI delivered more messages than a carrier pigeon. At least this time the message came with a preamble - Tehra LeVerryn had no need to worry.

A soft sound followed the end of the transmission, letting Agent Guardian know that she was free to continue with whatever she'd been doing.

((really short post .... but I suddenly was like: Well, I don't want to introduce Labyrinth yet, so let's just have him be doing all these upkeep things that he does every day. Haha, so feel free to do what you wish! Just wanted to request Guardian's presence. ;) ))

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#4
Old 09-28-2014, 05:57 AM

The punching bag before her had taken quite the beating, if it had been a living thing, it would have been long dead by now. Tehra only stopped when she heard the familiar voice in her ear. A small smirk appeared on her lips when it spoke to her. Of course her previous mission had gone well- what else would they expect from her? In all her time at the agency, Tehra had never performed below exemplary. Of course, the AI didn't normally compliment, so it was a welcome surprise regardless.

After pulling her long braid over her shoulder, Tehra began to unwrap the bandages from her hands. She wasn't injured of course, but hitting a punching bag bare-knuckled was a terrible idea. She tossed the bandages on the side table near the punching bag, grabbing a towel that lay across it. Tehra wiped the sweat from her face and neck- she couldn't go into the war room dripping with sweat. She didn't, however, bother to change out of her workout gear. There was no point. If the mission wasn't set to start immediately, she'd only go back to training after the meeting.

Grabbing her purium blaster and putting it in her belt, Tehra left her room and began to make her way to the war room. As she walked, she received salutes from several lower ranking against- all carrying heavy weaponry in the halls. Ever since the traitors Artemis and Vlad had left, security had really stepped up. Tehra was glad for it. After all, they were an agency meant to protect, how well could they protect if they ran around unarmed all the time?

After a short walk, she reached the door to the war room. One retina scan and fingerprint scan later and the door opened for her. Once she entered, she took a seat in front of the large screen. It was seldom there was ever another person in here, the director was too busy to meet individually. Tehra pressed a button on the communicator in her ear before speaking. "This is Agent Guardian, I am in the war room awaiting orders. Over and out." the young woman said simply, before turning her attention to her nails. She would need to file them down soon- they were getting too long to be practical.

Esmme
See you later, Cole. "How do you...
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#5
Old 09-30-2014, 04:05 AM

As soon as the door opened for Tehra, a soft sound in her earpiece - the gentle beep of the AI engaging - broke the silence. Nothing was relayed, however, until after the agent had clarified her position and readiness. First Agent Redfield will be arriving shortly.

Tehra was left in silence for a solid three minutes before the door slid open. Agent Redfield was a rather bulky man with a strict attitude and get-down-to-business demeanor. He nodded to the woman and addressed her by her title, then looked to the screen in the front of the room.

Immediately images of what appeared to be a destroyed SFA facility appeared on the screen. "You've been selected for reconnaissance, Agent." Redfield sent a glance in the woman's direction, the pointed to what appeared to be the imploded middle of the building on the screen. "This facility went dark twelve hours ago. Until that point in time, there were no signs of danger." The screen shifted to another viewpoint; it was another satellite photo. "Nothing broke through. Whatever it was came from inside."

Redfield's gaze was intense as various scenes began to sift over the screen. "Your orders are to gather information and report back here. You will be working directly with your own partner." The lights slowly lit, bringing the room back to a normal appearance. The pictures stayed in place, as well as a few smaller blips of technical information that appeared and began to scan over a few images.

"You will be working with Labyrinth. There isn't much in his file, though I suggest you read it." It was customary to read over a criminal's file upon accepting them as part of the team. Redfield looked toward the screen. "File category, criminal. Agent name: Labyrinth." The file immediately appeared on the screen before them, a blinking icon informing them both that this was classified information accessible to few. "As you will read in the notes, you are the first agent to be in direct contact with Labyrinth in years. I expect him to follow your directions to the detail. This mission shouldn't take you more than a few days."

Redfield's stern gaze moved from the screen to Tehra. Still, he spoke to the AI. "Read file: commence." The male sat in the chair beside Tehra, watching the screen highlight sections of information that were deemed important. Plenty of the stats were missing or dated - and being updated immediately. Information shifted slightly, as though this particular file hadn't been opened in years.

"You have been given clearance to access this file and anything related to it." The AI made a soft sound of what could have been agreement - likely it was just something loading properly.

Labyrinth was listed as a typical criminal - his abilities seemed to be related to gathering and storing information, though it was vague. Apparently he would be helpful to Tehra in the ways of technology. An interesting pairing for going out on the field - usually a Breaker was assigned to a lone Agent.

Redfield waited for the AI to finish listing off the various sections of the file before turning to Tehra. "Agent Guardian, you will be departing in six hours. If you should have questions about your mission, speak with your partner. He knows the details."

One vital piece of information, of course, was missing from the file. In the place in the file where Labyrinth's cell number should have been listed there was a blank space. Redfield didn't address this. Instead, he passed over a physical copy of the file to Tehra and nodded out of respect before reaching for his earpiece and disengaging from his current conversation. He was being summoned.

Redfield left the room swiftly, leaving Tehra with a glowing screen and open file.

((Of course, the AI knows where to find everyone, so it's not like you don't really know. ;) *runs off to bed*))

Last edited by Esmme; 09-30-2014 at 04:09 AM..

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#6
Old 10-01-2014, 03:23 AM

Tehra had to admit, this had to have been by far the strangest mission briefing she'd ever attended. She hadn't been out in the field in a while, and now they were sending her somewhere that seemed downright sinister. They were sending her to do reconnaissance on an HQ that had been destroyed from the inside out. Immediately she knew it couldn't be the work of the two that had escaped, as neither of them had caused any real harm since leaving- its what made them a combination of both difficult to track and not particularly worth tracking.

This assignment had enough strange traits to pique her curiosity and then some. A destroyed base. Only one teammate, and not even a breaker at that. His file- nearly completely empty. No age, no name- not even a threat level. How could someone be a criminal with no threat level? That made very little, if any, sense to her. He had no weapons, little skills, and followed every order correctly. Was he even a criminal at all? No history. No cell number. Who was this Labyrinth, and why was such an empty file under such top security clearance? There were too many questions to sit in here and mull over. It made far more sense to just go find out for herself.

Purium blaster safely holstered, Tehra pressed the communicator in her ear. "This is Teh- I mean Agent Guardian. Requesting directions to Labyrinths quarters? Thank you.". Tehra said simply to the AI. It responded quickly, as always, and provided her with directions.

Walking through the corridors of the HQ, Tehra found herself going down many winding always she'd never seen before- most of them abandoned. What in the hell was so different about this 'Labyrinth' character that he was so carefully kept secret? She wandered for a much longer time than she even knew SFA had hallways to fill. Finally, the directions ended and informed her that she was there.

The door she stood before looked rather old and somewhat battered. It fit in perfectly with the odd narrative that this mission was starting to tell. Raising her hand to the door, Tehra knocked a few times. "Labyrinth? This is Agent Guardian, I'm your partner for a mission, and we have roughly... five and a half hours before we leave. Would you mind if I came in to speak with you? " Though agents technically could just walk into criminal rooms whenever they wanted, she rather chose to start things off on the right foot, and that began by respecting him.

Esmme
See you later, Cole. "How do you...
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#7
Old 10-01-2014, 04:16 AM

When Tehra requested directions to the criminal Labyrinth's quarters, there was the briefest of pauses. It was almost non-existent, and the directions were given swiftly. It could have been a brief blip of lag in the system, if that. Still - the AI gave Guardian the most direct pathways to reach the room she requested.

While the halls she passed weren't used, they weren't in disrepair. Not until the last hallway. Lights flickered to life as she entered, proving that no one came here. Her confusion and curiosity was well warranted. No one came to see Labyrinth. Not anymore.

Tehra's knock echoed through the empty halls eerily. There was no immediate response, though her earpiece made a soft sound. The AI's voice spoke. Enter, Agent Guardian. There was no lock on this door - another curiosity, as all criminals were shut in their cells and kept under a close watch.

The moment the door opened (it scraped open with the most horrible of noises) to a darkened room. It wasn't musty, as one would have expected. Instead, it was full of clean air - there was an airflow. The glowing of various screens lit an otherwise dark room.

Tehra was facing a wall of electronic circuits and sockets - it looked like an old phone board or something. It acted as a wall that funneled her toward the main room - an average-sized space full of an entire wall of screens both old and new. Boards and controls, buttons and odd devices littered every available surface, though it all had order to it. Nothing was left and forgotten. Each project was in a stage of completion.

On the main screen was a startling sight - it was Tehra herself.

There was a long silence before her earpiece made another soft sound - so unobtrusive, that quiet beep. What would you like to speak about, Guardian? The AI's voice came from her communicator once again.

It was around this time that a large area full of wires and panels shifted. It wasn't machine - or, not just machine. Labyrinth looked Tehra over, his grey eyes scanning over her in an analytical fashion. There was a male within the technology. It became more apparent as he moved, reaching up to unclasp a panel from his shoulder. After a few more of these movements, a tall male stood before her. He had no expression, though Labyrinth was obviously observing everything that Tehra did. Her vitals were on the screen beside them, her heartbeat gently rising and falling in a rhythmic pattern.

Labyrinth didn't speak out loud, but the AI's voice continued. You are the first person to set foot in this room in three years. There was no inflection that hinted at surprise; it was an observation. A fact.

Labyrinth was the AI. His voice was the same. The computer system was speaking for him. Wherever he looked, the screens would show what his eyes saw - with extra filters of information and statistics.

The silver-haired male lifted a hand in the direction of the dozen screens, and they shut down. Simultaneously, a rarely-used light clicked on. Labyrinth patiently stood, waiting for the agent's response as the markings in his skin began to glow lightly.

((He won't prompt her; he could wait for an eternity. He also won't suggest a topic, as he responds to queries like a freaking search engine at this point. o___o such is the way of people like this. Android-like, though he was human once, so he's still human. Just ... forgotten, I suppose. Like if you do a job for so long, you just do it to the best you can do until you don't think about anything else (I dance and do Filipino stick fighting, so routines really do get me into "perfection" mode). Labyrinth has done this for so long, it's become his identity. He'll be changing as he stays around Tehra. ))

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#8
Old 10-02-2014, 03:49 AM

It was all quite disconcerting- Tehra had known the agency to have secrets, but these seemed to be of a different caliber entirely. A room with no numbers, a hallway that no feet had crossed in probably years. The AI was what had to tell her to enter, which was another anomaly. She went to turn the knob, but the door opened easily at just the touch of her her hand. No long. No threat level. No history or record of crimes committed. Was this "Labyrinth" even a criminal in the first place?

Tehra took slow, cautious steps inside. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. Computers lined every inch of the room, technology she hadn't seen before. Images of the agency lined the screens. This felt more like the security headquarters than someone's cell. As the room came into full view, the agent gasped at the sight of her own face. Well that was creepy. Looking around, she saw no one. Who was this 'Labyrinth'? And why did he have a live feed of her?

'What do you want to speak about, Guardian?' A voice echoed in her ear, yet seemed to come from the room itself.

Blue eyes darted around the room, trying to find the camera that was trained on her. She found it's location and moved to more closely investigate. Her hand reached out, fingers just brushing a large area of panels and wires. At her touch, they moved and Tehra pulled her fingers back with a surprised gasp. She immediately took a step back, though her eyes never moved from the moving and shifting wires.

As the man's figure began to become noticeable within the wires, Tehra's eyes were locked onto him, entranced by both the wires he wore and the Purium that ran over his skin like rivers. She heard her heartbeat pick up, and it was then that her gaze drifted to where they were on screen. It showed exactly when her heart had started to beat faster- god that was disconcerting. Her threat level was displayed too, a cool 40- it seemed her apprehension had lowered her usual level of 50. Did the agency always have this kind of information on them?

Tehra looked back at the man before her. He was so pale, and his face held no expression. The words that he spoke to her made her heart drop-no one had visited him in three years? What kind of life was that? After the weight of the words set in, Tehra noticed the intonation of his voice- he was the voice that always spoke to them over the comms. Labyrinth... he was the AI of this HQ. Several emotions flashed through her- the two strongest being confusion and pity. How could they have been so cruel as to turn a man into a machine that had no real company? A life of constant, tedious obedience. Perhaps the knowledge was fascinating, but the trade hardly seemed worth it to the agent.

Tehra noticed she'd left him waiting for an answer for a while, though no impatience reflected in his pristinely serene demeanor. No emotions, whatsoever. How could one live like that? She needed to stop questioning his life in her mind, as her vitals were started to reflect her thoughts. She needed to speak to him.

"Well we are to be partners, I'm assuming they told you that? You and I- we're leaving these walls to go solve quite the mystery. But before that, I would rather be called Tehra once we leave these walls if it isn't too much trouble-I was never a fan of the codenames. I was told by Redfield that you would have more information on the mission? I suppose I would like to know what you have been told, and then find out whatever you need before we depart so that I can get everything for you." Tehra offered, he eyes incapable of leaving his features. It was just so surreal. The AI that knew the most intimate details of her daily routine, knew what injuries she'd sustained, what horrors she'd faced- he was a human, standing in front of her. But more than that, he was her partner- a word and a duty that Tehra did not take lightly.

((I'm so interested in how these two develop! I think he's so fascinating and I actually like that he's basically a machine right now, leaves room for some yummy conflicts later. Also, Tehra is really protective of her partners, so he'll be in good hands lol.))

Esmme
See you later, Cole. "How do you...
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#9
Old 10-03-2014, 03:15 AM

The pause hadn't bothered him. Did anything bother him? It was doubtful. Grey eyes watched Tehra as she seemed to think. Her vitals shifted on the screen, though all of the information was logic only. Heart rate, breathing speed, time passed since last response, the slowly flickering bar of what appeared to be volume - perhaps from her breath. It spiked up into a red color as she spoke.

Partners, yes. Labyrinth and Agent Guardian are leaving here to investigate. Labyrinth reached up to unclasp what appeared to be a single-sided cover from his ear. He looked so much like a machine at that point - plenty of his form was coated in shining metal and various ports. Along one side of his jaw was modified with tech, and the earpiece he removed lowered a yellow-glowing eyepiece as well. His voice continued to filter through the AI's usual form of communication as he continued. Notes on file altered: Agent Guardian: Tehra.

Such notes appeared in coded font on a single screen - the only one that was on happened to be the one with all of Artemis' vitals and information. The green text moved and started editing the file even as Labyrinth began to speak once again. He was doing multiple tasks at once.

Agent Redfield has given you, Tehra, clearance to access all files listed in the category: Project Darkholme. Before the earpiece finished the message, Labyrinth gestured to the screens again. They came to life softly, showing various shots of the seemingly imploded building once again. There was no preamble with Labyrinth: he was to the point, and immediately answered her request.

Project Darkholme is proposed a mystery. All communications and power to and from the facility stopped at time: 16:12. Only twenty hours have passed since then. Agent Redfield was assigned to seek an agent with a steady mental health rate. He found you.

The last sentence was perhaps the most human thing Labyrinth had said. Then again, it could have merely been the AI's observation. His gaze moved from the screen of the imploded building to a blurry shot of something ... odd. It could have been one of the criminals. It could have been a stag, or a wild cat. The picture wasn't clear enough. He didn't explain it, and it swiftly moved on to show a few images of the agents who worked there.

The Darkholme facility is known for the study of antigens, toxins, and various forms of healing arts. There was a pause. Perhaps Labyrinth was checking to see if Tehra had access to the next bit of information. Their funding, however, is not for their beneficial studies. Darkholme has long been tempering the viruses directly related to some of the most destructive strains known to man. Agent Redfield believes their destruction was related to such studies.

Labyrinth's features never once shifted from their serene calm. Even when he brought up multiple files about "mysterious" happenings it he surrounding areas. Plenty of it ended in people disappearing. No one ever reached a conclusion, and there was never any closure.

Your mental aptitude brought you to Agent Redfield's attention. He has assigned you, Tehra, to investigate the Darkholme Facility. He has assigned Agent Labyrinth to accompany you and reach the interior computer systems. The agency will have the information up to the power outage if the data is uploaded directly.

At this, Labyrinth looked down at his forearm - it was a small circuit board that stretched from the inside of his elbow to his wrist. There were plenty of ways for him to connect to technology, and that was what he implied upon meeting Tehra's gaze. He steadily met her eyes then, unwavering as he continued.

There is no other information available on Project Darkholme. As he "said" this, Labyrinth tilted his head slightly. Transportation will arrive in docking bay B at 17:30. Agent Labyrinth needs time to upload the files required to counteract any security systems in place in the Darkholme Facility.

Labyrinth fell silent as he finished telling Tehra what he knew - what the computer system knew. Patiently reaching for a small tool, the male turned his gaze down to his forearm. Before beginning, he reached for the earpiece and slipped it on again. The yellow-glowing eyepiece fit closely to his eye, and obviously gave him extra sight as he began to work on the technology that appeared to be just under his skin.

It wasn't that Labyrinth was dismissing nor ignoring Tehra - it just seemed that he had the ability to focus on multiple things at once. That became apparent by how various screens began to flicker to their own facility, taking in the cells of criminals and even the training room once again.

((Oh, his attention is actually mostly on her, believe it or not.... LOL And yesssss, such yummy conflict later. ;) First time I've done this machine/android-ish thing before, too! haha, I never knew how it would work out. Guess we're going to find out!))

Last edited by Esmme; 10-06-2014 at 03:35 AM..

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#10
Old 10-05-2014, 01:44 AM

By and large, the main emotion coursing through Tehra was an unsettling confusion. She wasn't used to not knowing what was going on, and it made her rather uncomfortable to be in such a position. She listened to every word Labyrinth said, finding it rather easy to listen to his voice. It had always been pleasing over the earpiece, but in person? It was very calming.

Her eyes couldn't seem to choose to focus on one thing; the data constantly changing on the screens fascinated her, as did the being standing before her. At his gesture to the screens, however, Tehra focused on them. The images of the base were increasingly piquing her curiosity. Her mind was already working at incredible speeds trying to piece the mystery together, but it would do little good until they arrived. She had to admit, she was very interested in this case as well as her partner.

She listened to all of the words he spoke, processing it at unusually high speeds, even for an agent. Tehra was rather unflappable, and even when things surprised her, she found it rather easy to maintain her composure. She supposed it was a compliment that they'd found her to be the most mentally stable, but it didn't bode well for the project.

After all, if they needed someone incredibly stable, what exactly were they expecting to find?

It was that thought that pervaded her mind throughout the rest of the briefing from Labyrinth. Once he was done and on to other things, Tehra was quiet for a long moment. She wasn't particularly sure what to say, and she wasn't the type to speak before thinking. This was an important mission, that should have been clear from the moment she'd opening Labyrinth's file to find essentially nothing. Funny how the being who knew everything allowed everyone to know nothing.

"Thank you for the information Labyrinth. I look forward to getting to work with you." Her first words were simple, and for a moment it seemed like they might be the only ones she'd say, but after a long pause she started again. Her expression was different this time- perhaps she was allowing a subtle crack to show through, a hint of the unsettling confusion within her.

"I'm sure you already know this, but we need to be prepared for anything. We don't know what we'll find there, we don't know what risks we're taking, or what was left behind when it imploded. If they were messing with viruses and bioweaponry, there could be dangers we can't even see. I hope for my sake and yours that the agency has provided you with the equipment and the know-how to handle any of the viruses we may encounter. I'm going to go make sure they are providing us with the proper clothing to keep us safe from any viruses that may have survived the implosion. Is there anything about me you need or would like to know before we meet up again at the jet?" She asked, looking up at the tall male before her.

((You can skip to the plane in your post or I can in my next one. Up to you))

Esmme
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#11
Old 10-05-2014, 09:42 PM

As of yet, Labyrinth hadn't opened his mouth to speak. His voice continued to come through the agent's earpiece as well as come from the room around them, but it didn't carry the correct human intonations. As the screens returned to their usual security cams of their facility, Labyrinth continued working on the mechanics of his forearm.

The quiet beeping of one screen didn't even draw his attention. He continued working until flicking a hand in that direction - whatever emergency it was, it was already handled by the computer system. Labyrinth didn't need to focus on one task at a time, as a human did. Instead, he could split his attention between various tasks, just as a computer could by prioritizing tasks and functions while others ran in the background.

The short silence between them didn't bother him. He could have forgotten about her presence, for all Tehra knew. As she thanked him, the male said nothing. Customary words. Nothing important, nor did it require a response. Her next words didn't draw his gaze, but it was obvious that he was focusing on her again. How? Why, the main screen showed Tehra and her technical information once again. Her warning, however well-meant it was, brought nothing from Labyrinth.

The correct precautions have been taken. Both agents sent to the Darkholme Facility will receive the proper vaccinations and modifications before departure. There was a brief pause as he lifted his gaze, looking her up and down. The correctly-sized exterior coating will be delivered to your room, Agent Guar- Labyrinth blinked, as though recalling the note he'd just made in her file. Tehra. All information required has been foregathered, and nothing is currently unknown. In other words, he already knew everything about her that he needed.

Labyrinth continued to look at Tehra for many moments in silence. Finally, he blinked and returned to his work on the modifications. Please report to docking bay B at 17:30, Agent Tehra.

With that, he ignored her until she left the room.
-

When Tehra returned to her room there was a prepared bag of supplies, as well as a skin-tight suit meant to protect her from biological threats. A small mouthpiece was with the suit that would put a seemingly invisible shield before her face - it was the most subtle "helmet" one would ever see. This was high-tech stuff. The kind of stuff that even agents were rarely handed for field use.

The docking bay was prepared and ready, and their jet was revving and ready to leave by the allotted time. Labyrinth looked more human than when Tehra had seen him in his own quarters - though he still had his modifications, he was now around people. He didn't look uncomfortable - he didn't look like much of anything bothered him at all, really.

As Tehra entered the docking bay, Agent Redfield motioned her over. The last bit of conversation between Redfield and Labyrinth drifted off. Apparently there was an uploaded procedure that would continue to monitor the agency's AI while Labyrinth himself was gone. It wasn't like the computers weren't enough - Labyrinth was just much more. Everything was in place and would be fine until they got back.

That was when Tehra was addressed. She was given an injection while Redfield ran over the procedure - get in, scope the place out, get the computer systems back online if possible. If not, retrieve the information from the system and leave. If there was trouble, they needed to fight through it. The information was the mission. There was no missing it.

Labyrinth received the same injection as Tehra, and they were ushered toward the jet. As they boarded, Labyrinth let his grey eyes scan over his partner. She was ready. They were both ready. The jet took off moments later.

Once they were in the air, the unobtrusive sound that signaled the AI's voice beeped in her earpiece. Once again, he spoke to her without physically speaking. Arrival is in three hours. It is suggested that you eat a meal while in transit, Agent Tehra.

His steady gaze held hers as he "spoke," and Labyrinth suddenly reached out to touch Tehra's earpiece. It warmed briefly, as though working on something. The AI's voice gently informed her that she was no longer connected to the home base's system. In fact, she was connected just to Labyrinth - their team.

((Believe it or not, he can start a conversation later. I'll have him mention his file later on near the end of the flight. Anything you want to happen during the flight, feel free to get it into your next post. :3 I figure that unless we have some really great conversation, the flight will be all too quick. Haha))

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#12
Old 10-07-2014, 01:20 AM

She walked into the docking bay, already dressed in the proper suit and with the rest of the equipment with her. It was a bit more tight than she would like, but it would make motion easier for her. Besides, it wasn't like Labyrinth was the type to have any interest in how her toned figure looked in the clothing. Thank god for that, she didn't need to be alone with a criminal in a top secret facility and ALSO have to worry about him ogling her.

Tehra stood facing Redfield, listening closely as he spoke. She made no move to flinch as the injection was given to her- she'd had many of these before. A small prick from a needle was nothing compared to whatever horrific diseases it was protecting her from. As he spoke about how the information was the mission and they needed to get it or die trying, Tehra gave him a simple nod of understanding. Her suspicions were correct- the SFA had no idea what they would find there, but they had to find out what happened. It was no surprise to her that this could turn out dangerous. In fact, she already knew it would- something had destroyed that facility and whatever that something was could still be out there.

They boarded the plane with little trouble, and Tehra took her seat next to Labyrinth as they took off. When he 'spoke' to her she turned to look at him out of habit, but it wasn't like it mattered- he was in her ear. She did have to wonder what tech was connected to him that allowed him to speak without moving his lips. Something must've been plugged into his mind. Well THAT was technology she hadn't known the SFA had. Granted, she was quickly learning that there was a lot of tech she didn't about. After this mission, Tehra was certain her security clearances would be much higher. She was rather looking forward to it.

Tehra's body jumped ever so slightly on instinct when Labyrinth reached out to her earpiece. She hadn't been expecting any contact from him. Tehra did not pull away however, as she knew he likely had a purpose. He did, and he soon explained it. She nodded in understanding. It was odd, the voice in her head that she had heard for so many years was now sitting beside her and she had little to say to him.

It wasn't that she wasn't interested, but she preferred to learn through observation. Asking questions was too direct in some instances, and could cause security firewalls to come up. If she paid close attention to his actions, however, perhaps she could learn more. Tehra also didn't speak much because she would have felt silly trying to get to know him- he clearly wasn't interested in anything beyond the mission. She strongly suspected he already knew everything about her, so there was no need to share her thoughts with him. She had a partner, yet something told her this was going to be a very lonely mission.

His mention of suggesting they eat stirred her from her thoughts and she turned towards him. "Yes, I suppose I should eat something. Wouldn't want to start a mission on an empty stomach." With that, the brunette woman stood and moved to where they kept rations. She flipped through the options quickly, opting for a turkey and cheese sandwich with some chips. It wouldn't do her any good to eat something heavy before she had to do go knew what.

Once she'd finished her meal, Tehra disposed of the garbage left over. There had still been no words between them- she wasn't surprised. He didn't exactly seem like the chatty type. That was fine by her, for now. She spent the time typing details into her mission report- they'd have to submit one at the end anyways, she might as well get started on it now. There were always so many organizational elements to it, one could easily waste an hour simply filling out the skeleton of the thing. Labyrinth likely had some sort of more efficient way to do this, but Tehra enjoyed it- it helped get her head in the right place for the mission.

((Sorry she didn't do anything super exciting lol, but she's not one to beg for attention, so she's not going to force him to talk to her. Yet. She will once she's had all she can take of the silence.))

Esmme
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#13
Old 10-07-2014, 02:26 AM

Tehra jumped ever so slightly when he reached for her. It was noted, observed, and as the agent moved to get some food the male watched in silence. Apparently staring was alright for an artificial intelligence. Luckily he didn't stare at Tehra until she finished her meal, and turned his attention to the window as they passed over a small mountain range.

Labyrinth was very still. He still breathed, which proved he was at least partially human. His mannerisms might have been off, but for someone who was secluded away in the long lost tunnels of the agency ... that was to be expected. The male's grey eyes returned to Tehra as she ate. He stood with uncanny grace (it was odd to see a man moving so smoothly) and headed for the rations as well. He selected something plain - mere ingredients of a meal as opposed to a finished one.

When he sat down, Labyrinth swiftly finished off his plate of evenly portioned out fruit, vegetables, meat, and bread. When finished, he glanced at Tehra. The agent was working on something - and he correctly assumed that it was the beginnings of a report for their mission. Project Darkholme. It was such a mystery to everyone, it drew Labyrinth's interest.

There is a more efficient way to perform that task. His comment was like one of those tool tips that appeared in the corner of one's computer screen.

He was watching her again. Monitoring her. While his very being was focused on Project Darkholme, Labyrinth couldn't help but be interested in the partner that had been chosen for the mission.

Labyrinth's expression remained neutral, as always. Still, perhaps there was a hint of interest in those colorless eyes of his. He stood and disposed of the trash from his meal, then sat once again - beside her, as he had been. There was a careful distance between them - a polite few five inches at all times, apparently.

((hehe brief conversation time! This is one of those: what, human? You do things in a non-efficient way? I don't understand why you do that.

But I figured that a breach into conversation would be a good way to start out their mission so it's not silence till they get there. While Labyrinth isn't normal, he still has to be curious in SOME way. haha))

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#14
Old 10-07-2014, 02:56 AM

Perhaps she should have been bothered by how closely he was watching her, but Tehra had somewhat expected it after she'd realized who he was. After all, he'd been in a room for three years with no face to face contact- it was natural that he would watch her closely. Not to mention the fact that he was used to watching, always watching- it would have been unnatural for him to do anything else. Granted, that didn't mean she wanted to constantly watch back- there was a difference between knowing someone was watching you and seeing them watch you.

Tehra had her legs curled up under her as she worked on the report. She contented herself to simply not look at him- if she did she'd either be far too curious to stay quiet or she would once again notice how his eyes never left her. Now while Tehra was the inquisitive type, she was also smart enough to know that he was constantly collecting information on her. If she showed too much curiosity, she had no control over what conclusions he would make. Tehra did not want to give him that much power.

She finally looked at him as she heard him address her methods. Had he been a more personable type, she would have assumed he was intending snark with his comment. But he was not, and it seemed he was just trying to be more efficient. Tehra grinned at him after turning her head "Thanks for the info, Clippy- there might be a more efficient way for you to do this, but I enjoy it. It helps me get my mind in the right place for the mission. Keeps me prepared." she responded, teasing him just slightly with the nickname. She might've been worried he would get the very old reference- over 100 years by now- but something told her he would know.

This time as he gazed at her, Tehra did not turn her gaze away. There was a hint of challenge in her blue eyes- perhaps she was simply daring him to gather as much as he could about her. There would be no way he would ever catch everything. Currently, she hypothesized that he was deciding her to be playful underneath the tough exterior and someone who liked to feel in control. Nothing that wasn't already well known about her. After a long moment, she turned her attention back to the inefficient task at hand.

((I wasn't sure if you were ready to have them land, but you are more than welcome to go for it in your post if you like))

Esmme
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#15
Old 10-07-2014, 03:48 AM

Labyrinth didn't respond with emotion, or even a smile. He understood what she referred to - otherwise, he'd have asked bluntly what she was talking about. The "nickname" was noted.

The male held her blue eyes, observing the agent as she seemed to challenge him. Labyrinth hardly moved, as was his way. Various notes and observations made about Tehra in the past were being sifted through and pieced together. A computer's mind could effectively put a person together - but it took the human mind to add the finishing touches to make it accurate.

As Tehra returned to her work Labyrinth asked a second question, this one drifting through the earpiece with the same tone as the last. It was slightly ironic that he'd waited until she started typing again. Perhaps it was purposeful?

How does such a task keep you prepared, Agent Tehra?

Again, no curious expression, no snarky tone ... just a question.

((hehe, oh, we'll get them off the plane soon. Gotta get a good bit of "banter" in there first. hehe. hehe. Short, but that's alright. Not every post has to be a monster! LOL))

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#16
Old 10-07-2014, 04:40 AM

The agent was a bit let down when Labyrinth offered no response to her teasing, but she couldn't say she was surprised. He was after all, largely a computer. Had she been a woman of weaker will, she might have sulked about having a partner who seemed extremely interested in her yet completely uninterested all at once. How was that even possible? It seemed there was a way- and figuring that out is what fascinated her.

Tehra had turned back to her work, expecting the conversation to be over, but he posed her a question just as her fingers typed the first word. She turned to look at him, offering him a pleasant smile. He wasn't patronizing but he also didn't seem particularly interested either. What an odd combination. But if he'd asked the question, he probably wanted to know the answer.

"It gets my mind in the right place. Writing up the skeleton of the report helps me to focus on it. It's a process I've done ever since I started with the SFA. If I have the time to start on a report on the way to a mission, I do." Tehra shrugged, unsure if the answer would be enough for him. "If I actively think about it while writing it, it helps me to subconsciously think about all the details later. I also like to make a version for my own records." She finished.

"I have a question for you, if you don't mind me asking- why is it that you speak through the earpiece, instead of in person, when we are right next to one another?" Though the question seemed spur of the moment, Tehra had actually been wondering about it since she'd met him in his room earlier. And she had to admit, she was curious if he sounded any different when he spoke out loud.

((Agreed, sometimes short posts can be nice :) ))

Esmme
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#17
Old 10-12-2014, 05:02 AM

((Haha, this part. I love it.
Quote:
Had she been a woman of weaker will, she might have sulked about having a partner who seemed extremely interested in her yet completely uninterested all at once. How was that even possible?
Oh, it's possible. Thanks, Labyrinth. You're both unaffected by womanly people and bored. What's WRONG WITH YOU?! hahaha

Also: It ain't that easy to get him to talk! ;) haha, it will be soon, though. I assure you. Gotta get the creepy echoes going through the place somehow....))

Labyrinth stared while Tehra finished her answer. The male seemed to register what she'd said and immediately repeat it in different terms. A habit to help you form an accurate report as well as a personal version of such files for later viewing. He blinked in response, and continued to stare.

Luckily, Tehra broke what might have been an awkward silence. After she asked her question about Labyrinth's method of communicating, he didn't respond immediately. It was the first slow answer that he'd given. It required more than fact - it required an opinion and his personal preference.

It is more efficient.

His short answer didn't fit with how long it had taken him to think. Labyrinth continued to think, and looked hesitant before continuing through their usual method of communication. It has not been required. Labyrinth has not spoken in person with an agent in years.

Labyrinth blinked, and turned his attention to the outside world once again. He kept silent until they arrived at the Darkholme Facility. Seconds before they landed he stood and surveyed his own clothing. It looked like it was fashioned after some kind of armor - or, parts of it did. It fit him well, as did Tehra's suit. He reached up to touch his earpiece, immediately triggering the "mask" substance that flickered like a screen before his features before becoming virtually invisible.

From here, masks must be engaged.

Labyrinth didn't look to Tehra, as he knew she was listening. Slinging his bag over his shoulders, he stepped toward the door and released the cabin pressure. Disembark. The first task is to scout the area for potential threats. Labyrinth's Purium was pulsing with a pale light as he let his gaze methodically scan over the darkened surroundings. Unfortunately they were arriving after dark. It was already shadowed and dismal.

Just as the pictures had shown, Darkholme was a mess. It looked very much destroyed from the inside out. The humid fog around them didn't help with the scenery, either.

Labyrinth started toward the right, obviously planning on scouting the area in a methodical fashion that would leave nothing left unseen. With the efficiency he suggested, they could cover the outside ground in a matter of fifteen minutes or so.

The air contains a 9% compound of unknown elements. His grey eyes moved to Tehra and he looked her over. Ensure there is no contact. Labyrinth continued his methodical scouting until they were finished. There was nothing particularly suspicious about the outside of the building other than the fact that it looked as though everyone was missing. It was foggy. It could have been smoke if Labyrinth hadn't have mentioned the unknown element to it.

The entrance to the Darkholme Facility was once a high-tech airlock. Now, the inner barrier was broken and shattered glass covered the entry. The outermost doors were without power, which meant they needed to be pried open. Labyrinth placed a hand on the metal frame of the glass door and frowned slightly. Nothing was happening.

Labyrinth is unable to supply power to the mechanism. Unusual. That single word would have sounded human if it had been said in a natural tone. Despite the glitched door, the male didn't seem to have issues with getting the door ... open. The sound of shattering glass cut through the silence all around them. It echoed into the dark facility, the sound coming back to them eerily.

The second task is to seek a power source to bring Darkholme online. Labyrinth stepped into the shattered airlock without looking back. He continued on through the second set of doors as though the darkness wasn't bothering him. It probably wasn't - not with his adapted sight. Luckily, the "helmet" and mask that Tehra wore was equipped with the same technology. There were a few spectrum options - heat, movement, contrast ... you name the spectrum, it was available to them. This meant that no matter what, there would be some way to see. Hopefully they'd get the lights working again soon.

According to the facility plans, the generator is in the middle of the complex. Labyrinth looked to Tehra, and a small translucent icon appeared in part of her mask visor. He was pointing out the correct path.

((Sooooo, I'm thinking creepy trek through darkened facility, creepy things happen, and there are sealed rooms ... not everyone is missing, you see. There's just no sign of life. o__o))

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#18
Old 10-12-2014, 11:44 PM

Tehra would much rather have heard his voice in person rather than through the ear piece- it would make it easier to feel as if she was talking to a person if there wasn't the slight computerized tones the earpiece gave everyone's voices. She said nothing on the topic, however. The agent didn't know Labyrinth well enough yet to make a request like that. The way he'd added how he hadn't spoken in person to someone in years made it seem as if it was this deep, intimate thing to hear someone's voice. He could speak through his lips when he was ready, the brunette wasn't going to force him.

After a while longer of silence, they finally arrived at their destination. Once he'd instructed her to put her mask on, she did so. It was impressive really, how well the mask essentially turned itself invisible- except for the HUD, of course. It didn't even feel as if it carried extra weight. This was amazing technology. And if the SFA was breaking out tech like this and a partner like Labyrinth, there was something far more important to be found at Darkholme than just some basic stats on what happened.

As the doors to the jet opened, there was a certain anticipation building in Tehra's chest. It wasn't necessarily positive or negative anticipation- but it certainly existed. Her muscles were ready to launch at any moment, leap at anything that dare threaten them. Every sense was on high alert and her eyes darted around the area immediately visible in front of them, quickly scanning for anything more out of the ordinary than what was already visible. She knew Labyrinth had probably noticed the change in her pulse and breathing, but there was nothing to hide there- being alert was exactly what they both needed to be if they were going to succeed with minimal trouble.

It was quick going, checking the outside of the facility for any threats. She was extremely cautious of her skin, making sure none of it was exposed to the air, but it was not that necessary to be wary- the helmet and the suit covered literally everything. It was odd though, the appearance of the fog. Any smoke from the implosion should have cleared by now. And if Labyrinth couldn't even tell what elements were present in the air, it meant that whatever was present wasn't natural. or even one of the millions of known synthetic elements. They'd created something new at Darkholme, and it might have been what had destroyed them.

Tehra had assumed getting in would pose a bit of a challenge, but she was rather impressed with Labyrinth's strength. She knew he was brilliant, but it hadn't occurred to her that he'd be strong as well. She followed him inside, listening to his instructions carefully but initially saying little. Tehra was too busy focused on looking at the surroundings to make small talk. This place made her extremely uncomfortable, agitated. It reminded her of things she'd rather not think about.

"Oh, of course we have to go to the center to restore power." she said with an exasperated sigh. It wasn't enough to have to journey through an abandoned, mysteriously destroyed base- they had to go all the way to the center in the dark too. Horror movies, eat your heart out. Nothing would top this.

"Are you reading any signs of life in here?" Tehra asked, looking over at him as she following the path the icon on her mask directed, climbing over various debris as she went. She trusted his instrument to warn them to a certain point, but that could only do so much. There were things in this world that instruments couldn't find, and her gut was telling her to be very, very careful.

((ugh so much creepy I LOVE it.))

Esmme
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#19
Old 10-14-2014, 04:16 AM

Labyrinth glanced at Tehra when her exasperated sigh filled the silence. It echoed softly back to them, and he didn't react to her words as they started forward. There were large pieces of the building, toppled chairs and benches ... this had been the foyer and sign-in room. The secretary had been at the desk just there.

Grey eyes moved to the path ahead as Labyrinth answered Tehra's question. There is too much interference to be certain. No current readings.

As he said this, Labyrinth suddenly paused. He was still for a few moments before the beginnings of a frown started to cross his features. The interference makes it difficult to calibrate my readings. His gaze was locked on something, though. The words held meaning beyond what he was stating. I can pick up on your life, Agent Tehra. But not his.

The moment the words filtered through Tehra's earpiece, a wisp of shadow detached from the doorway ahead and disappeared deeper into the facility.

Recalculating. Labyrinth's expression returned to its neutral mask as he carefully scanned the room again. Every once in a while he'd look back to Tehra. He could get an easy reading from her, but nothing from the building. It was possible they were all dead, but ... something told him that wasn't the case. Intuition was something that computers lacked, and while Labyrinth didn't trust his gut instinct....

A soft whirring sound filled the air - machinery at work. Labyrinth continued to self-modify immediately, adjusting to the lack of readings by running through various methods of searching. There is something here. It is possible that wildlife has wandered inside the facility. He didn't mention that the front door had to be broken in, nor the fact that any natural thing would have avoided this place like the plague. It is also possible that there are agents and criminals who have been exposed to the unknown element. Caution is advised.

Labyrinth continued forward, watchful as he took the lead. The glow of his Purium stayed steady - it would have been like that of a glow stick, which might have been funny in another environment. Here, it only added to the shadows that moved as they walked through the facility.

Without power, the building was so ... eery. Labyrinth pushed a door open, allowing them to head further in. There was the shadow again. Up ahead, movement darted out of sight. Honestly, it could have been Labyrinth's glow. The way he watched it, however, hinted that it was more than that.

He looked to Tehra, the earpiece beeping softly. Whatever moves ahead of us continues on the path toward the generator. There is an alternate route that will take seven minutes and fifteen seconds longer if you prefer to disengage from this ... chase.

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#20
Old 10-14-2014, 04:35 AM

Tehra's steps were careful, quiet. She stuck extremely close to Labyrinth, a distance that might've even been considered inappropriate in other situations. But there was something decidedly wrong with this place, in fact- it was downright sinister.

She stopped in her tracks the moment Labyrinth paused. Interference? There shouldn't be interference of that type here. The moment that Labyrinth commented on picking up her life signs but no others, her blood ran cold. Labyrinth would notice the change- fear began to course through her; she could feel her body begin to release adrenaline. It was a familiar feeling- but once she hadn't felt in years.

"Not everything living has the courtesy to tell you it is alive on machinery...." Tehra whispered quietly to him, her eyes catching the shadow as it ran ahead of them "Trust me on that one, I know from experience. Too much experience." She ended the statement there, not wanting to dive into too many details- the changes of that thing being what her first reaction told her it was were slim to none. But the fear was still there, biting at the edges of a primal part of her mind.

As they walked, she noticed every time he seemed to need to recalculate, her own mind jumping to its wild conclusions. She'd love to ignore it, but unfortunately her gut had seldom failed her. When he mentioned wildlife she cut a skeptical gaze towards him. There was no way it was wildlife.

"I appreciate the effort of trying to make me think it's wildlife, but I know it's not- you'd be able to read their life signs. And I saw you pry the door open- no animal could have gotten in here. I think there's a much stronger chance its an infected criminal or agent. And if they don't have life signs? Well... that's going to be fun." Somehow she managed to speak without her voice shaking- it was a miracle in of itself.

They continued. The creature in front of them moved again. Unsurprisingly, Labyrinths voice echoed in her ear a moment after that, giving her a choice. She already knew the answer. "As much as I'd like to never find out about that creature, it already knows we're here. If we change paths, it can surprise us. If we stay behind, we have a much better idea of where it is. And we'll get the lights on much more quickly, which I would absolute love. So, we should stay on this route."

Esmme
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#21
Old 10-16-2014, 04:17 AM

Labyrinth didn't seem to notice nor care about how close Tehra followed him. If anything, it was reasonable - first because of safety, and second because he wasn't sure what size her "bubble" was. Some people liked more distance. He assumed this was merely because of her rising pulse - Tehra was worked up. Her anxiety was pushing adrenaline into her system, and her breath was short and quick.

With a glance at Tehra, the criminal paused before they entered the next room. This was the threshold - they could either take the second path here, or there was no turning back until the generator. He stared at the woman. Not everything living had the courtesy to tell one it was alive? His mind began to work on figuring out what Tehra was saying. The moment she said more, the thought process was pushed further into his mind. Labyrinth would try to puzzle out the odd words at a later time. They were linked to Tehra's past, which intrigued him.

Correct. There is little ... if any chance of wildlife within the facility. Basically, Labyrinth admitted to lying. At least he was frank.

Tehra's choice would have surprised him if he'd been more human. Labyrinth didn't show any indication that he'd heard her. Not, of course, until he stepped into the next room. His gaze moved over the room to find nothing. It was the "decontamination" room before the long hallway ahead. There were a few splits in the halls, and they would arrive at the stairwell that led them down.

Labyrinth kept himself a few steps ahead of Tehra at all times. Since there were no lights or electricity, he was forced to pry a couple doors open. Each time he would send Tehra ahead of him and let them close behind them. If they needed to run, there would be trouble. It would be a slow path.

At the end of the hall was the flicker of shadow. Yet, every time they looked, there was nothing. Reaching the stairwell felt suffocating - there was little flowing air this far into the facility. Darkholme went down. Unlike some buildings that spread out from the middle, Darkholme burrowed further into the earth. It was getting colder. The stairwell was just a an echoing passage of stairs that went up and down from where they were - there was nothing special about it. Nothing, of course, except the strange scent.

Labyrinth tilted his head, and prompted Tehra's earpiece again. Copper. Then, his gaze lifted from the stairs beneath their feet. He corrected himself quietly, his features ghosted with a frown. Blood.

While the criminal paused, he didn't seem to be frozen in fear. Instead, he stated that the blood was over six hours old - he could place it down to the minutes due to the chemicals and various shifts in mineral along the edges of the smears. As he stated such facts, Labyrinth continued down the stairs. A good five minutes later, he announced that they'd arrived on the correct level. Here, the building seemed carved out of the stone of the earth. It was smooth, and there were no rough spots, but ... it was dark and cold. It felt like a tomb. What was worse? The smell was thicker here.

Shadows darted at the edge of their vision again. This time, it was a form. It was no animal - it was far too humanoid for that.

Labyrinth paused, and suddenly let the soft sound enter Tehra's earpiece again. I have received a reading approximately four minutes from our current position. His colorless eyes locked on a hall that led away from their objective - the generator was in the opposite direction. The generator is seven minutes and three seconds from here. Without any indication as to which way he wanted to go, Labyrinth looked to Tehra.

Which do you choose, Agent Tehra?

Of course, their shadowy friend was in the direction of the life form.

((hehe, I have plans for either direction. >:3 Feel free to just choose one! No preference here!))

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#22
Old 10-17-2014, 12:58 AM

It came as no surprise to her that he offered no opinion on her choice of direction and simply followed it. Labyrinth seemed to be very good at doing what others suggested. The agent had to admit, though, that it was a bit disconcerting to have someone constantly agree with her. He would not argue with her, and it was a strange feeling knowing that whatever she said would always be what they did. Perhaps part of her even realized that she missed discussing plans.

But those thoughts mattered so little presently- the air in the place was thinning the further they got in. There was a disturbing stillness to it all. It was a bit like walking through an old battlefield- people died here. There was no way, in a facility of this size, that everyone survived. And perhaps that was a good thing. There were some nightmares that were better off dead. Some memories too. She pushed that particular thought from her mind.

They had yet to see any dead bodies, even though they'd covered quite a bit of ground. She pushed that thought from her mind too.

Tehra's eyes never stopped constantly scanning and re-scanning the area for dangers. Now that she had suspicions of what might reside here, they could only use their eyes to determine if there was danger. Labyrinths equipment wouldn't pick up these particular creatures. And they had to be aware of everything- running was impossible this deep in the facility. It was fight or die. Or, fight and die and then keep fighting- that was another option. The mere thought of it made her shudder. She would never allow herself to become one of them.

They reached the stairway. Tehra saw the smears before Labyrinth said anything to her about them. Even in the strange surreal light, her gut knew what they were before any conclusions were reached. She nodded when he commented on what it was and spoke as they walked down the stairs.

"The blood is six hours old, it's been six hours since I was briefed on this mission, the facility went dark twelve hours before that. So- a catastrophic failure happened eighteen hours ago, sealing the building from most lifeforms. Someone was still alive in here six hours ago- interesting considering how toxic the air might be. More interesting is the shadow that's luring us downstairs. That shadow has to be strong enough and fast enough to open these very heavy doors without us even seeing them open them. And they show no life signals. Interesting beastie." Though she was whispering, Tehra had a strong sense the creature could still hear her- they always could.

They reached the correct level, the sight and smell of it making her gag initially, but she soon gathered herself. Tehra had a very hard time denying what her gut had been telling her this entire time. She stopped and stood next to Labyrinth. As much as she didn't want to talk about her suspicions, if they turned out to be correct, Labyrinth needed to know ahead of time. Her eyes watched the shadow creature before them, refusing to let it leave her sight as she spoke again.

"You may think me a little crazy for what I'm about to tell you, but I assure you I am." she began "I'm sure you've heard of vampires- with all your knowledge you may even find the idea of them funny. What you may not know, Labyrinth, is that they are very much real and there is a good chance that shadow is very much one of them. Don't dismiss my words as fancy or fear- I've had experiences with them, and the scars on my neck that I know you've read about are from one of them." Tehra frankly didn't care if he thought her silly, she had to at least tell him.

"There are several reasons my past is largely undocumented, and many of them have to do with the fact that it is simply incredibly hard to believe. But vampires don't show life signals. They have a love for blood and are incredibly fast, and strong. Strong enough to open those doors very quickly. They do not need to breathe- which means the toxins in the air have no effect. It may not be a vampire that's taunting us down that hallway, but I owe it to you as my partner to tell you everything I know that might be of use. Read my vitals, they'll tell you I'm not lying." Tehra said it all so simply, so matter-of-factly. In fact, her tone nearly mirrored Labyrinths. Perhaps it was because if she allowed any emotions at all to show in her voice, they all would.

"As much as I want to take care of the creatures before we do anything else, I'd rather have light with which to see them. Let's take care of the generator first." Tehra answered. Besides, the shadow that ran ahead of them was very much starting to feel like a trap and she'd rather be able to see when they fell into it. "We still need to be on high alert, the shadow may follow us. Let's get those lights on." her mind was made up. With that, she began moving towards the generator.

Esmme
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#23
Old 10-19-2014, 02:19 AM

((Well.

Quote:
The agent had to admit, though, that it was a bit disconcerting to have someone constantly agree with her. He would not argue with her, and it was a strange feeling knowing that whatever she said would always be what they did. Perhaps part of her even realized that she missed discussing plans.
Oh, he'll gain his tongue back eventually! ;) Haha, poor thing just has to break free of his computer mind!))

Labyrinth regarded Tehra with a hint of ... something. He was impressed by the nature of her words. She spouted off logic and fact quickly, showing how much she knew. The agent spoke in a whisper, but that didn't matter.

With a nod, Labyrinth acknowledged her statements. The only part that he found odd was how she mentioned that whatever it was here wasn't being picked on his scanners. It was true. But it still felt strange.

Tehra's presence at his side drew the criminal's attention. Looking to her, he listened unwaveringly to what she had to say. Tehra's words seemed to send his mind moving in various directions at once.

Vampires? Vampires? The male's mind spun off into the lore and various archives on the beasts - from pop fiction to legends of old, his mind began to sift through the files. Simultaneously he added such a note to Tehra's agent profile. Or, to his version of it, anyway.

It was true - as partners, they held a bond that was important - one that required them to tell one another any relevant information. Labyrinth was ... honestly a little skeptical that he realized Tehra wasn't lying. Perhaps his equipment was malfunctioning even more than he'd realized.

Understood.

The single word didn't express ... well, anything. Did he doubt her? It was unclear. Labyrinth continued onward, accepting the information that he'd received. Inwardly, though, his mind was scattered as he went over files and information. If he'd been merely human, he would have been very distracted.

Instead, he kept walking. They were to go to the generator, then. It was a good plan - get the building working again and move on from there.

Do traditional weaknesses affect the vampires? Labyrinth didn't look back at his partner, and instead began to pull the next door open. They were only a couple hallways from the generator now.

Just as he got the door open, a loud pop filled the silence. Labyrinth jerked back as though stung - even Tehra could see the burst of energy in the air. The criminal stepped back from the door, logically monitoring the quickness of his breath and response to the shock.

There was a soft sound in Tehra's earpiece, but a pause before Labyrinth spoke. He stood perfectly still as he did so.

... do you see anything, Agent Tehra? Labyrinth blinked a few times as though trying to clear his vision. It was unsuccessful. With a soft whirring sound, Labyrinth's tech began to reboot. Hopefully it wasn't burned out.

With the generator operating, there are few ways for such amounts of energy to gather. Labyrinth was still standing, and reached up to try and correct his sight. Still unsuccessful. All visuals have been lost. Labyrinth's vitals have returned to normal; status is unaffected.

He was blind. After a few more attempts, Labyrinth informed Tehra that he would be using motion detection tech until his sight could be restored. He knew what had been destroyed, and was working on fixing the problem.

Once again, Labyrinth went back to the door. This time it opened without hassle - save the strength that was needed. Once they were both through, Labyrinth paused.

Before them were a few of the deceased agents. They still had their weapons on them. They'd been torn by what appeared to be beasts. Claws, fangs ... who knew what else. It was a messy death.

It was as though Labyrinth could sense something, but was unable to see it. He could smell the death, despite his blindness.

Status requested, Agent Tehra. In other words: he wasn't quite sure what was making her vitals shift. The glow of his Purium reflected vaguely off of their nearest surroundings - nothing more than a soft illumination. It did show one thing, however - that Labyrinth's vitals were also rising.

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#24
Old 01-15-2015, 04:49 AM

She knew, of course, that the chances of him truly and fully believing her were slim, but at least she had done her part. In her gut, Tehra knew what was happening here- she knew it as a sparrow knows its song. Though much of her focus as they walked was kept on keeping her vitals down, her mind replayed the memories of her old life.

The images were scratched and tattered, as if someone had run their nails over the tape absentmindedly one day, and ruined it, causing it to skip from then on. Words struck out to her, she recalled the pain of the bites- the images of Kate's slow descent into a soulless existence. But mostly Tehra recalled the smell. A smell that was echoed here, now, following them towards the generator. It triggered a primal instinct in her, a desire to cover her neck and grab the nearest sharp object in preparation for a battle.

Labyrinths question pulled her out of it, and the huntress turned her blue eyes to him. "Yes. Well, some. Holy water does little, but sunlight burns them. Stakes will kill them, though it is very difficult to do because their skin is incredibly hard to penetrate. Silver and fire work well- really anything stabbing their heart works, not just wood or silver. From what I've been told, if you can successfully decapitate them they'll stay dead. The only experience I had was staking one that I'd uh, handcuffed to the bed with silver. It's a long story. Anyways, let's keep going."

It was not long after she'd finished speaking that Labyrinth reacted quite violently to something, making the agent herself jump. She immediately chastised herself the cry of surprise she'd made- it would do no good to attract even MORE attention to them, though whatever was in here already knew of their presence.

Her vision was interrupted for a moment from the bright light, but soon returned to normal, though it was a bit spotty for a few moments. "Yes, I can see." She picked up her pace then, moving closer to the criminal. "That little explosion certainly did nothing to ease my nerves...especially now that you tell me it shouldn't be possible. Labyrinth, this mission is about to go very, very awry." It was a simple statement, too simple- Tehra had yet again reverted to refusing to put any inflection in her words lest she allow fear too overwhelm her.

As he spoke of all visuals lost, Tehra interlocked her arm with his. "I know you have motion detection, but that still can't direct you around stationary obstacles. Let me help you." She walked with him through the door, unprepared for the horror that lay within.

A loud gasp escaped her right before her breath caught in her chest. Her vitals shot up, and true fear finally creeped into her psyche. Tehra's grip on Labyrinth's arm tightened- though it was more to reassure herself than any other cause. The stench nearly overwhelmed her- flashes of memory returned again, this time in crystal clarity. The smell after he'd killed Kate. The smell the night he'd first taken blood from her, and every subsequent night marred by his painful passions. It was as if she was there.

But he was dead, and that was over. But this had only begun.

Her memories only faded from control of her mind when Labyrinth spoke to her again requesting status. "Status: Heightened awareness and anxiety Tehra audibly gagged after she spoke, opening her mouth had allowed the thick stench to touch her tongue, a rusty metallic taste was in the air. "Vi-visuals are-" her voice faltered as eyes surveyed the bodies. She drew in a deep breath, swallowing the gag that threatened her again.

"Visuals are multiple SFA agents, presumed dead- throats and hearts torn out by claws and fangs. Weapons present, undrawn- gods, Labyrinth, they were killed before they even had a chance to draw their weapons. This was no accident. This was an attack. And we are at its epicenter." It was slight, but there was an unmistakable tremble in the hand that held the criminal's arm.

Esmme
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#25
Old 01-17-2015, 04:54 PM

"Labyrinth, this mission is about to go very, very awry."

The criminal merely finished opening the door. He didn't respond to her worry, though his markings were slowly beginning to glow. Perhaps it was the tech in his system as he tried to reboot. Perhaps it was a subconscious emotional reaction. Labyrinth noted how Tehra spoke. She was avoiding her fear, keeping her voice even. Her pulse had escalated, but she wasn't panicking. Good.

Labyrinth didn't react when Tehra linked her arm with his. She was being helpful - quite helpful. The criminal couldn't maneuver well throughout the facility without everything moving. Sadly, that wasn't the case. Everything was completely still. Having the woman guide him was the most efficient path to take.

The moment they entered the next room, however, Labyrinth's systems were on high alert. Tehra was breathing differently, and her vitals were off the map. Now she was close to panic.

Agent Tehra, your clarity is necessary.


It was his oh-so-comforting way to say "don't panic." The silver-haired male tasted the same metallic tint in the air, and when Tehra gagged he knew exactly why. She was familiar with the scent - Labyrinth was not. He knew when Tehra struggled with her memories - her vitals spiked sporadically, and her temperature rose. She was afraid. Very afraid.

Tehra struggled with her speech, and Labyrinth prompted her onward.

Visuals, Agent Tehra?


She continued, pointing out how the agents around them hadn't even drawn their weapons. They were killed quickly, and brutally. This had happened many hours prior - around the time the operation had been set in motion. These agents had been dead for over 24 hours. Labyrinth might have pointed this out if his sight had been working correctly.

Noted. The generator is within 261 feet from our current position. It is advised to move on.

He could feel the tremble in Tehra's touch, and knew that she needed to move away from the carnage she described. Perhaps he was lucky to be blind. Labyrinth didn't force Tehra onward, or even pull her with him by taking a step forward. Instead, he waited patiently as ever.

Ahead of them, near the end of the hall, movement caught Labyrinth's attention. His eyes shot over toward the form that stood in the hall for a few moments, then darted in the direction of the generator. It seemed that their invisible friend either wasn't alone, or knew how to get ahead of them without being seen.

Labyrinth noted the movement of the form, and monitored it until it left his sensor range.

Movement in the corridor ahead.

 


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