Cocking her head to the side the back haired woman watched Reino loose himself in his thoughts once more. She smiled when he wrote that he had taken a ballroom dancing class. Raising an eyebrow at his next statement, she watched him flex and tired to hide her smile.

After reading the next thing he wrote Shadow shook her head and let her smile show. She loved this side of him. Her mouth dropped open when he tried to do a turn and knocked everything down. She started to laugh and ended up laughing so hard she double over at the waist. Wiping tears off her cheeks she continued to chuckle as she read the last thing he wrote.

"Thanks Reino I needed that," still chuckling she erased the board. "I think you have quite the knack for dancing." Looking over to him she gave him a grin. "But yeah, I think you should stick to spying."

Sobering up quickly Shadow bit her lip before erasing her board and slowly writing something else. "Reino, do you ever think we'll get out of this place?" Suddenly cold she waited until he read the board before erasing it. Then she walked over to a chair and grabbed the sweater hanging off the back of it. After pulling the chopsticks out of her hair and shaking it out, she pulled the over sized light grey sweater over her head. Grabbing her long hair out from under the sweater she let it hang loose down her back. Walking back over to the glass door she waited for his reply.

It seemed the last of what the Agent woman had to say sparked an interest in the male; or rather, it seemed to have provoked him in a manner that she had been trying with Cias and had failed. Only this time, the woman wasn't exactly planning to try and draw such a reaction from the male at that time, it was more so her own reaction to what she had been requesting of him. The fact that Vlad needed so little provocation did make the woman slightly wary as she knew she was going to have to pay attention to her actions as well as the actions of her partner in the future.

The look in his eyes as he indeed closed the space between them did not help with the unsettling fact that this male cared not for the boundaries between criminal and agent; in her mind that put the man on the same level as a loose cannon. Hime lost control over the emotions portrayed within her eyes only for a moment, but that split second moment had been enough to kill agents in the past. Blinking the betrayed emotions away as though they had never existed, the blonde lifted a hand to brush away the male's icy touch. "It is not polite to touch a lady without her permission," she said as she cooled the gaze in her eyes as she met with his once again.

Hime was more than aware of the movement from the threat monitors around the room and seeing as she had her own person well under control, that only meant one thing. Placing a small hand squarely upon the male's chest, she pushed him back ever so slightly to regain a few inches between them. "Someone shall indeed retrieve you in the morning," she said quietly before dipping her head in a slight bow. "We shall go over mission details then, but until then, I would like to request that you get some sleep. We know not what our future missions may hold for us." Bending her knees in a slight curtsey, the woman then excused herself as she opened the door and stepped backwards towards it, the dark metal closing between them.

At that point, the small blond let out a breath she had been holding. Though a powerful one, Vlad was being deemed as unpredictable in her eyes. She lifted her free hand to massage her temples as she sorted out her first two members; both were proving to be a handful, but Vlad seemed like the one she would enjoy toying with more. Hime seemed to enjoy keep her criminals on their toys and on the verge of her being to take action as when they slipped up, she enjoyed raining divine punishment down upon them.

Looking down at the last two individuals that Hime still had to visit, she let out a sigh. It was getting late and she was starting to get tired, especially after dealing with her first two members. The woman wasn't sure what time it was though; the agency seemed to love not having clocks anywhere near the prison cells, something about many years prior criminals had killed themselves after doing nothing but watch the time pass by. The woman never chanced a watch or any other accessory like that either; it ran the risk of being used as something to hold onto by a rowdy prisoner.

Hime turned to look at the door next to hers; the number reading loud and proud on the nameplate beside it, she opened the files she had remaining to see that it had matched with her new member 'Shadow'. A small smile played her lips at the thought that the could nearly retire to her own room and go to sleep.

Stepping before the door, the small blond was about to open it when she noticed a dry erase board and marker sitting on the floor. Turning her back to Shadow's cell, the woman could make out the numbers of the cell on the other side. Looking into her last file, the senior agent was please to see her fourth and final prisoner listed as being in that room. It was a familiar room as well seeing as it housed the male that Daliah had gone to visit earlier. Stepping to turn back around in a very military-like fashion, Hime lifted her hand to release the locks upon Shadow's cell. Just like with Vlad, the short woman bent her knees in a curtsey before her matching small voice came out to say, "Madame, if you would be so kind as to follow me."

Without a second word, the small woman took a couple steps back to ensure that the prisoner would indeed follow her before she would make her trip across the hall.

Everything that had transpired was really starting to sink in. Sycom was realizing that this woman brought out his true colors. Underneath it all, Sycom could be just as bad as the rest, but he had a sturdy grasp on reality and the cruelty of such inhumane actions. To kill, to steal, to destroy… none of it seemed right and that was the fine line between his agent position and that of an inmate.

"You bring out my dark side," he teased. "And I doubt Daliah would pay to have me back. She would much rather run off with her dear Reino." His tongue rolled out in disgust. "And she frowns upon agent-criminal relationships. I guess our mighty leader is a hypocrite."

It felt wonderful to speak so freely. Even if the rooms were monitored, the odds of his old team, the team of nerds and tech weenies, turning him in where slim to none. They respected him and knew all too well that the redhead needed to vent from time to time. If he found that closer in Vex, then power to him. At least he had someone he could trust and confide in.

Moving over toward her, he stopped just a hand's reach away from her. A part of him toyed with the idea of staying the night. At least he wouldn't sleep alone, which was often the case with Daliah. Still, he knew it was wrong and highly frowned upon. Besides, he didn't want to give Vex a false sense of hope.

"Thanks for listening," he whispered to her before his body phased out of the room. He didn't look back at her cell, at least not until he was out of the halls and on his way to his quarters.

"Dammit, Sycom. You let her get to you." He cursed himself for opening up that much in front of the woman. And yet, he wouldn't take it back or do things differently if given the chance. With his head spinning and his stomach turning over, he crawled into bed. Setting his alarm for 7AM, he would sleep off the day's events and, hopefully, come the morn, he would be ready to go. Hopefully.

---------- Post added 12-17-2013 at 08:40 AM ----------

Seeing Shadow laugh like she did made Reino mimic her smiling and happiness. It was great to see her like this. She was practically dying of laughter and it was priceless. It warmed his heart and actually made him feel human again -- not that being an inmate made him anything other than a human. But still, as a labeled "bad guy," it was nice to reconnect with his happier, younger days.

It had been hours since they had first started talking. They had come so far, too. It was getting rather late and, from the looks of it, neither seemed ready for bed. There was too much to discover and discuss. When Shadow asked about freedom, Reino wanted to really think that one over. Freedom was such a foreign word to these inmates. All they wanted was to get their lives back and not be the dogs of the SFA. They were constantly putting their lives on the line. They were constantly overworked. They were constantly watched and, in a sense, bullied.

Letting out a sigh, he went to write on his board when he noticed a rather petite blue agent walk to Shadow's cell. His brow cocked and his interest was instantly piqued. What was she doing with Shadow? Was she being reassigned? To a new… cell? His heart sank. Maybe Daliah realized Shadow was a mistake. Criminals weren't supposed to enjoy their neighbors, right?

Oh how he wanted to stop this! It wasn't fair! Shadow did nothing wrong! It was all his fault and he couldn't do a damn thing.

Then, he saw what Hime mouthed to Shadow. It pushed him over the edge. He wanted to kill this woman for thinking she could so carelessly move his Shadow. She didn't have the authority! She didn't have the power! She was just a lowly agent! A dog for Daliah!

It was then when he realized something about Hime's stance. She was… moving toward his cell. And with Shadow!

A small smile tugged at the side of his lips. Maybe this Hime person wasn't so bad after all.

"Bold move, agent" he commented to himself. "I think that move just makes me like you even more." Done talking to himself, he patiently waited for what would happen next. Would Hime really bring Shadow to his cell? If so, this woman was wise and was clearly going to leverage his relationship with Shadow to pull Reino in her favor. She was good. Hell, she might prove to be a better agent that he.

And so, Reino waited.

Shadow had once again leaned her head against her glass door while she waited for him to reply. She wasn't sure why she had asked Reino and freedom. Deep down she knew there was never going to be freedom for her or any of the other prisoners. They were stuck in this for life, she knew that and she needed to get past it. But like always her mind drifted to such things, holding onto that hope. It really was the only thing keeping her sane.

Seeing a agent coming up to her cell, she pushed off from the glass and stepped back. The kind and happy look she had had on her face fell away to a look of boredom. It was a familiar look as this was the face she showed everyone, agents and criminals. It seemed only Reino was given the pleasure of smiles from her.

Her eyes flicked across the way to Reino as the agent opened her door. Raising an eyebrow she stepped out after the agent. "What is this about agent...(Hime)?" Her question trailed off at the end as she had never met this agent before. Sure she had seen her a few times but never learned her name. She was a real petite thing, easy to overtake. That was her two second thought before she banished it from her mind. To kill an agent was to kill oneself, she didn't want that, yet.

"Agent Hime," the small blond finished for the taller woman as she led her across the hall and towards the cell of the male she had been talking to. "As for the matter in which I am moving you, we shall go over that shortly." Every few moments the shorter woman would peer over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the dark haired female to ensure that she was still in tow. Once across the hall, the woman place a hand over the opening mechanism and as the door slid open, the agent stepped to the side saying, "After you ma'am."

Once Shadow had entered the room, Hime took note as to where both prisoners were and that put them nearly side by side. Closing the door behind her, the woman rested her arms on the fronts of her thighs, the backs of her criminal files exposed to the view of the room. Her bright blue orbs danced between the duo, resting on each of them for a few moments before going to the person at their side and vice versa.

"So," the woman then mused, breaking the silence that she had allowed to fall in the room. "My name is Agent Hime and starting today, the two of you have been reassigned to my team along with two other prisoners." Her eyes landed on the dark haired female as she continued, "It should come to no surprise that Shadow, you are one of the breakers on this team. Your partner with that will be Vlad." Eyes then moving to the short haired male she finished saying, "Reino, you of course will be the Identifier and a male named Cias shall be our enhancer."

Allowing silence to linger for a few more moments, the blond made sure to keep up with even the slightest movements from the two criminals in the room. It wasn't the wisest move to bring them together, but these two had already been on talking terms and the woman was getting tired and just wanted to finish her rounds before going to bed. Had she been aware enough, she probably would have contemplated bring Vlad, Shadow, and Reino together, though moving two prisoners alone would not have been a smart idea.

"Now this change is coming as short notice as we will be heading out to the field on our first mission shortly," Hime notified the duo as her gaze danced around between them once again. "Do you two have any questions at this point?" The woman was becoming much more direct in her words as the day went on, but at this point she could not have been bothered to try to keep up her princess act this late in the day.

Reino was conflicted. Should he smile or should he scowl? Who was he kidding? He should just act a teeny-weeny bit cocky and lay on a sly side grin and call it a day. After all, he was in for a rare treat!

As the two lovely ladies entered his cell, he was half-tempted to state, "And welcome to the party. My bed's this way." But that just wasn't Reino. He wasn't a sexual man and he really couldn't get the words to roll off the tip of his tongue. It was probably for the better, as poor Hime looked exhausted. Reino actually felt a bit of remorse for her and, without thinking, spoke.

"You look exhausted. When did your shift start?" It was borderline rhetorical. "I remember my first night on the job. I was given a back-to-back shift and pulled in twenty hours." The raven rubbed his neck. "As much as I would love to chat nonchalantly with you both," his eyes jumped to Shadow for a moment before going back to the blonde, "I wouldn't want to eat up any more of your time. We'll be meeting at 6AM, I presume?" He noticed a change in Hime's behavior, which indicated he was wrong. "Ahh, so 9AM. That means Mr. Sycom is also a recruit for this mission." His golden eyes became more gold as his pupils shrunk. A serious expression overcame him. He knew something was gravely off with this new realization.

"We're Division One, aren't we." It wasn't a question; it was a statement. And a correct one at that. Turning to Shadow, who was probably a bit confused at his random comment, he explained. "When I was first assigned to the SFA, I was thrown into Division One under the command of the now retired Kirthin. Division One was tasked with investigating an old church in Salem that was known for having supernatural sightings. Daliah, at the time, believed it was just a coincidence. We know now it's not. I'm assuming that's why she's pulled together the group she has. It also explains why she personally came to check on me with Sycom earlier this evening." He didn't have to continue that thought as anyone could piece it together. She was obviously checking on his mental stability and seeing if he was capable of taking on S-Rank missions like this.

Reino smirked and looked over at Hime. "I'm sure my records show my progress as an agent prior to…" he purposely stopped there. Hime knew his past as it was in the files, and Shadow had learned about it just hours before. Why bring it up again? With two lives on the line (technically, three), it was better to just let it go.

His hand slid out to shake Hime's. "I'm not usually one to agree to reassignments or follow orders, but you've got spunk and guts. You'e also stupid, but I suppose I won't let that ruin your standing with me." After a firm handshake, he turned toward Shadow. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Shadow." He bowed slightly before placing a kiss on her hand.

Now standing extremely close to Shadow, the two criminals probably looked like they were about to jump Hime and show her a thing or two about trusting inmates. And yet, no such thing happened. In fact, the opposite did.

"I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best to behave." There was a but coming, the girls could feel it. "But I do have one request I would love for someone to override and make happen." He trekked over to his bed and pulled out his worn kitty pillow. "My kitty is ripping and no one will let me have a needle. Can you," he was hesitant to place the cat in Hime's hands, "fix it for me?"

Although Reino was very cordial right now, it didn't mean he would slip back to his colder ways later. The fact that he was with Shadow probably helped a lot. This was a first impression after all. Who would want to screw it up on interaction numero-uno? By the end of the first week, he probably wouldn't care as much and he would be just as nasty and mean as always. Well, maybe not as bad as all thought. But he would definitely revert back to being an ass.

When she was given a name and told she would find out shoftly Shadow nodded once in confirmation and stepped out of her cell. Glancing over at Reino she gave him a questioning raise of her brow while she followed after Hime. As Reino's cell door slid open she couldn't help but wonder what was going on. She walked into his cell and went to go stand by him.

Crossing her arms under her chest Shadow kept a stoic face and stared directly at the agent. She wasn't one for games. If the agent wanted silence oh boy was she going to get it. Not once did she glance over at Reino, no she kept her eyes directly on the agent's and watched as Hime's eyes flicked between the two of them.

She listened closely as the agent started to speak. They were being reassigned? To a team together? Inside Shadow was starting to get excited. The only downfall was having Vlad on the team. She knew what a problem he could be and as the other breaker she was going to have to work closely with him, well try at least. The other man she hadn't heard of so she had no idea what to expect. Having Reino on the team though made up for having Vlad. Hearing that they would head out on their mission shortly didn't phase her. She was use to not needing much sleep and she was an early riser. Something about the early mornings spoke to her. It made her feel more refreshed and alive.

Reino started speaking then and Shadow turned her attention to him, though she was still looking directly at Hime. She had no trust for agents, none at all. So they always held most of her attention. The people in her old group found out quickly that she held no trust and to not bother trying to gain it. They mostly left her to her own devices. Maybe, just maybe this time would be different. One person already sort of held most of her trust and he was standing right next to her.

Hearing Reino say Division one caused her to perk up a bit and she finally looked his way as he spoke to her. She gave him a nod and returned her gaze back upon Hime. So they were division one now. This was getting more interesting by the moment. Then Reino put his hand out to shake Hime's. Shadow's eyes widened for a second before she schooled her expression once again. But then Reino turned to her and kissed her hand, she couldn't help the small smile that came across her lips. They were so close together now and she couldn't help but relax just a little.

Shadow was surprised when Reino said he would try to behave. The black haired beauty hoped that Hime would help him fix his cat. She knew how much it meant to him and if she didn't she knew it would cause problems. Clearing her throat she finally spoke up, her voice was soft and just a bit chilly. "If you've read my file you know that I won't be much of a problem. I'll do my job like the good girl I'm suppose to be. But," she glanced at Reino before looking back directly into Hime's eyes and continuing. "I do not have trust. Do something that would break trust, if I had any, and we will have problems. Other than that I will do my best to be compliant."

Vex had to agree about Daliah, though she kept it to herself. “You’re welcome, Sycom,” she whispered back, doubting he heard her words. The woman couldn’t help, but to wonder if she had gotten to him in a way or if he was just faking being nice to her. The grin she wore slowly changed to a more serious look then a frown. Playing these kinds of games was fun, but sometimes it left her feeling empty inside depending on the person. This was one of those times. It was her own fault for trying to get so close to something she knew she didn’t deserve and was far out of her reach.

Turning on her heel she faced the mirror on the wall above the dresser she had walked over to. “What are you doing Nikita dear? Are you really going to let that guy get to you so much. What could have been never will be. You lost everything all because of those ass holes…hopefully they are rotting in Hell for what they did to you and the others.” She raised a hand to her head. It was starting to hurt as the memories of that day came rushing back to her. Like usual though there was a black spot, a skip in time. Vex could barely touch that part of the memory before it disappeared once more. There was something she block out, but didn’t know why. If only she could remember that part too. Then again maybe it was best she couldn’t remember the worst part, the part that made her snap.

A growl came from her as she punched the mirror, shattering it. “Damn it. Don’t get let yourself get attached to someone. In the end they will only use and betray you.” Her emotions were jumbled now and it annoyed Vex to no end. Looking down at her bloody hand a small smile briefly crossed her lips. Quietly the woman walked into her bathroom to pick out the glass and bandaged her hand. Luckily most of the cuts were small and minor.

Once she was finished tending her and changing into something more comfortable she wandered over to her bed and flopped down. A sigh came from the woman as she lay there on her side staring at the door of her cell. After a few moments she pulled the blanket over her head. She just wanted to forget everything that had just happened. Act like it never happened. Vex laid there awake for a while, staring at the open pocket watch in her hand. If I used this to go back. I could change things, then things wouldn’t end up awkward between Sycom and me. The thought was tempting, but if she did go back she wondered if things would have turned out differently. The two of them teasing each other and venting. She doubted it greatly. She closed the watch, holding it tightly and close to her. A few moments passed before she was able to finally go to sleep.

((And now for my massively delayed post. XD))

Vlad eyed Hime's hand as she pushed him back. It was the first contact he'd had with a female in many weeks, and it dawned on the tall male that it was particularly humorous that Hime was so dainty in comparison to himself. Her small hand pushing Vlad away only served as a symbol to him. Her authority was like that one touch - hardly enough to keep him back. Or, was it an accurate comparison? The agency wouldn't have out Hime in charge of a pack of criminals if she wasn't suited for it.

Again, Vlad had trouble picturing the dainty woman leading a team. He watched her go in silence, letting out a sigh of his own as the door closed. He should have taken the energy from her hand and faced the consequences.

Teal eyes scanned the dim room before Vlad finally took his seat. He might as well read. There would be no need for him to sleep, as his Purium hadn't been used in a large amount in many days - or was it weeks now? Vlad could never tell. Especially since he didn't require sleep regularly. With a slight frown, the criminal sat and lifted the first book.

Criminal psychology. Artemis came to mind, and Vlad smiled slightly. Oh, there was quite a bit not included in the book. Vlad settled in for the night, letting his threat levels slowly fall back into their usual "low" range. He'd hate the best morning. He was sure of it.

Daliah was underway prepping for tomorrow's activities. She had pulled together a new wing -- and yes, she had already moved Volkov into that wing. The woman was probably feeling a tad alone, but it was completely understandable. Why put her somewhere else only to move her hours later.

The construction was nearly complete. Each of the cells was rendered perfectly in the new area. Only, rather than cells, each served as a fully private room with doors that the inmates could escape from at any time. The only rooms with locks were those of the agents and, to enter an agent's room, a thumb print and retina scan was required. It was the best way to prevent inmates from killing agents, at least in Daliah's eyes.

Twelve perfect rooms were divided in two by a hallway. The rooms were intermixed so agents were nestled between a pair of criminals. The hallway lead to another private room that was full of twelve desks and computers. This room was the main office and it led off to a room that was incased in glass, the interrogation room. Following the hallway to the left, those in Division One would find the parking bay for their vehicles as well as robots and weapons. To the right was a private kitchen and living room. It was the 'gathering room' to make everyone feel a bit more at home. The living room was the only room in the entire house, aside from the window-less, drain-less bathrooms, that didn't have a camera. It was Daliah's gift. Division One was known for its death rates. All too often the team would be obliterated, requiring another team to be formed. This was the first team in Daliah's mind that stood half a chance. But she liked to think that every time.

Pacing down the hall, she eventually stopped and turned to her two ladies in waiting. "I think we're finally good. A 9 o'clock sharp, I want you to clean out their own cells. Anything that couldn't be recreated, have it moved here. Personal items too."

Wiping a bead of sweat from her brow, the frail looking woman moved toward her quarters. "Make sure Sycom doesn't bother me tonight," she ordered before vanishing behind a large, metal door.

Hime was no more inclined to answer the male when he questioned her shift as she was aware that he wasn't expecting one in the first place. It was really none of his business and the longer the shift only lead to more issues depending on the prisoner that discovered just how long the person had been without sleep. The agent was partially excited about getting back onto missions as from time to time it seemed those agents got more sleep as the agency wanted them in tip top shape to go into the field; at the same time, they were also the ones that were most likely to get less sleep depending on what their mission entailed.

The male seemed very inclined on information about what was going on, many details not even Hime had been briefed on. She kept her surprise as to his knowledge off her face and only raised a brow when he questioned the time in which she would be getting up the next day. Even with his questions and statements the woman uttered no word as to what was going on and she safe guarded her own expressions seeing as her eyebrow raise had been caught by the male. Reino was definitely proving to be the most talkative of the group thus far and Hime wasn't sure if that would end up falling within their favor or not.

He also seemed fairly energetic, especially compared to the last two prisoners she had met with. He took initiative to shake the woman's hand and to compliment her or sorts and to be quite frank, Hime wasn't really sure what was going on. She had indeed briefly looked over the male's file and knew that he was once an employee of SFA until 'that incident', but now the blond couldn't really see just how much of a threat he was. Granted, she knew not to worry too much on that as only the worst ended up here, but it was still odd to see a criminal so forthcoming.

It had seemed that bringing the two criminals was a smart idea as not only did they seem to get along very well, but Reino seemed very pleased to be able to meet the woman. Such information was going to prove useful in the future, as any gathered criminal information tended to. Not to mention the sudden attention turn to a pillow was really starting to confuse the senior agent. "I can definitely look into this for you," she stated calmly as she took the pillow, placing it on top of her files as she held them against her stomach.

Shortly after, Shadow finally spoke as well and the words she heard from both criminals brought a small smile to the woman's face. "I am pleased to hear that our working together will not be similar to pulling teeth," she said, the soft tone in her voice clearly giving away that she was pleased that this visit went so smooth. Patting her free hand on the back of her charts, Hime concluded saying, "With basic introductions down, Shadow I shall return you to your cell. I would advise both of you to turning in for the night. Someone shall gather you in the morning for us to go over the details of our mission."

without another word, Hime lifted her hand to open the cell, lifting an arm to indicate to Shadow that it was time to leave.

**A DAY ANEW**
Morning comes quickly to those drafted for Division One. Guards have already moved the criminals from their iron pens and into a large, open room with chairs laid out in a circle. Refreshments line a back wall and two robotic guards protect the door from any unwanted activity. The agents are on their way along with Daliah but the inmates have a few moments to themselves before the mornings activities begin. In fact, they have fifteen minutes.

What will happen...

At 8:30AM, Daliah had sent pairs of guards to escort the selected eight criminals from their cells and move them into the meeting room. While the criminals were away, her personal assistants went to work stripping the cells and cleaning them. Anything and everything was tossed onto a cart and hauled to the inmate's new cell. They did bother to tidy the rooms up and even tried to recreate what they saw, but it became foggy and less organized by the time they hit the fourth agent.

With her minions hard at work, Daliah had some much needed alone time with herself. She powdered her face and painted her nails. Even did up her eyes and hair, making certain that she looked sexier than ever. Daliah probably spent ten minutes figuring out what pair of stockings she wanted and eventually landed on a black-lace butterfly pair. Full dressed in her slimming pencil skirt and a creamy semi-see-through blouse, she marched her way to the dining hall where Artemis, Hime, Volkov, and Sycom waited. As per her instructions, she told those four to stay put. They did as such, and this made her smile. At least someone around her listened.

Her heels clicked in rhythm as she approached them. Sycom was the first to raise from his perch and greet her. A kiss was received on her cheek and she half-accepted it. Only half because she didn't want the other three to assume Sycom had "special treatment." Although, in a group of women, he would already be considered lucky and special. Still, she wanted to be somewhat professional about the whole thing.

"Please, have a seat," she said while her peach eyes read the clock on her wrist. She had ten minutes -- that was more than enough time, she hoped. "As you may or may not know, you've all been promoted to Division One. Hime and Artemis, you're Team B. Sycom and Volkov, you're Team A. Volkov is new as of last night so please welcome her to the crew. Artemis, as you all know, has only been here for a few months. Hime's been here for a few years. And Sycom has been here as long as I have. If you ever get lost or stuck, I recommend asking he or Hime for help." Her face lost its expression for a moment. "Or ex-agent Reino." She saw Artemis and Volkov shift. "Reino was you a few years back, Volkov. He lost it all when his mother was brutally murdered. He is now a highly underused inmate. Well, he was. Now he's being reassigned to Division One as an assistant rather than an agent." Her cheeks were painted a rosy pink for a second. "I think you'll all find him a highly valuable asset. He knows a lot." Her chin raised. "I trained him myself alongside our now retired Kirthin."

Pacing the grey-tiled floor, she finally froze with her body perpendicular to the crew. "But be wary of him. As well as the others. Remember, at the end of the day, they murdered someone in cold blood." Daliah's voice had a chill to it, which even caused Sycom to goosebump some. "Don't let them trick you. Or worse, lure you in with their charm." Her eyes landed on Artemis. "Don't even think about falling in love or," her eyes jumped to Sycom, "befriending them." Daliah suppressed a laugh. "Remember, they're the enemy after all."

Truer words had never been spoken. The SFA was all about saving lives. Criminals were all about ruining them or making their own better. They were selfish and greedy, full of lust, wrath, and envy. SFA agents were indifferent yet capable of love, compassion, and empathy. To Daliah, once a criminal, always a criminal.

"Have you any questions?" Her raccoon-like eyes scanned her small audience. "Hmmm?" she coaxed them.

The first thought that filtered through Cias' mind that morning was that his back was stiff. Actually, it was rather uncomfortable. And his eyes stung beneath the lids that covered them. Oh? Had he fallen asleep? He couldn't remember when. At least that annoying music had stopped playing by now. If only that troublesome kink in his back would go away too. His head lolled to the side before he finally blinked pink eyes open.

He'd apparently passed out after some time on the bathroom floor after hanging up the sopping wet carpet to dry. By the time the guards had come to get him, he had changed from yesterday's clothes into an oversized sweater that seemed to have problems staying on his shoulders and a pair of shorts over leggings (hm, maybe the shorts were a bad idea, they kept getting hidden under the sweater...) and was pulling on the laces of a pair of boots with a cereal bar hanging out of his mouth. He had just enough time to stick his lense case into his pocket before he was carted off to the meeting room.

Never one to be comfortable with initiating conversation, he merely glanced at the other inmates that had been brought in before heading over to the circle of chairs. He absently pulled his short hair back into a small ponytail and tied it off, reinserting the contacts he had taken out to clean. It was a pain falling asleep with them in only because he could never function well in the mornings and taking them out with his clumsy fingers then was incredibly difficult. He glanced at the circle of chairs, wondering if they really were going to be having an icebreaker type of meeting like this was starting to feel like. That would be interesting...how many of the inmates would actually be willing to speak and actually participate if that happened? His light gaze flickered to his fellow inmates, arrows and labels popping up to provide him with information. Already bored with reading the stuff scrolling across, he hummed a bit to himself as he swung a chair around and plopped down onto the floor beside it, folding his arms over the seat and resting his head atop them.

When the agents came to escort her to the "meeting" Shadow had been up for hours. She had already did her morning yoga and cleaned her whole cell, not that she needed to since it was already clean and all of her stuff was going to be moved later anyways. But she was a bit nervous. A new team a new mission.

The tall women was dressed simply in a pair of black skinny jeans and a deep green sweater that fell to the tops on her things. She had on a pair of black leather calf length boots and her long black hair was up in a knot, held in place by silver chopsticks. The chopsticks weren't only there to hold her hair up or for decoration, they were also a weapon. All of her chopsticks were filed down at the points, as sharp as any dagger would be. Her purium item, a Japanese sword, was in a sheath attached to her back. It was held by a cross body strap.

Following after the two agents she was silent, thinking about what this new future was going to entail. Once upon entering the room Shadow quickly noticed the chairs set up in a circle. Letting out a heavy sigh she ignored everyone and gracefully made her way over to one. After plopping down onto the chair she brought her legs up into the lotus position and closed her eyes. She didn't want to speak to anyone except Reino so she might as well meditate.

After Sycom left the night before, Lolipop had felt a mixture of surprise and hesitation. To be honest the thought of being assigned to a completely new group had raised her Threat Levels considerably. Stress in the social sphere usually had that effect on her, much to SFA doctors' surprise. She seemed so confident on her own, they forgot to consider Lolipop was capable of bonding.

Now her precious few bonds were being forced to break. She rushed over to her vintage radio style iPod dock. "iPod, play Jazz Noire playlist." Automatically slow brush drumming, meandering piano, and mournful trumpets came through the speakers. Music would ease this transition as she readied for bed. At least, she hoped it would.

The early next morning, Lolipop stood in her black stockings pouting at the mirror. She didn't want a new team. Sycom may have been interesting but even he wasn't very familiar to her. Sleep had not come to the small redhead until well past midnight. What if one of them looked like...that woman? Now unsettled and tired, she lacked the will to put her long curls in pigtails.

This development of not only being in a new group but moving as well grated her nerves like steel wool to skin. She would only brush her hair and tie it away from her face with a lime green headband. Though neat, even its ribbon bow lacked enthusiasm. A black turtleneck dress with short tiered skirt would suffice, along with lime green heels and cameo choker. Taking a deep breath, she silently went along when the agents came to get her and plastered a small coy smile on her face.

The meeting room had other inmates waiting. She made it a point to simply sit and observe for now. The chair on either side of her was empty but that was actually a bit comforting. Hazel hues glanced around carefully and happily their gaze captured a plate of cookies. Lolipop's face lit up, they had Oreos! Quickly she picked up three in a napkin then went back to her seat. Yes, cookies and observation now, talk later.

Morning brought with it more guards. As the other had said the night before, Kanra was led from his room to a large and rather open one for the time being. There were chairs, refreshments and robots...looked more like some AA knockoff meeting. He could not simply sit still for now, and he did not wish to. Sitting within the room or even being here. The thought of other people so early in the morning was a bit of an unhappy thought. Goodie, more people to look at him as a sideshow freak...a bit ironic and contradictory when they were in the same situation as he.

He simply leaned against the wall for now, closing his eyes and allowing himself to slip into his mind a bit. It was if in there, he was standing in a black room, another him across from him, though the other was clearly darker. Not looking forward to new friends? Beserker teased lightly, wearing a smirk on his lips. Kanra smiled lightly, giving a wave of his hand, mice to the snake.....but you did indeed say we are not said snake yes? Berserker nodded a bit, Perhaps this makes us a mouse as well then? Kanra chuckled, I should hope not...but if we are niether snake nor mouse....I wonder what we are.

He was aware of the dagger he had had with him the night before safely tucked away in his boot. Guards could check him as much as they liked, but he always found a way to have one on him or nearby. To him, his surroundings were potential weapons. It was not like he was planning on using it, but it was a lot better to have it close at hand if need be. The cool metal felt good against his skin, his coat keeping him nice and warm within the open room. As he and Berserker conversed within his head, he would appear almost as if he was sleeping leaning against the wall. His body still and his breathing even and calm. He was very much awake however and allert to his surroundings.

It was a habit of his, to know where things were around him and such. In some ways, some had tried to say he was a bit OCD and such, but it had never been directly proven. What was wrong with keeping an eye on your surroundings, as well as liking to have things in their proper places. The agents and 'normal' people did it all the time without thought, just because he was a criminal suddenly it was because of some disease or something. If they were going to pick out every little thing about him and find something wrong with it...he was going to have a hell of a lot of fun with these fools. Berserker felt the same in a sense, he already enjoyed his little meetings with the psychologist. He wondered how long it would take this one to quit like the others.

Like most everyone else, Reino wore dark bags under his eyes. Rest was not easy to come by, especially without his kitty pillow. He tossed and turn in fear for what the new day would bring. Why his teammates be monsterous villains much like he? Or would they be worse? His lip worried most of the night, almost to the point of alarting the SFA agents on call to go scope him out. Thankfully, his eyes fluttered open and he regained his composure. Losing your wits at night was probably the worse way to go about it. It would be an end you never saw coming.

When the guards shoved him into the room, he became the fifth person to arrive. His golden orbs jumped over the faces of the other four and instantly stopped on a very familiar figure striking her usual yoga pose. A grin slid onto his face. He wanted to approach her, but a part of him was too busy eying the others in the area. He couldn't help but get a lazy vibe off Cias and a psychotic aura from Discord. Lolipop seemed to be the odd one of the group, as she weaved her way to cookies rather than the breakfast food. Noticing that Shadow hadn't made herself a plate, Reino decided to be a gentleman and fetch her some food.

The table was lined with desserts, meats, cheese, and, of course, breakfast food. He scooped up two crepes and plopped one on each plate. Some strawberries were secured and added atop the crepes. Looking between the powder sugar and the chocolate, Reino nixed the cocoa for the sugar, as he wasn't sure he was ready for chocolate this early in the morning. With perfect balance, he poured and managed to carry two glasses -- one full of a red juice (probably cranberry) and another with apple. It was with slow stepping and careful weaving that he made it to Shadow without spilling or tripping. With his chin holding the cups in a tower-like stack, he lightly nudged Shadow's chair. Between gritted teeth, he stammered out, "Breakfast?"

Standing there awkwardly for a moment, he prayed no one would walk in or dare pester him. He did not need to start his morning wearing their breakfast... or with his face shoved down Shadow's shirt.

---------- Post added 12-18-2013 at 07:20 PM ----------

((Sorry about crappy post. On iPad))

Vlad had been waiting for the guards who entered his cell. He stood near the window, watching the enter his chilled room. When bidden, the criminal calmly followed them, making no effort to withhold the fact that his threat levels lifted with every step toward the meeting room. Upon entering, Vlad kept his hands clasped behind him and his calm facade. Beneath that cold mask, though, his threat levels raged. In response, the meeting room cooled slightly. Vlad pulled the energy from the air, nearly tasting the tension. It was sweet as he pulled it toward him.

Vlad let his teal eyes flicker over the other inmates. Reino he recognized. Shadow was familiar as well. There were others, but Vlad could't name them. Not that he cared to, but he would have liked to know what other risks were involved in this particular venture. His gaze caught on Loli as she nibbled happily on a cookie. Vlad's brow quirked, and he couldn't help but think that her kind of innocence stood out here.

Near the wall was a male (Kanra). He was so still, Vlad might have missed him had his life energy been a beacon. Vlad never missed life - energy was what he consumed. Speaking of energy ....

Vlad's glowing eyes rested on Cias as the male lazily rested in one of the chairs. As Vlad stood still, taking in the essences of those around him, each one of them felt a light tug ((*cough* just tasting those around me, don't mind me....)). While it wasn't recommended that Purium be used on others, Vlad wasn't exactly ... mindful of that. Wherever energy left his fellow inmates, a cool patch spread over their skin. The one individual that he turned his attention to happened to be Lolipop. She seemed to have the most energy in the room, save Reino and Shadow (neither of which he wanted to speak to).

The broad-shouldered male kept his hood up, but made no effort to hide his expressionless features. As Vlad passed behind Loli's chair, his cold fingers trailed over the lolita's shoulders and back. The action left a lingering chill. Vlad had taken some of her life force in that moment - and his threat levels, of course, responded in like kind.

Instead of speaking, Vlad took the seat beside Loli. His unwavering gaze took her in. She was definitely ... well, different. She didn't seem to fit in the agency's setting. Without a word to break the lengthening silence, the criminal continued his unhurried inspection. Loli's red hair was bright and unsuited for the cells they were forced into. Her pale face and doll-like features were of particular interest to Vlad. Her innocent appearance drew him - just as Hime's had.

Slowly, Vlad's gaze flickered to the cookies she'd been eating. He never was one to eat vanity foods. He didn't frown on it, but Vlad found no enjoyment in them. Looking back to Lolipop's odd clothing, he searched for her Purium. While his was made obvious by the glowing crystal embedded over his heart, not everyone had theirs in plain sight.

The silver haired woman hadn’t sleep well. Many things had run through her mind, mostly memories of the past and things concerning the future, well what little future she had in a place like this. The guards had rudely awaken Vex to get her moved to what was to be her new home as part of division one. She wasn’t very cooperative with them at first, but that changed once she was fully awake. As usually Vex wore her normal attire, making sure to wear her black fingerless gloves to covers the cuts that were still visible on her right hand. She also took extra care to make sure her purium and throwing knives were well hidden on her person before going with the guards.

Once in the room Vex moved to one of the walls and leaned back against it. She wasn’t a morning person and the way she had been awakened didn’t improve her mood. For now she opted to just observe the others. The fact that she was pretty much a recluse wasn’t about to change all because her living arrangements had. Her eyes searched the room for a moment, taking in the faces of the people she would have to share a living space with. She recognized a few of them, Reino, Shadow, Vlad, and Discord, right away. The others she could pretty much guess which was which from what little she knew of them.

At the moment the only ones of interest to her were the ones who made up the rest of Team A. Lolipop seemed to be an interesting girl from what she could tell. Her brightness didn’t suit the bleak world they lived. Glancing over at the male resting his head on the seat of a chair he seemed to be a little lazy and on the nerdy side. A slight smile came to her lips because in a way the male’s actions reminded her a little of Sycom when they were in school. The one Vex was most uncertain about was Discord because of his history. There shouldn’t be too many worries there as long as he was handled correctly. Once the woman had finished observing most of the others she closed her eyes slightly. Her arms were now neatly folded across her chest.

((Xav's and I decided to funny things up a bit lol))

As more of the team entered Shadow continued to meditate. Though she was perfectly aware of what everyone was doing. It had take years but she perfected seeing with her eyes closed and using her other senses. Sometimes you saw more without the use of your eyes. Letting out a soft sigh she rolled her shoulders once before becoming motionless once more.

She heard someone walking towards her, causing her to stiffen a smidgen. Then that person tapped her chair with their foot. Hearing Reino's voice she opened her eyes and flashed him a quick smile. Her mouth opened to say thank you when Vlad walked in and the air cooled. Eyes flickering over to him, she couldn't help the bad feeling that came over her. Vlad was going to be difficult to deal with, she just knew it.

And then it happened. She felt a tug at her essence causing her to stiffen. Reino had a worse reaction to it. He jumped causing the juice to topple over. Shadow jumped up out of her chair to try to catch it while Reino tried to save the juice also. The two ended up colliding into each other, causing them to topple over. Somehow a miracle happened and they managed to not fall in the food juice puddle, they escaped with a few splashes of juice on them. Their bodies were in a tangled heap on the floor, Reino practically half on top of her, her sword digging into her back.

It started with a chill.
Something or someone had caused the temperature to dip slightly. Lolipop was glad she'd chosen to wear something with long sleeves. Clinical type places and prisons tended to be colder, reminding those in them they were there for a reason. Perhaps they thought warmth would be too inviting and would make people want to stay. Out of nowhere a tug startled her, she placed a hand over her now cold forearm and kneaded it gently to get it back to a normal temperature. What on earth was going on?

Looking up at the door, she saw an inmate come in with a beautiful glowing crystal in his chest. It was probably his Purium activating and causing such a fuss in the room to her far right. In an attempt to spare Reino and Shadow from feeling too embarrassed, she held in her giggles and avoided looking at them. Besides her hazel gaze was set on the man at the door. Vlad was strikingly handsome in a dark fashion with long black hair, high cheekbones, and captivating teal eyes. The muscular male would easily tower over her if she were to stand. That was easy to do but she noted it nonetheless. She liked that but as of yet it didn't mean anything. Personality and intellect were much stronger factors in deciding whether or not she liked a person.

Her Threat Levels lowered back to their calmer state as she finished the last few bites of her cookie. Now that the temperature mystery had been solved, her anxiety lessened only to rise again. Vlad went around behind her chair and his fingers grazed her as he passed by. She shivered and a slight blush dusted her ears. One reason was from how long it took the cold traces of their brief contact to subside. Another was from the mere fact contact had happened. This was different from disliking having her hair touched. That was for vanity's sake. She couldn't put her finger on why but this was...different. Whether it meant a good or bad thing had yet to be decided. If nothing else, it kept Lolipop from drifting into her thoughts again.

A spark of purple lightning flickered around one of her hands then disappeared. Her Purium was letting her know it was time to calm down. Quickly. She kept a coy smile on her face and chuckled lightly. "Hello to you as well. If one chose to say good morning, that would be an interesting way to do so. Careful or you might pique my curiosity." She said quietly to the mysterious brunette, not wanting to let other ears hear what wasn't meant for them.

Vlad eyed the commotion with Shadow and Reino with a raised brow, but his attention returned to Loli as she spoke. Or, rather, his teal gaze lowered to the energy that sparked about one of her hands. Ah. That was where she kept her Purium.

The slightest of smiles pulled at Vlad's lips when the girl spoke. Pique her curiosity? Oh, but that was so easy. "There's nothing good about being herded about," he continued in the same quiet tones that Lolipop had used. "But good morning." Vlad's gaze lingered on Loli's hand for a while before slowly moving to meet her gaze. It was unhurried, as was every other movement he made.

Loli certainly had a more energetic personality than some of the others. Perhaps that's what had drawn him. Perhaps it was how she wasn't withheld and curled off in a corner or leaning against a wall. That usually meant that an individual was more open and, in Vlad's opinion, was easier to tease into releasing energy.

As though the thought sparked something, Vlad reached forward and took Loli's hand. His touch was cold, and his gaze curious. "What can you do?" Inspecting what he supposed was Loli's source of Purium, Vlad gave another experimental pull on her energy. This time, the woman's arm nearly went numb from the chill that shot up most of her arm. It had been far too long since he'd had the chance to take the life energy of a living being.

Kanra opened an eye slightly as he felt the tug at him, even at the slightest level. He was aware of the other inmates entering the room as well as the little accident between two of them. Not the brightest bunch hm? Berserker said within his head. Kanra chuckled lightly, deciding not to make a blunt fuss about it at the moment, the others were most likely feeling the heat and embarassment about it already. He moved to the table with food, he needed to eat at least a little something, starving himself would be no good in his line of work. He took a cup of water, taking a sip from it as he glanced in the direction of the center of the room and many of the other inmates.

They seemed to already be familiarizing themselves with eachother, would any be so bold as to approach him? He doubted it. Leaning once more against the wall, he would keep his distance for now, until it was demanded from him. He knew they were also most likely being watched by their little captors. There were indeed cameras, as well as the guards blocking the doors. Were they getting their chuckles out of this? He smiled, then again, the sight of a man faceplanting into a woman might tickle their fancy. He stifled a slight laugh, shaking his head. Oh the odd thoughts he was having indeed. If these were the people he was going to deal with, the jokes as well as the laughs would be endless.

Before he even had a time to react to the chill that ran down his spine, his body jerked. It was just enough to cause his chin to dislodge from its place and make the glasses slide out from under him. As the juice splashed around the two, Reino could feel his Purium trigger. There was only one reason for it to go off in the SFA and that was because another inmate was using their own in close proximity to him. It had to be Vlad. Again, his reaction time was slower than usual as he was too focused on things other than the fall he was now moving into. Shadow's position into him caused him to double over and practically topple her.

Crepes draped neatly over his head and strawberries sliding down his face, gold orbs swelled to a larger size. His hand was close to his Purium enhanced gun. He could make the sync and aim at Vlad, but what good would that do? It would not only piss the SFA off, but it would get them both killed and dying was not on his itinerary for the day.

Pushing himself up, much like doing an actual push-up, he kicked off his finger tips with enough momentum to allow his legs to bend and bear this weight. In that same instance, his feet slid forward, which allowed his body to naturally fall backwards. Hands going over his head, they hit the ground as his feet moved into the air. After a good flip, his feet meet his fingers and he now stood positioned in a squat on the ground. Right hand out, he had his gun in tow. A smirk crossed his lips and was soon followed by a snicker.

"You know, using Purium without the agents around is frowned upon, Vlad." His eyes shot toward the man he called out. Holstering his weapon to prevent using it, he rose and offered Shadow a hand. His eyes were trained on Vlad, though. He missed Shadow's extended hand at first, as only their finger tips brushed. Realizing they were unaligned, he reached again, this time seizing her. Much like you would see in the movies, Reino's strength was enough to pull the beauty from the floor and gracefully into his body so that his arm now wrapped around her waist.

Eyes lingering on Vlad only a moment longer, he directed his attention to the woman at his side. "I told you I was a terrible dancer. Balance was never my strong suit," he offered her a wink before twirling her away from him. Hands unfolding from one another, he simply smiled before bending down to pick up the mess.

While bent down, he eyeballed his wrist. It was 8:50AM. The agents would arrive promptly at 9:00AM. Clearly the agents did this on purpose. To test them and determine if they were worth the risk and effort. The others probably assumed such a thing, too. Or maybe they didn't? He thought like an agent, while they thought like themselves, criminals.

Dusting the crepes from his head and the strawberries from his shoulder, a pout crossed his face. "I hope we're allowed to change before we head out," his lips buzzed for a moment, "I'm sticky."

Carrying off the soiled food, he dumped it into the waste receptical. Looking at the food table again, he considered a second go around at the food, but he lost his appetite after feeling his energy pulled from him. Opting for something more sustaining, eggs, he scoped a few hardboiled ones into a bowl. A dash of salt was added to the top and he moved back toward the chairs. Avoiding the ones where the accident happened, Reino decided to join Discord. He didn't say anything. Rather, he carefully at the egg and did his best not to look like an idiot while doing so.