OT3-nanigans!

[phaselocknroll]

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[stealwithit]

Oh, sure. Now I get to come along on the Star-Lord and Maya show.

[ She's really bitter about that lack of an invite, okay. But not really.

But like, really. ]

But count me in. You know, sometimes I feel like people forget how much ass I can kick when I want to.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter rolls his eyes. ]

I thought you worked solo, dude.

[ Because Peter has a team. And a damn good one. Although, granted, they're dysfunctional as fuck, and more than one night has ended with someone nursing a black eye, but-- there it is.

He turns on his heel and walks out of the facility. ]

Hope you're done shoppin' around in here, Goto. Drax is getting antsy to punch something.

[phaselocknroll]

[ She gives Peter a nudge with her elbow, as if to tell him to be nice. ]

Do you have a ship somewhere, Kasumi?

[stealwithit]

Unfortunately for Drax, I do have my own ship. Poor guy will have to find another way to blow off steam.

[ She sighs. Missed opportunities. Alas. Woe is she. ]

I'll meet you guys at Illium?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He gives her a wave. ]

Promise not to start without you.

[phaselocknroll]

[ When they go their separate ways, Maya teases Peter a bit- "So, how do you know her?" "Should I be jealous?", that kind of thing- but it probably worked out for the best that of all the people to run into out here, it was a mutual acquaintance.

The trip back to Illium is not exactly a short one, and Maya is almost wondering if she should have hitched a ride with Kasumi, given the annoyed tension humming in the air. This was the first decent paying job to head their way in a long time, so of course it would go to hell like this. Maybe if they were lucky, they could coax their employer out of their payment anyway. Maybe they could coax him out of like, three times their payment just for being an asshole.

When they finally reach their destination, Dr. Aenisi's complex is oddly quiet, and Maya exchanges a worried glance with Peter, weapons drawn as they disembark from the Milano. Kasumi is presumably around somewhere, having landed not too long before they did. Cloaked, probably, because of course she would be. ]

Do you suppose we're expected?

[stealwithit]

Right on time, you two.

[ Maya would be right on the mark about being cloaked, because of course she is. She'd arrived a few minutes earlier, and took that time to do some very quick, very cursory reconnaissance of the compound, because she too noticed that it was unnaturally quiet. Now, she decloaks just ahead of the pair, her pistol unholstered and in her hands as she stands right by the entrance of the compound. ]

I took a little sneak peek while waiting. The place is quiet as a nightclub during lunchtime. Any guesses as to why?

[ The answer is that the doctor has the place on lockdown. Also, he seems to have hired Eclipse mercs as security. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter seriously fucking hates it when a guy hires more than one merc, because it almost always ends in damaged goods or people getting shot, and by the time you come away with the item in question and tell them about the trouble you ran into, the guy inspects the goods and goes, "Oh, this isn't in the condition I expected it to be," and pays you less. Or sometimes you just get beaten out and have to travel back to the boss with your tail between your legs, and suddenly you've got a black mark on your once sterling reputation -- all because one dude got hired five minutes before you by the same guy. It's a waste of fucking time all around when you could be doing actual work instead of getting the run around.

Yondu was usually pretty good about keeping that kind of crap to a minimum. The Ravagers had a reputation for not putting up with that kind of bullshit, and when it did happen, the retribution was Biblical. Star-Prince or Space-Lord or whoever the hell this kid was? His name didn't carry the same weight as one Yondu Udonta. So once Peter went AWOL from the Ravagers and started picking up work for the Guardians, they suddenly ran into that shit a lot more.

So understandly, he and the others are pretty pissy, and his mood by the time he and Maya step off the Milano -- and he had urged the others to stay, because he knew Drax or Gamora or Rocket would go mental and either blow him up or rip out his spine or something -- hasn't improved. Still, he does his best to tamp it down. No need to take it out on anyone who doesn't deserve it. ]

What, they shut down? That's rude. I woulda thought the guy would be happy to get his stupid toy.

[phaselocknroll]

Which means either something bad happened while we were gone, or we really are expected and he'd rather not deal with us right now.

Or possibly some combination of both.

But, in the end, there's only one way to find out.

[ that's the point where she turns to address Kasumi ] Did you happen to come across any other entry points while you were looking around?

[stealwithit]

Oh, he's in there. In fact, he has a few friends in there with him.

I took the liberty of tapping into comms too see what's up. He's with a handful of Eclipse mercs. Just enough to make him feel safe, I suspect, which is definitely a huge mistake considering who he's pissed off.

[ Kasumi might seem like the most calm and nonchalant of the three, but inside, she's pretty much seething. She's done business with this fellow in the past, so she would really like to know where the sudden backstabbing came from.

She pulls up her omni-tool, revealing schematics of the joint. ]

As for another entry point, I didn't personally come across any, but I have this.

[ Boy does she love pilfering useful data and staying three steps ahead. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter lets out a low whistle when Kasumi brings up the schematics, and he takes a quick look, trying to commit as much to memory as he can -- just in case they end up having to split up. ]

Well, that's handy. We're inviting you next time we have to bust in to a place, Goto.

[phaselocknroll]

[ Well, Kasumi is the best at what she does for a reason, isn't she?

Maya looks over the schematics, mentally nixing any points of entry that involve small spaces- vents and what have you. (You're welcome, Peter.) ]

Hm. What are we thinking? Split up, or stick together?

[stealwithit]

[ She flashes Peter a quick smile--finally, some recognition around here-- then nods at Maya. She's navigating through the schematics to try and find the best way to the room she suspects the doctor is hiding in. ]

It really depends on presentation. If we want to get the jump on him, splitting up and going through the vents are the best way in. But if we want to go in, guns blazing, yelling "how dare you," then--we can just kick the door down.

[nostalgiabomb]

No vents.

[ He says it a tad too quickly, a tad too sharply, and when he realizes it, he clears his throat. After that, he takes a second to soften his tone, glancing away. ]

Shoulders are too broad and manly for 'em.

[ He shrugs. ]

Honestly, I kinda like the three of us busting in with righteous indignation, but, you know. That's just me. We can do this democratically, though.

[phaselocknroll]

I'd just rather not have to deal with the vents, if it's all the same to you.

[ She offers Kasumi an apologetic smile ]

Besides, I have been wanting to try out my new rocket launcher.

[stealwithit]

Hey, what can I say? I'm flexible. We'll do it the action movie way.

[ She shuts off her omni-tool and takes up her Phalanx once more. ]

And I do enjoy a bit of door-breaking now and then, myself.

[ That's the sort of style that the Normandy crew rolls with, after all. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Oh, thank God. He preps his blasters and activates his helmet -- as much for protection as it is for show.

They are, after all, trying to make an impression. ]

I'll take point, ladies. You ready?

[phaselocknroll]

Certainly, if you'll allow me to get the door.

[ Because seriously, fuck subtlety. Maya reaches around to the digistruct device on the back of her belt and pulls out an honest-to-god rocket launcher. She rests it on her shoulder with a somewhat wicked-looking smirk ]

Shall we?

[stealwithit]

[ Well, now she feels super unprepared and super unflashy--except, not really, because her art is stealth and subterfuge, so she's really just amused at these two. She hasn't done anything nearly this flashy since she was with the Normandy crew (unless her first job with Star-Lord would count), and oh, look, this is just like that time Shep let Grunt hold a rocket launcher for the first time ever and for a while he refused to go through any doors without exploding them.

In any case, she stretches her neck from side to side and rolls her shoulders back and then assumes her stance, her pistol aimed forward. ]

Yeah. Let's rock their world.

[ Get it? 'cause they're using a rocket launcher? ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ At their confirmation, Peter preps his guns, stepping to one side to allow Maya clearance to use her new toy.

... But then Goto says that and he falters. Pauses. Turns his red-eyed gaze on her. ]

We're going to discuss that later, just so you know.

[ He gestures with his blaster. ]

If you'd be so kind, babe.

[phaselocknroll]

[ She... might have let out an undignified little snort at that pun. Maybe. Just a little one. Mostly because she did not expect Kasumi of all people to make a pun. It just caught her off-guard, okay?

But she clears her throat and gives Peter a nod. Is there anything better than a Siren with a rocket launcher? No, probably not.

She lets loose a trio of rockets toward the door, and if the explosion wasn't enough to knock the door down, then the corrosive effect certainly is. In a matter of moments, there's a gaping hole where there once was a front door. ]

Knock knock.

[stealwithit]

[ Kasumi waves her free hand at Peter in a dismissive fashion, as though to say oh, who asked you? At least Maya enjoyed the pun before she so graciously blew the door away to reveal an empty hallway with a door leading into the doctor's labs at the very end. No mercs in sight, yet, although she's sure they'll be joined soon enough once they realize that holy shit, someone just blew the doors open. ]

How rude of them not to send someone to greet us at the door.

After we came in with such a bang, too.

[ Can't stop, won't stop. Bite me, Star-Lord. is the look she shoots him when she drops that next pun. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ When the dust settles and the acid stops eating away at the masonry, Peter steps towards the opening.

Stops when he hears that pun.

Takes a deep breath.

Be the bigger man, here, Star-Lord.

And continues on, guns at the ready. ]

[phaselocknroll]

[ Maya is certainly not helping matters by giggling to herself every time Kasumi makes a pun.

She swaps out her rocket launcher for her trusty SMG, giving Kasumi an admonishing look as she heads after Peter ]

Stop that. Can't you see you're hurting poor Peter right in his soul?

[stealwithit]

[ Uh-huh. Don't think she didn't see that giggle, Maya. She's onto you.

But, like a good sport, she sighs in defeat. ]

Fine, but only because you asked so nicely, dear.

[ And she joins them, pulling her omni-tool up as they continue on down the hallway, and in a moment she's patched through to their comm channel once more, the panicked responses of the mercs below clearly audible.

Shit, someone's coming through. Which one is it? Star-Prince and the Siren? Or Goto?

Dude, I'm pretty sure it's Lord-Star.

Uh... You guys. It's all three of them.

Fuck.

Well? Stop waffling about and go do your jobs, you idiots! That last voice is familiar, and distinctly salarian. And very clearly terrified.

Meanwhile, Kasumi shoots Peter an apologetic look. Poor Star-Lord. ]