[ Peter rips into his own luggage, pulling out the digistruct and hefting it in his hands. It's light, and as cool as he thinks the tech is, it's still no replacement for the reassuring weight of his blasters at his hips. The digistruct also holds his jet-boot attachments and the trigger for his helmet, as well as various gadgets he thought he might need, but he'd much rather be holding any of them than have them secreted away in some device.
Nonetheless, he follows suit, tucking the device behind him and carefully covering it with his shirt and jacket (a plain brown one, not his signature red leather coat). He moves the contents of his suitcase around to cover the rip in the lining, just in case.
He pauses at the door to take a breath, but by the time he's opening it and stepping out, he has that sort of far-off expression on his face again. He turns back, holding out his hand to her. ]
Well, you remember the shock I got in our last place? Smelled burning hair for days.
[ He squeezes her hand again, once for reassurance, as he locks the door behind them. He leads them back to the elevator, back down to the courtyard, where a decent number of what Peter assumes to be new arrivals are gathered. He spots some more of the people with vacant expressions, and-- alright, they're starting to get to him. The empty look in their eyes are too unsettling, too familiar, and it reminds him of screaming, Please Maya stop snap out of it it's me it's Peter--
He can't help taking in a sharp little breath, but then he forces himself to calm down and refocus, anchoring himself with the feel of her hand in his.
Finally he can trust his voice again, but his smile is a little unsteady. ] Lots of people here, huh?
[ She hears him inhale, feels him grip her hand, and she knows. She understands. She's reliving it too, in her own way. She's not sure how to feel about the fact that even Peter is faltering a little.
The sooner they take these assholes out, the better.
She turns to him, putting her free hand on his shoulder. ]
Are you okay, dear? I know how you can be with crowds sometimes.
[ He nods, cursing himself a little. He should be the anchor here. It's not fair to Maya if he loses it -- it's not like he had his head messed with.
So he breathes in slowly, takes her hand from his shoulder and kisses her palm before letting it go. ]
I'll be okay, as long as you stick close by. [ His distant little smile is more firm this time -- and he goes for a joke to show he'll be alright. ] Sorry if my hand gets all sweaty.
[ He laughs a little as he guides them a little closer to the crowd, and under the guise of idly looking around, he's marking the entryways and exits; he notes at least one set of double doors that seems suspicious, needing a keycard when all the others on this level are plain.
He glances around again, this time at the people waiting for the orientation to begin, and here and there he spots alert faces, rigid postures -- the bearing of someone keeping an eye out for trouble. Guards, then, hidden among the newest arrivals, and apparently not being very subtle about it. ]
I think Tukkir himself is going to give a speech. [ He tilts his head a little towards the set of double doors, a subtle movement that he thinks Maya should catch. "We should move then." When his free hand goes into pocket, he means, "Need to swipe a card." ]
[ The guards are way too easy to spot, but she figures they have no real reason to try to blend in. ]
Is he? How exciting.
[ Good thing they'll be busy making their move, or Maya would phaselock the guy just on principle.
So, get close to a guard, get a key card, and get through the doors without being spotted.
That's quite the list.
One of the guards seems a bit younger than the others, and keeps glancing at his fellows to make sure he's in the right spot, and doing the right thing. Poor guy. ]
I think there's a little more room over there. [ she nods in his direction ] Can we move?
[ Peter looks in the direction she gestures and watches for a second, sees something with a white, rounded corner poking out of the guy's pocket. Peter nods in turn, murmuring his agreement to Maya's assessment. (He doesn't feel bad, though, since any sense of empathy he might have are being drowned out by his instincts screaming, easy mark.)
With the crowd pressed together as they are, it's a little difficult to maneuver, and more than once Peter has to mumble a quick apology for bumping into someone. So it's no surprise to the guard, totally green as he is, when Peter passes beside him, shoulders brushing. In one fluid movement, Peter's hand slips into the guy's pocket, pulls out the keycard and tucks it up into his sleeve. Peter's confident enough in his own abilities that he doesn't bother giving Maya a signal that he's done it -- these are skills he's been honing for years, after all.
They continue past, and he stops, a little to the side of the main crowd, but close enough to avoid looking suspicious. They're closer to the double doors now, but it'll still take some careful maneuvering to slip away once the presentation begins in earnest. ]
It's not too bad, I guess... [ she gets up on her tiptoes and looks around. They're kind of already Those People, considering all the people they had to shove past to get over there, and it would be wise not to draw any more attention to themselves.
But it would also be wise not to have to move too much during the speech and draw attention to themselves that way either. ] Can we move just a little more?
[ Hey man, screw those other dudes. Maya and Peter will eventually be doing them a favor, anyway. Evidently the guards don't seem to care much about their pushiness, though; they must have seen their share of overly eager newbies come through.
Luckily, shifting closer to the door doesn't draw too much more attention, with the crowd being thinner here. He runs his tongue over his teeth, trying to think of the best way to slip into the door without being seen. Their best bet is to wait until Tukkir appears and starts his speech, that much is clear. The problem, really, is all the people milling around. Too many wandering eyes.
Their luck holds, apparently, when above them a retractable roof moves into place to block out the sunlight, and the lights along the walls are switched off, floor by floor, until the primary source of lighting is on the stage itself. Good enough cover, by Peter's reckoning, if highly unnecessary for a day one orientation. Tukkir must have a flare for the dramatic. ]
How exciting. [ His voice sounds eager, but he rolls his eyes, trusting that it's dark enough that only Maya can see him. ]
[ With every little dramatic flair, every light that goes out, Maya just hates this dude more and more. She's reminded of Sophis, holding grand speeches for all of Athenas, presenting her to the people as some kind of savior.
She'd never been so glad to shoot somebody in her entire life, but right now, Tukkir might be pretty high on the list, and she hasn't even seen him. ]
[ Peter gets it (of course he does), but a quick squeeze of her hand is all the reassurance he can give for now, as well as silent agreement -- whatever's going on, they're gonna shut this shit down.
The crowd has quieted down considerably, with the presentation clearly about to start. There's some motion beside the stage, and a speaker climbs the steps and takes the center of the platform. He gives some sort of introductory spiel, and during that time, Peter starts pulling them closer and closer to the door, taking small, measured steps.
By the time the speaker introduces Tukkir, they're right next to the double doors, and Peter has the keycard in his hand. When the audience begins to applaud as a middle-aged human man takes the stage (average in appearance, which is hard to believe considering his reputation), Peter slides the card through the reader, and the quiet beep is drowned out in the din. When he's sure no one's looking their way, he pulls the door open just enough for the two of them to slip through.
The hallway they entered is almost as dark as the courtyard, lit only by dim red lights hanging from the ceiling. Peter freezes, listening for footsteps or any other noises that would give away the presence of anyone else. Hearing nothing, he turns to Maya. ]
[ She's already reaching for her digistruct device, scrolling through and pulling out Lilith's shield first. She clips the Flame of the Firehawk to her belt, taking comfort in the quiet vrrr as it powers up.
She shucks off her sweater, too- it's too big and cumbersome- revealing a plain black tank top underneath. The sweater goes into the recesses of her digistruct device.
The device itself moves to her hip, for easy access to her weapons. The HellFire makes its appearance first- it's a fair bit quieter than the sniper rifle and her little Maggie, and has better range than the latter as well.
Dimly, she thinks there should be some kind of "gearing up" music playing in the background. The hallway is eerily quiet, and it makes her uneasy. ]
[ Peter's silent as he pulls out his own gear -- the helmet attachment gets tucked behind his ear; the jets clip on to the sides of his boots. It's when he finally holsters his blasters against his legs that he finally feels at ease, more like himself. It's a nice fucking feeling. ]
We shoulda put tomatoes in our devices and stayed around for the speech. I think the guy could use a face fulla rotten fruit.
[ He leans in and kisses her cheek. ] You're so sexy when you're murderous.
[ A cheap way to cut the tension, maybe, but he knows this job has got them both more on edge than usual, so he'll take what he can get.
With that he moves cautiously down the hallway, hand resting on the grip of his blaster. The hall splits off into two directions, and Peter decides to head right. Because, um, right shares more letters with suspicious than left?
(Actually he did eenie-meenie-miney-moe in his head as they were heading up to it.)
The hallways have the look of a maintenance tunnel more than a living space, really, with pipes lining the walls and ceiling. It could be that the area is little more than a space for the water heaters or the fuse boxes or whatever, but it's as good a place as any to start. ]
We just need evidence. Leave Tukkir and his buddies to the Nova Corps. [ Peter feels he needs the reminder as much as Maya does. ]
[ Peter glances back at her briefly. ] Trust me. If this place is as shady as it seems, we should let them ship him off the the Kyln. I hear it's a whole lot shittier since the last time I was there.
[ And the last time Peter was there, it had been pretty goddamn shitty. The Nova Corps may be the law enforcement of the galaxy, and they may be their bosses from time to time, but their treatment of convicted criminals leaves a whole lot to be desired.
Perfect place for Tukkir, if it comes to it.
There's another split in the hallway up ahead, and Peter thinks he hears footsteps. He presses his back up against a wall, ducking in beside a pipe and pulling Maya beside him to do the same; he unholsters his blaster, just in case. ]
[ There's an "I know, but--" on her lips when Peter suddenly pulls her next to him, and she goes quiet instantly. As much as she loves her Maliwan armaments, the fact that they glow doesn't do much for stealth, so she tucks the gun slightly behind her, shielding it with her body. ]
[ Peter chances a quick peek out, watches as a man with blank eyes passes at a slow, deliberate pace. He continues down his intersecting hallway without even a glance down theirs; it's only when his footsteps fade entirely that Peter lets out the breath he was holding. ]
[ And then he's slowly creeping back up the hallway, blaster at the ready. He checks his corners again, making sure no one else is coming. Only when he's satisfied does he turn left, finding a door at the far end of the hall. He listens at it briefly, doesn't hear any movement. He counts to three, then slowly opens the door--
[ it comes out a little sharper than she means it to, the realization of what she's seeing making her angry to her core. She tightens her grip on her SMG, taking a deep breath in and out, focusing herself and channeling her anger towards the right people.
She slings the gun over her back and murmurs a quick "Sorry" at Peter. ]
[ Peter is startled by her tone, at first, but then he realizes what he said. His mouth is usually on autopilot, and seeing as how his default mode is "sarcastic as hell," he gets why she's offended.
He decides, as he moves further into the room, that maybe he should keep his big trap shut, professional mode only.
As he's looking around, he realizes he has no idea what he's looking for. He wishes Rocket were here -- he'd probably be able to tear this place apart and pull an answer out of the scrap.
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Nonetheless, he follows suit, tucking the device behind him and carefully covering it with his shirt and jacket (a plain brown one, not his signature red leather coat). He moves the contents of his suitcase around to cover the rip in the lining, just in case.
He pauses at the door to take a breath, but by the time he's opening it and stepping out, he has that sort of far-off expression on his face again. He turns back, holding out his hand to her. ]
Hope I didn't make us late.
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I know you're worried about the outsets, but did you have to test every one?
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Well, you remember the shock I got in our last place? Smelled burning hair for days.
[ He squeezes her hand again, once for reassurance, as he locks the door behind them. He leads them back to the elevator, back down to the courtyard, where a decent number of what Peter assumes to be new arrivals are gathered. He spots some more of the people with vacant expressions, and-- alright, they're starting to get to him. The empty look in their eyes are too unsettling, too familiar, and it reminds him of screaming, Please Maya stop snap out of it it's me it's Peter--
He can't help taking in a sharp little breath, but then he forces himself to calm down and refocus, anchoring himself with the feel of her hand in his.
Finally he can trust his voice again, but his smile is a little unsteady. ] Lots of people here, huh?
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The sooner they take these assholes out, the better.
She turns to him, putting her free hand on his shoulder. ]
Are you okay, dear? I know how you can be with crowds sometimes.
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So he breathes in slowly, takes her hand from his shoulder and kisses her palm before letting it go. ]
I'll be okay, as long as you stick close by. [ His distant little smile is more firm this time -- and he goes for a joke to show he'll be alright. ] Sorry if my hand gets all sweaty.
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He glances around again, this time at the people waiting for the orientation to begin, and here and there he spots alert faces, rigid postures -- the bearing of someone keeping an eye out for trouble. Guards, then, hidden among the newest arrivals, and apparently not being very subtle about it. ]
I think Tukkir himself is going to give a speech. [ He tilts his head a little towards the set of double doors, a subtle movement that he thinks Maya should catch. "We should move then." When his free hand goes into pocket, he means, "Need to swipe a card." ]
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Is he? How exciting.
[ Good thing they'll be busy making their move, or Maya would phaselock the guy just on principle.
So, get close to a guard, get a key card, and get through the doors without being spotted.
That's quite the list.
One of the guards seems a bit younger than the others, and keeps glancing at his fellows to make sure he's in the right spot, and doing the right thing. Poor guy. ]
I think there's a little more room over there. [ she nods in his direction ] Can we move?
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With the crowd pressed together as they are, it's a little difficult to maneuver, and more than once Peter has to mumble a quick apology for bumping into someone. So it's no surprise to the guard, totally green as he is, when Peter passes beside him, shoulders brushing. In one fluid movement, Peter's hand slips into the guy's pocket, pulls out the keycard and tucks it up into his sleeve. Peter's confident enough in his own abilities that he doesn't bother giving Maya a signal that he's done it -- these are skills he's been honing for years, after all.
They continue past, and he stops, a little to the side of the main crowd, but close enough to avoid looking suspicious. They're closer to the double doors now, but it'll still take some careful maneuvering to slip away once the presentation begins in earnest. ]
Can you see the stage from here?
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But it would also be wise not to have to move too much during the speech and draw attention to themselves that way either. ] Can we move just a little more?
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Luckily, shifting closer to the door doesn't draw too much more attention, with the crowd being thinner here. He runs his tongue over his teeth, trying to think of the best way to slip into the door without being seen. Their best bet is to wait until Tukkir appears and starts his speech, that much is clear. The problem, really, is all the people milling around. Too many wandering eyes.
Their luck holds, apparently, when above them a retractable roof moves into place to block out the sunlight, and the lights along the walls are switched off, floor by floor, until the primary source of lighting is on the stage itself. Good enough cover, by Peter's reckoning, if highly unnecessary for a day one orientation. Tukkir must have a flare for the dramatic. ]
How exciting. [ His voice sounds eager, but he rolls his eyes, trusting that it's dark enough that only Maya can see him. ]
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She'd never been so glad to shoot somebody in her entire life, but right now, Tukkir might be pretty high on the list, and she hasn't even seen him. ]
Goodness. [ it's all she trusts herself to say ]
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The crowd has quieted down considerably, with the presentation clearly about to start. There's some motion beside the stage, and a speaker climbs the steps and takes the center of the platform. He gives some sort of introductory spiel, and during that time, Peter starts pulling them closer and closer to the door, taking small, measured steps.
By the time the speaker introduces Tukkir, they're right next to the double doors, and Peter has the keycard in his hand. When the audience begins to applaud as a middle-aged human man takes the stage (average in appearance, which is hard to believe considering his reputation), Peter slides the card through the reader, and the quiet beep is drowned out in the din. When he's sure no one's looking their way, he pulls the door open just enough for the two of them to slip through.
The hallway they entered is almost as dark as the courtyard, lit only by dim red lights hanging from the ceiling. Peter freezes, listening for footsteps or any other noises that would give away the presence of anyone else. Hearing nothing, he turns to Maya. ]
What do you think. Gear up?
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[ She's already reaching for her digistruct device, scrolling through and pulling out Lilith's shield first. She clips the Flame of the Firehawk to her belt, taking comfort in the quiet vrrr as it powers up.
She shucks off her sweater, too- it's too big and cumbersome- revealing a plain black tank top underneath. The sweater goes into the recesses of her digistruct device.
The device itself moves to her hip, for easy access to her weapons. The HellFire makes its appearance first- it's a fair bit quieter than the sniper rifle and her little Maggie, and has better range than the latter as well.
Dimly, she thinks there should be some kind of "gearing up" music playing in the background. The hallway is eerily quiet, and it makes her uneasy. ]
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We shoulda put tomatoes in our devices and stayed around for the speech. I think the guy could use a face fulla rotten fruit.
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[ as if to punctuate her point, she pops the ammo chamber off her gun to make sure it's full, and snaps it back on ]
Shall we?
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[ A cheap way to cut the tension, maybe, but he knows this job has got them both more on edge than usual, so he'll take what he can get.
With that he moves cautiously down the hallway, hand resting on the grip of his blaster. The hall splits off into two directions, and Peter decides to head right. Because, um, right shares more letters with suspicious than left?
(Actually he did eenie-meenie-miney-moe in his head as they were heading up to it.)
The hallways have the look of a maintenance tunnel more than a living space, really, with pipes lining the walls and ceiling. It could be that the area is little more than a space for the water heaters or the fuse boxes or whatever, but it's as good a place as any to start. ]
We just need evidence. Leave Tukkir and his buddies to the Nova Corps. [ Peter feels he needs the reminder as much as Maya does. ]
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At his remark, she gives a derisive snort. ] I'll do my best.
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[ And the last time Peter was there, it had been pretty goddamn shitty. The Nova Corps may be the law enforcement of the galaxy, and they may be their bosses from time to time, but their treatment of convicted criminals leaves a whole lot to be desired.
Perfect place for Tukkir, if it comes to it.
There's another split in the hallway up ahead, and Peter thinks he hears footsteps. He presses his back up against a wall, ducking in beside a pipe and pulling Maya beside him to do the same; he unholsters his blaster, just in case. ]
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What do you think? Comin' or goin'?
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You're so smart.
[ And then he's slowly creeping back up the hallway, blaster at the ready. He checks his corners again, making sure no one else is coming. Only when he's satisfied does he turn left, finding a door at the far end of the hall. He listens at it briefly, doesn't hear any movement. He counts to three, then slowly opens the door--
To what appears to be a vacated laboratory. ]
Well. This is a good sign.
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[ it comes out a little sharper than she means it to, the realization of what she's seeing making her angry to her core. She tightens her grip on her SMG, taking a deep breath in and out, focusing herself and channeling her anger towards the right people.
She slings the gun over her back and murmurs a quick "Sorry" at Peter. ]
Let's look around.
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He decides, as he moves further into the room, that maybe he should keep his big trap shut, professional mode only.
As he's looking around, he realizes he has no idea what he's looking for. He wishes Rocket were here -- he'd probably be able to tear this place apart and pull an answer out of the scrap.
He clears his throat a little awkwardly. ]
See anything?
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