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Post by DanteMGalileo on Jun 29, 2019 11:47:16 GMT -5
"... And... you... just had... had to... sacrifice an innocent person... and kill another innocent man... for the sake... of... your own curiosity..."
Okay, Will has dealt with completely absurd reasons for doing things before. Will has also dealt with people who did dubious things for good reasons. Hell, he's dealt with people who saw themselves as the tragic hero of their own story? This woman was neither of those things. She was in it for curiosity and money, and nothing more. "You have got to be fucking kidding me," he said in response to Cora's selfish intentions.
He didn't yelp when the collar was forced on him, instead letting out what sounded like a growl. Whatever was poking him clearly didn't have the best intentions in mind. "Oh, I'll relax, all right..." He didn't care that he wouldn't be violently torn open from the inside, for that he was massively outnumbered. One hand clenched into a fist, followed by the other, gritting his teeth.
There was a tearing sound, as Will broke free from his arm restraints. He propped himself up the best he could, gritting his teeth at the collar dug into his skin. "I'll take you down myself! You're not hurting Lydia so long as I- AUGH!?"
His brief moment of bravado came to a swift end as s jolt of electricity surged through his body, forcing the blonde back down on his back. He was still conscious, and he could still feel his limbs. He just... couldn't move.
But despite this setback, Will didn't feel any less defiant than he did a minute ago. "... Go to hell."
---
"Oh, your primitive speech picker-upper?"
Thank you for giving me another way to break you. Liderc raised his eyebrow at Max's comment. She wasn't a threat to him. He could roast Ryan if the cyborg got too uppity. "Why, how many gigabytes does it hold? One? Two?" He began to fish around Max's tote for such a device. "That's like a fledgling's first personal portable programmable machine. Actually, not even that..." No, that was the notebook...
"I almost feel bad for your kind in some ways," Liderc commented. "You're woefully behind Paradiso, and when you finally get close, most of your kind will be reduced to immobile blobs that require that to do even the most basic of life functions." Was that pity? Possibly, but it was more than likely an insult. Ah, what's this? Must be that, it felt like-
BZZZZZZZZZZZTTTT!!!!
Liderc let out a piercing shriek as the electricity coursed through his body, before suddenly going silent. He fell to the ground, slightly smoking, wings and limbs occasionally twitching.
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Post by ColArana on Jun 29, 2019 12:21:01 GMT -5
Ryan's cybernetic eye had come back online, and the static in his ears had cleared up just in time for the very satisfying image of Liderc tazing himself. Ryan would have grinned in satisfaction if he hadn't already been moving. He paused only briefly to take Max's notebook back from Liderc, looking it over briefly to ensure there was no damage, before turning and handing it back to her. "We're not gonna get another chance like this. Let's go." He stated before rushing to the door and out into the hall. They had two people to save today, and Ryan was going to make sure nobody else had to die today. Excepting maybe a certain doctor...
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jun 29, 2019 15:16:52 GMT -5
"............"
For a brief moment, Max could only stare dumbfounded at Liderc, the angel down on the floor after taking a taser gun to the finger. He was knocked out, the cell door was wide open, and it was all so easy that she was taken aback quite a bit. "I didn't think that would actually work..."
Well, nothing to complain about. After being handed her intact notebook, Max quickly swiped her tote from Liderc's prone form, threw it over her shoulder, and dashed into the hallway alongside Ryan. They had a job to finish. "C'mon."
Even at her top speed, hastily sprinting through the corridors in pursuit of Will, navigation came surprisingly easily to Max. Anytime she and Ryan had a corner to round, a directory was there to point them in the right direction, and the main lab facilities themselves were not far away. A straight dash here, a right turn there... It took only three minutes of running through the base before Max found herself staring down a hallway marked with multiple numbered double doors. The first ones, door number one, had two of the guards from earlier standing watch outside.
"Hey!" The guards were quick to draw their guns on Max and Ryan, to which Max responded by whipping out her taser gun and pointing it back at them with a wild scowl. She didn't care how weak her firepower was in comparison. She'd come this far and she was sick and tired of being held back.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jun 29, 2019 15:37:03 GMT -5
Dr. Michaels barely acknowledged anything Will was saying. Her focus was on his form, not his words, as she reached for the collar around his neck, readying her injection gun.
She jumped back a bit when Will tore through at least half of his binds in one thrust, swinging a fist at everyone and everything surrounding him. "Restrain him! Restrain him!"
Per the doctor's order, one of the guards promptly raised his gun and pumped an arc of electricity into Will...
---------------------------
"Okay, I think I've got it fixed..."
BZZAP
"ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OVERLOAD."
"G** DAMN IT!!!"
---------------------------
Will fell down flat on his back again, awake and none too worse for wear, but very clearly numbed. Dr. Michaels took this opportunity to grab Will's head, twist it to just the right position, and insert the barrel of her injector gun into the cylinder on the neck brace. One pull of the trigger, and the blue serum in the gun's vial was instantly drained.
"He's in! Stone is in!"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Jun 29, 2019 19:25:43 GMT -5
"Gah!! Fuck!! Scheiße!!"
And like that, Will now had not one, but two miniature people inside his body, one with-less-than-benign intents. After sharply inhaling and exhaling, he found himself looking directly at Dr. Michaels. "W-What the hell, man?! Do the lives of other people really matter that little to you, so long as you satisfy your curiosity and money fetish?!" Says the guy with a, ah, colourful past. "If you had some noble intention, or you were at least looking out for someone else, then maybe I'd understand it, even if I didn't agree with it!" Anything to avoid thinking about just what's happening to Lydia, and whatever terrible horrible things could befall Max and Ryan.
Well, it was working. Will found himself venting his sudden frustrations at Dr. Michaels. "I've done things I'm not proud of! I've turned in innocent men and stole from beggars to feed my family!" If he was gonna die, he might as well die without the metaphorical weight on his chest. "Was what I did wrong? Yes! Was there another way to feed my family? In hindsight, probably yes!" Hardy har har, like you can ever hold the moral high ground over anyone Will. "But I wasn't doing it for myself. I was doing it for my family... And you... you..."
Will looked away from this doctor to the best of his ability. "You just disgust me. Lekh tizdayen."
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Post by ColArana on Jul 2, 2019 11:29:14 GMT -5
"Yup, that was magnificent." Ryan agreed with Max's assessment as he bolted through the facility, moving ahead of Max, but slowing enough that he didn't get too far ahead. Strength in numbers and all that. And it seemed they were going to need it as the guards turned on them.
"Get out of the way." Ryan growled at them, before accelerating to his top speed, lowering his shoulder in a ramming tackle at the nearest guard. The impact would be akin to getting rammed by a speeding truck. If the guard was unlucky enough to not be augmented that was probably a few months in a hospital with a broken.... everything. When Ryan charged, he was notably moving so that his body would be in between Max and the guards' line of fire, arms up to shield his face-- one of the few parts of Ryan still potentially vulnerable to conventional firearms. Most of Ryan's body was metal and wires. He was resistant to bullets, and even if he was damaged, he could be fixed and repaired. Max.... less so.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 2, 2019 13:58:47 GMT -5
"ACK-!" One inopportune moment for a gun jam later, one of the guards was down on the floor. He didn't seem too especially agonized by Ryan's high-impact shove, but the pain was still evident, enough for his grip to loosen and his gun to drop a few feet away.
The guard still on his feet shot some sort of energy blast from his gun at Max. Surprising even herself, Max rode her adrenaline high into a tuck and roll beneath the beam, then sprang onto her feet and fired her taser at the guard. The electrodes were launched rather unceremoniously into the man's crotch, but the electric shock was still just as effective, if not more so, in disabling him.
With both guards down, Max opted to upgrade to something with a little more kick, hastily retracting her taser, stuffing it away, and nabbing the discarded gun next to her. She also snagged a badge off of one of the men, using it to unlock the lab doors. Then, with an impressive amount of flair, Max kicked the door wide open and stormed inside.
Dr. Michaels and the technicians soon found themselves staring down the power duo of a teen cyborg and a majorly ticked-off reporter with a high-powered photon blaster pointed their way.
"Let him go."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jul 2, 2019 14:49:50 GMT -5
"Verzeihen Sie, Herr Lowe," Dr. Michaels murmured sweetly, mussing Will's hair with one hand while setting aside her injector gun with the other. "Once Mr. Stone is out, we'll be doing you the favor of wiping every memory of this fiasco. This place, the physical trauma, the voice in your head... soon it will all be little more than a bad dream. So for now, just sit back and relax, and it will all be over-"
SLAM
Just about everyone in the lab jumped when the doors were suddenly thrown open. Dr. Michaels whipped around with a start. The first thing that she saw was Max, up and about and less than pleased. The second was the photon blaster in the girl's hands, aimed point-blank at her.
The doctor narrowed her eyes at the reporter, but nonetheless partially raised her arms in reluctant surrender. She side-eyed the guards that had been restraining Will, prompting them to point their own guns at Max and Ryan. Then she frowned at the intruding duo again. "Please. You children really have no idea what you're getting yourselves into..."
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Jul 2, 2019 15:09:30 GMT -5
Oh, my fist will forgive you, al-
He didn't get to finish that sentence, and not because his life suddenly ended. Moving his head, he saw... Ryan! And Max! And boy, that was a gnarly-looking gun in her hand. "H-Hey...! My heroes...!" Hell, even this crazy broad was surrendering! Was this... was he going to catch another break?
Shit. While the morally-bankrupt doctor had her arms up, her guards did not. Fuck. This is bad. They were outnumbered. Ryan and Max were going to be shot because he dragged them into this mess. Hang on...
Will closed his eyes. He could feel his entire body. Chances are, the creepy-yet-hot doctor wouldn't want to cause permanent harm to him, because Lydia and who slash whatever she injected into him were inside him, and they needed the chip Lydia had on her...
There was a series of tearing sounds, as Will proceeded to break free of his remaining restraints, although he wasn't sure if he was getting the collar off now. He felt eyes on him, and the blonde opened his eyes, slowly raising his torso into a sitting position. Ah, were they not going to stop him? Of course! He had this advantage!
He made his way over to Ryan and Max, nodding at both of them with a smile, before turning back to Dr. Michaels and her guards with a frown. A dark blue blade hilt materialized in his hand, followed by its energy blade, pointing it at their captors. (Ex-captors?)
"Go ahead. Try and shoot us. What if you hit me instead?"
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Post by ColArana on Jul 2, 2019 15:25:35 GMT -5
Ryan glared daggers at Cora. This was all because of her. Everything they'd been through the last few days, and especially this day all came back to her. And a little bit Lydia's dad. Okay, maybe a 20-80 split of the blame? Let's go with that. Max had her stolen gun. Ryan? Ryan had lifted up his own arm, which had a visible electric current running through it, white sparks crackling along his forearm. And Cora had ordered her own troops to aim theirs at him and Max. Ryan sidled over near Max to act as a human cyborg shield, and source of cover if shots started flying.
But Cora's taunt caused Ryan's eyes to narrow even further. "You're right, we probably don't. But you do. You know exactly what you're getting into. It sounds like LunArc had a hand in turning me into this. So you know what you've made me capable of. Do you want a firsthand demonstration?" Ryan snapped at her angrily.
Ryan's glare softened into relief when Will broke out of his bonds, and hurried over to him. "Will, what have they done to you so far?" He asked, eyes on Cora and her armed guards.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 2, 2019 15:41:49 GMT -5
"Oh, I think I do, actually..." Max hissed darkly, raising her gun to her eye level in a clear threat. She was fully confident in that retort, too. After spending so long in the dark, she finally understood perfectly what she was fighting for, and she was well prepared to fight tooth and nail for it.
It was evident that she and Ryan had some leverage here, even if the guards were willing and able to dish back whatever punishment they unleashed. However, a wave of relief washed over Max as Will broke free from his restraints and joined them on their side of the room. The hesitation in Dr. Michaels and the guards' faces was plain to see, quickly leading Max to one conclusion.
She looked around the room. She took a mental note of the control panel, the elaborate chamber in the corner, the hospital bed Will was on, the brace around his neck... the whole purpose of this project, stolen or otherwise...
"Will?" Max whispered sharply. "Did they...?"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jul 2, 2019 16:01:30 GMT -5
"That I do, Mr. Summers..." Dr. Michaels grunted, shooting the cyborg a stern frown. "I am equally aware of your limits, of course. I've come this far; I'm willing to test them."
Dr. Michaels narrowed her eyes at Will as he clambered off the table and over to the rest of his group. It was clear from his show of defiance and his wording that he was aware of his present value. How unwilling Dr. Michaels was to risk harm to her top bodyguard or the microchip. The room was silent for a moment as she contemplated some way around this. Even a light zap from the guards' stun guns could prove detrimental to the prototype PathEngine suit inside Will. And even if Will somehow came out unscathed, a shootout was the last thing she needed in this particular room, surrounded by such precious equipment. Everything about this situation screamed liability.
The doctor's eyes remained on the marauding trio, though her tone did not seem to be directed at them. "Stand down."
The guards slowly lowered their guns, staring back at their boss in confusion. "Doctor?"
"Stand down, I said."
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Jul 2, 2019 16:40:04 GMT -5
When the guards lowered their guns, Will lowered his sword in response. Fair was far after all, although he dared not to dispel it lest this negotiation go to the fifty hells.
Ryan and Max were going to be safe. This doctor wasn't completely cavalier about lives. Okay, maybe they had a chance to get out of this with whatever they were after. "Alright," Will said, motioning for Ryan and Max to lower their weapons. "Obviously, we both have something that the other wants, or in my case, needs." He pointed to the brace around his neck, nodding slightly to Max. "But... I have a feeling negotiation is going to be harder than trekking through the nine realms and fifty hells in your birthday suit."
Lydia, please tell me you're okay. Please. Anything. This silence is really creeping me out.
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Post by ColArana on Jul 3, 2019 8:37:26 GMT -5
Ryan watched closely as the guards lowered their weapons, and the sparks on Ryan's arm died down as he lowered his own limb, accepting the temporary ceasefire. He then looked over at Will, momentarily ignoring Cora except for her command to stand down. "Will? What have they done? ....Lydia?" He inquired worriedly as he kept one eye on Cora's guards in case they tried anything.
Even with the momentary ceasefire they were probably on borrowed time. There were more than four guards in this facility and Liderc would wake up at some point. The group had to finish their business, get the chip and get out with Lydia alive and they did not have a ton of time to do that. Ryan wanted to ask Max if she had any ideas, but he was afraid of tipping his hands too much. Max seemed to have a handle on things so far, or maybe she was bluffing. Ryan took a look at the chamber just as Max did, and then at the neck brace. "Ah hell." He breathed under his breath in frustration.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 3, 2019 20:00:31 GMT -5
Max let out a huff as the guards lowered their defenses, following Will's example and letting her gun barrel drop a few inches, enough to not look too threatening but maintain some level of personal comfort.
Taking note of what Will was saying to the LunArc crew, Max eyed the layout of the room again. It didn't seem like a stretch to call this machinery the culmination of the scientists' proprietary and intellectual theft. If it was, then hopefully they were just a few steps away from the very object they needed. What Dr. Michaels had used this device for, though... very potentially problematic.
Regardless, what mattered now that the danger seemed less imminent was retrieving the chip and escaping. It seemed like a daunting task with the playing field practically even but still leaning in LunArc's favor, but after a spot of quick thinking, Max believed she had a way around that.
The hypocrisy about to take place here was not lost on Max, but at a time like this, she wasn't above a little improv.
"You..." Her snarl was directed at Dr. Michaels. "I see what's going on here. You were that close, weren't ya? (Will, play along.) Well, you're not gonna get any closer. I'll make sure of that!"
The moment Max raised her voice, she wrapped her arm around Will and pointed her gun at his head.
"Okay! All of you!" she continued to shout at the technicians. "Drop your weapons and get the chamber! Go on, get in there or I'll fry this numbskull's head along with your precious microchip!"
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