Lazarus Corporation Headquarters

[Mr_DC]

A massive tower, one of the tallest in the city. Once owned by the government, it has recently been sold to the corporation who quickly changed it to suit their needs. While it's usually assumed that only the big tower is the headquarters, several smaller buildings around it are also owned by the corporation which seal off the tower from the outside world.


Being the headquarters, the complex holds everything from research and education facilities to public clinics and project vaults.

 

[Mr_DC]

"Are you sure about this, sir?" Monte asked, looking down at his notebook, scribbling some names and addresses.


Franklin was smiling behind his large, thick office window. He had a good view on the rest of the sprawling city. He learned how they do things in Nevereign. It didn't just fuel his paranoia, it turned it into a wildfire. "Of course, Monte." Franklin barked, turning away from the window. The office wasn't well lit, making everything soak in shadows. The office itself wasn't too large. It was the smaller part of Franklin's penthouse. With his simple and sleek desk and chair positioned in front of the window, Franklin was little more than a silhouette illuminated by the city lights behind him. The low, white cabinets along the walls either had small pieces of artwork or technological gadgets spread across them. The white, tiled floor was carved into computer circuitry, all seemingly connecting at Franklin's desk. They hid advanced pressure plates, tired directly to the HQ alarm system. The office was the only way to reach the rest of the penthouse so it having highest security was a must.


With a strain, Monte finished writing the notes and closed his notebook, hoping he would be able to read whatever he wrote in the darkness.


"Don't rush it but don't dally either." Franklin raised a finger of his cybernetic arm. "While you do that, I'll call Ronin, mercs, local police, et cetera. " He motioned with his arms, walking over to the simple metal desk which seemed to be made of a similar material as his arm. "I'd call MosTech for their mechanized security but they're the enemy as well. I'll turn to Ronin for alternatives. Ronin is the one profiting from all this so they won't cheat me." He said quietly like someone might be listening in. The office - and the HQ in general - was packed full of anti-bugging equipment. "I'll hire several contractors so we keep security to a maximum." He paused but as he was about to say something, Monte interjected.


"Are you sure you don't want me to plan this?" Monte planted his notebook firmly in the inside pocket of his long, leather coat. Being an ex-soldier and serving several corporations before settling in with Dai Lung, Monte had more than enough experience for whatever Franklin was planning.


"No, Monte." Franklin tapped a metallic finger on the surface of his desk. "This isn't something I need your help with." He said impatiently, looking down at his hand as he gently dragged a finger on the surface of the desk. "This is a whole different kind of battle field. I'm going to the top and I'm doing it faster than they can bring me down." Franklin turned to face Monte. "This is not just a battle." He gave a nod to Monte, closing his eyes. "This is history." He lazily opened his eyes again. "When you're done with your task, I'll ask for your opinion on the entire plan."


"Yes, sir." Monte said calmly. The boss is particularly dramatic today. Monte knew Franklin was bright but he had a tendency to push things too far. Not his problem as long as Franklin himself stayed safe. With the security measurements piling up, safety wasn't going to be an issue.


No rushing means going home for a stiff drink and a nap. "I'll give you updates as they come up." Monte nodded, heading for the door.


"Thank you, Monte, and..." Franklin said, walking away from the desk again, approaching the window. "Take a walk around the city. Get me one of my visitors." Franklin said, the last word almost not being voiced.


Monte winced. This was the part of the job he didn't like. He felt like the last horseman. Or more like Pestilence, poisoning minds with lies before Death claims them.


As the thick, double glass doors of Franklin's office slid closed after Monte, Franklin cleared his throat. "Call Department Six."


After a few seconds, the speakers somewhere in Franklin's desk sounded. "Sir." A man spoke with what sounded like a mix of every European accent there was. "Department Six here. How may I be of service?"


A smirk spread across his face. "Send Agent Shark over to my office. It's time to leave the training area. An actual field test is well overdue." He grinned, looking down at the bright city, its lights making heavy rain look like falling crystals.

 

[Mr_DC]

By the next morning, Lazarus Corporation already hired construction crews which started digging up the streets around the complex. It wasn't raining but the skies looked like they would release a flood any moment. The construction workers were on a deadline and nothing would stop them, especially not a bit of rain.


Representatives from other corporate giants gathered to watch and snicker at the growing security. They all had their men in, spying and sending in useful information. It was how the corporate world worked. Lazarus, though, sent bloodier messages than their opponents. Brutality was the name of the game, and stringing up bodies was how Lazarus played.


Hired contractors drove their employees in with busses or trucks while those who caught word of employment opportunities made their way through the construction site to reach the compound. Criminals wanting a piece of the corporate pie, retired soldiers realizing their retirement wouldn't be enough, and would-be corporates hoping to find a ladder to climb. Everyone gathered in the carefully watched Lazarus plaza within the compound. The professional Lazarus Corporation security was watching over the gathered crowd. Every corporation had their own security. The elite units serving to protect their secrets. While not a producer of military technology, Lazarus invested heavily into outfitting their own agents with state of the art cybernetics.


Circling the crowd with weapons in hand and fingers on triggers, Lazarus agents ensured no one strayed far from their designated gathering zone. It wouldn't take a mastermind to see that none of the new recruits were trusted. Even the construction crews had Lazarus supervisors. A senior security officer in his standard dark Lazarus Corporation uniform approached one group of new recruits and grimaced. None of them even knew what a formation was, let alone following orders to the letter. Still, everyone knew how to use a gun and that was all that mattered for these recruits. They would be good as cannon fodder if nothing else.

 

[0stinato]

Unfortunately for her, Tethys was hovering around a group in which she was one of the tallest. Certainly not the tallest, but where she was stood, she was taller than the majority by only by a few inches. The extended height of her eyes above the other recruits' caught the officers' eyes as they circled, stony and stoic expressions, some sort of plotting golems amongst the inexperienced bodies and minds of the recruits. She'd lock eyes with them while looking around for some sort of instruction, only to get a harsh word spat her way.


But even so, some part of her was glad to be here.


When she'd got word her application had been successful, she'd taken it two ways - the first way was a tinge of concern. Tethys had done her research on Lazarus Corp, she'd looked through what she could, knew Lazarus was the leading corporate giant in biotech and cybertech. And Tethys' speciality wasn't in the fiddly fickleness of human tissue or in handling a soldering iron. Important though they were, Tethys just wasn't interested in biotechnology of cybertechnology. All the component parts were too small for her liking. No, Tethys liked things large, liked things clunky. She liked to see where pipes would join together, or working around a strong hunk of metal she had to fit in somewhere it clearly wouldn't. Biotechnology and cybertechnology was all about minuteness, all about making things smaller, sleeker, more efficient.


The other way she'd taken the news was stronger. It was a much more powerful feeling, simply a feeling of "Yes!", complete with arm pumping and a bit of celebratory pop-punk music. Despite her take-it-or-leave-it attitude to Lazarus Corp's specialities, she knew she'd still be a part of something. Lazarus would certainly be providing important weight in military operations, and, even if Tethys wasn't a part of making or creating anything that would get used, she was still involved. It was a foothold. Not a bad one either; to be a security person or officer for the leading biotechnology and cybernetics company would offer her boundless opportunities, she was sure.


So, when the morning came to show up, she'd dressed as instructed - practically. She'd gone for a worn but fitted dark military-style jacket, combat trousers and her usual boots. She didn't know what she'd be up to today, and wasn't about to show up in something smart. There'd be no point - if they were tested in shooting or physical capabilities, it'd not do to ruin her only smart suit-jacket with gunpowder, shredded holes or mud.


To try and avoid getting barked at again, she tried to follow the instructions of the senior officer - formation. Being from her slum-ghetto background, organisation was a pretty foreign concept. Lining up rows and rows of people like cutlery was, in her mind, the worst way of organising people, but she wasn't about to say anything. After all, she was the lowest of the low, the one being pecked. However, something she was familiar with was intimidation. To put her shoulders forward to increase her size, to square her jaw and straighten her back. She had to find a way of standing out a bit, not sitting back and being just another recruit. With her hair tied in a crude spikey tail behind her, and her eyebrows set, she tried her best to tune into the senior officer's commands and obey them. Not easy when the rabble of everyone else was in her ears constantly.


@Mr_DC

 

[Mr_DC]

@0stinato


Shark stepped out of a shorter building in the complex. The sleek design with various geometric shapes prevailed, maintaining a clean, futuristic appearance surrounded by the dark and dreary city. There were pairs of guards standing in front of every door and even more by the main tower where Shark just stepped out. Even thought they weren't in the city for long, the corporate guards earned a nickname. The Lazarus Specialists. The corporation more than approved of that as it became the name of choice for their guards. With dark trench coats covering their cybernetically enhanced bodies, the guards could fit in with crowds. When it came time for action, though, they would reveal their cybernetics. The Lazarus Corporation took the agile, simplistic Ronin design and merged it with the bulky, MosTech armor. The result was a strong success. While not as strong as the MosTech Enforcers or fast as the Ronin Samurai, Lazarus Specialists were versatile and, above all, intimidating.


Most of the guards inside the complex weren't wearing their coats, a way of showing off the cybernetics to the new recruits. Their legs were heavy, thumping as they walked. Those particular cybernetics were created with the help of Reich Industries who were known for their highly reliable machinery. While the legs wouldn't aid movement like the cybernetics Ronin used, they weren't heavy enough to force the Specialists to trudge around like MosTech Enforcers. The arms varied in Specialists as did their weapons. Some had open arm cybernetics which held ammo or gadgets for the Specialists who used small weapons. Others has thick arms, like prize-winning bodybuilders to help damped the recoil of their larger weapons. Almost all of them has neural jacks to easily access whatever computer systems they needed. Like the rest of the corporations, Lazarus used those operations as an excuse to implant kill switches. Just in case an employee turns disloyal.


They were all just hopes to sell to the new recruits. Give them an idea of what they might get if they prove themselves. False promises of success, glory, and wealth.


The guards by the main tower took a quick look at Shark and returned to observing the troops with an expression of vague disapproval. They didn't need to know who she was in particular. She had weapons, she had advanced cybernetics, and she just walked out of the tower. It was probably someone who was meant to be there. 


Shark had cybernetics which were, without a doubt, Lazarus corporation. The design looked ready for commercial release, something the upper class would want, but the military aspects were clear. The dark metal on her forearms molded to resemble exposed muscles, dexterous fingers which could grip a knife as easily as they would pick a lock. Her legs, hidden by dark cargo pants, weren't like the Specialists. The design was simpler, much like her arms. The corporation went all-out, aiming to create cybernetics which would outrun a Ronin Samurai on the field.


Clenching her fist, the cybernetic muscles behaved just like real ones. Merging biology and machine - the trademark of Lazarus. Shark looked up at the grey sky. The first time she saw the sky. Always under a roof, within four walls. Always training, always studying. Escape was right there. A straight dash through the recruits, offices, and finally, the construction crew. Not like anyone would realize what was going on. Not like anyone could catch her.


But escape wasn't an option. She was full of tracking equipment, most of it hidden deep within her cybernetics. Even a switch in her head but she wasn't sure of its purpose. She heard whispers from the researchers that it would just put her in a coma until she is recovered.


No, escape wasn't an option. She didn't have the will, wish or reason to run. Shark knew her job and she knew it well.


Shark approached the officer putting new recruits through orders just to see how well they'd do. Some of them weren't even capable enough to be trusted with weapons. Her eyes ran over the recruits, most of them already tired. Her eyes were cold, no emotions behind them. No life in them. Her eyes paused on a tall woman for a moment longer than they did on anyone else.


"Yes?" The officer looked at Shark. He wasn't sure who she was but she had that air of importance about her. Still, she was disturbing his preview of the recruits and that was painfully annoying. "What do you want? Who are you?" He barked out two more questions before she had the time to say anything else. Running her eyes along the recruits once more, she stopped on the tall woman once more, annoying the officer further. She had a posture worthy of a soldier. A Specialist. Not that it was her job to pick out recruits worth investing in. Blinking once, she turned to officer who was turning red now. 


"I'm agent Shark." She said quietly, watching the man go pale while still maintaining his tense expression. "Steele requested that I observe the troops for the time being. I will accompany a squad on their first assignment once you select who's going out.


A dozen questions ran through the officer's mind but none were his to ask. Whatever the boss wanted, went. Even if that meant sending out his pet on a suicide mission. "Fine." The officer frowned and raised his hand. "To the barracks!" He shouted and started walking towards a shorter office building, stomping as he went. Shark waited for the group of recruits to move before starting to follow them, her hands clasped behind her back, allowing herself to fall behind with a slow pace.

 

[0stinato]

Initially only watching the incursion between the officer and the... woman (Tethys had to double check on that front; the masculine hair and sturdy, almost fully robotic arms, had confused her for a second) take place, Tethys suddenly found herself looking straight into her blue eyes. Impossible to read, difficult to distinguish, Tethys felt her pulse speed up with the adrenaline. She wasn't another officer, she wasn't even part of the security faction. As if it was rising from her, Tethys detected a different scent. Her nose, usually so in-tune with the aromas of a garage, and now being bombarded with the smell of dirt and other people, was suddenly cleared of all that for a few seconds. An odd mix of faint cleaning fluid and xenon. That, if nothing else, told Tethys she wasn't like the officers. She was something more. She was something bigger. 


Her hopes were realised when she caught the woman quietly mention her title - Agent Shark. Agent. Tethys' mind worked quickly, a result of the alertness and the adrenaline. She'd, of course, had never come into contact with that name, and why should she have? She'd wallowed away days commercially fixing vehicles for pittance, after all. But still, to look around herself now and to think about Lazarus Corporation, Tethys finally realised why the building and the name were intimidating. 


It was because of people like Shark.


Lazarus Corporation. Cybernetics. Biotechnology. But it wasn't the products that you remembered. Tethys was sure she vaguely remembered numerous mentions of Lazarus in news bulletins or websites, and, although hazy, she knew none of those fragments lo news were ever positive. She only wished shed paid more attention to to them. Instead she was getting herself into a company that employed highly specialised agents. And that was frightening.


However, Tethys was an optimist. She smiled internally. Better I'm inside the company than outside. That's what she reckoned. Inside, she at least would be privy to some information. Outside, she'd be clueless.


She used this thought to spur herself on, squeezing her hands into fists to relieve the adrenaline. And, all the while, she was watching watching Agent Shark, wondering what she would do next.


@Mr_DC

 

[Mr_DC]

@0stinato


The inside of the short building was pristine. White tiled floors, surprisingly not cracking beneath the heavy feet of Lazarus Specialists, cold white lights, pale blue walls with motivational posters. Somehow, all of them managed to have the opposite effect by using strange phrases such as "You're a small part of something bigger." or "Teamwork - Don't fall behind.". The main hallway was large and empty, clearly made for large groups of people passing through. The glass door to the site offered a clear view of a pair of Specialists, sitting in office chairs, tossing a football between each other. A lot of security has been brought in from branches all over the world without thinking of where exactly to put them. The headquarters were crowded and soldiers without patrol orders ended up right in that building - the barracks.


The officer and Shark walked up to a glass elevator on the end of the hallway. A wide staircase spiraled around it like a fat anaconda, attempting to choke out its victim. The glass of the elevator was thick, much like almost every other pane of glass in the headquarters - bulletproof to a point. They would be useless against the new laser weaponry which was already replacing the standard kinetic arms in the corporate circles.


"How long will you stick around with them?" The officer asked quietly, pausing in front of the glass doors. Without having to be called, the elevator arrived within two seconds.


"As long as it interests me." She said dismissively. Her voice was hoarse, belonging to someone who spent most of their time listening and not speaking. Her tone - clinical. No emotion except disinterest. Rolling her shoulders a bit, her cybernetics releasing no sound. The MosTech cybernetics were well known for their mechanical whirrs and clicks but even top quality cybernetics had a tendency to release a sound on occasion, no matter how quiet. Her gear was different.


As the elevator doors opened, Shark stepped in while the officer turned to face the recruits with a disgusted expression. "Well?" He raised his tone, threatening to leap out on the closest recruits. "Down! B-5!" He instructed and entered the elevator. "I wonder if any will try to get there before us." He mumbled with a satisfied smirk. The elevator sank down and several recruits actually started rushing down the stairs. Most continued down at a steady pace while there was a handful who glanced at the stairs leading up, contemplating whether or not to explore.


The cold, unblinking stares of a pair of Specialists behind the recruits quickly put an end to that line of thinking. All of the Specialists even looked similar. Cast out of the same mold. There weren't few of them, though. A small army when it came to skill and equipment.

 

[0stinato]

Curiosity, often perceived on the boundary between quality and flaw, was definitely more of a flaw when it came to Tethys's attitude. She'd become reckless in her curiosity. There had been occasions where, when working with the slender pipes of engines and tubing that carried oil in vehicles, she had trapped her fingers in said pipes. Usually she had a reason for sticking her finger down them - sometimes there was a suspected blockage she wanted to see if she could shift, sometimes there needed to be a cleanout of the engine proper, but sometimes she just did it "because she could". And, a lot of the time, a joint became wedged and she'd have to heat up the piping to allow it to let go of her finger. This had lead to a fair amount of burns, but no learning. Tethys would just keep on doing it.


However, today seemed different. A different Tethys was taking the reins of her mind. A sensible one. Still no less curious, but her curiosity would be put to good use. As soon as she heard the officer's command, she looked around to locate where the stairs vanished beneath the floor. She shoved a few people out the way with her shoulders as the crowd headed towards them, drawing a few not-so-satisfied grunts and insults. That wasn't her concern though. Sure, maybe the recruits would become more hostile as a group as they saw one of their own suddenly making a break for it, every-man-for-himself-style, but Tethys didn't really care. All she wanted to do was to secure a good position to stand in on level B-5. So she could hear and see everything. Keep her eyes on Agent Shark, if she'd be there.


And level B-5. That'd be a lot of stairs. Good thing she was going down and not up.


A tall guy was ahead of her, along with a spiralling snake of people who'd got to the stairs before her. Tethys tried to see how many there were, tried to gauge what kind of space she'd get to stand in, but it was hard to tell. It wasn't often she got frustrated, but the amount of people ahead of her was sort of annoying, and the people behind her were rushing too, trying to hurry everyone else up. All Tethys could do was to secure her space on the stairs as they descended the levels, shoulders brought up in defence. She hoped no one would decide to push. That'd end horribly. The officer would probably explode with anger at the recruits too.


As they bustled, going round and down and down and round, Tethys wondered if everyone would get dizzy by the time they got to the bottom. She didn't feel dizzy particularly, but there were still a few levels to go until they reached B-5. It probably wasn't worth her brain power thinking about. What was worth her thoughts, though, was what was on these levels. Everything seemed quite... astute somehow. Lots of large doors, unfriendly and unyielding, were on these levels. While the main landing area had the same design as the ground floor did, all the white and blue, all the migraine-inducing white lights, nothing was particularly visible. All hidden. All classified. Which, she tried to rationalise, was fair enough. Anyone from rival boitechnic companies could waltz in at any moment and steal secrets otherwise.


Well. Maybe not. They'd have to get past the initial security keeping an eye on the whole corporation building. Which, Tethys reckoned, would be no mean feat. The thought of it excited her - that's what she'd be doing! Maybe. Maybe one day. Even though her dreams counted not on becoming a security guard, she had made it her goal. Military bits and pieces could come later. She wanted to reach the top of this road now. See what was at the end. And besides, she could continue working on her own bikes at home to keep her hand and mind in check. It'd be no problem.


She missed the last step into B-5. So occupied was she thinking about Grough and the rest of her vehicle dreams that she thought she'd hit the tiled ground already. She stumbled, catching onto someone's shoulder before regaining herself. She coughed as they turned to her, a man taller than her, with a frown to match his devastatingly handsome jawline. She gave a crazed grin, apologising quickly, before rambling on about how she "just couldn't help myself, you're so desirable and all." Only when he pushed her hand away when she tried to touch his arm did she realise she wasn't making the best impression. And, worse than that, the rest of the recruits were filing into the room! She cursed to herself and hastily joined the faction, managing to end up on the end of one row, so she could just about see.


Airhead! she thought to herself. Pay attention.


@Mr_DC

 

[Mr_DC]

@0stinato


The elevator was already down by the time the recruits arrived - they were no match for the high-speed magnetic elevators. The officer watched recruits rush in with a smug smile but it faded as he saw a woman trip and almost fall. His large hands formed fists and he showed his yellow teeth. "Incompetent! All of you!" He shouted at the recruits, spit flying everywhere. He wasn't just yelling at the woman, though, even if he started with her. For some reason, he was angry at all of the recruits, spouting insults and flailing his arms as he paced in front of the, now better, formation.


Shark, on the other hand, seemed different. Distant. As the woman stumbled, her eyes quickly landed on her but they weren't as sharp. She was somehow looking through the woman. Even as a shadow of a smile surfaced for a moment. Realizing she ended up trailing the woman with her eyes all the way to the end of the row, Shark blinked a few times and scanned the crowd once more as the officer continued his shouting. She could see their individual motivations on their faces. Some were bored, doing this for the thrill. Others were interested, hoping to make a name for themselves or make money. A select few, though, had ambition written all over their faces - they were those who would not only go far but stay there. Because they earned it through pure skill.

With a jolt, Shark took two steps to stand in front of a younger man in the front row. He was short with messy black hair and acne all over his face, resembling a stereotypical pizza delivery guy. The officer stopped talking and stared alongside the recruits. Keeping the man steady with one hand on his throat, she ran the other hand up the back of his neck. Then the front. Her eyes flickered.
Twisting his arm, Shark brought the man to his knees. "He's broadcasting." She said quietly.
That's how most corporations used low importance spies. Implanting them with neuralware which allowed someone else to look, hear, and feel from a safe distance. A careful examination by someone who knew what they were looking for was the only way to notice it. That or special cybernetics. Noticing it from a distance, though, was another thing entirely.


"Shit, shit, that hurts!" He moaned and shouted, trying to wiggle out of Shark's vice-like hold.


Shark twisted the arm further, forcing the man to lie face down on the floor, and knelt on his back, pinning him. He was shouting in pain, his cheek squeezed against the cold floor smelling of cleaning products. This even got the attention of Specialists upstairs who rushed down only to pause and observe the scene.
With a swift motion, Shark drew a small screwdriver from the pouch on her hip and placed it on his temple. As she got into position to put her weight on the tool, the recruits sucked in a breath in unison, the man started begging, and the officer tensed. She stopped, however, like a robot finishing its instructions. She was frozen in place. The whole room was as everyone waited for the gruesome scene which never came. Shark looked around, ignoring the pleas of the man under her. She looked at the recruits. The Specialists. The officer. The recruits again.

 

[0stinato]

She wished she wasn't paying attention now. She wished she was doing some sort of rigorous physical activity of not-so-epic proportions. Lots of jumping over large puddles and climbing up and down ropes would be involved, as well as inevitable rope burn. She wouldn't have to witness a fellow recruit being physically threatened with what looked like a screwdriver. On the floor, scratchy voice pleading for release and the intimidating Shark pressed down upon him, unmoving.


Perhaps the worst feeling Tethys had was the feeling of why? She had no idea why Shark had suddenly struck. Suddenly strolled up to that kid and floored him. What had he done? Was it a facial expression? Had he said something awful? With no idea as to what caused Shark's rage, Tethys could only look on and guess. And, if she was honest, she wouldn't have been that surprised if the officer had stepped forward and straight-up punched someone; Tethys could see his rage clear as dew. The cold room was almost heightened a few degrees by the sweat from his forehead anyway. But no, it was his companion, the unassuming one, who'd made a move. Given the officer's previous distaste in Shark becoming involved with what he'd made very clear was his job, Tethys suspected he wouldn't be happy with his colleague's actions. But there was no way of knowing. No way of knowing anything.


All Tethys had done was shuffle into her space. Attempting to get into a focused state of mind where nothing would escape her notice, she'd tried to improve her performance. Shoulders back, chin up, like she'd seen soldiers do in the films. Getting used to her own space as well as the space of the room, quickly glancing around it and estimating its size like the spies did in the films. Basically, everything she thought she knew came from the films. In that way, she was sort of enjoying herself. Looking forward to the training montage.


But that was gone now. All of it. All the enjoyment, all the curiosity, it'd all been replaced with a room-wide unsettling feeling of horror. Well, maybe not all the curiosity had gone. She became aware of herself leaning out from her row, trying to get a better look. The teenager on the ground. Shark's slick arm tensed, pointed screwdriver at the ready to pierce the bone.


But then came the question again - why a screwdriver? Tethys was familiar with screwdrivers of course, and knew they could be used to inflict damage, but she doubted a highly important person with the title of Agent would carry one as her only method of defence. What about some kind of laser pistol? Were they a thing yet? Tethys hoped they were a thing. Surely she could vaporise him where he stood? Like in the sci-fi films? The kid turns to dust and the officer continues his ranting, uncaring, while all the recruits stand there motionless, caught in horrified stasis? But she'd gone for a screwdriver. Tethys didn't doubt she was capable of killing him. But a screwdriver was not necessarily a weapon. Tethys reckoned if Shark got her arm around the kid's neck and squeezed, he'd be dead in seconds. So why not do that? Why almost plunge a tool into his head?


And then another question - why hadn't she done it yet?


Adrenaline was making Tethys ask a lot of internal questions. The unfolding horror and the potential death in front of her, the helplessness to assist her fellow recruit, and the fear she'd get screwdriver'd, they were all throbbing away in her mind. Each ache more tense than the last. Each beat a new pressure on her brain. There was nothing she could do but watch. And wait. And fear. She loved it.


@Mr_DC

 

[Mr_DC]

@0stinato


Shark watched the expressions. They were all the same. All frightened. All except the officer who nodded with approval. The two Specialists who walked down, approached to take a better look at what was going on. Merciless murder wouldn't be the best first impression, she concluded.


Putting away her improvised weapon, Shark loosened her grip on the spy. Instead, she placed one hand on his shoulder and the other on his forearm. With a short motion, his shoulder made an audible 'POP' and made him moan and grunt in pain. "Relax." She said, knowing it's impossible with the pain he felt every time he moved. "It's not broken, just dislocated. Anyone can fix it." She explained kneeling up by him.


"Interrogate and then release him." She ordered the two Specialists standing by her side. The man would never be a spy again unless his employees are interested in investing in plastic surgery. His face will be sent to every corporation out there, just to ensure he's out of a job. A fate better and worse than death.


"Oh, thank god! I'll tell you everything!" The young man exclaimed through moans. Shark knew Steele wouldn't like mercy but if she was lucky, the spy would be out of the headquarters before word reached the boss.


She looked down at the spy as he released something between a wail and a gurgle. Not quite a reaction she expected.


With a bang resembling that of a champagne bottle popping open, the side of the spy's head burst open. He had more than just broadcasting neuralware in his head. Whoever was watching and listening activated a small explosive charge, killing him instantly. It was probably the best selling cybernetic on the market, not that anyone admitted selling or buying it. Every employee worth more than the surgery and implant cost had one. She was pretty certain that the officer and Specialists had it as well. Wasn't quite sure about what she had in her head.


The recruits moaned in disgust, watching the hollowed out head and the agent with her face red. At least she didn't have bits of flesh on her. The same couldn't be said about the pants and shoes of anyone standing nearby. Shark grunted in frustration as she stood up. She should have known better. The spy should have been taken somewhere the signal couldn't transmit before even mentioning interrogation. It didn't really matter. A spy infiltrated the Lazarus headquarters and got himself killed. Details weren't important.


"Are there any more spies in here?" The officer raised his voice, calmed by the amusing sight of Shark's blood-covered face. "This is your chance to get the hell out without consequences." He watched the recruits. One of them actually headed up the stairs. Another after him a few seconds later. "No guts." The officer watched them climb up and turned to the recruits. "You forfeit your life if you decide to spy now. We will find out." He smirked.


Shark wasn't as amused. The recruits were clearly terrified. Then she realized. Not all of them were veterans or gangsters. Most of them were just ordinary people looking for a chance and this was their first encounter with death so close. She saw people die. They didn't. "Got a tissue?" She looked back at the officer who shook his head with a shrug. He had one. Shark knew - she could see the corners of his mouth twist. Amusing.


"Ask." She turned to the recruits. "Ask about what you just saw." She nodded. There was a certain understanding in her voice, as cold as it was. "I know you have questions. I'll do my best to answer them." She said, a drop of blood falling off her nose. She smelled like fresh blood now. She could taste it. The metallic aftertaste burning in the back of her throat.

 

[0stinato]

While a lot of those around her were visibly shaking, some ashen faced by the spontaneous and sudden death of a man uncovered as a spy, Tethys was slowly coming to understand. Her heart was still quickening with every second she thought. Spy. Spy. It was such a fictional concept, such a 11-year-old boy's dream, that part of her had expected spies to not actually exist. But of course they did. Of course there would be agents and double agents in megacorporations like this one, attempting to infiltrate or feeding information after successfully infiltrating. However, Shark's command about the dire consequences was apparently too much for some young agents among the recruits, and Tethys located them as they started to leave. To feel the breeze of the few people who left the rows as they walked past her reminded her that this was happening. Spies were real. This was real. The kid at the front, his death was real. And the blood on Shark's face was real too.


Fortunately, Tethys wasn't in one of the front rows, so her scruffy clothes had remained intact. She also wasn't scared; the kid's death, although messy and unpredictable, wasn't a frightening thing for her. For a few moments she wondered why. Why was seeing his blood splatter on the ground not bringing up bile in her throat, why wasn't it causing her stomach to tighten and her body to sweat? In the haze of thoughts in the silence, broken only by Shark's and the officer's voices, Tethys groped for an answer.


Tethys wasn't unintelligent. She was simply someone who put her intelligence towards certain pastimes, rather than having a capacity to learn anything she wanted to. Languages went straight over her head while she was attune to logic and reason. She sort of had to be - working with vehicles sort of developed that. Pipes had to connect to somewhere, pieces had to fit back into engines, exhaust had to escape from somewhere. It gave her reason to understand a means through to its end. So she knew there must be a reason for everything to happen. From why she felt no disgust and horror upon seeing shards of the kid's naked brain to exactly how Shark happened to be here and know exactly who was a spy out of the dozens of people gathered in front of her. Everything has a reason and everything has purpose.


So still she searched her conscience for a reason for her calmness, until she stood back, eyes wider, mouth open slightly, looking up at the chilling strip lights in the ceiling above. Oh. A reason. And such an easy one to reach, as well. Consequence. That word. That word was the key to why she felt... fine now. To why the death wasn't shocking her as much as, perhaps, it should.


Tethys had grown up and lived her early life with the knowledge of consequence deeply rooted into her. She was a ghetto-baby, a wanderer of London, a girl who perpetually had dirt under her nails and her mind on her work. She would watch he fellow ghetto-brothers and ghetto-sisters, and the older ones would engage in the important dealings. Drugs, sex, petty theft, anything that would require a capable adult brain. A mere girl would have no dealings with the specific and dangerous clientele that were regulars to her area. Usually it was drugs, though sex was common too, and both had to be paid for. Any prostitution or sexual favours were usually easily paid for with no hitches, but drugs were more complicated. And consequences would play their roles if someone hadn't paid.


As she grew up, as she became more involved with the goings-on, she became much more closely affiliated with consequences. Deaths had occurred, but none by her hands. But she'd learned not to feel remorse for the people who didn't pay for the ghetto's services. After all, if lenience interrupted any of the ghetto-brothers' or ghetto-sisters' minds, they mightn't get their own daily bread. And it was hard enough. Tethys would look out for her kind, and consequences would take care of the unhelpful clients.


And such was it today. The agent, the spy, the kid, no matter how young, had been caught out. And he had had his consequence wrought on him. A consequence that was delivered farily and swiftly. All of that was alright in Tethys' eyes: that was how she used to exist, casting her puberty-stricken eyes across the shadowed horizontal form laid in the doorway as her ghetto-brother walked down the garden path towards her. It was consequence, simple consequence, and nothing malicious.


Right?


@Mr_DC

 

[Mr_DC]

@0stinato


"A spy?" One recruit raised her hand after a silence which grew uncomfortable for Shark.


She nodded. "Yes, a corporate spy. Corporations rarely go to war with each other directly. It's all about stealing information, sabotaging competitors, and hacking systems. Statistically, there's probably one more spy among you." She said calmly. "But don't worry. We don't make mistakes." She lied. It didn't help her claim that the officer scoffed behind her, keeping his arms crossed on his chest. Neither did the blood on her face.


"What happened to him?" A man towering over everyone else asked, his tone deep.


"It's called a kill switch." Shark started, thinking of what exactly she should reveal as she spoke. "An explosive implant. Corporations install them in their employees. Not all employees. Not all corporations." She lied again.


There was another short pause. "What are you?" A man asked without raising his hand. The question seemed off at first but everyone quickly realized what he meant. Even the Specialists were curious about the answer. They were told only what they needed to know and curiosity played with even best-disciplined soldiers.


"What do you mean?" Shark raised an eyebrow. She knew what he meant but she was buying time. The answer she was supposed to give came to her as soon as he asked but it wasn't what she wanted to say.


"Are you a robot or something?" The man explained, shaking his head and pursing his lips. The recruits nodded along, not quite agreeing with his explanation but wanting an answer nonetheless.


It did cross her mind. She had to remind herself from time to time that she was an actual being of flesh. There were scratches on her flesh where decided to check what was under the surface. Just red, like her face now. It wasn't proof enough for her. She didn't feel the need to sleep but still did so because the researchers told her to do it. She didn't feel the need to eat or drink but still did so because the researchers told her to do it. She was perfectly fine with sitting on a shelf in some dark maintenance closet, waiting for someone to give her an order. Shark wasn't satisfied with the simple explanation of what she was. There had to be more. The clones were known for being quirky but she never saw herself as simply quirky. There had to be more.


"Lets go to the barracks." The officer stepped forward, seeing it took Shark far too long to answer the question. She was simply staring at the man who asked it, causing general unease. "It's where you'll b..." As he took another step forward, Shark spoke, not quite sure how long she was quiet.


"I'm a clone." She said. It wasn't an answer she was supposed to give. Lazarus' cloning program was still secretive. It wasn't unheard of that corporations used cloning to swell their ranks with temporary, loyal soldiers but Lazarus was aiming to take it to the next level. Creating soldiers who were better than human - with limited success. "I was created to satisfy the needs of the corporation." She repeated the sentence she heard so many times it felt like nonsense by now. Just words put together with no meaning behind it.


"Are there others like you?" The man asked again.


"Not that I'm aware of." She replied, looking down at spy's corpse. She had to look away from the man. No more questions. Blood was still dripping off her chin.


"Enough with the questions, there will be time for that after I'm gone." The officer raised his hands and started making his way to a rather large, metal door which looked like it could comfortably withstand an explosion. "Your barracks. Follow me." He said as the door opened into a hallway much darker in tone than the outside. No motivational posters here. Just metal floor, grey walls, and countless windowless doors on each side. "You'll get assigned rooms in a bit, cool it." He said, looking over his shoulder.


Wiping some blood off her eyes with her forearm, Shark followed the group of recruits, staying on the rear this time.

 

[0stinato]

Tethys had been so preoccupied with her own thoughts she'd forgotten to even think of a question to ask. Only when the first question popped up did she snap out of her memories and realise that she should be paying attention. Something she told herself to do. Pay attention. Airhead. Pay attention. Airhead.


And some of the people asked good questions as well. To know there would be another, or maybe more than one, spy among their numbers was important to know. Very important to know. Tethys would note to be careful about what she said to other recruits. Especially wary of questions like "what made you want to come here?" and such. She recalled the tall man she'd fallen into, the handsome one. What if he was a spy? That'd be a strange coincidence to be sure. But he had been hostile. What if--


Tethys shook her head, pulling her mind away from the lustful stories she could create with the man. He was a spy, she found out he was working for the side of Good, he'd sweep her off her feet and they'd ride off into the sunset together. She allowed herself a little sigh, but nothing more. Focus. Pay attention. She heard the rest of the questions, let them come and go, logged each one in her memory as best she could. Some things she didn't understand, like exactly what a Clone was, but the time for questions passed by. As Tethys shuffled with the rest of the recruits, she wondered why Shark had openly said she was a Clone so easily. There's probably one more spy among you. So the potential spy knew now? Well, it wasn't Tethys' concern. She knew she wasn't a spy, and, if she did what she was told like everyone else there should be no cause for suspicion.


As the officer marched them through into the barracks area, Tethys looked round and caught a glimpse of Agent Shark, the Clone. Tethys had, of course, layman's knowledge of Clones. All she really knew was that there were pockets of debate that would spring up from time to time about Human-Clone equality. She herself couldn't make a judgement, having very little knowledge of Clones. No right to say. But still, she couldn't help thinking about it now she was in the proximity of one. It didn't matter though - Shark was formidable. Also, Tethys deeply admired her haircut. It suited her.


The barracks were nothing special, but they were shocking. To be so far underground was like a suffocating hand pressing upon her, and this hall reminded her of some kind of sanitarium. Metal floors, grey and white the main colour-scheme of the entire area. The same lights that would cast heavy shadows around anyone passing through. As the recruits gathered around, she sacrificed her space relatively near the beginning in order to slink towards the back of the group. The officer wasn't interesting to her at the moment - and she didn't want to be in the crossfire of any spittle that escaped his lips - but who was interesting to her, who had been through the whole process was Shark. Undoubtedly, Shark had some other motive for being here. The way the officer had interacted with up during her first appearance, it wasn't usual to have her tagging along with the recruits.


Tethys took a risky half-pace backwards until she was almost level with Shark. The mysterious blue-eyed agent's expression was unreadable. Staring forward, those sharp eyes on the recruits. Probably scanning for another spy, or maybe just keeping the peace from behind. Maybe that was wise - watch the seas for Nessie, don't try to flush her out.


"Well, 'e dun't like you much, dus 'e?" Tethys whispered, raising her dark eyebrows playfully. Her heart was back to a galloping speed in her chest, afraid that, at any moment, the Agent could take her to the ground for insubordination, or for talking out of turn. She hoped the officer wouldn't catch her whispering at the back of the group like a schoolgirl.


@Mr_DC

 

[Mr_DC]

@0stinato
Shark watched the woman for a few moments. She was the same one who caught her eye on the surface. The same one who tripped by the elevator. The same one who wasn't horrified by the spy's fate. There was something about this woman. A spy perhaps? She didn't have the behavior of a spy. Maybe she was trying to lower her guard. No. She was probably just a curious recruit trying to make a friend with someone scary. That was the best way to stop fearing monsters - befriend them. Maybe she was hoping this monster would fly her up the ranks. 

She caught herself staring again. Getting lost in thoughts wasn't usual for her but this time she was surrounded by actual people. People without clipboards, writing down her efficiency ratings, her speed, her deduction. Not targets, captured spies. Actual people. Shark chuckled quietly, more resembling an old man trying to cough up whatever was stuck in his throat. "I get special attention from the CEO upstairs. No one likes me much." She wasn't sure where those words came from. It was something she was always aware of but never really formed the thoughts. It was in the way the researchers looked at her. It was in their eyes every time she took a stress test. They enjoyed it. The indirect punishment for whatever she did wrong. The same look the officer had when she got splattered by blood and brain matter. It was still on her. "Do you..." Shark paused. "Do you have a tissue by any chance?" She gave an awkward smile. It wasn't one of the fake smiles she practiced when she had to convince someone. It was an actual smile.


"Need something, agent?" The officer stopped and yelled over mockingly, making everyone turn around.


Shark was unshaken by the spotlight. She didn't care if she interrupted his speech about the security in the barracks. "Yes. A tissue." She replied with a confident smirk.
With a grumble, the officer turned around and continued leading the recruits. "Come on, we don't have time for distractions!" He barked.

Shark looked back at the woman. She was friendly. There were words lingering in the back of Shark's head. An advice. Where she heard it from, she didn't know. Make friends. It was there now that she spoke with the woman. Those words. But why? They never told her to that in training. Quite the opposite. 'Don't trust anyone except the CEO'. Another phrase etched into her mind which lost its meaning. But what would she talk about with this woman even if friendship was a good idea? How many targets she can hit in half a minute? How many holograms she can cut down in hand-to-hand without getting touched? What's the farthest shot she ever took? She didn't even have a favorite color. Yellow. She decided. My favorite color is yellow. She smiled. 

 

[0stinato]

"I s'pose I ough'a see where I'm staying," sighed Tethys as she noticed the crowd ahead continue to walk. The clumsy and unsure footsteps of the recruits, not in a sharp and impressive march like she'd seen in the war films, were a stark reminder that every soldier, every security, every individual part of a whole was a simple person. On TV, if numerous armies of soldiers were filmed, they seemed smart, organised, dignified. But each one of them must have tripped over at some point, landed on their faces. Luckily Tethys had caught herself before she'd done the latter.


She turned her head to Shark, who seemed to be lagging behind, lost in her own thoughts, "You coming this way or what? Dunno if you Agents are high an' migh'y or down to earth like the rest of us scum," she gave a loud laugh. "Hopefully not. I'm sure you live much more interesting than we do. Wiv your robot arm and all."


Tethys could hardly imagine Shark having a bath, for example. She must do, surely, everyone had to bathe, keep their skin clean. Or maybe she just had to sponge herself down, being careful about getting water in the circuits? It was a tough thing to imagine. Or lounging in front of the TV in her knickers. Or lobbing a slobbery ball to some stranger's dog. Ordinary things indeed, but no setting for a Clone woman with more mech than flesh. Ordinary for her in Tethys' mind was... anaesthetised with her arm outstretched as lots of white-coated figures worked on it with soldering irons and electrons.


No idea if that was true, Tethys tried to probe a bit deeper, "You like sitcoms?" she asked brightly, paying no attention to the officer at the head of the procession. Any glare or sarky expression he threw at her was in vain, for all of Tethys' attention was focused on his quiet colleague at the back. By this point, some of the other recruits were becoming curious too, glancing round, and trying to act normal when they were caught glancing round. Questions had been asked of Shark, but she had given very factual answers, ones that meant no further questions had to be asked. Or maybe they were looking at Tethys, trying to suss out her game. Trying to figure out what she was after, what sort of malicious intent she had.


But all Tethys wanted was to talk to someone. Living alone had its tolls. And the gregarious Tethys found loneliness intolerable.


@Mr_DC


((It's a little shorter because today's been very tiring.))

 

[Mr_DC]

@0stinato


"Yes." Shark answered her first question. "I'm supposed to tag along with you for a while. As long as I want to." She paused and smiled. "As long as no one else explodes on me, I'll probably stick around." She smiled wider, scanning the woman's face. A joke. At least it thought it qualified as a joke. She couldn't remember when was the last time she made a joke. It was 'never appropriate' according to the lab staff working on her. They didn't mind joking amongst themselves thought. Commenting behind her back, snickering after exchanging a few words while she was preparing for surgery, sarcastic remarks on the shooting range. It didn't bother Shark, though. Steele told her on his rare visits. Explained that they were jealous. That they didn't understand. He didn't seem to understand either but kept that to himself. It was only apparent in his eyes. In his frowning stare as he read the reports the researchers swarmed him with. In the prodding nod as he talked with her.


"I'm the only agent." Shark corrected absentmindedly as only a part of her brain listened to the woman talk. "Can't say my life is more interesting. Repetitive. Probably too intense for you but... Repetitive." She shrugged, staring ahead at nothing in particular. Every week the same as the one before. Time blurring into nothingness. The only change were her scores, rising to a satisfying level and beyond. She wasn't sure when she started with the training. Every memory started with waking up in the same, small room before going to see what was planned for that day.


"Sitcoms?" She raised an eyebrow, turning her head to the woman. Her moves were robotic. Her head turned to a specific degree before locking in place. Her legs and arms synched perfectly, swaying by her side. Her eyes blinking at same intervals. "Sitcoms." She nodded. She watched one - a part of a test, like everything. Two people arguing, using illogical arguments while an unseen audience laughed in the background. She understood humor perfectly well but it wasn't funny. It was unnerving. Confusing at best. Perhaps that was their goal as the researchers seemed pleased with the outcome.


"Not really." Shark replied, wondering what this woman's life must be like. Watching sitcoms and going out to drink and actually working instead of killing. She got drunk once. It was a test of her resistance to drugs - passed. "Do you like sitcoms?" Shark asked.


The attention of the rest of the recruits made her feel as uneasy as much at it made the officer feel angry. He didn't call her out this time. He gave up on them. They were meant to die anyways and letting them jump boats from one sinking ship to the other made no difference for him.


Shark felt like an exhibit in a museum. Curious glances, nods of understanding. They didn't see anyone like her before. Not just the cybernetics - MosTech Enforcers were a little more than a brain in a robotic body - but her behavior as well. Her status. Cloning wasn't popular with the public but everyone knew corporations were doing it for one reason or the other. Getting a body and programming it with basic instructions was the easy part. Successfully copying a person's mind, on the other hand, turned out being the elusive holy grail.


It was normal that the recruits wanted to see if she was as bad as everyone feared. But it wasn't like visiting the freak show. She was a mannequin in a window. First of probably many to come.


(Since mine was only a tiny bit longer, I have no problems with that. Besides, a paragraph in length is perfectly fine with me as long as it's not half-assed. Also, guess no tissue for Shark )

 

[0stinato]

"I'm a simple lady," Tethys said, "If I hear funnies I laugh. Even if it i'nt funny much, sometimes still makes me laugh," and she laughed. Laughed just because of what she'd referred to herself as - a lady. If there was one person who didn't suit the upright title of lady it'd be Tethys. With her thick shoulders and constantly distracted mind thinking about private lusts, the word 'lady' was far too sophisticated.


"Lady! Me? Can you imagine!" she said, trying to calm down. Even though the officer was completely ignoring them, she didn't want him to suddenly swing round and shriek at her. Be quiet you 'orrible littul worms 'ave you no respect. With his chin protruding from his jaw and his eyebrows creased of far down they obscured his vision. In her imagination the officer switched forms from human male to caricature. She had to let out a chuckle for that too.


She let the conversation drop slightly, not wanting to miss out on anything the caricature said that might be important. It also gave her time to think about Shark. Intensity, repetitiveness. The awkward delivery of the first joke ever told. She wasn't bad at it; maybe it was just her way of seeing things. Means justify the ends. A way that she formed jokes was, to Tethys, for wont of a better word, robotic. Ask a programme to spit out a joke based on a certain event, it'd probably produce something similar to what Shark had. As long as no one explodes on me. But, even then, the appeal of it was sort of funny. Almost satirical. After all, someone had actually died because of an explosion. Perhaps Shark's background and day-to-day intense and repetitive activities involved death. Perhaps it didn't cause the same thoughts to flow as it did in someone like Tethys. Although she'd seen killings before, deaths had happened in front of her, and although she knew why and didn't feel remorseful, she, and no one around her, never spoke about the dead. Sometimes whoever had killed would come back ranting in anger, but the next day the whole gang would act as if nothing had happened. They were all human, after all. The fear of uncertainty about death was what united them.


Was that fear what made someone human?


Tethys scowled at the headache she was getting. Philosophy wasn't her home turf, and who was she to outline what exactly a human was? In some sort of spiritual sense, rather than a biological one. She didn't know Shark well enough yet. Did she share the fear? Did she share the uncertainty?


Deciding that this was too heavy of a topic, Tethys decided to go for something more small-talk-y. She tried to brush off the awkward thoughts clouding her mind and turned a bright, toothy smile on Shark once again, "Did you 'ave to go through training too or did you agents do a different training? I just dunno what to expect so..." she shrugged. "Is it tough workin' 'ere? Like, am I gonna have to get up at o-six-'undred every morning? 'Cause that's like proper early."


@Mr_DC

 

[Mr_DC]

@0stinato


Shark stopped with the group as the officer reached the end of the long hallway. She watched the woman laugh and talk about not being a lady. A nervous laugh, perhaps. Maybe forced. They never taught her how to read emotions, no matter how much some researchers insisted. She wasn't meant to infiltrate and talk her way through obstacles. Death, not words. That was her mode of operation. This woman, though, she was more suitable for talking and not killing. At least from the first glance. She was real, this woman. Real somehow. Shark's arm twitched from an instinctive need, not suppressed fast enough, to touch or poke the woman, just to make sure she's real. How fragile is she?


She was given a teacup once. Told to drink from it. Pretty porcelain with abstract lines and shapes. Black on white. Something mesmerizing and beautiful. The cup shattered in her hand, leaving Shark to stare at the broken pieces. It was before the rest of the training, around the time they took her arms. She wasn't used to them yet.


She was given a puppy once. A weird-looking little thing with curly black fur. Told she needed to be careful with it. That it was the source of great joy and affection to some people, not that she understood why such an obligation would bring joy. She was told to pick him up and pet the puppy. A cheerful little thing, jumping around, barking as it made circles around Shark, waggling its tail.


She stole an old pocket watch from a researcher once. It was just hanging from his coat pocket as he was passing by. Just a small bump when they were passing by. An insult followed her down the blinding white hallway. She took it apart to see what was ticking and wasn't disappointed. Amazing. So many tiny pieces, working together perfectly. Never missing a tick. Little gears and locks, moving, turning, clicking. Shark was meant to be punished for stealing it and got shocked repeatedly until Steele himself came over. She hated those taser sticks. Almost as much as she hated EMP testing. Steele didn't want her punished. He brought a dozen watches, just to see what she would do with them. What she could build. How delicate her movements actually could be.


The woman could probably take a punch. She was sturdy. Maybe not a punch from Shark or the Specialists but definitely from a recruit. Shark raised her hand, watching the woman. She wanted to touch her. Just to see... Something. Whatever would happen. Looking the woman in the eye, Shark lowered her hand. Not appropriate. She was an agent, a clone, a killing machine. Poking humans, recruits wasn't appropriate unless she was about to kill them. No. Curiosity doesn't lead to anything good. Shark straightened her back and looked ahead.


"I don't think you'll be going through training I went through." Shark said, glancing at the woman. You couldn't handle it. "I'm sure you'll do well in your training." She swallowed the truth. "Shouldn't be too tough. The job, I mean." She blinked slowly. They were cattle. A distraction for Lazarus to make an easy deal. To come out ahead. The bonus was cleaning out the streets of trash who thought being soldiers was smart and lacked the skill to be useful. Cleaning the gene pool. It was a cruel move but... She understood. It was clever. Of course, Steele thought it up with his high managers giving useless nods.


She looked at the woman. It felt wrong. She was real. Her death will be real.


"Find yourself a room!" The officer shouted, wanting everyone to feel like he was yelling to them in particular. "Three per room, maximum!" He yelled, thick veins rising in his neck and chin. A couple in the side of his face. Looked like he was about to burst. "Move it! NOW!" He ordered, clenching his fists.


An angry little man. Probably stuck in that position for years, decades. Did good enough to be promoted but never improved to advance further. Probably close to retirement too. Maybe scared what the company will do with him when its time to retire. They retired you once you outgrew your usefulness. Was he thinking he was a lucky one? That he would get a nice check to stay quiet and an apartment where to spend the rest of his days in? A bullet was faster. Cheaper. That's what corporations were all about - efficiency.


Shark looked at the woman, waiting to see which room she would pick. Recruits already scattered, trying to find the 'best' one out of the same rooms. Small ones. Two bunk beds and one closet. One sink. No windows. They were underground after all. Everything was metal and grey. The 'crapper' was down the hall for everyone to use.

 

[0stinato]

Completely oblivious to any of Shark's movements or own personal thoughts, Tethys listened to her. Not even looking at Shark, instead looking at the crowd of recruits, although perfectly in tune with her. A skill she'd attained after years of working with Grough and other vehicles. Look at what she was doing, listen to the radio. Work balanced with pleasure. Shark spoke of training, sounding not unconfident in Tethys' ability, but not confident either. Sort of... neutral. Tethys was fine with that. Shark was an Agent after all, it was a different playing field. And Tethys understood this. However, when she did finally look over at Shark, she noticed something. Her face, deadpanned as usual, a veritable desert of expression, was stoic. But her eyes were different; not looking directly at Tethys, and, if she did, Tethys would flush with adrenaline. Something was clearly wrong. She had no idea what it was. It could be anything - it could be something big, something wrong with the corporation. Or it could be something to do with Tethys? She had no idea. Only an inkling. It wasn't nothing - nothing wouldn't cause her to almost perspire in a second.


When the order, a spit-flung order, came for the recruits to file into rooms, Tethys didn't rush off in excitement like she should have. Her body felt heavier, she felt more grounded. She looked round at Shark once more, quickly taking in her features as best she could. Tethys wanted to remember her. Wanted to know more about her.


She went to say goodbye, "It's important."


She stopped. What the hell. It's important was not goodbye. She shook her head, but, from the looks of Shark's expression, she couldn't just switch topics now. So she scratched her head and continued, "Life. I mean... your life. I mean... I'm not making sense. Life's important yeah. Yeah. Let's... go with that. Yeah. I mean... perhaps we'll spend more of our lives together. If I see you again. Y'prob'ly need my name. I never told you. I'm Tethys. Like after one of Saturn's moons?" she tried a smile, "My hair's big as Saturn so it kinda works. Um."


She looked over at the recruits, disappearing into rooms in small groups. She shouldn't lag behind or risk sleeping on the floor somewhere.


"I should go. It's been interesting. But get that red off yer face. Ruins your eyes," she said. Some of the awkwardness had dissipated but... a lot still remained. She raised her hand slightly in goodbye to Shark. It wasn't like Tethys to be the star of an awkward conversion. She'd be able to brush it off or throw back her head and laugh. Maybe it was because she knew Shark wouldn't laugh with her. And, somehow, down here there was nothing to laugh about.


@Mr_DC

 

[Mr_DC]

@0stinato


Shak watched the woman step towards the door and stop. Then come back. It's important? What an odd thing to say. Shark frowned, trying to make sense of it but the woman continued. My life is important? Easily replaced. Shark chuckled throughout her explanation. She was surprised at how human she sounded. A normal chuckle. Not the awkward choking noise. She still sounded hoarse but it was her voice. Her chuckle.


Spend more of our lives together. What did that mean? Did the woman want to be her friend? Was she a spy, trying to chill someone with high authority? She was just a woman. A quirky one. A friendly one. A friend. I'm making a friend. She smiled. Something the researchers would scoff at. Something Steele wouldn't like. It meant a lot to Shark, though, and right then, at that point... That was all that she cared about.


"Thethys." Shark repeated with a short nod, testing out the word. "Like a moon of Saturn." She smiled. There was one researcher complaining the company wasn't investing in space colonization and mining. Must have made someone too angry because the last time she saw him, it was with a few inches between them with her hands around his throat. An order she had to follow. Death was around every corner and, most often, in her hands. How did her mind get from something nice to something so dark? Nice and dark. Not something she was meant to think about. Just the grey.


Shark instinctively blinked a few times when Thethys mentioned her eyes. She likes my eyes? Steele didn't allow them to put in cybernetic eyes for some reason. It would have helped her in the dark. She appreciated it. She liked her eyes. There was something human in them. Behind them most of the time. Occasionally seeing the blue eye staring back at her from a non-digital scope made her pause. A reflection froze her in place. Something so human in something so... Not. She liked her eyes.


As Thethys started going for the room, Shark took a short step towards her but quickly stopped. Would it be weird if she joined them? Shark wanted to stay with the recruits until they were finally sent on that mission. What if Thethys was just being polite? Shark took another short step, stopping abruptly. Would they be afraid to sleep by her? What if one of them was a spy? Well, they couldn't do much to kill her. Shark looked around, not exactly sure what to do. She didn't want to go to the lab. Training started getting boring.


"Abandoned by your friends?" The officer grinned wide as he walked over. "Wanna go in there and curl up at the foot of the bed?" He motioned his head at the room Thethys went in. He shook his head, the grin dissapating. "Just do your job, whatever it is, and forget them. You're getting in my way."


Shark grabbed the officer by the throat and raised him from the ground. He tried to grab his sidearm but Shark withdrew one hand and took it from his holster. A large handgun. "I can kill you right here, right now, in front of everyone... And no one would say a word to me. Steele might even find it amusing." She dropped the man to his feet and threw the handgun by him. "You got in my way."


The officer stood up, grabbed his gun and yelled. "If anyone dares to take her into their room, say so!" He yelled, red-faced, looking around at the curious recruits. "I'll remember you, though, and she won't care enough to do anything about it." He said, eyes landing on Thethys.


Shark looked at Thethys as well. She will say something. She was friendly. She wasn't the one to be frightened.

 

[0stinato]

Tethys had plumped for a room near to her. She hoped there was space for her in there, and, to her luck, there was. Two people took up some of the limited space as she crossed the threshold. She saw a man with sort of long-ish brown hair. He was a bit shorter than her with an impressive nose. Also in there was another man, this one bald. However, she didn't get a good look at him because of a sudden commotion behind her. She turned quickly, hearing the officer's sneer.


The scene she saw wasn't what she expected to lay eyes on. Apparently the officer hadn't learned that Shark was a formidable opponent - she'd almost killed a kid with a screwdriver, but someone had taken care of that for her. Her half-cybernetic body was a sure sign she was not to be messed with. How had the officer not realised this? Yes, he was angrier and muscular, but Shark had proved herself. Maybe he was just good at shouting at people and not so good at thinking.


Either way, he was raised off the ground. His shadow fell blurred beneath him and his spluttering voice was impossible to understand. With her strong fingers around his neck, Shark spark softly. Holding his gun. Threats falling out of her mouth like sighs. Tethys couldn't believe it. Yet another display of her acquaintance's strength. Of her capabilities. Tethys took her breath in sharply, drinking in Shark's triumph, letting it seep through the shock, letting it dismantle her fears.


And then Shark was looking at her. No longer holding the officer, no longer snatching the handgun, no longer speaking. Just standing, some sort of vibe of nothing around her. Tethys was reminded again - Shark did this on a regular basis. Threats, probably more than threats. Physical protest, every day a new expression of strength. She let out her breath, unsure of what Shark was expecting of her. She quickly glanced at the officer, throbbing neck veins pumping his face crimson with fury and defeat.


A laugh bubbled out of her. Before she knew it, her shoulders were pumping with the strength of her laugh. It wasn't loud, it wasn't large, but it was strong. Never before had a laugh made her feel so capable. She turned her eyes back to Shark, a new enjoyment in them.


"Hey!" she said to Shark, "If you gonna be thrown out of 'ere, I wanna go with you!"


@Mr_DC

 

[Mr_DC]

@0stinato


A smirk. Dark and intimidating on her blood covered face. Shark felt confident but that was nothing new. She was always sure of her capabilities. No, she just took someone who had a problem with her down a notch. Someone who thought he was better just because he was once a child - as impossible as that was to imagine. Just because he had a chance to grow up and not spend his life training how to kill. The reasons he thought he was better were the reasons he wasn't. Someone stood up for her. Shark never needed someone to offer help but she rarely spoke out for herself. Came with the training. Having someone else do it felt... Comfortable.


Shark turned on one foot to the officer and saluted by hitting her heels together with a click. An old military salute, used in a mocking way now. "I guess there's someone who doesn't mind me being around." She said and leaned in, her eyes narrowed. "You're just feeling insecure." She said quietly, in a whisper. Another mock. What was he going to do? Attack her? Yell at her? Complain to Steele? She was untouchable. She had no actual subordinates but no superiors either. Her reputation allowed her to do whatever she wanted. As long as Steele approved, of course.


She looked at Tethys for a few seconds before turning to face her and marching over. Her moves were less robotic now. Smooth, like a model on a runway. Her augmentations were running perfectly, like actual muscles. And slow, so slow. She wanted to prolong this. The longer she walked, the angrier the red-faced officer would feel. She stopped in front of Tethys and placed a hand on her chest, gently pushing her a bit deeper into the room. Her hand was gentle and somewhat warm. It even felt like the right texture on the dark material which covered everything except the joints which were chrome. While it felt human, it didn't look like it. It looked more like someone skinned a human hand and repainted it.


Shark took one last look at the officer before closing the door. He was calm. Not so visibly angry. He was thinking, planning. Revenge. Nothing he could do to Shark but Tethys... Same as long as Shark was around. She had no intention of letting him touch her... Friend. Not now.


The smirk on Shark's face faded like it was never there. The standard blank expression surfaced. No emotions. Her eyes, though, never left Tethys'. She didn't want to look away.

 

[0stinato]

With the door closed, there was silence in the room. All dull whites and greys, cold metal beneath their feet. But all Tethys felt was the surge of heat that rushed through her now Shark had sealed them in this room. Staring into her. Not that it was hard to stare into Tethys, she would list everything about herself to anyone she thought was interested. But Tethys couldn't stop looking into Shark either. Everything in and behind those eyes had trapped her. She was fixated, obsessed only with the blue irises in front of her. And the blood around one side of her face.


"What," Tethys finally joked, her voice quieter than she expected. "We gonna kiss or something?"


She asked because she genuinely wasn't sure. Shark's nature, the aloof and quiet Agent she had been to Tethys mere minutes ago, suggested she'd known nothing of closeness and had never been interested in finding out. Raised more machine than humane. Any life could be taken away easily and was necessary if it came to that. Everyone was disposable and replaceable. Which, Tethys was sure, to an extent was true. But to treat people like spark plugs. To milk them of all their use until they're worn down and hardly functioning, then to trash them and replace them with shinier and younger models. She'd replaced many a spark plug, had changed Grough's three times already. She'd never thought of a human life like that. But Shark did. Or... did she?


Her eyes suggested otherwise.


Once so icy to Tethys, now the hue of a calm, rainless day. The kind of day one might spend at the local park, the kind of day one'd let their mind wander, perhaps grab an ice-cream, perhaps feed the ducks. And behind them, a life that had never known the tranquil joy of feeding ducks. And, beneath the blood, Shark smelled like the lobby Tethys had walked through this morning, smelled like the pristine cleanness of the room the recruits had lined up in. She was so close now.


Nothing Tethys had imagined this day to become was this. Gruelling physical fitness training or question after question of interviews with scary higher-ups in suits, that's what she expected. To go back home and have a bath, sore or mentally drained from the day's events. Watch a terrible sitcom with some hot chocolate. Fall asleep with damp hair on the settee, the blanket half over her. Wake up in the morning staring at her long-cold beverage with her bedraggled locks clinging to her face. That's what she'd thought would happen.


But instead... Shark happened.


@Mr_DC


((Not even a bad setup if it was FemXFem honestly! //_^ ))

 

[Mr_DC]

@0stinato


That joke made Shark blink. A blink which shattered her stare. Shark's eyes quickly ran across Tethys' face, taking in every feature, before she shook her head. "No." She took a step back. "It wouldn't be appropriate." She said like reading from some sort of a handbook. That's what they told her. 'No affection'. It caused harm. Got people killed for no reason. She wasn't interested in it. Didn't want to get killed.


Actually, Shark wasn't sure. She wasn't sure what would happen if she kept staring. She didn't have a plan, no preplanned course of action. She was ready to stare deep into the night, without a word. She felt... Something. Whatever it was. Something for that woman.


Shark blinked once more. Tethys was just nice. That's what she felt. Someone was nice to her for no good reason. Just nice. The researchers weren't always mean but the best they did was neutral. She was, after all, a tool for the corporation. Not really meant to be considered anything more than that. A carpenter's hammer. Shark once concluded. That's what she was. A tool. If the handle breaks, you replace it. If the head shatters, you replace it. If the tool becomes unusuable, you get a new one. Shark's hands broke multiple times before she got artificial ones. Even those shattered a couple times, requiring better materials and assembly. She pushed the technology forward in a way. Brought attention to what needed to be improved.


"Gentlemen." Shark nodded to the men who were giving her quizzical looks. They didn't quite deserve that title, at least in terms of appearance, but it was how they taught her to address people. Not that she had to obey. The officer definitely didn't deserve and wouldn't get to hear that word from her. "I apologize for forcing myself upon you like this. I assure you, you won't notice I'm here." She gave them a short bow, getting cautious nods in return. They got drawn in this whether they like it or not. Probably wouldn't get to feel the officer's wrath but they were still close to the action. Tethys, though... She was in it. Shark somehow caught her and drew her into the flames. It was curiosity. Another thing she got told to avoid. 'You get curious, you fail the mission' or something along those lines. That was one advice she didn't want to listen to. She enjoyed being curious in her little ways. Now, Tethys got too curious. And she would get hurt.


"May I?" She motioned a hand for the small, metal sink. Assuming no one would mind, Shark got over to it in a step and bent over, keeping her back perfectly straight. She could feel the water on her artificial hands. That's what Dai Lung was best at. It was their speciality. Convincing you that it's a part of your body. MosTech wasn't focused on those details. Neither was Militek, actually. They were aiming for military contracts but even those were dwindling as countries went bankrupt.


Shark splashed her face with the cold water. She loved water and always wanted to swim in the sea. At least take a bath. A shower was fulfilling enough. Hot or cold, it didn't matter. She enjoyed it.


The water turned pink as it spiraled down and eventually became clear. No towels on hand, Shark passed a hand over her face, the fingers gently passing over her nose and lips. Finally clean. She straightened again and looked at Tethys, expecting something. Anything. The silence went too long now and Shark wasn't the one to start a conversation. She would listen. Obey most of the time. Never talk back.


(The wind definitely blew in that direction.)