Lazarus Corporation Headquarters

While Shark left to dress, Tethys looked for somewhere to hide her new prizes. It wouldn't do to try and hide her rifle right now, and the pistol was leaving a highly suspicious bulge in her pocket, even if her jacket was disguising it somewhat. If she was frisked she was done for. As she looked around, she spotted a small indent in the wall. Perhaps there.


Her attention drew back to Shark as she returned, the woman quiet in quick thought. She spilled out a slap-dash plan that they'd both have to roll with. There was probably no other choice than to do what Shark said at this point. Tethys couldn't think of anything. Her instinct was to run and hope. Run and hope. Run away, hope they don't make a connection. However, the idea of a corporation of this size not making a connection was laughable.


"I'll... hide this shite, give me a... give me a second..." she walked hurriedly over to the indent and investigated it. A little subtle disc worked as the handle and, inside, Tethys discovered a large fire extinguisher. Sleek and white as the rest of the corridor, but clearly an extinguisher. And clearly here a long time from the dust on it. And on the top of the wall panel. That was hardly surprising - a complex like this would surely have an efficient sprinkler system. The extinguisher would probably be a backup - in case a fire had to be handled the good old fashioned way.


There was a small amount of space behind the extinguisher, so Tethys jammed in the rifle. The pistol she did a worse job of hiding, just tucking it down the side. Fine. It'd have to do. Like Shark's plan, there was very little time to think right now.


Tethys stepped away and began to shut the door when something struck her mind. Something to make Shark's plan a bit more... believable. She took a breath, before striking her temple against the edge of the panel. Hard. It stunned her for a second, the pain so close to her brain, but, again, she tried to recover quickly. Shark probably had no idea what she was doing, but... screw it, it needed doing. In Tethys' mind, it damn well needed doing.


She returned to Shark, fingertips at the source of the quick throbbing. The corner of the door had split her skin a bit, but that shouldn't be a problem. It was hardly a wound that would hinder her from doing her duty in the next few moments. Well, less a duty more... listening and doing what she was told.


"I'll... say she hit me here, awright? Dunno if it'll help but... hey maybe it will. I'm injured. And I'm scared. Both things you are when you get attacked randomly on yer way down a corridor," she couldn't help but break a smile at Shark. "My heart's beating well fast, oh my god."


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


"Heyo!" A voice came from the other side. A voice which would be more fitting on a cartoon bird than on someone calling themselves 'Lazarus'. "Thought you won't call. Was about to call you." She said, continuing with the cartoon tone. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am a Lazarus Corporation AI." She said, getting more to an official tone but trying to remain at least a bit more human. She did have an odd voice for an AI. It just wasn't quite right for what a person would imagine an AI sounding like. "I'm your friendly, company AI. Just here to ensure increased productivity in all departments so I figured I could give you a call..." She paused.


"So, what's up?" She followed up. Definitely not behaving like an AI. "Say, you're not in your department, are you? There's something you need to do there, an executive just finished a shouting session and I might as well have you do it. Would make you look good. How about a little trip to the office, whaddaya say?" She asked, switching her tone of voice to mimic an old-timey gangster or reporter or whatever she thought she sounded like.
 
@0stinato


A good place to hide the weapons. A bad place to get them out of in a hurry. The plan was horrible is so many ways but it was the only plan she had. It had to work. Maybe if Tethys got out of the van before they reached Ronin? No, it wouldn't work. The vans don't stop.


Maybe if she never left the barracks. Again no. Not only would the officer be looking for Shark's friend but if someone found her, it wouldn't end well.


Maybe if Tethys...


And Tethys slammed her head against the wall. A confusing act at first but Shark soon smiled. It was... "Smart." Shark concluded, grabbing Tethys by the chin when she came closer. "That's not bad. They won't take a much closer look. Wouldn't make sense if I was injured, though." She took her eyes off the bruise and looked at Tethys. She felt like getting hurt as well would make Tethys feel better about the harm she just caused to herself but being injured by a Specialist - a drunk one at that - wouldn't be plausible. "Smart." Shark repeated and let go of Tethys chin. At least she didn't have to punch her herself. It would be... Painful. For the both of them. Hitting a friend who she was risking her life for wouldn't feel right.


"I'll go get them." Shark said, heading for the stairs. "You wait here, try to look shaken." She said, realizing that's exactly how she looked. Shark stopped and returned to Tethys. "It's going to be fine." She smiled. The smile felt unnatural. She didn't want to smile. She was preparing for a mission, there was no time to stand around and smile like a child. "Don't worry." Shark nodded, giving Tethys a pat on the forearm.
 
As Lull listened to the cheery voice in his ear telling him what to do, he wondered if it was beneath him to insult what was, in essence, software. As he ignored the voice, he realised two things: the first was that no, it would not be beneath him. Nothing would be beneath him. He was scum and he knew it. He had no pride and wasn't about to gain any. The second thing he realised was that lots of people swore at both hardware and software. A programme crashes and people immediately start getting all upset and screaming obscenities at the screen. It wasn't really an odd thing to do. But having the software talking to him at this point was where he wasn't sure.


At the end of the AI's little monologue, she put on a strange voice. God. Insufferable. Was this the voice of Lazarus now. Would it read out all his e-mails. Would it insist on knowing what his favourite colour was. Would Lull have to get a new job because of the hatred he'd form. All interesting questions Lull asked himself in the flattest inner voice he'd ever heard.


"I thought the 'I' in AI stood for 'intelligence'. They must've missed that when programming you," Lull said dully. He didn't give a shit. Couldn't the stupid thing detect he was literally outside the building, literally about to come in? Couldn't it tell that its phone call was actually stopping him from doing his job? Jesus Christ. Apparently Lazarus couldn't design AI. Probably too proud to outsource to a software company that could actually make AI. But no, Lazarus wanted to everything itself.


"I'm coming up," Lull said slowly, patronising the AI as much as he felt it'd patronised him by putting on a stupid voice, "if you give me a fucking minute. And I don't give a shit about looking good. Anyone who does is an insufferable suck-up who I'd like to avoid if possible. Just let me do my job in peace."


Good God. Lull wanted another cigarette already.

@Mr_DC
 
To be, for wont of a better word, praised by Shark made Tethys' heart quicken. Something she thought was a bit silly, whacking her head into a panel, was actually a good thing to do. She couldn't help but smile as Shark repeated her praise. It made her situation more comfortable. It was dawning on her that any wrong move could result in her and Shark's death. They couldn't afford to be lax in anything they did. And if that meant hurting herself so be it. Better to take a small fall to avoid the big one.


Shark told her to wait. Tethys didn't exactly have any other choice, "Awright. I'll... if someone comes I'll tell em I just got outta the shower and I was jumped..." it sounded like an alright excuse. Not that anyone was likely to come along. Everyone was probably still asleep. Officer and recruits. All zonked out in dreamland. Tethys thought that, if she was still there, she'd die later today. Good thing she fell out of bed.


Take a small fall to avoid a big one.


Shark gave her arm a reassuring tap before leaving Tethys in the hallway. And there Tethys stood, allowing her face to give away every emotion she was feeling. Well, perhaps not every emotion. Part of her wanted to laugh; a sharp laugh, borne both of extreme anxiety and enjoyment was struggling to escape her lungs, but she kept it locked in. To smile when you're told bad new, to laugh when you're told someone's died, it was a reflex. Every muscle in her face would tense, forming a smile. And her body would shudder in shock, producing a laugh. Tethys felt it now. Felt that trembling in her stomach, the quick beat-beat-beat of her chest.


If the person lying beside her was a corpse, Tethys was sure she'd have fainted out of sheer excitement by now. Good thing she could see the woman's chest rising and falling as she lay there. For how long she'd lie there was impossible to tell, but Tethys hoped she'd still be down by the time Shark got back. If not... Tethys didn't know what she'd do.


What would Shark do?


Tethys knew that was a question she'd have to get used to asking herself. And, in this particular situation, she knew what Shark would do. If this woman got up, Tethys would just have to put her down again.


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


After not even a minute, Shark's footsteps clanked down the stairs again, followed by a pair of others. She was accompanied by a pair of Specialists, each with a rifle in hand but their fingers off the triggers. Easy to disarm. Shark concluded. If they became too suspicious, she'd have to deal with them as well. Not a problem to kill or disable them but the aftermath would be the problem. The aftermath. Something Shark never had to think about. Just kill, kill, kill. Sometimes extract, sometimes destroy. Never think of the aftermath. It wasn't her job. It was the job of whoever gave out the orders. She was a tool to be used.


"She came into the room and slurred over her words, throwing insults." Shark explained, walking over to the body on the floor. "The recruit tried calming her down..." Shark motioned her head at Tethys like she wasn't a major part of the story but one Specialist watched a bit longer than the other. A bit longer than what was comfortable. "But the Specialist hit her and that's where I stepped in."


"She's such an idiot." One Specialist sighed, crouching by the body but the other one watched Shark. "I'm sorry about that, she doesn't usually behave like this. The stress probably got to her." The first one said.


"You just punched her out?" She second specialist said, gently stroking the trigger guard with her finger.


"Yes." Shark raised her hand, making a fist. "It's not difficult to put someone down with this. I don't need a gun." The cold, unblinking stare was enough. Her frozen posture was redundant. It was a threat. Don't question me. She said with her behavior. Remember your rank.


The first soldier stood up and watched the two, his rifle by his side. He clearly wasn't sure what was going on but didn't intend to get involved. The second one, his rifle still at the ready, turned to Tethys, eyes running across the wound.


"And how did she hit you?" The second soldier asked, rolling one shoulder.


Shark didn't take a sidestep to stand between them. No. She turned to her side, took one step forward, and turned back to the soldier. "And what exactly do you think you're doing?" Shark raised her eyebrow that it was barely noticeable.


"I'm questioning the recruit." He looked past Shark at the door leading to the barracks. "Maybe I should check with other recruits in your room." He didn't make any motion towards the door. His somewhat casual, somewhat entertained tone was simply there to get Shark's mind off his finger. A finger which slipped onto the trigger.


"I didn't know you have the clearance level to interrogate someone. I thought only ranking officers could conduct interrogations." Shark examined the man's uniform. "You don't look like an officer. Are you?"


The first Specialist, who was silent by now, looked back down at the body. "She... Doesn't have her weapons. Did you, um... Confiscate them?" He broke in. He was certainly far less serious than the second Specialist. He wasn't suspicious of the situation.


"She came in like that." Shark said, not taking her eyes off the guard in front of her. "Accused me of stealing it." She said and her eyes locked with the first soldier. "You know what the punishment for losing equipment is. Not to mention drinking on duty." Shark shrugged. "I'm not going to tell anyone. No need for the girl to get herself killed. Just take her to her bed and have her sleep it off." There was almost some compassion in Shark's tone. She was selling it. "If her jaw hurts when she wakes up, don't get a Lazarus medical officer unless you want her to get into trouble." She paused and looked at the Specialist in front of her again. "I suggest each of you reports one piece of the gear missing so no one gets into too much trouble. Keep in mind that whoever lost the weapons will be in more trouble than the rest." She warned.


"Thanks." The first guard nodded, crouching and grabbing the woman by the shoulders. "Dude, a little help?"


The second guard watched Shark a bit more before nodding. "Yeah, thanks." He said like he wanted to spit in her face. He either didn't believe the story or hated Shark. He probably hated her. At least that's what Shark hoped. Just hate me.


The second one grabbed the Specialist by the feet and carried her into the elevator. Shark never took her eyes off them, even as the elevator doors closed and it started going up.


Once the Specialists were out of sight, Shark turned to Tethys. "It went better than expected. These guards aren't as cutthroat as most." She smiled. A smile of relief. She did it. The first big step was done. If the woman woke up and said Shark took her stuff, they'll think she's still confused. If she said Shark walked up half-naked, then no one would believe the story. That part of the plan worked out well. Maybe she wasn't bad at planning tactical operations. "The weapons." Shark looked at where Tethys stashed them. She would have to get it just before they head out of the building. Or after... That was a good plan. Tethys stays back when everyone leaves, gets her weapons, catches up with the crowd. It might work. Better than going with the outdated MosTech gear. Useless against Ronin unless you're really lucky.


"Leave them here. We can get them when we start to move out." She said, explaining that bit of the plan and looking back towards the long hallway of the barracks. "Come, we're going to the shower again." She said and started walking. Explain what you mean. Shark commanded herself. "I need to teach you how to fight and what will it be like when you get shot." She said, looking over her shoulder. "Everything will be fine." She said, again. Shark didn't want Tethys to panic. This whole situation was stressful and she couldn't have Tethys break. Not now.


(A big post to make up for the ones I wrote last night)
 
@0stinato


"Rude..." The AI said to the insult but her tone quickly returned to normal. "I need you to find a control box in the laboratory. Should look like an electrical closet but it has a small security console by the side. Tell me when you reach it, I'll unlock it for you." She said. All cameras in the building seemed focused on the man - Lull, the AI had access to all personnel files. The building seemed strangely empty. Not even guards patrolling the hallways. Not even the occasional drone flying around.


"What's got you so mad?" The AI asked after a minute of silence. "Are you unhappy with your job?"
 
 Tethys realised she hadn't been breathing. Not enough to stay conscious. As soon as the two specialists left, she opened her mouth and let her breath out. Her heart was panicking, her brain was panicking, her hands were panicking. Shaking, trembling, every word that meant those things. She began to breathe again, feeling the cold bite of sweat under her arms.


"Went better than expected..." she said. Shark began instructing her again, began telling her what to do.


Don't get the weapons yet, get them before you get in the van. Definitely make sure to pick them up. It would be awful if she forgot them. She'd almost certainly die. She couldn't afford to be airheaded about this.


She fell into step behind Shark, staring at her hands, trying to make them stop visibly shaking. She was listening to Shark... but not exactly hearing. That meant when Shark mentioned what it'll feel like when you're shot, it took her about half a minute to realise. And, by that point, Shark had already taken her silence as a tacit agreement.


Shark wouldn't really shoot her, would she? Sure, she was wearing a thin armoured vest, but there were two things wrong with that: first, it was a thin armoured vest. Second, Shark had said it was hardly useful for protection against much, but at least it was better than nothing. So... Shark would shoot her right? Right?!


Tethys bit her tongue hard. Not enough to make it bleed but enough to wake her mind out of its stupor. Focus. Dumbo. Focus! Although she'd never been shot before she knew what the body had to deal with upon being shot. A non-fatal shot say, to the thigh, could still take a life. It was all about shock. Experience a shock and it's the heart that kills you, not the blood loss. The kind of shock to make your last words either a scream or a shouted expletive. Tethys had to learn to keep keep the shock factor down. She was good at suppressing her shock from childhood, hearing gunshots, seeing bodies, seeing comatose friends crashing from acid... she'd seen a lot. But having to learn this in mere hours was still daunting. But it had to be done. It had to be. To survive.


As they entered the shower again, Tethys tried to think of a song. Singing always calmed her down, from feeling paranoid and scared during a midnight toilet break to hearing a noise outside her apartment. It was a useful technique. She settled on a World Party track, humming it herself, preparing herself for what Shark would do to her once they were in the shower.


@Mr_DC
 
Lull stood, his stance a body-wide eyeroll.  He scooped up the folder with a sigh, reiterating the AI's instructions.


"Laboratory control box, fine... I assume it's the one beside the computer servers. I suppose there's no point asking why is there," he walked into the building, entering the elevator. It was empty, chrome and cold. As he pressed the button for the laboratory floor, he muttered yet another sulky comment into the speaker. "You people never tell me anything."


The lift was fast, magnet-powered and sleek. As with all lifts, it did give him the sinking feeling of forgetting his stomach on the lobby floor, but at least the feeling only lasted a few seconds. The AI was still on the line. What was her goddamn motive here? To waste Lull's minutes? Again, why the hell couldn't the AI just get him on the line? Maybe it was like calling up the speaking clock. The clock couldn't call you when you wanted, you had to call it. Probably the exact same with this parrot-like AI.


Arrogant bitch.


"Why are you so mad? Are you unhappy quite your job?" here it was again. Because Lazarus could ask him questions but he couldn't ask Lazarus anything without getting passive aggressive threats delivered to him.


"Unhappy with my job?" Lull said. "No. Happiness and its counter are concepts I won't waste my time on. I exist as I do, happy or no, I don't care." 


Because that made total sense. He steppes out of the elevator, swiped his palm across the identity panel, and entered the laboratory. Heading straight for the server, he noticed the control box. Sticking out of the wall slightly.


He leaned on it as he spoke, "Just tell me what to do and stop wasting my life with asinine questions. Now, I'm at the box so unlock it for me. Tell me what to do when just get in. No tangents."


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


"I can't exactly show you what it's going to be like." Shark stepped in the middle of the shower room and turned to Tethys. "I don't have anything weak enough to shoot you with and even if I did, there's still a chance that the bullet will go through. I also don't want to damage the vest - it can only take so many bullets before it becomes useless." Shark explained. She knew how to use vests to their full ability. Bending her body so a bullet wouldn't hit her, stripping the vest and throwing it at incoming bullets, bending it for higher calibers. Nothing she could teach Tethys. All there was to teach was explaining what happens when you get hit.


"Come." Shark motioned with her hand. "I'm going to hit you with an open palm. It will knock the air out of your lungs. I'm going to do this as many times as we need to for you to get used to it. I can't have you incapacitated and gasping for air in the middle of a fight." That was a detailed explanation of what she had planned for Tethys. Something which would calm Shark down if it was a bit more technical but she had to tone it down for Tethys. She was, after all, human. "It will surprise you, regardless of how much you're expecting it. You just need to focus through it once it happens."


Just don't cry. Shark frowned. It would mean she's weak. That she wasn't good enough to survive what was going on. Although... Shark did see soldiers fight through blood and tears, doing what she figured was impossible, and willing a lost battle. Do what you need to. Shark's expression softened. "You need to get used to it. Just relax and put yourself in whatever mindset will help you." Shark was already thinking of the next lesson. Expecting the unexpected... And fighting.
 
@0stinato


"Fine." The AI said in a shift of tone which would give someone whiplash. She wasn't quirky or entertaining anymore. She wasn't even robotic, speaking with pure hatred. "Open the box." She ordered. "I unlocked it for you." She explained.


"Inside are plenty of wires. Find the black one with red stripes on it and unplug it." She ordered. "It might take some strength but you can unplug it... If you have the strength required, that is. Want me to call over a security guard to do it for you?" She mocked. The shift wasn't just in her tone. It was in what she was saying as well.
 
Information, tons and tons of it. But all Tethys was hearing was 10% and she knew it. No matter how hard she tried to read through the lines, she knew Shark was feeding her the bare bones of what she needed to know. But Shark wasn't the one to explain. She was the one to learn. Shark probably never had an underling until now.


Still. It wasn't the time to think. It was the time to do. Tethys, unable to speak, lips dry and eyes set, could merely nod. She was going to get the breath knocked out of her. She was going to develop bruises. She'd hurt in the morning, no doubt.


She liked her lips, "Yeh, c'mon. Hit me. I'm not ready and I'm not sure what I'll do but... practice makes perfect eh."


To attempt to stop the impact, she spread her legs slightly, leaned forward and tensed her shoulders. No idea where Shark would hit her, she wanted to be sure to minimise the pain.


As if her stance would minimise the pain... that was foolish to assume.


@Mr_DC ((This one's a little short, I know Shark is going to have more action at the moment))
 
@0stinato


Shark took a step back and forward again. No distance. Best not to hit too hard the first time. Shark raised one hand, opened the palm towards Tethys and wound the hand back. "I will hit you above your stomach the first time." Shark said and pushed her arm forward like a bullet. Her instincts took over for a moment. She didn't hold back too much and hit hard. Hopefully, not hard enough to break something. Probably hard enough to launch Tethys back.


Shark could imagine Tethys doing this one day. Sparring with her. Dodging that attack and countering with her own. Shark never liked sparring. She did it occasionally with some 'experts' but they were never any match. She always had to keep in mind not to hit too hard. Hit as hard as you need to and not a bit more. If there was anything that got on her nerves, it what that. Made her tense. Holding back like that, being careful about how much she hurts someone. That wasn't her. She was good at it but it wasn't her.


It didn't bother her so much this time. It had more weight this time. She was training someone who could die if she didn't know what to do. It wasn't some outside expert Shark had no interest in. It was Tethys. A friendly girl who just wanted to survive. And Shark didn't hold back as much as she wanted to.


(As long as it's about two lines long, I don't really mind. Good job for you for writing so much with so little given. I'm gonna have difficulty matching you, as you can see.)
 
Lull raised his eyebrow at how different the AI sounded as he opened the box. Had a different AI come on the line or was this one bipolar. Could AI be bipolar? Ugh. Give a shit.


Lull did a she instructed though. No point dignifying her insult with any response. If she wanted to insult Lull so be it. It didn't change the fact he probably wouldn't have a problem pulling the wire out.


As she'd said, the innards were a tangled mess of wires. All the different colours scrambled together like this was pissing Lull off. He was getting stressed, and when he got stressed, he had the incredible urge to do one of two things: smoke his lungs to dust or organise something. And this box was full of stuff to organise. Just give him some tape and coffee, he'd happily spend the rest of the day organising the wires in lovely neat clumps.


What was he looking for? Black with red? Fine. But... first...


Lull snatched protective gloves out of the dispenser on the wall. He slipped them on, suddenly suspicious. Just yank out the wire, don't turn off any fuses or anything. Stupid voice trying to kill him.


"I'm taking the wire out now," he said, giving it a sharp tug. It came free in Lull's fist, and he withdrew his hand from the box, awaiting his next instruction. "What now."


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


As soon as he unplugged the wire, the room fell into sudden darkness. The machines which were constantly giving out a silent hum went quiet. The only sound was that of an ominous laugh. The AI was laughing but it sounded quiet, like it was coming from another room. "Congratulations." She said with the same ominous tone. "You just damaged the clones, costing Lazarus Corporation more money than you or anyone you know will ever earn." She let out a relaxed sigh and continued. "I mean, you can plug it back it, the machines will reboot but the damage is done. Not the mention the delay you just caused for the whole project. And I have it aaaall on tape." She laughed.


"Everything. You getting a call from MosTech outside. Going into the building while talking to your contact in MosTech. Sabotaging the facility on orders from MosTech." She sighed with relief again. "Too easy. But no, I'm not MosTech. And no, I won't send it to everyone just yet. This is called leverage. I have your life now and the life of... Heheh, you know who." She lowered her tone. "That's right, Lull. I know everything. It's not difficult to know every single thing about you when everyone lives surrounded by electronics. I can know whatever I want just from your toaster." She spat the last words out.


"Now be a dear, plug that back in, and get the hell out. Your rude ass is mine."
 
As she suspected, her ready-for-anything stance did nothing. As soon as Shark's weight pushed against her, Tethys felt her feet slide across the ground, her bootheels leaving the floor for seconds. She pain hit her, flushing through her body, and she fell in an arc to the floor, her back slamming into it. Right below the sternum. No air to gasp with, no air to support her chest. She felt it practically collapse onto her, pain coming in waves and stinging her brain.


Get the hell up. That was what she had to do now. Shark had already recovered her position, readying herself for the next stabbing pain she'd put Tethys through. But her limbs felt numb, her feet impossible to feel. And a thread of the World Party song in her mind. She focused on it, closing her eyes, forcing breath into her mouth. Forcing her teeth down on her tongue. Forcing her fingers to tense. Any movement would be good and as soon as she started moving she'd be able to get up.


Unaware of how long she was on the floor, Tethys pushed herself onto her front, giving a gasp. Finally, oxygen was returning to her. Nausea accompanied it, as well as a dizzy feeling as soon as she recovered on her two feet. Keep singing, keep singing. Body must do what it must, mind can sing what it can. She had her back to Shark and she quickly turned, not wanting Shark to unleash some huge attack on her spine or kidneys.


"God... you're... such a bitch..." she said, somehow giving Shark a grin. "That fucking... oww... I s'pose you're gonna do it again and again aren't you... Oh god..."


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


Shark watched Tethys struggle. At least it wasn't a gunshot. She thought while staring down with a blank expression. This shouldn't happen in battle. Shark would have to run in for rescue and then she would get shot in the head, moments before Tethys got the same treatment. She had to be able to stand on her own two feet and take her own bullets.


"I'm sorry, Tethys." Shark gave her a shallow bow. "I know it's uncomfortable at best but imagine if you got shot and you reacted like that on the field. The fact that your vest stopped the bullet means nothing if someone can walk up and put a few more in you." Shark flexed her knuckles and gave a nod. "This will increase your survivability. Get ready." She said, preparing for the next of many punches. They didn't have time to practice fully but Shark intended to at least strike her a dozen more times, each time increasing the power. Still, she toned it down for the next punch, focusing on how hard she hit.
 
Mm...


Should have seen that coming. Something was up. He'd realised that much. If only he'd...


But it was far too late for that now. This AI wasn't anything affiliated with Lazarus, wasn't anything at all. It had its own malicious motives, perhaps not directed at Lull personally, but directed at the company. The cover could be the personal revenge it was threatening upon Lull's life. Revenge for Lull being rude to it. Not that there was any other outcome - Lull had no patience for anything cheerful. It was just unfortunate that this particular cheerful thing couldn't just listen to him, couldn't just acknowledge his preference for bluntness. But still. That wasn't important. Its true goal was probably to sabotage Lazarus, and to frame someone. Sure, there were ways Lull could defend himself - for example, he still had the text that directly said "-Lazarus" on the bottom, as well as the stupidly long number attached to it, and he had the weight of working for Lazarus on one of its secret projects for at least two years now, and even longer within Lazarus itself.


But it meant nothing. He'd be killed for sure. And this AI, the I being much more prevailing than Lull had expected, was feeding information about his life, his goings on and his sister to something else. They'd get her first. Surely they would. If they knew everything about Lull, they'd know what mattered most to him.


Weaknesses - openings. Everyone had one. No one was safe. No one was invulnerable. God fuck it. God fuck it.


He cleared his throat, "I see. Well played. But now it's my move, yes?" he said to the AI. If it really was AI. It'd pass the Turing Test for sure, Lull was certain, if it was AI. But it could be anyone. Could be a programme, could be a person behind the phone call. Could be anyone. Rival corporation probably. But that didn't matter either.


Lull quietly ended the call, reinserting the cable back where it should've been. He was no electrician or engineer, so he had that disadvantage of not knowing at all what cables would do what. He'd made his choice about what he wanted to do. No point waiting around.


He opened up his contact list and called home. After a few rings, he heard his sister's voice on the other end. And she picked up. At least.


"Hello?" she said, voice muffled by that gas mask she wore. He knew how to hear her through the mask, he knew what she was saying.


"Lois," he said, voice calm, even if his mind was an indelicate balance of racing thoughts and clashing ideals. "Do you want to get a coffee with me?"


"Oh, that's a good idea. Are you, like, off work or what? 'Cuz I'm happy with that. I want hot chocolate."


"Alright..." Lull nodded to himself. "Want to wait outside for me?"
"I'll get my coat on. It's cold."
Lull didn't smile, "Yes. Give me a few minutes to get to you then."


He hung up. Nothing else to do. Nothing to do but remove the weakness. Remove his weakness.


Now the electricity was flowing again, Lull was able to get out the door. He disposed of the thin gloves in the bin absent-mindedly as he took the stairs. It was several storeys he had to walk down, but he didn't want to take the lift. Too claustrophobic for his mind at the moment. Impossible to think in. But the repetitive tap-tap-tap of his boots on the stairs was rhythmic enough to allow him to organise his thoughts. And organise he did. Stress diminished as he filed away his anxieties, focusing only on Lois. Get to Lois. Nothing else mattered.


As Lois had said, the air had a bitter chill to it now. He was fine, and, in all honesty, sweating. Beneath his mask he could feel his upper lip sweating, his neck becoming hot. The strap of his apron around his neck felt like a restrictive hand, rather than the usual comfortable reminder of his old life. Because he was content in his old life. No deathy AIs out to get him. With a hiss, he ripped the apron from his body, wrapping it hastily under his arm. Too restrictive, he couldn't walk, he couldn't breathe. God. Panic. Panic was his worst enemy. When the amygdala got involved, that was a true Hell. Fuck the fire-and-brimstone lands. Panic, the heartbeat in his forehead, the shaking in his wrists. You can't act on panic.


Before long, he was home, and Lois was there. Perfect. Lois. Perfect angelic heavenly body. Lull didn't believe in Heaven, Purgatory or anything of the sort, but Lull was sure she'd go there. She took blue over white, but Lull was sure her wings would be purer than ethanol. She made his heart stop. She kept him breathing. But it didn't matter - she was his weakness and probably his only one.


"You took off your apron?" she said. Her legs weren't covered, which was something Lull would usually point out. Maybe that's why your cold - put some leggings on, stupid girl.


But all he did was nod, "I wanted to change. You might as well come in while I do."


"Alright..."


He led her upstairs, eyes darting around, panic taking over once again. Was everything the same? Were the bills on the side table in the same place? Was the dust on the bookshelf disturbed? Was it colder in here than usual? Ah shit.


"Oh, Lois, forgive me for this, would you?"


"Hm?"


Before Lois could properly understand what Lull meant he was close to her. Too close. His large and dexterous hands behind her head made short work of the gas mask's buckle. Her eyes widened as he pulled it from her jaw, staring right into her eyes, distracting her. He threw it across the room where it hit the ottoman with a thud, but Lois wasn't listening anymore. Her hands were on his, delicate, painted nails grasping at his thumbs, trying to pry them off her throat. She choked his name, reached for his face to push him, but he didn't stop. Didn't change expression beneath his mask. Hitting him did nothing, pushing at him did nothing, crying did nothing. Thumbs at her windpipe, cutting off all air, Lull was merciless.


But, in doing so, he was more merciful than he'd ever been.


As his sister's legs gave way beneath him, her knees collapsing and her tear-streaked eyes rolled back in her head, a cute, thin stream of saliva running down her perfect pointed chin, Lull felt nothing but compassion. He fell to his knees and laid her on the floor as gently as he could, still keeping all the pressure he could on her neck. The tendons in his fingers were on fire. Lois' neck was warm. Her small hand fell onto his leg, resting on his thigh, and her jacket opened, revealing her thin and pristine figure, all wrapped up tightly in her shimmering blue dress. She'd gone down quickly, her soft and unmuscled body being no match for his will and strength. And still he squeezed her neck. Feeling the pump of her perfect heart in the veins soften, soften, soften... and finally die...


Oh, Lois. My sweet, precious Lois.


And still he held on, hands knowing how much they had to do, how much work they had to put in. He had to release her before someone else would. He had to do it, the compassion of an older brother telling him so. She deserved nothing else than the person who'd loved her and taken care of all of her life to take her out of it. The person who'd taught her counting and numbers, the person who she'd relied on for protection, whose figure she'd run to if she was upset, whose large hands only ever stroked her cheek or rubbed her shoulders. He'd brushed her hair, he'd put her socks on, he'd painted the walls of her room. He'd cooked for her, stayed home with her, loved her. He'd loved her.


And he still did. This was the only way. Danger called for its removal. Save Lois. Save her. With your bare hands, she deserves no less. She is perfection, she is an angel in blue, she is the most pristine and correct thing on this earth, and you have no right to let her die. You must free her, you must save her. Keep your hands taught. Let her be with her mother.


Lull breathed.


And Lois didn't.


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


Another message arrived on Lull's phone. It was from another absurdly long number. A different one.


Either do it right and put a bullet in her head or stop the charade.


Call me when you're done.


- Lazarus.
 
Lull stood, suddenly feeling a lot clearer in the head. Untouchable? Invulnerable? Maybe. Maybe now. Maybe forever.


He read the text, but paid it no mind. If Lois wasn't free beneath him, if the figure lying in front of him wasn't actually letting its soul go yet, it would do. Lois would die without pure oxygen. It was known, and they undoubtedly knew it. No point in shooting her. Lull didn't want that. Not until he knew she was gone. After that, anyone could do whatever they wanted with the body, because it was just that - a body. Lois was free. Lois was gone. He'd never see her again, never hear her voice again, but she was free. Every brotherly duty was fulfilled and every threat to his mind was eliminated.


He wouldn't shoot her.


He dialled the number. No point in trying to record or trace the call in any way. No point in going to anyone about it. The damage to Lull's life was done. And he had to respond quickly. Efficiency was key.


"Good morning again, Lazarus," Lull said, examining his fingernails as if the whole excursion a few minutes was nothing but a bit of friendly banter between siblings, "I hope I'm providing an entertaining puppet show for you, seeing as you're clearly much too important to come and kill one stupid little girl. If you'd like to tell me where your cameras are, I'd gladly continue this entertainment by giving you a tour of my rectal cavity. How's that for an offer?" he said, one eyebrow raised, expression one of complete and utter boredom.


What exactly was there to worry him now? He wasn't afraid of death, not at all. And he had nothing to live for anyway. Now it was just a slow and dull life he had to lead. He'd never felt more sorrowful about the future.


@Mr_DC ((Tethys' part is on its way too, I just got engrossed in Lull/Lazarus' storyline!))
 
The next time Shark hit her, Tethys could tell it was with less force; it didn't take her off her feet like the first one. Instead, she managed to keep upright for the most part. A few steps back but that was all. Again, the dizziness came, as if Shark was shocking her brain with electricity. Over and over, the pain from her torso ricocheted throughout her body, gradually dying down. Shark's open-palmed strikes were very different from bullets though. For one thing, they didn't cause external bleeding. For another, the surface area of a bullet was so small that it was unlikely it'd knock someone off their feet. Of course, depending on the bullet and the caliber of gun, there would be exceptions.


"Fuckin' 'ell... I'm getting a bit pissed off with you now, Sharky," she said after recovering. The lighter strike, as well as her first experience of it, meant she could return to her original position quicker. A bit like getting her ears pierced. After the pain of the first one, the second one felt like nothing.


And she was surprised to find that she was actually getting angry with Shark. Her eyebrows, which would usually only crease if she was confused, were now low over her eyes, which were glaring into Shark. Her arms were pumping full of adrenaline, fists at her sides. She wanted to stop Shark doing that. She wanted to walk up to Shark and give her a punch too. Of course, she was doubtful she'd do any damage to Shark's tough body, but it was the principle of the thing that Tethys wanted.


"Come on then! Hit me again! Whaddaya standing around for?!" she shouted at Shark. "Try it, I'm not going down this time, awright?!"


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


"Nice job, psycho." The AI said in an annoyed tone. "You just killed your sister. I bet you got a hard-on right now." She said, irritated. "Well, I'm either going to have you die or you can have some fun before your miserable life comes to an end. What'll it be, fatty?" She spoke in a disinterested tone, like she was doing something far more important on the side.
 
@0stinato


A bit harder next time. Shark concluded. Maybe a lot harder. 50% more. She nodded as Tethys recovered. She took that one like a champ but it still wasn't enough. It didn't really matter. When a Ronin Samurai rushed with his sword out, there was no armor or toughness that could stop him.


A worried expression flashed on Shark's face but only for a moment. The next moment, Shark's leg swept under Tethys and while she was falling, Shark's hands launched for Tethys' throat.


They both fell with a thump but Shark never let go of Tethys' throat. She sat on her chest and fully extended her arms so her head would ideally be out of reach. "Fight back!" Shark barked, putting pressure on Tethys' arteries. "Fight! Back!" She ordered again, every so often releasing pressure so Tethys wouldn't pass out.


She wanted a fight, she was going to get one. "Fight me!" Shark yelled, clenching her teeth. She simulated everything, of course. There was no effort she needed to put in nor was there any way Tethys could fight against Shark's grip. She might as well be stuck under a car. Still, the fight should look real enough to Tethys. Enough to get her blood pumping, her will to live activated. Fight me. Shark internally sighed. She needed Tethys to survive. To fight through what was coming.
 
Lull exhaled sharply through his nose. A mirthless smile formed on his lips as he listened to the AI insult him. No, they weren't insults were they. They were truths. Well, all except the hard-on - that was something Lull definitely didn't have. Neither set of genitalia he garnered had been aroused by any means. His mind though... that was happy. Incessant worry that plagued him constantly about Lois was sleeping now. It was dormant, probably never to be awakened again. What else would he worry about. Himself? Laughable conclusion, really. In however-many million years, the world would end. The sun would explode or the universe would collapse in on itself. And where would Lull be then? Dust. Not even bone would survive until that point. So who would he worry about?


"How about you make the decision. You're probably playing with my life like a paperclip anyway. Whatever I say won't happen without your go-ahead," he paused. "There's two doubts I have. Firstly, if you're from Lazarus or affiliated in any way, surely you could just trigger the little explosive they put against my skull when I joined. That'd kill me. But, seeing as you've not done that yet, or, you don't know how to do that, I must doubt that you actually want to kill me yet. Either you want me to do something, which you probably got when I fucked Lazarus' cloning shit on you word, or you want something from me. I could be wrong in my assessment, but, as I'm still standing here breathing, I'm finding it hard to believe anything else," he smiled. "If you're going to be manipulative at least try to hide what you're doing from a fatty like me, hm?"


Jesus, ignorance was everywhere. It was in him too, he wasn't going to lie. Blindly trusting something labelled 'Lazarus' on a text... how shit was that. But it was done. Dwelling would only lead to internal wars and struggles. Lull couldn't be bothered with that. The only internal war he was willing to wager was smokers' cough. That was it. Keep putting those little tobacco sticks to his lips, keep enjoying his ultimately disastrous life.


Good point though, a cigarette. He could do with one. He strolled casually over to the ottoman and sat himself on it heavily. Lois' gas mask was at his feet, a product of his own painstaking design. It had served its purpose well enough. From one pocket he withdrew his cigarettes, from the other a lighter. Just as he did earlier, he lit one, keeping his phone at his ear.


If the post-death descent in his emotions wasn't enough to calm him, the nicotine certainly was. Lull felt almost drowsy after a few long drags, opening his mouth fully to breath out the smoke. This was heaven. Heaven on earth.


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


The AI was quiet for a good while. A grunt of annoyance. Of approval maybe. "Fine, freak. I need something from you. Damaging the project was just a way of getting leverage but it seems now that I picked the wrong person for it. Yet, you're insane enough to go with whatever I ask of you..." She snorted. "Yeah... I need something from you. I need a pair of human hands in Lazarus doing the things I can't do. Now, if you're not exactly interested in doing it, I'll pop your head open like a cherry and find someone else. Not a threat, mind you. It's just a fact." She finished with a puff. She clearly wasn't satisfied with the situation. Not exactly what she planned.
 
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