Ronin Corporation Nevereign branch

[HarleyQuip]

@Mr_DC @0stinato @uesius

As bits of mechanical pieces scattered through the air, she noticed something odd in which her attacker went on the defense momentarily. Her body had completed it's rotation and was on it's way down. The nano blades folded into her arms once again just as the three blasts whizzed towards her. Her quantum processor relayed flight path information pinpointing where the shots had come from. One of them nearly made contact with her head but missed narrowly singeing a few of her hairs the other two shots missing completely. As she landed the floor cracked beneath her, she caught the pistol mid-air and back flipped parallel away from Shark and the room that the shots came from.

As she back flipped she grasped the pin of another frag grenade, the magnetic lock disengaging, pin pulling out and being thrown in the direction of the office once more with one hand. The other aimed the sights of her fully automatic 50.cal pistol. The sight was aimed at the left of shark, as her finger pulled back the trigger allowing a burst of explosive tipped rounds spiral out of her barrel; 6 rounds. 1 left of shark, 1 centered to her body in a downward trajectory, 1 above shark from recoil, 1 right of Shark as the pistol's sight made it's way over to the office. 1 intended for the office wall where the shooter was supposed to be, another in the same place intended to hit the target in the office.

Her feet made contact with the ground at the same moment her nano blades re-engaged.

[This is taking too long...]

Lotus thought to herself.

 

[uesius]

@Mr_DC @HarleyQuip @0stinato


Kora nodded, still looking at Jack while he gave his explanation. She focused her attention back on Steele. She was frustrated with her observation skills, they were not up to par. Nor was she overly enthused about sitting here and doing nothing while something big is going right over their heads. Watching the two of them endlessly glower at each other wasn't getting them anywhere either.


“God, I'm sick of all this beating around the bush,” she grumbled. She shifted her weight uncomfortably, first leaning to one side, then leaning over to the other. If Jack wanted to know why Steele showed up, why didn't he just ask? Why wasn't the boss asking questions, either? Wasn't that her job? Instead, they all stood around waiting for the other to make the next move.


She glanced over at Jack, then back towards Steele and Chloe. The tension in this room was infuriating. Should she do it? Say something to get their attention, maybe get the ball rolling a bit? She'd probably face severe repercussions, but if she had learned anything in the past day or so, it was to live a little.


That's it. She was going to do it. No turning back now. Without a second thought, she cupped her hand over her mouth to amplify her voice. “Hey! Mr. Steele!” she hollered loud enough for the two ahead to hear her. Her voice echoed throughout the room, giving her a false sense of authority. “What do you think you're doing here, anyway? Just show up at the same time this place gets hounded by some mercs, pretty strange, huh?”


She dropped her hand back down to her side. Her jaw clenched tight and her eyes widened in excitement. Oh my god, I can't believe I just did that. I just yelled at some important businessman, in front of my boss and her henchmen. She had fantasised about doing such a thing for quite some time, but never had she thought she would actually be in the situation to do so. Well, mission accomplished. I'm going to get so much shit for that later. If she wasn't completely consumed by apprehension towards her daring move, she would have laughed at herself in pity

 

[0stinato]

Although it was impossible for Tethys to tell who had the upper hand, she gritted her teeth in a silent curse as she saw Shark fall backwards. However, to throw herself at the enemy would be a huge mistake for her life. But maybe it would come down to that. Hopefully not now though.


She looked down to sweep the rifle off her hip, readying the unfamiliar weapon in in the palms of her hands. It would just be like firing a regular gun, only bigger. And more supported. Tethys tried to see it that way as she brought it up, deciding to take more time to aim at any exposed flesh she could see.


Tethys wasn't stupid (although she was sure her decisions up to this point might give anyone that impression) so she didn't assume who Shark was going up against would be simply flesh. No, given what capabilities this person apparently had, Tethys was sure that she, like Shark, was augmented in numerous ways.


As Shark began to twist from her position on the floor, Tethys saw blood. So Shark... wasn't winning? Shit. 


However, Tethys wasn't allowed any more time - before she could fire off a single shot with the rifle, she heard the same tinking she'd heard earlier. More grenades. Tethys threw herself away, but was powerless to then avoid gunfire as she fell. She landed, unable to curse or scream as she felt her chest ripped by something furiously hot.


One hand squeezed the rifle, the other clutching the convulsing pain in her chest. She had no breath, nothing to call with. All she felt was the fast beating of her heart in her temples, sweat running down her cheek like a tear, and the lightheaded feeling of shock.


The pain was in her left breast. Off to the very left side. It felt like it was on fire, but also so cold. As she lay on the floor, one hand over her injured chest, she felt herself start bleeding. Why wasn't the adrenaline dulling this? This couldn't be it.


"Jesus!" she gasped when she finally got her breath back. "Jeeeesussss!"


What if she'd wanted children one day? She'd be feeding them on blood now, if she survived.


But. Her heartbeat was still in her temples and it was still strong, still angry. She couldn't move, her body was curled In pain and she was vulnerable. Any attack aimed at her and she'd be dead - the only reason she was still here was because Shark was their enemy's main focus right now.


Tethys brought the rifle up so it was resting on her hip, and tried her best to aim at the attacker. Above Shark. Occupied by Shark.


What other choice did she have bit to fire over and over again, as quickly as she could, at Shark's opponent? It'd empty the clip but Tethys would rather she went big if she was going to die. It wasn't so much the chest wound now... her strategically placed bags If fat had probably saved her a bit. And if she was going to die here she told herself she'd have to thank God for their placement once she saw the Big Man himself in Heaven.


But Tethys didn't want to die. She didn't want to. She wanted to make it out of here with Shark. Alive. Both of them. Alive.


@Mr_DC @HarleyQuip @uesius

 

[Mr_DC]

@HarleyQuip @0stinato @uesius


Jack's jaw dropped as Kora just yelled out something obvious. That's not how you play the game. Jack was breathless. She just did something so... Unspeakable. "Kora?" Jack uttered while Steele turned to face her. The full weight of his full attention was now coming down onto Kora. Jesus. Jack closed his eyes. There had to be a way to drag her out of it. Maybe just let her make her own mistakes?


"Finally!" Chloe winked at Kora. "Thank! You!" She laughed, returning her eyes to the holographic screen in front of her. "At least someone else had balls. No offence, Jacky, but I get bored at all these little games."


And Chloe just got her out of it. Jack suppressed a laugh. He had to appreciate Chloe's forwardness. She didn't hold back and just expressed her own suspicion against another CEO. Jack would still prefer the quieter approach but this was... An approach. Maybe not a good one but it was an approach.


Steele smirked at the girl. "You sound like miss Johnson's assistant." He passed his cybernetic hand through his hair, giving the girl a nod. "What can I say? It's a coincidence." He chuckled but suddenly turned serious. "Are you accusing me of something?"


That was what Jack was afraid of. No one points fingers at the big dogs. Not unless they want their fingers bitten off. Time to step in. Jack smiled, let out a friendly chuckle, and sucked in a short breath.


But Steele spoke first. "Not you." He shook his head at Jack. "Her." He nodded at Kora, silencing Jack before he said a single word.


Shark launched herself up upon seeing the grenade and, with a mid-air spin, kicked it out of the window. That act wasn't without a price, though. A bullet hit her back armor. Wouldn't be a problem usually but the bullets were explosive. Her armor shattered, saving her from being instantly killed but punishing her recklessness. Shark felt what had to be a thousand needles piercing her back. The feeling was almost... Enjoyable. It wasn't painful but it would be later, if they got out alive.


Her muscles were still strong and her organs were still doing their duty. Hearing a bullet explode, hitting a wall, Shark  lobbed her axe towards Tethys and sprinted towards her.


Yes, cover me. Shark frowned as Tethys fired past Shark at their attacker. Shark caught the axe with her teeth by the handle and scooped Tethys up. "We're leaving." Shark mumbled around the handle of her axe. She didn't stop. She kept running towards the other exit. To the lobby. She might be able to outrun the attacker and definitely the Samurai. That's what her legs were made for.


With Tethys shooting back, the attacker wouldn't be able to get a good aim at Shark's legs. Probably. Couldn't kill Tethys through Shark. Probably.

 

[HarleyQuip]

@Mr_DC @0stinato @uesius

With how many holes lined the office it was easy to make out what was going on inside. Lotus was growing tired. This game of cat and mouse had drug on for too long. So as it was her AK dropped from her back swinging over to her right hand, the magazine ejecting from the pistol in her left. Half a second was all it took to load a magazine with EMP rounds. The pistol unleashed an automatic burst of rounds on the left doorway leading to the lobby following sharks estimated escape path. While the AK began spewing bullets into the office onto the attacker with the rifle. A few bullets smashed into her shoulder but crumpled on impact and bounced off. The ballistic weaving in her skin was much more durable than the standard military vest and required a significant amount of force to breach. The only reason it had stopped the buckshot was because it had barely grazed her, but didn't withstand the axe's edge because unlike bullets the axe had a cutting edge not a piercing one.

A few more bullets hit Lotus' frame but didn't seem to phase her emotionally, physically it was enough to slightly throw her aim off but not by much. She was using her legs to steady herself in a traditional horse stance. Nothing short of a ton of kinetic force would be able to knock her down. The EMP rounds created a trail of blue as they sliced through the air; which made it easier to adjust aim and calculate trajectory.

The grenade exploded mid-air just outside the window sending bits of glass and dirt into the interior of the office.

Her cold gaze locked onto both her targets mercilessly.

[You should have stayed outside if you wanted to live....]

 

[uesius]

@Mr_DC @HarleyQuip @0stinato


Hearing the exultation in her boss's tone was music to Kora's ears. At least she wasn't totally upset at her outburst. Jack, on the other hand, didn't appear too enthused. Though he hesitantly called out her name, she ignored him and kept her attention focused on Steele.


She cautiously took a step forward, hiking her shoulders back and holding her head up high. This was an all-or-nothing kind of moment, and Kora wasn't going to waste it by backing down now. “Well, I'm not accusing you of anything,” she said, placing emphasis on “accusing” in a way that suggested she definitely was accusing him. The expression in Steele's face screamed murder. Kora could tell he was not used to being called out like this, especially from a ragged city slicker like herself. She thrived in the confrontation. It felt amazing to call someone out like this.


“I'm just saying, it's a little weird. Even suspicious, maybe.” She felt confident knowing he couldn't do anything to hurt her, not with the tons of Ronin samurai around. Plus Jack was within arms length and she figured he wouldn't let Steele get away with anything tricky. “Either you have some pretty bad luck, showing up at a time like this, or this is all happening for a reason. I'm sure an important guy like you doesn't show up out of the blue for no good reason.”

 

[0stinato]

As Shark picked her up, Tethys could hardly hold back the tears. Shark was smaller than Tethys, by a good few inches, but she held Tethys' weight as she was nothing but a kitten. Or a lamb. More likely a lamb. However, Shark wasn't broad, so Tethys could see their enemy more clearly now - hardly scathed by Shark's attacks and preparing more. In a second, she'd changed the clips in both her weapons and was beginning firing on them again as Shark moved. Tethys could only imagine with tear-streaked eyes how much of a burden she was on Shark as she tried to tuck her head out of the way, pressing herself as much as possible to Shark.


"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," Tethys whispered, more to herself than Shark, but she wouldn't be sorry if Shark was listening. Her chest was still burning, the blood wetting her topcoat and palm. She suspected she was almost out of ammo, but put her right arm at risk anyway, trying her best to aim as Shark was running. Her aim was thrown off more than once, and, as soon as the clip was empty, the only thing she could thing of was: "we're so fucked."


Completely, surely. One more grenade, more bullets, some pounding into Shark. And Shark couldn't dodge them. At all.


Then Tethys was shot again. Twice. One in the hand, the back of her hand. The explosive bullet ripped through her flesh, rendering her right hand completely and utterly, in Tethys' words, fucked. She made sure to express the pain, as both hit. The one that had practically destroyed her hand and made her drop the empty rifle, the other that had hit her upper arm. She had three holes in her now. Three places to lose blood from. Three entry wounds and three new screams.


Her world wobbled as she lay in Shark's arms. The pain was taking her mind over and the adrenaline was struggling to keep her heart beating. As her screams devolved into whimpers of intense agony, as her right arm lay uselessly on her stomach, the blood already heating and chilling her, she tried to remember anything that might keep her alive. She could sing, in her mind, just try and think of each word in the song that followed the last. Keeping on trying to imagine the words and think of what they meant, straining to remember the melody.


The pain, though, was making it almost impossible. Almost. But Tethys was practiced at this. She used to sing if she got up in the night, paranoid of the dark. It'd set her heart at rest, it would help her get over anything. Any break in traffic if she was on Grough, a break that looked impossible to get through but she was already going for it, she sang in her head. And she'd thought of more important things instead of being scared.


She could try it. Thinking of the words. As she lost blood from the three wound that were ripping through her.


@Mr_DC @HarleyQuip @uesius

 

[Mr_DC]

@HarleyQuip @0stinato @uesius


"Oh, if only I could turn you two into one." Chloe waved off the screen and looked at Kora with a smirk. "Give you Jack's brain because I'm sure he put everythin' together. That or give Jack that which he should have and you shouldn't." She winked and turned to face Steele.


Jack kept a frown on his face. He didn't put everything together. Far from it. He was still missing a piece. Thinking that Steele could have something to do with what was going on was definitely one way to go about it but there still weren't any damning evidence. Nothing which would make Jack say it, at least.


"Don't be insulted by what the little girl says." Chloe said in a mocking tone but Steele didn't appear to be bothered. He still kept his eyes on Kora. Jack realized what it meant. While Chloe did approve of Kora's behaviour, she was afraid. She knew Kora crossed the line and didn't want to go through the trouble of protecting her. That's why she took the show now.


"She's just sayin' what we're all thinkin'." Chloe grinned, raising a hand at Chloe and motioning for her to approach. That move made Jack give up on trying to figure out what Chloe was planning. Getting Kora right in front of Steele didn't seem like a clever move. At least, not from where Jack was standing. Chloe was in the corporate game far longer than Jack ever was.


By the time Shark noticed she was running into the mercenary's line of fire, it was too late. The only move she could make was duck but that would just bring her head right in front of the bullets. Besides, even if she stopped, she would be a sitting duck, there to be shot at. No, Shark knew what she had to do. She turned her back into the bullets as she sprinted out of the room. A bullet just sank into her flesh. She would have to talk to Steele about move covering armor. Something which would allow mobility and defense. Maybe invest into more expensive materials. They had money, after all.


Then it hit her. The pain. It took a second but the pain arrived. It hit like a sledgehammer but she didn't stop. Shark just grunted, roared, like a wild animal as she kept running towards the stairs. Being around the corner from her pursuer meant a few moments of peace. A moment to hear Tethys. "We'll be fine." Shark lied, still holding the axe in her teeth. "Just a floor and we jump." Shark moaned, the pain hitting her in waves. She could ignore it, though. That's what she was trained for. Efficiency. Being a good soldier.


Lazarus could probably clone her back even if she died. No. Shark closed her eyes. That wasn't how it worked. They could clone a body but not a personality. Shark's body was created. Her body could be created many more times but if she died... She would be dead. So soon. Such a disappointment.


Shark opened her eyes. She was already at the stairs. What a dumb mission. Get in and get out. Don't even bother doing any damage. Just prove that you can get out. Pathetic. Shark moaned, blinking rappidly. She was pathetic. Created to be a soldier only to die on her first mission. Pathetic. Pathetic! Shark didn't want to look back. She didn't want to turn, only to see her attacker aiming her gun at them. That wasn't what she wanted to be her last image. Steadying her breathing, Shark smiled at Tethys. "We'll be fine." She winked.

 

[HarleyQuip]

@Mr_DC @uesius @0stinato

Her augmented skin dissolved as she turned invisible and ran after them with enough force to crack the floor with each step, nano blades still engaged she intended to end the chase before they could get to the second floor. As she rounded the corner, and dropped her AK at the same time retrieving an incendiary grenade, and hurled it, without pulling the pin, at half capacity of her cybernetic strength towards the open doorway of the staircase she brought the sight of her pistol up to the grenade spiraling towards the entrance to the staircase and pulled the trigger sending an explosive tipped round into the grenade. She ejected the mag and loaded in tracking rounds for extra measure incase the grenade didn't incapacitate them and they somehow escaped. Her body dropped down low and she slid towards the open door now.

At a moments notice she would stop her slide and launch herself through the doorway and up the staircase like a primitive animal ready to pounce.

Her arm steadied the pistol ready to send a few tracking rounds into the back of Shark once she was in view.

 

[uesius]

@Mr_DC @HarleyQuip @0stinato


Kora hesitated for a moment, seeing Chloe's hand raise and gesture towards her. Oh no, she wants me to get closer. The distance between her and the two of them served as some kind of mental barrier. It was a lot easier to shout at someone from a ways away than it was right up close. She turned and gave Jack an apologetic smile before following Chloe's orders, walking closer to stand next to her.


She examined Steele's face. He embodied everything Kora loathed about the corporate world. He was devastatingly handsome, too rich for his own good, and a master of conniving. She didn't know a lot about Steele as a person, unlike Jack and Chloe, so she wasn't too worried about tarnishing a relationship with him. Yet she was in some way a representative of Ronin. Anything she does would be seen as a reflection of her boss's brand. Well, I suppose I'm going to have to take that risk, she figured. There would be another time for apologies.


“You'll have to forgive me,” she placed her hand on her chest in a slight mock bow towards Steele. “I'm pretty new here. Like, 'just got hired an hour ago' new. So I haven't figured everything out yet. I don't know who you are and what you're doing here. Hell, I don't even know what I'm doing here.” Words were just spilling out of her now, fueled by anxiety and adrenaline. She didn't have time to process everything she said. “You think you can just do whatever you want, with no repercussions? People are dying out there, you know,” she said to him. The backdrop of gunfire and explosions in the distance gave her voice a slightly more dramatic edge. “And you think you can waltz in here like nothing is going on? What's the matter with you? Didn't your mother ever teach you it was rude to conspire in murder?” Was she going to far? Probably, but she found it hard to stop.


She pointed towards Chloe. “Speaking of bad manners, I think you owe her an apology, showing up uninvited like this with all of your extra guests. We didn't even have time to put out any snacks.” Kora couldn't help but grin at her pathetic joke. She found it way more hilarious than she should have

 

[0stinato]

Light and sound awoke Tethys from her semi-unconscious slumber. Before she knew it, she was falling painfully to the floor, rolling onto her injured arm and crushing her hand beneath her hip. Heat was all around her, sound was breaking her ears. As she tumbled across the floor, helpless and too exhausted to stop herself, she saw the explosion had ruined the surroundings. Things were melted, a camera situated on the corner, looking down the stairs Tethys and Shark were at the top of, was nothing more than a shattered and destroyed piece of tech now. Walls were scorched, the stairs looked damaged.


What happened? Why was Shark not holding her anymore?


Then Tethys became aware of herself. Aware of the light of her usually optimistic soul flicker and finally vanishing entirely as she lay there, her right hand ugly and destroyed, her chest burning with every breath. And her voice, throat almost tearing with the force of her cries. She spluttered the blood and tried to rock herself into a better position as the explosion began to cease. Tried to rock herself as a comfort, as a lasting movement of her physical body as her mind strained to be free of the pain. With every breath it felt like she was ejecting a part of herself.


She could breathe in once and breathe out hope.


She could breathe in again and breathe out love.


She could breathe in once more and breathe out all the promises she didn't know she'd break.


She wanted to say a name, but it was too far away from her. She could barely remember anything through what she was going through. Singing was no good now. All she could do was try to stop the mounting agony as she became aware that the explosion had injured her further. Whether it was shrapnel from the explosion or the sudden heat had burned her, it was all worthless to try and guess at now. All she knew is that it hurt. All she knew is that she couldn't remember her friend's name.


God... I'm sorry... I din't want it like this... I just... I coulda saved... I coulda done... it coulda been over... We coulda... I wanted to do things after this... things I told you about.


The pain was lessening somehow. Each breath was getting harder to take. And each pain was slipping further away. She had her eyes screwed up but even then she could still see herself. See the vulnerable, baby-like position she was in. See the horrendous colour of blood under her. See... no, she couldn't see her friend. It was getting harder to feel but easier to wish.


Sitcoms, remember..? I wanned to show you what I liked and... I wanted to hear you laugh with me. I did. I'm sorry...


Where are you though? If yuhr alive, dun't stay. If yuhr dead, just...


She couldn't even finish the thought. It was too hard to. To difficult to think of that outcome. She rocked herself even slower, gritting her teeth against the cold and unwelcoming floor of the place that was going to kill her.


@Mr_DC @HarleyQuip @uesius

 

[Mr_DC]

@HarleyQuip @0stinato @uesius


Shark heard a hail of gunfire from her position against the wall, most of her clothes on fire. This is it. She sucked in a breath. This is how I die. She opened her eyes and saw something unexpected. The recruits from outside were shooting in at a handful of Ronin Samurai who run down the stairs. They ignored the corpse-looking Tethys and Shark and opened fire on the recruits, not aware their invisible ally was caught in the cross-fire. Someone was smiling down on them. Someone gave her another chance. And they didn't take any risks.


The turrets came out of the walls and instead of shooting at the recruits outside, they opened fire on where Lotus is. No, where she would be with every next step. The turrets behaved like they got an updated version of the software, allowing them not only to see where Lotus is but also predict where she would be. Someone gave Shark a strong second chance.


Shark pushed herself towards Tethys and ignored the pain. She also ignored her shotgun discarded by the wall but took her axe, throwing it in Tethys' lap as she picked her up once more. "I've got you, friend." Shark growled, sounding determined and powerful as ever. She managed to push away the pain and fight against whatever remained.


Using the time she was given, Shark sprinted up the stairs, her cybernetic legs serving with all the strength Shark barely had. "I'm getting you out of here." She held Tethys tightly against herself. She felt her warmth. Her frail form. She had to protect Tethys. At least for now. At least until she was strong enough to protect herself. And Shark would make things right again. She would train Tethys to be strong once more.


Steele cocked an eyebrow at the end of Kora's scene as the amusement on his face faded. Whatever mask hid the monster behind was gone now. Completely. There was something dark behind Steele's eyes. An infinite void. An endless blackness from which there was no escape. He was death in human form. Even Jack could feel the world around him fading to black as he stared at Steele's dead-serious expression. That's what wasn't right about him. It was always there but never so obvious. Jack felt his knees tremble. Almost impossible for someone so average to be so frightening but Steele was. Jack glanced at Chloe. She felt it too.


Chloe watched Steele as well. Her smirk disappeared and was replaced by the look of utter shock. She imagined Steele to be the kind of a guy who would squeal at the slightest injury. That's what she was like. That's what almost every other CEO was like. Well, maybe except the MosTech guys who everyone knew were just mafia kingpins.


Not Steele. Not the kid-genius. The playboy. He radiated death. Chloe's eyes widened as Steele parted his lips to speak, like a swarm of locust would fly out and consume them. She tried to remain tough, however. Steele took a second but it was enough for an interruption.


His eyes darted upwards, towards the stairs. The magic broke. He seemed far less threatening now. Now that he was looking at something far more threatening. Two women running up the stairs. One carrying the other. Both with masks on their heads. The one carrying the other had cybernetic limbs while the other one appeared to be barely concious.


The stronger one looked at the crowd, her pale blue eyes piercing everyone, and continued her sprint up the stairs.


"After them!" Chloe ordered and her remaining Samurai gave chase. Even the two Lazarus Specialists ran after them. Jack decided to stay. Someone had to protect his boss, even if it was only Steele there now. But the magic was gone and Steele had his confident smirk again. Somehow, the situation got defused.

 

[HarleyQuip]

@Mr_DC @uesius @0stinato

Lotus launched herself up the staircase just as she had planned bullets from the Ronin and recruits impacted and crumpled against Lotus' skin, the turret's bullets did a bit more damage. They impacted and crumpled just like the other bullets but left small tears in her skin. She proceeded with extreme prejudice not allowing the turrets or the Ronin to slow her down in the pursuit. She spun like a top both her Nano blades sinking into the flesh of the Ronin samurai as well as the recruits like a airborne meat blender the staircase instantly covered in sprays of blood, destroying a turret on the way up. She turned her body in a way that caused her feet to make impact with the wall at the top of the stairs which caused her knees to bend and she flew towards the doorway turning her body once again using the bodies of both the samurai and Lazarus corporation guards as a launching pad sending herself once again up the next flight of stairs. She planned to continue this until she caught up with the two intruders.

As she turned once more and launched herself off the next wall she was a few feet away from the two and closing in fast. She brought her pistol up and sent a flurry of tracking rounds spiraling towards Shark's back. Her body rotated in the air becoming a spinning death wheel once again. The edges of the blades slicing into the concrete walls and severing the metal rails like a hot knife through butter.

She still remained invisible but her voice reverberated through the staircase and out into the meeting room Chloe, Steele, Jack, and Kora were all standing.

--SHAAAAARK!

She was staring at Shark hellbent on catching the two. She wouldn't let up, constantly nipping at their heels even if they somehow managed to escape.

 

[uesius]

@Mr_DC @HarleyQuip @0stinato


Despite how utterly terrified she was, Kora did not break eye contact with Steele. Stand tall, stay calm, she repeated in her head, over and over. She had never seen such an expression of hatred on someone's face before. It was almost inhuman. When her old boss would get upset, his face would get all red, veins would bulge out of his head, and he'd spit everywhere and at everyone. That was infinitely more pleasing than the look Steele was giving her right now. But if she backed away now, Steele would win. Kora would not allow that to happen.


She remembered a phrase her mother would say to her when she was younger, whenever Kora complained about bullies giving her a hard time: His bark is worse than his bite. That's all this guy was, a bully who thinks he can push people around whenever he feels like it. Few people had stood up to him like this before, Kora could tell, and for a good reason. It's just for show, she tried to reason with herself. He's trying to scare me, and I won't let that happen. She knew she was lying to herself, Kora's slight but uncontrollable tremble could attest to that. Steele's intimidation game was out of this world. This guy was pure evil, revealing a rare glimpse of his true self to her. She didn't turn to see Jack's reaction, but the look on Chloe's face told it all. Kora had a feeling this was new to the woman as well.


She turned to look at the stares upon hearing frantic footsteps, followed by a screech of a familiar voice. Was that...Lotus? she asked herself. Her eyes followed the Samurai as they moved from their positions. Jesus, what's happening now? She looked back at Steele and was never more grateful to see such an annoyingly confident smirk.

 

[0stinato]

The light around was dancing. Spiralling.


Tethys was still there in Shark's arms, as if she had been the whole time. As if she'd never fallen to the floor and accepted this hateful building as her tomb. It all felt so unreal now. Her ears were busted, but she knew that would pass. The ringing as they recovered, tinnitus in its purest form. But she'd recover - she'd experienced this before. Being in an echo-chamber of sound that was the alley where she'd fired the shotgun all those years ago. She'd missed, bullets ricocheting away past her attacker harmlessly, but her attacker hadn't wanted to kill her. It was a threat, one that Tethys reacted to too strongly. Although, if she'd hit him, maybe even killed him, she was sure it would be fine. After all, self-defence was a real lawful premise.


She blinked through the balaclava and wondered if her life was flashing before her eyes to remember all this. Or if it was just the lights flickering in the ceiling. Her eyes adjusted to everything slowly and she heard a barrage of shots come from behind them. Or from behind Shark. Who was saving her, again. Or, no, she'd always been trying to save Tethys, from the moment they met. Maybe not from the moment. But a little while after--


Another memory, so clear she could almost hear Shark's voice. But she brought herself back to the present, which was hard to do since her whole right arm was numb, her body shutting off the pain so it throbbed no more than a muscle cramp. And the bullets, being fired at Shark... didn't their attacker realise by now? Hadn't she shot Shark enough? She had armour, probably broken up by now or something on her back, but nevertheless, she still had armour. She had armour and she had the body of a chopper. Tethys could almost feel the growl in her chest, but wasn't sure if it was actually there or if she was imagining it. Shark was pure momentum, heading straight for the window, prepared to carry out her original plan of jumping. But instead of having Tethys on her back, she'd have her in her arms.


But Tethys was just so happy she remembered Shark's name. Looking up at her, a lamb in her shepherd's arms, she realised once again how irritatingly useless she was.


"Oi, Moon, dun give up yet. Y'ain't useless til yuh say so."


That was what Alessandro called her - Moon. 'Tethys' was a moon of Saturn. It didn't mean much, particularly, his nickname for her, but the rest of his words did. Only problem was, Tethys was thinking she was useless already.


But she could reverse that. Hopefully. She still had one working hand and two working feet. Shark's heavy-duty axe on her stomach, digging into her pelvis. Not much her feet could do, unless she wanted to attempt to kick her big boots at her attacker who she couldn't even see. Tethys decided against that. She had very limited time before Shark would launch herself through the window, perhaps dying from more attacks, and had to try anything other than trying to undo her laces with no room to move. Every attempt of hers had been futile so far, but if she'd learned anything from the films, it was that the hero's attempts are worthless until the very end. When they were almost dead. That was the time they were able to pick up the sword, believe in themselves, follow their dreams and--


Fuck it.


Wishing she had a molotov cocktail or something equally hilarious, she gave a grunt and lobbed the axe from where she estimated the bullets had come from. It spun like some sort of hatchet, clearly not designed for this type of attack, but Tethys didn't care. She'd spent years and years scrubbing together weapons from what she found lying around - bricks, nails hammered through a piece of wood, that one tyre iron she was so reminiscent of... If she could threaten a corner shop with a tyre iron, she could hit this bastard.


As Shark jumped for the window, Tethys brought up her arm to protect her head. It looked as if the axe had found purchase on something, suspended in the air. Something invisible and deadly. Whether it did anything she didn't know, but it gave Shark enough time. Tethys had no idea if she was injured or not by the bullets fired at her before, but she was still staring forward with the eyes of a predator. A predator trying to save its cub.


@Mr_DC @HarleyQuip @uesius

 

[Mr_DC]

@HarleyQuip @0stinato @uesius



Shark smiled as the axe flew by her. Tethys still had some fight in her. They both did. The fight wasn't over just yet. It would be. In a couple steps. Shark closed her eyes now that she was so close to the window they would be jumping out of. They had to be like the windows on the ground floor. Ronin wouldn't put in stronger windows there for no reason. And that would be it. The mission would be a success. In and out alive.
Shark leapt at the window, knowing her legs were made to outrun the Samurai - the fastest corporate soldiers on the market. No one could catch up to her. Shark held Tethys closer, trying to shield her from the glass they would hit. She couldn't help but feel some pride. You should have aimed at my legs. She smirked as the window shattered around her. Too late now.

The Samurai came up and took aim already, the Specialists close behind them with their large handcannons at the ready. They opened fire on Shark but inadvertently fired straight for Lotus as she was still invisible. All turrets outside also focused up but didn't fire at Shark. They fired at Lotus with still devastating precision, still behaving on their own, in spite of the desperate efforts made by the Ronin anti-hackers. No matter what they tried, the turrets simply refused to comply.
On the other side of the street, just a but ahead of where Shark's trajectory lead her, was a black car. Three people stood by its side, shades on their eyes and aiming their weapons up. Lazarus Specialists. They weren't poorly equipped like the recruits outside and sported far more armor than the Ronin Samurai. Their weapons were serious, made for turning anything into confetti. With their rifles raised, the three men opened fire at Shark but missing.
They weren't shooting at her - They were shooting past her.


"Jesus!" Chloe turned towards the window behind them, watching the same blue-eyed woman leap out the floor above. "What is going on?!" She decided to ignore Steele for now. "Jacky!" She pointed at Jack, her face getting slightly red. Not a situation she appreciated. Someone was making them look like amateurs. Like it wasn't their job to protect people. Someone hacked her security. Chloe was furious.
"Go up and figure out what's going on!" She ordered but Jack didn't move. Jack just stared at Steele. Chloe knew what that meant.
Jack just figured it out.

With a smirk, Jack nodded at Steele. "So, you did this." Jack's eyes narrowed. "She was right, you came here at a strange time but I couldn't be certain just yet." He motioned his head at the stairs. "But you and that woman shared a look. That's why you relaxed. That's why you came here. You came here to see what would happen." Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and took a few steps closer. "Everyone outside died but judging by how pissed Lotus was... This particular attacker was special. She is alive, after all." Jack shook his head, keeping a smirk on. "So, you came to see if she would do something but didn't care about anyone outside." Jack paused. "You just didn't care too much if we figured it out."
Steele rolled his eyes. "I will be on my way then." He took a few steps towards the elevator.
Chloe scowled but Jack could tell she was entertained by the situation. "Be careful who you declare wars on, Steele." She warned but didn't attempt to stop Steele from walking away. That wasn't how the game was played. You don't kill someone. You destroy them.
Still keeping a grin, Jack nudged Kora and gave her a wink.

 

[HarleyQuip]

@Mr_DC @uesius @0stinato

Lotus had been able to fend off most the fire but got hit several times in the back, the axe came into her left shoulder weakly penetrating her skin. Her body uncloaked as she dove out the window seemingly after the two intruders. However her body turned just as her feet passed the broken windows edge. Her body turned towards the Ronin building and began to fall but she caught the edge of the window. She used the strength of her cybernetic legs to bust through the window on the level below her. Shards of glass decorated the air as Lotus came tumbling head first into their meeting room, simultaneously the blades folded in and she aimed upwards sending a slug through the ceiling tiles and into the main electric conduit which severed the power to all turrets in the room. Before standing up panting, face covered in blood, and the axe still in her shoulder. Shards of glass lined her clothing and she was pissed. She brought her gaze up to Steele's back.


--Steele! ...a word?

Crimson red smeared her cheek, speckles of blood against her skin like a canvas. The cold deadly gaze seemed to rival even his own... after all... she sold herself into child slavery just to murder the man responsible for her parent's death. There were very few people on the earth who went to that length for revenge.

There were a few reasons Lotus had ceased her attack... through the commotion and gunfire Lotus had somehow managed to make pieces of what was said by Jack just now through the open doorways of the staircase. Secondly the tracking devices were embedded in Shark and Lotus had a 2 mile radius with her .60 cal rifle. Thirdly... she needed to take a break and sort things out with Chloe. Last but not least... she wanted to make an impression on Steele that he'd remember. One that told him he'd be the one she came after and there was nothing that would stop her from his assassination if the order was passed along to her for the right price.

She would swap ammunition and kill every guard that happened upon the room in less than 3 seconds if anyone were to interrupt this. She reached up and pulled the axe from her shoulder. There was a stinging sensation like getting a paper cut if the paper was as thick as an axe. A line of blood flowed from her shoulder and down the back of her arm dripping onto the clean white floor. Her frame silhouetted by the light from outside

 

[uesius]

@Mr_DC @HarleyQuip @0stinato


Kora gave Jack a baffled stare, then followed up with an unbelieving chuckle. Did they do it? Did they win this little battle? She wasn't entirely sure.


Steele seemed pretty pissed as he huffed his way back towards the elevator. Chloe's remark towards him as he left seemed to signify a victory on their side. The corners of her mouth turned up in a small smile. She had to admit, she felt pretty proud of herself at that moment, not backing down from such an intense confrontation.


The sound of crashing glass caused her to instinctively leap backwards and fold her arms over her body, so as to protect herself from any rogue glass shards. When she stood back up, she saw the beat up Lotus standing there, addressing Steele.


“Jesus,” Kora said aloud in shock. The woman looked rough, yet there was something majestic about the way she stood there, all bloody and battered, yet somehow pure as she was being illuminated by the light behind her

 

[0stinato]

"Are we free? Are we done?" Tethys tried speaking for the first time since she'd taken the hits she had on the landing. However, she wasn't prepared for how her voice sounded - slurred and heavy, as if she was drunk and her breath had weight to it. The six words emptied her lungs completely, and every breath she tried hurt. Her right arm was still numb and bleeding, but not as much as before. Her hand, wrecked and painful, lay on her stomach like meat. It was no longer an appendage - it was tripe.


As Shark landed Tethys felt the force - no doubt cushioned by Shark's own body - ripple through her, and she groaned with what little energy she had. She didn't want to cry or scream anymore. What if the remaining enemies down here, the big robotic-type things, were attracted by it? Even though it was a legitimate concern, somewhere Tethys knew that, even standing in this no-man's land littered with recruits she vaguely recognised from yesterday, Shark was safe. And, by extension, she was too. Something about the way Shark was moving suggested it. Not as fast as she had before the window-breaking. Their pursuer must have given up the chase. Tethys knew she would if she was attacking Shark. Too much effort to kill, might as well let her go, save the assets for if she came back.


And, looking up past Shark's strong shoulders, Tethys couldn't see the impending doom of a falling shape after them anywhere. But it wasn't enough to celebrate now - there was still a chance she'd get shot right in the bonce and killed instantly. She gritted her teeth, as she thought about it, and hoped that the God she didn't even believe in had seen she'd suffered enough.


But where would they go after this? Supposedly, back to Lazarus, another place Tethys never wanted to see again. But it was better than being here. Of course it was better than being here. Even if she could never leave Lazarus after she'd seen the corruption so low down in the pecking order, which is what she suspected might be the case, it was much safer being in the white-and-chrome hallways of the building and sleeping surrounded by cold surfaces than lying forever on dust and being pecked at by crows. Tethys wasn't sure how she'd like to be dealt with after she died. Buried? Or cremated? Or maybe something else. Maybe she'd be cast in concrete forever.


She put out of her mind the morbid thoughts and tried to think of what she'd say to Shark. How the hell was Tethys ever going to thank her, to repay her? She doubted she'd ever have the opportunity or the ability to save Shark's life, especially as she was so defenseless now. She bit her lip, deciding to keep quiet and to not use up her energy. Blood loss was a death she'd not thought of until now. And she wasn't very keen on that  happening either.


@Mr_DC @HarleyQuip @uesius

 

[Mr_DC]

@HarleyQuip @uesius


"Yes?" Steele turned around, raising his eyebrow at Lotus. He seemed unimpressed by her appearance but there was something deeper in his cold expression. He understood well what the mercenary in front of him did. He knew she just stood up to Shark and nearly won.


Chloe's bodyguards returned from the upper and lower floors but so did Steele's. Just like Chloe, Steele's personal guards were the best of the best. While Chloe had six, only two were enough for Steele. The two tall men stood side by side in front of Steele, not quite comfortable by Lotus' appearance. Only the upper half of Steele's face could be seen behind their broad shoulders. He wasn't comfortable either. Otherwise, he would order them to move apart.


"Lotus." Chloe raised her voice. She needed the assassin. Especially after she just proved herself. In spite of killing several Samurai. Going against Steele would be suicide and it was something Chloe had no intention of allowing. "Let him run. We've got time." She said calmly, feeling some respect for the tough mercenary. Hopefully, she was as smart as she was tough.


Jack placed his hand on Kora's shoulder. "You joining me for drinks after this?" He whispered, staring at the confrontation ahead. He needed a drink. He needed a strong drink. "I think our lives just got complicated." Like they weren't already.

 

[Mr_DC]

@0stinato



As Shark braced for her landing beyond the wall, she turned back, getting a look at the building. She didn't turn just to make sure their pursuers gave up. As her feet made contact, softening the blow somewhat, Shark rolled back to dampen the impact even further and turn it into forward momentum. Or backwards in that case. She didn't have much experience with rolling backwards which only strained her neck but she had no choice. With Tethys in her arms, rolling forward would slam her friend into the ground.

As Shark stood up, finishing the roll, she smiled. That's that. They were out. And alive. She looked down at Tethys in her arms. She was alive as well. Good. She smiled.


The Lazarus men outside grabbed Shark, helping her stand straight and took her to the back of the armored car. With the help of another Specialist, she propped Tethys up and sat her between herself and the man. The doors slammed shut and the car sped down the road, turning the closest corner to avoid any potential long-range fire.


"Hey." Shark smiled at Tethys. "You know..." Her smile faded. "That was my favorite axe. There's a reason I left the shotgun and not the axe." Shark spoke seriously, feeling her chest burn with every breath. "You just flung it across my shoulder in there." Shark sighed.


But she chuckled shortly after. "I'm sorry." She spoke as slowly as she spoke before. "I couldn't help myself." She smiled, looking at the serious Specialist on Tethys' other side. "It was a joke." She looked back at her friend.


"We'll fix you up." Shark's eyes fell on Tethys' hand. Mangled meat. "We'll both get patched up." Hopefully, Steele won't mind the cost. He shouldn't. Steele knew his priorities. Shark was one of those and, now, so was Tethys.

 

[HarleyQuip]

@uesius @Mr_DC @0stinato

Lotus dropped the pistol letting it free fall before the magnets engaged again causing the pistol to click against her side. Her eyes were glowing still keeping track of Shark and Tethys' movements outside. However her eyes were fixated on the small amount of face she could make out of Steele. She turned giving a razor sharp smile towards Chloe. The smile was lined with danger so intense it almost came off a bit psychotic. But she turned her attention back to Steele letting out what seemed to be a misplaced sigh of relief. She looked at the two body guards with a maniacal piercing gaze.

--Well that's not very polite...

She motioned to Steele between the two larger men.

--Come out and let me see your pretty face, I promise I won't bite. Just enough that we can have a proper discussion.

She motioned towards Steele with her right hand as if asking him to come forward, the hand that had discarded the pistol. Her other hand gripped around the tactical axe's head making it seem as un-threatening as possible.

--Just a couple of questions and you can return to your busy life of luxury and business.

Her words were genuine but you could tell she was getting impatient with the guards who had undoubtedly prevented her from carrying out her contract to it's fullest extent.

[Show me what you can do...]

Chloe's words rang through her mind echoing. Lotus knew she was capable of more than this but Ronin had prevented her full potential from showing through.

 

 

[Mr_DC]

@HarleyQuip @uesius


Steele took a step back and smirked. He nodded but the guards moved just an inch or two apart. They were still a wall in front of their boss.


"Fine." Steele nodded. He was far from entertained. Steele seemed to be in a rush, dropping whatever business he had in Ronin. "Ask what you want." A lit cigarette ejected from his cybernetic palm and landed between his fingers.


"I have an important meeting with the members of the press." He added, bringing the cigarette to his mouth. "Don't ask too much."


(See? That's a forced post :smile9:  Probably the shortest one I made in a month)

 

[HarleyQuip]

@Mr_DC @uesius
Lotus' stance became a bit more relaxed. She had seen Steele in magazines, on the covers of billboards and everywhere imaginable on the internet. He looked exactly as he did on the covers which made Lotus smile. She stared at Steele intrigued by the man. Not affected by his charismatic appearance, she had dealt with plenty of fake smiles behind pretty faces... no this was something on an intellectual level that Lotus was drawn to.

[There's your face...]

--With all the trouble you've caused me... I think it'd be reasonable for you to take me out to dinner sometime, what do you say?

Her words rang out in the room and echoed back to her. Regardless of the circumstances this was an intentional advancement on Steele not meant to be taken comedicly, her words were sincere and not a hint of sarcasm, instead there was a bit of playfulness. Lotus had spoken as if there was no one else in the room un-affected by her environment. Lotus was very efficient when it came to what she wanted. She had a feeling she wouldn't see Steele again for a very long while if she hadn't spoke up now. Plus it was a mutual benefit... if he said "sure" and walked away it would be a very short and pleasant exchange and he could be on his way. But if he said no...

--Also... I'd like to arrange some time to discuss more serious matters, at a later time. The discussion would take too long given your busy schedule.

(yeah you even forgot Chloe and Jack )

 

[Mr_DC]

@HarleyQuip


Steele raised his chin, keeping his sharp eyes on the even sharper woman in front of him. Shark like a razor blade. Just as dangerous probably. Steele grinned, showing his perfect teeth. He wasn't trying to charm anyone with that smile. He had a look in his eyes. The look of a man who just discovered a treasure.


Steele scoffed at the directness but enjoyed it none-the-less. "What's your name? I need to know who to find when I find time for dinner with you." His eyes narrowed like he could see the name somewhere beneath the skin.


With one hand in his pocket, Steele stared at the predator in front of him. Now that woman was on par with his perfect soldier. Except... She was real. She had actual emotions. Steele flicked the ash off his cigarette with a short nod. She was strong. She would do.


(Didn't forget. I probably just missunderstood what you meant. But still, Chloe and Jack are currently locked in with Kora so it wouldn't be right if I posted before Kora acted)