The wait was intolerable, even for a normal person. They'd been like this for what seemed like days, at gunpoint with no words from their captors.
"I advise you shoot if you intend to. Because if I get up and that gun is still pointing at me? The only corpse hitting this disgusting ground will be yours." The fox spoke through bared teeth.
The other canine looked nervous. Not only had he not expected to find this man here, but other factors made allowing the fox to throw his life around so liberally a unacceptable choice. He swallowed and interjected, "Ricky... Man like you with a little one shouldn't be tryin' so hard to depr-"
"Silence yourself!" The fox hissed with all the classy bravado of a comic book character.
"Can't do that. Not with the runt still running about. Man needs to have priorities to his family." Myca's nervous words seemed to do something to the fox. A wild look seemed to start to take over his eye's. Something would happen any moment if the guard's didn't do something... and fast.
OOC:
First, (before you all stone me or something else suitably horrid =P) an apology and an explanation is called for as per my absence in these past few weeks. I have just finished two university assignments, a taxing one for French, and possible the most inscrutibly foul essay for Politics that I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. Both of these took up the majority of my free time, and I'm afraid it wasn't just this RP that suffered. I am truly sorry for the lack of communication given, and leaving you guys in the lurch. Next time, I'll be sure to be more organised, and hopefully such an absence will not happen again.
Besides, I couldn't just up and leave almost as soon as Shadow Lady returned....that would hardly be fair now, would it?
I will reiterate that I am still going to keep at this, I still have plans...oh yesss....although I realise people have probably moved on by now 
.
Anyhow, without further ado...
IC:
Laboratory Block
Dr. Ignatius gazed thoughtfully as the readings danced across the murky blue holoscreen, their facts and figures playing out across his brilliantly cunning mind. Something's gotten your blood up, hasn't it boy. Of course, you must enjoy the excitement, the exhilaration of combat. A born warrior, this Ash was. And such wonderful insights the Doctor's little implants gave. Even now, his readouts told him that adrenaline was flooding Ash's system, heightening the echidna's senses, empowering his muscles...and silently activating the technology Ignatius had carefully made sure to have implanted in every test subject's body. Even now, the device would be slowly fuelling the unknowing echidna's anger, channeling all that unseen energy into Ash's thoughts and actions.
Such an intriguing device. Designed by the Overlanders as a deterrent for misbehaviour or 'premature emancipation'...intended so that prisoners would be busy tearing each other apart to mount a successful escape. Now though, judging by the flurry of reports, communications and vidfeeds from the Refinery floor, the Doctor's little device may well be saving Ash's life.
That boy never knew how much he owed to Ignatius. Oh, no.
Refinery
Ash lunged, his well-trained limbs powering him forward, moving to strike down his foe where he stood. Wernher, seeing this move coming with the experience of any battle-hardened warrior, deftly dodged out of the way of Ash's piledriver-like fists. With a graceful motion belying the Castellan's strength, the lieutenant of the Dark Legion ripped wickedly at Ash's side as he passed by, the echidna crying out in pain before slamming into the ground. Quickly recovering, Ash renewed his assault, his great knuckles lashing out to connect with the contemptuous Wernher. Taking all the warrior's strength to block Ash's attacks, Wernher marvelled at his opponent's unrelenting fury - seemingly growing every minute.
Crunch.
Finally, Wernher made a critical mistake in his parries, and he paid for it. Slamming into his lower torso like a thunderbolt, the Castellan heard both the crack of the electrical discharge...and perhaps one of his ribs. His body convulsed for a moment, his constitution saved from a near-lethal electric shock by his combat suit's advanced armour - designed specifically to dissipate the thunderous impact of a shock glove. Grunting in pain and frustration, Wernher slashed back at Ash's arm, cutting ragged lines of crimson across his bicep.
"Damn you!"
Wernher shifted his weight, suddenly pushing forward to knock Ash off balance, before grappling his fingers around the newcomer's neck. Forcing Ash down to the floor, Wernher watched with sadistic glee as the deadly tendrils of mineral vapour licked at Ash's unprotected face. Struggling, Ash attempted to wrench the Castellan's grip free...to no avail. Straining, the seemingly doomed echidna toiled to keep his head raised above the deathly cloud of gas enveloping the Refinery floor like a blanket. Wernher, sensing his foe's imminent demise, voice-activated his suit's visor to open, allowing Ash to see the face of his killer. Wernher's red pupils betrayed every ounce of malice inherent in the Castellan's words.
"This is it, scum - your end is nigh!"
Interrogation Block
Tobias' vision was beginning to go cloudy round the edges, as his loss of blood began to slow his body down. Painfully. He groaned, looking down at his injury as the other two newly-free Mobians worked out where to go.
"We need to find weapons and get out of this place - that thing may well be still alive..."
"No, Tobias needs help, now! He's bleeding too much, he needs patching up fast...there has to be some sort of medbay around here somewhere..."
The pair continued to argue as all three hurried through the winding, dark corridors. Soon they came across a larger accessway, strangely devoid of activity. Where had all the guards gone?
Tobias didn't know...his mind and thoughts were going all blurry now...cursed wound...he had to keep going...slowing down was deathhhhhhhhh....
Slumping, Tobias collapsed to the ground behind Timber and Butterfly, as more of his life slowly drained out in a crimson flow of blood.
The Hydrocity.
"Do you accept, Tarnished One?"
The Jinmin remained pensive, her feline eyes glinting with some unknown thought and betraying nothing.
"....Yes. You can have your Chaos Emerald. Just show us the way out of here."
The seahorse smiled enigmatically, before raising its staff in a sweeping motion.
"Pass through this plaza and the Halls of Reckoning. Do not turn to the left or the right. The path you seek is through the tunnel beyond, deeper into the rock, and out through the echidnas' rancid place of confinement. The Hole, they call it. It is well named. Now go, lest you despoil this place further with your unwholesome presence."
The trio needed no further encouragement. Looking on ahead as they hastily crossed the plaza, they saw what must have been the Halls of Reckoning - great marble buildings with walls awash with falling water, topped with golden spires that reached to the very roof of the cavern. They lined a long, ermine street which led down towards a great opening in the rock of the cavern, lit by eerie glowing lanterns that hugged the tunnel walls. Through this dim light, the Mobians could just make out the large tunnel growing smaller and smaller, growing akin to the tightly confined passageways from which they had just come.
As the interlopers charged off towards what they believed would be their escape from this place, the seahorse stood as impassive as the water at his feet. He watched them for a time, letting them leave earshot before moving.
Such fools these Abominations are! To believe such a story about this city! How little they truly know about their past.
With a tap of his staff, the 'seahorse' allowed the illusion to melt away into nothingness. A new form replaced his wisened looks, bright white robes replacing the tattered ornamentation borne by his false image. His stature grew, far taller than any natural Mobian, matching and exceeding the height of the ornate, silver-tipped stave. His face hidden behind a thick hood and mantle, the creature looked on as the foolish trio made their way past the 'Halls of Reckoning.'
Did they really assume that anyone would just let them leave? With their impudence and filthy furred forms? One cannot simply 'walk' into one of these sacred cities...
...and expect to depart without recompense.
One of the Caretakers approached the creature with apparant caution and due reverence, acknowledging its master's rising anger. Anticipating an order, the automaton did not have to wait long. Raising an arm, which ended in a silver-gloved hand with four fingers and an opposable thumb, the master bid his servant forward with a command of mere thought.
Shadow them. Uncover the Abominations' true purpose for being here. Then slay them. Leave not a trace of their dirty hides here.
As the command was received, the Caretaker's eye changed to a sun-kissed hue of red. Arcs of electrical energy flickered about its silvery limbs, as more of its kind emerged from the buildings and alcoves surrounding them. Then, with barely a chirrup, the group of half-a-dozen-or-so Caretakers scurried off to their master's task, hugging the walls and silent walkways of the long dead city, keeping quiet, keeping unseen.
Seahorses? Whatever old history book or fantasy tale he had drawn that yarn from was long lost to memory. It was fortunate that he had composed the illusion for such an eventuality. Whoever authored such a story was quite the fableteller. No matter. The Mobians could not know the truth. Not yet.
"We shall inherit." The creature spoke quietly, almost mournfully.
The Cavern
"Let them up."
As one, the cadre of guards stood aside to allow the ragtag group of outsiders to haul themselves to their feet.
"I thought I recognised that voice." Quintin turned to directly face the elder fox. "Your reputation precedes you, Master Underwood."
Still dusting himself off, the fox declined to reply, muttering something under his breath. The other members of the group stared quizzically at Quintin, back at the fox, and at the nervous canine, a myriad questions no doubt forming in their minds. Smiling with his usual, calm demeanor, the ferret responded to their silent queries.
"Anyone who has any sort of knowledge about the way this prison works knows who this man is. The Underground owes him many favours to boot. Come."
Beckoning, Quintin turned to proceed down a dark interconnecting tunnel, as the assembled gaggle of onlookers peered suspiciously at the passing group of newcomers, seemingly unmoved by whatever reputation this Underwood had with them. Without stopping, Quintin moved to make up for some of those debts owed.
"What is it that you need from us? I see that one of your companions is wounded - I will direct one of our apothecaries to tend to her at once. But I take it that you're not here for sightseeing?"
"No." The fox spoke gruffly. "We need a way out, quick, easy, without drawing much attention. We need to get back upstairs, but the whole place is going to hell in a handbasket right about now."
"So it would seem."
Striding into a smaller chamber, but still lit by the ominous glow of the rock crystals, the group was greeted by the site of many old computer screens that were bordering on archeotech. Each one, however, was broadcasting visions of chaos - images from almost every level of the Hole, filled with all the violence of the prison uprising in full swing.
"We have been planning for this moment for a long while now, with no small part thanks to your efforts in providing the..." Quintin hesitated, instinctively untrusting of the other outsiders "...resources we needed."
"You're planning to go the whole way...a breakout?" Samuel chipped in, watching the screens intently. He focussed in on one in particular, displaying a brutally fast fight between a pair of echidnas in the main refinery area from which they had just come. A thick cloud of gas seemed to be choking the whole floor now, making the overlander a little more glad to be down here.
The ferret inclined his head. "There would be no point to this bloodshed if freedom was not accomplished this day. Many of our brothers have given their lives to path the way for our escape. The Warden will taste our fury before this night is out."
"Brother Quintin! I thought you were going out on patrol..." An old hare, dressed in a grim, tattered remainder of religious robes, entered the chamber from another tunnel accessway. Stopping, the Manged elder regarded the newcomers with a hint of surprise and unease. "Who are these people? Are they trustworthy enough to be shown in here?"
"Yes, Brother Werris, they are our honoured, if temporary, guests here. This is the esteemed Master Underwood, to which we all owe our thanks for his assistance in bringing about our glorious insurrection."
The hare then looked at the fox wide eyed, before stumbling forward to give his paw in a welcoming pawshake. "You were the one that got the mining explosives! All the equipment, even the medical supplies...!"
At the hare's gesture of thanks and gratitude, the fox was seemingly unimpressed, neither offering paw nor voice in response to Brother Werris' advances. 'Brother' Quintin also appeared suitably displeased with the hare's blurted outburst of potentially sensitive information. Awkwardly, the hare turned to the others, and immediately saw Amber's wounds.
"Heavens, that must need looking at..." Grasping at an ancient intercom mike set on the chamber wall, the old hare rattled off an order to an unseen recipient. "Apothecary required in the control chamber, urgent."
As Brother Werris stooped to examine Amber's wounds, Quintin continued with his dialogue, his excitement building at the day's events regardless of what the hare disclosed about their operations. It was all in set motion now, besides. A conflagration that will not be extinguished. An omen, perhaps, of what Brother Fabius had always prophesied would come.
"I should thank you all, really, for allowing me now to stay back and watch our plans unfold so flawlessly. Whilst it would have otherwise fallen to Brother Werris to do this important task, it will be you, Mr. Underwood, that will now get the honour of sealing this accursed facility's fate."
Striding over towards a low command console, Quintin detached a small, oblong lump of metal from its surface, before carefully extending a long steel antenna outwards from the small device. Handing it carefully to the fox, Quintin explained its purpose.
"This is the remote detonator for the mining explosives you procured for us." Indeed, a large, hazard-marked button adorned the device's otherwise unremarkable surface. "A number of volunteers have smuggled themselves into the Hole's primary reactor area, from which the entire facility derives its power supply. Normally in an installation of such importance, there would be a functioning backup generator, but the echidnas, in all their arrogance, have neglected to maintain it. The volunteers, naturally, expect to die on this mission, but in the likely event that they...fall...before reaching their target, we kept the detonator here, to ensure the success of their work."
With these words, Quintin directed their gaze to a monitor screen displaying the movements of a small team of prisoners advancing up a long corridor somewhere in the Hole.
"When the time comes...I offer you the chance to inscribe your place in the dark history of this place - as the one who brought about its final destruction. When the time comes...do not hesitate in unleashing the divine fire of holy vengeance..."
Main Reactor Accessway, Level 25
Phelix, his heart pounding and his breathing heavy, moved swiftly up the tight corridor towards their target. Towards redemption!
They had already eliminated several guards with their expensively-acquired high-powered weaponry. He doubted few more would stand in his way...
"STOP THEM!"
As soon as the cry rang out from ahead of them, the volunteers dropped low to the floor, and opened up with their weapons, even as heavy automatic fire poured back at them. There were only half-a-dozen of them, any casualties before their goal would be sorely felt.
As the wolf looked on, one of his number rose up amidst the firestorm, a male ocelot who had always been known for his bravery. Brother Harald moved up, firing his weapon furiously, charging forward at the stunned echidnas.
"COME MY BROTHERS! HEAR THE WORD OF THE MANGE, FILTHY OVERLORDS!"
In the bellow of his voice and the roar of his gun, Brother Harald brought down a pair of guards before he himself was ripped apart by bullets. But it was enough. Rising up after him, the rest of the team followed, blasting away full bore at their hated foes. It took little time to see who was the more determined, as the remaining three guards that had ambushed them retreated further back towards the main reactor entranceway.
Rushing passed the fallen ocelot, Brother Phelix didn't even look down to check if his comrade was still alive. Harald would have desired it that way. The mission was all that mattered.
Further up ahead, the remaining, sorely-pressed defenders of the reactor had set up temporary barricades of metal-edged tables and containers, forming a miniature fortress bespoke with protruding firearms and anxious warriors.
"Where is backup!? I don't care about the Refinery, they're hitting the reactor! THE BASTARDS ARE HITTING THE MAIN REACTOR CORE!"
Phelix could here the echidna officer's panicked communication, even as both his team and the defenders once more exchanged fire. Once more, members of his group of volunteers fell - Brother Colyn, a squirrel he had grown up with in downtown Mobotropolis...Sister...Phelix gulped as he saw her fall...Sister Ralia, another wolf he had asked to marry just days before...
...even as bullets struck him, he allowed his rage to carry him on. Just as he had been prepared to do, through the Rites of Departure Brother Werris had all given them prior to this, their last mission for the Underground. For the Cult.
His rage at their injustice. His rage at the deaths of his friends and loved ones. The fury of a desperate and dying man.
"I SHALL NOT FAIL!"
Phelix roared, blasting at another of the guards, before charging almost miraculously over the hastily-erected barricades barring the main door to the reactor core. He was the only one left now, the weight of the explosives wrapped around his body growing heavier with every passing second. Before the rest of the guards could do anything, the wolf burst past them and through the doors...
The Control Chamber
Quintin shouted almost uncontrollably in excitement, in an already silent chamber. The fox remained with the detonator in his hand, button at the ready, as the last of the Manged team blasted his way through the reactor doors.
"Do it! Do it now!"
OOC: Sorry about my silence as well. It's been a rotten couple of weeks for me from both a work and health standpoint.
From the gantry above, Jonesy watched the fight in awe. He'd heard stories about Ash from his coworkers, but actually seeing the stories come to life in front of him. He looked to his side and saw the Warden watching the fight as well, a bemused smirk on her face. The other guards had vacated several minutes ago at the behest of the Warden. Jonesy had heard the word "reactor" used as they had run off, leaving just the bodyguards to protect the Warden. The bodyguards had started watching the fight as well, remarking amongst each other about the prowess of Ash and the Castellan. Their glib attitude was starting to piss Jonesy off. Those bastards, treating this like it's a lark, acting like killing is all in good fun. Traitorous heathens! Deep within Jonesy, rage started to build.
Down on the refinery floor, the Castellan had gotten the better of Ash and was trying to strangle him. Jonesy felt terrified and angry at himself for being able to do nothing to help. Ash had thrown his honor away to save their lives, and all Jonesy could do was watch from a distance. Coward! he could hear his Academy instructor yelling at him in his head. The traitors stand beside you without fear? They reveal themselves to a Constable and you do nothing to purge them?! COWARD! Jonesy clenched his teeth and looked away from the fight below.
Suddenly, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. The bodyguard closest to him had his pistol holstered but not strapped in. Jonesy paused, an idea forming in his head. What if... no, I'd never make it. I can draw fast and aim well, but I always hesitate when I shoot. he thought. THEN DON'T HESITATE, TRAINEE! his instructor's voice once again rebuked him. Jonesy once again stole a glance at the unprotected pistol of the bodyguard and weighed his options. The guard on the Warden's other side would have to go first, since he was armed. Then the guard he'd disarmed. Then he'd get the Warden to stop the gas and let him and Ash go. It was a terrible plan that could go wrong in so many ways, but it was the only plan Jonesy had. Jonesy inched closer to the unawares bodyguard...
DAMMIT! Ash strained against the crushing grip of the Castellan, his breaths coming in short ragged bursts through his constricted airway. What had began as a cool, calculated fight on Ash's part had quickly degenerated into enraged flailing. Ash cursed his own stupidity even as his anger continued to increase. I don't think I've ever been this angry before, except for that day... Ash's recollections were halted by the Castellan increasing the pressure on his throat. The new force drove Ash's head further into the deadly mist that had covered the floor. With his vision going dim, the taste of blood pooling in his mouth, Ash looked up at the Castellan. Wernher's visor was up, revealing a crazed grin and eyes red from bloodlust.
"This is it, scum - your end is nigh!" Ash grit his teeth and glared back Wernher's grinning face. Deep within Ash, rage was building, screaming for a release. With what felt like his last bit of strength, Ash did all that he was still able to do: he spit in the eyes of his enemy.
But it wasn't spit that hit Wernher's eye, it was blood. The sensation of the impact and the shock of suddenly going blind in one eye startled Wernher into letting go of Ash's throat, just for a second. Sensing his opportunity, Ash reached up, slipped his fingers under the Castellan's rebreather mask and pulled. Wernher fell forward next to Ash, his nose and mouth now partially exposed to the outside. Ash kept his hold on the helmet as he climbed onto Wernher's back to hold him down in the mist. Ash snarled as Wernher's visor pressed against his hand, trying to force itself closed through the obstruction. It should've hurt, but Ash was far too deep in his adrenalin rush to feel it. He kept his hand clamped down tight, keeping the visor open and Wernher's rebreather from forming a tight seal. With a yell that was a mixture of pain and anger, Ash drove his other fist into the small of Wernher's back. The familiar *crack* of electricity didn't come this time; the gauntlet had been damaged in the fight. It was enough, though. The impact knocked the wind out of Wernher. Ash continued to punch, his anger boiling over, unconsciously ranting wildly as the blows fell on the writhing Castellan.
"You know what" *punch* "the difference between you and" *punch* "me is?" *punch* "I have nothing to fear" *punch* "from this vapor." *punch* Ash lowered his head close to Wernher, baring his blood-covered teeth. "Now take a good strong breath, traitor. Breathe and die."
Edit: Removed second Jonesy part to keep in sync with Fox's post.
"You've been busy." the coyote said watching Underwood examine the remote.
"Celay ta'haple...*" The fox muttered. He looked Bant, exchanging some unseen words, then pushed the bottom.
Celay ta'haple - Heaven help us
Amber had been relieved that the situation had resolved itself, apparently, they were keeping better company than she'd thought.
These...'companions' of mine are more than they appear...
She had been about to ask the ferret a few questions when a manged hare arrived, to her surprise, this, 'Brother Werris', began to attempt seeing to her wound. She tried to hide her dismay at his intent on getting a closer look, and edged away partly from the painful probing, and partly because she reeeally didn't feel like getting an infected wound.
"Not right now, thanks, I want to see what's going on." She hobbled a bit further away in time to watch as a rather ominous looking button was pressed.
I hope that was intentional...
OOC: soz about the short terrible post, lol, it's late and I wanted to at least indicate that I was alive
OOC: Terribly sorry for my own absence... I wasn't feeling well earlier in the week and then my family had company later on. Practice is also being a biyotch. D:
IC:
Hydrocity
Hikari and her companions moved swiftly from out of the creature's presence, glad only that they had avoided conflict for the moment. The Jinmin's mind, however, was awhirl with thoughts akin to "What have I gotten myself into?", "How can we get a Chaos Emerald?", and "Why do they want an Emerald, exactly?". She had done the only thing she knew to do in agreeing with the seahorse's terms, but now doubt and suspicion began seeping into her being. Those Caretakers obviously held a certain disdain and disgust for their kind, though their 'leader' seemed accomodating enough. Why? They had invaded a sacred place without permission. They most certainly were not welcome, if the seahorse's order to leave was anything to go by.
But... why ask for a Chaos Emerald?
Kari knew what the Emeralds were: Jems of great power and beauty, with the potential for destruction or creation. She had seen pictures and heard tales while visiting the various taverns her crew frequented but had not bothered to invest much in those stories. After all, it was said that the Chaos Emeralds had been scattered across the globe and searching one out was incredibly risky and dangerous.
She was interrupted by Seipher coming to walk in between her and Dolly, eyes focussed dead ahead and unreadable. He began to speak in a quiet murmur to her, lips barely moving in the way Hikari remembered being taught to do when they were suspected of being watched.
"Stay on your toes, Lieutenant. I don't trust those blasted creatures any farther than I can throw 'em."
The Jinmin nodded almost imperceptibly, turning her attention to the great structure they were just now entering. The Hall of Reckoning, he called it. Hmm. Dolly appeared to be completely in awe of the place, seemingly forgetting their encounter with the Caretaker's leader and his enigmatic bargain. She was skipping in time with their steps and beaming at the building's sheer beauty, occasionally letting out gasps of amazement and appreciation. Hikari smiled.
She followed suit, lips remaining still while her whispered reply floated up to Seipher's ears.
"You believe they will try something, Commander?"
His eyes glinted slightly, and he appeared to consider her words. Then said, "Don't know. But I don't trust them. Keep your eyes open Takeshi, but don't let them know. Our first priority is to get out of here in one piece, not engage them. Hardly the time or place."
"And the Chaos Emerald?"
Seipher briefly let his eyes wander over to her, meeting the Jinmin's cool blue gaze. His lips twitched as he quoted her earlier words: "Well cross that bridge when we get to it, Lieutenant."
Hikari nodded, her own lips turning up slightly. "Yes sir."
Refinery
The Warden smiled, her eyes and mind completely focussed on the debacle of violence that was the refinery's floor. Even now, she could spy out the faces - the looks of realisation and abject horror - as the rioters saw the swirling mist washing around their feet and rising higher.
Oh how she relished this moment - not just the demise of a pathetic underling at the hands of a pair of yet more foolish, half-a-brain soldiers, but also the slaughter of all the malcontents and troublemakers in her facility. How many more new inmates could she convince the High Council to let her have in their place? How much more time to plan and prepare had she bought the Dark Legion in one fell swoop?
"Today is a good day for the Legio..."
With an ear-splitting roar, that good day swiftly turned into a nightmare, as the Floating Island itself seemed to buckle and strain, shake and tear itself apart. The Warden, her bodyguards and Jonesy all went crashing to their feet, as the gantry was tossed about like a toy boat in the midst of a hurricane. Below them, soldiers and rioters stumbled about and fell, disappearing into the cloud of gas as they hit the hard plascrete. Some didn't get back up. The great blast doors, now so wisely ordered closed by the Warden, were bent and mishapen, as if a giant had taken to it with a sledgehammer.
It was then, that every light, computer screen, monitor and readout flickered, and died. Within a matter of milliseconds, the entire facility was plunged into a thick, forboding darkness.
Grappling to their feet, one of Jora-Su's guards flicked on a built-in flashlight on his uniform and assisted the Warden herself to her feet, his back turned against Jonesy, who had now become of secondary importance. The soldier's attention now seemed entirely fixed on a low chime coming from his helmet.
"Warden..." The guard spoke hesitantly, a hint of fear already evident in his voice. "...my suit is giving a radiation alarm."
Control Chamber
As the blast wave powered on through rock and steel, Brother Quintin closed his eyes in wonder as the shaking passed through the control chamber, rose to a crecendo, then subsided.
"The beast's last, dying breath."
Suddenly, he opened his eyes again, ablaze now with a fiery resolve. All but ignoring the red panda's protests and the tentative ministrations of Brother Werris to both her and the Overlander, the ferret seemed entirely consumed by some plan long in coming. He did, however, notice the expression on the fox's face - and those of equal vexation on all the others at what had just happened.
"The volunteers knew their duty."
Hydrocity
Scuttling along the smooth floor of the Hall, the Caretaker scrambled from shadow to shadow, cover to cover as were each of its identical brethren. All were now faithfully doing their master's bidding, tracking the furred interlopers as they made their way through the sacred grounds. All were keeping a low profile, avoiding immediate contact with the Mobians at all costs...for now.
"Stay on your toes, Lieutenant. I don't trust those blasted creatures any farther than I can throw 'em."
Hypothesis: Subjects display lack of knowledge regarding city and Caretaker units. Purpose for intrusion...unknown. Origin...unknown. Subjects match no archived bloodlines. Conclusion: 87.89% probability of unwarranted cross-breeding and mutation having occurred in Species 7, 12 and 15. Augmenting archive with new data... ...upload completed.
"You believe they will try something, Commander?"
Hypothesis: 65.78% probability of Caretaker unit detection by subjects. Task priority dictates continued surveillance and eventual termination of subjects. Conclusion: Maintaining surveillance protocols.
"Don't know. But I don't trust them. Keep your eyes open Takeshi, but don't let them know. Our first priority is to get out of here in one piece, not engage them. Hardly the time or place."
Hypothesis: Threat rating - minimal. Preliminary analysis indicates high subject susceptibility to onboard self-defence modules. Conclusion: Maintaining surveillance protocols.
As the adult pair of Mobians finished their talk with a knowing look, the younger member of the trio caught something out of the corner of her eye.
"Hey, what was that? I saw a flash of silver! Pretty too! A real Chao maybe...?"
Hypothesis: Detection imminent. Surveillance incomplete. Conclusion: Activating self-defence protocols. Activating adaptive camouflage.
It was then that the ground shook...
"urrrrgh..." Ash groaned as he picked himself back up in the darkened refinery. His mind rushed to collect itself, his adrenalin rush and madness starting to disappear as confusion set in. What just happened? Was there an earthquake? The ridiculousness of his thought quickly occurred to him. An earthquake on the Floating Island? No, something had happened in the facility...
Wernher. Ash felt around on the floor near where he had been before the quake, but found nothing. Dammit, he got away. Bastard's probably hallucinating by now, though. Ash slowly got to his feet and tried to see something, ANYTHING. No luck, everything was pitch black. No emergency lights, no monitors... Ash cocked his head as a flashlight flickered on across the room. That's what I need.
Ash started toward the light, but didn't get far before he tripped over something on the ground. Ash felt for the obstruction and found something interesting: a knife stuck in the object. Must be that annoying little mole from earlier. With a grunt, Ash pulled the knife from the body as he felt around for the gun the mole had been using. He wasn't much of a fan of guns, but if he was going to get anywhere he'd need all the hardware he could get his hands on.
Above the refinery, Jonesy lay as still as he could. His mission to get the guard's pistol without them noticing had worked, but the sudden quake had knocked him over before he could do anything with it. From there... he didn't know. Time had blurred at that point, and all that he was aware of was how much his head hurt, the support beam next to him and the warm sticky feeling he felt on his head. Thankfully, when he'd fallen he'd managed to land with the guard's pistol laying underneath him, completely obscured from view. He kept his eyes closed as he listened to the Warden talk to her bodyguards nearby. He could hear only bits and pieces of the conversation, as they were talking in hushed tones. He was able to pick out one word, though: "radiation".
Good, hope that means they'd leave soon. With his head hurt and with them suddenly more aware of their immediate surroundings, Jonesy knew that trying to shoot them down would only result in his death. His only remaining hope was that they got distracted by the current turn of events and left him behind.
