closed.

[ceruleo]

CHARACTERS: Lance (ceruleo), Keith (secondnature) + NPCS
DATE: a few weeks before the final attack on the Vakdir HQ/the PM
WARNINGS: violence, gore.
SUMMARY: Lance takes a guy out and suffers the consequences.

[ Peer Hallström, CEO of Hallström Pharmaceuticals, rose to infamy for boosting the prices on several brands of anti-rejection drugs by several thousand percent. This made him deeply unpopular in the lower levels, but had him hailed as a shrewd businessman by his peers: Rost wants him out, and wants Lance to plant the Vakdir for it. They've provided equipment and information. All Lance has to do is pull the trigger.

He's a little past nervous. The Vakdir gun is heavier and more visibly powerful than his Bayard, but it has a good scope and he doesn't feel hobbled, either by it or the armour. At this point, it's just a matter of watching and waiting.

It's a cloudy night, a kind of pressure in the air that clings to the skin. Lance is on a roof adjacent to the building's entrance, watching through his scope. Next to him, Keith cuts an impressive figure in his Marmora suit. Maybe one day Lance will tell him how good he looks in it; for now, he settles for a tense smile. ]

I'm all set up. Let's get this show on the road.

Comments

[secondnature]

Move only if you need to move. And keep your magitek close. It's the best and most secure line we'll ever have. [The fact that it can connect on thought helps, because there's a very limited chance that someone would be able to figure out that the jewelry on them could be the tool to communicating.

All of these words are probably unnecessary, but Keith recalls their fight with the ogres back in Hanabira. This is Lance's mission that he's helping on, but he's willing to take the lead when needed.

Keith is careful to not point out that he's putting himself in the line of fire. Right now, that's not important. Not yet.]

How long before I have to move?

[ceruleo]

[ Honestly, though he probably could have gotten this job done without Keith, knowing he's got backup is more than a little relief. Keith's done this before; his confidence soothes Lance. At the question, he checks the time on his magitek bracelet. ]

Seven fifty-four. You can give it a minute, but I'm not keeping you. You have the map, right?

[ As if he even needs to ask. ]

[secondnature]

Even if I didn't, I made sure to study it. [Keith made certain to trim down the amount of goods carrying to have this prepared. He and Lance spent a lot of time together the night before, but that made Keith all the more aware that he had to do his homework. Thinking on the fly would be important. Not having to stop to check a map was a very clear part of that.

He draws up his hood, and his mask blinks into existence. The next time he speaks, his voice is a little metallic in sound thanks to the filter of the mask.]

You tell me if anything happens over here. You know I can improvise.

["You know I mostly only improvise." That's not what he's thinking, but that is a very fair interpretation of it.]

[ceruleo]

[ He rolls his eyes, but there's a faint smile on his face. His interpretation was definitely less than charitable, but he's inclined to be forgiving of Keith's flaws at the moment. ]

Yeah, yeah, I'll keep you posted. Don't mess up.

[ To the tune of "be careful". He gives Keith a wink and an air kiss, because that's a thing now? It sure is. ]

[secondnature]

[There is a brief moment where the air kiss makes Keith freeze. With the mask up, he can't really do the same thing in return, and he definitely doesn't know the social more of cutely catching it, because that would be weird and utterly surprising for him to know.

But he just ... decides to go. The mission is more important than debating the response.

He begins to clamber downward quickly from Lance's perch, slipping off into the dark alleys of Drakstaden that surround the mogul's headquarters.

Keith is swift as he makes his way up to the level agreed upon, mindful of anything he might hear. He peers into ... Peer's window, taking note of the shutdown nature of his office, and then he goes the long way around to take the emergency exit inside to begin going up. So far, so good.

At least he gets the part of this that doesn't involve sitting and waiting. There is that.]

[ceruleo]

[ Lance was kind of hoping Keith would at least tap his fingers to his mask or something, but that thought vanishes as soon as Keith's out of sight. Lance has more pressing concerns.

Back to looking through his scope, he takes stock of the situation. The entry is clear, Hallstrom's car slowly pulling up. Lance is tempted to blow out a tire, but realizes quickly just how dumb that would be. Keith's got his end of the deal.

The waiting is the worst part: it's just him, his thoughts, the heavy impending rain. What if he messes up? What if this wasn't the right choice?

The doors open. Hallstrom walks towards his car, flanked by three men. Lance's thought flares over the magitek. ]

Now!

[secondnature]

[On cue, Keith's Marmora blade extends in his hand and he slams it against the door to bust it open. An alarm begins to blare inside of the office, inside of the entirety of the building, and Keith moves to take a post where he's not immediately visible. He crouches down and keeps an eye on the window.

From outside, Lance will be able to see all indications of the alarms going off. Two of Hallstrom's men leave him, but a flood of men follow to take his place. The remaining guard huddles close with a communication device close at hand.

For now, Lance is safe.

And Keith is readily throwing himself into danger. How many are on their way? The question appears as text. From where he's perched, he can't see anyone. He's sure he can handle it, but he's like the head's up regardless.]

[ceruleo]

[ Two on their way to you, but I'm gonna need backup ASAP.

It's clipped, because Lance needs to focus. He'd been right, of course, but there's no use saying more now. He has a job to do, and this is all going downhill fast.

Hallstrom's security detail are mobbing him, pushing and pulling him towards the car, Lance has a split second to get this shot before the guy's getting ducked down—

Breathe. In. Fire.

Hallstrom's head snaps to the side sharply; the reaction is instant, and it's Lance's turn to duck and roll as bullets go whizzing by.

I've got heat on me, Keith!

They should've stalled the car, is what he's thinking, but none of that makes it through the magitek as Lance barrels towards the fire escape to make it down the opposite side of the building, gunfire crackling behind him. ]

[secondnature]

[Gonna ... take ... a sec—

The reply isn't instantaneous. The lead up to this? Keith moves out of cover to face the two guards. One man is very, very tall but slender, and the other is a little more stout, but built like an ox. If they were balanced in any way, this might be easier. But it isn't. And they're trained. They aren't selfish or self-serving like the Vakdir, though there's undoubtedly a bit of that. They're here to do their jobs. They're professionals.

Before long, Keith manages to take out the knees (he'll need surgery—or some cybernetic replacements, whatever) of the large guy, who sits on the floor whimpering in pain. But Ox-the-Man moves swiftly like a linebacker and slams Keith into a wall. He picks him up by the front of his Marmora suit and tosses him across the room. As he turns, he spots Lance's hidey hole (so to speak). There's mumbling about a distraction, but Keith can barely focus.

By time he gets up, Ox guy is gone, and he's hurt.

So, that's the message Lance got. That he's pulling himself together. It's just that he realizes then that Lance's position is given away, so he forces himself to pull it together much more quickly, and dashes out of the office, ignoring every ache and pain searing through his body right now.]