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Post by Admin on Nov 15, 2008 22:22:09 GMT -5
The man was cold. Really, that was his driving thought as he watched his breath slowly puff out into the night air. The cold of the November air had sunk into his bones, and was beginning to make him feel miserable.
Supposedly he was off duty. Allowed to do some basic shopping and whatnot since his current assignment allowed him the time. His eyes had become more adjusted to the false light of the laboratory though, the cruel florescence. The street lights of St. Louis were actually disturbing to him, and unnerved him as he hurried. It made him owlish, and made seeing things difficult.
It was because of the stress and his eyes that the researched hadn't seen the girl until he'd actually run into her. Maybe she'd been doing something out of the ordinary. Perhaps she'd just been trying to get home. Regardless, now she'd been bumped into by a scrawny man with the disposition of a scientist.
"Hey!" was all he could manage as he stumbled backward a few steps, blinking owlishly at the girl.
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Post by ĸara вelova★ on Nov 16, 2008 13:44:30 GMT -5
Kara hadn't been doing anything out of the ordinary. Nothing extraordinary at the moment she'd been nearly bowled over by the man who was only slightly thicker than she was. Kara was naturally skinny, extremely thin and pale. She'd never be one of those beauty queen's with bleached blonde hair and spray-on tans. The nearly sixteen year-old girl was shivering violently, the lack of meat on her bones a contributing factor to her discomfort. She didn't meet the researcher's eyes as he blinked down at her.
"I'm sorry," She apologized curtly, as though it had been her fault that he had run into her. The queer beauty instinctively brushed hair in front of her face. She concentrated on where her feet were; they had a tendency to find any protruding objects and snag on them. Kara had enough bruises - she didn't favour acquiring any more.
What she did favour encountering was a research lab.
There were rumours, just whisperings, that Kara had found invaluable. She caught snippets of conversations when passing by knowledgeable looking people in St. Louis. Ever since discovering that she wasn't ready to die, Kara had become determined to find a way to stay alive. So even if her casual eavesdropping had set her on a fruitless journey, Kara was stubborn enough to try. So far it had cost her another rip in the hip of her jeans, and a loose thread had begun to unravel from her red plaid winter coat. All existing bruises on her body had come from stumbling around the school.
Kara loathed talking to people. Socializing was always awkward and mostly unnecessary. But in this case, she felt it was vital in her search for truth. Swallowing back her frustration, Kara looked up at the man's long nose (very carefully avoiding eye contact).
"Where is the lab?"
She didn't know how to be subtle in approaching this topic. He certainly looked as though he'd know where something like a 'lab' was. Maybe it was secret, maybe it was a known location she hadn't encountered when browsing quickly through the local phonebook. It didn't matter though. Kara's eyes broke away and instead looked over at the building the man had just exited.
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Post by Admin on Nov 16, 2008 15:17:06 GMT -5
The man had looked down his long nose at Kara, still blustering somewhat about how things had all been her fault. The apology meant nothing to the man, and he simply plowed over it, eager to unleash his irritation on an unsuspecting victim. Yet when Kara asked about the lab, his words tripped on another, crashing together into an amazed sputter. Again he blinked owlishly at Kara and tried desperately hard not to look as though the question had just punched him in the stomach.
"Lab, what lab?" he finally managed. He suddenly had the urge to rub at his eyeballs, as if he could banish the irritating visage of the girl before him. "I don't know of this lab you speak of."
Indeed, he did work at a lab. But generally you weren't supposed to tell this to random girls you run into on the street. Of course, the poor scientist wasn't exactly a master of manipulation or even a very good speaker.
"Why would you be looking for a lab anyway?" demanded the man. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Kara. Perhaps this was a spy, and he should get rid of her. His mind began calculating possibilities while he awaited an answer.
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Post by ĸara вelova★ on Nov 16, 2008 15:28:10 GMT -5
Eyes narrowing at his evasive response, Kara hid the fact that she was a little intimidated. His anxiety was encouraging however, as was his confusion. Of course, she couldn't hear him think his nervousness, or understand fully why he was radiating uncertainty. But it certainly wasn't a typical 'wtfyoutalkingabout?' response.
Kara had a prepared answer the moment he denied knowing of the lab, and she delivered it with perfection.
"It's none of your business, seeing as how you don't know of a lab," it wasn't polite. It was short and straight-forward, and very brash. She held her chin a little higher, still refusing to look him in the eye. Again, her eyes were drawn to the door he'd come out of.
"What's in there?" Kara demanded, hating that she'd wasted more than three words on this man.
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Post by Admin on Nov 16, 2008 15:58:39 GMT -5
"Research," the man retorted, trying to look offended. He had momentarily forgotten that he wasn't supposed to even know of a lab. After all, she'd touched his pride by insisting that he knew little, and then making silly demands. The girl was already grating on his nerves.
"Genetics research," he added, his tone superior. Again the nose was thrust in the air, so that he could look down it as he taunted the clueless girl. He let the words sink in, slowly realizing that he'd just given away the fact that he did in fact know of a lab, a specific lab. Now he'd have to try and cover.
"That's assuming I even know of a lab, and even then, it's certainly nothing of interest to a snippet of a girl with poor manners," he insisted. The superior words were backed by a snort of indignation, and the man started down the street, once again eager to return home and forget about this whole encounter.
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Post by ĸara вelova★ on Nov 16, 2008 17:18:49 GMT -5
Kara blinked. Genetic research? It was a long-shot, but maybe they'd be able to help her with her 'problem'. And seeing this man still intent on leaving, Kara grew scared of losing her first chance at life.
She hurried up the stairs to the building, tugging at the door. But it was locked. Either he was the last man out, or the research in there was so important that it needed to be locked twenty-four/seven. She liked to believe both were true. How lucky would she be if the answer to her secret was locked inside, and that this man was the last one there. It was late, after all. He very well might be the only person who could help her tonight. And she was much too emotionally exhausted right now to return to the school empty-handed. The least she was determined to benefit from this quest was a shiny paper weight. Hurrying back down the steps, she called after him.
"Wait!" Kara cried, chasing after the man who'd just insulted her. The insult didn't even go skin-deep. Kara was used to being made fun of and critisized and put down. She was able to brush aside those comments and focus on what exactly it was she needed. Pulling on his sleeve, Kara tugged herself into position where she was directly in front of him. Looking him point-blank in the eye, she shot her fear and desperation into him, so he could feel what she was feeling too. And it was very not subtle, the emotional change he'd feel would go from irritation and eagerness to leave to the same anxiousness Kara had reflecting in her eyes.
"Let me into the lab. Let me see if they can help me."
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Post by Admin on Nov 16, 2008 17:28:58 GMT -5
Initially the man felt nothing but irritation toward the girl. How dare she continue to hunt him down and bother him like this? It was wholly inappropriate, and he fully intended on calling authorities to deal with her. Let her explain to the police how she bothered innocent people on the street.
"I don't--" the man began. Suddenly fear and desperation welled within him, cutting off his words. He wanted nothing more than to be rid of this girl, and as quickly as possible. Her very presence was making him anxious.
"I can't help you," he insisted. He started backing up then, his steps quick and jittery. "You should find help. A doctor, maybe."
Now he turned, hurrying away from her yet again. this time his steps took him in the opposite direction he'd been heading. But as he drew away, he felt his anxiety leave, and he wondered just why he'd been so anxious to begin with. The girl's problems were her own, after all.
"Must be stress," he murmured, shaking his head. Feeling very tired, he leaned against a building, closing his eyes for a few moments.
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Post by ĸara вelova★ on Nov 16, 2008 17:38:13 GMT -5
"Wait! Wait don't go, don't leave me like this, you don't understand oh no oh dear oh please oh deary me oh please. What a loser."
Kara's voice faded into the sarcastic comment, and the girl spun around, heading back to the locked door. In her hand was a set of keys. Yes... Kara wasn't just a stupid, annoying teenage girl. She hadn't been pestering the man for no reason. She was manipulative and clever and very very good at getting the things she wanted.
She opened the front door after a couple of wrong keys and slipped inside. Closing the door behind her and tucking the keys into her pocket (after noting the key chain wasn't very attractive), Kara proceeded into the lab.
Confusion crossed over her face.
What...?
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Post by Admin on Nov 16, 2008 17:57:04 GMT -5
It didn't really look much like a lab. In fact, it looked an awful lot like a storehouse. No one is going to have a top secret lab that does forbidden research and simply let people get in with keys. Especially not when they employed forgetful scientists to do their research. That was just asking for trouble.
Heck, there wasn't even a visible guard anywhere to manipulate. Wasn't a single person in the entire room, for that fact. Just several pallets and a few crates.
Mounted against the far wall was a small metal ball, with a single lens embedded in the center. Now this turned slightly, taking in the recent intruder.
Elsewhere...
"Who's this?"
"Looks like a girl of some sort... must have sneaked in."
"Run her through the system, let's see what we've got. Let's see how far she gets..."
There was a single door opposite from where Kara stood. Metal. Locked, with a keypad glowing nearby. Downright eerie, in the low lights of the storehouse.
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Post by ĸara вelova★ on Nov 16, 2008 19:38:42 GMT -5
This certainly wasn't the lab set she'd been expecting to stumble across. It sure had a lot of stuff though. Kara cautiously approached one of the crates. It took some time, and some creative use of her wave-shaped beer-cap opener pendant to pry the lid off the first crate. She peered inside, rifling through the contents until she decided nothing was worth stealing, and this place certainly wasn't anything important. That man had been completely clueless, and her wishful paranoia was what convinced her that there was a lab inside. Sensing she was alone because she could pick up no other moods in the room, Kara felt safe to walk casually, sniffing at dusty old stacks of useless materials. Then she came across the door.
Curious, Kara stared at the keypad. She wasn't dumb enough to try any old code. Alarms might go off, and a lockdown might ensue... she wasn't ready for that sort of attention. At times like this, she wished she wore make-up and carried it around with her. She knew powder tricks worked well in figuring out which numbers were pressed. Kara had no powder, but she was a resourceful girl. There was enough dust in there to fill an entire two or three vaccuums.
Collecting a large handful (not at all opposed to the grime), the teenager carefully caried her cargo over to the door. She threw the dust at the keypad with as much force she could muster. She stepped back while the dust settled, into the niches between buttons and on the surfaces. Peering in closer, Kara saw some particles cling to raised bacteria over some of the glowing numbers. A 2, 3, 6, and 9.
There were so many different number cominations, but at least she had eliminated some other possibilities. While Kara puzzled over what the combo could be, she tried to find a logical order to the numbers. Something subconsciously familiar about them...
Kara promptly turned and left the building. She held the door open though and poked her head around the steps. Was someone seriously stupid enough to make the entrance code to their ultra-secret lab the same number as the address to the building it was located in? Ninety-three sixty-two.
Studiously examining the door she was holding, Kara propped it open with her boot and then walked back to the keypad with one shoe on. She was ready to fly out the front door if alarms went off. But, if she got the combination right, she'd go back and put her shoe back on, and walk right in.
Vamanos...
9362.
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Post by Admin on Nov 16, 2008 19:47:56 GMT -5
"That's not the code."
"No, but it's close."
"The alarm's are going to..."
"Let her in."
"What?"
"Do it."
A red light appeared, and it looked as if an alarm would indeed go off. A short little siren wailed, then the door opened. Several lights turned on, leading down a sterile looking stairwell. Fluorescence reflected on the smooth walls and floor. A strange sterile smell drifted out, and the air felt decidedly clean.
You could just make out the sound of a distant machine humming, and if you strained, a few voices.
"Let's see what our little mouse thinks of this, hmm?"
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Post by ĸara вelova★ on Nov 16, 2008 21:06:55 GMT -5
When the red light lit up, Kara swore in rapid Spanish and then proceeded to curse God in Russian. She sprinted to the front door and grabbed her shoe. Then the sound of the other door opening caught her off-guard, and she spun around. As it slid aside, Kara hesitated. Was that normal...? Red didn't really come across as a 'Congratulations you got the right code' colour.
Fumbling with her shoe, and fisting the keys in her pocket, Kara closed the front door and slowly approached the opened one. Stairs... down... that wasn't ominous at all. The smell was making her wary enough; anything that smelled like a morgue or a hospital made her stomach turn.
But there were voices. And mechanical stuff. Kara made a face. Getting her story straight took just over two seconds, and then she was walking down the staircase. She could hear the voices getting louder as she got closer, and she used the volume to gauge how quiet she had to be.
When the staircase ended, Kara poked her head around the corner and quickly pulled back. Nothing down that hall...
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Post by Admin on Nov 16, 2008 22:36:06 GMT -5
"Who is this girl?"
"Kara Belova."
"That doesn't ring a bell."
"Shouldn't, there's not much to her. Here's her records."
"..."
"Hmm, definitely something to look into. Perhaps we can help each other, no? Send Stephens."
If Kara was listening, she'd hear heavy footfalls. The solid cadence would alert her that someone was coming. Someone, large.
Stephens looked like a bruiser. Seven feet of solid muscle stretched over heavy bone, Stephens had no neck, no ounce of fat, and no sense of humor. He clumped around the corner, and looked down at the frail girl. The area where his eyebrow would be raised in speculation as Stephens studied the girl.
"Kara Belova," he didn't wait for a response, "if you want our help, you'll need to come with me. If not."
He smiled, two rows of pearly white teeth. "Well, let's just say that things won't be so pleasant for you, or 'Lucifer.'"
He then turned the corner, and waited.
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Post by ĸara вelova★ on Nov 17, 2008 0:00:18 GMT -5
Kara's sharp intake of breath was actually audible. When Stephens rounded the corner and towered over her, Kara immediately knew she was done. Her fear intensified and she stared up into his eyes, forcing that terror into him too. He didn't look like the kind of guy who scared easily, so this sudden feeling of vulnerability and horror would doubtlessly shock him, or in the least confuse him.
When he mentioned 'Lucifer', Kara hesitated. How did they know that nickname? Sure, it surprised her too that they knew Eiji and her had any connection at all. How had they acquired that sort of information so quickly? But Kara knew that their friendship was no secret. What concerned her was how they knew the very private and sometimes intimate name she used for the boy.
When he turned the corner, Kara made a run for it. Dashing up the stairs as quickly as she could did nothing for her agility; her poor balance made her trip for every step she gained. There was nothing quiet in her escape. Her boots were loud and echoed in the stairwell.
Hostia puta, madre de dios, get me the fuck out of here!
Kara resorted to crawling, using both hands and feet to ascend the steps. She looked like a wild animal trying to break free of a cage she clearly didn't belong in.
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Post by Admin on Nov 17, 2008 0:06:53 GMT -5
"That went about as expected."
"Poor girl panicked."
"Clearly this Lucifer person is quite important to her, how'd you get the name again?"
"Phone."
"Right. Anyway, lock the door, she's not getting out anytime soon."
Kara could climb the stairwell all she wanted. By the time she got to the door, she'd find it resealed. Unlike the other side, there was no visible way of opening it. No keypad, no lock, not even a handle. The door mocked her. Only a few inches to freedom, Kara, and you can't even surmount that.
There really was only one option left. Go down the stairs, and deal with Stephens again.
The big man hadn't moved, no reason to. He simply waited just around the corner, ears straining to hear the sounds of the girl.
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