Run by the Moon// Michael&open

[MICHAEL]

Michael would likely have spared the General had he shown the barest hint of remorse. However, even with his soldiers lying dead or incapacitated around him, he continued to fire fruitlessly into the barrier Michael had since raised about himself. Only then was the young man reminded that General Steiner was, in all ways, the worst of the lot. The torturous, inhumane experiments carried out in those walls were done under his supervision. There he sat, in a position to affect change in the establishment, and he squandered that power in favor of hatred. Michael had faced members of the Cruor and Iustus alike who fought only in the name of their ideals, led astray only by their misguided leaders. This was one of those men. Clothed in that bloodstained suit was a leader who very likely sent innocent soldiers on that same path of prejudiced, wanton destruction. Still, he would not plead or compromise that self-interested lust for power. He just tried to reload with that same haughty scowl.

Thus, Michael executed him most unceremoniously. He would spare not even a word, not after the display he had just seen. Fortunately, he was pulled from his fit of seething fury by the sight of his partner reeling back from a gunshot wound. Ordinarily, this would not be immediate cause for alarm, for she was woven not of flesh and blood as Michael was. The bullet which had pierced her tissues, however, was enchanted with a certain holy sorcery that often spelled doom for her kind. He could tell from her scowl that the pain she felt was very real, though she may not have let it distract from the visceral slaughter of the building's foot soldiers. His glare was immediately replaced with a look of genuine concern, his bright blue eyes losing the glow associated with his electricity and returning to a more soothing shade. Michael had, for that brief moment, returned to the healing ways of a studying Physician.

"Hm...the coast looks clear for now. I think we should take a second to patch you up. Hold on." He said, approaching with caution and examining her wound. It was not too grievous, to be sure, but the bleeding needed to be stopped. So, with little else on-hand, Michael ripped from his shirt a piece of black cloth. Gently lifting her arm, the young man of science wrapped the makeshift gauze around her injury, tying it just enough that it was effective in its way without causing discomfort or, worse yet in such intense combat, restriction of movement. "There. That ought'a hold you together until we get outta here." It was now, in this lull in gunfire, that Michael realized that the situation may yet complicate itself further. The concern behind his deep, blue eyes growing more intense, he attempted to explain things to his partner. "Victoria, as we go down in floors, we may run in to security that isn't part of this organization. They have no idea what's going on here and, if they did, they'd probably be just as appalled as you and I. If you see anyone at all who isn't dressed in body armor, do everything in your power to incapacitate them non-lethally. Alright?"

[VICTORIA]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,445,bTable][atrb=style, background-image: url(http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp256/doggydude24/misc/patternthinggg.jpg); border-top: 3px solid #181718; border-bottom: 3px solid #181718; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px; border-top-left-radius: 50px; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px;][STYLE=margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 7px; height: 100px; width: 50px; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px; border-top-left-radius: 50px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style][STYLE=margin-left: 60px; margin-top: -106px; height: 100px; width: 60px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style] [STYLE=margin-left: 120px; margin-top: -106px; height: 100px; width: 100px; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style][STYLE=margin-left: 226px; width: 222px; margin-top: -103px; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: georgia; color: #DFDFDF; text-align: center; font-size: 28px; letter-spacing: -1px;]L-O-V-E IS JUST[/style][STYLE=margin-left: 236px; width: 180px; background-color: #1F1D1F; text-transform: lowercase; font-family: arial; color: #DFDFDF; padding: 10px; padding-top: 5px; border-top: 4px solid #181718; text-align: justify; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; border-bottom-left-radius: 20px; line-height: 10px;]ANOTHER WORD I NEVER LEARNED TO PRONOUNCE. HOW DO I SAY I'M SORRY? 'CAUSE THE WORD IS JUST NEVER GONNA COME OUT. L-O-V-E'S JUST ANOTHER WORD I NEVER LEARNED TO PRONOUNCE. TIGHT JEANS, DOUBLE D'S, MAKING ME GO -- ![/style] [STYLE=float: right; background-color: #DFDFDF; padding: 12px; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #2D2014; border-top: 4px solid #181718; text-align: justify; margin-right: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; width: 267px; height: 320px; overflow: auto;]So everyone on this floor was taken care off. It looked as if the coast was really clear. Not to mention Michael had taken care of the General. It wasn't anything fancy. The man was truly a monster who deserved nothing more than a quick death. If she had her way things might have been a little more gruesome. The general would have been smothered by her darkness. Taken away from the word and forgotten by time. No one would heard his screams or cries for help. A smile played at her lips as her companion approached her. He seemed to be a little worse for wear. The boy was probably beyond exhausted and she was glad he hadn't taken any damage. The burning from her arm caught her attention and she softly hissed to herself. Damn thing. Before she could even move towards the elevator, Michael hand taken her arm. He was going to try and fix it? "Michael I'm fine really." But it didn't seem he was listening. He tore his shirt and wrapped it around the open wound. Thankfully the bullet went clean through but the holy water the bullet had been soaked in was making it burn. Expression softening she placed her free hand over his and gave him a soft smile. "Thank you. Really. I'm glad you that General didn't get the best of you." A light laugh came from her as she pulled down her hood and began to make her way towards the elevator. So the rest of the building didn't know what was going on? Well that would be a problem. Only because she didn't want word getting out of what she was. Looked like she would have to stick to hand to hand if it came down to it. Flexing her fingers slightly, she began to call the darkness back to her. It soaked into her skin and the cloak that once wrapped around her disappeared. All the darkness was gone. The floor was lit up once again and bodies littered the hallways. It looked like a war had been fought. Bullets and guns were strewn across the carpeting. "Well then we have to get to floor twenty-seven then right? Once there we can hitch an elevator on the way down. I doubt these ones have power. We can either climb down the three floors or I can move it down to where it needs to go. That is up to you." While she didn't have the ability to control electricity, she did have the telekinetic ability to move it. She could make the gears work enough to move it down three floors. It would be a bit tiring but she could manage it. But then what would they do once they got to the twenty-seventh floor? They couldn't just walk through the halls like when they had come up. Sighing she ran a hand through her now blue hair. Things only got better and better it seemed. [/style][STYLE=float: left; margin-left: 12px; color: #DFDFDF; background-color: #171717; opacity: 0.8; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px; border-top: 4px solid #0C0C0C; padding: 12px; font-family: arial narrow; font-size: 12px; line-height: 11px; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 1px; width: 109px; height: 320px; overflow: auto; margin-top: 10px;]TAGS: michael & open WORDS: i dunno alot? NOTES: they took out the army now to leave the building lol. CREDIT: kiwii at btn and gs![/style]

[MICHAEL]

The two had, fortunately enough, weathered the strongest gusts of the storm and were on relatively calm waters now that the General had been executed most suddenly. Few yet remained in the halls of the great spire, and those that did had succumbed to the wiles of cowardice and disorganization. This particular branch of the Iustus, Michael knew, was known far more for their cruelty than for their discipline and adherence to military doctrine. It was for this reason that they were most often saddled with- and, on that token, volunteered for- the twisted perversions of science and research that the para-military organization took part in. For the intrepid duo of forceful infiltrators, this meant that the loss of the building's commanding officer did quite a number on troop morale; what little vigor remained in the hearts of the soldiers gave out before the sight of their comrades mowed down as though they were made of calcium salts and petroleum jelly.

Of course, this did not have a similar effect on the men and women of the security force, who likely remained under the delusion that they were dealing with a mundane break-in. If there was any good to the situation, it was that any sort of official investigation into the upper tiers of the building would undoubtedly link its inner circle with the Iustus. In other words, the city's official law enforcement would likely not be called to their aid. As the two made their way toward the second elevator, that which would take them to the twenty-seventh floor, Michael's keen mind had already formed a plan of sorts. What they now dealt with, after all, was not a crack team of highly trained soldiers wrought with all manner of cutting edge weaponry. No, they faced a cadre of nine-to-five security officers, none of them carrying anything worse than a handgun.

"Follow me." Michael instructed, hanging a left down an adjoining hallway. Following his memory of the map they had hacked their way to, the young warrior made a beeline for what he believed to be a supply room for the soldiers. If pressed, he would likely have admitted sheepishly that he got his grand scheme from Star Wars, but if he had anything to say about it, he certainly wouldn't tell his partner that little detail. Besides, there was little reason to stop and discuss matters of such triviality, for he had, indeed, found exactly what he was looking for. "Aha!" He exclaimed. "Victoria, I hope you don't mind playing dress-up." He indicated a nearby stash of uniforms worn by the soldiers they had just fought. "There's a couple ways this could go down. One or both of us will disguise ourselves as a soldier. If just one of us goes, the other will act as prisoner. If anyone mentions that there were supposed to be two intruders, we'll say the other one got gunned down." Michael said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "So, how do you wanna go about this?"

Certainly, the plan was not ideal, nor would it work at all if anyone on the lower floors had committed their faces to memory, but it was all Michael could think of to escape without taking an innocent life.

[VICTORIA]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,445,bTable][atrb=style, background-image: url(http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp256/doggydude24/misc/patternthinggg.jpg); border-top: 3px solid #181718; border-bottom: 3px solid #181718; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px; border-top-left-radius: 50px; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px;][STYLE=margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 7px; height: 100px; width: 50px; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px; border-top-left-radius: 50px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style][STYLE=margin-left: 60px; margin-top: -106px; height: 100px; width: 60px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style] [STYLE=margin-left: 120px; margin-top: -106px; height: 100px; width: 100px; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style][STYLE=margin-left: 226px; width: 222px; margin-top: -103px; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: georgia; color: #DFDFDF; text-align: center; font-size: 28px; letter-spacing: -1px;]L-O-V-E IS JUST[/style][STYLE=margin-left: 236px; width: 180px; background-color: #1F1D1F; text-transform: lowercase; font-family: arial; color: #DFDFDF; padding: 10px; padding-top: 5px; border-top: 4px solid #181718; text-align: justify; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; border-bottom-left-radius: 20px; line-height: 10px;]ANOTHER WORD I NEVER LEARNED TO PRONOUNCE. HOW DO I SAY I'M SORRY? 'CAUSE THE WORD IS JUST NEVER GONNA COME OUT. L-O-V-E'S JUST ANOTHER WORD I NEVER LEARNED TO PRONOUNCE. TIGHT JEANS, DOUBLE D'S, MAKING ME GO -- ![/style] [STYLE=float: right; background-color: #DFDFDF; padding: 12px; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #2D2014; border-top: 4px solid #181718; text-align: justify; margin-right: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; width: 267px; height: 320px; overflow: auto;]The female followed him curious as to where he was leading her. If they didn't get out soon any back up they called might be on their way. Not that they would be hard to take out. It was just more time she had to spend in a place that wasn't exactly comforting. Eyes roaming around the hallways, she winced at the site of the labs and tools that had been scattered everywhere. What exactly were they doing here? Michael brought her attention back to him when he entered a small room. Dress up? Oh so he wanted them to dress up as soldiers. That wasn't exactly a bad idea. Walking over to the clothes, she pulled out an outfit and looked it over. They would probably fit him better especially with the helmet too. Turning to Michael, she hand them to him and smiled. "You dress as the soldier. Since I'm already wounded I can rough up a little bit more." Vikki took out her contacts and blinked a bit revealing brilliant blue eyes. They were quickly covered with a thin layer of darkness making them not nearly as bright. Hopefully she would attract any attention with them. "I came in with black hair and green eyes. They'll be surprised to see a blue haired blue eyed girl. Not to mention I'll be a bit more limp so you might have to drag me along. This way I won't have to look anyone in the face." The female was rambling as she tore her sleeve a bit. She also wiped some more blood from her wound all over her so she looked the part better. This would be interesting. Would anyone remember their faces? She would try her best to keep from looking anyone in the eye, but he was a different story. There wasn't anything she could do for them. Leaning down, she tore a hole in the leg of her pants as well. If she was going to look like an intruder she was going to at least look like she put up some type of fight. "If we can't make it through I can black out the room and we can hurry to the elevator. This way if they can't see then they can't shoot. Security guards won't fire so carelessly with so many people around. But that is only if this go sour." The female explained as she rummaged around a bit more. Opening a few drawers she found what she was looking for. A pair of shiny metal hand cuffs. Heading back over to Micheal, she handed him the cuffs and smiled. "Things are going to get a little steamy with these. Just promise you'll let me go once we leave the building. Unless you wanna keep me like that." The smile grew into a full blow grin as she let out a little laugh and winked at him. Of course she could just break out of the cuffs afterward but where's the fun in that. [/style][STYLE=float: left; margin-left: 12px; color: #DFDFDF; background-color: #171717; opacity: 0.8; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px; border-top: 4px solid #0C0C0C; padding: 12px; font-family: arial narrow; font-size: 12px; line-height: 11px; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 1px; width: 109px; height: 320px; overflow: auto; margin-top: 10px;]TAGS: michael & open WORDS: i dunno alot? NOTES: oh vikki lol CREDIT: kiwii at btn and gs![/style]

[MICHAEL]

At first, Michael thought nothing of the handcuffs Victoria tossed his way. Certainly, she was absolutely right in thinking that it would make their disguise all the more convincing, and he reflexively moved to snap the silver rings about her wrists. Once he caught wind of and fully registered her finely-timed snark, however, he was...well, he was given pause, to say the least. Never had a mortal man turned about-face with a greater sense of urgency than Michael Magnum when trying to conceal the reddish tint creeping onto his face. He prided himself on his near-inhumanly fast quick draw, standing alone and unchallenged atop the gunslinger's highest standards of perfection. Michael's attempts at saving face and desperation to preserve his dignity were fueled by that same fiery, blinding speed. "Ahem, s-sorry, didn't quite, uh, catch that last part." He lied through his teeth, raising a hand to block a very-clearly-faked cough.

Speed, as a wise man would tell you, is not enough to get you out of any situation, nor is the crashing fury of a thousand lightning bolts cast from your fingertips. And, indeed, there was no hiding Michael's embarrassment; even as he turned back round to face his partner, he had a bit of a sheepish glow to him. "R-Right, well, uh, try not to agitate your wound, okay? Don't wanna bleed out or anything." Of course, his healer's instincts overpowered even the most powerfully flustered nerves. At the very least, she seemed okay, but he still wanted nothing more than to get her some proper medical attention. So, drawing in a sharp breath and squaring up his shoulders, he pieced back together his stoic, reserved aura. Probably doesn't even suspect a thing.[/i] He consoled himself, snapping the handcuffs around Victoria's forearms.

Michael went on to rummage through the uniforms in search of one that would fit him. Having the powerful, lean physique of an elite soldier made this a simple task; in another reality, he would have been right at home in such garments. Brushing back his black locks, he set the helmet in its proper place and took Victoria's undamaged arm. "Alright, let's get going." He instructed, leading her to the elevator. "You're gonna have to get this one going. It's been shut down just like the last one. Remember, it'll only get us to Floor 27, but I doubt they'll have shut off the elevators there. If we're lucky, they'll have evacuated the employees, as well." He mused, as much to himself as to his partner. Before stepping into the elevator, Michael tipped his helmet down ever-so-slightly, hoping to obscure his own eyes as best he could.

[VICTORIA]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,445,bTable][atrb=style, background-image: url(http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp256/doggydude24/misc/patternthinggg.jpg); border-top: 3px solid #181718; border-bottom: 3px solid #181718; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px; border-top-left-radius: 50px; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px;][STYLE=margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 7px; height: 100px; width: 50px; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px; border-top-left-radius: 50px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style][STYLE=margin-left: 60px; margin-top: -106px; height: 100px; width: 60px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style] [STYLE=margin-left: 120px; margin-top: -106px; height: 100px; width: 100px; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style][STYLE=margin-left: 226px; width: 222px; margin-top: -103px; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: georgia; color: #DFDFDF; text-align: center; font-size: 28px; letter-spacing: -1px;]L-O-V-E IS JUST[/style][STYLE=margin-left: 236px; width: 180px; background-color: #1F1D1F; text-transform: lowercase; font-family: arial; color: #DFDFDF; padding: 10px; padding-top: 5px; border-top: 4px solid #181718; text-align: justify; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; border-bottom-left-radius: 20px; line-height: 10px;]ANOTHER WORD I NEVER LEARNED TO PRONOUNCE. HOW DO I SAY I'M SORRY? 'CAUSE THE WORD IS JUST NEVER GONNA COME OUT. L-O-V-E'S JUST ANOTHER WORD I NEVER LEARNED TO PRONOUNCE. TIGHT JEANS, DOUBLE D'S, MAKING ME GO -- ![/style] [STYLE=float: right; background-color: #DFDFDF; padding: 12px; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #2D2014; border-top: 4px solid #181718; text-align: justify; margin-right: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; width: 267px; height: 320px; overflow: auto;]Once he snapped the silver around her wrist she couldn't help but laugh. He was truly embarrassed by her comment. Her sharp eyes could see the slight reddening of his ears. His whole face was still a bit red when he turned back around to face her. Man he really wasn't good with this kind of stuff was he? "Don't worry I won't bleed out. It just takes the wound longer to heal because the bullet was soaked in holy water. Just makes it hurt worse and take longer to heal. Thankfully I was riddled full of them otherwise we might have a problem on our hands." Vikki laughed lightly tugging on the cuffs. They were good grade cuffs, but she could easily snap them if she needed too. While he got dressed she closed her eyes and listened to the building. It seemed to be later at night so there wouldn't be too many people left around but they would run into a few security guards. A warm hand on her arm brought her back from her thoughts. It seems they were on the move. So he wanted her to power the elevator then. That wouldn't be a problem but it would drain her a bit. "Moving it won't be a problem, but I will say I might be leaning on you a bit more than I had originally intended. While my powers are vast moving an entire elevator along with the mechanics takes a lot." As they stepped into the elevator, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Man there was a lot of machinery to move. Flexing her fingers, she let her mind wrap around the wheels and take control of the elevator. She gave it a small push at first to get it to move. The elevator jerked a bit in response before she smoothed things out. "Sorry about that." The female whispered softly as she pulled her concentration back together. The elevator groaned before finally moving again. This time it moved much more slowly and was moving like a regular elevator. Only three floors. Three floor to go down. It wouldn't be too long now. With each passing floor, sweat began to break out on her brow. Finally the box chimed as they reached the twenty-seventh floor. Clenching her fists, she locked the elevator in place so it wouldn't fall when they went to get out of it. "Well looks like it's our time to shine." She breathed as she leaned into his hold. A bit of blood was dripping down from her arm and she shook her head at him. This was no time to worry about her state. They needed to get the information out of here. With one last mental push, she opened the elevators to the twenty-seventh floor. [/style][STYLE=float: left; margin-left: 12px; color: #DFDFDF; background-color: #171717; opacity: 0.8; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px; border-top: 4px solid #0C0C0C; padding: 12px; font-family: arial narrow; font-size: 12px; line-height: 11px; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 1px; width: 109px; height: 320px; overflow: auto; margin-top: 10px;]TAGS: michael & open WORDS: i dunno alot? NOTES: freedom!! CREDIT: kiwii at btn and gs![/style]

[MICHAEL]

"Always wanted to be an actor." Michael grinned while the elevator came to an abrupt, jerking halt. "But, y'know, that whole 'near end of society' thing got in the way." He shrugged it off and steeled his resolve. Even as the doors parted ways and cast a sliver of dim light on Michael's gray helm, his nerves nearly got the better of him. Combat was one thing; killing a hostile target was no burden on his shoulders. These people, however, had to be kept safe at all costs. This war was no place for them, nor did some even have the slightest inkling that they were anything more than a pair of subversive terrorists. They just kept to their stations, typing vigorously in the midst of their white, cluttered cubicles, each convinced for all the world that the work they did was of a legitimate sort. Even the security, no doubt alerted to the presence of intruders, were of the harmless working class.

Fortunately, the civilians working on the upper echelons below the twenty-seventh floor had since been evacuated, leaving only security detail to stand in their path. They walked almost lazily across the carpeted floor, a stark contrast to the militant uniformity of the soldiers above. To their knowledge- and, by all rights, they had reason to believe- the highly trained, highly professional militia above was more than capable of dealing with a couple of spies on their own home turf. So, they patrolled the white halls purely out of obligation, a police baton and semiautomatic pistol holstered about their waists. Some were hardly in top physical condition, a far cry from the fit men at arms the two had just sent to their deaths. Indeed, despite the badges and dark blue uniforms, they were scarcely a cut above the work-a-day citizens they had just ushered to the lower floors.

Michael would not allow them to come to harm.

"Sir!" One of the security officers approached and raised a hand in salute; it seemed they were directly beneath the soldiers in something of a chain of command. This, the electric boy realized, could work to his advantage. He cleared his throat and looked to the man. "At ease." Michael spoke in a commanding tone, befitting perhaps a man of great rank and prestige. "No cause for alarm, I'm taking this one in for interrogation." Though he tugged at Victoria's arm, it was made to appear far rougher than it truly was. "What about the other one?" The employee asked, examining the wear and tear apparent in the Yajuu's outfit, clearly shocked that such a vicious war had been waged just a few stories above his head. "Dead. That one wouldn't go down without a fight." Michael put to his voice a rough inflection quite unlike his usual, nonchalant mode of speech. "So we gave'im one."

At this point, Michael realized that, the longer the conversation carried on, the greater the chance that he would say something to compromise their cover. He inwardly cursed that the Resistance had sent someone so untrained in espionage on such a sensitive mission. Then again, the two had managed to do away with any notion of stealth in short order, so perhaps they had intended for them to cut loose? "Now if you'll excuse me, I ought to get her into custody. Might still have some fight left in'er." With that, he was on his way.

[VICTORIA]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,445,bTable][atrb=style, background-image: url(http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp256/doggydude24/misc/patternthinggg.jpg); border-top: 3px solid #181718; border-bottom: 3px solid #181718; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px; border-top-left-radius: 50px; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px;][STYLE=margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 7px; height: 100px; width: 50px; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px; border-top-left-radius: 50px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style][STYLE=margin-left: 60px; margin-top: -106px; height: 100px; width: 60px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style] [STYLE=margin-left: 120px; margin-top: -106px; height: 100px; width: 100px; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style][STYLE=margin-left: 226px; width: 222px; margin-top: -103px; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: georgia; color: #DFDFDF; text-align: center; font-size: 28px; letter-spacing: -1px;]L-O-V-E IS JUST[/style][STYLE=margin-left: 236px; width: 180px; background-color: #1F1D1F; text-transform: lowercase; font-family: arial; color: #DFDFDF; padding: 10px; padding-top: 5px; border-top: 4px solid #181718; text-align: justify; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; border-bottom-left-radius: 20px; line-height: 10px;]ANOTHER WORD I NEVER LEARNED TO PRONOUNCE. HOW DO I SAY I'M SORRY? 'CAUSE THE WORD IS JUST NEVER GONNA COME OUT. L-O-V-E'S JUST ANOTHER WORD I NEVER LEARNED TO PRONOUNCE. TIGHT JEANS, DOUBLE D'S, MAKING ME GO -- ![/style] [STYLE=float: right; background-color: #DFDFDF; padding: 12px; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #2D2014; border-top: 4px solid #181718; text-align: justify; margin-right: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; width: 267px; height: 320px; overflow: auto;]Good all the workers had been sent away from this floor. Only security guards remained. Michael seemed to be rather worried about civilians getting hurt. Of course she was as well but she had means to keep them safe. If it came down to it she would blanket the entire building in darkness and lead Michael out. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that but if it did she was prepared. A voice cut through her thoughts and she was brought back to look at a few security guards approaching the pair. Let's see how well he could act. Vikki kept her head down trying to appear as worn out as she could. Not that it was hard. Moving that elevator had taken quite the toll on her. Michael tugged on her arm as he spoke and she ignored it. Hell if he had to hit her to keep their cover she'd be okay with it. She'd just hit him back twice as hard as soon as they got out of here. Michael kept on talking to the guards and she wanted to tell him to keep moving. There was too much that could go wrong right now and the longer he talked to them the higher the chances got. Finally they started moving away from the men and Vikki let out a sigh of relief. It seems they were in the clear or at least she thought. There was a twinge on her awareness and the sound of a gun going off. Moving faster than she ever had, Vikki spun Michael out of the way and snapped her cuffs. The bullet just barely missed her as she locked eyes with a soldier. It seemed they had missed one and he had made it down the stairs. Growling she let the darkness spread throughout the entire floor. "Michael get to the elevator." The words came out as a yell but probably got lost on the darkness. Soon the entire floor was blanketed in black as she moved towards the soldier. How could she have been so careless? One was still alive. One had survived. This was why she killed everyone she came in contact with. No one would get back up if they were dead. The demoness swung a kick at the soldiers head that he didn't see coming. From the shouts of the security guards they didn't know what was going on either which was good. For a moment she was torn between making sure Michael got to the elevator and going back upstairs. She wanted to do a proper sweep and make sure everyone was dead, but Michael might not be too keen on that. Instead she turned back towards Michael, her glowing blue eyes the only thing showing in the dark. She let her darkness snake back up the stairs and snuff out any survivors. This time she would make sure no one came back after them. Vikki placed and arm on Michael's shoulder and led him towards the elevator. The two guards wouldn't even be able to see let alone call for back up. It didn't help that she would ensure they kept tripping over themselves. They wouldn't be hurt but they would be dazed and confused for a while. "Sorry about that. You were hurt at all were you? Dammit this mission is a hell of a lot messier than I thought it would be. I was told to take out the Iustus members if they attacked but this is ridiculous." Vikki breathed as the elevator doors shut and she placed a hand over her wound. It was hurting a lot and it shouldn't be. What did they have in their bullets? She knew that they had anti-yajuu equipment but even bullets? Slamming her fist into the side of the elevator, she let out a low growl. The blow wasn't hard enough to do damage but the elevator did give a small shake. Let's just hope the rest of their journey wouldn't be so difficult. [/style][STYLE=float: left; margin-left: 12px; color: #DFDFDF; background-color: #171717; opacity: 0.8; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px; border-top: 4px solid #0C0C0C; padding: 12px; font-family: arial narrow; font-size: 12px; line-height: 11px; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 1px; width: 109px; height: 320px; overflow: auto; margin-top: 10px;]TAGS: michael & open WORDS: i dunno alot? NOTES: i dunno what is going on in my post lol CREDIT: kiwii at btn and gs![/style]

[MICHAEL]

The will of fortune, fickle wench that she was, had dealt the pair a most grievous hand. Of course, Michael was as much to blame for his stubborn refusal to double check the uppermost floors of the skyscraper, and it was toward himself that his most scathing criticisms were directed. To make a clean getaway would now take some doing, for word of their presence would reach every last nook of the building before they could so much as glimpse the elevator's interior. Worse yet, the uninitiated security officers would not hesitate but a moment to alert the proper authorities; doubtless, they would not be so eager to face without backup the duo who had singlehandedly slain the hardened militia above. With the odds so thoroughly stacked against them, Michael was not entirely sure he could blame Victoria any longer if an innocent man were caught in the crossfire. Even so, he would not allow for the blood of law enforcement- themselves men of respectable courage, likely with families to their names- to stain his hands.

So, even as Victoria led Michael away from the torrential hail of semiautomatic gunfire, the gears in his head gave a mighty groan and immediately went to their work. With swift, dramatic flair, he cast off the militant garb that had only served to weigh him down. The heavy, gray helmet was hurled from his head and to the wayside, allowing his black locks to flow free once more. His eyes now in the open once more, the look of silent resolve was apparent to all who caught so much as a glimpse of them as he moved hastily across the blue carpet. In a near-subconscious exertion of electric mastery, Michael raised about the pair an electromagnetic barrier which absorbed the kinetic energy behind any and all stray bullets. The determination of Michael Magnum, itself a power feared by Yajuu and corrupt human alike, was in full swing, and with it came a certain edge to his lightning.

"I'm fine." He said in thoughtful response to Victoria's concern, casually wiping from his arm a slight drizzle of blood. He hoped to bring as little attention as possible to the unseen projectile that had grazed his toned muscles; besides, there was much work to be done. The instant the elevator jerked into motion, Michael let loose a jolt of electricity, stopping it just as quickly as it had started. "Alright, they're absolutely gonna be waiting for us wherever this thing stops." He paced back and forth across the velvety floor of the mechanized lift, scratching his chin all the while. "We are not going in there guns a-blazing, as much as I enjoy doing that." Powerful hands ran through soft, black hair as Michael let out a heavy sigh. The lives of men and women, guilty of nothing but being in the wrong place at the wrong time, hung now in the balance, and the stress of this fact was evident in the warrior's face.

He scanned the floor and, sure enough, found a hatch of suitable size for the two of them to slip out. Ordinarily, the fact that it was locked would have been cause for some dismay, which would be mitigated by the fact that Michael had with him a woman of strength far beyond that of mortals. In this case, however, the young man did not so much as hesitate before wrenching it open with his own, thoroughly mundane power. Sure enough, the first thing he laid eyes on was a ladder which would hopefully take them down to a suitably spacious ventilation shaft. The climb down the metallic, industrial vertical corridor would be less than pleasant, to be sure, but it was their best shot at escaping with minimal casualties. So, Michael stood and offered Victoria his hand. "After you, m'lady." He bowed his head cordially, taking her hand in his that he might lead her down into the elevator shaft. "I'm gonna need you to pull up that map again. We'll need to find some sort of roomy air vent, preferably close to the ground floor. Once we get out of harm's way, try to use your telekinesis to get that elevator moving. If we can mislead them, that'll at least buy us some time."

[VICTORIA]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,445,bTable][atrb=style, background-image: url(http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp256/doggydude24/misc/patternthinggg.jpg); border-top: 3px solid #181718; border-bottom: 3px solid #181718; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px; border-top-left-radius: 50px; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px;][STYLE=margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 7px; height: 100px; width: 50px; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px; border-top-left-radius: 50px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style][STYLE=margin-left: 60px; margin-top: -106px; height: 100px; width: 60px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style] [STYLE=margin-left: 120px; margin-top: -106px; height: 100px; width: 100px; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style][STYLE=margin-left: 226px; width: 222px; margin-top: -103px; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: georgia; color: #DFDFDF; text-align: center; font-size: 28px; letter-spacing: -1px;]L-O-V-E IS JUST[/style][STYLE=margin-left: 236px; width: 180px; background-color: #1F1D1F; text-transform: lowercase; font-family: arial; color: #DFDFDF; padding: 10px; padding-top: 5px; border-top: 4px solid #181718; text-align: justify; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; border-bottom-left-radius: 20px; line-height: 10px;]ANOTHER WORD I NEVER LEARNED TO PRONOUNCE. HOW DO I SAY I'M SORRY? 'CAUSE THE WORD IS JUST NEVER GONNA COME OUT. L-O-V-E'S JUST ANOTHER WORD I NEVER LEARNED TO PRONOUNCE. TIGHT JEANS, DOUBLE D'S, MAKING ME GO -- ![/style] [STYLE=float: right; background-color: #DFDFDF; padding: 12px; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #2D2014; border-top: 4px solid #181718; text-align: justify; margin-right: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; width: 267px; height: 320px; overflow: auto;]Within the confines of the small elevator, the female could clearly smell human blood. He was hurt after all. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her anger by moving close to him. Her speed was much faster than the average human's. Fingers wrapping around his arm, she used her spare hand to wipe across her wound. Using her bloodied finger she ran it across his own wound and watched as it stitched itself back together. Realizing how close to him she had gotten, Vikki backed up and released his arm. Healing him had calmed her anger, which was better than her beating apart the elevator. "Sorry about that. I'd rather have you in perfect health than me. And sorry about the weirdness of the blood." The female trailed off as she started going red and turned away from him. The elevator jerked to a halt and she shot out her arm to brace herself. It seemed this was where they got out. As he opened the hatch in the floor she took a look down. Well that was a long way to fall. Thank god she wasn't afraid of heights. "Once we get into an air vent then you want me to move the lift? It should throw them off." The female muttered agreeing with him. Searching in her pockets, she pulled out the flash drive as well as a phone like device. Quickly plugging the drive in, she pulled up the maps and started scanning floor by floor. A grin crossed over her as she showed him the map. "Oh you'll love this. It looks there is a vent on the third floor. If we follow that it should take us to a boiler room and there is a maintenance stair case there. That should take us down to the ground floor and we can exit through the back of the building. Being this late at night, I doubt there would be anyone around but we might run into a maintenance worker or something. Let me pull up the work schedules." Vikki flipped through the files on her phone and found the schedules for the building. It looked like there was one guy on tonight but he might have been sent home if word of the duo reached the ground floor. "Well we should be clear." When he took her hand she was a little shocked, but she didn't pull away. She let him help her into the elevator shaft and she climbed onto the ladder. "I'll wait until you are in the vent before I move the elevator. No need to have the two of us be crushed by an elevator." The demoness gave a light laugh as she made her way down the ladder. They had quite a few floors left to go but the ladder seemed to go all the way down. Even though Michael had jerked the elevator to a stop she used her telekinesis to keep it in place. She definitely didn't want it to slip and start falling. It's always good to be cautious especially with elevators. [/style][STYLE=float: left; margin-left: 12px; color: #DFDFDF; background-color: #171717; opacity: 0.8; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px; border-top: 4px solid #0C0C0C; padding: 12px; font-family: arial narrow; font-size: 12px; line-height: 11px; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 1px; width: 109px; height: 320px; overflow: auto; margin-top: 10px;]TAGS: michael & open WORDS: i dunno alot? NOTES: vikki is weird lol CREDIT: kiwii at btn and gs![/style]

[MICHAEL]

Michael watched as the demon's blood weaved itself into a masterful tapestry of patchwork over his damaged, mortal flesh. The liquid took to a more solid form right before his eyes, shifting from a deep crimson to a darker shade of red verging on pitch black. Nonetheless, despite its bizarre properties, it did its job well, coating his injury with a tough, protective layer that it might work its magic while he climbed. Still, Victoria acted as though he had never before tasted the searing burn of a bullet piercing his skin or the icy sting of a blade running him through. Such was part of the job, however skilled a sharpshooter he may have been, and so shallow a wound barely even registered with the hardened veteran. Of course, he said nothing to this effect, but gave a warm smile and a gracious nod as she made life that much easier for him.

And with that sentiment clearly expressed, he made his way down, slipping nimbly through the square hole in the velvety floor. His sudden discharge of electric energy had cut power to the finer workings of the elevator, leaving the two in relative darkness until they escaped to the dimly lit shaft below. Fortunately, the structure's safety mechanisms were as of yet functional, though Victoria's precautionary measures were still more than welcome. After all, the Man in Black mused as he wrapped his fingers around the cold, vaguely rusted rungs of an adjacent ladder, the unscrupulous men of the highest levels would not hesitate to disengage those same gears which held aloft the elevator. It was all the more in their favor, then, that both he and his partner were athletic enough to hasten their descent to the third floor of the building. Victoria was, of course, the stronger of the two, but Michael's own physical might- which would not have been unwelcome at the Olympic games of ages past- was not to be ashamed of.

Though the young man had granted his partner early access to the ladder itself, he felt it prudent to drop down ahead of her, that he might take the first crawling steps into the ventilation channel. "I figure I'd better go first. It wouldn't exactly be polite of me to focus on the path ahead if you were in front." He admitted with a shrug and a grin. "You know, if you catch my drift." Though they struggled for their lives with each step, there was certainly no reason to drop pretenses of chivalry. Of course, he hardly could play the role of selfless knight in shining armor in his current position; the air duct was, as it turned out, far too narrow for a majestic steed. In fact, it was scarcely large enough for Michael himself. However, kneeling down on the precarious ledge, he managed to pull himself in by the strength of his forearms. It was not, by any stretch of the word, comfortable, but for their purposes, it would do quite nicely.

"Alright, once you're in, you can let the elevator go. I'd say we're best off dropping it to the first floor." Stormstrider let his voice carry itself to Victoria's ears in a low whisper, fully aware that the enclosed walls of the ventilation shaft were well suited to producing echoes. Were he to allow those sound waves to ricochet into an office or hallway, they could be right back where they started except with less room to maneuver. "Let's try to be quick. For all we know, they could be onto us and trying to gas us out or something like that." Again, he spoke in hushed tones as he pulled himself through the cramped corridor, not wanting to give them any grand ideas.

[VICTORIA]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,445,bTable][atrb=style, background-image: url(http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp256/doggydude24/misc/patternthinggg.jpg); border-top: 3px solid #181718; border-bottom: 3px solid #181718; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px; border-top-left-radius: 50px; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px;][STYLE=margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 7px; height: 100px; width: 50px; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px; border-top-left-radius: 50px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style][STYLE=margin-left: 60px; margin-top: -106px; height: 100px; width: 60px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style] [STYLE=margin-left: 120px; margin-top: -106px; height: 100px; width: 100px; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style][STYLE=margin-left: 226px; width: 222px; margin-top: -103px; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: georgia; color: #DFDFDF; text-align: center; font-size: 28px; letter-spacing: -1px;]L-O-V-E IS JUST[/style][STYLE=margin-left: 236px; width: 180px; background-color: #1F1D1F; text-transform: lowercase; font-family: arial; color: #DFDFDF; padding: 10px; padding-top: 5px; border-top: 4px solid #181718; text-align: justify; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; border-bottom-left-radius: 20px; line-height: 10px;]ANOTHER WORD I NEVER LEARNED TO PRONOUNCE. HOW DO I SAY I'M SORRY? 'CAUSE THE WORD IS JUST NEVER GONNA COME OUT. L-O-V-E'S JUST ANOTHER WORD I NEVER LEARNED TO PRONOUNCE. TIGHT JEANS, DOUBLE D'S, MAKING ME GO -- ![/style] [STYLE=float: right; background-color: #DFDFDF; padding: 12px; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #2D2014; border-top: 4px solid #181718; text-align: justify; margin-right: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; width: 267px; height: 320px; overflow: auto;]Climbing down the ladder wasn't difficult. It was trying to make sure the elevator didn't fall on them. They didn't know who or what would try and make it move and she didn't know if he had fried the wiring or if he had simply stopped it. A sigh escaped the female as she continued down the ladder. It was mind numbing really and Michael pulled her from her trance when he slipped down the ladder passed her. Again her personal space was invaded and she wondered if she would ever get used to it. He slipped into the ventilation shaft and she dropped down a bit more to get a better look. It wasn't exactly a big space for the two of them. It seemed he was even having a hard time trying to squeeze through the small space. Once he was far enough in she slid in behind him making sure he had enough room to move himself. The vent shaft was tight but she had enough room to move herself around. Now for the hard part, moving the elevator. Taking a deep breath, Vikki closed her eyes as she attempted to focus. Her mind tried to once again wrap around the elevator and all it's mechanics. As she wove her way through everything for the elevator, she gave a small tug. It slid down a little bit before she managed to get it moving steadily. "Alright it's going, so keep moving." There was a bit of strain in her voice only because this was the second time she had to move an entire elevator. Normally that wouldn't be such a big deal but it was making the entire thing move without damaging it. They were trying to be unseen and stay within the shadows. If they went around ripping elevators off their cords they would get noticed a lot faster. As the female crawled she tried to keep the elevator at a steady pace. It just needed to go to the ground floor. Which was easier said than done. "The vent splits but keep to the right it should take you right into the maintenance room." The words were soft but still carried through the tight space. Damn they really did need to keep their voices down. A sharp pain through her mind, mad her realize the elevator had hit the ground floor. With a sigh of relief she released the elevator. That would distract them for now. At least until they realize that the pair. It should be smooth sailing out of here. Should be, being the key words. [/style][STYLE=float: left; margin-left: 12px; color: #DFDFDF; background-color: #171717; opacity: 0.8; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px; border-top: 4px solid #0C0C0C; padding: 12px; font-family: arial narrow; font-size: 12px; line-height: 11px; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 1px; width: 109px; height: 320px; overflow: auto; margin-top: 10px;]TAGS: michael & open WORDS: i dunno alot? NOTES: ughhh CREDIT: kiwii at btn and gs![/style]

[MICHAEL]

Michael took immediate notice of the strained effort to Victoria's voice, and a look of concern flashed across his electric blue eyes, though it may have been drowned out by the darkness pervading the ventilation shaft. "You holding up alright back there?" He asked in hushed tones, slowing his advance just slightly in case she needed some time to catch up. He was not sure of the limitations of her telekinesis, but he could say with relative certainty that the slow, controlled descent of an entire elevator would likely be quite the task for one who did not have it as their primary ability. Even with the gears and finely tuned apparatuses giving the demoness a mechanical advantage, it was impressive enough that she could manage such a feat in a skill that was likely secondary to her. If she needed to rest, he would grant her that leisure without hesitation, though she did not seem the type to halt progress over a bit of exhaustion. Michael admired this in a partner, but he was nothing if not sympathetic to her plight. "If you need to slow down, Victoria, let me know. I'm sure we can spare a moment, and I know this mission's been tough on you." Though still silenced for sake of their cover, he wove through his voice a certain gentle concern.

As instructed, Michael hanged a right at first opportunity, combat crawling his way toward the maintenance room that would hopefully lead to their salvation. He knew they had precious little time before the police arrived, so to keep their identities secret would be of the utmost importance. Once they were safe among their kin, it would not be too hard to forge the right papers and get them off the radar of the authorities, though the two would likely have to keep a low profile about Germany for at least a week's time. Still, there were small blessings to aid them in their subterfuge, for Michael spied not a single worker in the dimly lit room. The lights had to them a red tint, and the cramped space was further restricted by the presence of heavy machinery chugging away to keep the workings of the high-rise running at peak efficiency. The employees themselves, he would imagine, had been excused and evacuated, which meant only that their mission had been made that much easier.

Michael, with a sweeping motion of the elbow, struck at the metal grate separating them from the maintenance room. Letting slip an electric current in the entirely metallic corridor, though harmless to him, would likely be rather harmful to Victoria. So, he opted to take a more visceral course of action and pounded loose the screws with his bare hands. After repeated blows, themselves producing a dent in the grate, the hatch flew open and struck the concrete floor with a thud. Michael nimbly slipped out, shaking his hand to dull the pain that came with brutally attacking such a tough surface. Turning round briefly, he made sure that Victoria had emerged unharmed before making his way through the steaming, pounding pistons and generators. The room was hardly difficult to navigate, and he soon reached the door. "How are you at picking locks? I'd like to peer out and see if we've got company." He whispered, pressing his ear against the door and listening intently for sounds. Of course, he was no slouch in subverting mechanical locks, but he had on him nothing to aid in such a task.

[VICTORIA]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,445,bTable][atrb=style, background-image: url(http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp256/doggydude24/misc/patternthinggg.jpg); border-top: 3px solid #181718; border-bottom: 3px solid #181718; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px; border-top-left-radius: 50px; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px;][STYLE=margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 7px; height: 100px; width: 50px; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px; border-top-left-radius: 50px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style][STYLE=margin-left: 60px; margin-top: -106px; height: 100px; width: 60px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style] [STYLE=margin-left: 120px; margin-top: -106px; height: 100px; width: 100px; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px; border: 3px solid #181718; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/307x3zc.jpg);] [/style][STYLE=margin-left: 226px; width: 222px; margin-top: -103px; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: georgia; color: #DFDFDF; text-align: center; font-size: 28px; letter-spacing: -1px;]L-O-V-E IS JUST[/style][STYLE=margin-left: 236px; width: 180px; background-color: #1F1D1F; text-transform: lowercase; font-family: arial; color: #DFDFDF; padding: 10px; padding-top: 5px; border-top: 4px solid #181718; text-align: justify; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; border-bottom-left-radius: 20px; line-height: 10px;]ANOTHER WORD I NEVER LEARNED TO PRONOUNCE. HOW DO I SAY I'M SORRY? 'CAUSE THE WORD IS JUST NEVER GONNA COME OUT. L-O-V-E'S JUST ANOTHER WORD I NEVER LEARNED TO PRONOUNCE. TIGHT JEANS, DOUBLE D'S, MAKING ME GO -- ![/style] [STYLE=float: right; background-color: #DFDFDF; padding: 12px; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #2D2014; border-top: 4px solid #181718; text-align: justify; margin-right: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; width: 267px; height: 320px; overflow: auto;]As she moved through the air vent, her arm stung slightly making her wince. She tried to ignore the growing scent of blood in the tight space. His comment about slowing down for her caused her to shake her head. "No it's alright keep going. We don't need to slow down. The elevator is down now so I don't have to move it anymore." She whispered to him as they crawled through the small space. When he climbed out into the room, she quickly followed after him and dropped to the ground. Taking a deep breath she dropped to one knee, as she tried to collect herself. Before he could even turn around she was up on two feet again looking over the room. So they had gotten to the maintenance room okay. Now they need to slip out of the building. Their luck just kept getting better and better. No one was around from what she could tell. When they made it to the door, Vikki gave him a light laugh. Picking locks? Was he really asking a telekinetic if she could pick a lock? "Did you really just ask that question? I just moved an elevator do you think a lock will stop me?" The female teased him as she brushed past him to get to the door. Placing a hand on the handle, she closed her eyes and let her mind poke at the lock. A few moments of trying to get it to move, the lock finally budged and she opened the door. "The stairwell should be down the hall and on the right. If we can get there then we can get out the back door." The female whispered the words as she pushed passed him and into the hallway. There wasn't anyone around and the lights were rather dim. From the distant shouts, she could tell they had figured out the pair wasn't in the elevator. Once she was sure everything was clear she motioned to Michael. "Come on it's this way." Again the words were soft as she edged down the hallway. There weren't any cameras or anything because it was mostly used for maintenance. As she approached the door to the stairwell, she stopped by it and gave a quick listen. Good no one was around. The female pushed open the door but as she turned to look at Michael she saw the door at the opposite end of the hallway open. Men poured in with guns aimed down at the pair. "Michael it's time to move." Waving her hand down the hall, she knocked all the men back with a gust of telekinesis and hurried down the stairs. They just needed to get out the last door and then they could disappear. This building was causing more problems than it was worth. Glancing over her shoulder, she made sure Michael was right behind her. If he went off on his own, she was gonna slam his head into a wall and drag him out of here. [/style][STYLE=float: left; margin-left: 12px; color: #DFDFDF; background-color: #171717; opacity: 0.8; border-bottom-left-radius: 10px; border-top: 4px solid #0C0C0C; padding: 12px; font-family: arial narrow; font-size: 12px; line-height: 11px; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 1px; width: 109px; height: 320px; overflow: auto; margin-top: 10px;]TAGS: michael & open WORDS: i dunno alot? NOTES: blahhh post is blahh CREDIT: kiwii at btn and gs![/style]

[MICHAEL]

Michael soared down the stairs with fleetness of foot, moving as might an Olympic sprinter in the heat of competition. Despite Victoria's tremendous speed, the young man was practically on her heels as she headed for salvation. No longer could they blaze a trail of merciless destruction, for these were souls not initiated into the Iustus's cruel, unforgiving ways. So, on he ran, his breathes growing heavy as he struggled to keep pace with the superhuman warrior. Muzzle flashes pierced the darkness, though the projectiles they launched were intercepted harmlessly by the shields left in Michael's wake. However, their pursuit was relentless, and Michael could do little to deter their dogged persistence. His sole comfort came from the fact that these men were neither fantastic shots nor in the best of shape, at least not compared to the hardened veterans they chased. Thanks to their incredible swiftness, a comfortable distance was soon put between the two groups.

Unfortunately, as the saying went, there was to be no rest for the wicked, for the remainder of the security detail awaited them at the bottom of the stairs. Their guns were held at the ready, and they stood at such a range that it was unlikely they would miss. Michael, however, knew that his downfall would come from hesitation, and so he carried none with him. Instead, he wove a hasty electromagnetic barrier and, with a sudden burst of speed, charged headlong into their line of fire. For a moment, he pulled ahead of Victoria in the midst of his reckless sprint, and, in doing so, gave pause to the relatively untrained security staff. When at last they gathered their wits and opened fire, however, it was of little consequence. To render harmless such low caliber rounds was hardly a challenge for the seasoned warrior, and, without taking sustained fire, he barreled through without so much as slowing down. Lowering his shoulder, he charged through the stunned front line, casting aside the speechless employee that he might clear a path for Victoria.

As for the remaining security staff, they were overcome with abject terror on seeing a man rush unharmed through gunfire at point-blank range. There they stood, chambers empty, having specifically followed their orders to shoot on sight, and yet it did them not a bit of good. Some fumbled with their pistols in a desperate bid to reload, while others simply turned tail and ran from what appeared to be an implacable man with skin of cast iron. So, having given the slip to the clueless guards, Michael continued his charge, making a beeline for the back door. He rushed past vacated conference rooms, offices, and corridors alike, checking periodically to be sure that Victoria was still at his side. The bullets had slowed to a crawl by this point, making his escape all but certain. It was now just a matter of clearing the streets before law enforcement arrived, for they represented a most unfortunate combination of innocence and competence. Evading capture at their hands would be rather more difficult without resorting to lethal tactics.