Life in the City, Anybody Welcome

[Roaming Shadow]

Between his time in the TXS, the sewers, transports and the base of the Resistance, Sablen knew he’d spent most of his life out of the sun. Even now, meandering down the few residential streets of the city, he had to get used to the sun. Sure, he could have gone out at night, where his natural abilities were at their peak, but people were most active during the day. And it was the people, the real people, born of natural means, that he wanted to learn about.

Dressed in dark colors and sunglasses, he was beginning to feel his choice of clothing was unwise. While it allowed him to conceal his pistols (though he felt strangely unarmed without his rifle) knife, and tattoo, and kept the occasional gusts from getting sand where it shouldn’t be, the heat was becoming annoying. He was also starting to feel a bit conspicuous, as his dress was a bit different than those he’d passed so far. Still, he’d “hidden in plain sight” before, and was confident he could do it again.

Sablen stopped to watch a scene that caught his eye. There were children at play outside. Two children, who had likely never seen a gun fired, a life taken, innocent to the tragedies of war. “Maybe there is an answer to the question of life”, he muttered under his breath. For perhaps the third time in his life, Sablen smiled. For the moment, he was all but oblivious to the world around him.

[Symphia]

((Hmm... yes yes, after much consideration, I feel that my newest char would be a good fit!))

After a long trek through the tunnels, Devon found himself standing and staring up at a manhole cover. He climbed the ladder and pushed the piece of cast iron up so he could see. Bright sunlight reflected off the pavement and into his face, it was midday. After a quick glance around, he pushed the cover out of the way and climbed out.

"Mister? Hey Mister!" a small voice called nearby. The doctor turned to see a young boy chasing a ball as it rolled toward him. A smile crossed his face and he grabbed the ball as it rolled by, placing it in the child's hands as he neared. "Thanks Mister!" he said, running off.

Devon stood and slid the manhole cover back into place with a clang. He walked to the sidewalk and spied a man not too far away dressed entirely in black, a sharp contrast to the faded blue-jeans, green t-shirt, and brown jacket he wore. The man dressed in black seemed to have noticed him, but seeing as he hadn't been shot at just yet, Devon figured it was safe to approach him.

He walked up, stopping a meter from the other man. "You seem very out of place, my friend. You should have dressed less... corporate," he said, extending a hand to him. "I'm Devon Caltyl," the doc said, his hand extended to the out-of-place man. If he worked for TXS, he was likely to know his name, as he was the former director of labs.

[Roaming Shadow]

“Scott Parler,” he replied, taking the man’s hand and trying to sound casual, something he felt he’d improved on. He’d seen handshakes before, though rarely executed the gesture himself. But before he took the offered hand, he made a quick scan of the individual. Nothing registered as threatening, and Devon wasn’t a project. He was the former head of labs at TXS. And according to what Sablen had heard, a dead man.

He kept his grin as an idea struck him. “Old habits die hard, or so I’ve heard. It’s also for medical reasons; my body temperature is lower than normal, so I do what I can to keep warm. You’re not the first to comment either.” Sablen glanced over to the children, again throwing their ball to each other. It seemed like a game, though he couldn’t figure out what.

“Do you work for the city?” he asked, inclining his head towards the manhole cover. He hadn’t seen him exit, but had noticed him replace it after helping the boy. Sablen knew well he didn’t but wanted to hear how he answered. He was also curious as to why he’d approached him so casually. A man in his situation should be lying low, as his survival so far would attest, and as Devon said himself, Sablen was a little conspicuous.

[Symphia]

"Yes," he answered after a quick second. "I was checking for leaks in a recently lain water main," he explained, knowing from Symphia's recon of the area that it had been recently constructed because of a housing shortage. "Can't have the residents here complaining that Mr. Askella doesn't take care of them," he added.

Scott, as the man in black had called himself, seemed to be of another world so to speak. The way he held himself and his grip were indicative of a possible double life. "You look uncomfortable, perhaps we should duck into a pub for a quick drink," he suggested, feeling he was doing the man a favor. He began walking toward a local place where he had a few contacts with Scott in tow.

"I assume from the black suit that you're a businessman of sorts, where do you work? It might be a place worth seeking employ because, let's face it, with Symphia and her resistance running around in the tunnels, my job is extremely hazardous," Devon laughed. Most of the residents of the residential area knew nothing of Symphia and her followers, but many of the local businesses, as well as TXS's headquarters, where plagued by the gun mage's specific brand of guerrilla warfare.

Upon reaching the door, he pushed it open, feeling a gust of air conditioning hit him in the face. "Greetings!" the bartender called, "have a seat wherever," he added, serving a man that appearing to be eating a raw steak. Devon filed it away for later, wondering if it was an escaped project. He seated himself at a table directly under an air conditioning vent and nodded to Scott, indicating he should seat himself.

[Roaming Shadow]

Devon certainly had a quick wit, quicker than most he’d met. He’d have to be careful with this man. Sablen had been about to politely decline the offer of a drink, but enemies were the most careless when they thought themselves at an advantage. Devon wasn’t an enemy yet, but he was an unknown.

With a last fleeting glance at the children, he followed Devon to the pub, trying to seem appreciative. Upon being asked where he worked, Sablen had to think fast. He hadn’t thought anyone would approach him, and hadn’t thought of a cover story. “I’m actually unemployed at the moment. I had an interview this morning and…I needed to calm some nerves.” Even as he said it, he knew that those who knew him at all would likely laugh if they heard him say it. But it was a better lie than saying he belonged to some random place that Devon could check.

They reached their destination as he finished, and he followed Devon in. Training had him scanning the room before he even took a step in, and he was finished as his foot hit the floor. Again, he didn’t see anything he felt was threatening. There was at least one individual watching with more interest than curiosity. The stranger with the raw steak caught his eye as well. Perhaps he was like Shadow Lupus, the wolf mutant he’d met at the Resistance HQ. Perhaps I’ll have a word with him later if this goes well.

Sablen glanced up as he neared the table where Devon sat, and knew Devon knew exactly what he was doing. The man was trying to catch Sablen in a lie. But Sablen wasn’t about to fall for a something so easily. As he stood next to the seat, he used a fraction of his cold magic on himself, causing mild goose bumps and a slight shiver. He took a step back. “Could we perhaps sit somewhere else? It’s a bit chill here for me. Perhaps over there?” He pointed towards a table closer to the door, near a window with the light shining in. Now he put Devon on the spot; the man had to acquiesce or reveal he thought Sablen a liar. He had no doubt the man would be smooth about it. This was, Sablen reflected, a far more challenging game of cat and mouse than the one with Morgana

[Symphia]

Devon, having been around Symphia, sense the magic in the air and smiled lightly. "If you insist," he said, standing and moving to the spot that Scott seemed to prefer. He seated himself with his back to the door, knowing how open it left him. The bar tender, however, was a close friend of his and would warn him the instant trouble came through the door.

"So, Scott, where did you used to work? Someplace the resistance put under due to an act of terrorism?" he asked, waving two fingers in the air in the direction of the bar rather casually.
The bar tender came over and nodded. "Ah, Devon, good to see you again, the usual then?"
"Two glasses today, and leave the bottle," he clarifed. The bar tender glanced at Scott then nodded and walked away, coming back a moment later with a bottle of Wild Turkey and two glasses with ice in them.
"Enjoy, gentleman," he said, walking back to his place behind the bar.

"I hope you don't mind at all," Devon apologized, pouring himself a glass and taking a sip. "I find a drink among friends tends to relax things," he explained, leaning back comfortably in his seat. He took a long smooth sip from his drink and sighed. "I always end up appreciating what our ancestors discovered back on our home world," he explained, setting his glass down casually.

The doctor leaned across the table and smiled lightly. "You seem a bit over dressed for a midday stroll you know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to hide something," he said, his voice low.

[Roaming Shadow]

Sablen couldn’t help but feel like he was being played, and that perhaps he had underestimated Devon’s abilities. Except for being in public, this was almost the same scenario as before: both knowing the other was lying and neither wanting to make the first move.

He poured himself a glass, looking into the cup and swirling around the drink before replying. “That’s the second time you’ve mentioned the Resistance,” he commented. “As well as mentioning Subject Omega,” he added quietly, knowing that was the name that was more commonly used at the TXS. They did not use her personal name as often, and this individual had already used it in casual conversation with a complete stranger.

“And no,” he continued at a more normal volume, “That’s not why I’m unemployed. Let’s just say, my past employer wasn’t very happy with my performance, and was predisposed against me from the start anyhow.” That, from the right point of view, was the truth, which made it all the more convincing a lie.

“I also find walking very relaxing myself, more so than a drink. Once I got back to my home, I found that I needed to calm my nerves, as my interview was, well, a little unnerving. And so I left my vehicle, locked the door, and decided to spend some time on an easy stroll before lunch. As to why I’m wearing black, as I’ve explained, it’s a medical condition. The name is almost a paragraph in itself.”

He lifted the glass to his lips, stopped, and lowered it a bit before asking, “By the way, aren’t you on the job? If you were checking the pipes, I’m not sure your own boss would care for you taking time off to buy a stranger a drink.” He forced a chuckle. “You may end up in the same position I am.”

[Symphia]

Devon sat back in his seat and laughed softly, this man, Scott, as he'd called himself, was very entertaining. "I'm actually off the clock now, that was my last check for the day. Working for the city utilities commission is a pretty cushy job. If you want, I could put a word in for you with my my supervisor," he explained, taking another sip of his drink.

"I heard a rumor that during her last break-in at TXS headquarters she declared that she was no longer Subject Omega," he explained, thinking back to the report that had been hacked out of TXS's database. He had always enjoyed reading the lab reports and the files that his fearless leader stole from Archives. "I wonder if it's really true..." he added, hearing the door open behind him.

Immediately his right hand disappeared into his jacket and his gaze slid over his right shoulder. A woman dressed in black with raven hair walked in, her seemingly out of place boots thumping as she walked in. She stepped up to the bar and placed her hands on it. "Human," she began, reaching across the counter and grabbing the bar tender by his tie, "did a man in a black suit and a man in a brown coat come in here?" she asked, her voice dark and clear.

He paused before trying to reach for the gun he kept under the counter. "Not a good idea if you wish to continue living. Answer the question and I will go," she growled. Devon looked sideways across the table at Scott, who fit Sigma's mystery man to a T.

"Anything you'd like to tell me before she turns around?" he asked, watching as the dark project stood face-to-face with the bar tender.

[Roaming Shadow]

How could she possibly have tracked me here? Of all places, this should be the last place she should be looking. It seemed that TXS’s eyes in the city were more diligent than he had anticipated. Sablen had the bad feeling that things were not likely to end peaceably. Unfortunately, this was the last place he wanted combat to break out. Civilian casualties would assuredly be staggering, and there were few good avenues of escape. If he didn't leave now, she would surely recognize exactly who he was, and it would be downhill from there.

“I would recommend making yourself scarce,” he said quietly. Quickly and easily slipping off the suit, he set it on the chair, leaving him in his light grey sleeveless. While his tattoo was now visible, it was also facing the wall, though no doubt Devon wouldn’t fail to notice it. His pistols, however, were still under his pants, holstered on the back of his shins.

“Thanks for the drink,” he added, though he hadn’t actually taken any of it. With instinctual stoicism, Sablen rose from his seat, keeping his tattoo towards the wall, and calmly made his way to the door, pleased that he’d managed to maneuver Devon towards the table closer to the door. With just a little extra effort, he made sure his steps were all but silent, as training had ingrained. Purposefully not looking in Sigma’s direction, lest he draw her attention, he calmly made his way to the door. If he could get close enough, any combat would be resolved outside. Not much safer for him, as he’d be at a severe disadvantage, but certainly much safer for any civilians.

[Symphia]

I knew it! He was lying! Hmm... I wonder if Shadow or Sym know anything about him... that marking seems familiar... Devon thought, standing just as the project began to turn.
"Freeze!" she shouted, her left hand coming up, stopping a burst of super-intense light aimed for her heart. He bolted out the door, feeling a bullet graze his shoulder as he dove for cover. A soft curse escaped his lips as he tumbled unceremoniously behind some bushes outside the building.

A loud crash and yelling followed by the door bursting open signaled the project's exit of the building. Several security units approached the enraged project. "Ma'am, Subject Mu took off running to the south, the other target, identity unknown, is no where to be seen," one said, getting swatted to the ground.
"Mu has escaped to the tunnels most likely, send the Guardians after him! I'll deal with our other quarry myself..." Sigma growled, turning to begin searching for her prey.

Devon cursed himself, Subject Mu... Sablen Perser... I should try to link up with him... but I wouldn't know where to begin searching... he thought, standing as he came to the alleyway between the pub and the next building over. The former head of the labs ducked behind a dumpster without thinking and when he turned to see whether or not Sigma was chasing him, he came face to face with Sablen.

"Looks like you're the stray Sigma's after, Mr. Perser. You could be a great asset to Symphia, you should try to escape with me," he said, getting right to the point.

[Roaming Shadow]

It was a close thing, and a new experience. He had never had to escape before, but he knew that in a straight up fight with Sigma, he would lose, and more likely than not lose his life as well. He was barely out the door when the commotion started. A turn into an alley, ripping off the pants (leaving him in tight black shorts), and a few turns later put him in the alley of the pub. Risky, but he knew there’d likely be a Guardian waiting for him in the sewer, and that might slow him down long enough for Sigma to catch him. And with his capabilities, why would he come back after leaving?

A little to his surprise, Devon was in the alley as well. Then again, it was perhaps the safest place he could be given the circumstances. Sablen snuck up next to him, remained silent until the man turned around. He found himself smiling once more, finding Devon’s comment mildly humorous.

“I was about to make the same offer, as we both seem to be wanted men. I am, in fact, a member of the Resistance, though only for the last month. I’m not surprised we haven’t met, or been formally introduced.”

Sablen caught the sound of approaching footsteps, and by their cadense, he knew them to be Sigma’s. She’d know where they were in moments. “We’re not safe here. Can you get us back into the pub? I believe it is our safest option, unless you know a better option.” Guards he could take care of, or perhaps another Project, but not Sigma, and his own magic worked best when the conditions matched, which was opposite at the moment: light and dry. If Symphia learned of this she would berate him to no end. But first he needed to get back to the pit mine, and he had the feeling he’d need Devon’s help to get there in one piece. That bit he had mixed feelings about, but he’d deal with them later.

[Symphia]

"If Symphia was around I'd considering disappearing into the tunnels, but you're right, the pub seems to be a good place right now," Devon said, leaning out far enough to see around the dumpster. "Well, going back out into the street isn't an option, Sigma is waiting for us..." The doctor turned next to his right, looking down the alleyway. There was what appeared to be a service door not too far away.

"I think if we make a run for the service door I can unlock it," he said, knowing how open that would leave them to Sigma's attacks. "If you have an idea, now is the time for it," he suggested, hearing the dark project's heavy footsteps cross the ground. He drew his abused laser pistol and smiled.

"Sigma may be fast, but I'd like to see her be faster than a beam of light," he smirked, hearing the footsteps draw closer. They stopped and she growled, sniffing the air. "This could be bad..." he whispered, hearing her sniff again, more deeply the second time. There was what sounded like a howl then deep, although feminine, growling. A clawed hand reached around the dumpster and Devon's eyes grew wide.

[Roaming Shadow]

Sablen saw an opening, and he took it. Going well into his reserves, he froze all the moisture around Sigma's hand to freeze it to the dumpster. The effort gave him a mild headache, but it was nothing compared to the alternative. It likely wouldn’t buy them more than a second, but a second should be all that they needed.

“Tactical withdraw,” he ordered Devon fiercely, knowing neither of them stood a chance against Sigma in melee combat. She was built for it, and they were not. However, he knew there were things he could do that she could not, and she had something of a track record of underestimating her opponents.

Aiming one pistol at her chest and the other at her legs, he began firing methodically as he backpedaled down the alley. “Door’s no good. Alternative?”

[Symphia]

Devon watched as Sablen began shooting and sure enough, Sigma's shield came up, without her raising her hand. He snapped off a quick shot with his Mk. II before heading for the door. He pulled out a set of lock picks and because of his surgeon's hands had the lock open in seconds. "Sablen! Door's open!" he called, snapping off several more shots at the devilish project.

Sigma had freed herself within seconds if having her hand frozen to the dumpster, although her claws had sliced through the metal, she had a piece of it stuck to her hand and it was disrupting her shield. There was an extreme effort on her to keep her shield up, her claws active, and her beast form in check enough to keep her from completely obliterating her mission target; no body, no praise.

Finally she was forced back to the alley's mouth, regaining control of her body. "Subject Mu! You will not escape!" she shouted, finally freeing herself of the hunk of metal and bringing her right hand up and bringing her shield up full force. Several beams of light struck it, causing ripples across its surface. "And you! You really think your little toy can hurt me!?" she yelled, her left hand rising.

She cast several orbs of darkness that caused Devon to throw himself to the ground as they sailed over his head. Pieces of the masonry became molten then phased out of existence. "We need to get away from her!" he shouted, firing again. It struck Sigma's shield, but ripples didn't cross its surface as usual, instead it pierced her shield and struck her in her thigh. The dark project howled in pain and dropped to her knees, holding her wounded leg.

"You... y... you'll pay..." she growled through gritted teeth.

[Roaming Shadow]

The door still wasn’t his preferred exit, but at this point, anything that got them out of line of sight with Subject Sigma was to their advantage. Sablen had hoped Sigma’s shield covered a limited area, but now he knew otherwise. Despite the battle, he was intrigued at her application of magic, making a mental note to try that maneuver himself when he could.

Sablen didn’t bother replying to Sigma, but could only stand in further awe at the tendency of humans to state the obvious. Then one of Devon’s shots got through the shield. But, seeing Sigma’s expression, he didn’t want to stand there and figure out how Devon managed that. Her anger was even more well known than her confidence.

Firing two more shots, knowing he was running low, he slipped through the door. Good, out of the sun, he thought, now to get in the clear. In any other event he would have frozen the hinges, but seeing as how Sigma was more apt to blow the door down anyhow, it wasn’t worth the effort.

“Do you know a way out of here Devon?” With Sigma on their heels, Sablen would take his chances in the sewers with the guardians. That was his territory, the place he knew well. Seeing as how they were all but trapped in the building, he had to assume that Devon knew a route. If not, it would take everything going right for both of them to escape.

Then another thought struck him. “And can you commandeer a vehicle?” he asked. All they needed was a lead, be it into the sewers or the storms. He didn’t believe Sigma could pace a vehicle flat out, and the storms, dangerous as they were, were perhaps the safest place both of them could be at the moment. Out of sight and easy reach, it would then be them against the sands back to the base.

[Symphia]

"There's a way we can get into the tunnels from here, barkeep, quick exit please," Devon called. The barkeep nodded and pressed a button under the counter. The floor near the bar swung down and there was a manhole cover, which opened as well. "Thank you!" he said, grabbing Sablen's shoulder. "Time to exit!" he said, jumping down the shaft and into the tunnel, catching the ladder partway down and sliding down the ladder.

Once in the tunnel, he pulled out a flashlight and clicked it on, shining it around in the pitch black tunnel. Great job... Symphia warned you to keep the lights in good repair around here... he thought, finding his secret stash behind a wall panel. He pulled out an LR300 assault rifle with an ACOG scope, an M203 grenade launcher, a suppressor, and a flashlight. It was a little dated, but highly reliable.

He flipped the safety off and set it on three-shot burst mode. Clicking the flashlight on, Devon smiled and grabbed two more clips off the rack before standing guard as he waited for Sablen.

Outside the pub, Sigma was cursing under her breath and bandaging her thigh as she forced herself to stand. The powerful dark project gritted her teeth and surged magic through her body, regenerating her cells and taking over the damaged muscle in her thigh. "I... have... to... complete... my... mission..." she growled, limping forward several steps.

[Roaming Shadow]

As I thought. This was certainly Devon’s territory. Sablen gave the bartender a nod, knowing the risk the man was taking. If caught, he would be executed. He slid down the ladder, ignoring the rungs, and landed almost without a sound. Sablen hadn’t expected the weapons locker, and was actually mildly surprised at the arsenal that Symphia had apparently given him for his own personal use. Then again, this man quite likely had a hand in her creation, and perhaps that meant a lot to her. Devon may even have overseen his own.

Being able to see just fine in the darkness, Sablen disliked the use of the flashlight, but Devon had to see or he wouldn’t be able to shoot. If necessary, he could get rid of the light. With that thought, he looked up at the now closed trapdoor and decided to secure it a little more tightly. Drawing moisture from the air around the unit, he covered it with a two inch thick layer off ice. Now he had a pounding headache, but he gritted it out. Anyone who wanted through would have to blow through it or wait a few hours for it to melt.

“You can take point, I’ll cover the rear.” Sablen was more worried about Sigma than any Guardians now that they were armed and in the sewers. Only one thought still concerned him: how had she found him so quickly? He’d only been in the city for perhaps an hour at best, and nothing he had worn marked him as Resistance; wearing black shouldn’t have set off alarms.

“Devon,” he started after they rounded the first corner, “do you have any theories on how Sigma seemed to find us so quickly? And how she knew we were together?” Something wasn’t adding up, and that lack of intel had him concerned, and defensive

[Symphia]

The old timer didn't answer right away as he surveyed the tunnel, clicking on his night vision goggles. "Your guess is as good as mine. We might have a snitch somewhere along the way, someone in the bar may have recognized you, maybe Sigma even managed to sniff us out; being that she's half mutant, I wouldn't be surprised," he said, moving down the tunnel and pausing at an intersection. He leaned around the corner then signaled it was safe to move.

Devon was clearly one of the TXS's former members, he moved down the tunnel with military speed, but was always aware of his surroundings. He paused at the next intersection and peered around the corner, ducking instantly. "Mutio! It's us! Devon and Sablen!" he shouted as he was knocked flat onto his back, a clawed metallic hand locked around his throat.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Caltyl, TXS has been through her several times and I got jumpy," she apologized, standing and curtsying. "Hello Mr. Perser," she said, curtsying again.
"Any guardians?" he asked, standing up with the young woman's help.
"Yes, one passed by a little while ago. We should get moving lest it comes back," she said, picking up Devon's gun with her mechanical replacement. The light of the flashlight caused it to shine bright silver.
"How's your replacement working, Mutio?" he asked, grabbing her left hand and pulling her sleeve up. She pulled away.
"Please Mr. Caltyl! Ask before you act! It's working out fine... although many of the young mutants back at the mine are a little frightened by it," she explained.

[Roaming Shadow]

Sablen had had much the same thoughts, though they provided little comfort. But any true spy would have caused far more damage than the Resistance had received. At least as far as he knew of the Resistance’s setbacks. But that would have to wait for another time, such as when discussing with Symphia his...unauthorized "scouting mission" into the city. He remained silent as they traveled, having nothing more to discuss, at least not until they were safer.

Mutio’s hand was still on Devon’s neck as Sablen whipped around, but he knew from Devon’s words that this wasn’t a true threat. Sablen still didn’t understand what people meant by jumpy, as he’d never experienced such a feeling, but he managed to relax his posture, pistols at his waist rather than pointed. He hadn’t realized the Resistance was capable of such prosthetics.

“The Guardians are not our most dangerous threat,” he said calmly, in the monotone he recognized he used when training spoke more than feeling. “Project Sigma is hunting us, and we are not safe from her yet. We need to keep moving. I will cover the rear.” While he had not yet met Mutio, he made sure to acknowledge the both of them. While he was curios about her, and her arm, he still felt that now was not the time. And though he knew these sewers perhaps better than the designers, he knew the others possessed the same knowledge, and he was best suited to spot and challenge Sigma.

He knew the others would surely talk as they moved, negating a degree of their stealth, but it seemed to be an inherent part of people, that Projects seemed to have been modified to exclude. Well, even he was doing it a bit, but with Sigma hunting them, training overrode almost all else. Let them think he was callous and stoic, he’d work on relationships when their lives were not in potential danger.

[Symphia]

Mutio flexed her mechanical hand and nodded in agreement with Sablen. "Yes, we should continue," she agreed, following Devon, who had taken point. They moved quickly and silently down the tunnel, checking the intersections as they went. Devon stopped and leaned around the corner, looking into the cold emotionless gaze of a Guardian.

"Here's something interesting... there's a guardian about the corner..." he said, throwing himself to the floor as one of the mechanical nightmare's clawed legs sliced through the masonry and smashed the brickwork. The doctor opened fire, the 5.56mm bullets ricocheting off the mechasm's heavy armor. Mutio pulled out her TL 12 laser pistol and fire, burning a hole in its armor.

"Devon! Now!" she shouted, firing again. The intense light widened the hole in the Guardian's armor and Devon rolled sideways and fired his M203 grenade launcher. The 40mm shell rocketed inside the mechanical nightmare and exploded. A jet of flame issued from the hole in the Guardian's armor and it fell to the ground with a booming crash. A deep rumble filled the tunnel and the mechasm began shaking.

"It's gonna blow! Get into an alcove!" Devon yelled, diving for cover. Mutio followed him turned to Sablen.
"Sablen! Hurry!" she cried, signaling to him.

[Roaming Shadow]

Chaos theory. It was something Sablen had come across when he had begun taking up reading. The idea that everything is random, that anything could happen. Even through his irritation that those he had let be forward guards had been caught nearly unaware, the near absurdity of dangers that had assailed him since the day started were amazing to think about.

Immediately, he deepened the darkness around the Guardian’s visual sensors, knowing exactly where they were, rendering it all but blind. He didn’t bother with the pistols, being useless against the thick armor platting of the machine, but at least it wasn’t likely to hit anything. But he was still more worried about Sigma, and this commotion would be a beacon to the entirety of the TXS.

As soon as the grenade was fired, he knew it was in, and knew what an explosion of that magnitude in a confined space would do. With vivid memories of the demise of the Advanced Guardian, he leapt into the alcove of a maintenance access ladder; he threw up a wall of ice between him and the imminent explosion. This time, he fell to his knees, head pounding, hand clutching his heart, in more pain than he had ever been. He’d never tried to draw so much from his control over cold, and now he knew he had overexerted himself. And the barrier was too thin.

The barrier blunted the force, but the concussive force also shattered it before the heat could even melt it. Shards of ice sliced through his skin, a few embedding themselves. These were melted as flames flared over him. It was over in moments. Quickly rising to his feet, gritting out the pain, bleeding and burned, he cried out “Run!” Stealth didn’t mean much now, and he wasn’t about to let pain stop him. They had to get out of there, and they need to get out of there now.

[Symphia]

Mutio felt her dress become singed by the intense heat, but paid it no mind. Her thoughts turned to Devon, who was okay and next to Sablen, who was nowhere in sight. She quickly searched him out, taking him in her arms. "We can't move with you in this condition, we can only pray that Ms. Askella shows up if Sigma arrives," she said, turning to Devon, who let his rifle's sling take its weight and he quickly set to work.

"Relax, Sablen, Sigma's not coming after us. This part of the tunnels is controlled by something Symphia refers to as "the worms" they're on neither side, but help us whenever they can," Devon explained. Mutio ripped Sablen's shirt open and held a gauze pad over the worst of his wounds. "Mutio, hold that pad on, I need to get needle and thread ready," he said. The healer nodded and did her job as she was asked.

"Devon is the best there is, working as his assistant is what I seem to do best," she said, blushing a little. Devon laughed softly.
"She's right you know, you couldn't have picked a better pair of people to get injured around," he explained, setting to work with needle and thread. "I know it hurts, but gut it out, we're not leaving until you're patched up enough to move." Mutio specialized in field medicine, patching someone up so they would survive until they were in Devon's care, but with the Resistance's head medic here, she was simply his assistant.

[Roaming Shadow]

All sorts of protests ran through his mind, but by the time he could get one out through the pain, he heard mention of the worms. Sablen had heard of them before, and calmed down, setting himself down lightly onto the floor with an effort to keep it from being a fall. He knew the stories of their power. But what nobody knew was that he was not a complete stranger to them. More than once, he was sure he had seen something in the tunnels, non mechanical and far too large to have possibly avoided detection, during his years of wandering the sewers. And he was sure he had seen their handiwork.

His breathing was labored. The pain across his body was nothing to that in his head and chest. He was glad to be told to stop, for now he was sure that had he pushed himself much farther, the damage could have been irreparable. Oh, he could walk, even push himself to run, but the damage done would have been far more severe.

“Thanks,” he managed to get out, trying to take deliberate, deep breaths. “It’s not that bad,” he continued, not sure how accurate his statement was. “What’s worse is in my head and chest. What I need is rest.” A smile crossed his lips. “Perhaps now Shadow Lupus and I can swap stories.” It was an amusing thought, seeing as how they both now had very similar stories, though Shadow had it much worse. But he recovered. The man was a survivor, and Sablen knew that he was as well.

“Devon, what do you know about…magic overexertion?” That was what concerned Sablen, because he knew his body would heal, but the other pain was not subsiding. And such did not seem like something that could be healed simply by treating the body. He hoped all he needed was rest, but Devon would know for sure. Surely, he’d know.

[Symphia]

"That hasn't come up since my days in TXS's labs. All the projects in the resistance have complete control over their magic, with the exception of you it seems," Devon said, wrapping the freshly stitched gashes. "Whatever you did back there seems to have done a lot of damage," he added, finally getting to the large gash that Mutio was covering.

"Well son, I think I found the source of your chest pain," he said, taking out a tweezer. "Mutio, hold it open, he should be okay." She nodded and pulled the wound open so the doc could extract a piece of metal from the Guardian's metal frame. It was about three inches long and an inch wide at the end that he grabbed. "You're lucky, Sablen," he said, tossing it aside and carefully checking how deep the injury went. "It missed your heart," he added.

Mutio carefully closed the wound, happy that he would okay. Devon stitched it shut and the healer helped bandage it. "Mr. Perser, you should be okay now, we'll get you back to the mine and you can recover in the infirmary," she smiled, rinsing her blood soaked hands in the stream of water that filled the channel in many of the tunnels. She helped Devon pick him up and they began heading back toward exit AA-115.

[Roaming Shadow]

Sable gritted against the fresh stab of pain as the wound was opened and the foreign object was removed. Compared to what he was already feeling, it was only a minor and brief increase in pain. The removal of the shrapnel did alleviate some of the pain in his chest, but not all. Had he tried to run, that piece just might have moved enough to deal lethal damage. He didn’t resist as they picked him up. While he could have walked, though it would hurt, this was easier on him and would avoid any further potential damage.

“What do you think the tattoo is for?” he asked belatedly to Devon’s comment about uncontrolled magic, though in a way it related to his being lucky as well. Without that piece of shrapnel in his chest, it was notably easier to breath. “I was marked from the beginning as potentially unstable. I was designed to use ice magic, but something happened, and there is a flaw in my genes on that. Somehow, that flaw led to my ability to control darkness. I was…too interesting to execute right then and there.”

He took a deep breath, relieved on how much easier it felt. “I’ve never had to try and use cold magic that much, and to that extent. If this had happened while I was at TXS, I would not have lived to join the Resistance.” Here he stopped. He didn’t like discussing his time at TXS; there were too many memories attached to them, too many lives ended needlessly.

It was several more seconds before he spoke again. “I am going to have a lot of explaining to do when I get back. If you could, tell Symphia that I would like to explain my actions on my own. That is, if she doesn’t meet us as we arrive demanding what happened.” That last was said with an edge of sarcasm, and was in fact the first time he had ever said something with humor.