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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 12, 2010 11:08:24 GMT -5
Bambi doesn't even take a moment to think. She just replies, "More risk? Sound good. We doing this?"
Because if she got kidnapped and dragged to a creepy laboratory, they need to get something out of this. She supposes they can settle for a pretty girl. (Pot sherds would be better.)
Down the hallway, the singing has stopped, and Secutorious emerges from the cabaret door, leading the five-faced creature by a tentacle. The five-facer is really horridly scarred, and they converse in low tones in a language that not all of Mirage knows. They look to be heading back to the laboratory.
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Post by Mirage on Aug 12, 2010 11:36:20 GMT -5
Hmm, does that mean part or Mirage can infer some of the meaning of that conversation, one must now wonder?
Mirage gives the pair enough time to clear the door and turn the corner before moving up to the cabaret entrance. That should be answer enough for Bambi.
He's thinking quickly. If those two are heading back to the lab, Mirage and Bambi have perhaps a handful of minutes only before their escape is discovered. Again, the thought crosses Mirage's mind that this entire mess is a test of some sort, a game. It could be.
He ducks into the room and takes its measure in a more thorough manner now. How high is the cage above the stage? How secure the locks and what type? What guards or attendants are left, if any? Is there another exit? What items in the room might be useful?
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 12, 2010 16:37:48 GMT -5
There are those plush burgundy velvet chairs and mahogany tables. There is still a Sharkticon bartender behind the well-stocked bar.
The cage is high enough above the stage that one could probably jump to it from a chair. The lock just looks like a simple tumbler system. There looks to be a mechanism to raise and lower the cage somewhere, probably behind the curtains at the back of the stage. Chalco just stands in the cage staring out vacantly at nothing.
There looks to be a space behind the bar. There might be an exit back there.
Bambi feels twitchy and tense. She hasn't done anything like this before.
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Post by Mirage on Aug 12, 2010 23:31:57 GMT -5
Mirage paces beneath the cage, considering his options. They don't have a lot of time, and once they free the girl, they'll have even less. There won't be any skulking about cloaked. It will be a full-out run.
The bartender looks like he's a few circuits shy of a motherboard, and certainly doesn't seem to be paying much attention to things, at least. Maybe... just maybe this will work.
He reaches his hand back to try and pat Bambi reassuringly. Bambi hasn't done anything like this before; neither, really, has Mirage. Mirage is a solo operative, and he liberates information, not people, as a matter of course.
Very, very quietly, he murmurs, "At my say, jump up there, get that cage open and hand her down to me, if you can."
Mirage watches the Sharkticon, waiting for the creature to be looking away. When it does, he hisses, "Go!" at the same time cycling his tech from cloak to holo.
It now looks like Venatorious is standing under the cage, Pyrite slung over one shoulder. The hunter is sparing not a glance for the bartender, or so it seems.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 13, 2010 0:46:14 GMT -5
It is questionable whether or not the bartender is actually sapient or just a poor ELIZA program.
Bambi jumps and just barely grabs onto the cage, scrambling up to the bars. Chalco doesn't seem to react at all to the Dinobot climbing her cage. Bambi wraps her legs around the bars and again goes to work with lock-picking. Sheesh, but she's doing that a lot lately! What gives?
The bartender takes a while to notice. Then he stares at 'Venatorious' expectantly and slowly moves to mix up a drink, apparently Venatorious's usual. As he's grabbing for the bitters, it finally occurs to him, "Uh. There robot loose," and he points up at Bambi, apparently expecting 'Venatorious' to fix this problem.
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Post by Mirage on Aug 13, 2010 12:18:41 GMT -5
Clearly, Bambi is working her way toward improving her thief/rouge skill set! At any moment, she might here the "DING" that indicates a level up! How exciting!
Slowly, "Venatorious's" gaze swings toward the bartender, then back to Bambi.
"Not loose. Testing."
He frowns, and is now clearly not addressing the bartender or Bambi. "Too much personality left in this machine however, but the other skills are mostly adequate." His rifle swings toward Bambi.
"How does it manage under adversity?"
It appears that Venatorious has fired on Bambi, a shot that would pierce her through the shoulder. It is just illusion, however, and hopefully Bambi is playing enough attention to either dodge or take the "hit" realistically.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 13, 2010 16:08:30 GMT -5
"Oh," the bartender says. After a long moment. "Okay." Another long moment. "Gonna get in trouble with Secutorious and Excisionata." He turns away to finish fixing Venatorious's drink.
Bambi actually yelps and takes one hand away from picking the lock to clutch her shoulder, eyeing 'Venatorious' wildly and without trust.
But nothing hurts, she realises belatedly. The trust does not return to her optics, however. The lock swings open, and Chalco makes no move to to leave, so Bambi grabs her and yanks her out of the cage, leaping.
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Post by Mirage on Aug 14, 2010 0:11:08 GMT -5
The hunter shrugs. Certainly, he will get in trouble.
He leans down to try and roughly snatch Chalco from Bambi and sling the singer over his other shoulder, then jerks his his head toward the stage. He murmurs just loud enough for Bambi to hear, "Go see if there's another way out back there."
He then stalks toward the bar to get his drink. Hopefully, he can find out if that space behind the bar is an exit or not.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 14, 2010 21:31:21 GMT -5
Bambi is all too eager to vanish into the kitchen behind the bar. The Sharkticon sets down Venatorious's drink on the bar and then scowls, waddling after Bambi, shouting, "Hey, don't go in there!"
If Mirage cares to sample, Venatorious's drink is rather salty, with a metallic tang like iron, and ever so slightly bitter.
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Post by Mirage on Aug 14, 2010 22:36:42 GMT -5
Mirage does manage a taste of that drink before Bambi darts into the kitchen. He manages not to grimace, but he does not find the hunter's usual appealing at all.
He gives a long-suffering sigh an steps into the doorway behind the Sharkticon. Mirage is getting antsy; this is taking too long.
His optics scan the kitchen area for other threats, and for exits.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 15, 2010 19:31:17 GMT -5
There is an exit in the back of the kitchen. Bambi already has it open. She spares just one glance for Mirage before making a break into a dank, darkened stairwell, headed up. There, she showed Mirage where the exit is. He has feet; he can jolly well use them!
The Sharkticon stumbles along after Bambi, calling out, "Hey!"
The kitchen is full of dangerous things like stovetops and knives.
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Post by Mirage on Aug 15, 2010 20:44:21 GMT -5
"Venatorious" steps swiftly around the Sharkticon, possibly shoving it roughly back and to one side.
"Like I said, too much personality," he growls, "I'll get it. Get back to work."
He sprints through the door and up the stairs. He still doesn't drop his disguise, just in case they run into more guards. "Venatorious" chasing an escaped robot will garner much less attention.
Please, please don't let this be a dead end.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 15, 2010 21:16:15 GMT -5
The Sharkticon is shoved away. He seems to be used to it and isn't offended.
It's not a dead end, but it is...
...a subway tunnel, Bambi finds, and there are lights coming right at her!
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Post by Mirage on Aug 15, 2010 21:57:29 GMT -5
Mirage is moving slower than normal, what with having person slung over each shoulder. Still, he's only a few paces behind Bambi.
He tries to grab the Dinobot and pull her off to the side, pressing them both against the subway wall and shielding her with his body. His disguise falls as he does so. There should be just enough space between the subway cars and tunnel wall to make for an appropriately dramatic shot.
"Think we can hitch a ride?" he murmurs as the cars fly by.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 15, 2010 22:57:10 GMT -5
Bambi is whisked off to the side in suitably dramatic fashion, the trains just scraping a thin line down her side and no more.
Was that a line cracking inside that she heard? Better not be...
She huddles against Mirage, optics wide and wild again, shaking. But... jumping on trains? Yeah, Indiana Jones would jump on a train, and she nods once.
Chalco is pretty docile as Mirage manhandles her around, and Pyrite continues to be out of it.
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