The Factory, Tokyo, Japan. Friday Morning, Fandom-Time.
"This cannot be happening."
It was still echoing in Dōjima's ears a half hour later, as she hovered over Michael's shoulder. Still in the same cursed room, still Hunting for answers.
"Dōjima-sama?" Michael said quietly, fingers flying over the touchpad. "You said an assault from headquarters was coming, right?"
"Yes..."
"Then we have to stop them, and stop them fast," Michael said, straightening up purposefully. "This place is rigged to crush everything inside it in case of an emergency." He turned to include the other Hunters, who were attempting to eavesdrop. "If we aren't careful, we'll trigger it and all be crushed."
JOY.
Dōjima was already whipping out her phone, fingers dialing with practiced speed as she yanked the hood of the Factory uniform off her head.
A busy signal. Which meant... "Dammit, I'm not getting through," she cursed, and Nagira looked over.
"What is it?" he asked, as she hung up and tried dialing again.
"The attack is going to start," she answered coldly. "I was only able to buy us enough time to get in; it was agreed that the attack would begin immediately if my signal was cut off."
"Let's move."
They had no way of knowing that two heavy-gun helicopters were already almost there, or that the life of Miho Karasuma was being debated downstairs, and decided upon a whim.
The elevator was offline. Which meant security had detected intruders. Either them - since they'd shed all attempts at disguise - or the attack was already underway and a security lockdown had been initiated.
It was, most likely, the latter of the two, and everyone knew it.
"We have to go," Dōjima said. She had been content to let Amon take the lead with the second truck, but this was her expertise.
"Go where, up?" Sakaki scoffed, but Amon and the rest were already looking to Dōjima, who simply nodded once.
"Going up there now would be dangerous," Nagira pointed out."
"I know that," Dōjima answered mildly.
"Do you?" asked Sakaki. "So, what about the elevator? How do you suggest we get it working, huh?"
"I might be able to help out with that," Michael offered, sticking his head into the group before pushing past to tap at the walls and poke at each of the access ports. "There ought to be something around here that lets me access the elevator directly. Like, um, that one." He checked around the corner before darting into the next alcove. "Dōjima-sama, as soon as I get the door open, jump in."
Dōjima wasn't stupid; she knew what that meant. Michael had to maintain the connection to keep the door open, which meant he would be left down here. "But Michael-"
"This situation isn't going to be solved by sitting down here," their hacker quipped, "Besides, where you're going is even more dangerous."
"I'll keep you company," Sakaki volunteered, breaking cover to join Michael."
"Hey, this won't exactly be safe either," Michael pointed out.
"Yeah, I know," Sakaki said, crooking a grin.
"I guess I'll go with you then, little lady," Nagira said with a shrug, and Robin put in with "I'll go too Dōjima-san--"
"No. You and I will stay here," Amon interrupted.
"After all," Nagira added. "There's something down here you still need to take care of, isn't there, Robin?"
Dōjima thought of all those tubes, all those people, and with a nod, Amon and Robin were off down the hall.
"Let's get to it then," Michael said, pressing a lever and part of the wall popped out, revealing some sort of server. He whipped a folding keyboard out of his pants, plugged in, and started typing. After a moment, the elevator doors slid open. Dōjima tossed one last glance at the boys, who gave her a thumbs up, before she and Nagira stepped into the lift and the doors shut behind them.
The elevator sped quickly towards the surface, and Dōjima and Nagira took up positions on either side of the door, her gun already at the ready. "They know we're here," he said, glancing over at her. "Don't get yourself killed, little lady."
"Same to you," she quipped, sparing him a smirk as they rose up through the levels, and the elevator dinged.
The doors slid open. There was the sound of helicopters and a bright light shone into the tube followed by a hail of bullets that would have instantly killed anyone standing in their way.
Dōjima didn't flinch, nor did Nagira, they did the mental counting - five, four, three - waiting for the first round to finish, and their opponents to need to reload.
Out there were Factory security and SOLOMON soldiers, each willing to kill two strangers on the field of battle. Their eyes met once, Nagira nodded, and in that instant the bullets stopped and they hurled themselves out of the elevator and into the light.
[OOC: NFB, SP and doooone!]
It was still echoing in Dōjima's ears a half hour later, as she hovered over Michael's shoulder. Still in the same cursed room, still Hunting for answers.
"Dōjima-sama?" Michael said quietly, fingers flying over the touchpad. "You said an assault from headquarters was coming, right?"
"Yes..."
"Then we have to stop them, and stop them fast," Michael said, straightening up purposefully. "This place is rigged to crush everything inside it in case of an emergency." He turned to include the other Hunters, who were attempting to eavesdrop. "If we aren't careful, we'll trigger it and all be crushed."
JOY.
Dōjima was already whipping out her phone, fingers dialing with practiced speed as she yanked the hood of the Factory uniform off her head.
A busy signal. Which meant... "Dammit, I'm not getting through," she cursed, and Nagira looked over.
"What is it?" he asked, as she hung up and tried dialing again.
"The attack is going to start," she answered coldly. "I was only able to buy us enough time to get in; it was agreed that the attack would begin immediately if my signal was cut off."
"Let's move."
They had no way of knowing that two heavy-gun helicopters were already almost there, or that the life of Miho Karasuma was being debated downstairs, and decided upon a whim.
The elevator was offline. Which meant security had detected intruders. Either them - since they'd shed all attempts at disguise - or the attack was already underway and a security lockdown had been initiated.
It was, most likely, the latter of the two, and everyone knew it.
"We have to go," Dōjima said. She had been content to let Amon take the lead with the second truck, but this was her expertise.
"Go where, up?" Sakaki scoffed, but Amon and the rest were already looking to Dōjima, who simply nodded once.
"Going up there now would be dangerous," Nagira pointed out."
"I know that," Dōjima answered mildly.
"Do you?" asked Sakaki. "So, what about the elevator? How do you suggest we get it working, huh?"
"I might be able to help out with that," Michael offered, sticking his head into the group before pushing past to tap at the walls and poke at each of the access ports. "There ought to be something around here that lets me access the elevator directly. Like, um, that one." He checked around the corner before darting into the next alcove. "Dōjima-sama, as soon as I get the door open, jump in."
Dōjima wasn't stupid; she knew what that meant. Michael had to maintain the connection to keep the door open, which meant he would be left down here. "But Michael-"
"This situation isn't going to be solved by sitting down here," their hacker quipped, "Besides, where you're going is even more dangerous."
"I'll keep you company," Sakaki volunteered, breaking cover to join Michael."
"Hey, this won't exactly be safe either," Michael pointed out.
"Yeah, I know," Sakaki said, crooking a grin.
"I guess I'll go with you then, little lady," Nagira said with a shrug, and Robin put in with "I'll go too Dōjima-san--"
"No. You and I will stay here," Amon interrupted.
"After all," Nagira added. "There's something down here you still need to take care of, isn't there, Robin?"
Dōjima thought of all those tubes, all those people, and with a nod, Amon and Robin were off down the hall.
"Let's get to it then," Michael said, pressing a lever and part of the wall popped out, revealing some sort of server. He whipped a folding keyboard out of his pants, plugged in, and started typing. After a moment, the elevator doors slid open. Dōjima tossed one last glance at the boys, who gave her a thumbs up, before she and Nagira stepped into the lift and the doors shut behind them.
The elevator sped quickly towards the surface, and Dōjima and Nagira took up positions on either side of the door, her gun already at the ready. "They know we're here," he said, glancing over at her. "Don't get yourself killed, little lady."
"Same to you," she quipped, sparing him a smirk as they rose up through the levels, and the elevator dinged.
The doors slid open. There was the sound of helicopters and a bright light shone into the tube followed by a hail of bullets that would have instantly killed anyone standing in their way.
Dōjima didn't flinch, nor did Nagira, they did the mental counting - five, four, three - waiting for the first round to finish, and their opponents to need to reload.
Out there were Factory security and SOLOMON soldiers, each willing to kill two strangers on the field of battle. Their eyes met once, Nagira nodded, and in that instant the bullets stopped and they hurled themselves out of the elevator and into the light.
[OOC: NFB, SP and doooone!]