Crystal
A gray, two-person tent located within the perimeter of the *Vektet.* Mostly empty, save for a bunk, two chairs, and a small, plastic round table.
George
Without a further sign of aggression, the guards let the two freely back towards the gray tent. From behind their face-shields, it's hard to tell what they're feeling — however, judging by one of their earlier reactions, it's quite likely that the gas-masked man is somewhat of a threatening factor, even within the security force of the perimeter. Though, as well-armed as the guards were, it seemed awfully strange that they would stray away from defying a single, unarmed man. Was he really so strong, as to threaten a whole team of guards?

...

Either way, it'd work out fairly conveniently for Gaige. The gas-mask donning man didn't seem to hold any ill intent for him. While it wouldn't pose much of an issue for Gaige, the tent was a few inches too short for the masked man. He ducked, wordlessly pushing into the tent, hunched over as he made his way over to one of the seats.

***`SSSP`***

*`"ꜱɪᴛ ʜᴇʀᴇ"`* —he motioned towards the chair opposite himself, his posture still hunched, taking quite a bit of space within the tent.

_ _

Once in enclosed, close-quarters with the man, he would inevitably seem a slight bit more intimidating, despite his rather calm demeanor and lack of any visible facial emotions.

*`"ʏᴏᴜ, ɪ ʜᴇᴀʀ, ᴏʀ ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜱᴇᴇɴ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ ᴇʏᴇꜱ. ᴀʀᴇ ᴀ ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀ. ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ. ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ꜱᴇᴇ ɪᴛ."`*
*`"ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀᴛᴇ. ɪ ʜᴇᴀʀᴅ. ɪ ꜱᴀᴡ. ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɴᴀᴍᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ɢᴀɪɢᴇ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ᴄᴏʀʀᴇᴄᴛ. ɪ ꜱᴀᴡ ɪᴛ. ꜱᴍᴇʟᴛ ɪᴛ ᴍʏꜱᴇʟꜰ. ɪᴛ'ꜱ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴠᴇɪɴꜱ, ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇꜱ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ ᴀɢᴏ."`*

***`HSSSSS...`***

The man tilts his head, standing from his chair. He takes a step towards the bunk within the undecorated tent, rummaging through the cloth set atop it — withdrawing a leather-bound, untitled book. One-handed, and with a flick of his wrist, the book splits open, as he thumbs through it, seating himself back opposite Gaige.

*`"ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ʀɪɢʜᴛ. ɪ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ. ʏᴏᴜʀ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ'ꜱ ᴠᴇʀꜱᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ. ᴛʜᴇ ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴏɴᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴛʀɪᴍ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇꜱ. ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ꜱʜʀᴇᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴀʀᴇ, ᴛʜᴇᴍ. ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ꜱʜʀᴇᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴀᴡᴀʀᴇɴᴇꜱꜱ. ꜰᴏʀɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴏᴡɴ ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ. ʜɪɢʜʟʏ ᴅɪꜱᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛɪɴɢ."`*


*`"ᴍᴇɴ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ, ᴍᴇɴ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴜꜱ — ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀꜱ — ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴛ. ɴᴏᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. ɪ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴢᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ, ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇꜱ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀɪɴɢ."`*

*`"ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ. ꜰᴏʀ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢᴇʀ ᴍᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ. ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇʏᴏɴᴅ ᴍʏ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ, ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ɴᴀᴍᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀᴏ. ᴠᴇʀʏ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇꜱᴛɪɴɢ. ʏᴇᴛ ᴄᴀꜱᴛ ᴀꜱɪᴅᴇ ʙʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴏɴ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ. ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴀ ꜱʜᴀᴍᴇ. ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ꜱʜʀᴇᴅ ᴏꜰ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴇᴄᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴇʀᴏꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ."`*

*`"ɪ'ʟʟ ɢɪᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴ ᴏꜰꜰᴇʀ. ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴀꜱꜱɪꜱᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ. ᴍʏ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴇᴄᴛ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ɪɴ, ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ɢᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴ. ɪ'ᴠᴇ ᴀ ꜱʜʀᴇᴅ ᴏꜰ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴇᴄᴛ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪ'ᴠᴇ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ ʀᴇᴀꜱᴏɴꜱ."`*

*`"ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ɴᴀᴍᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀᴏ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ ʜᴇʟʟ ɪᴛꜱᴇʟꜰ."`*
Samantha
Gaige complied with the towering figure, slowly lowering himself into the chair opposite the man. The man's intention was unknown, Gaige being on guard as he planted himself in the chair. As far as he knew, this anonymous man could be some head honcho of the security force. Close quarters with a man of his stature was unfavorable for the forgotten hero as well; even with Gaige's constant physical reinforcement through mana, he had no doubt the behemoth would overpower him. He kept both his feet planted on the floor as he listened to the man speak.

Luckily for him, his suspicions—for the most part—were unfounded. The way the man spoke was definitely unusual, but Gaige had grown used to such abnormal speech over the course of his lifespan. The masked man's articulation about heroes and warriors was enough for Gaige to lower his guard slightly. `Goddamn... Finally some recognition.` He thought to himself, crossing his legs and continuing to lend an ear to the masked man. He perked up in surprise after the man had offered him assistance, turning around in his chair and gazing at the entrance to the tent. He turned back to face the masked man, pondering to himself for a moment.

"And how are you gonna do that? You already know how many of those damn guards are out there—not to mention your height. You got some trick up your sleeve or something? Cause right now I ain't seeing a way in. I'm good with facing hell itself or whatever, but I dunno how much you've got those guards wrapped around your finger," He leaned back in the chair, "I ain't interested in getting riddled with bullets. Show me what you have in mind and I'll decide." Gaige waited for the stranger to elaborate on how he would be of assistance.
George
***`SSSP...`***

***`HSS.`***


The man remained briefly silent, staring through his gas-mask at Gaige, now opposite him, responseless to his question. It appeared as though he was processing what he said — though, any intent behind the man's actions would be quite hard to ascertain, considering the lack of any visual recognition of his face.

*`"ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ʀɪɢʜᴛ. ɪ ꜰᴏʀɢᴏᴛ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴜɴᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴍᴇʟʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ. ᴀ ꜱʜᴀᴍᴇ. ɴᴏᴛ ᴀʟʟ ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇ ꜱᴇɴꜱᴇꜱ. ᴠᴇʀʏ ɪɴᴄᴏɴᴠᴇɴɪᴇɴᴛ. ᴍɪɴᴏʀʟʏ ᴅɪꜱᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛɪɴɢ."`*

He reached to his gas-mask, placing a gloved hand on one of the two canisters of air attached to it. Twisting on it, a slight *`CLIC`* Sounds from his mask, and the canister slips back a notch.

*`ʜᴍ. ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ. ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ. Qᴜɪᴛᴇ ᴀ ꜰᴇᴡ. ꜱʜᴀᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ'ꜱ ɴᴏ ʀᴏᴏꜰ. ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ᴇᴀꜱʏ."`*

Yet another moment of pondering. He remains silent, yet seems to come to a conclusion.
_ _

*`"ꜱᴏʟᴅɪᴇʀꜱ ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ꜰᴇᴀʀ ᴍᴇ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟʏ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀɴ ᴀꜱꜱᴇᴛ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴇᴀʀ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴍᴇ. ɪ ᴀᴍ ɴᴏ ʙᴇᴀꜱᴛ. ꜱᴛᴏᴘᴘᴇᴅ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴏɴᴇ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ. ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍᴇ. ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ꜱʜʀᴇᴅ ᴏꜰ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴇᴄᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀ. ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴀɴɴᴏʏɪɴɢ. ʜɪɢʜʟʏ ᴅɪꜱᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛɪɴɢ."`*

*`"ʙᴜᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴛʏ ɪꜱ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴇɴᴛᴇʀ. ᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇ. ᴏʀ ᴘᴇʀʜᴀᴘꜱ ɪ ᴄᴀʀʀʏ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴꜱᴛᴇᴀᴅ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ. ᴍᴇ, ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴀ ꜱᴏᴜɴᴅ."`*

*`"ᴠᴇʀʏ ꜰᴀꜱᴛ ᴛᴏᴏ. ꜰᴀꜱᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀꜱ ɪ'ᴠᴇ ꜰᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ꜱᴇᴇ. ᴍᴏʀᴇ ꜱᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ, ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇʟʏ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ꜱᴇɴꜱᴇꜱ. ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ-ɢᴜᴇꜱꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱɪɢʜᴛ. ʙᴀᴅ ʜᴀʙɪᴛ. ᴏʀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʜᴀʙɪᴛ. ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅꜱ ᴏɴ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ. ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴛʏ ɪꜱ, ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ꜱᴇɴꜱᴇꜱ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴜᴘ."`*

*`"ɪ ᴍᴀɴɪᴘᴜʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴜᴛᴄᴏᴍᴇ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴍᴏᴠᴇ. ᴜꜱᴇ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ ꜱᴇɴꜱᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ꜱᴇɴꜱᴇꜱ. ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ ʜᴀʙɪᴛꜱ. ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴄᴀᴘɪᴛᴀʟɪᴢᴇ. ʟᴇᴀʀɴᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʜᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ. ᴀɴɪᴍᴀʟꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪʟᴅᴇʀɴᴇꜱꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʜᴀʙɪᴛꜱ ᴛᴏᴏ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀᴄᴛ ꜱɪᴍɪʟᴀʀ ᴛᴏᴏ. ʜᴀʙɪᴛꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴀᴅᴀᴘᴛ ᴛᴏ. ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴘᴏꜱꜱɪʙʟᴇ."`*

*`"ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ."`*

—He spoke, his entire body flaring up, **As if he was about to attack.** He raises his right arm aggressively, slamming the leather-bound book in his hand into the table, with a frightening ***`THUD—`***

*`"ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ"`* — his voice spoke from behind him. With frightening speed, as soon as Gaige would likely have an instinctive reaction to his own display of aggression, he disappeared — and then manifested *Directly behind him, without a trace of motion.*

*`"ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ."`*

*`"ᴡᴀꜱ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜꜱ. ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴇᴀᴛꜱ ᴛᴏᴏ. ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴇᴀꜱʏ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇᴀʀ ɪᴛ ɪɴ ᴀɴ ᴇɴᴄʟᴏꜱᴇᴅ ꜱᴘᴀᴄᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ. ꜱᴍᴇʟʟᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴇʜᴇɴꜱɪᴏɴ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ. ɪɴꜱᴛɪɴᴄᴛꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇʟʏ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴛ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇꜱᴇ ᴜɴᴄᴏɴꜱᴄɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢꜱ."`*

*`"ᴅᴇᴛᴇʀᴍɪɴᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴀʙɪᴛꜱ. ᴋɴᴇᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴀ ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀ. ᴋɴᴇᴡ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴅ ʀᴇᴄᴏɢɴɪᴢᴇ ᴀɴ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ. ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴇxᴘʟᴏɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ. ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴇᴀʀ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ. ᴇxᴘʟᴏɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪꜱᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀ."`*

*`"ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴛʀɪᴄᴋʏ. ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴜꜱᴇꜰᴜʟ. ʜᴏᴡ ɪ ᴘʟᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴ ᴛᴏᴏ."`*
Samantha
Gaige raised an eyebrow, wondering if the masked man would ever respond to him. "Well?" He began to get impatient, but was back to tuning in to the man's words shortly after. A light *Tch* Was let out from the hero after the usage of the word 'disappointing', but he continued to listen nevertheless. "Bit too tall to reach any sort of roof, unfortunately. Other ideas?" He added to the conversation, waiting for the man to offer his idea.

He perks up again, tilting the chair on its back legs as he listened to the stranger. In truth, he agreed with much of what the man said. Despite his heroic actions, a small minority of people had any idea who he was. It was displeasing to say the least. The talk of him being an asset however gave Gaige reason to assume he was a mercenary—one of high standing as shown by the soldiers' reactions.

As the man began to display himself as being 'very fast', Gaige's distrust grew more and more. `He can't be that quick with his size. Not fast enough to completely slip by a whole security force at least.` He thought to himself, planning on taking his leave after the mercenary finished his proposal. The way he elucidated his ability though certainly did peak the interest of the hero, continuing to listen in.

_ _
`Just like this?`

Gaige repeated the words in his mind, but at the slightest hint of aggression from the mercenary, the hero's body moved in response. With a burst of speed, he stood up from the chair—his arm raised in front of him to block the strike. He was prepared for a brutal clash, but was met with nothing. His sight and hearing averted to the slam of the table, "H-huh? You mis—" The hero cut his taunting short as his eyes went to meet the mercenary—yet the mercenary was no longer there. Before he had the chance to scan the area for the masked man, he was met with the sound of his voice behind him.

He made no movements as the stranger explained his trick, letting out a sigh of relief as he finished. A chuckle was let out, turning into a fit of laughter from the hero. He turned to face the mercenary as he laughed, calming himself as his eyes met the stranger's gasmask. "Alright, alright. You had me on that one—never knew a guy your size could move like that. And what a damn cool way of reading my actions! You're becoming more and more interesting the longer I know you." The cloaked man complimented the stranger. Despite having been in assumed danger moments before, he was now in a state of awe. The masked stranger certainly surpassed the hero's first impression of him.

"Anyways, you've got me onboard now. As long as you can use that trick with me at your side, I'm convinced we'll get in." He offered his right hand up to the mercenary for a handshake, "Pleasure to work with you..." He attempted to get a name out of the stranger.
George
*`"ᴠᴇʀʏ ɢᴏᴏᴅ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ. ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀꜱ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀꜱ. ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴄᴏɴᴠᴇɴɪᴇɴᴛ."`*

The man gave a nod as Gaige agreed, and, now stood, hunched over within the tent. With the initial phase of his plan now out of the way, they could move on to the action-part of this mission. Very, very good, indeed.

*`"ʏᴇᴀʜ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ʀɪɢʜᴛ. ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴜʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀꜱ ᴡᴇʟʟ."`*

...He spoke, rather awkwardly, in response to Gaige's comment. While Gaige attempted to elicit a name out of him, the trailing, questioning nature of his comment was entirely lost on him, the notion ignored or perhaps not even understood by a man such as the one behind the gas-mask. Instead, he simply grasped Gaige's arm, gave him a firm-yet-not-overbearing handshake. 

Pacing, slowly, back to the table from which he had stood and dashed from in a blink, he picked up the leather-bound book that he had slammed into the table. While slightly ruffled, it wasn't damaged all too much — it seemed he controlled the amount of force that he used for that specific purpose. Tabbing through the book again, he paused briefly, before finally closing the book.

*`CLIC.`*

He tightened back up the oxygen canister attached to his mask.

***`SSSSSSP.`***
_ _

The gas-masked man crouches down, reaching for something beneath the bunk within the tent. After rummaging for a few moments, he withdraws a strange device — almost like a satchel, in shape and in appearance, yet with some form of digital interface on one of its sides. He scanned over it briefly, before turning to Gaige, and speaking:

*`"ɴᴏᴡ, ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴛᴏ ʙᴜꜱɪɴᴇꜱꜱ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇꜱᴛɪɴɢ ᴅᴇᴠɪᴄᴇ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴀʟʟ ɪᴛ ᴀ ᴠᴀʀᴇᴛ. ɪᴛ'ʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴜꜱᴇꜰᴜʟ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ. Qᴜɪᴛᴇ ᴜꜱᴇꜰᴜʟ. ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ꜱᴏʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛᴇᴛʜᴇʀ. ᴡᴏʀᴋꜱ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ᴏꜰ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍ, ʟᴇᴛꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴇᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟ ᴇᴀꜱʏ."`*

***`HSSSS...`***

With quick motions, he adjusts several switches on the device, and a formerly-blue glow emanating from its interface turns orange, then turns off, entirely.

*`"ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇ ᴜꜱɪɴɢ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ɪɴ, ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ. ʙᴀᴅ ᴅᴇᴀʟ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ᴄᴏɴꜱɪᴅᴇʀᴇᴅ."`*
*`"ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱQᴜᴀᴅꜱ ᴀʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ʀᴇᴀʟ ʀᴇᴅᴜᴄᴇᴅ ꜱᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴀʟ ʀᴀᴛᴇꜱ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴏᴜʀ ɪɴᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ. ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪᴛ ʜᴀᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴅᴇᴠɪᴄᴇ. ʙᴀᴅ ʟᴜᴄᴋ ᴏʀ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ. ᴏʀ ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ᴀ ʀᴇꜱᴜʟᴛ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴜɴꜰᴏʀᴛᴜɴᴀᴛᴇ ᴘᴏꜱɪᴛɪᴏɴɪɴɢ. ɴᴏᴛ ꜱᴜʀᴇ. ᴠᴇʀʏ ɪɴᴄᴏɴᴠᴇɴɪᴇɴᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ. Qᴜɪᴛᴇ ᴛᴇʀʀɪʙʟᴇ. ɴᴏᴛ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɪꜱꜱᴜᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ ɢᴇᴛ ɪɴ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴀʏ."`*

*`"ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴀʏ, ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴛʏ ɪꜱ. ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ᴏʀ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ. ᴍᴀᴋᴇꜱ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴄᴏɴᴠᴇɴɪᴇɴᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍᴇ. ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴛᴜʀɴ ɪᴛ ᴏɴ ᴛᴏᴏ ᴇᴀʀʟʏ. ᴇꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ꜰʟᴏᴏʀ, ʀɪɢʜᴛ. ʙᴀᴅ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍ. ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ꜱᴇɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴘᴜᴛʀɪᴅ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ. ᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋɪʟʟꜱ ʏᴏᴜ."`*

—So he spoke, quickly explaining, before tossing the device over to Gaige. Standing back up from his crouch, the man pauses.
_ _

*`"ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴀʏ, ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ɪɴ. ʟᴇᴛ'ꜱ ꜱᴇᴇ ɴᴏᴡ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀʟᴋ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ. ᴍᴇ, ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ꜱᴏᴜɴᴅꜱ. ʏᴏᴜ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴘʟᴇɴᴛʏ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴏᴜɴᴅ. ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴘɪᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ᴛʀɪᴄᴋꜱ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴅ ɢᴇᴛ ᴄᴀᴜɢʜᴛ. ᴠᴇʀʏ ɪɴᴄᴏɴᴠᴇɴɪᴇɴᴛ. ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ. ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴘʟᴀɴꜱ ᴀɴʏᴡᴀʏ."`*

***`SSSSSSP`***

Looping back around the chair and table, he slowly steps past Gaige, approaching the entrance-flap of the tent. He halts, just before exiting, turning over his shoulder to see Gaige:

*`"ᴘᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴏᴏᴅ ᴜᴘ. ɪ'ᴠᴇ ɢᴏᴛ ᴀ ʀᴇᴀʟ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴘʟᴀɴ. ʟɪᴋᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴏʟᴅɪᴇʀꜱ ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ. ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ ʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ɴᴏɪꜱᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴡᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ."`*

...So he speaks, as he...

...Kneels to the ground, crouching close to the ground, with his back facing Gaige,

*`"ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɴ ɢᴇᴛ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ʙᴀᴄᴋ. ɪ'ʟʟ ʀᴜɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀᴛᴇ. ʀᴇᴀʟ ꜱᴡɪꜰᴛ. ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ꜱᴇᴇɴ. ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴏᴏᴅ ᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏʟᴅ ᴏɴ. ᴡᴇ'ʟʟ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴠᴇʀʏ Qᴜɪᴄᴋ. ɴᴏ ꜱᴛᴏᴘꜱ."`*
Samantha
Gaige had no intentions of working alongside any of the mercenaries in this corporate shill of a mission, but this stranger specifically stood out as a powerful ally to have to him. He gave a warm smile as the two shook hands, stepping out of his way as he walked back to the table. He watched as the masked man flipped through pages in the book, curious as to what that book was, but for now there were more important matters at hand. 

He waited patiently as the stranger seemingly was searching for something. `Ah—I never got his name. Did he not hear me maybe?` Gaige opened his mouth to ask for his name again, but upon seeing the strange device, he swapped his focus. He went back to silence, allowing the stranger to explain the nature of the device. "So, I use this to get in?" Gaige inquired, watching as the man tinkered with the device. Of course, his question was promptly given an answer—an unexpected answer albeit.

It appeared as though his hatred of contracts proved valid again. `Reduced survival rates due to unfortunate positioning...? If that's true, what does this corporation hope to gain out of that?` He pondered this question before his train of thought was interrupted by the stranger continuing. "Sure, sure. I suppose the time to use it will become clear at some point." He caught the device, examining it front and back. Eventually, he slung it around himself from under his cloak.

_ _
Gaige adjusts his cloak as the stranger moves past him, fixing its alignment. He swaps his focus to the masked man as he began to speak. "My hood...? Not walking...? The hell are you talking about? Don't tell me you can make me fly," He chuckled to himself, "I said I would trust you though, so let's see what you've hatched up." He reached behind his bowed head, pulling his hood up. Gaige's expression swiftly becomes one of utter confusion as the stranger kneels down.

"You're shitting me." He took a deep breath, "Ahh, fuck it." He approached the knelt down man, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and hopping on his back. `What a damn plan...` Gaige thought to himself as he readied himself for the stranger to begin moving.
George
*`"ɴᴏᴛ ꜰʟɪɢʜᴛ. ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴛᴏʟᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍʏ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴ ɪꜱ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀɴ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀʟ'ꜱ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴ'ꜱ, ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ. ᴄᴀʟʟᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴀ ᴛʏᴘᴇ ᴏꜰ ʙᴇᴀꜱᴛ. ᴡᴀꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇʟʏ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ."`*

—he responded to Gaige's joking comment, without a hint of insincerity. It seemed he took him rather seriously, and, judging by how he's responded to earlier interactions, suggested that the man took most things literally. In all truth, he wasn't quite familiar with social cues; he was more suited to fighting and planning, rather than coordinating and communicating. Something as little as that would serve as little impediment for Gaige, however — a reliable ally he seemed, and, if he continued to act as such, he would certainly be a valuable asset for Gaige's expedition in the Vektet.

*`"ᴠᴇʀʏ ɢᴏᴏᴅ. ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴍᴜꜱᴛ ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ʀᴜɴ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴠᴇɪɴꜱ, ʜᴇʀᴏ. ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏᴏ ʟɪɢʜᴛ. ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏᴏ ʜᴇᴀᴠʏ. ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴄᴏɴᴠᴇɴɪᴇɴᴛ. ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴄʟɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴀʟʟꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ."`*

He gave a nod as Gaige got on his back, slowly standing up, getting his bearings and assessing just how much Gaige would weigh him down. Lowering his posture, then rising again, it seemed he had come to a conclusion, becoming familiar enough with his balance to actually perform the feat that he declared he'd perform.

*`CLIC. CLIC. CLIC. PSK.`*

The man reached to his gasmask, twisting on one of the two air-canisters with a moderate margin of force. It clicked three times, before hissing with the noise of pressurized air.

*`CLIC. CLIC. CLIC. PSK.`*

Repeated, the second canister hisses likewise, and the man's muscles seem to firm. His posture straightens, and he takes a deep breath...

***`Hhhh...`***
***`aaaa...`***

*`"Fresh air. Very pungent. Almost noxious. Doesn't matter. Won't be smelling it too long anyway. Just need all my senses to get this done. Only for a little while."`*
_ _

The aura of his voice shifted now that the canisters were loosened, his speech less muffled by the mask. 

Cautiously, he places his ear to the exit of the tent, listening intently. *`Footsteps. Footsteps. More footsteps. Footsteps here. There. Mm. Smells like they're moving away. Turned away, even.`*

*`"Very convenient. Time to go."`*

His boot noiselessly gritted against the ground below him—

—and in a flash, the *Scene shifted.*






The air was like a turbulent vortex, whizzing past the two as the man burst into sprint, his posture low-to-the-ground in an extreme hunch. Each step utilized the man's stature to the utmost of its ability, sending him thrusting forth in spurts of explosive speed that nigh-made him impossible to follow. Combined with such incredible speed was incredible precision — twisting, turning, shifting his balance with ease, he weaved behind and around tents within the perimeter-encampment, each motion coming with only the sound of the subtle, whistling wind behind him. He expertly and instinctively weaved past the sightlines of the dozens of on-site staff, his footwork blurring to haze as he approached closer and closer to the *Vektet.*

***`hhhhaaaaaaa...`***

Without so much as kicking up a cloud of dust, he had already slipped through the encampment in an imperceptible flicker of motion, arriving at the base of the *Vektet* At such an angle that he and Gaige remained barely out of the main group's line of sight. Through his gas-mask, he stared at the smooth exterior growing closer and closer, hammering his feet into the ground, bringing the two to a skidding stop. Briefly, he seemed to deliberate, analyzing for just a moment...
_ _

*`Time to go up.`*

...Then, he coiled his legs, crouching down, **Exploding into an upwards jump that cleared well over 5 meters of air.** As they reached the summit of the jump, he swung his gloved right hand towards the *Vektet's* Surface, his fingers slamming into small, barely perceptible microfissures within its metallic structure, and he gripped it with all his might. One-handed, he supported the two's weight for several seconds, dangling mid-air.

*`"Relevant question. How far can you fall? In heights. My heights. Three of my heights? Or more? Reality is, I'm gonna drop you from the ceiling of the gate. Might hurt some. But it'll get you in. Real convenient like."`*

—As he spoke, he hastily swung his left hand towards the surface of the *Vektet,* Grasping its microfissures likewise with extreme gripforces. He places one of his boots against the metallic exterior, and **Begins to effortlessly crawl across the smooth surface of the Vektet, all-the-while hoisting Gaige over his back.** He climbs up, and up, and up, leaving them well-over ten meters off the ground, as he then swaps directions, climbing horizontally across its surface. *What a plan.*

The two now find themselves directly over the slipshod-constructed door blocking the 'emergency exit' of the Vektet. Without wasting a precious moment that might cause them to be seen, the man thrusts his bodyweight through a small opening at the very top of the blockade, allowing himself to freefall for half a moment, before grasping the ledge of that very opening, leaving him and Gaige suspended in a hang.

The interior of the gate was dark, yet, if Gaige were to look closely, the **Drop beneath him was about ten meters.**

*`"Down there's the gate portal. You let go of my back, you fall. You drop on the gate portal. It sends you into the Vektet. Very simple. Might hurt. Just take the drop. A warrior should live it no problem."`*
Samantha
With the immense amount of mechanical clicking and the man's deep breaths, Gaige attempted to inquire about his safety, but was suddenly met with `"Time to go."` He increased his grip greatly, taking one last deep breath before the two took off in a torrential windfall of speed. Though... It wasn't like before; he could still perceive what was happening and make out the faces of the mercenaries, but they were incapable of noticing the stranger's presence.

With the sudden stop, Gaige examined the wall of the Vektet. `No way he's about to climb that, right?` The hero thought in disbelief of the mercenary's abilities. How wrong he was. Before he knew it, the masked man was scaling the Vektet with ease—not to mention his incredible vertical jump. Gaige clung on tight as the man scaled the superstructure. "Uh—I'll figure that out when we get there." He gave an equivocal response to the man's question." In truth, he was hoping he'd have more time to prepare for the drop, but they were already on the other side of the gate moments after he answered the stranger's question. Gaige had barely been able to keep his grip as the man violently clung to the door out of a freefall, but he withstood.

"Hold on now man, you seem to have been inside this place before with all you know. Mind answering a couple questions before I drop down? Or before my grip gives out?" Even now, the hero still found opportunities for lighthearted jokes. "First of all, what are some general things I should know about this floor? You've gotta at least know what I should avoid. And on a more important note, you don't seem to be planning on tagging along; any reason why? You and I are strong like you said. I don't see how something could stop the two of us inside here." He questioned, waiting for the man to grant him answers to his questions whilst dangling from the gate door.
George
The man initially didn't give a response to Gaige as he questioned, instead blankly hanging to the wall without even so much as flinching. He, honestly, expected for Gaige to simply let go and drop down to the bottom, without hesitation. Defying his expectations, however, not everyone in this world thinks exactly like him. Some warriors are more cautious than others, and some have questions about the battles that they'll soon fight...

*`"Hm. Didn't expect that. A hero asking questions. Not what I'm used to seeing. The heroes I knew never thought. Only fought. Ran villains down. Cut them in half. Tore them to shreds. Very violent. Highly efficient though."`*

He remarked, lingering in thought. Then, he had to actually process the contents of the questions, themselves. Quite troublesome, honestly. 

He wouldn't complain, though. Maybe this was a needed change in the characters of heroes. Maybe, these characteristics were the result of a better upbringing, in this society. The world he came from was all so different...
_ _

*`"Hm. Thinking. Remembering. Tips for the first floor. One."`*

*`"One, yes. First thing I remember, don't eat the blue root. Real bad for your health. Tears your throat up, then starts growing in your belly. Not viable sustenance. Don't eat anything in there, really. Maybe some meat. If you cook it. And make sure it don't have any parasites. Think there are some animals in there. Strange things though, shouldn't really rely on them for food. Not sure how you survive in there. Probably wasn't meant to in the first place."`*

Another pause, as he seemed to be racking his brain...
_ _

*`"Yeah, two. Sky's green. And it's fake. Place is like a cave. Looks like an infinite sky, but it has a ceiling. And it ends just behind the tower that leads to the surface. Don't know how it works, you can figure that out yourself. I never paid any real attention. There's another tower, too. Think that's the place you're supposed to go. Approached it and approached it. Nothing stopped me, because nothing could. Then I felt something uncomfortable roll down my spine. Then I turned around. Never doubted my instinct once, it's bad for my health."`*

*`"And three, huh. Guards of that place are like knights. Soldier-types, the one's I'm familiar with. Use swords and spears and all that nasty sort. I knocked a few unconscious, wasn't too hard. Don't get hit by them, I guess."`*

...Those were, really, all the tips he had to offer. In all honesty, during the time he was in the first floor of the Vektet, he learned little.




As Gaige questioned why he wouldn't come along, he gave a low grumble, murmuring to himself briefly, before responding:

*` "That first floor just isn't the place for someone like me. Guards there are intelligent, those soldier type. Very unnerving. I'm not at all fond of hunting people. Especially not warriors, warriors like me. Animals are different. Monsters are different. They don't have pasts like me. No strength built up, no character. So I hunt them down without hesitation. Those soldiers are a different story though. Plunging from the darkness to break the neck of a strong warrior like me just isn't a good feeling. Not at all fulfilling. But there's just too many to take all of 'em head-on. They're the tricky type, too. Know all sorts of nasty stuff with those swords. Very inconvenient. Me, I don't use weapons. Them, though, they trap you and keep you at a distance, slice you up."`*
Samantha
He stared at the man, confused at his silence, "You still there?" Gaige inquired of the stranger, the man now speaking. Gaige pulled himself up a slight bit to get a better grip, "Thinking's a pretty useful trait if you're good at it. A good plan can win battles otherwise unwinnable." Gaige provided the man with insight into his thought process in combat; he then silenced himself, making sure to memorize every tip given by the stranger.

`Blue roots bad... Don't eat blue roots. Go for meat if you're hungry—don't forget to cook it though. Rid it of parasites too...` he repeated the first tip in his head. Even the slightest bit of poison can take down the strongest warrior. This wouldn't be a tip to forget by any means. 

The next tip was harder for Gaige to grasp, but eventually he understood. `Sky's fake... Maybe could use a ceiling to my advantage in that case. Two towers, one that leads to the surface and one that is likely the way forward. And... Something capable of putting this guy on alert. Scary.` 

He kept his ears open for the final tip, deciding to handle whatever alarmed the stranger when the time came. `Swords, spears, and other close quarter weapons. Shouldn't be an issue with open space.` He locked all this newly acquired information within his mind, giving the stranger a nod. "This is all valuable intel to know. Thanks, gas-mask guy." The cloaked man thanked the stranger; he began to listen in as the man answered his second question.

_ _
Gaige pondered the masked man's response for a moment, "Humm, can't say I understand your way of thinking... But we've all got our own individual traits. I've got an idea then." He let go with his right arm, moving his cloak aside to reveal the Varet, "You said this little machine here is some sort of tether, right? I assume it connects to the entrance of the Vektet as well, yeah? So why don't I get through the first floor alone... And then use it to get you onto the second floor with me?" He offered an idea that would allow the masked man to completely skip over the first floor, nullifying his reason for not tagging along. He waited for a response from the man, hoping he would accept to it if his assumptions about the Varet were true.