"Great. What is it with you wind elementals? You seem to be everywhere. Maybe it's the sea air, I don't know." Anastasia wrapped around her leg and gave a worried meow. "It'll be alright. It will have to be," she sighed. They were almost there. "Sorry about just springing that, but I felt wasting time would, well, waste time. Anyway, I'm tired of a desk job." As the door opened, a gust of air pushed them all back.

"What are you doing here?" Gray looked down and saw the dead bellhop. "So it was you. We were wondering when the traitor would reveal themselves." A stream of fire flew at him, but he simply waved his finger in a, "No, no, no," gesture. "You need three things for fire. Fuel, heat and oxygen. And I control the oxygen in here." Tati and Gray fought each other, her trying to surprise him and him dispersing each flame she made. "If I wanted, I could pull the air right from your lungs and let you suffocate until you passed out. Then the real fun would start." They kept this going, back up towards the opposite wall as Jack ran to the elevator.

Jack slid into the elevator. "You're the guy I passed. What are you doing here?" He watched the Tati and Gray back and forth. Gray was smiling. He had something planned. Jack looked back at the bellhop. If these guys are Vircid, or whatever he said, I can't trust them. Already I know they killed a guy. But how do I know anything he said was true?

Gray and Tati came to the back wall. "You've been toying with me. Why not hurry this along?"

Gray smiled. "There is an impressionable young man back there that it looks like I'm not the only one who's seen his potential. I imagine if I killed someone right in front of him, he wouldn't take to kindly to that. But as you can see, you've got me with my back to the wall and a dead body in your wake. I don't see any way for him to trust you. You can have him, for now. But he'll work for us sooner or later. I've already won him. Now...!"

"Oh, shut up! Are you really going to monologue?" Tati cut him off and Gray's face looked quite annoyed. She tried to surprise him with another attack, him blocking her flame again as she came in with a knife. He blasted her across the room into a mercury puzzle, causing it to shatter and spill everywhere.

"Well, son, I'm here for you. Sorry I wasn't at the apartment, got tired of waiting. Now." Theodore pulls the pistol out from his coat, stepping out of the elevator. "Try as you may, the rounds fired from this gun will not yield to wind. Try and empty my lungs, and I'll fill them again." Theodore walks slowly to Tati, his aim locked onto Gray's chest. As he stands over her, he drops his aim and fires two shots, one at each leg in quick succession. Theodore knew he would not be able to kill this man. He had much more skill. Theodore gets Tati out of the mercury, trying to prevent poisoning, and gets her to the elevator. Theodore tosses the bellhop's body out. In desperation, he slams the "Close Door" button.

The door didn't close.

"Damn it! Come on!" Theodore depresses the button countless times, hoping the doors close before Gray comes after them.

Gray fell to the ground, caught off guard. "I know you're face now. I'll find you." He began to pull himself up as Theo jammed on the close button. Tati groaned as she was helped up and stagger-ran back to the elevator. They all huddled up there together as Gray approached. Why isn't it working? That thought, or something similar went through the minds of all three of them.

Tati grabbed the key the bellhop had. "Maybe?" She used the key, still nothing happened. Gray approached closer and closer. "Fuck it." Tati put her hand on the entrance and shot flames under the car with enough pressure to send it grinding up far enough to keep them away from Gray, but it also smashed Tati's fingers between the car and the door. She let out a horrible scream as her fingers snapped and bent in ways they were never meant to.

"Dear Lord, are you alright? Help me get her out of there." Jack jumped up knocked Theo's arm as he did, motioning to help. "Grab something. If we can get something to find leverage between the wall and the elevator, we might be able to work it free." Theo looked for something, anything in the elevator that he could possibly use as Jack knelt down next to Tati. "Are you alright? If we stay calm, we can get you free. You'll be alright." He'd been talked down a couple of times during the war and saw it done to others, but he wasn't sure if his voice was really steady enough to make it convincing.

Tatiana's voice was shaky and filled with pain as she choked back her body's response. "I'll heal if we get me out get me get... Sorry. I'll heal if you get me out of here. Though I don't think I'll be writing anything for a while." She smiled as tears rolled down her cheek. Jack looked back at Theo, who was shoving up the hatch on top of the elevator car and looked to see if there was anything up there. "If push comes to shove, look at me." Jack turned back. "If push comes to shove, the two of you get out of here. No, scratch that. Push comes to shove, we all get out but I'm missing a few digits. If we can't do that then you and Theodore get out of here. Vircid needs everyone it can get."

Jack looked back at Theo who jumped back in, shaking his head. "Fine." He shot himself up and grabbed the fire extinguisher. "I saw this in a movie once. Let's hope it works." He smashed the control panel until he was able to pry it off. "Alright," he commanded as he pulled it loose of the wires, "I'll get whatever leverage I can with this, probably not a lot. You go up top, see if you can give us a push from up there. You, be ready for whatever happens."

As Jack went to jam the panel into the space, the elevator jumped with a rush of air and another scream from Tati. Gray was tired of waiting and started trying to push the elevator up. "HURRY!" Theo jumped on top and started trying to use his power to push them down. It was harder since there was a lot more space up there than down beneath them and the pressure couldn't build up to help him. Jack jammed the control panel down as far as he could, but it just seemed to bend and move more than the elevator did. "Come on come on com'on..." He concentrated on pushing the elevator down, trying to work the metal down as Anastasia paced and yowled, staring at Tati. Another push up from Gray reversed any progress they made. Jack kept trying with Theo pushing it down slowly, the built in security brakes fighting them all the way. Jack let out a frustrated grunt and a gust of wind knocked Theo down and the elevator dropped enough to free Tati.

Jack picked up Tati and Another gust from Gray pushed them back up. "We can make it. THEODORE! Help her up!" Theo helped Tati up on top of the elevator as it jumped again. Jack jumped and caught the hatch to pull himself up. As he went to pull up, he felt claws sink into his legs and Anastasia ran up his legs, back and jumped off his head on top of the elevator. "You go first, I'll carry her." Jack dropped his pack on the elevator roof, "Not much of worth in there anyway," and carried Tati on his back with Anastasia nervously trying to lay/sit between Tati's and Jack's shoulder, often digging a claw in here and there. "Hold tight, as much as you can." Her fingers were obviously broken and bleeding. Anytime they moved she she let out a little pained gasp. The two of them climbed the ladder until Tati told them to stop. "Now, how do we open the door and get out of here?"

Airesmee stopped walking and wondered maybe if she should turn back and stay with the others who got letters, to assure them this was all for real. She turns and notices a few people crowding a building and as she looks closer she realizes its that building. She quickly begins to make her way back there hoping she won't seem like a nut if she tells them that they really should to wait for Theo to come back, which only lord knows when he will be back. She put on a nice smile as she approached them, two males and a female. "Um...hello...just asking are you possibly the others who have received a very odd letter...?" She speaks just loud enough for them to hear as she notices there is a dog with the group also.

Airesmee stopped walking and wondered maybe if she should turn back and stay with the others who got letters, to assure them this was all for real. She turns and notices a few people crowding a building and as she looks closer she realizes its that building. She quickly begins to make her way back there hoping she won't seem like a nut if she tells them that they really should to wait for Theo to come back, which only lord knows when he will be back. She put on a nice smile as she approached them, two males and a female. "Um...hello...just asking are you possibly the others who have received a very odd letter...?" She speaks just loud enough for them to hear as she notices there is a dog with the group also.

Elliott glanced at the newcomer and nodded, only tacking on a smile as an afterthought. "Yes, these two are. I'm from the network… was sent down to maintain a presence here until Theodore gets back. We were just going to go get something to eat while we wait for him. I take it you and he already spoke?" she asked, giving the girl a closer look. "Were you with him when he… became detained?" she added, editing her sentence partway through. It seemed a little startling to announce that Theodore was off trying to apprehend a possible threat. She didn't want these possible new recruits to think the network was all danger all the time, though sometimes it seemed that way. She didn't realize she'd begun to absentmindedly scratch behind the dog's ears after getting its master's permission to do so.

It had taken some convincing, some money, and some disappointment, but she was able to make it out of town. She didn't stop much at all except to fill up the motorcycle and her belly. It had taken her less time then she thought, then again when she gets to thinking she pays no mind to the speed.

Once in Maine, she stopped to look for the address as stated on the note. A couple hours later and she made it to the destination. Turning the bike off and tossing down the kickstand with her foot, she made way up the stairs. She could hear talking and smell an animal, but she continued her walk. Once turning the corner, she noticed there was a small group of people talking about someone being detained and a dog being pet by one of the females. Left brow rose in curiosity. Despite the danger this situation could prove she simply stayed about 15 feet from the group, watching them. A couple times she looked over her shoulder;always aware of her surroundings. Never once did she speak, but she sure did listen. She decided to lean against the wall, keeping her stance calm, but her muscles ready if needed at a moments notice.

"There's an emergency switch in these elevators nowadays." Theodore says with an effort. This was certainly messing with his schedule, and now there was a Signet agent with all the information he needed to expose The Vircid completely. Theodore paws at a panel to the side of the door, and flips it open, revealing a red button. He presses it, and the doors slide open. Theo pulls himself into the hall. "I did some field work early in my career with the Vircid. Lots of elevator shaft scaling." Theo explains as he holds out a hand to pull the two up. He wanted to get Tati back to base, so things could get sorted out. There was still the matter of the rest of the recruits, and he wondered if base sent anyone out to meet them.

After a while, a woman with a mohawk approached the two men. I watched them talk with her, and I strained my ears to listen. So this isn't a load of bull... . I then blinked, and looked up realizing that I still had my hood on. "Geez, I must look like a mugger..." With a huff of air, I pulled my hood down, letting my hair down, and it flowed over my shoulders and my eyes. My purple eyes gleamed as I looked over at the other people.

Taking in a deep breath, and walked over to the other people. "Hi. I... I got an invitation too." I dug into my pocket, and pulled out the letter to show the woman with the mohawk.

She blinked as the woman approached her and whispered quietly about Theo."He was detained...? How? Last I saw him we were going to some base and then he said he had to follow this guy, he gave me the chance to go with him but I didn't want to hinder him. So he began following the guy after that I couldn't find him. Is he alright?" She frowned softly. She scanned the people again momentarily watching as the other female lowered her hood.

Tati, Anastasia and Jack climbed up into the lobby. People were staring and whispering. No one was at the desk, which Tati considered was luck. She held her hands, which were slowly bleeding onto the floor, close to her body. Jack looked around, seeing a Bellhop coming through a door near the rear of the lobby. "Let's hurry. Theodore, where should go?" He put his arm around Tati's shoulder and began walking with her to the door, Anastasia trying to keep up. "Where do we go? We need to get her hands fixed up and get out of danger."

Theodore ignores the stares. They would have worse problems soon enough. "Take her to the base. Here's the location." Theodore gives Jack a paper with directions to the cave on it. "Someone will take care of her there. I have to go deal with the recruits." Theodore exits the hotel promptly. He flips on his comm. "Base. This is Theo, and we now have a huge ass problem. The undercover agent in Signet has been discovered, as well as myself. Signet sent an agent that was far superior to either of us, and I could only damage his legs. Prepare yourselves, kiddos." Theodore switches off his comm, and works his way back to the recruiting station, completely composed. "Hello, all of you. Welcome. If you'll please come with us." Theodore motions to Elliott and walks up beside her. "Thanks for covering. It's not exactly good news, but you'll hear about it at base." He whispers to her, then sets off towards the base.

Jack and Tati slowly worked their way to the address without attracting much attention. It's not hard to blend in when people aren't looking. The walk was quiet. If they were being followed, they didn't make themselves known. Before long, Anastasia became annoyed that she had to walk on her own instead of being carried like she's used to. Finally, they made it to the cave. "Well, that's not what I expected," exclaimed Jack.

Evelyn watched as more people gathered around the group. She became a little uncomfortable with the growing numbers, but made no physical suggestions of such a feeling. When a man came in and demanded where they were to go and that now was the only option, she huffed at the demanding tone. Despite such, she followed the male and the other female whom also seemed in control.

Eyes darted between everyone whom was around her. Taking in as much information as she could about each. How they held their stride, where their eyes wandered, their facial features, and the way they spoke all told her something about them. Each person had a past and she intended to gather this information to determine who they were and how to react around them. In general she planned on not interacting with any of them, but she knew how unrealistic that ideal was.

A hand rose and swiped a small bunch of hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. Whether by her motorcycle or by foot, she followed the male with uncertainty. She figured all times were times to be careful. She still had no further information on how real or unreal this situation was and she didn't plan on letting her guard down until she understood everything happening. Only time would cure that, though she highly doubted that point would ever be reached.

Harold stood, somewhat confused as more people popped up, seemingly from nowhere. The only one he had been expecting was the hooded girl. Too much was going on at once, Donatello started getting excited with so many people around. The dog went to jump on someone playfully, but Harold, kept a good hold on the leash. He didn't want anyone getting hurt by accident, as he played rough with Don.

When Theodore actually showed up, things seemed to settle down a bit. He came off as a strong leader. After his suggestion to follow, Harold shrugged and sighed. Maybe things will be better explained when we get where we're going, he thought. He followed near the back of the group, trying to size up everyone who was there.

After a few moments, the group arrives at the mouth of an imposing cave. Theodore turns to the group. " Once again, Welcome, all of you, to the base of The Vircid. Normally, we'd take care of things back at the apartment, but recent events have decided otherwise. If you wish to turn around and go, now is the time. But I assure you once again, nothing in that letter is a joke. It's true, down to the last period." Theodore says, addressing them. He really didn't want to bring them straight to base, but they had no choice. The guards down the tunnel would relay their arrival, and Theodore would be chewed out. Wonderful. Theodore motioned for everyone, including Tati and Jack, to come inside.

Evelyn followed quietly behind the group. Eyes continued to watch everyone as they reached the base. When they arrived, she carefully listened to Theodore. Despite his words she was still unsure of the whole situation. Since she had gone this far all she wanted to do was go inside of the base. A quick look around the base would help her decide what exactly she was going to do. Even though she was here with the group and responded to the letter, she still had not decided if she was going to follow through. The situations she had been in in her past had always given her something to use in the present. Her right hand slowly packed her right thigh, for some reason making sure she still had at least one weapon on her person. She was more than curious of the situation Theodore spoke about. She had not been updated on anything so far, but she wanted to become involved. If it involved using her skills it was something she would gladly do. Now at the door of the cave, she examined the area. As she looked around she began keeping a mental note of how to get there and what the place looked like. If anything were to happen, she would know exactly where to go to solve any issues. She suspected there would not be, but she would rather be safe than sorry.

More people slowly gathered, and one man seemed to carry an air of authority with him. He must be the one in charge... I nodded in agreement to myself. "Hello, all of you. Welcome. If you'll please come with us." He said to the group, in a rather bossy manner. I crossed my arms across my chest. Damn, I'm hating this already... With a huffing breath, I listened to him tell us that this was not a joke. I walked near the back of the group, not really paying attention to what anyone was saying. Following the leader of the group, we entered the base. My eyes wandered, inspecting everything trying to memorize what I can.

Very soon after Jack and Tati got there, Theo and a rather sizable group of people came. Theo instructed them in, which they were happy to oblige with. Jack handed Tati off to some people that said they could help her. They bandaged up her hands, but they said that it would be about 4-6 weeks before she would be healed. They splinted her fingers and gave her antibiotics for the cuts, but she was still in a lot of pain and laid down for a rest to try to sleep away the initial effects, Anastasia sleeping on her stomach.

Jack looked around and noticed a woman with long dark hair and a couple of large bags tap her leg as if checking for something. He thought that maybe she just had an itch or something, but he'd seen people store weapons along their legs before and wondered. He walked into the cave and let some people who could help her take Tati away. The place was much more than he'd expected it to be and it felt a little overwhelming. He still didn't know if he should even trust these people or not. They certainly seemed organized enough to be some weird army. They had reached out to him, but that didn't mean anything. The man from the other group had come to him first, but why should he trust him any more than these people or vice versus?

He went over and found a place to sit. He needed to wrap his head around everything. He'd seen someone dead in the elevator. Most likely, either the guy or girl had killed him, but he had no clue as to which or why. It didn't seem like it would be a particularly good idea to go and ask, "Alright, now, why should I trust you? Why might one of you kill a guy? Why are you fighting each other? Are you really trying to kill the planet? If I don't know if I can trust you, how I can I know if any of these answers are true?" No, that certainly wouldn't work. He had to make a judgment call eventually. More information, that's what he needed. The only thing he could think to do was listen, talk to people if the opportunity arose. He turned where he was sitting to look and see that Tati had decided to lay down and Anastasia was sleeping on her stomach. But just beyond her he saw what appeared to be a large number of syringes being prepared with an odd fluid in them.

Theo, after the group had gotten in, turns to his followers. "Someone other than I will have to show you around. I have to go be in trouble and such. See ya later. Well, if you stay." Theodore waves, then walks off down the corridor. The expression on his face was one of pure loathing. He was about to be chewed out for basically exposing the entire organization. He stands in front of a glass door, and steps inside. "I know you want to see me, Sir..." Theodore says, exasperatedly. The office was dark, but lights in the floor and walls illuminated the room slightly, at least enough to see the mahogany desk and it's occupant. A rough, tall, muscled man turns around in his chair. "Theo. I was hoping you could be more discreet. Looks like I was wrong." The man says in a somewhat sad tone. Theo knew better.

The leader of The Vircid, Frederick V. Stalhiem was a master of delusion. He could portray any emotion he pleased, and you'd go along with it, not knowing any better. Because if you did notice, you'd be dead in an instant. He was a powerful Earth elemental after all. The man was a beast, but his only rage was directed at Signet. While Theodore supported the Vircid completely, he did not care for it's leader. But still, orders were orders.

"You do realize that your face is known by Signet now, correct?" Frederick says, standing up and preparing to pace the room. "Yes sir, I understand that. If I could have stopped the bastard, I would have. But I wasn't even close to his level. I'm a recruitment officer, not one of the foot soldiers." Theodore replies, a chill in his tone. Frederick turns to him. "Well, besides all that, which I'm pretty sure could have been prevented, we need to do something about you." Frederick's expression turns to one of playful thought. Sadistic, really. "We could kill you, mangle your face, give you painful surgery..." He rattles off.

Theodore was realizing why he didn't like Stalhiem. He was a fucking psycho. This whole organization was founded on his little grudge, and now it's something he didn't intend. Nonetheless, he was enjoying it. All the power, all the underlings. Theodore hated it, and that's why he was glad the recruits weren't going to meet him anytime soon. "Look, Stalhiem, I have business to attend to, so either get with slapping my wrist or let me go fix my mistake." Theodore says impatiently. Frederick looks at Theodore for a moment, questioning why one of his dogs was barking at him. He shakes his head. "Fine, go. Get out of here." He says dismissively. Theodore walks out of the room, and to his quarters, a simple room with good bedding and amenities. He needed to unwind. Someone else could take care of the newbies...