Mirror's Edge: Band of Runners IC

[Aufeis]

"You play the little pissy card then!" Jules yelled, her anger escalating at Cal's remark, "Boohoo, your family moved away. At least you know they're still alive! I have no-one left. My parents died in the November protests, and my brother, and you people's friend I might add, DIED IN MY FUCKING ARMS! You think I don't want someone to pay for that?! You think I don't wake up every day, wishing I knew who exactly it was that put the bullets in his chest?! We've all lost someone close to us for what we do, but you don't see the rest of us running around threatening to blow whoever is responsible to hell and back. What good is bombing an entire building? Aside from the repercussions it would have on us as Runners, think of all the innocent people that would be either hurt or killed in an explosion of an entire building. Then there would be tens of hundreds of people just like you, wanting to blow us up! Is that what you want? To create that much more death, sorrow, and grief? How smart is that? Think about this. You'll get your revenge, but you need to do it with tact and some actual thinking involved. Wouldn't you like to stare the bastard in the eyes as you kill him? Because trust me, I ever find out who killed El and there won't be anywhere far enough from me to hide." She had never been this mad at any of the Runners before, but the stress of the situation, along with the grief and pain seated in her heart fueled her anger. Whether or not Cal could still hear her was not relevant, she just needed to vent, and he had posed the perfect outlet. She would apologize later, but now that the anger was gone, all that was left was pain, grief, and sadness. She sat down on a couch and put her face in her hands, drawing in a shaky breath as she tried to calm herself.

[Draruto]

'And to be honest, I barely know anyone here. Even after two years.' he thought as glanced Jules, the thought flashed in his eyes. Looking , he closed hios eyes and grimces

[AlWayZFrE3]

Takuya's eyes opened slowly, and he listened to the argument with solemn thoughts. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he sat up, knelt, and said, in a clear, commanding voice, "Send me with a bomb. I'll go in, detonate it, scream alibaba or something. They won't know it was me, i promise. But i want to know where that bastard Lance is. He's got to be close to the center. I'll walk right up to him, say my bit, and blow the whole thing. It's the least i can do for Sky."
Then he turned to Cal, "And you, shut the fuck up about losing people because they moved. My brother just died, and i couldnt do a damn thing about it. Unless you come close, be quiet."
Now facing everyone again, "If this heals wrong, i'll never be able to run again anyway. Let me do this, i feel like i need to."

[Aufeis]

Jules shook her head, her voice remaining matter of fact, but her face was morbid, "One, we don't even have a bomb like that. Other than the concussion bombs and the EMP's, we don't have anything "explosive". Second, what would killing yourself do? Would it bring him back? How would it honor Sky's memory? He would have wanted you to live, just like he wanted us to live. That was his sacrifice. Yours is an act of selfishness and revenge, nothing more. Trust me, I know the pain of having a brother killed, I really do, and I honestly wish I could wring the neck of the son of a bitch who killed him, but killing myself would just be like spitting on my brother's memory. Even if you can't run, there are other things you can do with your life. Now, let's just all get off the topic of bombs, alright? Nobody is bombing anything."

[papolatte]

Alex stood up with a look of worry in his eyes. They were serious about blowing up a building, and if everyone was convinced to do it, then the team would probably follow through with the terrible plan.

"Bomb? No way. I didn't become a Runner to hurt people. Think of all the innocents that might be in there!" He made a point to look at those who were for bombing the Blue's headquarters. "Plus, what makes you think all Blues are bad? Some are just doing their job." Alex knew he didn't have to mention Faith's sister, they all knew that she had been a Blue.

Alex glanced at Galen and Faith, hoping they'd step in with a different plan. There were always other methods. Some might be a bit more unorthodox, but murder wasn't something he was willing to be a part of. Even if it was to stop these so called Project Icarus freaks. Alex quickly analyzed the situation and started speaking of a plan, as he thought it up.

"Look, I... can speak to my dad. If I ask him... tell him really, that we'd, well that is, my class, would like him to see if he can get us into the Blue's HQ, he can do it. I can tell him it's for a group project or something, like hands-on learning." Alex took a deep breath. He knew it would be much harder to convince his father in person, but he also knew he could. "He can get us in, without us having to break in... though, it would be daylight, most likely, and we'd have to act like normal civilians, not like Runners, no red clothes or anything. And then also, we'd have to not be caught doing what we shouldn't be doing. It'd be more in the opening, but we'd be able to get in. Anyone that'd be recognized though, would have to help in a different way though."

Alex looked steadily at each of the Runners. His plan, made up on the spot, was as risky as any other idea, but besides bombing the place, no one else was saying much. He forced back the thought that if anyone was caught, it would hurt his father, and himself in particularly. He had never been in the Blue's HQ, but he was sure that they would understand the idea of showing around future "prospective" employees from college. One way or another, that was the best idea he could think of.

[AlWayZFrE3]

Takuya listened to the new plan intently, "That sounds a bit better. One of the things Sky and me used to do was free run indoors, so movement shouldnt be a problem. And...about Sky...we made a promise back when we were kids, that if either of us couldn't run anymore, we'd both take a Death Drop, so dont tell me about spitting on his grave like that. You think i wanna die? Hell no. But i can rig a thermite charge big enough to trigger a chain reaction, and all i need is aluminum foil and a lot of rust. Just leaving that out there."

[Aufeis]

Jules rubbed her temples with her thumb and middle finger. Talking to these guys was about as useful as talking to a brick wall, sometimes. She was glad that at least Alex agreed with her, and his plan was at least somewhat reasonable. They were all the right age for college students. She nodded, but didn't say anything. She was still thinking back to her own brother. His heavy form in her arms. His last breath escaping through pursed lips. His blood on her hands. His body burning in the bright red flames. A tear fell from her eye and trailed her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly. She opened her mouth to say something, but shut it again when she realized how shaky her voice would be. Instead she sat with her head tilted slightly forward, staring at the ground in front of her. Again she saw him fly through the window. Again she saw the blood pooling around his body. Maybe she needed a break from running. Get out of the city for a while. Do something else. Enjoy life instead of just running along the edge of it. But she doubted she could ever get away from his memory. And she wasn't going to stop Running until she finally found the person who had killed her brother. One day, it would happen.

[OnyxSpy]

Galen stood up, the tension in the room severely dying down after Alex's suggestion. "Well I am old enough to be the professor. I guess that plan would work Alex. We just need time to heal up. We need time to plan and strategize our every move. We need a run down on the place, we need schematics. We need a layout of every single security camera and every single alarm button in the place. We need to get together cloting to do it, and we need to hope that Alex's dad decides to help his son. Maybe then we can do this the way Merc would have wanted, right Faith?" Faith nodded and put in her two cents. "Plus, blowing up the Blues headquarters would, not only put OUR lives in danger, but my sister's life as well. Blowing them up for our loved ones while I lose my sister makes no sense." Faith looked around at the people surrounding her and nodded. So young... So naive...

[AlWayZFrE3]

Takuya nodded, "I've got access to most major clothing lines through a few contacts i use to get gear, mainly shoes. So don't worry about that. And before i left, Sky was working on a system that puts all security cameras on a loop if we can get it on the main wire. I'll find out what i can, if that can help."

[Draruto]

Standing up and heading for the door, Caliban didn't really care about anything. Not that they cared, they had their own thing. Leaving and heading to his old house, he felt a tear run down his cheek.

[AlWayZFrE3 if you want, you could have tak follow my guy]

[OnyxSpy]

Galen turned to Caliban to see him walking out. "Caliban... Wait. Look, sorry about the hard time. Maybe we just don't know what you are going through. I have gone through a helluva lot. Something like that seems like nothing to me. I just... I don't want anyone to feel unwanted or left out while they are here." Galen looked at Caliban intently, hoping he was listening. "Don't think I don't see that tear buddy." Galen said trying to lighten the mood and crack a semi-joke while still being serious.

[Draruto]

That elicited a growl from him. 'Because you never ask idiots.' he thought, stopping at the door. "I'll never be whole again, so save the cheering up for a person who take it." Caliban says, leaving hq with a slam of the door. Taking off at a flat out run, Caliban let tears flow as he ran through the streets. 'Why the hell am I crying? It won't bring Aimber back.' he berated himself for upteeth time in a while.

[Aufeis]

"Un-fucking-believable. Some people have such nerves." She said, wiping her own tears from her face, "He's lucky his family is still alive. I wish that anyone had survived in my family. Regardless...we have to make this plan work, or we won't really have to worry about anything, will we? I don't think the police will recognize me, so I'm good to go in." She said, looking at Tak for a moment, "I've still got my suit clothes from when I quit the Runners. I can just use that, thanks."

[Draruto]

An unnamed Runner came in and said, "Him and his sister would close, almost like twins. So when his mother moved away with Aimber, he feels alone and abandoned. Because everyone else either ignored him or ran from him. So in his mind, the only person who can get him, even through it sounds stupid, is his sister."

[Aufeis]

"Yeah, well, excuse me if my sympathy is reserved." Jules said, getting ready to leave as well, "So, what day are we gonna do this? And the time? That's all I need, and then I'm heading home, maybe get some lunch on the way."

She went into a bathroom and changed clothes, switching from her Runner gear to a plain t-shirt, jeans, and high-heels. She took the stairs, walking casually with her ear-piece the only remaining bit of Runner outfit on her. As she passed by a cafe ducked in and grabbed a sandwich. All that running worked up quite a hunger, especially when your life depended on it. She snacked casually as she walked, her purse jangling at her side. She seemed like a normal person; one with the crowd. It felt good to be normal every so often. To go to work. The man she worked for was a Runner supporter, so she could miss work and still have an alibi. She smiled. Speaking of work, she might as well pop in and see what was going on.

[OnyxSpy]

Galen shook his head, stressed from what just happened. "I will keep you all informed. For now, go do what you wish, don't get killed or arrested, and report back ASAP when I call you. I need to rest up. My arm is in bad condition." Faith walked to Galen and knelt beside him to help him with his pain.

---

Lance Deagle walked into his house. He plopped on the couch, breathing heavily. He took the red shirt off he had been previously wearing and tossed it on the table. He was buff as hell and was bleeding a bit from his run in with the crazy runner. Still, he could not shake what Galen had said to him. Lance got up, went to the fridge, opened a beer, and sat back down on the couch. He turned the TV on to the sports channel and muted it. He quickly called up the office. "Hello? Hi, this is Captain Lance Deagle. I would like to let you guys know that I will be taking the rest of today and tomorrow off. I was in a chase with a Runner, got attacked, and need to take a breather. Is that okay? Really? The whole week? Thanks boss. I'll be back in next week to finish this. I won't let these Runners win. Alright, have a good one sir. Uh huh. Bye."

Lance hung up the phone and not even two seconds later the phone rang. "Hello?" "Lance, you tell me what the fuck happened in town today! Where are my subjects?" Lance held the phone away from his ear, covered the mouth, and sighed. He put the phone back to his ear and continued. "Look Doc, I can't control what the Runners do and don't blow up. I am sure you will find your subjects. You just gotta look everywhere. After all, they are pretty much everywhere. But I got to go. The opposing team just got a touchdown and I got three-fifty on the home team. See ya." "You mother fu..." That was all Dr. Barnaby could get out before Lance hung up on him. He was finally home and safe, and watching the game. Still, Galen's words echoed in his head.

[Aufeis]

((Wow, this Rp is so quiet. It isn't dead, is it?))

Jules walked in through the door of the office building she "worked" at. It was a tall building with glass windows. From the ground she could see maintenance workers scrubbing Runner footprints off the windows in one of those weird window box trolley things. She giggled a little at the thought, but pushed it aside. There were other things that were more important now. She pushed the button of the elevator and stepped inside it's cramped space. It was a long way to her floor.

--------------------------------------

Lieutenant Brant picked up his desk phone and punched in the captain's home phone. He waited for it to stop ringing and for the captain's voice to begin on the other end.

[OnyxSpy]

((Not while I'm around it ain't.))

Galen got up and looked around. "Well, since nobody has anything else to say, I have a visit to pay to somebody." With that, he jumped out of the building, tucked and rolled, and took off while parkouring with his bad arm. He was on a mission to see Lance.

---

Lance's phone rang once again, and he answered it, muting the TV. "Hello, Captain Lance Deagle speaking." He sat there, listening to the impending words and watching the muted sports game.

[Aufeis]

((Looks like we just became a twosome.))

"Lance, this is Lucius. I figured I'd find you at home. I don't supposed you're going to do any of the paperwork on today's incident are you?" Lucius said, putting his feet up on the desk so he could recline, "They found a Runner grave. Burned pretty bad, like all the others, so we couldn't get an ID offa him. I figured you'd want to know. Hey, what's the score? I got twenty bet on the away team."

----------------------------------------

Jules was sitting at a desk. It had been a few days since she had last had enough time to actually do the job she was supposed to be doing, but here she was. She was trying to locate the break in a nearby train system coupler, and then send someone out to fix it, "Micky, I got it. It's to your left about two inches, and on the green wire."

"Yeah, Jules, I see it. Thanks. Michael, out."

She breathed a sigh. If only getting a Running job done were that easy anymore. After that incident with Faith and the Shard, the Blues had been relentless. Now, it was too much to simply be caught on a rooftop wearing red.

---------------------------------------

A voice. Somewhere close by. It sounded as if it were coming through.....water? The man opened his eyes.

"Ah, Doctor Barnaby, the subject is finally awake." One of the scientists said, tapping on the subjects glass.

Why did his head hurt so badly? Where was he? The last thing he remembered was...running? From what? Ugh.... It hurt to try and think.

"I'm taking down the Subjects vitals, sir, he'll be ready in a minute. Subject 311-IS, heartbeat, normal. Brainwave function, normal. Response time, looks to be better than average. Jeez, are you serious where this guy came from?"

A second scientist appeared before the man in the tube, "Yeah, his body was barely lit when the other Icarus subjects got to him. Lucky bastard. You barely avoided death, my friend. Barely. Runners had you lit on fire and everything. You had a few second degree burns, but there is always surgery and the like. We got you fixed up good as new. Alright, Doctor Barnaby, he's ready for your approval."

[OnyxSpy]

((Oh well. People die, people are born))

Lance listened to Lucius intently, reclining in his recliner. "Well, I wasn't planning on paperwork, but I guess I can later. Can we ID the gender of the Runner? If so, we should be able to get closer. Maybe a DNA sample? Also, the opposing team just got a touchdown. Score is 16 - 21, second quarter. They've been playing hard." Lance smiled as the home team started running the ball before the QB got tackled. "DAMN! I mean... Sorry. I'll call you later." And with that, Lance hung up, turning the TV back up.

---

Galen got to the apartments of Lance Deagle and started climbing it. There had to be a way to see him without buzzing himself in. Galen, climbing with a busted hand and everything, was making excellent progress up the side of the building, hitting the fourth floor in about ten seconds.

---

Dr. Barnaby walked up to the tube containing Subject 311-IS and smiled. "You guys outdid yourselves this time. He doesn't even look like he has a scratch, let alone second degree burns. I tell you what, I'm surprised he's still alive. Just, keep him cuffed in the tube, but open it. We don't want him escaping like Subject 11-249 did, now do we?" Dr. Barnaby smiled at Subject 311-IS as the fluid around him began to drain. At long last, we may have the perfect specimen...