Cadenza: Veritas
Chapter 12: Break In > He did WHAT to the guard?
"I don't think he killed the guard. That's not his style."
"What did he do, then? Poison the bugger?"
"Grace, can you see what he did?" Bella audibly whispers as she tugs on Grace's arm.
"I can't do that here and now!"
"What's that about?" Tanja turns her head around to face the two.
"It's nothing." Grace covers Bella's mouth with one of his hands.
"You read the text. Vamos, lovebirds!" Tanja leads the way out.
Carlos stays behind until all five of you -- Grace, Bella, the stranger, Tanja, and yourself -- leave the control room. You return to the lengthy, neon-lit hallway, just to find that the break in the false wall that Tanja made earlier had been incompletely occluded with a steel trash can. Tanja pushes it away, and you safely descend the fire exit.
Leaving the building, you find yourself on one end of an empty, albeit dark and derelict alleyway. You can hear muffled music. A stray hospital bed blocks the way out. Pushing it to no avail, Carlos resigns to climbing over it. Tanja notices that the wheels of the bed are attached to both walls of the alley through welded chains. Grace and Bella motion for you and the stranger to go over the bed before them.
Before you can do so, you catch sight of the hooded figure from earlier, passing by. She seems too preoccupied with counting a fat pile of paper bills, humming a familiar, cheesy pop song. You feel someone pull you down, the draping sheets of the hospital bed covering you. As soon as she leaves your sight, you slowly stand up, and discreetly climb over the bed, taking care not to make any noise.
The woman in the orange hoodie is far from your sight by the time all of you go through the hospital bed. Tanja and Carlos high-five each other.
"Typical," Tanja mutters.
"Of course E would bribe her."
"I haven't been here for long. Are the people here in Lower Ziara generally… economically depressed?"
"You can say that."
"It's hard to believe, with all their technology and all these bars."
"Ever noticed that the drinks are dirt cheap?"
"How would I know, Carlos? I don't drink."
"You should try it out sometime."
"Not in a million years."
"Anyway, these people know how to maximise minimal resources. Most of the plastic they use is recycled."
"Fair enough." Tanja's hair sways gently as a gust of wind blows by.
Yet another hooded figure passes by in front of you, stopping in front of Tanja.
"What did he do, then? Poison the bugger?"
"Grace, can you see what he did?" Bella audibly whispers as she tugs on Grace's arm.
"I can't do that here and now!"
"What's that about?" Tanja turns her head around to face the two.
"It's nothing." Grace covers Bella's mouth with one of his hands.
"You read the text. Vamos, lovebirds!" Tanja leads the way out.
Carlos stays behind until all five of you -- Grace, Bella, the stranger, Tanja, and yourself -- leave the control room. You return to the lengthy, neon-lit hallway, just to find that the break in the false wall that Tanja made earlier had been incompletely occluded with a steel trash can. Tanja pushes it away, and you safely descend the fire exit.
Leaving the building, you find yourself on one end of an empty, albeit dark and derelict alleyway. You can hear muffled music. A stray hospital bed blocks the way out. Pushing it to no avail, Carlos resigns to climbing over it. Tanja notices that the wheels of the bed are attached to both walls of the alley through welded chains. Grace and Bella motion for you and the stranger to go over the bed before them.
Before you can do so, you catch sight of the hooded figure from earlier, passing by. She seems too preoccupied with counting a fat pile of paper bills, humming a familiar, cheesy pop song. You feel someone pull you down, the draping sheets of the hospital bed covering you. As soon as she leaves your sight, you slowly stand up, and discreetly climb over the bed, taking care not to make any noise.
The woman in the orange hoodie is far from your sight by the time all of you go through the hospital bed. Tanja and Carlos high-five each other.
"Typical," Tanja mutters.
"Of course E would bribe her."
"I haven't been here for long. Are the people here in Lower Ziara generally… economically depressed?"
"You can say that."
"It's hard to believe, with all their technology and all these bars."
"Ever noticed that the drinks are dirt cheap?"
"How would I know, Carlos? I don't drink."
"You should try it out sometime."
"Not in a million years."
"Anyway, these people know how to maximise minimal resources. Most of the plastic they use is recycled."
"Fair enough." Tanja's hair sways gently as a gust of wind blows by.
Yet another hooded figure passes by in front of you, stopping in front of Tanja.
"I'm sorry, the Master you're looking for is in another castle."
"What is the meaning of this, E?", inquires a slightly irritated Tanja.
"That's what the guard told me after I gave her all that money."
"How important is it that we find this 'Master' guy? My freaking car got missing AND I NEED TO LOOK FOR IT, UGH UGH UGH!" Tanja begins to bang her head against the wall. Grace and Bella take her by her arms and pull her away from the wall of ChouChou.
Through the distorted, distant sounds of what seems to be club music, you hear someone announce "Unleash your Chouchou!" loud and clear.
"Should we still release the butterflies," asked Carlos.
"I can't believe you kept those things on you!"
"Well, give me your butterfly. I'm sure my daughter will love it."
"That's all fine and dandy, but I need to find my car!" Tanja is visibly anxious.
"Tanja, will you calm down for a second? I'll help you find your car, okay?" You all walk away from the building, heading towards Carlos' car, which is still where it was parked.
"It's fine, Carlos." E scratches his right cheek. "Take Grace and the others someplace safe. I'll help Tanja locate her car. Finding Master isn't much of a priority." He glances at the stranger, reaching his hand out to them. "Carlos' car might not fit all five of you. Why don't you come with us?"
You remind Tanja about the router. She takes it out from her vest.
E's eyes light up. "That's the one. Take it apart and you should find a flash drive inside. I'll keep in contact via text." He then hands the router over to you. "Keep it safe. Hide it for now."
Carlos opens the passenger door in front for you, probably to leave Grace and Bella to sit together in the back.
"I'd like to take the three of you to Club PLURality, but considering that your companions here were assaulted there, it might be more prudent to let you stay where I know I can protect you."
"That person who joined E… was our companion. They helped us escape. Can't we take them with us?", asked Bella.
"They'll be in good hands with E and Tanja. I'll tell them to follow us once they find Tanja's car."
Carlos starts the engine and begins to drive off.
"What is the meaning of this, E?", inquires a slightly irritated Tanja.
"That's what the guard told me after I gave her all that money."
"How important is it that we find this 'Master' guy? My freaking car got missing AND I NEED TO LOOK FOR IT, UGH UGH UGH!" Tanja begins to bang her head against the wall. Grace and Bella take her by her arms and pull her away from the wall of ChouChou.
Through the distorted, distant sounds of what seems to be club music, you hear someone announce "Unleash your Chouchou!" loud and clear.
"Should we still release the butterflies," asked Carlos.
"I can't believe you kept those things on you!"
"Well, give me your butterfly. I'm sure my daughter will love it."
"That's all fine and dandy, but I need to find my car!" Tanja is visibly anxious.
"Tanja, will you calm down for a second? I'll help you find your car, okay?" You all walk away from the building, heading towards Carlos' car, which is still where it was parked.
"It's fine, Carlos." E scratches his right cheek. "Take Grace and the others someplace safe. I'll help Tanja locate her car. Finding Master isn't much of a priority." He glances at the stranger, reaching his hand out to them. "Carlos' car might not fit all five of you. Why don't you come with us?"
You remind Tanja about the router. She takes it out from her vest.
E's eyes light up. "That's the one. Take it apart and you should find a flash drive inside. I'll keep in contact via text." He then hands the router over to you. "Keep it safe. Hide it for now."
Carlos opens the passenger door in front for you, probably to leave Grace and Bella to sit together in the back.
"I'd like to take the three of you to Club PLURality, but considering that your companions here were assaulted there, it might be more prudent to let you stay where I know I can protect you."
"That person who joined E… was our companion. They helped us escape. Can't we take them with us?", asked Bella.
"They'll be in good hands with E and Tanja. I'll tell them to follow us once they find Tanja's car."
Carlos starts the engine and begins to drive off.
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