tinkertailorsoldiersasspy:
“Mmm.” An affirmative over the subvocalizer and Layla stepped lightly into the vent, moving silently with long-practiced ease. The smallest click sounded with the vent’s closure. Her eyes flickered over Adam’s frame as she ensured the two weapons he’d checked on earlier were still there. Had he not brought in anything else? A frown parted her visage as she realized… Her approach left him without anything but those two weapons.
A rifle was practically a direct insult when actually dealing face to face with people, of course he’d left it behind. This was all typical operating procedure for her, but…he moved differently. Like he was missing something.
A prayer offered for his close combat ability, a curse cast at her own bravado. It wasn’t a mistake she’d make next time. A scoot of her foot, rest the knee, lift the other foot, repeat. Over and over they quietly shuffled to their destination.
Over the subvocalizer, a pardon for her sins;
“I’ll be sure to work the mission differently next time. That was my fault.” Shuffle. Shuffle. “I didn’t properly calibrate for your abilities.” Shuffle, shuffle.
Her hand felt for the pistol at the small of her back absently as they advanced, a more informal version of the weapons check Adam had performed before clambering into the vent. The weight of it reassured her they’d see everything though, a confidence booster even if the ivory tools at her disposal were more than enough for a close-quarters clean kill.
(of course, a bullet could travel much further than her fist ever could).
Light spilled down the duct, painting Adam a flickering silhouette with the lazy spin of a ventilation fan. Looks like they were heading close to their destination. Layla, much to her dismay, really had only the vaguest clue as to where they were. Another frown - at least this time his augmentations -talents?- were being used in their element. A flicker of a smile passed as she imagined Adam of all people sneaking around Sarif Industries’ vent system like a kid crawling through a Playspace-
Now isn’t the time. Mission!
“We exiting up ahead? I can clear whatever room we end up in, if you’d like.” A faint click sounded as she thumbed the safety to off, pistol still in it’s holster.
Adapt and react, Adam mouths his mantra to himself as he thinks through what their best options are for completing their mission.
Glancing back over his shoulder in the cramped space of the vent he checks that Layla's following behind him, and that she's the only one. She's quieter than he expects; near silent in her movement. It's a timely reminder to Adam that there's skill, and a serious aug or two, behind the sass.
Self reflection too, apparently.
"An encounter we can both learn from," he responds in kind over subvocal, "Assuming we make it out the other end of this ride."
Adam barely pauses to look through vent slats in the duct work below him before continuing towards the end of their destination ahead. It was going to be a much more difficult Plan A than he'd hoped for.
"Up ahead, yeah," they are almost at the vent cover that should open up into a room just inside ARC territory. Adam pauses, scratches at his beard as he works to recall the rooms in the immediate area and how they connect; what their best choice might be for success.
"When possible, where possible, we need to avoid being seen, alright? Let them think we got spooked. The longer we can..." He trails off and draws his stun gun.
Figures move about in the room below and the murmur of voices speaking Czech reaches his ears. With his free hand he signals to Layla how many he thinks he can make out in the room and where they are. Adam offers one quick glance back as a final ready check before pressing the vent cover open and up, engaging his cloak, and disappearing out of sight into the room below where he takes up position behind a large crate in the corner of the room.
"Go, Jacobs. You're clear!"
