Z o e C a s t i l l e

age:twenty-six gift: emotional manipulation location: the hub - washington, D.C. “I am an excitable person who only understands life lyrically, musically, in whom feelings are much stronger that reason." { Anaïs Nin }

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

“You’re right” he conceded, there was always someone doing worse than him, her mother would remind him of that constantly during his recovery. It wasn’t much a help then, and it wasn’t now either, but that didn’t mean it was less true. “Lucky me…” he repeated in a monotone. He followed the woman down the hallway, taking a few glances. He wanted to remember her face in case he ever needed something, but he didn’t want to look like a creep. “Zoe” he nodded, agreeing that the use of agent was really weird outside of work activities. “Rafael,” he added after a pause. He shifted uncomfortable, unsure if he should attempt small talk, or just let it go. “Any advice on how to live around here? It wouldn’t hurt to know some secrets about the floor.”

“A real pleasure, Rafael,” she said through a wide, feline smile, crystal blue eyes  noticing his repeated glances in her direction. He seemed uncomfortable in a way, like he was trying to get a feel for the waters here that the Director had essentially shoved him into with the sudden mandate for all agents to move into the facility. No doubt he would have preferred to find his room on his own, she figured, but he was making an attempt at being sociable, despite it coming off as a bit awkward. She found the entire thing amusing. 

At his question she hummed quietly in consideration, shoulders lifting into a soft shrug, “advice? I suppose it’s not very different than coming and going, really. You show up, do what you need to do and don’t let anyone get in your way or slow you down. Although, I’ve pretty much always lived at work in some capacity, so I maybe I’m just used to it. Is this your first adventure into community living?” 

She came to a stop in front of his door then.”This is you,” she indicated, though it was fairly obvious with the large ‘1518′ printed in black on the front of it. “As for secrets, well- I would say part of the fun is learning about them on your own. This is an interesting floor to say the least, there’s always something going on if you know who to ask.”

[director-hall-blog]

Target: Metahuman  - Maxime Rudakova Location: Russia, Siberia Objective: Unknown metahuman suspected in Siberia, no information on powers or condition. Extraction if possible, neutralizing if necessary. Gather information and figure out the metahumans abilities. Faceclaim: Danila Walerjewitsch Koslowski Threat Level: High

Agents: @lara-graham and @zoexcastille 

[[ DISCLAIMER: Please use this as starter for your thread, just so we can keep track of the thread. If you use any other program to complete the mission (e.g. Chatzy), just copy paste the conversation into this post under a read more and reply that way. Otherwise, feel free to delete this once you start the mission! Thank you and have fun! If you have comments, questions and concerns, feel free to hit us up! ]] 

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

@lara-graham

Winter was a concept foreign to Zoe growing up in Las Vegas. On occasion, her father would drive her north to the mountains to play in the snow that fell there, but otherwise her experience with cold weather was limited. A light coat, Ugg boots and a Venti Vanilla Spice latte from Starbucks pretty much summed it up. When snow actually did fall in the city, it was like a religious experience for locals like her - standing out in the middle of the street wearing nothing more than a cute knit sweater as the white fluff fell, spending all of two seconds on the ground before completely dissolving. 

Although after having lived D.C. for several years now and adjusting to a more substantial winter season, there was no preparing her for fucking Siberia, of all places. 

She was bundled in more layers than she could even count and still felt the cold chilling her down to the marrow of her bones - or maybe she was just over reacting. Either way, she was not enjoying this particular part of the world so far. Fortunately, enjoyment wasn’t part of the missions objectives, otherwise she’d be failing it miserably.

Gloved hands gripped the handles of the snowmobile, cutting quickly across the landscape that seemed to be a never-ending sheet of white. They traveled far past their drop off point, out toward a remote location where the suspected metahuman they were tasked with finding was rumored to be living in an abandoned research facility. Whether it was by choice or they were being held against their will was yet to be discovered, although it was Zoe’s personal opinion that one one in their right mind would actually choose to live here.

Her partner, Lara, was seated behind her, and she spoke into the small microphone they had rigged underneath their protective face masks, directly into the other’s earpiece. “It’s faint, but I think I’m starting to feel something up ahead- it’s either the enhanced we’re after or we’re about to discover a yeti.”

Blue eyes glanced down to the controls and gauges as she spoke, catching the very moment the temperature indicator took a drastic downturn and the wind began to pick up, lifting the topmost later of snow into the air. It swirled ahead of them, immediately clouding the visibility of what lay ahead. “Shit -- what the hell? Reports didn’t indicate a storm or anything for today, we’re supposed to have clear skies. You got any input on this, easy-breezy?” 

[lucaxdixgiuliano-blog]

Zoe&Ben || Down to the bone

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

Slowly, the tension in the room subsided. The constant dragging, scratching and pulling on the protection that had kept him from succumbing to her powers. Something he didn’t want to risk confronting, as he could only imagine what she’d be capable of. That was something they had to learn early on. To always expect the worse, never to underestimate other metahumans orhumans alike.When everyone lost their shit, they were supposed to stay calm and dissolve the situation. Her kind, was the force and the shadow at the same time. Operating as versatile as their personalities were. Professional chameleons.

Bennett awaited her confirmation before he placed some distance between them once more, arms crossed in front of his chest. There wasn’t much to it. To the fact that he had been quite quick to react and get her back out of her own world. It was part of their job, nothing more or less. To read people, react accordingly. So when she thanked him, Bennett merely shrugged his shoulders and sat down on the stool again. He rolled up his sleeve, glancing at Zoe. “I’ll go first,” The quiet voice of the man muttered with a sigh, just wanted to get over with the whole situation.

It was quite obvious how Zoe was still having that battle against herself. Why, he wasn’t sure. Didn’t dig deeper nor intended to ask. It was her story, none of his business as long as she’d keep herself in check, anchor herself when needed. He had never seen her act out like that before, doubted - hoped - she wouldn’t lose control like that out in the field where it could get people killed. But, despite his harsh words toward her more than often, he did trust her to know better. To be better.

The nurses prepared the thick needle, sanitized a small spot on the inside of his arm before pressing the sharp tool beneath his skin. They seemed wary, not really focused on their work and, instead, kept their eyes on the blonde woman that must’ve scared the shit out of them only moments ago. The procedure didn’t take too long, but he certainly felt the small, metal object fitted right under his skin. Like a sore thumb, it stood out. Was noticeable for not only his body but his powers as well. Bennett moved his arm up and down, grumbled his thanks at the nurses before shifting his attention to Zoe. “You got this, Zoe.”

Zoe stayed seated, eerily still as she watched the nurses cautiously return into the room and began prepping Bennet’s arm for the implant, the thudding of her heart and the flicker behind her eyes the only signs that she was still present. The procedure wasn’t a difficult one at all, she hadn’t expected it to be - even standing in line, although she was pissed about the whole situation, she’d had no anxiety whatsoever over the process. Through all of the physicals and annual blood testing she’s gone through at this point in her career, she couldn’t recall a single appointment ever triggering anything more than mild annoyance in her. Whatever just happened she had no logical explanation for, and although she felt that she was in control of herself again, there was no denying the lingering nerves still firing down the length of her spine, and the very real focus it was taking to keep her fight-or-flight response subdued. 

When they finished up with him and finally turned their wary attention back to her, she bit down on the inside of her lip and held her arm out for them to sterilize the spot, swallowing hard. Ben reiterated his encouragement, though figured it was more so to reassure the nurses that she was safe than it was for her at this point. Still, her eyes jumped back up to his at the words, and she nodded, holding the gaze as she felt the needle press for a second time against her forearm. 

The tip punctured with a burning pinch as the nurse progressed it to the appropriate depth and position, but it wasn’t pain she felt at all, only a raw, helpless feeling of vulnerability - a distant, nostalgic panic. The shades of blue in her eyes went frigid with restraint, the buzz of her powers wanting to lash out again, and just as she realized she’d completely held her breath, it was already over. She exhaled shakily, and the needle was withdrawn leaving behind the implant, the object there feeling alien beneath her skin, flexing oddly against her muscle as curled her fingers into her palm.

The nurses looked between each other for an awkward few moments, and when Zoe slid herself from the table, she felt relief wash over them as they began straightening up their supplies and sanitizing for the next in line. She glanced back up at Bennett as she stepped past him and into the hallway, turning to press her back against the wall the moment she was free from the room, as if finally able to breathe again. “I suppose that’ll find a way into my file,” she mused, mind finally clearly enough to consider the implications.

[darkestxryder-deactivated201704]

one on one || Wolf & Zoe

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

Was Wolf prepared for all situations, in his mind he was. His body would follow anything he would set his mind to. So to say he’s seen it all, well there was always something new to add to the table. For someone to only use their fists, rather then weapon, spoke enough volumes. His body was his weapon, and he had to remind himself that he was practicing and not actually taking out an enemy, so he had to tone down his form of attack. Didn’t mean he was going to make it easy for her, not that she was the type that expected easy.

This would be something the trainees could learn from, considering they were both Level 3 agents, indicating that all the basic level of self defense would come into play along with everything else they have learned throughout their experiences. Wolf. A nickname for an animal, usually traveled in packs, however he was vicious, lethal, his bite was stronger than his bark, and he was quick as well.

“No talking.” he stated with a serious tone. He was not one for nicknames such as the one she used.

Within a blink she managed to get from facing him, to behind him. He deduced that she had made a jump, which indicated she was rather flexible and quick to be behind him. She was on the attack and he was in defense mood, so when he felt her body jump to cling on to his back, he could feel the pressure of her legs on his sides, followed by the grip on his neck. She knew how to use her strength to apply pressure. Now, in this situation, many would panic because they were being choked, no air to breath, but Wolf was fast in thinking, he moved his chin down towards his chest so she couldn’t squeeze tightly. There wasn’t a wall near them, so hitting her against it wasn’t an option. Instead he stopped moving, remain still for a moment, which would catch her off guard, and then he jumped, making sure to land hard on his back, which would then slam her back against the mat. Taking the opportunity to grab her leg, drag it across the mat before letting her go.

The moment she realized what his plan was to shake her off, it was too late to adjust her position. Zoe exhaled in preparation, forcing as much air from her own lungs as possible so that the impact wouldn’t do it for her and shock her system. Long before she learned how to twist and turn herself into pretty little shapes in the air, her father taught her how to fall properly - how to roll to break momentum, to protect her spine and neck, and this trick, too. She hit the mat underneath the man’s weight with a grimace that, as quickly as he got back to his feet to drag her, changed course into an amused grin instead - this was fun. 

With his release, she draws her knees upward to her chest, presses her weight back into her shoulders, and then springs herself back to her feet, landing in a crouched position before standing to face him again. She took a few steps in his direction inviting his offence as she stayed cautiously just out of his arm’s reach, muscles tight to react as her eyes glittered bright and alert, completely undeterred.

In Zoe’s profession, although taught how to attack and defend, there was always an emphasis placed on escape and evasion. Get away, regroup and attack with an advantage if absolutely necessary - otherwise, get the hell out of dodge and refocus on whatever the objective was instead. Getting into a fight with the intention of staying in it was something her training repelled, and exactly the reason she approached the Combat specialist in the first place. 

“Don’t let up,” she added, ignoring his ‘no talking’ rule. She didn’t want time to think, she wanted to work on impulse, to trust how to move and counter as naturally as she was able to turn a corner and slip out of sight. 

[lillyyjoy-blog]

Charlie let out a breath, happy be showered and out of her work clothes for the day.  The brunette couldn’t deny how lame these new security clearances were, and as someone who was both only level One and somewhat of a wanderer, she found herself a little more bored than usual.  She bit her lip, venturing from her unit to find something, or hopefully someone, interesting, and she grinned widely when she happened upon someone walking in the opposite direction as her.  She changed courses, running to walk alongside them with a small smile.  “Where are you headed?  Are you looking for someone to join you?”

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

Zoe moved quickly down the hall, her small bag slung over her shoulder as she made her way toward the gym, ready to try and blow off some of the frustrations that have compounded since the night of the blackout. She idly noticed the other woman as she passed by her - feeling her boredom more so than she even registered her face. 

However, when the brunette abruptly changed her course and hurried to catch up beside her, Zoe gave her a curious sideways glance, though her pace did not slow a single beat. She debated for a moment exactly how far she was willing to entertain the other’s abundance of friendliness, and finally figured that little harm could be done by letting her follow. She might even prove to be a nice diversion. “I”m going flying. And, Darling, I’m always looking for someone to keep up with me. You’re welcome to try.”

The automatic doors to the gym slid open as she approached, and she gestured to the far side of the room where her silks hung from their rigging on the ceiling. “Not afraid of heights, are you?”

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

“Who isn’t, honestly” he deadpanned, running a hand through his hair before grabbing a couple of things from the floor. He was suddenly happy he brought only essentials with him. “You could say that” he replied, slightly annoyed. His lips tightened in an attempt of a smile when he noticed her joining him on the floor. He was tempted to pass on the suggestion, he was pretty good at finding his way around, but he ended up changing his mind, knowing it was better for him to play nice. “Right, sure. Uh–looking for room 1518” he offered, picking up his boxes once he gathered all his things. “Lead the way?”

“Oh, trust me, I can name a few who are definitely having a worse day that you, but I guess that’s neither here nor there.” She stood as he did, setting the few things she’d gathered back into one of his boxes - minimal belongings, just the essentials she noticed, matching in the general read she picked up of the man. There was irritation there, and reservation - all reasonable emotions, considering the events over the last few days and all of the changes they were forced to adjust to. 

“1518? Lucky you,” she interjected playfully. “We’re practically neighbors. I’m 1515 - our corridor's this way,” she led him from the common area and started down the long hallway lined with rooms. “I’m Zoe, by the way. Agent Castille,” she said with feigned pomp, “if you want to be formal - but why bother up here.”

[recklessendangerisms-blog]

||Zoe & Reid||

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

Reid laughed along with her and agreed about the color. Almost a perfect match, and better than a beer-brown. He swallowed his presumptions of the drink and tilted it back with his head. It singed the back of his throat in a way not unlike most alcohol but tasted marginally better, he supposed.

“I think you’re just drunk. I crave attention–Like, all the time. It’s actually kind of annoying because if no one pays attention to me, then I will die. Proven fact,” he teased, grimacing at the taste in his mouth from the pungent drink. It wasn’t entirely untrue, but he wasn’t about to reveal that to the senior agent when it so clearly repulsed her.

Pleased when the other agent went ahead and dove right into the drink, she followed suit with a long,savoring sip of her own. She loved the way the the knockout combination of liquors burned sweetly down her throat and curled into a playful warm coil in the pit of her stomach, spreading into her blood light a bright, giggling poison.  

“Y’know what? I actually get that. I adore attention, always have - we’d probably kill each other sober. What a shame that’d be huh?” She slurred, her tone a liquid, intoxicated sugar.  “So Reid- it was Reid, right? Life at the Hub everything y’thought it’d be?”

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

{ Andras & Zoe }

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

Andras watches the other agent disappear from view and gives a slight sigh as he scales the steel cable. Underneath him, the AI are attempting to figure out where they’ve gone. They’ve located the knife in the corner and are attempting to figure out if they were ever really there when Andras slides into the access shaft.

The shaft is obviously not designed for all six feet of Andras but he’d been in tighter spots. It sounds like he makes it just in time, as he hears the tile being shoved out of the way, and the AI voices are suddenly much louder. Nonetheless, the agent has to sacrifice some speed for stealth, mildly annoying him.

He catches sight of the nimble agent, abruptly sweaterless, just as she catches sight of him, and damn this AI, as the still drying blood on his clothes has left red streaks on the access shaft. He points to the streaks then mimes climbing a rope, a smirk on his face, he always appreciated a challenge, especially now the AI would be on alert about the access shafts.

Zoe rolled her eyes at his signaled warning, figuring they would have had a bit more time at least, and then looked back to the task in front of her with an increased urgency. There were a lot of shitty ways to get shot, and being stuck in a narrow tunnel was definitely one of them - she had no desire to flop around like a fish in a barrel.

Although her brain and the years of training drilled into it screamed at her all of the options he still had to simply slip away unnoticed, she had to admit this was kinda fun. As quietly as she could, she removed the vent plate pressed against the wall and leading directly into the hallway still teeming with security. They’d scattered a bit with their absence from the elevator - obviously some were coming up the cable, others had wandered to try and intercept them elsewhere.

Playful blue eyes looked back over to Andras, it was go time. 

In a motion as smooth as silk, she dives through the vent, twisting herself in the descent to land crouched on her feet. Pushing immediately from the momentum stored in her knees, she targets the closest AI and rushes to them. Stepping up into the small of their back for reach and leverage, her arm snakes to wrap tight against their throat from behind, the crease of her elbow pressing hard to cut the carotid blood supply to their technically nonexistent brain while using him as a human shield. 

Not wanting to shoot their buddy, gunfire was held and angry voices called to the others, confirming their position. The few seconds that bought her caused her target to wobble, blacking out and going limp. As he began to crumble, his grip on his gun loosened, and she hopped to plant her feet back onto the ground before shoving him forward, scooping the gun up, and firing into the collection of security ahead of her as she moved backwards to step around the corner for cover.

Bodies scattered to get out of the line of fire, blood spattering against the wall. Zoe was by no means a sharp shooter- center mass was the best she could ever hope for, but as she retreated, she saw that she had two down for for sure. 

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

{ Andras & Zoe }

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

“Exactly, I know what to do, it’s like a shotgun, point me in the right direction and let loose the dog of war.” The brunette absently realizes if this were not a sim, that they would look absolutely ridiculous as they carried on this conversation bullets embedding themselves inches from where they stood. Not necessarily unusual, just ridiculous.

Andras never asked the other what she sensed about him, and she never told, they were good together like that. There was reason she was one of the few agents he requested to work with. Besides, seeing her in an interrogation room, he was reminded of what terror she could wreak.

The only warning he receives is hold still, so like a good dog, he does so immediately. After a second he realizes what she is doing and lightly supports her hips, assisting her balance, though he doubted the nimble agent would need it.  

Amused, Andras looks up at the agent and jumps, catching the edge of the tile and pulling himself up with little effort. “Sounds like a plan,” He smirks, crouching on the roof, and sure enough as the elevator starts slowing, bullets start increasing, whizzing underneath the dynamic duo.

With that, Andras settles the tile almost back in place, the only evidence of their escape, a slight coating of ceiling dust settling onto the hard floor of the elevator.  “After you, Zhestokaya printsessa.” He grins, eyeing the elevator cable.

“Giving me a head start? You’re too kind - but you will regret it when I win,” she purred playfully, standing after he’d replaced the tile. They’d have to get a move on it - the artificial intelligence of the security was pretty top-notch considering the level of specialized training that occurred within Atlas, so she wanted to be out of the shaft before they figured out what they’d done and started firing upwards.

Zoe jumped to the cable, her leg coiling around it as her hands gripped above her, pulling her small frame upwards with very little effort - she’d been climbing ropes and silks since she was knee-high, and so it took only a few easy motions to reach a position just above the ceiling access shaft to the floor they were targeting. She released the cable and pushed off from it with her feet, arms darting to reach the shaft’s ledge, pulling herself up and into it. There wasn’t exactly ample space for the two of them there, so she decided to clear the spot. He’d either catch up, or he’d get shot - either way there wasn’t anything she could do, and so it was entirely his problem. She crawled through the narrow space quickly, though careful to be as quiet as possible to not alert those below her before she was ready.  She came to a stop a decent distance from the elevator, assuming it wouldn’t be too heavily saturated in security right there, and removed her sweater, twisting it into a long, tight rope, her eyes darting behind her waiting for Andras to catch up, the blue in them glittering dangerously with excitement, mere seconds away from the party starting. 

[televas-blog]

Eva hated the mess hall. Being near the eating area always set her on edge, and the close proximity gave her a headache each time, without fail. She did her best not to look irritated, but couldn’t help the change in her posture as more people with more thoughts to listen to began to wander in. She had settled herself on a table separated from the other groups talking among themselves as they ate. A headphone in one ear, with music blasting loud enough that anyone who got within a few feet of her would be able to hear it. Eva knew that she wasn’t coming off as particularly welcoming, but she couldn’t help her abilities and the headaches that came with them. She shoveled more food into her mouth and made a conscious effort to ignore the other voices that pushed their way into her head.

Despite the chilly demeanor, Eva had only a few moments to herself before another figure wandered up and sat themselves next to her.

She rolls her eyes and pulls the headphone from her ear, offering a small smile to the new arrival. “My powers over the force are getting stronger, Obi-Wan. I’ve started to pull people towards me with my mind, even though there’s so much space literally everywhere else.”

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

Zoe had actually been paying very little mind to where she chose to sit. It was generally a pretty easy place for her to be around - there were enough people milling about that her attention was never drawn to any one set of emotions, and most people were in pretty decent spirits when it came to lunch time anyway. All in all, the environment worked for her.

Why she was drawn to literally the single least welcoming person in the entire place was beyond her. Maybe she was attracted to a challenge, a subconscious drive to seek trouble and to push buttons when the opportunity presented itself. Whatever the reason, the moment she sat next to the brunette, a curious brow lifted, the corner of her lips pulled into an amused smirk. “I wasn’t aware they recruited Jedi that were so small and snappy. I guess I’ve learned something today.”

Completely undeterred, Zoe plucked a strawberry from her tray and bit into it, her eyes focusing invasively on woman in front of her as she chewed and swallowed, gathering what she could of her over just a few seconds. “If you find it so frustrating to be here, why not  just eat back at your room? Although, speaking from experience, it does get better for people like us the more you immerse yourself.”

[thearosenthal]

Rafael wasn’t thrilled about moving into the hub. Not even in the slightest. He was already renting a good place with his sister, at a good distance to the headquarters. The best way to keep his work and real life separate, he had thought at the time. Whatever, the company was acting paranoid once again, it was nothing new to him. They took themselves way too seriously. 

He walked into the elevator, carrying two boxes with him. That was most of his stuff anyway, he considered himself a pretty low mantainance guy. As the doors of the elevator opened, he stood in the common room, looking around the place for his asigned dorm. Needless to say, he was pretty confused and lost. He clenched his jaw, annoyance slowly building up inside him. Turning around fast, he didn’t see the person approaching him, and he ended up stumbling against them, his box falling on the floor and spilling his items. “Fuck, dammit” he muttered under his breath, trying to gather his stuff. Taking a deep breath, he glanced up, raising an eyebrow at the person. “You okay?” 

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

Although Zoe had felt the frustration and confusion from the man the long before she turned the corner, she was too lost in her own mind to realize just how close he was. Her fingers were tracing idly over her arm, where the new implant had been placed earlier that day, her expression like that of a grumpy child’s as she considered it’s implications and how it would be affecting them and their missions going forward. This whole thing was such a pain in the ass. 

When the impact of the man and his belongings snapped her attention back to reality, she darted to the side, quick reflexes keeping her feet underneath her and preventing her from behind taken to the ground while the contexts of his boxes spilled out onto the floor. 

“Better than you,” she chimed in response to his question, her head tilting and curious blue eyes watching him - even without powers she could the man before her was having a hell of a day. Although they weren’t technically supposed to be using them casually anymore within the Hub, hers never entirely turned off, offering an emotional baseline of those around her at all times. It was annoying, sure - but something she’s learned to tune in and out of though the years. 

“You’re lost.” She stated, matter-of-factly, crouching now to help him gather his loose items, “what’s your room number? I know my way around pretty well, I can take you where you’re headed so hopefully you don’t run anyone else over.”

[lucaxdixgiuliano-blog]

Zoe&Ben || Down to the bone

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

Even as Zoe visibly began to calm down, Bennett refused to move. He stayed motionless on the seat, yet incredibly relaxed. Nothing he did or said would scream tension, she had enough of that herself. The constant pounding of wave after wave hitting, scratching, screaming to hurt whoever was responsible for the womans pain was slowly, but gradually, getting softer. He couldn’t blame her. Atlas picked Metahumans up to protect the general civilisation, yet, at the same time, they offered protection to powered people. Some were hunted, stripped of their rights as a living, breathing being. Often times, they’d rescue their targets from a much more gruesome future as someones lab rat. Or worse.

Slowly, pulsing aching spread through his forehead, a common recoil of using his powers. He never allowed his eyes to waver or talking to go quiet. His stare was intense, searching for that glimpse of her, hiding behind clouded, blue gems. This was unlike her. Zoe was a lot but succumbing to her emotions wasn’t on of them. Her profession required control, her powers did and even if Bennett wasn’t her biggest fan, that didn’t mean he wanted her to hurt herself in panic - or others around her.

As the fog cleared and a soft voice almost croaked his name, a brief smile escaped his stoic expression. She was slowly gaining control of herself again, finding her way back into the nurses office. He could only imagine them pacing the floor, trying to keep up with their schedule that Zoe had successfully interrupted. “Are you okay?” Bennett asked, voice barely above her own volume. “Look, I’m going to bring the nurses back in. You stay on the bed.”

Bennett pressed his palms against his knees to push himself back up, he had no doubt that she was master of her own again and could keep it together. He trusted her.

A step was taken forward, his hand briefly resting on her calf so he could get a proper look of her face. “I wouldn’t get them back in if I didn’t trust you to keep anchoring yourself. I’m here, I won’t leave.”

Zoe caught sight of Bennett’s smile, it was a quick little thing that she would have missed entirely had her eyes not been focused on the man. It was a rare sight to see, and one she was certain had never occurred intentionally in her direction before. The fact that they were able to work so well together in the field was an absolute miracle, truly divine intervention - they were both extremely goal oriented when it came down to getting work done, but otherwise they didn’t exactly see eye to eye. Their personalities were absolute polar opposites. 

Are you okay? The question processed like a far-away echo through a long, dark tunnel. She took account of herself physically - nothing hurt, where the needle had pressed against her skin was tickling faintly, but beyond that, she was fine. Her heart was still beating as fast as a rabbit’s though, and her breathing was deliberately slow, taking conscious control of each inhalation - slowly, four seconds through the nose, feel your lungs expand - and each exhalation - even slower, between parted lips. 

A nod was finally her answer to him, not that anything that just happened was okay, but because she had to make sure everything would be from this point forward, to just get through this and figure out the rest later. The last thing she wanted was to get thrown back into containment for... for whatever just happened.

The contact was unexpected, and her gaze dropped to his hand for a moment, before darting back up to his face, brows furrowing softly with confusion. Team leaders were generally always from his department - cool and strategic, their minds working several steps ahead of everything going on around them, and their ability to manage personalities to achieve objectives were their specialty. Bennett was no exception, he seemed to excel at his job, and although she’d sooner die than admit it out loud, he knew how to even get her motivated. But this wasn’t at all like handing her spunk out in the field, how seamlessly he seemed to be able to jump in and draw her out of the fog of panic she’d fallen into was almost unsettling. Questions for another time, with the nurses coming back, focusing on staying calm would have to take priority.

Another confirming nod, her voice still smaller than it usually ever was, but supported now by a stubborn determination, “I’ve got this, let’s get it over with.” She nibbled at the inside of her lip a moment in nervous consideration, before quickly adding, “thanks, Bennett.”

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

{ Task 002: Closet }

{ one } Lululemon cutout tights, she lives in these, works in these. She’s their poster-child, really.

{ two } Chill mode

{ three } Oversize comfy sweater, short shorts & and leg warmers. ‘cause why not?

{ four } Beach bum

{ five } Shameless circus monkey 

{ six } Everything strappy 

{ seven } Sparkly attention whore

{ eight } “ I'm Fergalicious (so delicious); My body stay vicious; I be up in the gym just working on my fitness” { x }

{ nine } Sporty and comfortable are really her only two modes. 

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

{ Andras & Zoe }

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

“Give an old man a break, it was almost a decade and a half ago, I may have selectively forgotten some of the intro brief.” In fact Andras remembered the brief rather clearly, compared to some of the briefs from his days in the service it was an Oscar worthy performance. Killing sims was apparently a good way to relieve stress, or so they said anyways.

“You drive a harsh deal, I approve.” Andras tosses the knife into a corner. He observes her and nods at the explanation, “I mean technically, if I did use powers, how would you know?” The brunette teases the other, though he wouldn’t cheat regardless.

“I know.” Andras smirks back at the agent, following her cue and leaning against the wall of the elevator. “So, Agent, what’s your plan now, considering they’re all going to be waiting for us and we have exactly zero weapons?”

She laughed as he spoke, the expression on her face letting him know just how absolutely ridiculous she found his statement. “You don’t get to play the old man card with that puppy face - sorry, sweetie. Although, I can related to the selective listening - they really do ramble on during those things, don’t they? Waste of time - just get to the point and let us loose already.”

Zoe shot him a glare from across the elevator at his suggestion of sneaking his powers, her tone a warning, “I can’t read the sims, but I can still get my claws into you. Give it a whirl if you’re feeling lucky, but then the deal’s off and you’ve got the bill.” Truth was though, she had no doubt he’d keep his word. Andras was a lot of things - annoying and obnoxious, primarily - but not once had he ever presented himself as a liar, at least not to her. She never thought she’d have more trust in the functioning alcoholic above others in her department, yet here she was - pleasantly surprised.

Looking to the lights indicating which floor they were on, they were getting close - four more levels and they’d be at the top with all of security there waiting for them. “To not be where they expect us to be, obviously.” 

Three to go. “Hold still,” in two quick steps she came up to him in his corner, and using that little bit of momentum she nimbly stepped up onto his hip. Her hands pressed into the walls for balance, and she proceeded upward until she was standing squarely on both of his shoulders. Pushing one of the titles out of the way from top of the elevator, she took hold of the metal framework that was exposed, and lift herself up and over, riding safely on top now instead of inside the box that would likely be shot to Swiss cheese the moment it came to a stop.  

“Now your turn,” she chimed playfully, figuring the significantly taller agent wouldn’t have a problem now that a tile was out of the way and hold was available. “We’ll wait for it to stop, move through the ceiling access, and crash their party from above while they’re busy shooting at nothing. And then,” her voice a purr, “I’ll win, we’ll drink, you’ll pay, and we’ll call it a night.” 

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

{ Stella & Zoe }

[zoexcastille--deactivated]

“Yeah, having an unknown foreign object implanted in my arm wasn’t really on my list of aspirations. It could be fucking tracking us for all I know,” Stella’s tone is easily just as resentful, and from the mindset of an engineer it is driving her up the wall that she doesn’t have access to the exact technological breakdown of the device itself. It made sense why they couldn’t give out that information, but that didn’t mean it made her any less paranoid to seemingly have to surrender some measure of control over her to Atlas.

“I’m genuinely offended you sneak down to see pain in the ass agent Ashford, and not me. My heart is broken,” Stella somewhat dramatically placed a hand upon her chest in mock injury. A grin still taking residence upon her features to hint that it was all in jest, “That really can’t be pinned on me. It just comes naturally, i’m unfortunately unable to turn off my charm. Infiltration, huh? Well, pretty lady, you do know I hate to turn up my chin at any of your ideas but i’d be terribly out of place in that scenario.” A playful wink had followed in suit, knowing full and well it hadn’t been an earnest suggestion on Zoe’s part. It’d be hard fetched to find anyone who worked with Stella to not know that her place would always be in the hangar.

As she fiddled around in her toolbox, pulling out a set of screwdrivers– she’d turned again to face Zoe with a thankful nod. “I know, it’s just a little demeaning is all. You know? To know that I was in the trenches trying to get the power back on that night, just as frazzled by the whole thing as everyone else only to have to sit in front of the director and possibly take a lie detector test as I recount my whereabouts that evening.” A somewhat bitter shrug decorated her shoulders, moving swiftly to the front of Zoe’s bike to check and see if she’ll have to take the handle bars off to access the coil. “Anyways, it’s clearly an option that they’re considering. I suppose it would make some sense, given the possible knowledge of the buildings layout? I mean, how would anyone in containment know about certain weapons we have in storage or– well, where such a thing would be kept?”

”If they’re worried about access, then I don’t see why it wouldn’t incorporate tracking. Which is fine within the facility - it’s annoying, I’m pissed off about it, but fine. What I’m worried about are others tracking it. I was assured that wasn’t possible, but I very much down anyone thought an attacking INSIDE The Hub was possible, either. And is it protected against other powers? Signal scrambling or something - how easily can the information be sabotage?” She sighed, putting a lid on on her frustrations for just a moment, remembering who it was that she was talking to. Although it didn’t appear as if Stella had designed the devices, someone higher-up in her department very well may have had a hand in int. Zoe knew how absolutely detail-oriented and thorough the brunette was in front of her, and so she could only assume all of these questions were considered during the device’s development. 

The bottom line was Zoe didn’t know, she didn’t have the answers.They left her relying purely on a blind trust, and that was a very vulnerable position to be in (one that she worked very hard in her decision-making to avoid at all costs). 

A sly, playful little wink, “fucking with the jolly green giant is only my excuse, dove. You know full well you’re my favorite grease monkey. Although,” the longer the day proceeded, the more and more annoyed she realized she was with all of the new regulations, “it doesn’t seem like I’ll be visiting either of you for awhile, unless they consider being a creep a professional exception to the increased clearance?”

“You are better suited for your tools and smelling like... well, your tools, I guess. But honestly, you’ve got a few of our trainees beat hands-down in the infiltration department already,” when time permitted, the girls would get together and Zoe would help work the engineer’s filed skills - some basic self defense, movement drills to soften her steps and keep her undetected while her diabolical little mind worked to give her team the advantage. She still hadn’t gotten her up onto the silks yet, but Zoe stubbornly determined that was only a matter of time.

Zoe nodded somberly in agreement, “it is demeaning. I guess they need to start somewhere, though - likely it’s only a matter of time before all of us end up in Michael’s office.” The blonde followed her back to the bike, and she set her helmet down on the seat - “the handle bars need to come off, that or the last guy didn’t figure out a better way to do it,” she idly reported from past experience, her mind still dwelling on the possibility of an inside job. “Makes sense - and some of those containment rooms are designed to keep telepathic and psychic sort powers under wraps,” again, speaking from experience, a small chill in her voice recalling her own experience inside of one of those rooms herself. 

“If it is an inside job, I want to be the one interrogating them when it finally comes down to it - they’ve got that coming at the very least,” her tone was dark, a threat underneath each syllable that made it clear how much she’d enjoy tearing into the head of one responsible. 

[zoexcastille--deactivated]