Axel crept his way along the tight corridors, uncomfortably aware of how his trainers scuffed slightly on the floor, the sound bouncing off the thick walls. Occasionally he'd come across a metal door leading off from the main path, but since they were all closed, he ignored them.
Eventually, he came to a crossroads in the corridor, the hallway branching off in three different directions. Axel stood indecisively in the middle, clutching his pistol with both hands. Chewing his lip hard enough to break the skin, he glanced up and down the possible routes, then tried calling out softly. "Lily, where are you?! Li-" He was interrupted by the sound of raised voices and heavy footsteps coming from the corridor to the left, heading directly towards him. A small moan escaped him, his legs suddenly feeling as though they were made of rubber. Stumbling forwards, he impulsively chose the path that led straight on. Reaching a right hand turn, he rounded the corner and pressed his back to the wall, holding his breath as he listened intently to where the group of Purifiers was heading.
"... enough bullets, that son of a bitch'll go down eventually!"
"Are you kidding? Have you seen how much shit we've thrown at him?!" The voices grew louder as the group moved past where Axel had been standing seconds before.
"Yeah, well, you know what they say. Bigger they are, the... uh... The..."
"Harder they fall, moron."
"Whatever, I didn't ask for your shit, Xander..." The noise of the argument began fading as the Purifiers drew further away from him, the clumping of their feet growing quieter.
Axel released his breath in a shudder. Thank you... thank you... After taking a second to wrestle his nerves into submission, he looked slowly to the side and continued on.
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Rhaegson paced his office, dragging on his cigarettes like a drowning man sucking for air. Whoever the hell these people were, they were proving a bigger problem than he'd first thought. He paused mid step. This douchebag in the suit... Nairda... There was a good chance more of them were using electronics too...
He sat back down and snatched up his phone, dialing to a separate part of the compound. After a few seconds, a nervous sounding voice answered. "Yes sir?"
"Get it heated up. We're going to give these sons of bitches something to think about."
The voice on the other end paused. "Um, well, it's not exactly ready... we're still waiting for the amplifiers and..."
"Well, shit, you think I don't know that?!" Rhaegson snapped. "Just shut up and..." His voice trailed off when he glanced up at the monitor. He grinned to himself. "Holy... Just get it ready. Don't set it off before I tell you."
Hanging up, Rhaegson dialed Lupis, still staring at the screen. "Hey, big bad... Guess what I have my beautiful blues set on? I'll give you a clue - it's ugly as shit, and you've been chasing it for who the hell knows how long. And, this is the best bit. It's waiting right outside the labs..." He slouched back in his chair, his grin broadening. "I guess good things come to those who wait, huh?"