Welcome to Gaia! ::

With an ally in the right place, it wasn't very difficult for the gang to find themselves several Uniforms which they would don before splitting up and heading out towards their allocated checkpoints.

Estel - the unnamed female from before, and Anji took guard on the road block towards the East - Dante's initial suspicion was that the scientist would come back in the way she left, but there was always the chance she'd try to slip in through another route, hence the pair's posting. Logir and Renn were assigned to join the blockade the main entrance, this would be a backup and a more likely chance if the lesser streets were sealed off...

Their Leader himself had chosen the task of infiltrating Ritzu's laboratory to look for clues as to what the woman might just be up to - there was obviously no guarantee he'd find anything, but if he could find something that might lead to a conclusion - or anything that would prove interesting regardless, then he was tasked to relieve it from its location and present it to the Lord himself.

It wouldn't be long before the van pulled up outside the eastern roadblock, Anji and Estel would remain off to the side whilst the guards turned their gaze towards the approaching vehicle, but when Ritzu made the decision to turn off and head away, the pair quickly called in the news to the others and moved off to act as backup should the need arise.

"Reported drug runners in the area." Logir had advanced before the sentry could leave their post and immediately answered the scientist's question when asked. "We've been ordered to search every inbound vehicle for contraband." As a tall, well built male, Logir had seemed the best choice, his face was hidden behind a soldier-helmet, but his visor was lifted to reveal his eyes, not that it made him any less unnerving... "We'll walk the dog round, but if he shows any sign of finding something, we'll have to ask you to open the back so we can search." He guessed this would rile the female, but his expression was stoic, hiding any hint of suspicion or guilt...

Renn used the distraction to make his way around the vehicle, tugging the handle before waving over a soldier to stand watch whilst he drew a small set of lockpicks from a pouch on his belt and got to work, "Keep her busy, bud." he mused to himself as the sentry stood guard. There was no point in forcing the lock as that would draw attention and leave them liable to assault...but with Renn's quick fingers and the guard doing as told, the skinny male swiftly found his way inside, cracking open the door slightly before peering in.

"Holy...!" Renn's eyes widened as he realised there was a body inside, moreso when he saw that it was restrained... As carefully as he could, he slid into the back of the van, "Hello there Beautiful," he whispered as he moved close, "Your Prince has arrived." Not caring if she was friend or foe, he gently moved her to the edge of the van before hopping out and lifting her into his arms. "Let's get you underground." he nodded to one of the guards who closed the back of the van as quietly as he could before walking around the front with his dog - This would be the distraction that would allow Renn to slip into an alleyway unnoticed.

"He's not picking up on anything." the soldier glanced down at the guard dog which tilted its head cautiously before sitting down with a yawn, "I'd say it's all clear."

"Looks like you're free to pass." Logir had guessed Renn had found something of interest as he was no longer amongst the guards at the back of the vehicle, but that didn't leave Dante very long to look around Ritzu's lab... Once the scientist had left, he would radio into Dante to keep his head up and move quickly...

Renn on the other hand, had taken Fire through a hidden walkway, covering the entrance before carrying the female down one of the long tunnels and towards the gang's 'sick-bay'. It would be some time before they arrived, but once there, he would lay her down on a comfortable bed and loosen her bindings, "Dante'll have my head for bringing you here without letting him know, but at least you'll be safe from that Witch for now." he gently brushed the female's hair from her face, almost enchanted by the colour,

Their Leader had taken a rather different approach to the uniform that his comrades had adorned, dressed in a labcoat and flatteringly tight scrubs, he and Jesse - who had opted for a more comfortable look - passed through security and into the halls which would lead them towards Ritzu's section. He knew time would be short, but he planned to gather as much information as he could before taking his leave and paying a certain Owl a visit...

"Keep an ear out for the radio." reaching the scientist's desk, Dante cast a glance back at his comrade before starting his search, "I've no idea what we're looking for, but if you find anything, give me a shout."

Without needing to be told, Jesse had already taken to one of the computers, attempting to hack into its code before typing in keywords that might just lead them to an answer. She'd not seen much of Ritzu herself, but it wasn't hard to think of certain words and phrases that would allow her into the main hub of the scientist's work... Her eyes scanned the words as they scrolled up the screen, there were notes made of concoctions and potions, something about morphing and poisons, but nothing of any real interest...

The radio crackled into life and Dante lifted his gaze from a handful of documents he'd been flicking through before sitting up in his seat and putting them all back as he'd found them. "Not sure if it was them..." he exhaled a sigh, "But we'd better move out." he looked to Jesse who seemingly ignored him, "Jess."

The female's eyes had stopped on something, a mention of Fire and Ice, a scientist by the name of Creed and something about a Trap, but the touch of her leader's hand on her arm made her flinch and she instinctively shut the file down before pushing away from the screen.

"Find anything?" he tilted his head as she stood,

"Can't say..." she shook her head, then looked towards the door, "Move time?"

"Let's go." Dante nodded, waiting until she was ready before leading the way towards the doors.

If Ritzu had arrived back at base by the time the pair had left the lab, then they would pass one another along the corridor without a word, Jesse kept her eyes low, but Dante allowed his to wander ever so slightly as they walked by. They'd found nothing, so technically if she twigged they were up to no good, they couldn't be held accountable for anything...but they still needed to be cautious.

"The name's Renn," Renn smiled, he hadn't noticed the earpiece but averted his gaze when she asked where she was, Dante didn't really like people to know they were under the city - all part of being the shadowy rogues they'd become known as, but then again, Dante had brought Tala down without quibble... "Hmm...Let's just say there's a wide variety of tunnels to search before anyone can find us," he looked back at her, logging her features to memory before remembering her third question, "Dante's our leader, he doesn't know you're here yet, but he should understand when I tell him how I found you." he moved the restraints away from the bed, not liking the things and so casting them across the room, "Hey, hey, don't cry," feeling a little uncomfortable, he scanned the room for a rag of some sort so she could dry her eyes before looking back somewhat defeated as he clearly failed to see anything beside the sheets, "It was just you in the back of the van, if that helps you feel better?" he wasn't very good when girls cried, but he tilted his head, trying to smile in the hopes it would leave her smiling as well..


"The only problem is, I don't really have anything to tell him..." Dante frowned as he and Jesse reached the safety of the main hall, "She wouldn't just rush out for no reason - she's crazy, but not without her reasons...I guess..." kicking off his boots, he sat on the arm of the couch before falling back onto the cushions, "Raven's gonna be wanting something from the search..."

"No luck on the recon mission then?" Anji and Estel entered from another tunnel, removing their headgear before setting it aside and hitting the kitchen area, "Looked like she was in a rush when she hit our stop, maybe she keeps it on her person?" It was an attempt by Anji to be optimistic, but when Dante felt defeated, it often took some time for him to mull over a plan of action.

"So what happened to the kid?" Estel who had been present when Dante had first brought Tala down was now starting to wonder where the youth had gotten to, "We haven't scared him off already have we?" she tilted her head, leaning against the counter as she waited for an answer,

Jesse lifted her gaze at the mention of the male whom she'd led to the city border only hours beforehand, she had of course left him to his own in the marketplace, but it was only now that the thought dawned on her that maybe he'd take the location of their dwelling to the guards or other less trustworthy people in the city... Excusing herself, she made her way up the nearest tunnel, finding her way towards the surface before heading in the direction of Cyrus's apartment.


Tala on the other hand had started to tire in his waiting for the Hunter to show... he'd lost track of the hours he's sat quietly watching, his eyes scanning every passer by for some recognising feature that would tell him that Cyrus had come to find him...but this had clearly been for nought...

Now it was getting dark, the light was disappearing behind the buildings and the streetlamps were starting to flicker into life... Anyone else might just have taken their leave by now and attempted to find their own way home, but Tala remained seated like the hopeful puppy waiting for his owner to return...

"Loitering is an arrestable offence." The voice made the youth stiffen and he snapped round, shrinking back a little as his eyes settled upon the soldier who towered above him.

His mind raced for something smart to say in reply, but words wouldn't come...At least, not until the soldier gave a chuckle and pulled off his helmet. "How long have you been waiting here kid?" Logir tucked his helmet beneath his arm before leaning against the wall,

"You...?" the male's name had escaped him, but Tala felt a wash of relief when he recognised his face, "Erm...A few hours I guess?" he lifted his eyes, then watched as Logir sat down beside him, spreading his arms across the bench before exhaling a sigh,

"I'd say it was longer than that...More like half a day at least." The male tilted his head back for a moment before turning his gaze towards the youth, "You really don't know the way back, do you?" he noted the somewhat embarrassed look on Tala's face, then moved to stand, pulling on his helmet before ruffling the youth's hair, "C'mon kid, let's get back to base, we'll look for the old guy in the morning."


Jesse watched from the shadows of a nearby alleyway as the Hunter made his way back along the street towards home. She'd already visited the apartment looking for Tala, but the youth had been nowhere in sight, so she'd returned to the street to wait.
Now, as Cyrus walked into sight, she took the moment to scrutinise the man... It was clear he was exhausted, but he held himself well until he got inside.

Having already scouted a route up to their window, Jesse made her way up to where she now crouched, watching the man through the glass as he removed his coat, hanging it on the door but paying it little more than a glance as it slid from its place onto the floor... He disappeared for a moment out of the room, the faint clunking could be heard through the open window and Jesse assumed he was hitting the fridge, her suspicions confirmed when the man returned with two bottles and a plate of something before crashing out on the couch. "...Lazy bum." she frowned, watching as he flicked off the cap sealing the beer in the bottle before taking a swig and leaning back against the tainted cushions...

She wasn't quite sure how it had happened, but something drew the man's attention to the window and within seconds, he was on his feet. Jesse withdrew, launching herself up the connecting ladder as the Hunter threw open the window and reached out - his hand just missing her heel as she slipped out of reach.

It was stunning how quickly he moved and as she pulled herself up onto the rooftop he was just moments behind her.

"Nowhere to run." he frowned,

"I'm surprised you made it up here." Jesse retorted, her hand flicking back towards hidden weapons should she need them, "The way you looked I'd have assumed you were done for the night."

"I was." Cyrus had moved so quickly he still had a hand towel draped over his shoulder, "Why were you at my window?" he scowled, "Are you a spy? Because there's nothing here for you to see."

"I've seen quite enough to know you're a bad carer for your charge." The wind blew between them, ruffling the tufts of hair that had escaped her hood during the climb. "I bet you haven't even checked in on him, right?" she narrowed her eyes,

"How would you know about my charge?" How had she come to know about Tala? She must be a spy, he'd done his best to keep the youth safe so nobody would suspect he'd been a slave of the Tigress herself... "Sometimes he needs his space...He's had it rough these last few weeks..."

"Rough or not, have you even bothered to open the door and seen he's even alive?!"

Cyrus was quiet for a moment, then he started to suspect something had happened to the boy in his absence... "What have you done to him?!" he advanced, but stopped as Jesse drew a blade from her belt, holding it out, point first towards him,

"I've done nothing." She scowled at his accusation, "But I do know he thought you'd be worried." she took a step back, feeling with her heel for the edge, "Which you clearly aren't." she made a motion with the blade, then sheathed it. "I would think he's probably wandering the city like a stray now, or perhaps he's waiting, hoping you'll find him? Who knows, but with your lack of parenting skills, he'll probably dead before sunrise."

"If you know where he is, you had better tell me!" Cyrus stepped forward, hoping to grab her and push for information, "If you've hurt him!" He gave a snarl as she twisted away from his grasp and hopped onto the ledge,

"Just know that he's probably in a much better place now." she smirked, turning round and jumping from the ledge. She knew Cyrus would rush to see where she had fallen, but with a small suspension system build into her belt, she would release a cable which would slam into a nearby wall and allow her to swing around into the nearby alleyway and out of sight.

The Hunter would curse the lack of consistency in his care for the youth and rush back down to the apartment, forcing his way into Tala's room in the hopes the male was still there...he would find to his great concern that the bed lay untouched - a thin scattering of dust had settled on a glass of water by his bedside table and Cyrus knew it was his fault that the youth had gone.

Sobered by the thought that Tala could have gotten himself into trouble, he rushed for the door, snatching his coat from the floor and wasting only a few precious seconds to lock the door behind him before making haste for the stairs...

"If your friends are smart, they're probably lying low." Renn tried to sooth her concern, "Sure, they'll be searching for you, but if they know who they're dealing with, they'd be better off keeping their distance..." He thought of tales he'd heard about Ritzu and her work, sure, she seemed bubbly and excitable, but there was no doubt that when she got down to her work, to get in her way or disrupt her plans would be more than just foolish - he'd taken a risk grabbing Fire as it was, if Ritzu ever found out it was him, she'd have more than his head...
"Viola is a pretty name," he nodded, it reminded him of delicate flowers long lost to time, to find such a plant was sheer luck in the outlands - if they ever got out of the city walls that was... "I think we've all got tendencies," he was happy when she smiled, "but you seem to control them well," he knew she could easily have perceived him as the enemy and attacked or even killed him upon removing the restraints, but she hadn't and that left him relieved.

When they moved onto the subject of Dante, Renn fell quiet in a moment of contemplation, then he smiled again - his happy-go-lucky side showing, "Well, he seemed to have little problem in dragging back a new blood earlier, so I'm sure it'll be fine." he couldn't picture Dante throwing anyone out that needed help - especially if they came from the clutches of that 'crazy witch'... He was certain their beloved Leader had experienced a few run ins with the scientist in the past, but the male was always very secretive about it history, so Renn couldn't be certain... "Creed?" He tilted his head at her next question, "Can't say I have, but then again, I don't exactly leave the city too much...heh..." He noted her expression and decided to try and make her feel a little more reassured though, "A lot of these scientists are freelance, so I would think he'd probably just focus on that one job and once he had you, perhaps he moved onto something else...?" he wasn't used to so many questions, but having brought her further away from anything she knew, it only seemed fair to answer what he could...

"How did we find you? Now that I can answer!" he beamed sitting down on the edge of the bed and crossing his legs so he could rest his elbows on them - this was a chance to boast about his skills, "Our Boss, well, the guy above Dante has a few hangups about his people rushing off without telling him, so when Ritzu shot off out of the city, he gave us a call," he would briefly run through about how they often ran tasks for the 'Big Bird,' but without naming anyone, he quickly returned to the subject at hand. "You see, Logir drew her attention away and I slipped in - I'm a dab hand at lockpicking, so I was the best man for the job, I had the guard keep watch and I picked the lock, we were just gonna look through her stuff, see if there was anything that would tell us why she'd rushed off...and I found you." he wrinkled his nose a little, "I've got a thing about slaves and experiments and stuff...not a fan and I'd hate to think of what she had planned for you. There was no way I was gonna leave you in her clutches." he was clearly angered about what Ritzu might have gotten up to had he not stepped in...but then he realised he'd gone quiet and smiled back at her. "So, you came from Delta? We're in Rydol, so you've come pretty far from home..." He watched as she peeled the covers back and moved to stand - with his legs crossed, it was a struggle, but he launched himself from the bed in an attempt to stop her from falling and ended up falling face first onto the floor himself.

If he was lucky, she might have fallen on top of him, his body cushioning some of the impact, he would let out a groan at this point and wait for her to move aside before pushing himself up into a sitting position and allowing her to lean against him if she chose to. "...Owwie...Voices?" he stretched out the aches, then shrugged, "Sounds make their way up the tunnels all the time, I wouldn't let it worry you too much,"


"Maybe we should wait until he's had some sleep...get him whilst he's still tired...maybe he won't be so disappointed...?" Dante was seated on the arm of the couch, mumbling to himself whilst Estel and Anji watched the TV behind him...
"Maybe the longer you wait, the more impatient he'll become...?" Estel glanced towards her leader's back before reaching into the bowl the girls had seated between them, "Are you sure there wasn't Anything there?"

"Maybe Jesse found something? Have you asked her?" Anji narrowed her eyes at the bowl as Estel took a large handful of the sweet popcorn,

"I never actually asked her..." Dante felt a little embarrassed, but knew Jesse wouldn't keep it to herself if she had found anything... "She's out who knows where though..." he breathed a sigh, lifting his eyes as Logir found his way into the room. "Hey! You came back!" Dante beamed as he saw Tala wander in behind the male,

"Did you find your friend?" Estel glanced over, stuffing the handful of popcorn into her mouth before rising to her feet, "You hungry? I can put on another bag?" She smiled sympathetically when Tala shook his head, "Maybe we'll help you look later, hmm?"

"I'll go get a room ready, plenty of space of course, but we try to keep noise to a minimum after eleven." Anji hopped to her feet and disappeared up one of the tunnels.

Tala was grateful for their hospitality, but still couldn't help but feel a little out of place... He watched as Logir headed off to get changed, then turned his sights to Dante, "Is everything alright?" he approached, but hung back so he didn't overly intrude...

"Our mission went a little sour..." Dante shrugged, "We'd hoped to find something, but we didn't exactly..." his words weren't all making sense, but Tala got the gist of it, "I'll hold off until the morning...maybe something will turn up," he smiled, "Come sit down," patting the cushions he slid into place, stealing a handful of popcorn before flicking through the channels.

The group gradually dispersed after an hour or so, all had their own nightly rituals to complete before heading to their own respective rooms. Dante stayed up the longest, probably thinking over what he would tell Lord Raven in the morning, but eventually even he started to drift out on the couch...
It was only once the male's soft breathing gave away the fact he was sleeping that Tala eventually decided to move...

Rising to his feet, he stretched, turning his gaze as a small black shadow caught his eye and the cat from before made its way into the chamber.
Clearly it was free to come and go as it pleased. Tala watched as it crossed the room before lifting its gaze to regard him quietly. Then, with a flick of its tail, it continued on, disappearing into the shadows of one of the adjoining tunnels.

Anji would return after some time, showing Tala to his room before taking leave for her own. It felt rather strange...once again he was alone, in a new location with new sounds and faces... He took a seat on the edge of his allocated bed and looked around the room, taking a moment to listen to the sounds that surrounded him before sliding off his footwear and lying back.
Maybe he was a little more exhausted than he felt, but it wasn't long before he fell into a deep sleep.


In the morning, Dante would head off before anyone had risen, he usually liked to meet Lord Raven somewhere quiet, out of the line of vision where nobody would ask any questions as to why an Owl would be consorting with a Rogue... Today, he found his way into one of the walled gardens and stood admiring a fountain statue of a woman, her arms spread wide whilst Birds in the shape of crows and ravens rested upon her shoulder and around her feet...

It was just starting to get light and he took a moment to blow into his hands before rubbing them together - the mornings seemed to be getting colder lately and as his breath crystallised on the air infront of him, he felt a presence, turning round to greet the figure that approached...

If it was Lord Raven, he would bow to his Superior before asking him how he was, proceeding to make a joking comment about needing to turn the temperature up a little before lowering his gaze and stating that nobody appeared to have returned with anything useful from their search... He'd noticed that Renn had disappeared, but wasn't going to break up the group by collaring their movements... "I really think we were onto something in her lab...there were a lot of books on Transmogrification, but that appeared to be it as we had to pull out before she came back..."

If it turned out to be a guard, Dante would pull his scarf up around his lips and bow his head slightly, acknowledging the sentry's presence before turning away and leaning to inspect the fountain as though something had caught his eye - there was no point talking to the guards...if they knew his face, it would get him in trouble...

"Yeah, Dante said he found a stray in one of the run down apartments on the edge of town, don't know what he sees in the kid, but whatever, he's the Boss." Renn shrugged, noting her smile in regards to Creed's home-predicament, but presuming she was smiling at something he'd said. "Ritzu is...a Wild Card really." he lifted his gaze as he thought about the run ins they'd had. Dante had always tried to keep the gang away from her - mainly so he could plant unfamiliar people where he needed them, but there was always the inevitability that they would cross paths... "I've only met her once or twice...the first time she was calm, collected, even normal...the second time, she was...well... Let's just say she was working on something and looking for test subjects." he narrowed his eyes, thankful that the job he'd been doing had allowed him to evade her grasp... "Apparently Soldiers are dispensable..." he looked a little worried in that regard, moreso for the poor souls that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he was quick to dispense with the thought.

"It's not every day a pretty girl falls into my arms - twice," he would have winked, but being what had cushioned her fall, he just let out a half-hearted chuckle before pushing himself up. "Thanks, You're not so bad yourself," he smiled, leaving the room in silence for a moment before rising to his feet, "You hungry?" he dusted himself off and offered to help her to her feet, "I would think everyone's gone to bed now, I could probably sneak you down for a look around?" he wasn't sure if she felt strong enough just yet, but made the offer either way - he would be more than content to leave her side and fetch them both something to eat if she was hungry.

If she chose to come with him, he would lead her carefully down the tunnels, giving a brief - and whispered - rundown of where places led before showing her into the main room where the kitchen was. Of course, they wouldn't cook anything, but there was always something edible in the fridge.

Whatever the choice, once they were loaded up, he would return to the room they started in, sharing what they had before leaving Fire to rest up.


"You are good to your people, Sir." Dante felt some reassurance in his Superior when he mentioned about sending contractors round to his citizens to ensure their homes were heated, "I assure you, any extra time you can allow us will be well used." He watched as the man cleared the leaves from the sundial, noting the time as the low light extended its shadow greatly, "Four hours would allow us enough time to infiltrate and take a good look around and hopefully we'll be more lucky without needing to worry about her bursting in and catching us..." he'd crossed paths with Ritzu a few times now and although he had tried his best to conceal his features with witty disguises, there was little doubt the scientist was growing wise to his physique, meaning it was only a matter of time before she made a challenge towards him...

He listened well when Raven mentioned the delay of their equipment, it was a shame as Jesse seemed to have claimed the gear she'd used to evade Cyrus the night before and Dante was itching to try it out for himself... "I understand," he nodded, "These things can't be easy to make, but I'm sure they'll be well up to standard when they're completed." he was a little disappointed, but it seemed kind of fair that if he couldn't come up with the goods, neither could their Boss... "So, I'll gather the gang and wait for your word, right?" he was already making plans as to whom he would bring along, where they would be left to search and how long they would need to infiltrate the location and leave before their time limit came to an end,


...What time was it? Tala opened an eye, looking up at the darkened ceiling before drawing his arms from beneath the furred blanket which had kept him warm that night. There was no ticking clock, but he assumed it was before sunrise and slid from the bed before pulling on his boots.

It didn't take him long to remember where he was - after waiting for hours in the hopes Cyrus would come find him, he'd returned with Logir and then been shown to his room by Anji who had left him to his own devices and gone to bed herself... It wasn't exactly cold, but he pulled on his jacket and headed for the doorway, peering outside into the candle-lit tunnel before stepping out.

There was a star above his door which would glow a soft blue should the lights ever go out - it had apparently been something Anji had thought up so people could be located in the darkness, but it was barely noticeable in the light and he gave it little thought.
Something had awoken him and after dismissing the initial thought that it had been because it was his first night in a new location, he decided the best thing to do would be to investigate.

Making his way down the tunnel, Tala tried to listen out for anything besides his own footsteps on the cold ground. Eventually, a breath reached his ears and he turned, hearing a resounding clunk, quickly followed by cursing as someone moved to pick something up from the floor... As quietly as he could, he advanced towards the open doorway, peering through the gap before knocking as he recognised the figure infront of the desk.

Jesse's head snapped up and she glared towards him, her features softening slightly as she realised who had risked disturbing her at such an hour... "You alright?"

"I'm finding it a little hard to get used to the change of scenery...and sounds." Tala averted his eyes as he entered, pushing the door to behind him, "What about you?" he tilted his head, curious as to what she was doing,

"Just greasing the mechanism...darn thing threatened to jam when I was testing it out earlier." she didn't go into detail, but after she'd evaded Cyrus, she'd attempted to return home when one of the gears had caught. The fact she had been testing it was a lie, but Tala wasn't to know.

"This place kinda reminds me of home..." the male's eyes regarded the selection of gears and components which hung from the walls and shelves, "Cyrus likes to make things in his spare time..." his sentence trailed off as he wondered what the man was up to...had he even bothered to look for him? Tala was as of yet completely oblivious of Jesse's encounter with the man and she appeared to want to keep it that way...

"Pass me that screwdriver." she held out a hand and this drew the male from his thoughts as he turned to look at the pile of tools laid out on the side of the desk. When handed her requested item, she said nothing and proceeded to tinker with the gearset before drawing the cable back and forth - testing the return. Only once she was content did she retract the cable and set the tech aside. "Want to watch the sunrise?" she spun round in her seat and looked at him quietly,

"Uh...sure." Nodding, Tala watched as she rose to her feet before heading to the door. Jesse would attach the gear to her harness and then usher him out, closing the door behind her before leading the way down through the tunnels to the outer wall.

"The trick is to take enough to fill your belly, but leave just enough so they don't suspect you've taken anything," Renn had snuck out for a midnight snack many times in the past and as far as he knew, nobody had noticed anything had gone. "You do get a buzz sneaking around though," he nodded, "Good training too, so many people go wandering at night, if you can slip past them all unnoticed, then it's pretty invigorating!" he beamed, taking a bite of a roll before leaning back against the chair he'd sat infront of.


"I know the feeling well, Sir, and I apologise for our own delay, but this time I assure you, we won't leave you disappointed." Dante knew well about delays and how much they could cost both ally and enemy alike. "I'll have the gang ready to move out on your word," he flashed his trademark smile before bowing respectfully.

When their talk would come to an end, Dante would take his leave as though he'd been merely enjoying the scenery, pausing to investigate another statue before wrapping his scarf closer around his neck and leaving the location.


Jessie and Tala would be already in the hall eating breakfast when their leader made his return - the sky had been overcast that morning, so they'd decided to go and eat, rather than potter around with little to do...

"Jess," Dante acknowledged her as the pair lifted their heads as he entered the room, "Gonna need a word with everyone, can you get them up?" he smiled as the female nodded before taking a seat at the head of the table as she took her leave. "Good morning, Tala." he was happy that the male had decided to stick around - it was often left up to the person themselves whether they stayed or not, Dante didn't like to force anyone to do something they didn't want to...

"What's going on?" Tala tilted his head, curiously, setting down his spoon as the male poured himself some cereal. It would take Dante a couple of minutes to reply, giving the impression he hadn't heard him, but when he did, he make direct eye contact with the youth.

"I'm currently unsure as to whether or not to let you become involved, but we've been given a second chance on a little task we were assigned and I'm gonna need the whole gang's help to pull it off." the milk wasn't exactly in reach, but with the sound of a soft purr, the black cat leapt up onto the table and nudged it closer.
Tala was starting to wonder if Dante and the cat were one in the same, but he just watched as Estel stepped into the kitchen before letting out a growl and plucking the feline from the table,

"No cats on the table!" she tossed the cat towards the sofa, not bothering to watch as it bounced into the cushions before disappearing over the back of the seat - she knew it would be fine. "People eat there, remember?" she glared at her leader before taking a seat and helping herself to cereal.

Logir and Anji would be the next to show, with a disgruntled Jesse bringing up the rear.

"Problem?" Dante tilted his head, noticing they were one short...

"Renn's says he's sick." the light-haired female scowled as she sat down, her hair looking a little dishevelled as she sat back down beside Tala, clearly she'd had something thrown in her direction as she'd attempted to awaken the sleeping male and she wasn't happy about it...

"...That's a shame." Dante dropped his gaze as though in thought, then gave a shrug and beamed back at the group, "Looks like you're coming with us after all, Tala."

He would take only moments to explain his plan, then he would ensure everyone had eaten and prepared themselves something for the journey before having them gather at the very endest of tunnels where a truck would be ready and waiting to take them up to the surface and inevitably their destination once Lord Raven gave his word.

"I've been running some extra errands for the boss...so he owes me a day or two off anyways..." Renn breathed a yawn as he sat up, reaching an arm towards the pillow he'd thrown before flopping down onto the ground with a sigh as the object remained just out of reach. He had heard nothing in the way of static, but with a reasonable depth, they would only receive half-signals unless using the equipment Dante had set up in his room... "We'll give them time to leave...then get some breakfast." He groaned as he stretched, sitting up sleepily and rubbing his eyes before eventually pushing himself to his feet.

Jesse had hoped Dante would pair her up with Tala, so when partnered with Logir, she exhaled a disgruntled sigh before accepting her boss's orders. She observed the young male from across the van, he'd found himself seated between Anji and Estel who were talking as though he wasn't there - they laughed and joked loudly whilst his head seemed bowed as though deep in thought...

"I'm excited..." Dante's voice was calm, but there was a glint in his eyes, "And yet..." he trailed off, his gaze momentarily falling upon the youth before turning back to Jesse, "You remember that computer you were so interested in last time? Try to find that again, we need to copy anything of interest as quickly as possible." Jesse locked eyes only briefly, then broke her gaze with a nod and returned her attention to Tala.

They split into pairs when they arrived, Estel and Anji launched themselves at the documents as soon as they'd infiltrated the Scientist's work space, Jesse and Logir hit the computers, scanning for anything regarding their target information and saving it all to pen-drives which would be hidden in secret pockets within their sleeves,

Dante oversaw the whole operation, but asked Tala to 'take a wander around' He guessed that although it had been explained, the male wouldn't really want to get entirely involved and so allowed him a reasonable space to 'investigate'.

There was of course that feeling of being invited along and yet left to 'stand guard' and Tala felt more than a little like a spare part awaiting use... He wandered around the room, his eyes scrutinising every corner and observing his comrades before growing bored of doing basically 'nothing' and deciding to wander a little farther.

He hadn't registered the voice immediately, but when he heard it again, he cast a glance back towards the gang before approaching the door. His hand graced the edge of the framework and he peered round into the dark, the sound of breathing and the sight of a figure making him recoil momentarily before curiosity drew him to step further inside.

Tala was understandably unsure of replying, the breathing sounded strange to him, that and the voice that followed... Once again he glanced back, but the gang seemed more than a little engrossed in copying everything about the scientist and her research... "Are you a prisoner?" That was a stupid question... he could see bars. Perhaps she was a test subject? "Can you understand me?" he strayed closer, leaving the safety of the door as he moved towards the bars, keeping a safe distance just incase whatever was inside could reach...

Back in the main room, Jesse had discovered the computer she'd located the last time and was already downloading everything she could, not everything was of much use, but she felt it necessary just incase she had missed anything.

"Try to keep everything as you found it." Dante knew it was important to remind them to cover their tracks, he had no doubt that Ritzu had a keen eye for noting changes in things deemed familiar. His eyes glanced around the room momentarily, observing his gang before falling upon the open doorway where he'd seen the youth lingering only moments beforehand. "Where's he gone...?" Dante frowned at allowing the youth to 'wander' as he'd instructed, perhaps next time he'd keep a leash on Tala so he didn't get himself in trouble...not that he was likely to get in trouble...right?

"I've scanned as much as I can," Anji caught Dante before he could advance towards the door, "Most of it's rubbish, but I'm sure if we sift through it when we're back at base, we might find something useful."

"Good, if Ritzu is as organised as I think, then there can't be much left to find, start making preparations to leave." He stepped past her and towards the door, "You in there kiddo?" He relaxed as he spotted Tala's silhouette, but tensed when his eyes lay upon the form that seemed to be struggling to control itself behind the bars, "What are you doing!?" he rushed forward, gripping hold of Tala's jacket and yanking him backwards out of reach, "Whatever it is, it's dangerous!" They were back as far as the doorway, Tala was quite stunned that Dante had grabbed him and almost lost his balance as he was dragged back...