[Takes place 4~5 days after Road of Memories]
"Sir, a large creature has tripped six of the motion sensors"
"What...do...you mean a large creature? Does it have pink hair...?"
"Accessing visuals...accessed. Sentient being, woman, 6'10, 476 lbs, pink hair, missing left arm..." she slowly turns her head to look at him, "She's opening the large hatch."
"And we are going to die soon. She's literally going to come down here and kill us. I hope you enjoyed living as long as you did." His face had gone completely pale and was now clacking away at his keyboard, trying to pull up his article on Arno. He rubbed his head, and temporarily locked the door to the lab. Not that he expected it to help.
Anastasia slowly stood up from her sitting position, still connected through her DNI, "Would you like me to scan her, sir? I can try and pinpoint if there is any weakness for us to act on." her speech was faster than normal, clearly trying to relay the information she was getting visually from the cameras while she also started to cross-reference the visual with any files online. Managing to pull up the warrant, she ignored the string of papers, realizing that her innate curiosity would probably not be a good thing. "Hatch open, Moira has landed on the base floor. She has gone the opposite direction."
"Opposite direction..." he tapped his face. "Oh, her tunnels went that direction. Hail her on the intercom. It's worse if she wastes her time. Please, do not bother scanning her. She is an ally. I don't know for how long." he sucked in a deep breath and started pouring another cup of coffee. A lot of his time was spent making sure vic's vitals were stable, learning about Anastasia, and looking up news on Arno.
Nodding, she closed her eyes and spoke, both from her physical body and over the intercom. "Miss Moira, you are requested in the lab post haste." Anastasia spoke in a plain, easy to hear voice, one that was much different from the one she was originally speaking in when they found her. Though, her voice would fluctuate between lacking emotion and full of it - same with her own personality. Opening her eyes, she walked as far as the DNI would allow her, the cords short, but not painfully short, as she was allowed to get a decent distance away from the wall. She was going to alert Michael that Moira was tripping the sensors in her wake, but he would know that.
Heavy footfalls echoing through the hallways of the base, clearly struggling to keep her emotions in check, Moira quickly made her way to the door of the Lab - expecting it to either be open or open on it's own when she arrived. A twinge of anger welled up in her as she saw it was closed, locked even, and she slammed her hand against it.
As a loud, echoing thump came from the door, the metalwork of it crumpling inward as it managed to sustain at least one hit from Moira, Anastasia unhooked herself from the wired network and placed herself between the door and Michael, letting her hands fall to her side as she awaited for Moira to open the door. With another loud THUMP, the door fell open with a painfully loud screech, falling to the floor with a thud.
"Anastasia, please, step aside. If she wishes physical harm on me, that's my punishment for our failure." He took a deep drink from the hot coffee, wincing, but feeling his face numb a little. "What brings you back so early, Moira?" He questioned, somewhat pretending to be oblivious to the fact that Arno did not exist in this base. There was a steady hum and beeping from the back of the room where he'd been keeping Vic. He was already analyzing the cost to the door. He meant to unlock it, but hopefully Moira had gotten some of her aggression out with the door. He remembered the last time when she'd gone berserk, and there was no shark to protect him from her.
Anastasia refused to move from between Michael and Moira, keeping her hands at her side, she smiled up at the much taller meta and bowed slightly, "Greetings, Miss Moira." she said simply, not even flinching when Moira spoke up.
"Where is he?" Moira asked, eyes narrowing as she quickly shifted her sight from the strange not human - meta? - in front of her to Michael, a very unamused, angry, and distressed look on her face. "He always answers his phone, where. is. he.? " she snapped, taking a couple steps forward, walking past Anastasia and towards Michael, clenching and unclenching her hand as if trying to get her anger under control. She was struggling with it, the fury just under the surface and it was clear, but she barely seemed in control of it.
Michael put his hands up in defense. "The mission went horribly wrong Moira. " he explained, starting to stammer. "It was supposed to be in and out, grab Vic and two other meta, then teleport out, but the systems came back on to soon, and the building collapsed and I lost sight of Arno as I was teleporting. The authorities have been all over the site and construction workers were finally allowed to clear the rubble." He pointed to the computer, and article pulled up in a scene where a large shark man had eaten a construction worker.
Still clenching her hand as she listened to Michael speak, her eyes narrowed a bit more when he mentioned Vic. Feeling the name pull at her heartstrings, wanting to interrupt him and ask about her husband, but she wasn't that angry to interrupt. Looking over to the computer and quickly skimming the article, her eyes locked onto the picture that was presented - granted it was blurry because of the gore - but there was an image. Taking in a deep breath and slowly letting it out, it was clear that part of her panic, fear, and anger was starting to subside. He was still alive . "He's...he's alive. G-good.." Moira slowly brought a shaky hand up to run it through her hair, her messy mass of hair that looked like she hadn't taken care of it in a couple days. Taking in another breath and letting out a sigh, she looked back to Michael. "You mentioned Vic, what about him?" She asked.
Anastasia watched the interaction, slowly turning around and walking back over to where the DNI ports were. Settling down in a spot near them, she started to hook herself back up to the system.
Michael let out a held breath, looking over at Anastasia and biting his lip. "Yes..." he pointed behind himself. "Just...be prepared....he's worse for the wear Moira. " he gulped and took a few steps back to reveal Vice behind a curtain, hooked up to machines.
He was relieved that just seeing a picture of Arno calmed Moira down a bit. He noted that to make sure if he needed that defense in the future.
Tensing up when she saw Vic, Moira hesitated from running over, slowly walking over to her husband and sitting down next to the bed. Taking in another breath, she seemed to be doing her best to not let her emotions show, but it was difficult with everything going on. With Arno at least alive and not dead - but out in the world somewhere - and Vic finally with her again, she was struggling with a variety of emotions. "They... did so much to him.." Moira whispered as she shakily brought a hand up to brush against Vic's cheek, a small frown on her lips.
Anastasia looked over to Vic and Moira, feeling a twinge of pain, but she figured that Moira deserved to know. "Vic Jessue has sustained several injuries thanks to Haven Operatives. Loss of wings via torture and experimentation..." soon she listed the entire list of what had happened to him, though the last item got Moira to slowly look up.
"The larynx..?" She asked softly, slowly turning to look at the scar across her husband's throat.
"The voice box, ma'am. He can no longer speak." Anastasia said in a matter of fact tone.
"Anastasia, some sympathy would do you well to learn in your voice." Michael turned back to look at her, ashamed of her for the moment and then bit his lip. "She's been without her husband for twenty five years." He shook his head and leaned on the wall. He'd let her have some time with the unconscious Vic for now. He pulled the sheet, unsure what was about to happen and toyed with the fabric.
"Sorry Anastasia. I know you don't mean it like that, you're just giving her the information she seeks. But you will learn that different minds, work differently and we must find our approach if we are to communicate without error.”
Anastasia looked over to Michael and frowned a little, bowing her head a bit, "Sorry, sir." her voice seemed quiet at that and fell silent, now deciding to focus her own curiosity on files that she had been trying to seek out for her own heart. Ones that she needed to find, a nagging feeling in the back of her head.
Moira just stared at Vic as she was told all of the information, the last one still sinking in before she slowly brought her hand up to her mouth and sucked in a breath, sobbing slightly as it finally hit her. He would never be able to sing again, she'd never be able to hear his voice ever again . "H-he'...I.." she stammered, just looking down at her husband, tears starting to stream down her face as she finally allowed herself to be vulnerable.
Michael stepped away, starting to hear the sobbing and returned to his coffee cup, feeling awkward about the situation. "and..now...the shark..." he kicked his feet up and scrolled through some things. "Anastasia...is there any more information on capture or whereabouts of Arno? He's the shark we lost. Currently trying to keep two sources from killing me." he sipped his coffee again, rolling thoughts around in his head. Undyne would have him shot, Moira was literally squeeze the life out of him.
Anastasia seemed to click softly as she shifted her attention from her own personal searches, the background noise of the base surveillance humming as white noise to her. Everyone else was quiet, for the most part, and another section was keeping track of the vitals of Vic. As she scoured the net, her eyes shifting from side to side as she looked, she eventually spoke up again, "I am only finding more articles about what we already know, sir. I have not found any information on Arno the Shark that is more recent than this, though there have been several people sending in calls about seeing him to local forces and mercenary groups."
Michael sucked in a breath and poured another cup of coffee. He sipped on it and sighed. "Continue to monitor that if any new articles are posted or confirmed." He looked over where Vic and Moira would be. "I've got Anastasia continuing to search articles for Arno. What's your plan?" He questioned, trying to not sound heartless.
"Confirmed." Anastasia said quickly and closed her eyes, sinking into Data Jacking mode, her body relaxing into a much more calm looking state. If one listened close enough, they would be able to hear her rambling off a variety of numbers and letters.
Moira looked over to Michael, wiping her eyes a bit and sniffling a little, trying to calm herself so she could speak. "I'll go out..looking for him in a couple days.. I.." she paused, brows furrowing as she looked down to Vic, "I want to make sure that he's alright before I leave again..." she let out a shaky sigh.
"He will be fine in my care. I won't fail a second time. I've been monitoring him since we got him. If I have to, I'll send you updates of his vitals while you are out. I think I've done enough damage." He ran a pencil across a piece of paper and tapped softly. He took a deep breath and let out the air again. "Just let us know and we will update as we get information."
Listening to Michael, she soon nodded, but leaned over to gently kiss Vic on the lips before she stood up, placing her own hand over his left where the wedding band was. "I'll... .." Moira paused, thinking a bit, "I'll leave tomorrow morning. I need to at least rest. I drove from Sanctuary without much rest.."
Michael nodded. "Your room is how you left it." He poured over notes and the computer. When she arrived in the room, Arno's journal would be hastily left open on the bed, as if he ran off in a hurry
Nodding, she headed back to the room she had been sharing with Arno, stopping and hesitating when she saw the journal. Sitting down on the bed, she picked it up and read the most recent entry. As she read it, her expression changed, and she read it again, soon crying again as she held it close to her. Eventually, she fell asleep on the bed, curled around a pile of pillows and blankets that faintly smelled of him.
