Reconciliation

She tapped out on her phone the sentiment she carried with her the whole time.

'Yes, precisely the reason why I do not plan to socialize with you, any further.'

"Not socializin'? So fuckin' still on th'table?" By his tone it was easy to tell he was being deliberately cheeky.

'No. It's not.'

Xerxes chuffed when reading the screen, an indication he didn't quite believe the rejection would stick.

In spite of the distracting banter, the two of them did arrive at their intended destination. The large industrial service elevator was the only easy entrance to the facility they needed to get to. Testing just in case, she placed a few of the security cards she had on her person on the reader and none gave her access to the controls. As she thought it was already locked down. It would be possible to break through if that were the case but it would take time to root around with the security.

Kneeling down in front of the panel, Ketna withdrew her equipment. The model and make of the panel was the familiar one, so the process of removing access points and plugging her hack box into the ports was all very automatic. Afterward she fished a phone she had lifted off a dead body that had access to the local wifi, setting it up with a remote access that Munin could get to, to use to root around whatever that wifi connection could access. With the commotion settled and tools in place, Ketna began to compose a summary of what was going on, to catch Munin up on the rather dramatic turn of events and seek his aid with the security.

Xerxes peered over her shoulder, waiting expectantly to see if she had something to say to him. Ketna tilted the phone out of the way, when she caught him snooping, switching back to the note application she had been using to communicate with him.

'Don't read over my shoulder. Not every message is for you, I have other people I need to talk to. I'm getting assistance with the security so that we can use the elevator. With any luck even a report on the type of security we might be dealing with below.'

She presented the screen to him. His expression ran from annoyed then relaxed.

"That, that guy I hear y'talkin' to sometimes. Y'fuck him too?"

Ketna pulled her phone back with a huff but didn't bother typing out any more for Xerxes, returning to the panel and the previous activity she was working on before Xerxes required her attention. They'd lost enough time as it was, she didn't need to waste more due to his needling.

When Ketna didn't validate him with a response Xerxes began to pace. "Y'Pissed about that? It was a joke alright?"

Ketna's head turned only briefly in his direction, then back to the new message received from Munin. This needed her attention, but ignoring Xerxes was also a deliberate choice to force him to stew in the silence. The steps of him pacing back and forth quickened with each pass, increasing in distance until he couldn't stand whatever was going on in his own head and spoke out again.

"Aight fine, look I get it, y'don't trust me but if we're gonna work together I gotta know more about what you're doin' and if you're talking to someone that's a part of this, y'gotta let me in on that."

That was enough to get Ketna's attention, she turned her head enough that it was clear even with the helmet on that she was listening. This seemed to be enough to make Xerxes remain still and continue his appeal.

"How's about this, from here on out, if we're gonna kill each other, we do it one on one, no involvin' anybody else if we can help it. Truce?" Xerxes held out his hand to shake.

Ketna stared at it a moment, then turned and rose to her feet. Phone clearly in front of her so he could see her preparing to respond. It didn't take long, and when it was done, she presented it to Xerxes with her other hand under it for emphasis.

'You expect me to believe that?' The screen read.

"I don't go handin' promises to just anyone. 'Sides, the thought of anyone else but me killing ya, pisses me off."

Again, he held out his hand.

While Ketna didn't really believe his promises, Xerxes' pride in needing to be the only one to kill her was quite possibly the one element she could rely on to be honest. Ketna took Xerxes' hand and shook on it. The shake was a bit comical with her hand being only about a third the size of his own. She put pressure into as much of the hand she could, he responded in kind, a gesture she hoped reflected how seriously they regarded the pact. She withdrew her hand from the grasp that seemed to last just a bit too long to compose a reply.

'What exactly do you plan on doing if they press you for more intel about me?'

"Just tell 'em that was it, all I got. After that attempt y'were too much of a pissy bitch to let me fuck ya anymore." Xerxes made a clear direct dig at Ketna's earlier claim.

Ketna gave a weezed huff in place of a laugh, composing another concern.

'You think they'll buy that, even though they might clearly see us working together on this?'

"Eh, wouldn't be the the first time I worked together with someone I don't fuck anymore."

'And they won't see that as a betrayal?'

Xerxes huffed. "Like any of us haven't undercut one another before, that's business, they know that. Anyone one-a-them would do what I've done. They had their chance, they fucked up, I'm just takin' the opportunity as I see it presented to me." Xerxes glanced up, Ketna thought maybe he caught sight of someone new but no one was there.

"Wouldn't even be here if he hadn't a moved in On My FUCKIN' TERRITORY!" Xerxes' voice raised into shouting the further on he spoke, looking up and shouting out at one one in particular as though the owner of the facility would hear him if he just shouted enough at it.

Kenta didn't compose anything more to say to Xerxes, turning away from him to indicate the end of that thought. Checking her messages, Munin had made a breakthrough on what they needed in the time that conversation took place. The elevator's panel lit and the door opened to their entry.

Ketna quickly typed out the next set of instructions for Xerxes before he went ahead of her.

'Elevator is ours but we're not going down just yet, waiting for more intel on what we're dealing with below.'

"So, you got a team or something?" Xerxes gestured to the phone, trying to pick back up where he had been snubbed on previously.

Even after shaking on the promise to not kill each other, Ketna couldn't help but be wary of the idea of providing him any information on Munin. She held the phone in her hand for a while, mulling on how to approach it, while Xerxes kept careful eye on her, eventually making a gesture like 'well?'. He settled when Ketna finally began to type.

'No, not a team, just one person. A friend that keeps track of the net and data side of things while I'm out in the field. And no, we don't fuck, never have.'

"So, what, it's just you and this guy?" Xerxes gestured to the phone after reading it.

'More or less' the answer was mostly true.

"So what's the More?"

'More than you need to know for this specific operation.'

Xerxes' read it with a 'Tch, before speaking up with a question. "And what's this Operation about anyway, haven't even told me what you're doing here."

Ketna held up a pointed finger to indicate 'One Moment', turning away so she could check the progress on the Elevator and read the string of new intel Munin was sending her. He had limited access to their security, not enough to get to the cameras, but communications informed him that they were indeed running a barricade below. With a better picture of what they were dealing with, Ketna began drafting up the very long response that would answer his question and establish what to expect going forward.

'I'm here to rescue all the people they coerced or kidnapped for testing. I'll release them and provide them safe passage out. My plan was originally going to be to make my way in without detection, get to the holding chambers, take out any necessary guards and move them for as far as I could without alarm. But that's been disrupted somewhat. I don't think they know I'm here for the abductees but there will be a lot more security to fight through, regardless.

Since there's no way I'd be able to use the service elevator to get back out, even if I was able to carry out the plan I had initially, I'll need to escort the group to the loading docs they use for machine transport, commandeer one or more of the vehicles large enough to transport the group and use their own tunnels to brute-force my way out. Their large shipment transports are out but they should still have some vans available.'

For a brief instance, Ketna felt something around her, like something looming over her, she turned her head to catch sight of what she felt, but by the time she had Xerxes in her periphery she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Thinking nothing of it, she went back to composing.

'We won't know till we go down just how bad it is. But once we get an idea of what we're dealing with and the kind of security they have, we'll need to split up. I'll need you to keep the opposition busy, so that I can be clear to take care of the victims. If you're serious about working with me, then I'll need you to help me.'

Once completed, Ketna held up the phone. Upon noticing there was much more text than usual, Xerxes walked up closer to get a better read of the screen and scroll through it. The subtle muscles that made up what could be considered a brow furrowed, then relaxed as he read the entirety of the message.

"So clear th' way out while you escort a bunch of cripples?"

She nodded.

"How you plannin' on keepin' in touch seeing' as y'can't use your voice?"

'Text. My contact will keep in touch with you, he'll be able to send updates about either of our situations while we're unable to communicate.'

As Ketna composed her response, Munin sent in more information about the facility and its operations. When Xerxes finished reading what she presented to him, Ketna motioned for Xerxes to follow her onto the elevator while she wrote out the details of what they were going to be dealing with and the plan she was formulating. Absent-mindedly she handed him her phone to read it once she finished, while she gathered her tools and went to retrieve the two raid shields she had made the effort to drag over, earlier.

'My contact will be sending you details about the layout and what to expect. The maps will have the points of interest clearly marked, where they're keeping the abductees, where we'll need to be transferring them to, guard locations, weapons storage, and other useful tips. He'll keep you up to date on the movement in the facility and any changes in their security as well as my own status if necessary.

As I feared they've already got a blockade around the entrance where this elevator lets out. But apart from that, they haven't fortified much else. I don't think they've figured out what either of us are here for which means if you can keep them distracted I should be able to get the abductees to the transport without too much interference. Word on their communications has it that they've called back one of their robotics transports for backup, they confirmed with a forty five minute ETA, all the more reason to get this over with as soon as possible.

The shields I got will give us some cover but I don't think I need to explain to you that we need to get out of that hallway ASAP. We can cook a couple grenades before the doors open to give us some cover and move after that. I'll go in fast and close to draw their fire, that should prevent them from firing rockets like before. When you're in a good spot, I'll slip away in the middle of the fight and find the abductees and get them ready for transport.'

As she completed her task, Ketna was hit with the awareness that she had handed Xerxes her whole phone with no restrictions and was quick to take it back.

"Wasn't snoopin' sheesh." Xerxes relinquished it back to her without a fight.

From what she could tell, he was honest about that, nothing about the phone's apps appeared to have changed. With her phone back in hand and both of them stocked up as much as they could be, she slammed the button down on the elevator to start their descent.

"So you were plannin' on doing this on your own. How were you 'spose to do all this if you're impaired?" While he waited for Ketna to compose her response, he checked his own phone to see what had been sent to him.

'The plan was to get in quiet, unnoticed. I wouldn't have had to deal with all of this if I was by myself. I'd have ample time to deal with my symptoms because no one would know I was there to take advantage of it. I'd be in and on my way out before they even knew what happened, would even have time to override any automated security if needed. Everyone still thinks I'm dead so they wouldn't have been prepared for it.'

Xerxes' subtle brows raised followed by a shrug of acceptance, looking back to his own phone.

"'Spose that'd work." His' voice trailed off, glancing over what he had received. The subtle dent of brow furrowed then raised, while he continued to read through the new information. "You work with this level of intel normally or this just a fluke?"

'About that much, sometimes more.' Ketna answered.

"That 'splains a lot..." Xerxes muttered before putting his phone back in exchange for grenades.

They had mere seconds before the elevator settled, both of them stayed clear of the center of the elevator as it settled into place, raid shields at the ready while the doors parted to the ambush in front of them.

Bullets rang out the moment the doors started to part, suppressive fire to attempt to get a lucky shot in and reduce their choices. Along with it, the wind up whirring sound of a mobile automated turret could be heard mixed with the fire. The raid shields provided the temporary cover they needed while out in the open with no cover, but they had only mere seconds to act with the opening doors and change the tide of their predicament.

Xerxes was the first to move, tossing the hand grenades he had let cook as soon as the doors parted enough to facilitate his toss. Guards dashed from their cover, but many did not get far before the two blasts went off. When the explosives were no longer a problem for her, Ketna made her move. Some guards in the back took shots at her but between her movement speed and their disorientation from the blasts, no hit landed.

Out in the open, Ketna didn't have much time to act before the group recovered from the grenades. But she didn't need much time. Going for the highest priority to ensure Xerxes would be able to move, Ketna made a dash for the mobile turret that had been planted further down the hall. By the time the gunner had been able to react to her presence, it was already too late.

Tossing the raid shield expertly to deal with a nearby support Ketna leapt over the turret, landing deliberately on the gunner. Feet around her head she twisted and yanked, snapping the gunner's neck on the spot. This left her hands free to drive her knife into the first guard that came to her aid. A kick sent another one flying before Ketna stepped onto the ground. Fending off anyone else that attempted to stop her, Ketna kicked the mobile turret around. Guards scattered and regrouped to avoid the turret's new targets.

While Ketna was busy with this, Xerxes had already made his move. Taking out the automated turret in the ceiling was fast and easy, taken care of while Ketna had first moved out. When she took care of the mobile turret, he ditched the riot shield so he could make full use of the assault rifles he had carried with him from the last encounter. As Ketna used the turret as suppressive fire, Xerxes picked off anyone that got too close from the sides she didn't have covered. In seconds they had gone from cornered, to forcing the guards back to cover.

Xerxes regrouped with Ketna, taking a quick look at their surroundings before he spoke.

"You got those cripples to get right? I got this."

Ketna nodded, quickly leaping from the gunner's seat to slip away and retrieve what it was she came there for.

Some part of her felt guilty leaving Xerxes behind to take care of the bulk of the blockade on his own. It wasn't so much that she was worried about him, it was her underlying sense of responsibility that tugged at her. But he knew exactly what he was getting into and seemed to be enjoying himself. Objectively he had the easier task, she was the one that was going to have to convince a bunch of scared, potentially injured, scared, or tortured people to leave in an organized fashion.

Ketna made her way quickly through the halls, avoiding camera detection so as not to alert the guard to her location. Non-combatants were either making b-lines for the few known exits or bunkering down in the rooms that provided reinforced doors, but the halls leading to the medical wing were lacking in any security. Exactly the result she was hoping for. It was good she was no longer engaged in the fight, as she felt the flare up of her latent symptoms cause a haze, but an easy one to deal with, with no combatants.

The doors to the medical wing were sealed when Ketna reached them at last, but the one of the cards she swiped off the fallen security earlier took care of that. Most of the staff that would have been there seemed to have made a run for it already, as there was no one cowering or running when she opened the door. Quick area analysis told her there were bodies further in but they were all clustered and reclined in a way that indicated they were all likely patients. All the medical staff had left the patients alone and unattended in the wake of an invasion. Whatever stage of test they were in, they had likely been deemed unimportant enough to be expendable.

Suspecting the patients were scared and on edge from the commotion, Ketna made her entry into the room slow, not too sudden. The moment the door opened there were sounds of startled jumps and whispering between one another. When her frame finally stepped into view a few screamed, some already held up their hands or began to plead, but Ketna held up both her own hands high in the air. Once they noticed she had no weapon pointed at them the tension began to fall.

When the group began to quiet enough to know they may be in a space to communicate, Ketna cautiously dropped her hands to her sign so that she could sign an inquiry to the group.

'Anyone know ASL?'

A confused hush washed over the room, those that were still scared were confused but the change was enough to get them to drop their guard. There was a pause before one in the group looked around a subtle expression that hinted to anxiety before they sheepishly began to sign back their understanding.

Kenta was relieved that at least one person knew, using a phone took up so much time and with a group it would be both difficult and potentially dangerous given the lack of time they had.

'I can hear, I just can't talk.' Ketna tapped at the rather visible injury on her neck.

"O-oh-" The volunteer still appeared very uncertain.

'I need your help to translate for the others'

"So you need me to.. Talk to everyone for you?"

Ketna nodded visibly. She sensed some anxiety from the one person that understood her but she hoped the urgency of the situation would motivate them to continue assisting.

'I'm here to escort all of you out of here.'

"They-.. They say they're here to get us out?" The interpreter's voice inflected shock as they spoke the announcement.

The patients in the room all spoke in a range of scared and excited acknowledgement that they were meant to be broken out of this place.

"How the fuck are we supposed to get out, the moment we leave the wing this'll fry us." One of them pointed to the collar around their neck, which all the other patients clearly had as well.