>>6293284
What if that's just what you need?

It's wrong to call everyone down here freaks, but you feel like that is the thing. The people you passed on the way down here were filthy, uncared for, a bit unhinged. You're not any of those things. But what if this thing could help?

If you get on this stuff, like really on this stuff, you'll be stumbling around like an idiot. You've had two, three bottles of wine in a night before! It was terrible the morning after, but hey, you lived. And if that's what it takes to not be pegged as a member of the authoritarian deathsquad in a place where they'll kill you for it... shit. You might have to do the whole thing.

Besides, who is Kiikoinen to judge? Shape-shifting, club-going, IV drip needing-just how hard does he have to be going on a regular basis to personally own an IV drip? If he gets on your case over this little thing, then you do have some words for him.

Now covered mainly with your sports bra, you turn the wrapper inside out over your mouth, taking the last two. As you drop the wrapper on the ground, he doesn't seem to mind the sound. Might as well be some manner of trash that was already on the ground.

The reality of the situation hits you, hastening the beating of your heart, but it is fine. You do need to be alert for this. You can't imagine being tired here. Falling asleep. Passing out. Or deliberately staying the night.

That would be insane. Ludicrous. Only a lunatic would do that.

Or someone who somehow feels safe down here.

So what's with Lalli having a clue on etiquette downstairs?

Having people know him by some nickname, going ahead to try and kill everyone before you even get even look at them. Was it a coincidence he knew the chef, another patron of the Void club, and he ran ahead to plant an axe in his head? Bullshit. You need to press him on that at some point.

The inverted jacket's cool wet exterior-now-interior material touches your skin, but still you feel warm. You can't bring yourself to close it all the way. Your chest rises and falls. Your breaths are laden. You want to move somewhere.

Heaving breathing has caught his attention, so Lalli signs off the radio. "We'll be going dark. I'll keep in touch." Gently, he turns around and addresses you. "Fiona, are you alright? We can sit down and wait. People doing nothing raise no suspicions."

You don't know where half of these are coming from, but this is your last sober chance to speak until it wears off.
>"I'm onto you, Mister Adder. Cleaning up ahead of time? Fuck you."
>"Do you usually ask women to strip right after leaving a place to eat or is today an occasion?"
>"I want out of here and I'm half tempted to start running mad like Fahy is"
>"Think we can investigate the orphanage while the matron is out chasing our Irish boy?"
>"Where's Sumika? Sumika should have been right here. Let's find her. I want to see her."
>"We might be being followed by the kid."
>Walk right past him.

>>6291050
>>6291080
>>6291104
>>6291138
Though She doesn't exactly rationalize her stance on the children whose abuse the orphanage matron is in some way supporting, you don't imagine She wishes to give you any words on the subject.

She is here to kill you, after all.

Kiikoinen has nearly ten years of experience and he is the one telling you to run.

Regardless, the first course of action in this situation. You look at Fahy to your right and reach a silent agreement.

The thrusters on the power armor begin to fire in a constant stream capable of lifting itself out of the muck and build up speed at you. In perfect synchronization, you and Fahy twist to the left and right of the opened farm doors and slam the doors shut right in her face. She slams against the wood, shattering much of the boards, and bending the metal frame at the top holding the mechanism that lets the doors slide. This massive impact of She slamming into the doors effectively jammed it on its own.

As you take a step back to judge how well it will hold, Fahy immediately sprints to a door opposite that opens to the street and dropkicks the lock securing the door shut, breaking the wood connecting all of it. Even with the Undercroft muscle suit, him charging at the door did not do so much structural damage as to damage this door's sliding frame. In that moment, a fist effortlessly smashes through the frame, and grasps the jammed door edge from the inside, and you realize it's time to start running.

You bolt through the killing floor, sword in hand, bashing aside any obstacles in your way with the pommel of your sword. Finally, you can start picking up words on your radio. Not all of them are people you're familiar with.

One stern voice of authority believe he is in the position to give you orders. "Agents, get us visual confirmation on their face. We have several security agents with enhanced imaging software to-"
Another voice, one you are wholly unfamiliar with, chimes in. "No, we just trained them, we need hands to take down Lorppo, we are not risking it."
"If this thing has any presence on the surface as a documented citizen, will do us much better to hunt them down in dayli-"
"Katriina Jousten wants them alive! Commissioner, these agents are valuable assets, not pawns, and much less yours!"
"What the hell is this kid on?!" Chimes a third party. "Is this footage catching up from a delay?"

The moment it was found that She was on camera, your mission has gained a lot of spectators. You can't pick out your operator Hotakainen's voice in the mess, much less Kiikoinen's. Sigrun, however-

"THIS IS A LIVE MISSION CHANNEL! Keep your peanut gallery commentary out of our ears or I will have you pinned for deliberate sabotage of Stormwatch operations!"