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Angela	The Thumb and the Index and their subsidiaries (the ones that remain) have been particularly quiet since they were fended off from the Saint's Warehouse and the conflict has dulled into a simmer. This is a problem for Angela, of course, whom benefits from conflict feeding people to her Library, but it's been a nice break all told. Work at Trídéag continues as normal, expanding its neighborhood slowly outward even as the Library's roots dig both deeper into the earth and across the District. More offices are signing on as ancillary offices onto the Association including the Streetlight Office and Yun's Office, but the dread uncertainty of whether Xiao, the Iron Lady, will commit their she and those loyal to her to Trídéag remains. This isn't to say there hasn't been news, however, Xiao has sent word through Mei, the Liu Association representative to Trídéag, that she's moving slowly so as to not alert the Association president to Lilian's offer. Pete's network of Rats doesn't reach outside of District 12, but Pete's ended up as a sort of unofficial leader of the Rats in the area and has been using them as an extra set of eyes and ears that most of the threats facing Trídéag find invisible. Lei Heng hasn't been seen since his defeat. It's safe to say he is paying some sort of penance until the Thumb decides to throw him at Trídéag again and the Index hasn't seen fit to pick a fight since, still focused on its conflict with The Thumb. It's through Pete's Rats that Trídéag gets notified that Lulu and Mars from the former Streetlight Office--and now officially affiliates of Trídéag--seem to left for an evening meeting but haven't returned to their residence yet. And investigation turns up little all the way through until 3:13 AM when the 'Night of the Backstreets' hits. The Night of the Backstreets, despite the innocuous name, is the period between 3:13 AM and 4:14 AM where the Sweepers roam the streets. The Sweeps come in three waves, the first at 3:13 AM, the second starts around 3:33 AM and the last begins around 3:53 and ends around 4:14 AM. There's about ten minutes between each 'wave' as well. While The Trídéag neighborhood hasn't had to deal with the Sweepers for some time, designated as official residences through the tireless effort of the bureaucratically inclined, the whisper of fear that accompanies talk of The Sweepers is similar to the way people might whisper of the Head itself. Pete and Ceri are staying up late, checking in on their various contacts to try and see if any clue might come up and it's ultimately Ceri checking in with the Liu Association that reveals something: The Dawn Office reported they were going to be meeting with members of the Streetlight Office to have a discussion regarding the Library, but something must have held them up because they haven't checked in. Fortunately, the Liu would love if someone could go out and confirm whether they're alive or dead and while the Sweepers don't leave behind bodies, the clothes of their victims are left behind. The good news: The Dawn Office was intending to meet in an abandoned neighborhood not too far from Trídéag's previously called The Brick by virtue of it being a real solid brick of L Corp affiliated Office buildings and Harthmitton School, an educational facility meant for building children up into trained and loyal employees of the Wing itself. If Trídéag can make it between the Waves, bunker down and endure one, and then make it back before the last one starts it should be possible to confirm the situation with the Dawn Office and make it back in time to avoid the Third Wave.
Angela	The fog emanating from the Library is more evident in the evening, filling the streets and making it that much more difficult to see what's what and where one's going. Even with as how big as the District is, the spooky vibes continue to expand outward even in areas where the Library hasn't officially or evidently grown out into. If one hurries, it's only a few minutes to get to The Brick, which Elites might have ways to speed up. There are no Sweepers roaming in this small period of peace before the next Wave, and there's no bodies to be seen, though the shaggy remains of a torn shirt--as if it had been punctured--and some ripped jeans can soon be spotted just lying on the side of the street. It's drenched, as if it had fallen into a pool, and reeks like something spoiled. Some quick investigation reveals scorched marks--a telltale sign of Liu-affiliated weaponry--leading to a garage door that has a hole burnt and sliced through it, enough to fit one person at a time. It'd make sense for anyone trying to endure the Night in the Backstreets intact to try and filter the Sweepers into a manageable state. They must be inside, though whether this gamble paid off is still unknown. The only Trídéag operatives who can probably reliably handle moving through the Night of the Backstreets without being a hindrance are Joanna the former Silver Flash and Ceri though it's your choice as to whether you took either of them along. Ceri is exhausted but you know she likes to see this through and Joanna is simply eager to please her new employer.
Riku Asakura	Riku walks through the fog-strewn streets late at night.  He's been told about the sweepers and how dangerous they can be.  Of course, if it weren't for people in trouble, or potentially in trouble, he wouldn't be out here throwing himself into danger.  He's got his Trideag uniform on and is yawning as he makes his way through the streets.   Riku notices the torn shirt and jeans, and nearly retches the moment he gets near them, thanks to how spoiled they smell.  He manages to keep his composure, however, and look around.  He notices the burn marks and calls people over to them.   "I think this might be of note," Riku indicates, and with others sees the garage door with the hole burnt in it. "Do you think they managed to get inside?" he asks those around him.  Slowly walking towards the hole.  He doesn't poke his head in because that's asking to get shot in the face.   "Lulu?  Mars?  You inside there?" he asks, knocking on the door.
Sarracenia	As soon as Sarracenia heard it was Lulu and Mars in trouble, she rushed to answer the call. There is an added bonus of helping the Liu. Xiao left quite a favorable impression on the princess, as did most of those she trained with in the Liu bootcamp.      Sarra took just enough time to get into her Trideag uniform before heading out. Unfortunately, she is not going to ask Ceri or Joanna to come along. She's not good about asking for help in the first place, much less from people who might have a questionable opinion of her. She follows close after Riku, and has a similar reaction to the ripped clothing and that terrible stench.      After Riku calls out, Sarra joins in. "If you are, please say something! Lulu? Mars?" she calls out, voice tinged with worry. If those two have gotten killed now after they made it through so much the princess is going to be very angry!
Petra Soroka	Lulu and Mars have been working as an Associate Office for Trideag ever since the near fairy-tale success of Lulu's tantrum at headquarters. For a Grade 7 office, they've put out pretty respectable work-- neither wants to venture back into the Library without a whole organized mission, but under the Director's allowance, there's been a handful of disproportionately lucrative contracts involving the information gained from within, mixed in with a steady flow of low-level work.     Gone are the days of Lulu stomping around the office complaining about how few contracts they get. Under Trideag's wing, they're hard at work daily, building District 12 back up from its collapse. A not-inconsiderable amount of that payout has gone into Lulu insisting on getting a baseball bat version of the type-13, because she just can't do swords.     However rowdy Lulu might be, she has the same healthy fear of the Sweepers as anyone who grew up in the Backstreets does. Not to mention, she and Mars almost never act without being a pair, and her more savvy companion certainly wouldn't risk skimming the Night so closely. However they ended up stranded at this time of night, it probably wasn't by choice-- whether that's because of an ambush from the Dawn Office that hired them, or any number of other tragedies that can befall someone at a moment's notice in the City, it's impossible to say.     Walking through the neighborhood between waves, it almost looks peaceful. Some say that the reason the Sweepers exist is to clean bodies and weapons left over from the sordid business done after dark, wiping them away as if they never happened before the sun rises again. So, it's likely that this is the 'cleanest' the City ever gets.     There's not one other person walking around, because only lunatics are on the streets during the Night. Chain link fences rattle, and the offices all have their windows busted out, but this atmosphere feels almost like a ghost town, rather than the aftermath of a disaster you all know. "Lulu? Mars? You inside there?" "If you are, please say something! Lulu? Mars?"     In response to the sudden noise, there's a strangled shriek from inside the garage. Lulu's scruffy head pokes out, scruffier with a layer of soot and jamlike sticky gunk settled on her face and hair, which almost obscures that she's sheet-pale. Her eyes widen upon seeing them, and the bat in her hand trembles in a mix of surprise, tension, and exhaustion. Then she makes a wordless noise and scrambles out of the garage bunker, wrapping her arms around Sarracenia and giddily laughing.     "Ah! Ahahaha! N-no way! You're all crazy! Ain't it still *Night*?!"     Her voice is rough and scratchy, and raising her volume makes her cough. She's battered all over, not just from the jammy half-dried Sweeper goop, but with little penny-sized holes punched through her jacket too. After that moment of delirious relief, she gets very very scared again, and practically drags Riku and Sarracenia and whoever else back into the shelter.     "Mars! Salvador! Philip!" The air inside the garage is sooty too, low enough on oxygen to be anxiety inducing. There's no light, but when your eyes adjust, there's the familiar white-haired Fixer alongside some nerd with glasses, the former less wounded than the latter but still struggling.     "The Association's here!"     Mars' chunky rectangular sword, rather than its typical weird streel gradient, is stark white monochrome, with black lines running through it, from what little of it isn't covered in vivid red fluid. He's expertly rolling up and stuffing absorbant material into what could only be a bullet wound in his side, when he looks up. "What?"
Rita Ma	Going out at night just to chow down on some Sweepers has seemed gauche and pointlessly dangerous, but Rita's at least a little excited for the chance.      From everything she's heard, Sweepers are a plague on the City. If she can steer them, loosen that grip- even if only locally, or even if only a little- it's important to know, right?      She rings up Joanna to come along- unlikely to freak out about Rita doing something gruesomely monstrous, as a bonus- and then picks her way through the streets with a near-anxious reserved demeanor, wearing crisp Foundation-y tans and monochromes for a somber-seeming mission.      She crouches next to the jeans, holding her breath in expectation they'll smell like blood; lifts them with a finger; winces in disgust when she realizes they smell like something else, and drops them. Blugh.      "I know they're strong, but... people just let them rampage through the streets like this?" Rita murmurs uneasily as the group moves. Back home, someone would at least try fighting the monsters sweeping through town, no matter how dumb that is!      (She, of course, can gallop at highway speeds, but the idea of leaving slower allies behind in a place like this bothers her.)      Nodding anxiously to Riku and Sarra as they call out, Rita shimmers invisible and steps through the sliced-up doorway herself ahead of them. If there are friendlies inside, she might give them a bit of a scare at worst; if there aren', better to find out now.
Lilian Rook	Having left Ceri to handle affairs much more than usual on her honeymoon, which wasn't that long ago, Lilian has given her half-days starting two weeks after coming back, and a couple of two day weekends (which barely exist in the City) since. As such, this is still Ceri's 'recovery period', and Lilian doesn't want to drag her out for something like this. Joanna however, is someone still in the process of 'proving herself', and even if her Colour status is somewhat washed up, Lilian wouldn't not trust her on the Backstreets after seeing her performance against the Index before.     Ten minutes isn't exactly a wide window. Lilian would prefer thirty. It's still basically thirty for her, personally, but this isn't solely about her. It'll be less than ten for Lulu and Mars no matter what. Throwing on her Director's coat and and dress clothes with plate carry for the first time in what feels like ages, Lilian skips the elevator and is out the door through the roof access as soon as word is sent back.     'Do you think they managed to get inside?'     "If Mars has died again I'll drag them both back from the grave so I can kill them again myself." Lilian mutters, obviously worried, or she wouldn't sound so fussy about it. If they've funneled the Sweepers with Liu assistance, ten minutes isn't an unrealistic length of time to hold out . . ." Unfortunately, being directed to them by divination could very well be directing her to their remains. She has to know.     'Ah! Ahahaha! N-no way! You're all crazy! Ain't it still *Night*?!'     Lilian restrains 'oh thank god', and just barely conceals most of her relieved sigh. She can't afford to look that sappy in front of her Fixers; that mortal really. Lilian increases her pace, looks at the hole in the garage door, decides she isn't crawling through that, and uses both magic and a little sauce to appear on the other side of it, as if it wasn't there.     "Salvador?" is the first thing she says, eyebrow up. "Who's Philip? A friend of yours? Or an unlucky companion." Once she looks around, the glasses guy is obviously him, but the question stands. Seeing Mars' injury, her next words are "Status report." with an implicit 'Now.' after.     'What?'     "Oh good. You'd be in so much trouble if you went and died again." says Lilian. "Good work holding out this long. We'll take things from here."     'I know they're strong, but... people just let them rampage through the streets like this?'     "I imagine it's a matter of nobody knowing how to exterminate them all, like roaches. But I do sometimes think 'Really? You people live like this?' on what they take for granted."     Dwelling on that, she turns back around to Mars and Lulu, and finally asks "Where the hell have you been? Explain quickly."
Rita Ma	Lulu's scruffy head pokes out      And she bonks into Rita entering, or nearly does. "Ah--! I'm sorry!" says a suspiciously soft-solid nothing in front of her, shimmering into view as an apparently-average blonde girl with both hands raised apologetically.      "You're, um, Mars? No, Lulu?" Darn it. City names...      Rita wrinkles her nose again as she steps inside, against the scent of blood and the sooty air both, and swallows drool before holding up a softly-glowy hand, illuminated from the inside. "Right. I can stabilize people, if anyone's in serious condition. Who's hurt the worst?" she says, matching herself to Lilian's businesslike tone.      "But I do sometimes think 'Really? You people live like this?'"      While she moves where they direct her: "Yeah. I guess people can get used to anything if they have to, Ms. Rook." She says that as if living on a rusty boat wasn't first nature to her for most of her life.
Angela	Actually, Joanna has a pretty positive opinion of Sarracenia if only because she dove into the Great Lake in order to rescue Matilda. Ceri is certainly at 'Complicated' but that is better than her deciding to challenge her to a duel and glaring at her whenever she saw her. She's trying to be professional at least. Yuna of the Dawn Office is minding the office which means it's just Salvador and Philip. Salvador is an old man with white hair and a well manicured mustache. He isn't dressed particularly fancily, he has a black suit and a grey duster coat. He has three swords on him, one on his back nearly the length of his entire body, and two at his side. Even at a glance it's easy to tell their presence has become second nature to him. Philip is a younger man who wears a similarly colored coat, only has one sword, and wears glasses. He does seem to be a guy who can be summarized as 'some nerd with glasses' no matter how many times you meet him. He has that kind of aura to him. He's also got an injured leg that's probably the big reason they've been stuck here. Salvador has some injuries as well, mostly cuts here and there, and he's splattered in that foul Sleeper fluid. He's breathing heavier than normal but if he survived one Wave of Sweepers like this, it's not totally unreasonable for him to hope to survive two more even if it's hardly a sure thing. If he really wanted to survive, it would've been best to leave his wounded companion behind. But he's not that type of guy. Maybe at his age, it's just easier to make that calculation, or maybe he was always like this. "Careful friends... The breaks between waves are approximately timed apart, it is not an exact science." Salvador says. ''I know they're strong, but... people just let them rampage through the streets like this?'' "An individual Sweeper is strong enough, but the real problem is the numbers." Joanna tells Rita. "More to the point, they aren't even satisfying to kill. You take one down, six more take their place, and they never never seem to run out of numbers." She would come around if Rita asked let alone Rita and Lilian. And while Ceri protests at being left behind, that's her old Cinq nature talking and she ultimately relents to get some rest. She trusts Lilian to get the job done, of course. Lilian saved her under not too disimilar circumstances after all. If they can be saved, she believes they'll be saved. Joanna doesn't keep talking to Rita as she vanishes though. And indeed, Rita will be the first to find the presence of more bodies. Sort of. No bodies actually, but there are more sets of clothes that reek unpleasantly even to her, splattered in fluid. They look like uniforms of both the Index and the Thumb. That explains the bullet wounds, at least. Sweepers don't use guns, and might explain some of the scratches too--Sweepers can cut, of course, but they prefer impalement and...
Angela	Joanna's situational awareness hasn't fully recovered from her period of being a drunk washout so she misses the uniforms--and before she can find them, she spots Mars and Lulu. "Salvador?? And shit, you're Aegis's kid! At this rate you'll be reaching for a Color in a few years, huh? But it's reckless to be out this late, even for--" "We were ambushed, I'm afraid. Index and the Thumb. Fortunately they were as preoccupied with hurting one another as they were with us." Salvador says. ''Where the hell have you been? Explain quickly.'' "I was the one who asked them out here." Salvador admits. "Though it wasn't intended to be such a long meeting." Philip stares up at the ceiling, focusing on breathing. "Can we... do we have time to get out of here now?" ''Ah--! I'm sorry!'' Salvador startles, hand moving to his sword, but then he eases up quickly enough. "Miss Rita, you've come to our aid once again. I'm in your debt. Philip here is hurt, I've bound the wound but I can't move him to a safe haven fast enough to escape the next Waves." Philip's eyes widen and he squeaks a little upon realizing Rita's present. He's a little scared of her but he does make SOME effort to not make a complete ass of himself.
Riku Asakura	Lulu's head pokes out from the hole, and Riku looks surprised that it's Lulu and not some monster.  Riku's face brightens, especially as Lulu embraces Sarracenia.  A relief passes over Riku, who is glad that the pair is alright.   'Ah! Ahahaha! N-no way! You're all crazy! Ain't it still *Night*?!' "We heard you didn't come back before night, so we came out to make sure you're alright.  Glad to see you are, more or less..." Riku says brightly and enters the hole behind Lulu.  He is also surprised by Lilian's teleportation magic, but guesses it's just her abilities! Riku sees the new guy, Philip, and waves to him.  "Someone you saved?" he asks.  However, notices that Mars is hurt.  Rita offers to patch him up, or anyone who is injured, and Riku pulls out a first aid kit.  "I can help too.  Though I'm less experienced than Rita is," he says, but is willing to help.  This does mean they will likely get caught up in the next Sweeper raid.   Philip looks more injured, so he approaches Mars.  "Here, I can take a quick look at that wound if you want?" he asks, first aid kit in hand.
Sarracenia	Sarra smiles when Rita joins them. It is always good to have the queen of leviathans along! But, there's no time to greet her properly. Joanna also receives a friendly smile when she joins them. Lilian...well, she at least doesn't receive a frown. Riku of course receives a large smile. Sarra is quite fond of Riku, after all.      'Ah! Ahahaha! N-no way! You're all crazy! Ain't it still *Night*?!'      Sarra blinks in surprise when Lulu's head pokes out of the hole in the door, then again when she is wrapped up in a hug. There is a moment of hesitation as some of that dirt and grim is transferred to the Princess's clothing, but after a few seconds Sarra sighs and hugs Lulu back almost as tightly and giggles as well. "Did you think we would let night stop u-eek!" The princess is then dragged through that hole with an unceremonious squeak. "Goodness it is dark in here..." she says as she waits for her eyes to adjust.      Once they do and she sees the condition of the people inside, Sarra gasps. "Oh my! Are you alright?" she asks Mars and the others before reaching into her purse to pull out some green mushrooms. "Here. Eat these. They will help with your wounds." she says, then reaches to pull out some bottled water and offers those to the team as well.      It seems Sarra is competing with Rita and Riku for healing duty! She can't help a bit of a giggle and a smile despite the situation. She won't insist that her healing items be the ones used, even if it does still irk her a bit when people turn away from them. She herself uses them all the time!      After greetings and triage, Sarra looks toward the door. "Would they come in here if the hole were blocked? I assume the Sweepers do not venture into closed buildings?" she says as she moves closer to it and peeks through it. Without sticking her head out. Even she has -some- common sense and self-preservation instinct. "As much as I enjoy fighting, fortifying and avoiding a fight seems the better option here."
Lilian Rook	'Careful friends... The breaks between waves are approximately timed apart, it is not an exact science.'     "I'll set my clock aside then." Lilian says, with the tone of a joke despite the fact that it isn't. She was totally timing the exact ten minutes in her head. "Nobody likes unpunctual people, much less monsters that can only almost keep a schedule."     'More to the point, they aren't even satisfying to kill. You take one down, six more take their place, and they never never seem to run out of numbers.'     "My least favourite sort." she sighs. "I've devoted more of my training to dealing with grueling horde battles after-- well you know. But it's still not something I prefer to deal with." Lilian says. "Ten minutes at a time could most certainly be worse, but being caught on the street in a tide of them would naturally be beyond most Fixer's means to tackle safely, and there's nothing at all to gain from it. You'd just be injured at work tomorrow." Of course it's all about the grind, in the end.     'And shit, you're Aegis's kid! At this rate you'll be reaching for a Color in a few years, huh?'     "Don't curse the poor boy. He's already raised enough flags." Lilian sighs.     'I was the one who asked them out here.'     "Pick a daytime hour then." Lilian says, exasperated. "I don't appreciate you cutting it so close with my Fixers." No matter how ridiculous that sounds coming from anyone's employer in the City, Salvador's implicit attitude towards Philip makes her assume he'd be of like mind on this. "If it's that important then I can have them make up the hour later. Christ." Praise be the almighty Flex Schedule(tm).     'Can we... do we have time to get out of here now?'     "What a silly question. I always have time for everything I mean to do, and I always mean to do what I have the time for." Lilian says it like it's a joke. Or at least some excessively foreign Alice in Wonderland reference. "Come on. Let's get up on the rooftops first."     Lilian starts backing up out of the garage, ostensibly intending to just jump, but then she looks at Lulu and Mars, considers something for a moment, and then obviously moves on to stare at Philip's leg. "Who's going to need help?" she says.
Rita Ma	Oh!! "Mr. Salvador, from the circus!! Mr. Philip!" That Salvador and Philip. They're not unusual names, but really, Rita ought to have known hearing them together... "Well, I can't take credit for coming on your account, but now that I'm here, I'm not going to leave you."      Philip's eyes widen and he squeaks a little      "I'm-- haah-- sorry, I won't make it as weird as last time, I promise!" Rita's hands are raised assuagingly for the second time in two minutes. The little bit of drool at the corner of her mouth makes it unconvincing. God, everybody's bleeding indecently around here. Poor girl. "Riku, put pressure above the wound to hold the bleeding and pull out the gauze, okay? I'll heal it shut, but I don't want there to be... you know..."      "Who's going to need help?"      Rita's glowy regenerating touch can make Philip safer to move, but it won't have him feeling completely perky again; restoring lost stamina and lost blood isn't so much in her wheelhouse. "Oh. I can carry Mr. Phil--" She glances back at the poor man who squeaked when he saw her, and clears her throat.      "I mean, I can carry someone."      Her hand is smeared with blood after the healing. She keeps looking down at it. She's being so good by not just sticking her red fingers in her mouth.      "Before we get moving, did you manage to kill any Sweepers, Mr. Salvador? If there's bodies..." Oh, but that's another thing. "Ms. Joanna, what do the Sweepers do to the bodies?"
Petra Soroka	"The breaks between waves are approximately timed apart, it is not an exact science."     "Khhhh..." Lulu grits her teeth, looking at her custom type-13. The heat meter is wrapped in stripes around the handle, rather than down the fuller, and hers is currently at a deep depleted red. Ten minutes will get some back, but not all. "We'll just do what it takes. You're not slowing down now, are ya?" "Ah--! I'm sorry!"     Lulu shrieks again, bat swung up overhead to squash the weird soft shape she bumped into. When Rita appears-- because of course they know Rita's face, even though they've never been properly introduced-- she squeaks again and teeters. "Ah--! Sorry, sorry. Lulu, y-yep, Miss Rita." "Who's Philip? A friend of yours?"     Lulu plants her bat on the ground to rest her weight on, and jabs a thumb towards the two non-affiliated Fixers in the garage. "Th' guys from Dawn Office. We got holed up in here together when we ran out of time. The dorky one's hurt pretty bad." "Throwing stones for being 'dorky' now, huh, Lup-de-lu?" "Shut up!! He literally is!" "I happen~ to remember a little talk about what percentage of your paycheck can go to Tridecim pulls--" "'Kay, well, sue me! Besides! I ain't gonna cut him any slack when he got hurt while trying ta use you as a shield!" "Mmh. Well." "You'd be in so much trouble if you went and died again."     "Got it, Director." Mars pushes his hair away from his face, and despite his teasing, he looks pretty rough. His breathing's labored, and fending off Sweepers is a big ask even without being injured beforehand. "I'd hate to get in trouble."     "Ah, well. Around midnight, it would've been, our meeting place got caught up in a scuffle between some branch of the Index and the Thumb. I don't think they were trying to gather information about the Library, but it's not really a secret who Lulu is. I couldn't get a precise count, but I'd guess eight to ten combatants on either side; we were completely... outmatched."     Lulu picks up where he left off, seeing that Mars is wheezing a bit towards the end of the sentence. "They've got guns, y'know! Real bullets! The soldatos hunted us for a bit, down that street with the big brown clocktower, and we couldn't shake 'em. Then glasses here took a shot, and blocked the rest of 'em with Mars!"     Mars takes that as a reason to struggle up to his feet, to prove that he's fine. "Either way, Lulu and Salvador both chose to stick around for the Night. The first wave really kicked our asses, so, 'ppreciate the support."
Petra Soroka	"Who's hurt the worst?"     Mars points towards Philip, and Lulu points much more emphatically towards Mars. "Don't let him get away with toughin' it out. I betcha he tore something while fighting and just doesn't wanna say." Lulu clenches her fist around the base of her bat. "Please." "And shit, you're Aegis's kid! At this rate you'll be reaching for a Color in a few years, huh?"     Mars averts his face, awkward and uncomfortable. The huge sword, a gift from his mother as he's said, slowly leeches back to its usual steel grey, some exotic Workshop tech that no typical Grade 7 would be holding. "Sorry. One of mom's friends? I don't think we've met before, have we? And... well... here I am now. Dunno about a few years from now." "Here. Eat these. They will help with your wounds."     Lulu will pound the hell out of a water bottle in the span of seconds. You'd expect her to drown on it. After that, she gnaws on a green mushroom, accepting the bizarre thing without question given the situation. "I assume the Sweepers do not venture into closed buildings?"     "'fnot refidenshul." She says around a mouthful of mushroom before swallowing "They'll bust down fortifications like nothin' doing. Iounno how, but they know when a building's someone's house properly or not." "Who's going to need help?"     Lulu would love to smugly say that *she* can just carry Mars up since he's injured. The thought visibly rises to her face, and she holds a hand up near her mouth, but she's too beat-up even after a mushroom. "... Dangit. I'll need help. I owe you a billion, Director."
Petra Soroka	"Ms. Joanna, what do the Sweepers do to the bodies?"     "They melt them down, ma'am." Mars informs her politely, hooking the rectangular corner of his sword into one of the empty uniforms on the ground. "They're liquid monsters. They've sorta got, suckers, in those hooks of theirs. If they nab any meat, it melts down into that juice of theirs."
Angela	Philip has been around a fair amount! But he is definitely forgettable enough to be called a new guy in metatext too. He just sort of emanates new guy energy no matter what he does and is so so forgettable. But he has a name by his portrait so don't be too careless. It's honestly impressive he can be this much of a nobody while having those things actually. ''Would they come in here if the hole were blocked? I assume the Sweepers do not venture into closed buildings?'' "No, Sweepers will break into buildings that are closed up if they aren't deemed legal residences anymore." Salvador informs Sarracenia. "So it's best to leave an opening for them to encourage them to use that entrance rather than make many more." ''Don't curse the poor boy. He's already raised enough flags.'' "Oh sorry, figured once we got out of the Library they didn't matter anymore." Joanna bashfully pats the back of her neck twice with her prosthetic arm. ''Pick a daytime hour then.'' "Mm... It would have been over with sooner had it not been for the ambush, but I take your point." If he had a REASON to put it out there that late, he doesn't seem inclined to get into it. ''Who's going to need help?'' ''Someone you saved?'' "Ahh no, he is one of my Fixers. My office specializes in training up promising Fixers." Philip's gaze slants away from Salvador guiltily as he says it, albeit with considerable frustration lingering there. "I'm surprised you're still taking jobs..." Joanna looks to Salvador. "You were one of the few people able to get into a Nest after the Smoke War." "Ah, there are conditions, however. I'll have to work as a Fixer until the day I die, I'm afraid. Wings like having FIxer offices around too or I'd be as out of luck as the others." "Mm. Despite being part of the team instrumental in ending it..." "Not that I remember much. Just glimpses and flashes. It must have been harrowing if it survived the wipe." ''I'm not going to leave you.'' "Thank god." Philip mutters. "Sorry. Just. This keeps happening." He still can't quite look her in the eye though maybe this is for the best--he isn't quite getting a clean look at the drool anyway. He taps his foot against the floor a few times. He winces, but the healing does seem to have helped him enough that he can stand. And that'll do wonders for getting everyone out of here, but really someone supporting him will help great. If nobody else does it, Salvador will, but Rita can too. Philip won't resist at least.
Angela	''Before we get moving, did you manage to kill any Sweepers, Mr. Salvador? If there's bodies...'' "They don't leave bodies behind, Miss Rita, unless you count the puddles and maybe the suits they wear, but the Sweepers will just absorb the fluids of their fallen or leave them to dry out." ''What do the Sweepers do with the bodies?'' "Mm...There's not really Sweepers on the Great Lakes... We worry about the Whales and Mermaids instead. I guess they aren't great swimmers." Joanna admits. "But it's as Miss Lulu says. The Sweepers will melt you from the inside out and drain your fluids until there's nothing left. Almost as if you were never there are all. That's why some people will tie some poor bastard up and just leave them out there for the Sweepers to deal with. Easiest way to get away with murder in The City, not even their buddies will know to come after you." ''The dorky one's hurt pretty bad.'' Philip puffs out his cheeks in a bit of a pout but he doesn't speak up. ''When he got hurt while trying ta use you as a shield.'' Philip startles, "I wasn't--! I wasn't intending to I mean..." He's so flustered he can't really argue against it. But Salvador says, "This was a bit beyond his training, next time he'll be more ready for circumstances like this. The Soldato are no joke for his skill level. I was able to retrieve something from one of the Index so I have an idea of why they were present, at least." His big character flaw might be his lingering care for this guy instead of just dumping him somewhere, but maybe he's just understanding of someone being a bit of a coward. . ''Trying to gather information about the Library.'' "Mm, that's partly why the late night. I was hoping to avoid trouble like this. And eavesedroppers. ... And I am running out of time for preparation, eventually we are going to have to go in with whatever we are able to uncover." He hesitates away from his own trouble to admit to Lulu, "But I regret that I dragged you into danger while asking for your help. I'll make sure to put in a good word to the Liu about your performance today. ..." He hesitates and then admits, "And though I am no longer of the Zwei, I apologize for how quickly they cast you aside. Walter is not a man suited for his position, I'm afraid." ''The first wave really kicked our asses.'' Salvador smiles. "Mm... I am not as adept as I used to be, I am really quite fortunate that Miss Lulu decided to take a stand. Her efforts speak well of your Association." "If you are confident in the roof, we'll follow." Salvador adds. "But we best hurry. The next Wave is imminent."
Riku Asakura	'Riku, put pressure above the wound to hold the bleeding and pull out the gauze, okay?' "Right!" Riku says to Rita, who still makes him a little nervous, having seen what she can do during the L-Corp war.  Still, he would rather her be an ally rather than an enemy.  Riku moves under supervision from Rita, putting pressure or bandaging where he can.   'Come on. Let's get up on the rooftops first.' Riku nods towards Lilian.  Getting up higher and into the open means that things will be easier to move.  More than that, he can grow to his full height out there and be better able to defend the injured people.  Or better yet, fly them back to safety.   "I can help carry someone, too.  But we need to get going to the roof soon," Riku says to the injured people, careful not to overtax them.   'They melt them down,' Riku makes a disgusted face, hearing that they melt down the bodies of people.  It makes it sound like they eat them... which is even worse.  He takes a breath, getting ready to move, but he idly checks his greebles.  He can feel the Ultracapsules.  It gives him SOME comfort.
Sarracenia	'Mr. Salvador, from the circus!! Mr. Philip!'      Sarra did not recognize the names either, but Rita does. Sarra blinks in surprise. "The circus?" she repeats, then looks more closely at them. "You two stay quite busy, it seems. I am glad we could help you again."      'Who's going to need help?'      Sarra hmphs a bit smugly. "I can easily carry someone. But, anyone who cannot walk..." She reaches into her purse and pulls out...a cloud! She stretches it out in the air about chair-level. "...can easily ride one of these!" She moves to pick up Philip and get him onto a cloud. She'll pull out another cloud for anyone who wants one.      'Her hand is smeared with blood after the healing. She keeps looking down at it. She's being so good by not just sticking her red fingers in her mouth.'      Sarra notices Rita staring at her bloodied hand and ponders before pulling out a small towel. "It...may not help much, but it might help some?" she says, offering it to Rita.      ''fnot refidenshul.'      Sarra gives Lulu a confused look until the clarification is made. "I see. I do not suppose the owner would be able to sell it to me in less than ten minutes." she says, only half-joking. Instead, she moves to help support Lulu. Sure, she could just stick Lulu on a cloud, but they have a bit of comradery, not to mention being fellow warriors for love. She's happy to help the younger fixer. Of course, she might be a bit too enthusiastic about it since she just scoops up Lulu and carries her princess style. She then nods in agreement with Salvador. "If we are to use the roof as our defensible position, we best hurry." she says, then starts making her way up the building. "Come along, Mars!" she calls out rather cheerfully despite the situation, leaving a cloud behind just in case no one carries him.
Rita Ma	"Don't worry about it, Mr. Philip. I'm sorry I... keep happening, too."      "That's why some people will tie some poor bastard up..."      "Mmmm," Rita acknowledges, nodding gratefully at Joanna for the explanation. That gels with the earlier mention of Sweepers keeping the City clean. "Of course. The City keeps the Sweepers around because they're useful to the powerful." It'd be the obvious guess from a cold start, anyway. Monsters are useful or they're dead.      Even the Leviathans weren't impossible to vanquish when humanity finally resolved to get rid of them. Hard, but could it have been easier if they'd resolved to do it sooner?      "They melt them down, ma'am."      "Oh. That makes sense." Rita says, while Riku recoils. She nod-nods. She's done her fair share of melting-and-drinking human bodies, after all! She's not going to criticize a sound tactic just because it's being put to evil ends!      "eventually we are going to have to go in with whatever we are able to uncover..."      "Huh? Why do you want to go into the Library, Mr. Salvador?" That seems to take Rita aback. He seems smart! That's a dumb decision! Did she miss something??      "Don't let him get away with toughin' it out."      "Of course. Mr. Mars, where is it? Um, show me the injury, if you could, and I'll..." Her hand glows again. She swallows. It is so blood-drippy by now. Touching it near the injury after pulling out any gauze, the glow slowly flows into him, and the tissue is excited into partially knitting itself back together. He won't feel a lot better, but he won't feel any worse.      Overhearing how Mars has a lot to live up to, she shoots Lulu a deeply sympathetic look while treating him. So that's why he won't admit when he's hurt, huh. Rita knows the type.      "Thank you, miss Lulu." Then she squints. Wait. That lady knew her name. But she doesn't look familiar? Oh, god. "Um, I didn't actually introduce myself, did I? I'm sorry, when we met, did you have different hair?" She tries to picture Lulu with a Petra-esque haircut, shivers slightly, and decides she'd definitely have remembered that. "Or, uh, a different coat?"      Sarra notices Rita staring at her bloodied hand and ponders before pulling out a small towel.      "Oh! Thank you, Ms. Sarra." Rita gratefully takes the towel, turns her back to the others, and...      Pretends to clean her hand, while actually sticking the entire thing in her mouth. Slurp. That gets it clean!! And it's sweet relief to her achey-burning-freezing stomach, for at least a moment, before the hunger hammerblows her diaphragm again.      "Haaah. ... Um, anyway. Let's go. I'll carry you, okay, Mr. Mars?" she says, wiping off the saliva like it's nothing.      Even with a whole guy and his guy-sized sword princess-carried in her arms, she can make the vertical leap onto a rooftop easily enough.
Lilian Rook	'I happen~ to remember a little talk about what percentage of your paycheck can go to Tridecim pulls--'     "Look forward to the revised expansion." Lilian says, ever so mysteriously. She knows. She knows and she dropped by that office to casually scare the shit out of nerd-ass videogame execs and she's using it for propaganda. Be afraid.     'I ain't gonna cut him any slack when he got hurt while trying ta use you as a shield!'     'I wasn't--! I wasn't intending to I mean...'     Lilian's vaguely mischevious smile drops off her face when she hears that part. She intends to look at Philip casually, but only comes off looking down at him with withering disdain.     'I couldn't get a precise count, but I'd guess eight to ten combatants on either side; we were completely... outmatched.'     "That's not as large a number as I'd expect for a serious commitment, but it's more than I'd expect for an incidental run-in." says Lilian. Her hand drifts up to her cheek, and she tilts her head in thought until her fingers touch. Strolling back around the way she came inside the garage. 'Eight to ten isn't that much' would sound much more insane coming from anyone else. "Outmatched even with Salvador here? That'd mean they weren't just footsoldiers." Lilian says, perhaps being a bit generous. She motions as if to bite her thumbnail, but stops just short. The polish is fresh and all. "They've been acting strangely ever since we pasted them at the Saint's Warehouse; granted it's their own fault for being so focused on each other that we did."     'They've got guns, y'know! Real bullets!'     Lilian waves her hand dismissively. "Been there, done that." she says. "Was there really no opportunity to use a blind corner or a second storey window? Running down alleyways is just begging for enemy fire. Am I going to have to-- No, I should step up training regarding terrain awareness anyways. More than a few people are lagging." Well, at least she's on about training, and not 'we need to get the fuck out of here'.     'Don't let him get away with toughin' it out.'     Lilian laughs through her nose at the word 'tough'.     'Iounno how, but they know when a building's someone's house properly or not.'     "It's not the strangest thing I've seen happen in the City." says Lilian. "But it's fortunate that they do. I'd spend fortunes in keeping them off the streets around headquarters otherwise."     'If they nab any meat, it melts down into that juice of theirs.'     §Jesus Christ I hate this place. God, Petra would be all over the cynical incentive implications if she heard about the residence thing. Or, she definitely has, and I'm projecting the fact that I'm thinking about it on the Elite who can't shut up about class dynamics and feminism.§     'Oh sorry, figured once we got out of the Library they didn't matter anymore.'     "That's how they get you." says Lilian. "You let your guard down, because the worst is over, and then you're cooked right at the moment you feel the most relief."     'Easiest way to get away with murder in The City, not even their buddies will know to come after you.'     "Gutless scrap meat crammed into suits and taught to grunt out words."     'This was a bit beyond his training, next time he'll be more ready for circumstances like this.'     Lilian makes a thoughtful little noises and gives Salvador a second visual appraisal like she hadn't just said anything at all. "Well, we all have subordinates in the end don't we?" she says, with like one other person in the room who does. Technically two, really. "Is that 'something' a physical item, or information?"
Lilian Rook	'... Dangit. I'll need help. I owe you a billion, Director.'     Lilian finally smiles. "Keep following orders and you'll gradually pay off the tab."     'Mm... I am not as adept as I used to be, I am really quite fortunate that Miss Lulu decided to take a stand. Her efforts speak well of your Association.'     "Oh? Really now. I'll keep that in mind." Lilian says, because she ends up on Philip duty after Sarracenia snipes Lulu. She still has to stop halfway through a bridal carry, which is the only way she has ever carried Tamamo around, and frankly she only stops because she dislikes Philip enough on contact that it'd make her feel gross.     'Mm, that's partly why the late night. I was hoping to avoid trouble like this. And eavesedroppers.'     "That's a common mistake people make when they're new to intelligence operations. The places you're least likely to be overheard are the ones that are already loud."     'I see. I do not suppose the owner would be able to sell it to me in less than ten minutes.'     Just before taking off with Philip under arm like a football, Lilian stares at Sarracenia as if she'd grown a second head. Stunned, she says "Oh my god. That was actually funny." She stays like that for a good two seconds more before she slowly gets moving again.     With Philip patched up, he is unfortunately subject to Lilian not being super gentle with him; she more or less keeps 'normal human tolerances' in mind as the appropriate level for 'an injured Fixer', and limits how far she accelerates in one jump so all the blood doesn't rush to his legs and burst the freshly healed laceration. This still amounts to a three point hop to the rooftops while still feeling like she's undershooting to a frightening degree. Confirming that Salvador followed, Lilian says, "They'll get up here soon enough, but they'll have to travel up and down the walls to catch up. As much as I'd love to show off for the next ten minutes, we're better off not taking any risks and just staying ahead of them."     "Asakura, Sundew, you know how to reach HQ from here, don't you? Asakura especially, pair off with Salvador. The both of you are going to dictate how fast we can rush this, so keep each other covered. Now get moving."
Petra Soroka	"It must have been harrowing if it survived the wipe."     "Ghh..." Lulu was barely alive during the Smoke War, but growing up in the Backstreets, the marks of it were all around her. Especially how many of those veterans ended up kicked right back to the Backstreets after putting in their time. That bitterness being the model she had for most of the older Fixers in her life, the ones who survived and the ones who were still talked about, surely had some influence on Lulu's uneasiness around 'steady work'.     Her outburst of suddenly flaring up sympathy can't be restrained, even if it stings in her throat. "That's too messed up!! *You* were one of the people who ended that whole war?! And still...!"     She tucks her hands into her armpits and pouts heavily, brows drawn together. "Wings...." That could either be the swear, or a curse she's manifesting in the swear's namesake's direction. "The Soldato are no joke for his skill level."     "He's a Grade 5!" Lulu shouts, suddenly swerving in her emotional explosion. She's been moved up to a Grade 7 after the Library, but conventional wisdom would still have the two Grade 7s be weaker together than one Grade 5 is alone. After a few seconds where she stops and doesn't seem to breathe at all, she takes in a slow breath and teeters, head hitting Mars' shoulder and resting there.     A little bit delayed in being gutpunched by everything that's happened over the past few hours, she mumbles, "... Whatever. We're getting through it." "Um, show me the injury, if you could, and I'll..."     There's a few of them. Long shallow cuts from the Sweepers can be passed over, but the Thumb's bullets hit him in several different places, and all the moving around since has practically blendered up his muscle in the vicinity. Because of the particular nature of it, he actually needs tissues reknitted much more than he needs blood replenished, so Rita's healing is especially effective. Lulu helps him shed his coat, so that the bullet wounds are visible for Rita, and then she dumps the coat on top of his head to blind him the moment he starts looking healthier. "And though I am no longer of the Zwei, I apologize for how quickly they cast you aside."     "Their loss," Mars shrugs and smiles, more casual than his actual opinion is. "They lost one of the most promising Fixers in the City, the way I see it. Not to mention the cutest."     His jacket is immediately pulled down over his face, with Lulu yanking on either side of it like reins to suffocate him. "Don't be a *dork*! Hey!!!!" "Ffff-hh! Fffh-hfff!"
Petra Soroka	"Her efforts speak well of your Association."     Lulu puffs out her chest proudly. Planting her hand on her hip while still holding onto Mars' jacket wrapped around his head almost sends him toppling, and a muffled pain noise escapes him from twisting around like that. Immediately, the bit is dropped and she lets go of the jacket to support him, anxiously repeating, "Sorry, sorry, I'm sorry, are you okay?" "Thank you, miss Lulu."     Rita's knowingly sympathetic glance lands on Lulu's eyes, and only when looking at them dead on is it clear how many tears are just barely not falling out of them. She smiles a little bit anyways, lips wobbling.     Then she startles. "O-oh, we've met?! Ack-- er, no, I haven't cut my hair different! Looked just like this for a while, see?" Nervously, she twists all the way around for Rita to get a 360 view. "Er, did *you* look different...?" "If we are to use the roof as our defensible position, we best hurry.")]     Lulu is less flustered about being scooped up than might be expected. Her burst of energy just now was borne out of relief from getting help, but the huge spike of exertion that a wave of Sweepers demands to fend off took a toll on her, not to mention being shot herself. Just getting off of her feet for a second while Sarra carries her up to the roof makes her droop. "Roof it is. Yeah... harder to get up there." "I'll carry you, okay, Mr. Mars?"     "You've got it, ma'am. Feeling better already." He gives her a little two fingered salute, obviously wobbly on his feet. Once he's up on the roof, though, and out of Rita's arms, he gets right to pacing and stretching out where the muscle knit back together, carefully swinging his big ass sword in practice stances.
Angela	''The circus?'' "Another job. Unfortunately, the ringleader escaped." Salvador explains(?). ''Huh? Why do you want to go into the Library, Mr. Salvador?'' "Mm... It seems too dangerous, does it?" Salvador looks over to her. "Naturally, it is because it's a job given to me by my superiors in the Liu Office. But I don't intend to go with just my office. I'll be teaming up with the Wedge again." He hesitates and then admits, "But that is not the only reason. As Joanna said, I played a part in ending the Smoke War--but I fought on the side of Lobotomy Corp. I have some personal obligation to what came of that." Since Rita is taking Mars, Philip is sort of stuck with the unenviable position of trusting a cloud. But it's actually a little tantalizing to think about. He wonders what it'd like, briefly, to fly high into the sky. High enough until he could finally get a good look at the sun far above the City heights. Of course, just as he's about to sit on it, Lilian scoops him up under an arm. ''You let your guard down, because the worst is over, and then you're cooked'' Joanna grimaces. "Maybe I've been in the business too long." But she doesn't seem inclined to quit despite the statement. She trusts in Matilda's divination, and--really--she wants to do something important with her skills these days. She cares about that a little more than living--she figures after a life like hers, she's gonna bite it way earlier than normal, but she would like it to at least be because it's sad when people die and not because it's sad because she didn't live up to what she could do for people. So long as she can hold onto that spark Matilda rekindled in her... ''Is that 'something' a physical item, or information?'' "Since you went to the trouble of helping us out at as well--Both, in a sense." He reaches into his pocket and draws out a Prescript, offering it to Lilian. It reads: 'Chew The Thumb Until You Tear It Off'. "It is fortunate that the Prescripts are so clear and direct about targeting The thumb. But it is strange. They are not usually so direct. Typically, they require a bit more interpretation than this. The Fingers do not often work together, in fact they have a fair amount of animosity for one another, but they will work together if they have common purpose." ''That's a common mistake'' "I am not an intelligence officer, of course, I've always been a front line combatant." The group can make it up to the roof, there's a bit of crumbling here and there, Lilian can feel Philip grimacing and twitching as he isn't exactly comfortable or painless. He covers his face with his hand once Lilian starts jumping. He might have a fondness of the idea of fwiffing up into the air, but he'd really prefer flight over hopping. Jumps mean eventually going back down after all! He's gotten used to covering his mouth too to avoid screaming. Salvador seems healthy enough to follow. He's a Grade 3 for a reason and he might've been a higher Grade when he was younger.
Angela	''That's too messed up! *You* were one of the people who ended that whole war?! And still..!'' "Mm... They were afraid we were 'contaminated' but of course that's more excuse than not. It's been a long time since I've heard anger for the veterans of that time. Mostly because many veterans started to punch down. There are many who lost their way because of that betrayal. I know I'm fortunate compared to most. The one who really killed that beast that was the source of Laryngos Corp's power, however, was a masked man who was assigned to me. Unfortunately I never learned his name, but he got even less credit than I did. He's still in the Backstreets somewhere if he hasn't been bled dry already." He frowns a little at the word 'killed' like he's not so sure. Of course, Lilian knows it was eventually taken into Lobotomy Corp itself. He sighs. "It is my job to clear the path for others as best I can. And though my hands may not be as suited, I can but do my best." He smiles at Lulu. "Thank you for caring about us. You've a good heart. Perhaps that is what led you to such capable allies ... and victory." ''He's a Grade 5!'' "Mm...Grade isn't just about strength, Miss Lulu. I wouldn't tell you to trade your temper for rank, however. I'd like to think it will serve you better than a heftier liscence in the long term." He pauses though and admits, "Though if I were of the Hana.... Well, perhaps I am just getting sentimental." Philip grits his teeth and clenches his fist. But there's nothing he can do. She's fundamentally right. He's annoyed Salvador is even making the excuses. ''They lost one of the most promising Fixers in the City the way I see it. Not to metnion the cutest.'' "Ba ha ha! Well said, well said!" Salvador says even as Joanna gives Lulu a look, now that she isn't blinded by pedigree. "True teamwork and loyalty is a rare thing in The City. Hold onto that and you'll fare quite well. Many people in The City think they are a team, but looking after one another isn't something you do under a veiled cloak." As they get up to the roof, The Sweepers are already milling. There are some clambering over each other without complaint to move up the walls, but the bulk of them are swarming for the entrance that Salvador had torn open. There's so many. Rita can pluck one free if she wants to and The Sweepers as a group en masse will barely react, though there are a lot of eyes around and they're as ever focused on swarming and massing and climbing and getting closer with every passing moment. "Mm...It'll be some time before they get up here.. If we have an escape route, though, we best not dally." Salvador says.
Sarracenia	'Don't worry about it, Mr. Philip. I'm sorry I... keep happening, too.'      Sarra blinks, then whirls around with a bit of righteous anger. "Do not be sorry you keep happening, Miss Rita! Everyone you 'happen' to is better off for it!" She pauses. "...other than enemies, of course." she adds, then continues with conviction. "Your kindness has saved many in this City! Mr. Philip recognizes it! That is why he is apologizing!" She offers a smile after that. "So...please, be kind to yourself, too." Luckily, Sarra misses just what Rita did with the towel.      'I happen~ to remember a little talk about what percentage of your paycheck can go to Tridecim pulls--'      'Look forward to the revised expansion.'      "...Tridecim?" Sarra asks, confused. "Trideag has some kind of...collectibles game associated with us?" Unspoken is the question of if there are Sarra collectibles...and whether they are favorable depictions.      'If they nab any meat, it melts down into that juice of theirs.'      Sarra is -really- trying to ignore all the talk of melting people and slurping them up. Every time it is brought up she gets a bit pale. And thinking of how those people are puddles of putrefaction in mere minutes is not helping. She frowns and nods in agreement with Lilian's assessment of criminals taking advantage of it, too.      'Oh my god. That was actually funny.'      Sarra starts out slightly annoyed by the stare from Lilian, and ends up stunned and staring in return upon hearing those words. "Er..." The princess doesn't know what to say to an actual genuine thing said to her by their Director. She finally settles on an uncertain, "...thank you?" before doubt starts creeping in. Was it actually genuine? But, they are working on turning over a new leaf, so Sarra does her best to believe it was.      'Wings....'      Sarra huffs along with Lulu and nods. "Wings...they are much of the reason that Trideag is so needed." Unfortunately, Sarra is still not quite observant enough to notice just how hard of a time Lulu is having. She misses the quivering lip. Which might be lucky for Lulu, because the newly sensitive Princess might dote on her too much.      'Asakura, Sundew, you know how to reach HQ from here, don't you? Asakura especially, pair off with Salvador. The both of you are going to dictate how fast we can rush this, so keep each other covered. Now get moving.'      Sarra gains a smirk as she is basically ordered to go as fast as she can to Trideag. "You best hold on tight, Lulu~" she says, then pulls out a Bullet Bill power-up. "I do hope we do not need to be quiet for this~" she exclaims a bit too happily before...      KABOOM!      Sarra and Lulu are engulfed in an explosion, and out rockets a car-sized Bullet Bill heading for Trideag, weaving between buildings as needed and over the tops of those that don't take much change in elevation. A dozen or so seconds later there is another loud KABOOM and Sarra and Lulu are ejected in a graceful spiral that sends them in an upwards arc, during which Sarra pulls out another Bullet Bill and another KABOOM sends them rocketing forward once again. Sarra has plenty of power-ups, and so can keep this up until they reach the safety of Trideag territory.
Riku Asakura	'Huh? Why do you want to go into the Library, Mr. Salvador?' 'I played a part in ending the Smoke War--but I fought on the side of Lobotomy Corp.' Riku looks somewhat guilty at hearing the explanation.  He was one of the ones who fought in the L-corp war, and of course, probably caused the dark days.  He takes a breath, trying to hide his shame just a little and force himself up the stairs, with or without helping someone up those same stairs.   He gives a guilty look to Rita and then Lilian, before focusing on the stairs and going up.  Once they reach the top, there is movement on the ground and on the buildings below them.  It seems the Sweepers are starting to move.  He sighs, it's going to be tough to get through this... 'Asakura especially, pair off with Salvador. The both of you are going to dictate how fast we can rush this, so keep each other covered. Now get moving.' Riku looks towards Salvador.  "Alright.  Standing around doing nothing won't accomplish anything..." he says, repeating his catchphrase, perhaps to himself, to overcome the guilt he feels about L-Corp.  He takes a breath... "You go!" he says, and pulls out an Ultracapsule.  He slides it into a capsule holder after activating it.  Beside him, a giant of light forms.  "I go!" he states again, activating the second capsule.  Like before, he slides it into the holder, as a giant of darkness with eyes similar to Geed's appears.  "Here we go!" He states, sliding the Fusion Riser across the top of each capsule, scanning them.  On the Fusion Riser, a double helix-like container first glows with yellow light, then dark purpleish light.   "It's time to get ready!" he declares, pulling the Fusion Riser into the air, before pulling it down over his chest.  "GEEEEEEEEEEED!" he bellows, as white flame-like energy pours off his body.  The two figures fly into him, fusing with his body.   FUSION RISE! ULTRAMAN ULTRAMAN BELIAL ULTRAMAN GEED PRIMITIVE Riku is gone a second later, replaced with a slowly growing Ultraman Geed.  He immediately calls out for something.  "GEED CLAW" Rising it up, he shoots a beam into the sky, before hundreds of lights can be seen.  "DIFFUSION SHOWER!" Seconds later, it starts raining those beams of light, like spikes, trying to find the Sweepers closest to their position, trying to take them out as quickly as possible, and make the path forward across the rooftops easier.  He looks towards Salvador, "Let's get going, they're counting on us to get back safely."
Petra Soroka	"Outmatched even with Salvador here? That'd mean they weren't just footsoldiers."     Mars shakes his head, stretching out the stiffened muscles in his arms. "Never had to fight against guns before. I should've thought about it, with the Thumb activity in the area, but I wasn't..."     Lulu groans in mostly played-up annoyance, checking her bat's charge while waiting for the next wave of Sweepers. "Come onnnnn! 'Shoulda' this, 'shoulda' that! We'll just practice so we're ready for next time!"     Immediately gratified by Lilian suggesting training, Lulu pounds her fist into her palm. "Training it is. We'll put in the extra hours for it, I super duper tell ya, Director. We'll get stronger, and sooner or later you'll be depending on us for these kinds of rescues." "You let your guard down, because the worst is over, and then you're cooked right at the moment you feel the most relief."     "Oh. Er." Lulu, who has kind of let her guard down because the worst is over, furrows her brow and grips her bat again. Hefting it up, she tests the four piano key triggers on the handle, then scrapes the head against the ground of the roof to make it start sparking orange. "Keep following orders and you'll gradually pay off the tab."     Lulu puffs out her cheeks, but rather than letting out a torrent of indignant brattiness about how she's only following orders because she *wants* to, what comes out is a bunch of desperately heartfelt observations. "That all feels like it makes the world right, or somethin'. I-- I don't-- I won't ever let you down, Director. You'll see how much fire doughboy and I've got in our lives." "It's been a long time since I've heard anger for the veterans of that time."     Lulu grits her teeth, so close to being brought to tears by everything that Salvador's acknowledgement of the state of things almost does it again. "A really kind uncle back where I grew up was from the war back then. He got given a prosthetic by his company during the war, but then it broke and they went back to the Nest. So he couldn't ever walk. So I remember all that." "True teamwork and loyalty is a rare thing in The City."     While Lulu gets steadily more red, Mars smiles at a private joke. "Well, she's held my life in her hands. Can't get any more trusting than that. ... Lup-de-lu's really one of a kind, though. There's no one more loyal than her, ever. And somehow, despite everything in the world working against her, she turns that into a strength."
Rita Ma	"You've got it, ma'am. Feeling better already."      Rita sticks a taut landing, takes a long wary moment of looking around before she acquiesces to setting Mars down, and then breathes out. Whew. "As a favor to me and Ms. Lulu, Mr. Mars," she says politely, "pretend you're not, okay?" She's got a sneaking suspicion that he might get himself hurt again if he starts feeling his oats.      She didn't have longer than a second for her gaze to linger on those tears, but her thoughts are lingering on them much longer. She halfway offers Lulu her hand, to squeeze; but it's had drool on it, and both of Lulu's are clutching that bat anyway.      "Er, did *you* look different...?"      Urk. "Um, well, maybe? Sometimes I do. Look different, I mean," Rita tells Lulu when pressed. Oh no. The logical assumption here is that if neither of them recognizes the other, they must not have met at all, and yet Rita's fear of looking like a Total Bozo compels her to not make that potential error! "I'm sorry if I did?"      "Everyone you 'happen' to is better off for it!"      "Ah..." Rita looks from Sarra over at Philip on the rooftop, apologetically.      "...other than enemies, of course."      "Mostly other than enemies," Rita concedes. "I do my best, but... sometimes, just by existing in this world, you'll be a burden to people you didn't mean to. Um, thank you, though."      By now she's turning away to crouch and look down over the edge of the building. She glances back furtively. Salvador and Philip have already seen the worst of what she does; Joanna has too, and if Lulu and Mars don't know, as members of Trideag they'll need to eventually. She makes it discreet, but she doesn't make it stealthy. Tssssllrrk, a tentacle unravels from pretending to be her jacket's sleeve down the side of the building, and-- Krk-crunch. Gshh.      A Sweeper's arm is reeled up to her. Blood drips from her jacket's "sleeve" as she takes a bite, if anything looks organically edible; then she wipes off her lips on Sarra's towel.      One way or another, there's no sense in sticking around. She turns, trying not to look like too much of a spectacle despite those noises and still-probably-pinked lips. "Mr. Mars. Can you make the jumps between rooftops? Please be honest. I'll carry you again, if not."      With or without him, she breaks off into a sprint, hesitating at each edge nearish the rear of the party to grab-and-rescue anyone who looks like they might be failing to make the leaps or outrun the swarm.
Lilian Rook	'They lost one of the most promising Fixers in the City, the way I see it. Not to mention the cutest.'     "You'll go far in life. So long as you can stay alive." Lilian smiles, saying the first sunny prospect about Mars' career so far.     'Mm... It seems too dangerous, does it?'     "It is." Suddenly all the good humour drops out of Lilian's voice. The fact that she doesn't stop to look at Salvador has an emphasis all its own. "I know that sounds suspect coming from me, but I'm warning you out of common decency. Before long, that place will be designated as a no-fly zone for anyone below Grade One. It isn't the sort of thing where you just have to figure out the gimmick, or go in prepared to fight hard. It's designed to eat soldiers alive, and it's getting better all the time."     'I have some personal obligation to what came of that.'     Lilian, who also fought on the side of Lobotomy Corp, against Angela, lets loose a complicated-sounding sigh. "The worst your boss will do is throw you to the wolves. If that happens, you're always welcome at Trídéag. The worst that can happen at the Library is different. I won't be coming to retrieve your 'book' if that happens. So at the very least, if you can't win against what's in front of you, get out. Don't use up more than half your strength, and save it for a retreat."     'Chew The Thumb Until You Tear It Off'     She does pause to read the Prescript, but it complicates her mood rather than improving it.     'They are not usually so direct. Typically, they require a bit more interpretation than this.'     "God only knows what those freaks wants." Lilian says, with the verbal equivalent of a shudder. "All I can say is that if it's so utterly bereft of interpretive room, someone, or everyone, wants something very very badly. Perhaps getting rid of the Thumb is an absolutely critical step to every single thing they want, or there's some special animosity spreading rapidly through the upper ranks. God knows how you plan on getting that information out of them."     'a masked man who was assigned to me. Unfortunately I never learned his name, but he got even less credit than I did'     "What a showman." Lilian laughs cynically. "I'd have my face on every billboard for months after."     'Never had to fight against guns before.'     "There's a trick." says Lilian, hefting Philip as if to move him to piggyback, then clearly figuring his arms aren't strong enough. "If you can get an idea of the average muzzle velocity of their rifles, you can do a little bit of math to time it against your own reflexes and gauge a consistent worst-case safe engagement distance, where they've already acquired you and have a stable shooting stance. Then you can begin multiplying it based on whether they have visual, audible, weapon holstered or drawn, or a partial, ready, close, or reactive stance."     Lilian rambles on about how to face a gun with a sword practically just to keep people's minds off the Sweeper hordes already amassing below. As much as she dislikes Sarracenia rocketing off ahead, if she can make it all the way without touching the ground, so much the better. Lilian would use magic to do the same if she weren't accounting for Salvador and Riku (she knows Rita can turn invisible to handle this if she had to), whom she slows to keep a constant pace within eyeshot of.
Lilian Rook	'Slows' because Philip can hear that she isn't breathing hard. Despite her corporatoid Fixer wear, her feet aren't hitting the ground at nearly full stride; more like the motions of well-paced jogging are just sending her over every alley gap. She speeds up when Riku picks up the pace, then slows when the two meet an obstacle. Every so often, Philip gets to feel something that scrambles his head more than his stomach; a lurching sense of dizzying vertigo where his eyes tell him he's moved, his blood stays in place, and his ears disagree with both. It happens every time Lilian zips ahead to scout the route. The entire time, she runs with her sword drawn. Up close, it clearly isn't the iconic Stigma-Nestor model 13 at all. It doesn't even look technological.     'We'll get stronger, and sooner or later you'll be depending on us for these kinds of rescues.'     "I'll hold you to that." says Lilian. Her policy is as always to appear unconcerned and fully in-control of the situation for her subordinates, no matter what Sweepers she has to kick down from the roof corners or suddenly cut in half around blind intersections along the way. "I'm planning on making the world right, so doing what I tell you will make you a part in doing it. I seldom ask for more, and people should thank you for even that much." Sincerely, 'doughboy' makes her smile. She took the Mars job for critical morale reasons, but now these two are actually boosting hers, too.     'Lup-de-lu's really one of a kind, though. There's no one more loyal than her, ever.'     "Oh, she certainly proved that to me already." Lilian says, sinister in tone. She doesn't 'say' it was by bowing and scraping on-demand, because she doesn't really want to make her seem lame in front of Mars, but she does, perversely, feel very positive about it.     'Ah...'     "She's right, by the way." Two for two on Sarracenia! Wow! "And if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, some of them are better off that way too."     A beat passes just to let Lilian jump another stupid gap. It makes for perfect timing to say, "And it's 'Mrs' Rook now, you know."
Angela	''Riku looks somewhat guilty.'' Salvador takes a look at Riku, like he's trying to read that guilty look of his. He might be a little slower, weaker, and less crafty than he used to be but that doesn't mean old tricks he honed have faded. He's a perceptive man. But he doesn't have information that he needs to press Riku, all he can tell is... "Have you failed to take responsibility for your choices?" Salvador asks. "You shouldn't sweat it too much, you are still young. You should make mistakes and imperfect choices. You can make up for them in time." Salvador is tough and skilled but he isn't jump across buildings level. He's never needed anything all that complex. He extends a hand to Riku so he can cart him along. "And another masked warrior here." He muses. "Perhaps this is fate. I will count on you--and trust your friends to account for my Fixer." And of course Lulu and Mars, whom have charmed him terribly, and not just by helping him out rather than leaving him and his to face The Sweepers on their own. 5r''Trideag has some kind of...'' "No." Philip mutters. "Tridecim was first. Though now thatt there is a thirteenth association ..." He realizes he's talking to these people and he's still a grumpy goose so he snaps his mouth back shut afterwards, cheeks a little red from embarrassment. He doesn't even comment on how fair he is being to Rita or not. It doesn't seem to be hate, exactly, just general unease and a healthy amount of fear. When the explosions start happening he yells out a predictable, "Shit! Fuck!!!" and covers his ears with his hands. It's so loud!! There's plenty he didn't want to hear today but this feels actually pretty reasonable to him! e ''A really kind uncle back where I grew up...'' Salvador's breath hitches in his throat and he says, "...You've a good heart, Lulu. I'm glad he had you." It's largely repeated, but there's much more affect to the words this time, like his facade as a kindly helpful old trainer passing on his skills shattered and the old tired man who has seen his comrades fall not just from war, but from the slow deterioration of their existence as their gear, augments, bodies, and prospects faded away. He focuses on Mars and Lulu being cute. It makes him hopeful for Philip that he might one day follow their example and gain a truly strong heart. It's normal for it to not start that way. It has to be tended to. "I hope I live long enough to see how high her star rises." He says.
Angela	243,''Just by existing in this world, you'll be a burden to people you didn't mean to.'') Philip looks stricken and his grumpy sour face fades into a guilty look of his own. He doesn't say anything. What can he say? He'll never be the sort of person Salvador expects him to be.' Wouldn't it be better if he just gave up? As long as he doesn't, Philip has to keep trying. ''The worst your boss will do is throw you to the wolves.'' "Mm..." Salvador has a complicated expression as Lilian speaks of the difficulty. While Salvador didn't expect a cakewalk, Lilian makes The Library scarier than he expected. He looks towards Philip, thinking about the danger. "I wouldn't ask you too. Though if I do, I hope you could take in Yuna and Philip. I believe great things could come of them and if nothing else, Philip is excellent at preparing tea." ''God only knows what those freaks want.'' "Indeed. But one of the advantages the Index have is their unpredictability, it is strange they'd throw that away. Perhaps it is not about The Thumb. Perhaps the Prescripts simply want to occupy them away from you and the Liu." But he frowns. It doesn't read right to him. "Fortunately, it is not exactly my job to deal with the Index, but I hope the information can help you should they cross your path again." He smiles. "Mrs. Rook." ''Krk-crunch.'' It's actually less the Rita eating an arm that horrifies Philip and Salvador (though Salvador hides it well). It's the fact that she's chomping down on a SWEEPER arm. Philip scrinches up his face but his hands are too busy covering other parts of his face that he can't cover his nostrils to. Salavador just looks startled. It tastes... Well, it does taste like there's some human in there. But it's like it's been puked out of someone else first and has been submerged in acid and bleach for hours after and there's no satisfying crunch, it's all fluid--all the way through. The horrible smelly water dribbbles down Rita's chin as they're simply too messy to consume cleanly, too wet and bursty. Geed's light bursts can slow the Sweepers but they aren't weak just because they are many--it only slows them down, though that probably helps with Rita having time enough to have a quick bite. It feels like--if it's poisoned, spoiled, or rotten, or all three. If Rita remembers stumbling upon heavily spoiled food at any point as a human, it's like that. The people of The City sometimes speak of The River--this feels like the pollutant being dumped inside it. Melting Love was easy to stomach by comparision, but that's the closest comparision. But honestly it isn't quite like it either and there's something even more familiar to Rita in the taste of it. And to put the taste in the most succinct way.... ...It tastes like an innocent child bludgeoned to death by cops. Yeah. Almost exactly like that.
Riku Asakura	'Have you failed to take responsibility for your choices?' Riku looks startled out of his thoughts, looking at Salvador for a moment before his transformation.  "Uh..." he starts to say, but Salvador cuts him off.  His life advice is important.  He scratches the back of his head and smiles.  He nods once, "You're right, it's something I can make up for with time..." he says, a bit firmer and more upbeat in his actions.   After the transformation, he grabs Salvador's hand, flying him across to the next building.  Making sure he's able to keep traveling with the rest of the group.  He watches Sarra fly off on the bullet bill, which makes things easier for the rest of them. 'And another masked warrior here." He muses. "Perhaps this is fate. I will count on you--and trust your friends to account for my Fixer.' Ultraman Geed, transformed, nods to Salvador.  "I appreciate that, we'll get you to safety, I swear!" he says, upbeat and certain in his path.  He unleashes another starfall of light from the sky toward the Sweepers, trying to keep them suppressed while others manage to keep their numbers off their backs.   'Rita eats the arm of a Sweeper.' Ultraman Geed can't have facial expressions yet; that's because he's still a young Ultraman.  But that sickens him to say the least, and Geed looks away from Rita while she eats.  He tries not to think about it, because it's... frankly horrifying and disgusting.
Petra Soroka	"Then you can begin multiplying it based on whether they have visual, audible, weapon holstered or drawn, or a partial, ready, close, or reactive stance."     Mars nods, absorbing the information as it comes. His eyes focus around the edge of his sword, a line drawn down the middle of his vision, the foreground measurement by which all distance can be judged.     "Yeah. That... sounds like something I could get the hang of. I might not be fast, but..." He raises up his face. "Is there any installation on campus that'd help? If there's blanks, or rubber bullets, then I'll use them."     He twists the sword, turning the broad flat side laterally like a wall. "Mom said she never worried about guns... I guess those kinds of calculations just come naturally to her. But if I can work for it, then I'll do that." "You best hold on tight, Lulu~"     "Ah? Ahhhhhhhhhhhh--?!" Lulu's immediately drowned out by the explosions of the Bullet Bill, vanishing in the direction of Trideag among the blasts and missiles. "Can you make the jumps between rooftops? Please be honest."     Mars eyes the distance between the next rooftop and this one, but his gaze slowly drifts towards where Lulu was carried off to. Rita can tell, from him being a Certain Kind of Guy, that he was absolutely about to insist on doing it himself until he realized how far they'd be separated.     "Not quickly enough. I don't think I could make it. So, please do."
Rita Ma	In her more lucid headspaces, Rita can agree with Ultraman that her appetites are disgusting.      In the moment, the beautiful intoxicating bliss of sweet stickiness draining down her throat usually washes small feelings like 'disgust' away.      Today it doesn't. The sweetness doesn't come. If Rita has had worse flesh than this, she hasn't had more repulsive. "Ueh-- hglck-- ghh, uhhh..." Two-thirds of the mouthful she takes is spit up, drizzling back down the side of the building. The rest of the arm, uneaten, follows. Her eyelids flutter and spine tingles in revulsion.      "Sorry," she murmurs apologetically, to-- well, basically everyone. As if she hadn't just tried it of her own free will: "I didn't like that very much."      With one glance back, she tries to at least stun the Sweepers with a psychic lashing-out to test if she's gained any control over them. GET AWAY FROM ME. I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU ANYMORE.      Whether or not that works, though, she's still recovering from the queasiness when she gives Mars a nod and offers him her arm to be swept up. "Um, ghhh, right. Let's... get going, then. We don't want to keep Lulu waiting, right?"      Her brisk, light steps carry the two of them across rooftops in two or three strides each. It's a pleasant way to travel, when you get used to it; like cruising down the highway with your windows rolled down.      Rita's mind is elsewhere, though. She's still thinking about the Sweepers.      I hate you. I hate what you're for. I wish you weren't this way. Were you always this awful? Or was that the only way the Head would spare you? I think I hate you either way.