[video]

[turntex]

[The post that pops up in the feed in the middle of the night doesn't appear to be made with Dave's comm device, but it's Dave that pops up on the screen anyway, and he looks like hell. A split lip, a bruise blossoming along the jaw, nose bloodied, and...there appears to be a dirty sock caught on the collar of his uniform?

Honestly, the weirdest part is probably that it's a video post in the first place. He doesn't have time to sit around messing with this too much, though. Even as practiced at typing as he is, it's harder to do while moving and judging by the background, he's definitely on the move.]

Rise and shine, [PROFANITY CENSORED]. Elevator closest to the infirmary. I know y'all are functionally a bunch of temporally helpless infants, all shaky legged, eyes barely open and all that, but I need you to get your [PROFANITY CENSORED] down here yesterday regardless.

[He's not even trying to dance around the vulgarity filter. It's real bad.]

Found our baddie. Tall lady, redhead, red tattoos. She originally had on a suit and a blonde wig and some kinda mask but no idea if she's sticking with all that. Crazy strong and fast. Pretty sure she can heal herself up, so that's awesome. Lots of ninja weapons, like this [PROFANITY CENSORED] not only ripped off Tenten's skin but also her whole schtick, it's pretty insulting honestly. The skin thing's probably still a bigger deal but hey, I'd be pissed.

[He's babbling a little, half mumbling by the end there, but his expression remains flat and unreadable the whole time. Finally he seems to get where he's going and he pauses, swinging the camera around to the scene in question. Blood everywhere, dents and furrows in the metal walls, smoke still pouring out from the elevator shaft.

The camera spins back to him, and he somehow only looks more tense.]

She got Wash. Probably someone else too, judging by the blood she already had on her when we ran into her, but [PROFANITY CENSORED] if I know who or where.

[He leaves it at that.

For anyone actually sleeping like a normal person at this time, someone comes running through the dorm area soon afterward to bang on walls and make sure people wake up. Seems like Dave sent over the people that had been on watch outside the infirmary.]

Comments

[hallelujahjunction]

[Dan doesn't put up a fight. Teenager wanna teenager, rock on. Dan would likely have been that way if he'd had a normal teenagehood. He doesn't try to justify further anything that's happened.]

If you're sure...

[He deeply wishes it weren't a...16? 17? year-old making these calls. But the tenor of the room is that he should follow, not domineer. So he does, towards the open elevator.]

Alright, leader. You've got a plus-one. Can't negotiate on that, buddy system and all.

[turntex]

[Even with Dan trying to keep the peace, it still irks Dave for some reason. Maybe it just feels patronizing, particularly for someone entirely unused to dealing with well-meaning adults. Or maybe it just feels wrong being called "leader". That's never been his role. He doesn't even know what to do with that, but it rubs awfully close to some other complexes he is tactfully choosing not to think about right now.

But he's really not feeling this angsty teen rebellion thing, so he puts a lid on his shit. His face shutters, once again tough to read behind the shades, and he focuses on the task at hand.]

Okay, parter. Keep up.

[And he unceremoniously steps out into the abyss of the elevator shaft and floats gently upward.]

[hallelujahjunction]

[Dan doesn't have the option of gently floating upwards. That's just not something the Jorg has provided him.

But he does have the ability to follow through essential skill, so between the ladder on the inside of the elevator shaft and the open ledges, he follows appropriately, scrambling up any given handhold.]

[turntex]

[Good on him for sticking with it. Dave doesn't wait up, but he's not going too fast anyway, peering at the walls of the shaft for any traces of blood or scrapes to indicate where she'd gone. It's hard to see in the dark through the smoke still rising from the rubble down below – jesus, how the hell did Wash crawl out of that alive? – and having sunglasses on probably doesn't help.

Stifling a cough in his elbow, he leans in and begrudingly lifts his shades so he can actually see.]

She sure as fuck wasn't trying to keep a low profile anymore.

[hallelujahjunction]

[It's certainly neither ideal conditions or location for Dan to try and track something, here in the smokey dark in an elevator, but he's more than familiar with the way wounded animals (and people) move. The steps of blood up the wall go two floors, then end. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there's any way to tell if it's because she got off on this floor or if there just wasn't enough blood left to keep leaving marks.]

Either bold or desperate, sounds like. [You know how you sweat more when you have alcohol in your system? Dan's not even remotely impaired, but ugh, he should not be breaking a sweat that quick.]

Trail drops off. [Still hanging on the ladder, he points to the last few visible smears.] I think the only thing we know for sure is she didn't go to any floor lower than this one. How many more floors does this thing got?

[vampthropologist]

[A bat flutters up, lighting briefly on a pipe, in time to overhear the last part of the conversation. It peeps, derisively (if you've never heard a bat emote before, well, now you have), then flits to the floor where the blood trail ends. An outrush of displaced air, and Beckett is standing there.

He sniffs the air]

She got off here.

[turntex]

[He initially startles a bit as something flies past his head but fortunately, he doesn't swat at the bat due to the arm on that side being out of commission.

And then the bat is a guy. Sick. Dave looks up to him, giving a slight nod.]

Well, shit. Solid time to have a vampire around. Lead the way, Lassie, I'll trust that nose.

[He floats up to that landing and steps back onto solid ground.]

[hallelujahjunction]

[Dan climbs out of the elevator shaft and gives Beckett a wave.] Hey, handsome.

[Then he glances over at Dave and Beckett both while pulling the wrench from where he tucked it into his waistband.] Between the three of us, what do we have for firepower?

[vampthropologist]

Speed, strength, and claws that can cut steel. [He shows them off; they look like dog's nails, attached where his fingernails should be.

And the name's Beckett, youngster.

[That was to Dave]

[turntex]

Dave.

[He shrugs, shoving a hand in one pocket. The whole chill image is a little spoiled by the other arm still hanging gingerly at his side there.]

And I've got shenanigans on tap. Time fuckery, don't worry about it, I can draw y'all some diagrams later if you need it. Let's just get going.

[hallelujahjunction]

And I got a wrench, so we’re set. [The fact that he’s planning to use said wrench against a super-strong ninja with a healing factor doesn’t faze him whatsoever. He’s got a wrench and a shoddy sense of self-preservation.]

Beckett, you got the trail? Let’s go.

[vampthropologist]

[Beckett nods, making no comment on the wrench. He knows a fellow who likes to hunt werewolves with a baseball bat; he isn't one to judge.]

This way.

[Another rush of air, inward this time; where Beckett was is a huge black wolf, its jaw level with Dan's ribs. Its eyes glow a familiar orange-red. Beckett puts his nose to the ground and follows the trail.

It leads them down three stairs, and to the start of the maintenance section. There are several prominent signs, along the lines of FORBIDDEN - NO TRESPASSING - NONCOMPLIANCE WILL INVOKE VIOLATIONS.

The black wolf sits back on his haunches and tilts his head at the other two in a wry and silent question]

[turntex]

[A fucking wrench. Jesus christ.

But he doesn't complain, because that's just gonna open him up to questions about whether he's up to dealing with any mess either. His house is glass and he knows better than to throw stones.

Besides, more important is the giant black wolf suddenly right there. His frown deepens – he's not really a dog person – but he trails along after the hellbeast. He's less chatty than normal, understandably. Silence doesn't sit well with him, but the sound of their footprints is just enough to keep him from getting too twitchy.

It doesn't last long, at least. He eyes the warning signs and arches an eyebrow.]

You quitting already?

[hallelujahjunction]

[Dan isn't even slightly concerned with Beckett turns into a wolf. He has plenty of werewolf friends. They're handy as hell, if a little unpredictable during a full moon or around dog parks.

He gestures with his chin to the writing.]

Unless this says "radioactive", we're going in.

[vampthropologist]

[Beckett had been hoping for that response. He trots in, following the trail all the way to the ransacked locker room, where he goes up on his hind legs and keeps going, stretching out back into a man's form]

"She cleaned up - it ends here, in a cloud of chemicals."

[turntex]

[Dave follows them in, but the unceremonious end to the trail certainly doesn't improve his mood.]

Can't you track the chemical smell? That shit's gotta reek. Or are you like, tuned in to blood exclusively?

[vampthropologist]

[Beckett is swiping at his nose as he responds]

No, all I can smell is chlorine. Like if a flashbomb went off in your face.

[hallelujahjunction]

[Dan takes a look around the locker room, keeping an eye out for blood, hair, fingerprints, anything that could give them a new trail now that Beckett's nose is beat.]

Think maybe she switched out of her clothes and changed into someone else's.

[He goes to look through the trash for any identifying information - maybe something new for Beckett to smell, maybe something else - and pauses when he sees something alarming.]

Don't touch this. Give me a second. And, uh...stand as far back as you can. [He gestures at the wire and the shredded clothing in the garbage, then, gingerly, starts to pick through it, holding the wire taut with one hand. He's seen these, used these before, ever since his dad took him and his big sister out to the range to practice setting them up and defusing them in case the feds ever "stormed" them. Dan was young enough at the time that he assumed that "storming" meant sending lightning and thunder.

Never disarmed one in a trash can, but it's the same thing. Steady the wire, disconnect, carefully remove the shipping plug and blasting cap. Dan bites his lip as he works, and breathes a sigh of relief when he's done. It's not that he cares too much about getting blown up - as far as deaths go, it seems fairly swift - but he'd rather not die from a mine in a trash can splattering his body parts all over two colleagues, because fuck that.]

She knew we'd follow her, and she's got access to military weapons. That was a claymore.

[turntex]

[Genre savviness says to listen when someone says "stand as far back as you can", so Dave clears out without question. It's only once Dan's finished that he pops his head back in, brows arching up over the rim of his shades.]

Oh, shit.

[vampthropologist]

Hell. Last time I tangled with one of those, it took a year to grow my legs back.

[And you don't want to know how much human blood]

Thank you, Mr. Sagittarius. Now, how could she get access to that kind of weaponry? Does Jorgmund keep any in the armory, do you think?

[hallelujahjunction]

De nada. Glad I could contribute. [Because while he's willing to take on a murderer with a wrench, he's not going to pretend he's the most useful member here.] Not sure where she got one. They're not in the training area, I'd know.

[dan lieks 2 look at gunz.

He starts to dig through the shredded clothing, now that the mine is disarmed.]

She must have stashed the mine here before she attacked you and Wash, Dave. This must be one of the spots she retreats to, stores some of her shit. Expects people to follow her through.

[Less useful than a trail, but maybe if they turn the room upside down they'll find something.]

[turntex]

You wanna sweep this place for more traps, then? Don't really feel like testing whether I'm faster than a landmine.

[It almost makes him miss Bro's traps. That's a pretty fucked up thought.

In the meantime, he steps back out into the hall to scan the network for any updates. There's still probably another body out there somewhere they haven't found yet, and hopefully those others got Wash to the infirmary by now.]

[vampthropologist]

[Beckett examines the room, thoroughly, starting on the opposite side from Dan. He finds nothing of interest except an abandoned... adjustable wrench-cum-multitool? He isn't sure what to make of it, but it's got enough attachments that it might be useful.

It's engraved To Daddy, and Beckett pockets it with a silent and utterly insincere apology to whoever he's filching the token from]

Clear, so far. Anything interesting?

[hallelujahjunction]

[Dan does a sweep, including picking open several locker, but there don’t appear to be any other traps. Whatever she set up was probably in a rush; she didn’t have more time than for the claymore before they were on her.]

Far as I can tell we’re clear, but don’t touch anything you ain’t looked hard at first.

[For his part, Dan pockets someone’s wrist watch, a candy bar and someone’s belt, because why not? If he’s caught in here he’s going to get zapped again anyway, and it’s not distracting from their tasks, so may as well enjoy.]

I hate to say, but this trail might be dead.

[turntex]

Super dead. Deceased as fuck, in fact.

[Dave stays where he is while they ransack the place, leaning heavily against the hallway wall as the fading adrenaline starts to translate into exhaustion. He pokes through the network a bit more to no avail.]

Still no word about other victims either. Whoever else she shanked, she did a slightly better job hiding it.