Storyline Name: Lab Rats
Creator(s): Addelyn
Forum: Free Forum
Advanced or Relaxed Relaxed
Plot Summary: After finding out that Tigers Eye and Fisheyes have been held captive, Hawks Eyes knows he must do what he has to in order to secure their safety, even if it means returning to his old ways. Tasked with getting a dream mirror from a scientist by the name of Laira, Hawks Eyes attempts to sneak into the scientist’s compound, only to be spotted by Usagi, who decides to follow him to see what he’s up to as he’s acting weird.

Unbeknownst to the two, Laira is actually Sailor Ixalia in disguise, who is running several experiments on how to best destroy earth. Seeing the two coming, she decides to attempt to capture them in order to turn them into her lab rats. Hawks Eyes and Sailor Moon are forced team up in order to find a way out of the building that has suddenly taken a resemblance to a maze before it’s too late.

Details on any necessary information:
The person who is holding Fisheye and Tigers Eye is only mentioned by name in the Rp and won’ be taking an active part in its, its more use as a device to why Hawk Eyes is doing this.
Restrictions:
Only the following characters below are needed.
OOC Thread:Skype
Member to Character List:

Sailor Ixalia/Laira – Addelyn
Hawks Eye- Eternal Knight
Sailor Moon – Princess Luna

You'd think doing your part, aiming for redemption and finally obtaining forgiveness would be worth something in the balance of the universe. It would allow you some respite. It would call for peace. The three of them, bored as hell as they were in Elysion, had finally found something that was freedom. As much as a strange kingdom in the middle of nowhere and far from Earth could mean freedom.

Apparently, however, being part of the good guys actually brought the curse on them as well: if you're good, everyone wants a piece of that.

Great.

Really.

He was muttering for himself in some streets of some Japanese town he ought to remember the name but was just too annoyed to care, heading to the one place he had been said his target would be. Target. Here he was, fully redeemed good guy, aiming at an inoffensive civilian because his friends got themselves kidnapped. Why was he always the one stuck with the thankless work? He knew once they'd be safe, they would only ask him why he took so long. Because no matter how strong they wished to be heroes, some habits were hard to drop.

It had happened so suddenly. He only remembered part of the dream in which a shadow had appeared, mocking voice, dark edges. Something they used to do (and endure with Zirconia) before Elysion. A villain don't pull a villainy voice on another villain. It was just... The voice went on, saying that he (she? they?) needed something from Earth and only the interesting dream power of the Amazon Trio could reveal it for him (her, them?). If he cared for the tiger and the fish, he would do as asked.

Did he care?

Did he really care?

Seeing as he was totally lost in a bunch of streets instead of tanning on Elysion, he did. Cursed them, he did. It took him a lot of charms and patience (it was doubtful he had both) to finally spot the laboratories buildings, something like relief washing over him. The easier part was done. Now to the part that might make him wonder why he had become something more than a villain. Looking around him to be sure no one was following him, he swiftly made his way to the building, not bothering with the main door. He started to climb the installations instead, knowing it would be quicker and easier than to burst through the front door.

Usagi was walking around town when she spotted Hawk's Eye sneaking up to a building. What was he up to? Usagi decided that she should follow him and see what he was up to. Instead of going in the front door like a normal person, he was climbing up the building. Usagi decided to stay at a nice distance, but try and keep an eye on him still. She followed him up the side of the building very quietly and with enough distance, that she hoped he wouldn't notice her.

Catching dream mirrors used to be fun. They wouldn't use backdoors, they wouldn't be quiet, or subtle, they didn't care. They were free. Terrible perhaps, vile probably, but they were free. He swung himself towards a small balcony, landing easily. It seemed rarely used, a vestige perhaps from whatever this building was for before becoming a laboratory compound. He quickly got in. Any chance to be caught would slow down this process and he wanted this thing to be done with quickly. His mind was set on getting in, taking the dream mirror and getting out, not noticing the blond hair outside that should have alerted him he was being followed.

He closed the door behind him, not needing any secondary exit. Teleporting inside an unknown location could be dangerous, but teleporting outside would be easy. He slowly walked to the corridor, looking right and left to make sure the way was clear. It was, but he didn't get out of the room he was hidden in yet.

A plan.
He needed a plan.

Of all the... he really should have thought about this before going in. To hell with it. He would find the lady, this Laira woman and he would simply get her mirror. To hell with disguises, to hell with performances. He was not in a circus anymore. He didn't even take the lab coat hanging there; he was an artist, this ridiculous attire wouldn't fit. Anyone getting in his way would be dealt with. No deaths, preferably. No matter how impatience he felt and how enraging it was to play once again the puppet for an idiot who couldn't do things for themselves.

The fact he was overly bitter didn't mean he couldn't use his head and so Hawk's Eye quietly made his way through the corridors, cautious not to be seen or heard. If he was lucky, this would be a quick in and out, nothing more.

Usagi continued to follow Hawk's Eye and made her way into the building after him. She tried to be really quiet and make sure she didn't get caught following him. He closed the door to the room he'd left so she opened the door slowly and hoped it wouldn't creak or anything. Luckily, it didn't and she was grateful. Continuing to follow him down the corridor, she walked quietly. She saw a lab coat and thought that maybe she should put it on to keep her cover in case someone who worked here saw her. As she grabbed the coat the thing it was hanging on fell and she couldn't catch it in time. It made a large clang and she looked around hoping no one would notice.

A sense of dread crawled from his nape to the base of his spine when a loud sound seemed to resonate around him. That wasn't his fault right? He wasn't that much of a rookie to make so much noise while breaking and entering...

He stopped.

Should he keep going, despite the fact someone could be following him or should he backtrack and discover exactly what was going on? It could be anyone working in this building and not necessarily a stalker like he was thinking right about now. He really needed to tone down the paranoia. But he was curious. If it was someone who worked here however, he would be found out and his chance to get to his dream mirror lessened.

Curiosity won.

Sometimes you just can't change a man.

He turned around and slowly went back to peek in the corridor he had just left. Needless to say, the sight he caught was not one he expected.

"What are you doing here?"

He complained, almost too loud for what he was doing and now fully showing himself. His shoulders slouched downward as he sighed. Of all the people he could have come across in this compound, it had to be her.

"Are you following me?" He asked frowning.

The thought had just now crossed his mind, but it seemed foolish. Why would she follow him? How did she know where to find him? For everyone, he was in Elysion with Helios, he wasn't supposed to be on Earth. Did she know about Fisheye and Tiger's Eye being taken? Did she have anything to do with it?

Dr. Laira paused, her head cocked to one side as she listened intently. Moving swiftly over to her computer, she quickly taped a few keys, bringing up the security feed. Ah, it looked like she had two visitors. Perhaps this was just what she needed. She was about to move onto live subject testing soon, but hadn't yet procured any test subjects, lacking the time and being too caught up in her research. The hunt would be fun, give her a chance to shed this human disguise she had been forced to wear while on this wretched planet. 

Quickly deciding that she would allow them to come to her, she returned to what she was doing, her muscles relaxed. Let the rat race begin.

Usagi listened as Hawk's Eye spoke to her. She was caught. Darn it! Why do I have to be so clumsy? She thought. "Yes I am following you." Usagi said, "You looked like you were up to something bad so I figured it'd be best to see what you were doing. What are you doing?" She stared at him, hoping that maybe he'd actually have a good reason for being in this place.

Couldn't accuse the girl of lying. It didn't explain how she'd found him, however, and the thought she maybe knew what had happened to his friends did cross his mind and not in a pretty way. He hoped she had nothing to do with it, considering it was for her Fisheye and Tiger's Eye had given their lives. He hadn't seen in her what Fisheye had. He died before being given a chance to totally understand who she was.

He was staring at her coldly, trying to decide whether to attack her or simply knock her out.

"You're funny."

He snorted with a shake of his head.

"Something bad eh? So you're the one making the laws and deciding who's bad and who's good?"

His fingers twitched. He didn't have time for this. He needed to get the scientific's dream mirror as soon as possible. He couldn't take the risk of her slowing him down, but, apparently, something within him was uncomfortable with how much of the old Hawk's Eye was showing through his panic. He didn't have to hurt her to get what he wanted, did he?

It was a hell lot easier when hitting her head with his torch was still an option.

"Get lost, girl. I don't need you in my way and I don't want to hurt you."

He finally said as last warning, turning around to continue his exploration of the facility.

What delightful creatures, Laira thought, watching the two on her security feed. They didn't seem to get along. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage. Grinning, she gracefully moved over to her computer terminal, quickly tapping in a few commands. 

Once the two got to the end of the hall, a trap door would spring, blocking hem from going back the way they came, thus forcing them deeper into her lair.

She was funny huh? Usagi was surprised to hear him say that. She giggled to herself and then he questioned her, wanting to know who made her the one who decided what was right and wrong. Then he told her to go. "No I'm not the one making the laws of who's bad and who's good. If you feel as if you're doing something bad then that means you probably are. But if you are doing something that you believe is good, then okay." Usagi said, "I will not leave. I want to know what you're up to." She then followed him as he walked.

His steps faltered.

There was nothing good in what he was about to do, but he didn't have the choice. How were called those who did wrong for a reason? He didn't look back, knowing she was still following him, afraid that he would probably end up hurting her if she kept pushing like this. He wasn't really patient and she wasn't his type. She was getting on his nerves, however, and that was a bad sign.

"I'm doing you a favor. So take your leave before I think about throwing you off a window."

He wouldn't do it. It wasn't his MO and it was too much efforts for a nosy girl. He just hoped she would get worried enough to back off. He had no idea how to gently deal with someone. He didn't know how to ask her to leave without threatening her. It's not that he was really focusing on her safety, he didn't really care, not when his friends were in trouble, but he knew he would get some skirted pumpkin heroes on his back if he did her wrong.

Something else he didn't have the time to deal with.

He didn't notice passing through the hall until the end of it, too busy he was trying to figure out how to get rid of her before getting to his target. What he noticed, however, was the noise of a door slamming behind him. He tensed, tilting his head on the side in an annoyed stretch of his neck and look back, finding there both a closed door and an annoying girl.

"Apparently your little stunt back there didn't alert just me." He pointed out, bitter. "I don't have time to deal with little girls. Don't get in my way. You've already done enough."

He warned her. If he couldn't get the dream mirror because of her, he was going to take hers. Surely, Sailor Moon's dream mirror was worth something. He shuddered at the thought and turned his back at her once more. There was only one way left to go and he didn't change his plan despite someone definitely knowing he was there. He brushed his gloved fingers nervously through his spikes and kept going, now alert and ready to fight.

This mission just got complicated and it had been a while since he had dealt with complications.

They were trapped little rats in her maze, soon to become new latest test subjects. She allowed them to continue down the hall for some time, just enough that their guard would drop. A few quick strokes on her keyboard and she set another trap. This time, when the blonde girl walked forward she would trigger a trap that would shoot tranquilizing darts at her. 

She seemed like a klutz, so Laira didn't forsee her trap missing.

It was easier before.

When disposing of people was still in vogue.

He was taking large steps forwards when the smallest of noise tickled the hair at the base of his nape. That was a noise he knew all too well. He didn't think as he suddenly swirled around, as he rushed in with some sort of panic forming within him and neither did he still as he tackled Usagi down. Darts collided with the opposite wall and he looked up at them, frowning, then looked down at the girl under him, still frowning.

Usagi jumped when the door closed. He was right she had alerted someone else that she was there. But who was it? Was it the person that he was following? Suddenly she was being tackled to the ground. What was going on? She looked up and there had been darts on the side of the wall that would have definitely hit her had he not tackled her to the ground. She looked at him smiling. "Thank you." Usagi said. "Now would you please tell me why you're here? I'd like to help you if I can. It's the least I can do since you just saved my life."

Well, that was frustrating. She hadn't forseen the male saving the female, especially after they had been bickering. Deciding the force them to move to her faster, she was loosing patience now and she was eager to get her hands on them, to explore how far they would go for each other, she tapped her keys a few more times. 

The two would feel the floor under them begin to rumble. The walls slowly began to move together. In order to survive, they would have to make it to the end of the corridor.

Could someone smile be frustrating?

Apparently it could.

He was still looking down at her, not moving from the position they landed in, staring at that smile with a mix of annoyance and confusion. She was a weird case. A bit of a nutcase. Listening to her made him sigh, but it also made him remember why he was there for to begin with. He rolled off her easily, then pushed himself up.

"I came here to steal something." He lamely stated, thinking there was no need to go around the bush anymore. "You still want to help?"

He snorted bitterly, but before he could add anything, he felt the rumble through the floor, looking around him, alert. It took him a short amount of time before noticing that the walls were moving on their own, and not in the direction he'd like them to move.

"Come on!" He cursed to whoever, then looked back at her.

"No choice, now. Let's go!"

He took off, figuring she'd follow. He was confident that he could run fast enough to get to the other side, but the walls made him uncomfortable. It felt too much like a cage closing in on him, making him nervous. He hated cages. And who even could pull off such amount of traps in such a small space? He knew where he was going, or anyway where he thought his target might be, but nothing in the deal he made included such a warm welcome.

He wasn't cut out for this.

And quite frankly, he doubted the teenager he was stuck with was better. What a cavalry.

As he was nearing the corridor's end, he glanced back - a strange and new reflex he found - in order to check if she was able to keep up.

Usagi was surprised at the honest answer she recieved. He was here to steal something. To be honest she wasn't super surprised about it, but it must be important since he was risking himself for it. Was she really willing to help him steal something? She did owe him for saving her life, but maybe stealing was too much. She was a beacon for justice and good so stealing something would probably be against all she's worked for. But what if it... Her thoughts were interrupted.

Suddenly the floor was rumbling and the walls started to close in on them! He yelled at her to follow him and she ran as fast as she could as the walls continued to close in. She saw him get close to the end and look back at her, almost as if he was worried about her. That was strange. Maybe he'd started to be good, maybe what he needed to steal was for a good cause. Whatever the thing was she decided she'd help him get it.

A new wave of determination flowed over Usagi as she was filled with a purpose. She'd help him no matter what. "I've decided I'll help you." Usagi said with certainty.

When he looked back in front of him, it was so he could jump the rest of the way and roll to safety. He could hear Fisheye saying he was showing off - which he would have been in another life probably, but not right now - and the thought made him cringe. He needed to get that mirror and fast. He straightened himself, looking at Usagi, having heard what she had said. She would?

"Alright..."

He sighed to himself, defeated. If she was going to help, considering they were stuck together, he couldn't do anything about it. He had a bad feeling, however. What if she ended up being more of a bother than a helping hand? He couldn't mess this up. It wasn't some grocery errands for Zirconia. Lives were on the line. The only ones he actually minded losing.

"Just... keep running!"

He wasn't sure if he felt worry for her well-being. He wasn't sure of what he was feeling at all. He wanted to focus only on retrieving the mirror, he didn't want to care for anything else that this, or anyone else than them.

But he was still standing there, at the end of the trapped corridor, waiting for her.

She heard his say to just keep running and Usagi did. She knew she was running out of time the walls were still closing in on her. She continued to run and as she got close to the end relief washed over her. She started to feel herself slow though and she knew that wasn't good. She sped up as much as she could and she was so close as she neared the end of the corridor, Usagi tripped. This is not a good moment for My clumsiness... Usagi thought.

There was a slight hesitation when Usagi tripped.

It was quick considering the walls closing in, but he glanced back to the rest of the corridor for the tiniest moment. He could make it alone, it was the plan all along, but there was a great possibility that those walls wouldn't stop before squishing the girl. Whoever was in this building wasn't fooling around that much he was certain of it. Even for entertainment those traps were way too sophisticated.

So he went back.

He ran to her, not offering his hand, not giving her time to be saved from embarrassement. He didn't care right now whether or not she would take offense in him manhandling her.

Those walls didn't care about any of their feelings.

Instead, he easily lifted her off the ground and ran off with her to the safe side of the corridor.

"You really are a funny one."

He growled between his teeth. Who in their right minds would trip when their lives were threatened? This one apparently. For once she wasn't the one to save them and weirdly enough he appreciated that. He wasn't all too fond of those moments they bumped into each other every times they tried to get mirrors from random people with beautiful dreams. Now was the time for saving both of their skin and hopefully make it to the lab without many more emotions.

How complicated was it supposed to be to get a mirror and get the hell out of this place?

How were they able to defeat her traps? Quickly taking off her coat, Laira allowed herself to drop the human disguise that she was wearing. Her skim slowly began to turn is normal yellowish-green, her eyes turning an unnatural red. 

Apparently if you wanted something done, you had to do it yourself, not rely on machines. 

"Ixalia Planet Power, Make Up!" Holding her right hand up above her head, the bracelet she always wore began to glow, light soon covering her entire body. When it finally stopped, Sailor Ixalia stood in her place.

Moving down the hall towards where the others were, she quickly stepped into the hallway further down from where they were headed. Holding her hand out, she sent energy beams hurting towards the man with pink hair. 

 

Description of her Attack:

When she tripped, she thought she was done for. But instead he helped her, he seemed so annoyed with her, but he had helped her and for that she was grateful. "Thank you." She said to him and she brushed herself off. She looked down the hallway and saw an energy beam coming towards them, what was happenening?

He had released Usagi from his grip, safe from the closing walls, but apparently not totally safe from everything else. When he looked up, he saw... a green woman. The color of which he had barely time to actually notice before he saw some flash of energy coming towards them. Without thinking, he dropped on the floor, the beam going to crash against the wall behind them. One death by beam stabbing was enough for two lifetimes. He growled and slowly straightened himself up, his eyes fixed on the newcomer.

Was he smelling burned hair? He hoped not.

"Let me guess, you're that Laira's..."

He frowned, checking her head to toes before grimacing.

"...very strange bodyguard?"

He asked with the face of a man who really wished things would have been easier.

"Something like that," she smirked. So, whoever sent them after her hadn't figured out who she was. Even better. 

Summoning her Fauchard, the bladed end began to glow. Making a slashing motion infront of her, grey energy beams hurtled towards the air towards them.

'Something like that'? Sure. Alright.

"Where..."

He didn't finish his sentence and rolled on the side, bumping into the wall quite brutally, but avoiding the slashing beam, getting his torch out swiftly. He brought the weapon near his mouth, half kneeling, and blew strongly, launching a wave of flames at the woman. He slowly stood up, his eyes checking around him for anything that could help him stay alive.

The flames stopped when he needed to breathe, stepping back slightly, bracing himself, but also preparing for another wave. With some luck, maybe the first attack was enough for an extra crispy villain.

He spotted an ill-fitting panel on the wall, the man almost certain they would be able to worm their way out, but how to do this without dying. He glanced back despite the danger the unknown woman embodied, trying to see if Usagi was alright.

"Where is Laira?"

"She sent me to collect you." Her shield activated, easily stopping the pathetic attack by the creature. He was an odd one for a male of this planets species.

Usagi watched the exchange take place between the newcomer and Hawks eye. Who was this woman and how was it that she was deflecting his attacjs so easily? Usagi looked at the woman and asked, "Who are you?" This may have been a slightly dumb question, but she wanted to know before she started attacking this woman, she promised to help, but maybe they could do this without fighting?

"No one interesting, and not an innocent one if that's what's making you hesitate."

He commented, preparing his torch. He sucked a breath in, then sent another wall of flame towards their enemy. Subtly, he tried to show Usagi the possible exit he'd found, knowing that even if he wouldn't hurt her, it was enough to hide them both from her.

When the flames faded, he braced himself.

"You know... you're a bit of a lousy guard dog..."

Usagi notices that he was hinting at something to her, but what was it? He was taunting this woman who seemed to be attacking them for no reason, why? What had she done. "What did you do?" She yelled at the woman. She was hoping Hawks eye had a reason and Usagi still wanted to know what it was.