~Character Chat~

Riddle: (to Sarah) What do you MEAN you prefer not to? FIRE IS AWESOME! It's like nuking something from orbit- but without the explosion...or the radiation...or the nuclear fallout...or you know any of that stuff. Just the fire.
T.Mor: So really it's nothing like nuking something from orbit.(Dryly.)
Some dude in a mask:(Stops despite having some riot prisoner to take downstairs) Riddle? Where have you been? Your father's VERY mad at you. We thought you went AWOL. Again.
Riddle: It's not your problem. If dad wants to talk to me he can come find me himself.
Dude: oh. I have to tell him that don't I? (Reluctantly.) Ok...well Have you seen T.Mor? We need him downstairs...
T.Mor: Hi. (Waves.)
Dude: Oh. There you are. Can never tell...Well, we need you downstairs to help with the overcrowding...Stupid Riots...
T.Mor: Alright...I'll be down soon...(Is not looking forward to that.)
Dude: Good... I have to take this...See you. (Pulls prisoner downstairs.)
Riddle: Well. You go have fun killing people mercilessly...Me and everyone will go find August.
T.Mor: Seriously? You're just going to leave me alone to do my job?
Riddle: That's what you normally do.

Peter: Because of the nature of our abilities, splitting up for us is not a good thing. Do you want us to go with you, T.Mor, or should we go with Riddle?

T.Mor: Go with Riddle then you'll have more fun. And probably less nightmares.
Riddle: See you!!(Waves as T.mor descends to deal with prisoners.) Oh! And while you're down there you can check for whats-his face!
T.Mor: Yeah. good. I'll do that.
Riddle: SO. If I were August and I were kidnapped by the government where would I be?(Somehow still has the smoothie, and slurps contemplatively.) Eh. Let's go check the private wing...(Leads them upstairs through a labyrinth of hallways that look like expensive anachronism stew.)

(They follow Riddle, all looking around and trying to get a lay of the land. They aren't entirely successful.)
Sarah: All these hallways... It's a wonder that anyone can get around here.
Peter: What does this August kid even look like?

Riddle: Well, He's taller than I am (Most people are. Riddle is 4'9".) And he's got brown hair...and he looks like he eats at least daily...and as of last time I saw him he had the cleanest clothes I've ever seen...And he's got confused blue eyes. Confused because...I dunno- they look confused OK?
(To Sarah) The hallways are built like this to keep people from getting out. And to confuse you- There are three other hallways that look IDENTICAL to the one we're in right now. It's not unusual to see guards kicking the walls and swearing because they realised that they're totally lost on their first day. It's really funny to watch. (Turns a corner. It's not the right corner. Doubles back and continues forward.) I hate findiing my dad's office. It's so...far away. AHA! (Pulls open a heavy oak door with FOFISCE engraved on the plaque.) HEY! Dad! Don't kill me I'm not AWOL! (She walks in, expecting her dad to be there.) Dad? Where?? (The office is empty. The shelves are lined with books on javascripting, C++, Binary and several other coding languages. There's a HUGE book open on the desk, along with a mess of notes.) Great. Just great. Dad's missing too...That can't be ANY good...(Something is struggling to add up in Riddle's crazy mind.)

Peter: (to Sarah and Nike) Her dad's the dictator.
Sarah: Wow. She's right, this can't be good.
Peter: (to Riddle) Do you have any idea where he could be?

Riddle: Well, He could be in a meeting...or Asking the Internet for something... Or... you know eating August...Oh. CRAP. (Turns on her heels and runs down the hallway apparently having figured something out.) It should be...HERE.

They've all stopped outside a big metal door in a otherwise empty hallway. It's clear that It's locked. There's a little window near the top of the door, a good six inches above everyone's head. Riddle pulls at the handle uselessly.

Riddle: None of you are lockpicks are you?

Peter: We all are. (He reaches into his right boot, pulls out two tools, and starts to pick the lock.)
Nike: (as Peter is doing that) Even if we weren't, this door could go down easily enough.
Sarah: Either that or we could just make a hole in it.
Senet: Bettehr to not leave a trace, zough. We don't want people getteeng suspicious.
Peter: (after about thirty more seconds) Ah! Got it. (He replaces his tools.)
Sarah: Not as quickly as they do it in the movies, but the movies are fake. It takes a lot more than two seconds.
Peter: Alright, let's see what's inside.

The hallway beyond the door is metal, almost reminiscent of the inside of a ship. Several pipes and wires run arond the ceiling and walls, and it's a good 20 degrees colder in this hall. Most of the lighting is burnt out, leaving a flickery eerie glow to see by.
Riddle:In what movies?(Riddle has never seen a film before. Just old spice commercials. Enters new hallway) This is dull. All these years I've never been allowed in here, and it's just another badly lit hallway? Sheesh. (Continues down the new hall anyway. He boots clank unevenly against the floor.) Man, If there's a Mister Face or Mister Tall down here...I'm gonna...I don't even know.(Basically talking to herself.) Ooh! look a freaky door! Hello Mr. Freaky door, You don't by any chance have August hiding in there do you? (Shuts up before opening this door. It opens with a creak, Revealing several huge computer screens, and a tesla machine and well-- basically a mad scientist's laboratory. In the centre of the room August is tied to a table, and staring(We assume...He has no eyes) at the computer screens is a tall ,skeletal man in a really expensive suit. Neither have noticed that Riddle has opened the door.)
(Riddle hastily closes the door and runs out of the new sketchy hallway, and sits down against a wall.)
Riddle: No way. Heheheheh....NO WAY.(Is most definitely not all there right now.) I don't...This isn't...I hehhehehehehe...No way. And I thought--I thought....(Continues rambling nonsensically.)

((No eyes? Is it just the sockets, then? Uuugh, creepy *shivers* How does he see?))

Peter: What's wrong, Riddle? What was in there?
(Nike places a hand on her shoulder in an effort to calm her down.)

(he has no face...think flat white mask...only with a mouth and Teeth. Pointy teeth. He can't really see- He can hear. If Riddle had hung around long enough we would have heard the computer reciting long strings of code at him.)
Riddle: (Giggles. It's chilling.) I thought he ate them. YEARS- I thought he ate them. And I was fine with it. Cannibalism...(more evil giggling) not so bad- I mean...There's worse. But -- (sentence break for giggling again.) Killing people for big ticket items from the Internet? That's just wrong. I mean...Ehg...(Thinks about the process for this.) Egh. We should go get what's his face. I mean August.

((Ugh. Still creepy.))

Sarah: Looks like it's time for...what did Izzy call it? Big Damn Heroes?
Peter: No need to go bursting inside just yet. Riddle, how should we handle what's in there? Moreover, what exactly is in there?

(Thank you! He's suppoused to be.)
Riddle: The nice, terrifying, mass murderer in there is my Dad.(Smiles unhappily.) He Umm...We weren't even suppoused to be in there. If this wasn't his super secret lab thingydo- I'd probably just run right in and say something stupid...I mean- even now...I'm very compelled to run in there and say something stupid. That's kind of--How I roll. But then WHAT? you know? And we'd all end up hanging by our toes with no spines in prison. Probably being tortured by T.Mor. Because my dad is just that flavor of evil.(She's known how evil he was for years and was ok with it. Child sacrifice to the gods though- that threw him into complete monster land in her eyes.) I Dunno. Maybe if we all march in there and I start yelling about fishsticks...I don't really want to kill him...Today.

Peter: Disabling him is simple enough. There doesn't need to be any blood spilled today. Nike, you handle this one.
Nike: Alright.
Sarah: Yeah! Big Damn Hero time!
(Nike walks over to the door, throwing it open. She waves her arm and thrusts her fist forward, her action firm and stable. There's something very solid about the way she moves. She relaxes, looking back to the group.)
Nike: (as though she were commenting about the weather) The area is secure.
Sarah: Aww, you didn't kick the door open. That would've been cool.
Nike: It would've been excessive. (Nike doesn't quite understand the Rule of Cool.)
Peter: Let's go in, then.
(Inside, the creepy faceless man appears to have sunk into the floor. His upper body sticks out, but his arms are pinned to his sides.)
Senet: (motioning to the kid on the table) Ees zat one August?

((Sorry if that seemed like powerplaying. I can change it if you want. It seemed like the easiest way to me to get things done, though.))

(No you're good- Riddle is STILL going to hannibal lecture him a bit- maybe about fishsticks. Your rule of cool line cracked me up!)
August:(Sounding traumatised.) Yeah...Hi. Some Psycho decided it would be a good idea to start carving things into my shoulder with an exacto knife...I'm tied to a table...I just wanna go home...
Riddle: How is it that you always manage to tell us the most obvious crap? ALL THE TIME.
August: Oh god. It's you. Now I feel safe.
Dad(He still has no official name...): (turns his head to face Riddle with frightening accuracy- You'd think that he actually can see.) Now...What have I told you about coming thorugh that door? Because I thought that I said that under NO circumstances were allowed though this door.
Riddle: Yeah...Oops.(Doesn't sound sorry at all. Looks around the Lab) What is all this crap?What are you trying to do here? WHY AUGUST? I mean...sheesh- least awesome human sacrifice I've ever known.
Dad: (Grins. It's capable of chilling your soul.) You KNOW what I've been trying to accomplish Riddle. You've always known.
Riddle: These cryptic hints are doing nothing for me. I might as well give you my epileptic tree theory. It would probably make more sense than the truth.
Dad: Fine then, I won't tell you.(Changes subject airily. There's always the feeling that he's somehow playing us.) Your friends are...Interesting.(Turns to "look" at Peter.) They're not from around here are they? Tell me...You. How old are you?
Riddle: Seriously? Seriously? NOW?
August: I think I answered that question wrong...
Riddle: (Mean to August.) I have NO doubt in my mind that you did.

((Haha, thanks ^_^ I enjoyed your line about the epileptic tree theory ))

Peter: (remembering what T.Mor said) I'm nineteen, sir. (He realizes that he probably couldn't pass for a nineteen-year-old, and is immediately grateful for the creepy, faceless mask.)

(Thanks!)
Dad: (Contemplates this for a bit. ) That's...Unfortunate. Really. I could have got so much done...(He continues facing Peter. Creepily.) I've never seen you around here before have I? Any of you. And yet you're all so... Riddle normally says Shiny. So...unusual. (A smile curls his lipless mouth.) I mean...I'd be willing to put money on the fact that you all happen to be in the same boat as our lovely friend August here. Quite a long way from home...Aren't we?
Riddle: Why do you keep messing with them? You're stuck in the floor. In case you haven't noticed. (Riddle is pleased that for once she is taller than him.) You can't DO anything.
Dad: I can always do something...Computer...I'm going to need a little help here. Oh- and go find that T.Mor kid too...

(Sarah, without looking at August, flicks her wrist behind her back and severs one of his restraints with a small, slicing wind. She repeats the action quickly for the rest of his bonds.)
Sarah: (thinking to Peter) What's gonna happen?
Peter: (thinking back) You're asking me?
Sarah: (still thinking) You're the leader!
Peter: (Do I need to say it?) I don't have all the answers!

Several Realguards pour into the room, and sieze everyone.
Riddle: OH NO. YOU ARE NOT TAKING ME BACK DOWNSTAIRS!( Kicks some guy in the face.) I hate downstairs. It's smelly. (It takes a little bit, but they manage to carry Riddle out of the room in pieces- The arm has fallen off again. Despite this she continues fighting with them.) SERIOUSLY- I WANT THAT BACK. I JUST WANT TO STRANGLE YOU WITH IT IS ALL...(You can hear her yelling from quite a ways a way.)
Some confusion has ensued in the room, since everyone is dressed Identically.
Dude in a mask: Come on August.(Pulls him off the table)
August: I am DONE with being kidnapped.(loudly.)
Dude in mask: Shut up. It's me. (Quietly.) We need to get the others...That came In with Riddle? They're not really guards...
August: How do we tell them apart?
T.Mor: ...Good question. Pretend I've got you prisoner though...we'll figure this out...(Thinking frantically. Has an Idea.) August- Hit me. A lot.
August: Why?
T.Mor: Just do it.
August: Ok...(Hits in face. August is clearly crap in a fight.)
T.Mor:(Yelling now.) Anyone with a chainspork in their possession? Anyone? I need help!!

(A few small fires have errupted on people's clothes, and some guards have found their legs partway into the floor.)
Senet: (who happened to be closest) Zat's T.Mohr!
(The rest of the group runs over to him, and they join T.Mor and August.)
Peter: (as he's approaching) It's us. I take it we're saving Riddle now?
Sarah: (to August) Wow, kid, you fight like crap.
Nike: Be polite!
Sarah: You fight like crud?
Nike: Close enough.

August: Thanks. Good to know. In the future I'll just arm Riddle and stand behind her. That should work.
T.Mor: No one is arming Riddle.( Quickly.)Let's get out of here first...Riddle can hold her own in a torture chamber...Come ON August.( Still playing as though August is a prisoner. Have to maintain appearances after all.Pulls by the arm.)
August: OW. I'm kind of Bleeding...
T.Mor: (Expertly dispassionate) And I care why? Just keep walking. (Shoves lightly, while loosening his grip accomodatingly.) You all might want to take some prisoners- just to look convincing. I'll meet you in the outside hallway in about 5 minutes. (Continues forcing August out the door.)

Sarah: And where are we going to get those? There are only guards in here! Do we go outside? We have no clue how to navigate! Not to mention just...ugh!
Nike: He did say that we needed to turn off our moral compasses, but... (She trails off.)

T.Mor: You look like guards- someone is SUPPOUSED to be taking you prisoner...I mean I didn't think I was making that much of a logic leap...(as he pulls August out the door.)

Peter: We know that; we just don't know where to find prisoners! Sheesh, it's not our plane. Cut us some slack, here!

T.Mor: Take anyone in a mask. They're all around you. The ones stuck in the floor might be trouble though...(Hastily trying to explain.)The boss will think the guards got you. Hopefully. If you walk out of this room empty handed, You're giving yourselves away.(They don't have to worry about being overheard- the on fire guys are loud enough to muffle the conversation.)
August: (From outside the door) OW. You keep doing that!
T.Mor: Riddle's right- you are whiny.