At every word that emerges from Builder's mouth Viona appears to pale another shade. By the time he stormed off she was almost white, she was pale to begin with sure, but it was obvious that Builder's words frightened her. Was he bluffing? He seemed so... serious. Deadly serious. As Lily speaks her eyes glance to Chuck's hands on his axe, knuckles white. Was he ready to kill her now? Or was he simply frustrated or scared of what lied ahead? Hudson departed after a couple words leaving Lily and Chuck practically backing her into the corner, both of them scrutinizing her intensely.
Sense Motive Results: Both Lily and Chuck know that she is lying, it's obvious and frustrating. There is definitely something going on here that she isn't telling you about. You both get the feeling that you shouldn't trust her very far.
"Death games"? Viona returned, slowly gaining control of herself, "Please my pet, don't insult my intelligence, you are all far too interesting to kill, study perhaps but not kill...". She looks back and forth to them, noticing their facial expressions. "Fine...I shall admit it, I can see you know I'm lying...I killed Dr. Hart, no... I murdered him. My reasons are my own and I will not allow myself to be judged by you".
She can see they are unhappy with the response and she speaks quickly, desperately, her accent thicker than normal while frantic, "Listen to me. We have to get the prototype cure, that is what is important right? It could save thousands and thousands of people. You can not dispose of me yet, I am the only one with the clearance codes for the elevator and several security doors and if the Black Rook is still down there in the system I am the only one with sufficient skills to combat him, you
need me whether you like it or not". She folds her arms across her chest, some of her confidence and arrogance returning. "We should not linger. Especially on what happened in the past. I say we move forward...I will walk ahead of the party if it eases you. If you see something you do not like then you can end me as you have promised".
Builder stands on the landing by the bloody door, leaning on the rail and looking down thoughtfully off the edge into the blackness below that seemed to go on forever. How big was this place anyways? How deep did it go? He had worked on some pretty intense skyscrapers and strange buildings in the past but he had never seen anything like this. His words to Viona still echoed in his head. Everyone seemed on edge, the last couple days had been nothing but a constant struggle for survival, fighting through the infected hospital, running from a behemoth that nearly caught them in a vehicle, fighting outside the police station, killing men...live men in the form of Raiders, worse the memory of holding Kathy down while Lily injected her with a syringe that would end her suffering...and her life. If only they had had the prototype then she could have been saved. Thomas, that kid, could have been saved.
It was no wonder he felt aggressive. Normal men would have collapsed by now out of exhaustion. Normal men would have mentally given up, become a gibbering mess in the corner after seeing the things he had seen, done the things he had done. Normal men would have succumbed to the infection that now flowed through his veins, a part of him indefinitely. Normal men...normal women... He looked back at the others. Glad they weren't normal either. At least he had met Brock, then Reagan, and then Chuck, Hudson, and Lily. Good people, good fighters. And at least he had a goal, sort of.
Hudson scouts while heading back up, keeping his ears and eyes opened. Surprise attacks were never fun. He looked around but the dim lights on each landing didn't allow for much range. The only sounds were the sounds of voices from behind him, Lily, Chuck, Viona. As he approaches Builder on the landing he suddenly pauses. There. In the shadows behind Builder. Suddenly Hudson's vision narrowed, blackness approaching from all directions of his peripherals. The shadow behind Builder loomed larger than possible, somehow appearing darker than the darkness around it. It had no form but a writhing mass of blackness, somehow it's mere presence filled him with fear. Suddenly it reached out with black tentacles towards Builder. Hudson raised his gun and fired. As he did the apparition disappeared.
Lily, Chuck, and Viona all spin at the sound of a gun shot.
Builder jumps ten feet into the air, at least it feels like it, and turns to look at Hudson who is standing behind him by the stairs. The man wipes his brow and shakes his head sheepishly.
"I'm sorry...I thought I saw something".
