Infinite Project | (IC)

[Koishi]

Site 47 | Topside

---

Soane's optic narrowed slightly at the last remark, further noting the condensed gas creature seemingly had a memory only somewhat more reliable than a mayfly's. Something to put on the report, they supposed.

"Site 47. My employer's main facility for the region." Soane spoke, heading up to the door and swiping a card before the doors slid open. They gestured one of their many hands inward. "Head in, if you would please."

Koi nodded, looking inside as they walked in. A single large welcome desk was positioned in the room, lights notably dimmer than many normal places. Nobody manned the desk, leaving the place empty and notably silent.

"Nobody on the desk?" Koi asked, noting the suspicious nature of it.

"Not open today. Otherwise would've used the back." Soane explained before leading them onwards. They headed past the small set of bathrooms and into a maintenance area, and in the back lied a single elevator. They used a different keycard, swiping it open before stepping inside. "If you would step inside?"

[Cucoo5]

Washington | Southern Forest -> Yale

---

Trace held little Hollow firmly as she spooled up the still functional engine of her Aether Wing. When she throttled it up, she angled it just so she could essentially perform a leaping run. She decided to initially run away from the helicopter noise, heading south by southwest. As they ran, she tried to scan her surroundings as fast as she could. She eventually strayed close to a road, noticing a green sign. Yale 1/4 mile. She stopped, curiosity overtook her.
"Yale, a place in Washington state, south of Mobius Labs." The voice told Trace. "Keep going." Before Trace could ask any questions, a remote signal attempted to connect to her communication relay. She noticed the source name: Cicero. The nickname of the one assistant that performed system checks. Allowing the connection, she suddenly heard a panicked male speak to her.
"Trace? What's going on? What happened at the Labs?"
"The lab was attacked by soldiers."Her reply was calm. The conversation occurred in her mind, but she patched it through to her voice box and allowed Hollow to listen in. "I was told to escape south. I was intercepted by an attack aircraft. Several of my systems are damaged. Aether Wing right engine has been disabled-"
"Never mind the system report, Mobius Labs was attacked? Why?"
"They were targeting me."
"You?" Cicero went silent for a moment. After a moment, frantic movements could be heard, punctuated with crash of drawers being opened and a suitcase being stuffed. "We gotta run. Hide. Something."
"Correct." Trace was analyzing the audio, trying to comprehend what Cicero was doing.
"Government will be after you... after me." Another frantic thud of something being thrown to the floor. "It's like a movie. Ok, wait... like a movie..." Another pause, this time followed by a chair moving and rapid clicking of a keyboard. "We gotta meet up. Where are you?"
"Yale."
"Yale?" More clicking. "Yale. North by north east. Ok keep going south...uuuhhh... south, southwest. Go to Amboy, I'll meet you there."
"Confirmed. Heading south, southwest to Amboy." With that, the connection was terminated. Trace then addressed Hollow directly, "Ok little one, we can find help. Cicero will help us..." She stopped for a moment, a puzzled look appeared on her face. How will he help us? As she wondered that, she started to keep moving, crossing the road and heading in the direction specified.

[Koishi]

Washington | Southern Forest

---

Hollow barely moved, simply looking around as they moved at very high speeds. It was hard to keep up with the rapidly changing surroundings at first, but the little creature adjusted to the speed, things becoming clearer as they moved.

Hollow listened to their carrier as they spoke to someone. So this fellow who held them was called Trace? It was the best they could assume. That, and a lab was attacked. Was perhaps it linked to that... place? A very slight, nigh unnoticeable shudder came over them as they thought to that. Then, Trace seemingly turned to them. The little hollow thing tilted their head somewhat as Trace spoke of help. They only vaguely knew what that was, it was something their brothers and sisters were never allowed. But it hopefully wasn't bad, at least.

[Cucoo5]

Washington | Amboy

---

Cicero was sitting in his car, tapping on the wheel nervously as he drove to Amboy. Everything is going to be fine. He made his way to a parking lot of a hardware store on the northern side of the town, making sure he chose a spot that would allow him to drive off in a moment's notice. Ok, now to just call up Trace and tell her where you are, simple.

***
Trace was rapidly approaching Amboy with Hollow in tow. She stayed near the roads, but far enough to stay away from prying eyes. When she came to a river, she navigated to a place near the bridge before using the functioning thruster of her Aether Wing to provide enough thrust to clear it in one leap. From there, she cut through farm fields until Cicero's call came in.
"Trace, I found a spot at a hardware store at... uh... two-twenty first avenue and... four-oh-fifth way. We'll maybe be able to get some supplies to try and patch you up here, too. Where are you now?"
"N E four hundred and nineteenth S T and N E Cedar Creek R D." Trace recalled a sign from a few seconds ago. Cicero muttered okay and went silent for a moment.
"Ok you're close. keep heading along the road until two-twenty first."
"Understood." Trace continued on, continuing to use her thruster to sprint towards the destination.

***
Cicero leaned over the steering column, looking out the windshield down the road when he started to hear what sounded like a small jet engine before seeing rapid movement in the trees across the way. When it suddenly stopped he knew it was Trace. "Oh goddammit she used the Aether wing all the way here." I should have told her not to. With a sigh, he got out of the car and waved in Trace's general Direction. She saw, packed the Aether wing so it looked like a backpack, and proceeded across the road with a small jog. As she approached, Cicero saw what she was carrying and had an extremely puzzled look. "Uh, Trace, what... what is that?"
"A creature I found in the woods. It's my new friend!" Trace's voice carried an unusual childlike tone as she presented Hollow by holding him out arm's length away, which caught Cicero off-guard. <> In addition, he glanced about, noticing the occasional stray glance in their direction.
"Ooooh boy. Uhm... let's...let's talk in the car."
Trace tilted her head inquisitively as she tried to understand Cicero's response as he went and opened the passenger door for her to get in. "Understood."
Once inside the car with the doors closed, Cicero stared at Hollow wordlessly. <>

[Koishi]

Washington | Amboy

---

Hollow merely tilted it's head at Cicero, mostly confused about the whole experience. Something likely shared with the several people who witnessed the event, although theirs was more for the human whose lap they were not in.

Contact with others was not their strong suit. In fact, there were very few things they had which could reasonably argued that the creature was good at, other than staring, which their gaping abysses continued to do to the driver of the vehicle, this coupled with their motionless nature made them look like some kind of oversized doll.

[S121]

Project Esper | Living Area

Jennifer gave a feigned hurt expression as she placed a hand over her chest and gave a scoff.

"Oh? And mine's not good enough to take the spot?", Jenny asked.

[Tewi_Inaba]

Project Esper | Living Area

As Alex made his way to the fridge to get out drinks, he left the plate in his hand on the table before reaching for the door. "Hmm, perhaps it is." he said as he grabbed hold of the milk and juice. "I'll have to examine it closer before i can give a concrete answer. Come by my room later if you want to put in your application." And all while keeping the best poker face he could manage, he brought the milk and juice over to the table, along with a few cups he had grabbed.

[S121]

Project Esper | Living Area

Jenny pouted ever so slightly at Alex's teasing, not actually offended, but still kept on as she took a seat in front of her breakfast and took the fork in hand.

"Well, I never wanted your bony butt anyway.", Jenny said, teasing Alex as she stabbed her pancakes.

[Tewi_Inaba]

Project Esper | Living Area

Alex was pouring his milk, keeping his eyes fixed on his cup until Jenny's last comment that caught his full attention. "I don't wanna bone your butt either." He said intentionally misinterpreting what she had said. "Besides, if you can't put your booty where your mouth is then it's your own fault when you get butt hurt."

[S121]

Project Esper | Living Area

"It doesn't go there.", Jenny said with a small smile as she cut a piece off from her pancake and ate it. The warm pancake was fluffy as always, just the way she liked it. After swallowing her mouthful, she looked to Alex again, this time with a satisfied smile.

"Gotta say, you at least have the best cooking skills in the bunker."

[Tewi_Inaba]

Project Esper | Living Area

Finally sitting down, Alex passed the milk and juice cartons over to Jenny, letting her choose which she wanted to drink with her meal. "Than you." he said giving a genuine smile back. "Although I've always found the two to be intercha..."

Just as he was about to finish his somewhat lewd joke, he stopped. The sound of the dor opening could only mean one of three people, none of which he wanted to finish that joke in front of. sur enough. Raina rolled in with Misaka right behind her, pushing her chair along."Good morning" Misaka said with a cheery smile, Raina however was a bit more observant and blunt about things."You guys are being lewd again aren't you?"

[S121]

Project Esper | Living Area

Jennifer gave a small wave of her fork to gesture her greetings, afterwards cutting a chunk out of her pancakes again. She didn't seem too phased by being accused.

"What can I say? It's just us blowing off some steam.", Jenny casually remarked, eating another bite.

[Tewi_Inaba]

Project Esper | Living Area

Raina stuck her tongue out a bit playfully as she was being rolled in twoards the table and the plate Alex had prepared for her. "Well I can't fault you for that. Just don't let him spread mayonnaise over your eggs with his sausage." she said oh so casually as she used her one good hand to fork her bacon into her mouth

Alex actually seemed somewhat flustered at what Raina had said, she always did know how to get his goat. He didn't really have a witty comeback for this one Misaka meanwhile was rolling her eyes as she walked over to make a new plate of food, despite one having already been laid out for her. She had the look of "I can't belive these guys" about her.

[S121]

Project Esper | Living Area

Jenny simply hummed as she continued to eat, not paying too much attention to Raina's comment. Raina could tell that Jenny knew that the only way to win this was to walk away. Otherwise, they would fall for the mind reader's trap. Meanwhile, Jenny noticed that Misaka was getting herself a plate of food despite the fact she already had her dinner laid out.

"Oh, Misaka, your breakfast is already here.", Jennifer said as she pointed at the plate beside her with her fork.

[Tewi_Inaba]

Project Esper | Living Area

Raina lightly frowned at the lack of a response she got from either Jenny or Alex. Sometimes she got their goat and sometimes they managed to ignore her, and unfortunately for her this was the latter. Defeated she rolled up to the table and taking the plate Alex had made for her, she begins eating. Misaka meanwhile continued making her plate of food even after Jenny had told her that she had one ready. "I'll come back for that in a second. This is for our guest. He's gotta be hungry by now." After that she grabbed the syrup bottle and poured a liberal amount onto his pancakes before getting ready to take him the plate of pancakes, sausage, bacon and eggs.