Spider's Web - Runaway Little Spider
More things finally set into motion...
Sparks hurried up to the front door of her squad's base. The door opened with a thought and before it had risen completely out of the way she squeezed under it. Her small form let her fit more easily than her bulky Arachnos-issued uniform ever could. Once she was clear, another thought told it to close as she slipped up to the nearest console. The soon-to-be former Spider wasn't sure if she was ready, but she needed to be. She needed to be before the news got out and to the Isles of what she was just doing.
Helping allies of a Hero try to make a minor effort in restoring his reputation, following an (ongoing) smear campaign that had turned him and many of his allies into enemies of the state. She was a less-known ally, that had kept away because Arachnos wasn't exactly on friendly terms with them either. She had, at least, thought ahead to obscure the Arachnos emblem on her personal armor under some hasty spray paint... But it'd still be recognizable as her.
Sparks took a deep breath, accessing the base's security systems from the console. She did a quick scan of who was in the base and frowned a bit when she saw neither Fluffy nor Pinky were present in their quarters. Portia and Sassasin both seemed to be asleep. Arza was- asleep at the desk in her quarters, again.
A sigh escaped the technopath... This was going to be rough but she couldn't stay any longer.
A glance was spared toward the door to the squad's quarters, then to the console. Sparks took another deep breath and set the console to idle. Quietly turning she made her way to the door and down the hall, going past her quarters to where Arza's were on the opposite side.
Sparks gently reached out and gave Arza's shoulder a shake... and another. The groggy Bane finally jolted her head up and rubbed her face with one hand as things attempted to refocus. "... You're overworking again Boss... Get some sleep."
Arza mumbled half-coherently, her other hand going to rub at her face. "Mngh...? -Yeah. Thank you, Sparks. Ugh... Should... get some rest yourself."
Sparks gave a weak little smile, "... Still got a few more things to do today, unfortunately."
The small soldier turned and left for her quarters, pausing at the doorway to fidget with the 'KEEP OUT' sign barely hanging on the wall. She sighed and slipped inside, pausing for a moment to look at the room. This was likely the last time she'd see her corner of the base. There wasn't much in there admittedly, a lightweight desk with a computer, a locker for her disruptor mace, and a large device that held her Crab Spider Backpack for easier equipping and unequipping of it. Through another doorway, there was a bed, a small dresser, a few more lockers, and a small bookshelf that sat mostly empty.
Quietly Sparks stepped up to the larger machine holding her Crab pack. Tapping a couple of buttons on the monitor before turning to let the backpack be connected to her spine, as had been done countless times before. She shivered when the pack was fully connected and active. Technopathic senses partially distracted with the systems once more directly linked to her spine.
Sparks stretched, taking a moment to adjust to the added weight and addition of four extra weaponized limbs that hung out over her head. The backpack's systems also allowed her to access her Arachnobot's control networks more easily. One small spiderling went skittering from under her desk and disappeared into the hall toward the main sections of the base.
The soldier slipped into the rearmost section of her quarters. Pulling a duffle bag from storage she started tucking clothes into it. It wouldn't give her much all things considered but... She didn't really have that much anyway, though her engineering clothes stayed out of that one.
The sound of her four spiderlings skittering into the room drew her attention. Scout, the first one and only non-combat design, held her tablet. Tick, one of the other three, carried a small toolbox. Neither of the other two carried anything.
Sparks carefully took the tablet and tucked it into the bag with her clothes, the toolbox was taken and set aside. At another unseen command, Scout zipped off and returned with her interfacing glove, which was a poor name for what all it could do.
Sparks let out a breath and slipped the glove on, flipping the cover off the screen on one side to access it. The glove was linked up to... a lot of things, including Sparks three larger Arachnobots. The large trio were activated and set to standby. She took the glove back off and tucked it into the bag. Another duffle was retrieved, in it being placed a small kit of emergency medical supplies, some of the more difficult to replace tools she had in the box, and her engineering clothes that were permanently stained, scorched, and patched.
Sparks closed the second bag and quickly changed into her bulky standard-issue armor for Arachnos. It was awkward for some pieces, but she had practice, and her spiderlings, to help. Her previous clothes were tucked into the first bag which was also closed. The Spiderlings were given the lighter bag to clumsily carry while she hefted the heavier one over her shoulder.
She started to leave and paused, glancing at her bookshelf. I can't afford to take those with me right now... Already read them a million times anyway.
Sparks sighed and went to her desk, writing out a quick note for her squad before picking her mace up. A command went to her Arachnobots to head to the teleporter room ahead of her as she clunked her way after. Though she didn't head straight there.
Instead of the teleporter room, Sparks went past it back to the console she'd accessed the security systems at earlier. She disabled the cameras and found the time she returned to the base at. Deleting the footage from before she stepped into view of the first camera to the cameras being disabled. The cameras were set to restart in twenty minutes... more than enough time for her to disappear with the teleporters.
Sparks set the console back to idle and turned, marching back to the teleporters. She set the one leading to Paragon City to a more specific destination and sent her bots through before following.
As for the note her squad would find when they investigated her quarters...
Four hours later...
BEEP! BEEP! BEE-
Arza smacked the alarm next to her bunk and slowly sat up. Rubbing at her eyes for a moment before getting up and stretching. Eugh one of these days I'll stop passing out at my desk...
The Bane spider sighed and changed into her uniform. Hers was a custom version of the lighter-weight Wolf uniforms rather than the standard bulky armor that Banes and Crabs typically wore. It might not have been needed right away but it was better to be prepared.
Arza stretched again and stepped out into the hallway the squad's quarters were all attached to. She started to head toward the main area of the base but paused as she started to pass Sparks' quarters. Remembering what the small soldier had said earlier. ... Is she back yet?
With a frown, Arza started to poke her head in. Pausing at the first doorway to knock twice as her footsteps weren't loud enough to announce her approach. The lack of response told her Sparks wasn't in there and awake. Entering further she noticed Sparks' Crab pack wasn't at the station to help equip and unequip it. Her mace wasn't left out anywhere, though it usually wasn't.
Arza quietly poked her head around the wall to check Sparks' bunk, just in case. It was empty... And there was a toolbox left on the floor, open and half empty. The medical kit usually sitting on the dresser was gone.
... The fuck?
She started to leave when she spotted a piece of mostly blank paper on the desk... That wasn't normal for Sparks. Dread started creeping in as she stepped up to look at it. As soon as she registered what the words on it said she turned and bolted out of the room. Making a B-line for the squad's meeting room.
Arza's tone over the comms would tell the rest of the squad she was in a particularly bad mood: "Everyone report to the meeting room ASAP, we have a problem."
Fluffy was the first one to arrive, as usual for the speedster. The Wolf spider shifted from one foot to the other repeatedly, the furry, pointed ears on top of her head flicking between forward alertness and pinned back.
Sparks hurried up to the front door of her squad's base. The door opened with a thought and before it had risen completely out of the way she squeezed under it. Her small form let her fit more easily than her bulky Arachnos-issued uniform ever could. Once she was clear, another thought told it to close as she slipped up to the nearest console. The soon-to-be former Spider wasn't sure if she was ready, but she needed to be. She needed to be before the news got out and to the Isles of what she was just doing.
Helping allies of a Hero try to make a minor effort in restoring his reputation, following an (ongoing) smear campaign that had turned him and many of his allies into enemies of the state. She was a less-known ally, that had kept away because Arachnos wasn't exactly on friendly terms with them either. She had, at least, thought ahead to obscure the Arachnos emblem on her personal armor under some hasty spray paint... But it'd still be recognizable as her.
Sparks took a deep breath, accessing the base's security systems from the console. She did a quick scan of who was in the base and frowned a bit when she saw neither Fluffy nor Pinky were present in their quarters. Portia and Sassasin both seemed to be asleep. Arza was- asleep at the desk in her quarters, again.
A sigh escaped the technopath... This was going to be rough but she couldn't stay any longer.
A glance was spared toward the door to the squad's quarters, then to the console. Sparks took another deep breath and set the console to idle. Quietly turning she made her way to the door and down the hall, going past her quarters to where Arza's were on the opposite side.
Sparks gently reached out and gave Arza's shoulder a shake... and another. The groggy Bane finally jolted her head up and rubbed her face with one hand as things attempted to refocus. "... You're overworking again Boss... Get some sleep."
Arza mumbled half-coherently, her other hand going to rub at her face. "Mngh...? -Yeah. Thank you, Sparks. Ugh... Should... get some rest yourself."
Sparks gave a weak little smile, "... Still got a few more things to do today, unfortunately."
The small soldier turned and left for her quarters, pausing at the doorway to fidget with the 'KEEP OUT' sign barely hanging on the wall. She sighed and slipped inside, pausing for a moment to look at the room. This was likely the last time she'd see her corner of the base. There wasn't much in there admittedly, a lightweight desk with a computer, a locker for her disruptor mace, and a large device that held her Crab Spider Backpack for easier equipping and unequipping of it. Through another doorway, there was a bed, a small dresser, a few more lockers, and a small bookshelf that sat mostly empty.
Quietly Sparks stepped up to the larger machine holding her Crab pack. Tapping a couple of buttons on the monitor before turning to let the backpack be connected to her spine, as had been done countless times before. She shivered when the pack was fully connected and active. Technopathic senses partially distracted with the systems once more directly linked to her spine.
Sparks stretched, taking a moment to adjust to the added weight and addition of four extra weaponized limbs that hung out over her head. The backpack's systems also allowed her to access her Arachnobot's control networks more easily. One small spiderling went skittering from under her desk and disappeared into the hall toward the main sections of the base.
The soldier slipped into the rearmost section of her quarters. Pulling a duffle bag from storage she started tucking clothes into it. It wouldn't give her much all things considered but... She didn't really have that much anyway, though her engineering clothes stayed out of that one.
The sound of her four spiderlings skittering into the room drew her attention. Scout, the first one and only non-combat design, held her tablet. Tick, one of the other three, carried a small toolbox. Neither of the other two carried anything.
Sparks carefully took the tablet and tucked it into the bag with her clothes, the toolbox was taken and set aside. At another unseen command, Scout zipped off and returned with her interfacing glove, which was a poor name for what all it could do.
Sparks let out a breath and slipped the glove on, flipping the cover off the screen on one side to access it. The glove was linked up to... a lot of things, including Sparks three larger Arachnobots. The large trio were activated and set to standby. She took the glove back off and tucked it into the bag. Another duffle was retrieved, in it being placed a small kit of emergency medical supplies, some of the more difficult to replace tools she had in the box, and her engineering clothes that were permanently stained, scorched, and patched.
Sparks closed the second bag and quickly changed into her bulky standard-issue armor for Arachnos. It was awkward for some pieces, but she had practice, and her spiderlings, to help. Her previous clothes were tucked into the first bag which was also closed. The Spiderlings were given the lighter bag to clumsily carry while she hefted the heavier one over her shoulder.
She started to leave and paused, glancing at her bookshelf. I can't afford to take those with me right now... Already read them a million times anyway.
Sparks sighed and went to her desk, writing out a quick note for her squad before picking her mace up. A command went to her Arachnobots to head to the teleporter room ahead of her as she clunked her way after. Though she didn't head straight there.
Instead of the teleporter room, Sparks went past it back to the console she'd accessed the security systems at earlier. She disabled the cameras and found the time she returned to the base at. Deleting the footage from before she stepped into view of the first camera to the cameras being disabled. The cameras were set to restart in twenty minutes... more than enough time for her to disappear with the teleporters.
Sparks set the console back to idle and turned, marching back to the teleporters. She set the one leading to Paragon City to a more specific destination and sent her bots through before following.
As for the note her squad would find when they investigated her quarters...
"Sorry, guys. Our next meeting probably won't be friendly..."
Four hours later...
BEEP! BEEP! BEE-
Arza smacked the alarm next to her bunk and slowly sat up. Rubbing at her eyes for a moment before getting up and stretching. Eugh one of these days I'll stop passing out at my desk...
The Bane spider sighed and changed into her uniform. Hers was a custom version of the lighter-weight Wolf uniforms rather than the standard bulky armor that Banes and Crabs typically wore. It might not have been needed right away but it was better to be prepared.
Arza stretched again and stepped out into the hallway the squad's quarters were all attached to. She started to head toward the main area of the base but paused as she started to pass Sparks' quarters. Remembering what the small soldier had said earlier. ... Is she back yet?
With a frown, Arza started to poke her head in. Pausing at the first doorway to knock twice as her footsteps weren't loud enough to announce her approach. The lack of response told her Sparks wasn't in there and awake. Entering further she noticed Sparks' Crab pack wasn't at the station to help equip and unequip it. Her mace wasn't left out anywhere, though it usually wasn't.
Arza quietly poked her head around the wall to check Sparks' bunk, just in case. It was empty... And there was a toolbox left on the floor, open and half empty. The medical kit usually sitting on the dresser was gone.
... The fuck?
She started to leave when she spotted a piece of mostly blank paper on the desk... That wasn't normal for Sparks. Dread started creeping in as she stepped up to look at it. As soon as she registered what the words on it said she turned and bolted out of the room. Making a B-line for the squad's meeting room.
Arza's tone over the comms would tell the rest of the squad she was in a particularly bad mood: "Everyone report to the meeting room ASAP, we have a problem."
Fluffy was the first one to arrive, as usual for the speedster. The Wolf spider shifted from one foot to the other repeatedly, the furry, pointed ears on top of her head flicking between forward alertness and pinned back.
Comments