[Nexus] MURDER I: Causing Fear Since About Five Minutes Ago.

[Devixer]

[Training Room]

The Operative nods. "Whenever you're ready."

[ThirdEmperor]

Training Room

By the time the Operative has finished saying "Whenever", Lars has sprung into action, drawing the knife in the blink of an eye and jabbing at the dummy three times, three lightning quick strikes, the first under the rips, stabbing upwards into the heart, the second across the neck, slicing both jugulars, the third straight through the eye socket into the brain. He's fast, running on pure muscle memory, reflex and instinct, his reactions lightning quick.

[Devixer]

[Training Room]

Must be quite a knife if it goes from the eye socket to the heart.

"Impressive." The Operative is exaggerating a little, but Lars was pretty good. The ghost still prefers ice picks, but he's weird like that. "Are you capable with more weapons than knives?"

[ThirdEmperor]

Training Room

"Yes. All sorts. But I like to use knives and my friends best." Lars says, beheading the dummy outright as an afterthought.

[Devixer]

[Training Room]

The Operative looks at the decapitated dummy, figuring it will need repairs now. "And how about your physical capabilities? We have an assault course, if you wish to run it."

[ThirdEmperor]

Training Room

"I'm plenty strong. I'll run the course." Lars says, wiping the blood off the knife's blade.

[Devixer]

[Training Room]

There actually wasn't blood in the dummies; I should've specified that they only acted like flesh.

"The assault course is over there." The Operative indicates the course, which is a pretty standard military course. It shouldn't be incredibly difficult for Lars.

[ThirdEmperor]

Training Course

Lars nods, and will run the assault course. Nothing he hasn't done before. Lars is both far, far stronger than he looks, pushing the limits of humanly possible strength, and seemingly inexhaustible, not even breaking a sweat.

[Devixer]

[Training Room]

The Operative watches Lars run the course impassively. Pretty much every member was stronger than humanly possible, after all. "Fairly standard time, I think. Considering the others who've run this course." Briefly, the Operative entertains the idea of making the course more difficult.

[ThirdEmperor]

Training Room

"Standard?" Lars asks, not annoyed, but worried. Somewhere in his partially devoured brain he registers that "average" isn't good, isn't good enough. And he needs this job. "This stuff is too easy. I want a challenge, a chance to prove myself."

[Devixer]

[Training Room]

"Yes, standard. If you believe you are the only one who is much stronger than standard, you must be new to the Nexus." Heck, the Operative would probably be able to get the course done very quickly if he was not ethereal. "Unfortunately, we simply do not have the resources or money to make greater challenges." They're not SAINT, the Operative is pretty much working on that one donation from Jasper, and income from the bar.

[ThirdEmperor]

Training Room

"Yes, I know, but... These tests... They don't prove anything. How can I prove that I'm worth hiring, if all I get to fight is dummies?" Lars says, thinking hard. Difficult question. Tricky question..

[Devixer]

[Training Room]

"I am very aware of that, Lars." The Operative responds. He figures that perhaps he should've waited for more investments before actually starting this organization, but he couldn't change his mind now. "It is the reason my hiring standards are more lax than I'd prefer."

[Zefir]

[Main Room]

Fade is waiting here for the bloodmage to return. He holds a Thermos jug in one hand and as far as visible he is wounded, but someone has bandaged him already.

[ThirdEmperor]

Training Room

"Huh....

Do I get the job?"

[Devixer]

[Training Room]

Instead of answering, the Operative beckons for Lars to follow him up to his office. Oh, the suspence!

[ThirdEmperor]

Training Room

Lars will follow!

[Devixer]

[The Operative's Office]

As they arrive at the office, the Operative sits down at his chair. "The only real issue here is your friends. I wish to know if they can talk to others as well."

[ThirdEmperor]

The Operative's Office

"No. They don't talk often. Only sometimes, when I'm about to do something stupid. They're helpful, when they talk." Lars mumbles.

[Devixer]

[The Operative's Office]

"Alright." Lars will find that a membership form and pen have floated onto the desk in front of him.

[ThirdEmperor]

The Operative's Office

Lars fills out the form. Slowly. His handwriting is quite blocky, and it takes him a great deal of concentration to write at all.

Spoiler

Show

Name: Lars Malbren
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Specialization: Killing, knives, recon
Power Source: Genetic modification, my friends
Other Important Information: Don't try to read my mind, ever again.

[Devixer]

[The Operative's Office]

The Operative looks over the form when it's eventually filled out. "In that case, everything is in order." Lars finds another piece of paper on the desk. If he opens it, he'll see the location and keycode to his room. "Memorize those, then destroy the paper."

[ThirdEmperor]

Operative's Office

Lars stares at the paper for a minute or two, mumbling the numbers beneath his breath, before eventually taking a lighter from his pocket and burning the note.

[Devixer]

[The Operative's Office]

The Operative notes the quick following of his order. Not bad, at least compared his more rambunctious members, like Warsh. "There are four open contracts, if you are interested."

[ThirdEmperor]

Operative's Office

"I'd like to hear about them."

[Devixer]

[The Operative's Office]

The Operative nods. "The first contract is against a sapient flower named Stu. He is to be captured alive and unharmed. We have a few members attempting this, though you are welcome to join them.

"Second: Riv, the former head of Excelsior Tech. He is to be killed." Somehow, I doubt Lars will want to go for this one. Self-RP and all that.

"Third is to seperate the life-bond between Ivaz and Zavi Erizo. Finally, and somewhat strangely, capturing a culinary mage for the ethereal being that is currently in the rec room without clearance."

[bladescape]

[Rec Room]

Talking of the Rec Room, Turiel is still meditating in there. Incidently, he might actually be useful for some of those contracts... Except for the capturing of the Culinary Mage..... For obvious reasons.

[Slii Arhem]

Hey, I spy with my undefined sensory organ, something I can mess with!

The Brain floats up to Turiel and plonks down next to him, attempting to get a bead on any important information he can dredge up from the meditator's mind. He's looking for access codes, the building's layouts, possible escape roots and opinions on his co-workers. He doesn't touch on anything regarding the elf, he's just looking for things he can use.

[bladescape]

While the Elf himself seems rather undefended against psychic powers, the mind is currently rather blank with concentration. If the brain goes deeper, he'll see a full layout of the place mapped out by memory, the room and access code for the room that the Elf lives in, and the fact that he cares virtually little for anyone else in the building, and generally doesn't care.

Then he cracks open an eye, somehow detecting the brain's presence. "Yes?"

[Slii Arhem]

Well he wasn't exactly being coy about it, but I suppose he's shocked that the first mook he's run into (apart from the tiefling, but who even knows with those folk) has caught him in the act.

Still, he'll key the elf into his field so he can talk to him and such.

Howsit going my friend. Just doing some counter espionage on your boss here, hope you don't mind.

His form shifts to that of a waifish young lass with rover's garb and an eighty seven card deck shuffling between his hands.

So... do you play?