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Denizens (LukeDeadwood & obieblu)

Anemone smiles bright as Johnny eases his way around the room and out the door. One less potential obstacle in the way meant less of a potential mess should something happen. It wasn’t that the club owner doubted his employee. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The designated security getting into a fight was expected. A dancer, though? Not quite so much. This wasn’t exactly that kind of club. So Anemone smiles, winking at Johnny and the silent question as he waves his hand. It’s not a dismissive wave, but more of a “watch and see” kind of wave.

Emex has to snort at the way the bounty hunter declares his intentions and his “consideration”. What kind of two-bit, “off the shelf” bargain-brand machine did this guy think he was? He didn’t give a damn about any of that. And just what was with the unsaid assumption that Emex couldn’t handle some rustic, dirty ass old man? He was indeed offended, and on the verge of giving the male a piece of his mind.

He didn’t get the chance to when Anemone stepped forward. He nudged Emex to the side, ignoring the “do you mind?” huff from the grumpy AI. “Hello!” He unnecessarily greets, and cheerily so. “Welcome to Oracle! I take it you’ve had as much fun here in your short time as Emex here usually has pretty much every night, hm?” He chuckles, unoffended and rather amused as a whole. Though he quickly moves on from the prattle. “I assure you, theres no issues with the warrant or credentials. Those are just fine. It just...well, our boss would like to have a chat with our little non-friend here,” Anemone nods towards the older male. “You see, our boss is very...involved in the life of the undercity. He’d just like to make sure Mim here didn’t bring any other unwanted attention along with him on his way in to our territory. I assure you, we can keep him detained well enough. And you can still claim him as your mark, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Depending on what Zero thought, that could probably turn into a half-truth. Honestly, it was hard to tell what was going on through that man’s head, and Anemone had known him for quite some time now! But still. The club owner figured it might be better to at least attempt a peaceful approach before anything — or anyone, to be more precise — wound up getting broken. “And I can reimburse you for your time as well, if that’s another concern of yours.”
 
It seemed like the club owner wanted him to stick around, but Johnny had no need to stay near unnecessary danger, nor did he think standard go-go trash would be that brave. While Anemone was talking to that punk who'd barged in, Johnny slipped away and jogged down the stairs quickly. The attack was jarring and ruined his flirtatious mood, so he cupped his crotch with one hand in the barest gesture of modesty as he descended to the first floor and the dancers' dressing room. A few guests smiled and reached out as he passed, then looked confused and disappointed when he didn't linger.

Inside the private room, Calvin continued to stare cooly at Emex. The two slim seemingly young men regarded and evaluated each other in a strikingly similar fashion. One couldn't even see the hunter's eyes shift over to Anemone behind the cyberware coverings. The teasing of the AI went over Calvin's head, not that he was attuned to humor, anyways. It was a long-forgotten concept that he only knew academically, these days. "Your boss. And our non-friend," he repeated and looked down to the disheveled, half-dressed drooling man on the bed. "He'll be out for about 10 minutes. You'll need restraints," he declared flatly, apparently willing to go along with what the pink-haired man suggested. He didn't want trouble. Emex looked like possible trouble. But he didn't want major delays or complications, either. Nor did he trust any of these people. "Technically, I'm taking him out of your territory," he corrected.

Calvin straightened up his posture, no longer looming over Mim's body. "I'm more concerned about a guarantee to return Mim to my custody. And in a condition decent enough to turn in. I kept this as private as I could as not to disturb your business. I'd appreciate reciprocity. Also, he's very wanted, and I've already logged a report about where I apprehended him, if he goes missing."
 
Anemone merely raises a brow, almost coyly as he listens to the bounty hunter’s response. Granted, he would have to something about that report. He couldn’t have the name of his club being out like that. Too many security risks, is what that was. But still, the pink-haired man kept his smile. “While that may be true, that doesn’t mean nobody else followed him or you here.” After all, the hunter had been followed by a little spy bot this time without but being noticed.

At the thought Anemone looked around, his trained eyes catching sight of the faint light that came from the mentioned bot, lingering on a wall and resting close to the ceiling. Smiling still Anemone leans forward, beckoning with his hand outstretched. Within seconds the bot comes skittering down the wall and across the floor, jumping into the club owner’s hand with a surprising boost from such a small bot. Anemone hums and straightens, holding the little metallic looking spider so that Calvin could see it. “Did you catch all of that, Ghost?”

There’s a moment of silence before a voice leaves through the hidden speaker built into the bot. “Yeah. I’ve already called Score and Barrage back and the boss said he’d be here in twenty. Do you want me to call Risk, or Impulse too?”

Anemone tilts his head; that was a great question. After a moment he shakes his head. “No, those two should be enough. Emex can take Mim down there and the three of them can keep him restrained. Not to mention Data will be coming in with Zero.” As he speaks he glances at Calvin. “Don’t you worry, you’ll be coming with us. I know better than to keep a hunter from his bounty like that. Besides, there’s too many ears around to have the...discussions.” Anemone may be the owner of this club, but he knew better than to be reckless like that.
 
"That he or I may have been followed is exactly why I was trying to leave with him as quietly as possible with an unwilling target," Calvin replied cooly. He might not have the upper hand at the moment, but he wasn't about to be lead around like a blind man. His scanners calculated the direction that Anemone looked and zoomed in on the tiny robot. The oversight merely factored into Calvin's ongoing threat assessment rather than causing him any sort of shame or frustration. Being self-conscious was a feeling that he was denied for most of his memory.

Calvin didn't like the sound of so many others arriving, and he especially didn't like the part about waiting 20 minutes for whatever interrogation they wanted to start. He calculated his chances of fighting his way out of Oracle while carrying Mim's unconscious body against the risk of his prize being stolen out from under him. The solo had a chance of fighting his way out with himself and Mim relatively in tact, but it was low. The chances of Anemone keeping his word were a broader spread with all the other incoming factors, but they weighed heavier towards a positive result. Calvin decided to stand down and see how it played out or if he'd have an opportunity to take initiative in the near future.

"Alright," Calvin answered. His flat tone was reminiscent of the sort of old AI voices that lacked inflection. His expressionless face and eye coverings added to his unreadability. Maybe he'd cooperate. Maybe he'd jam a taser claw in the back of their necks in 4 seconds. He turned and roughly pulled up Mim's pants, actually catching a tender bit of flesh in the zipper of the fly but not caring. Nor did Bill Mim seem to care at the moment in his state of tased and drugged unconciousness. Calvin did pull out a thin double loop of wrist restraints and fastened them around Bill's forearms. There was a tracker in them, just for a mote of insurance against whoever was coming in to chat with Bill. Then he turned back to Anemone, apparently waiting to follow.
 
While it seemed Anemone couldn’t be bubbly enough, the begrudging agreement from the punk seemed to brighten the club owner even further. “Excellent!” If the little bot wasn’t balled up in his palm, he would’ve clapped his hands. And speaking of the bot, Anemone kneels back down, letting it scurry off back into hiding before standing to rest a hand in Emex’s shoulder. “I trust you can play nice?” He asked, quirking a brow despite his otherwise smiling expression. “We both know I need to get dressed before going down there.” It was just a little too chilly for Anemone’s liking, not to mention it was just the polite thing to do.

Emex almost scoffs at the notion that he wasn’t capable of handling what might as well be a coked out old man and a borderline AI. “I’m not interested in hearing Zero bitch.” He states plainly, almost as dryly as Calvin had sounded. With a hum Anemone glances over to the bounty hunter with a nod before making his way out of the door first. Once the club owner is out of sight, Emex turns back to the lone conscious male with a faint look of suspicious scrutiny. While he may be sure that the hunter wouldn’t pull something to risk endangering his captive, Emex was far from stupid enough to completely turn his back to the stranger.

“This way.” He says, tilting his head in a notion for Calvin to follow. He was somewhat tempted to pick Mim up himself in favor of making sure everything moved along at a decent pace. But things were iffy as they were. He would leave the old man to Calvin, if anything to help keep the male more likely to keep his hands to himself. Not to mention the potential nosy people that were scattered throughout the club. “We need to make our way outside, around the back.” The entrance they needed access wasn’t attached to the club, but was actually in the building just behind the club that was also owned by Anemone. It was used primarily as storage for the seasonal items and the extra stock/replacement parts for the various “equipment” the workers here used. Though it came in handy for installing the secret elevator.
 
Calvin did not reflect an emotional response to Anemone's demeanor or negotiating. Though, he did watch the spider bot scurry away, and considered getting some environmental sensor upgrades in addition to his tracking systems. The pink-haired guy was obviously some sort of boss. But not the big boss? It seemed others were expected to visit, and he didn't have complete confidence that the AI in the room would cooperate. Anemone might not be who Calvin would ultimately have to negotiate with.

After Anemone left, Calvin directed his obscured stare back at Emex. It seemed that neither felt the need to repeat anything that was said. It was now a matter of waiting to see if each party would keep their word or not. More assurances or lies made no difference to their logical minds. Calvin took that moment to review his analysis of the AI, preparing counter-attack maneuvers if it broke Anemone's word.

There was the briefest of moments where Calvin looked perplexed at the order to follow.. then he quickly deduced he was intended to carry his own quarry. Whether out of laziness or a calculated maneuver to lure Calvin into a sense of control and security, he rolled with it and effortlessly hoisted Mim's body and tossed it over his shoulder. Decades earlier, it might have been strange to see such a lithe frame carrying a much larger body so effortlessly, but this was the age of of enhancements.

"Away from surveillance?" Calvin finally broke his silence, not liking that he knew almost nothing about where he was being lead. Despite initially cooperating, he was well aware that Emex might be leading him into an inescapable room, EMP trap, or any other number of traps meant for someone like himself. Otherwise, he ignored the few looks he got from patrons.
 
“Among other things.” Emex replies cooly. Surveillance wasn’t the only thing with prying eyes. Honestly, he didn’t entirely know why this much secrecy was necessary. Stealth involved one of two things: no bodies for the authorities to discover, or no authorities to discover the bodies. While the group was easily a considered a gaggle of idiots in Emex’s eyes, they were more than capable of doing both of those. As shocking as that may be to many.

The only thing the AI offered to any of the nearby onlookers was a glare and possibly even a shove if any of them were unlucky enough to be in his way. Thankfully, the people seemed to be more dispersed as they neared the set of back doors labeled “Employees Only”, the one more commonly used as an entrance for some of the workers. While ‘discreet’ wasn’t exactly a term that was used in this facility, there were some who favored the element of surprise. Plus, it was just the easier way to go as the actual entrance had a crowd waiting to be welcomed inside. While bounty hunters and all related instances were considered the norm, Emex lacked the patience to deal with anymore bullshit.

He does, however, have enough manners to hold the door open for Calvin pass through into the back alley. The doors shut and the music that had been playing through the club becomes muffled, and the two are left in what’s rather dim lighting compared to the neon that bathed the main streets in color. Not that it has any effect on either of them, and Emex continues forward without even a word. There’s not much point in talking.

Not that they have to go far anyway. The entrance to the rear building isn’t far from the doors they went through. In fact it’s literally right across from the back doors of Oracle — it’d be counterproductive to moving equipment around if a whole figure eight or any other pattern was required to navigate the area. There’s a basic numpad to the left of the doors and Emex punches in a code, followed by the jingling of keys as the AI pulls them his pocket. Basic and simple security, as anymore than that for an otherwise glorified shed holding sex equipment would raise a few questions.

Once more Emex hold the door for Calvin and he lets it click shut behind them to let it automatically lock. For only a second they’re left in the dark before the overhead lights automatically flick on. The room they’re in is rather spacious as clean, colored an off-white and looks plain in general. Various machines, racks and chests are seen and neatly stored away, covered in sheets of cloth and wrapped up underneath that to help ensure their upkeep. Emex pays absolutely no attention to any of it, making his way to the far back of the room.

The wall looks plain just as all the others do. There’s no button, no switch, no keyhole, no numpad or scanner of any kind. The unaware or unaided eyes wouldn’t think to spare it a glance. Yet as the AI and bounty hunter approach, the wall splits open like elevator doors, and inside it stands the very blond man who had been controlling the spiderbot. His arms are crossed and his stance seems awkward, like he’s uncomfortable to be there. But still Dexter manages to nod to Emex and Calvin. “Hey.” He sounds just about as uncomfortable as he looks. Dexter can hear it himself and he almost cringes. “Let’s...just get this over with?” Given how Emex was and how Calvin seemed to be, he decided it would just be better to go straight to the point than to attempt any other sort of icebreaker.
 
As neither of them needed extraneous conversation, Calvin remained silent after he got the answer that was likely true. Still, his threat assessment analyses ran on high as he carried the larger unconscious body over his shoulder. He followed behind Emex, letting the other part the crowd for him, having no innate consideration for the crowd other than to not disturb them enough to draw attention to his own activities.

Calvin's eyes glowed in the darkness outside the club. He'd taken a look before stepping through the door, still not entirely trusting the territorial organization's intentions, but a shoot-out with innocent bystanders would jeopardize his livelihood. He also recorded the code that Emex put in, and noted where he replaced his keys afterwards. When they entered room, Calvin started cataloguing objects that could be used as weapons or cover in a firefight. It wasn't out of his particular suspicion, just his programming that had evolved into a hard habit. He also scanned the figure that was revealed, having no regard for them other than their tactical threat or if their behavior indicated deceit.

"Yes. If you'd be as brief as possible with the interrogation.." Calvin's tone was flat, but his displeasure shone through. "A basic stim should wake him. Or even synthcoke could make him talk faster," he favored the latter, of course, but didn't know what sorts of drugs or 'medications' they had on hand back here.
 
Dexter had expected a response like that from Calvin. He was used to receiving curt responses like that all the time from Emex. Still, it only poked and prodded at his discomfort more. With a sigh of “right, right...” he steps aside, letting the two men join him. He raises his right arm, not needing to look at the small, holographic keyboard that briefly appears from his wrist to press the few buttons that make the doors close, the elevator activating and beginning their descent below ground. "Yeah, we've got things like that handy. No need to concern yourself too much with that..." He trailed off fairly quick, feeling stupid for telling a bounty hunter to not be concerned about anything in unfamiliar surroundings. 'Open mouth, insert foot.'

As silly as it is — he knew that if push came to shove, Emex could handle everything with ease — the silence during the trip makes unease prickle at his synthetic skin. ‘I’m still not cut out for this...’ He couldn’t wait for the others to show up so he could hide himself away once again. It was easier for him to be behind the screens instead of dealing with things like this in person. So many things that could wrong, things he could do wrong. Too many things to overthink -- 'Like I'm doing right this second.' With a quiet sigh Dexter reaches up to rub at his face, silently thankful that he was in the front so he could be the first one out. And, once the elevator halted and the doors open, he took that very chance, stepping out first and once more moving off to the side so that Emex could take the lead.

The foundations beneath Oracle and its connected warehouse were surprisingly vast, built-up of many different floors to suit those that resided within in. Living arrangements, engineering rooms, a medical hall,. Though, unless given a full tour or shown a proper scan of the blueprints of the whole layout, it would be difficult for newcomers to get a true picture of the place. Especially since the specific floor Dexter brought them to was similar to an average police station, a small set of cells lining the opposite sides of the room though were obviously made better to hold more than just the common junkie. Without a word Emex steps out, faintly motioning Calvin to follow with a tilt of his head as he led the way towards the cell on the far right. "The old man can go in this one for now. Zero should be arriving soon enough, as well as the others." The A.I spares a glance towards Dexter then. "Go get a stim. We should make sure he wakes before then."

Although he muttered lowly under his breath, the complaint consisting of "I'm not a dog...", Calvin was readily accepting the chance to escape, even it was only a brief reprieve.
 
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