Pale white curtains fluttered gently inside a small and dim room, where Felix followed Maria into. Inside was a bed, a desk, cabinet, and a locker.
"A clinic?" He glanced at the framed map hanging on the wall, and placed his finger on the red dot drawn on it, "You are here…Now if only it told us where the data center was."
"Since we don't know where that is yet, I thought we should take a little detour." Maria replied as she rummaged through the metal cabinet at the corner of the room.
Felix took off his coat and whipped it across the air, dislodging several metallic shards stuck to the bullet-resistant fabric.
"And why are we here? We're wasting time. It's possible that the other intruder has made it into the building." He said in a stiffly before putting his black coat back on.
"Painkillers aren't gonna cut it", She picked up a white lab coat on the chair, putting it on, and grabbed a syringe from desk and looked at him, announcing, "So we're treating you, my dear patient!"
"P-put that down." He let out an uncomfortable whimper, staring at the syringe.
A wry grin formed on her lips. "Hmmm? What's wrong, scared of needles?"
Felix averted his gaze, "N-no. They just… we don't have the time for this…"
"Really?" She then shoved him towards the bed and slowly brought the needle closer to him.
As he tripped onto the bed, he covered his face in panic. The sight of the needle raised the drumbeat of his heart.
Memories forced their way into the forefront of his thoughts. Screams and searing flames. A broken cage.
Echoes of memories vividly repeated themselves, "You took the wrong vial!"
The sight of a younger Professor Tetsuya marching towards him through a sea of flames, holding a needle full of prismatic fluid.
All these sensations came crashing down in less than a few seconds.
Felix gulped. His mismatched eyes darted away as he conceded, "Alright, fine. They make me uncomfortable, alright?"
"I see… I'll put the needle down." Her expression changed to a more somber one as she watched his panic attack.
"However, the ill must be treated!" She boldly exclaimed, holding back a chuckle.
His expression slowly got better, giving a resigned smile and as he scratched his cheek. "Alright, Doctor Marie. I'll put my trust in you."
She took a moment to collect herself from his reply and her expression softened, "You sure changed your tone quick."
"I guess I'm just glad the two of us aren't dead…" He said in a lax, relieved voice.
"Let's try to keep it that way… It'll heal soon, but just to be sure, let's dab some antiseptic on your wounds…" Her energetic voice calmed down as she dabbed antiseptic on him.
"Ahk… that stings... Doctor Marie, do you think it'll leave a scar?" With a click of his tongue, his eyes closed, unaware of the glowing blue haze that began to form around his wound.
Slowly, the wound began to close itself, and left only a small, patchy red mark. Bewildered by the light, Maria's eyes widen as she muttered with a low voice; "So... we really are alike."
"Hm?" He opened his eyes as the haze faded.
"All patched up. Don't worry about it, nothing leaves a scar on us."
She smiled and finished wrapping the bandages over his wound. Her gentle expression ended the conversation without any further resistance.
A metallic click echoed in the clinic as the holographic map once again projected from Maria's watch.
As she scoured the map, she let out a sigh, "There's a few guards on the floor below us. Put the uniform back on, we should ask for directions."
"I don't think that would work." He said as he looked at the torn up uniform.
She gave him an annoyed glance before immediately changing to an irritated grin, "Maybe we should just beat the information out of someone." Maria pulled out a knife from behind and walked out of the room.
Before she could step out of the room, Felix grabbed her by the wrist and pulled out his cobalt gun, firing it at the light bulb. The silent, concentric waves it shot out caused it crackle and malfunction.
"What are you doing—?"
"Shh…" He covered her mouth, pulling her into the metal cabinet with him.
An old, gruff voice could be heard walking towards their direction, "Yes, sir, I'm headed my way there."
"Yes sir, I'm here… there appears to be a mess." An old guard replied through his radio as he entered the clinic. He tried to flip the switch on the light, only to see the light bulb was broken.
"Huh? It's broken?" The old guard cautiously stepped into the room, looking for the intruders.
Jammed inside the cramped, metal supply cabinet, Felix held his gun close to his chest as he whispered, "Just one…"
But Maria grabbed his gun, nodding in disagreement.
"Got any more ideas from your movie?"
The footsteps got closer.
"Maybe…" she whispered back as she pushed his gun back down, "We're still in uniform, aren't we? We need directions, so close close your eyes for a sec and trust me."
Felix complied, closing his eyes. He grumbled, feeling a tight sensation squeeze around his body, getting wrapped in rope.
"Follow my lead." She whispered, drawing in breath and yelled out; "Help, help us!"
His eyes shot open, looking at her with a panicked expression. He gulped and did as she instructed, "H-help! Help us!"
"Sir, I think I found something. I'll call back in a moment." The old guard spoke through the radio in his hand, slowly approaching the supply cabinet.
As he opened it, the two agents fell straight to the floor, both tangled in wires.
"Huh, what the?" The old guard scratched his head.
"H-help…"
A sweat dripped down Felix's face as the old guard grumpily stared down at them.
"… What happened here?" The old man scratched his head.
Maria struggled as she spoke in a soft and sultry voice, trying to warm up to the guard, "S-sir, the intruder got in and trapped us in here!"
"What were you both even still doing here? Didn't either of you hear the alarms?" The guard expressed in an irritated curiosity as he began to untangle the wires.
"I was um… he was wounded, and I was treating him, when suddenly…" She quickly tried to come up with a story as she squirmed, trying to keep her disguise hidden from the guard's sight.
The old guard raised his eyebrow for a moment.
"Cough. Fine… fine, I get it." The old guard grumbled in an understanding tone. "I don't mind keeping this a secret but… It's common knowledge not to do those things during work hours, you know."
A vein pulsed in the temple of Felix's head.
"D-do those things?" She asked.
"You youngsters today can't hold it in, can you?" He said as he pulled out a knife.
With a sudden crackle, a voice came out of the old man's radio, "Did you find the intruder?"
The old guard began cutting the two of them out of the rope.
"No, sir. Just a couple of brats tied up in the cabinet… Yeah, I know, it's the second time it happened. Same place, too. Kinky? Yeah, I agree."
"Kinky? Sir, I think you misunderstand. H-he was shot."
"Sure, that makes sense... still." He answered disingenuously. "There, you're free now."
Felix coughed as he got up on his knees, "Do you know where the intruder escaped to, sir?"
"Not sure, but I believe that he's headed to the server room. But everyone all says that it's safe there and no one can open the database anyway. Bunch of stuck-ups won't listen to me."
"Which is… where?" Maria added as she also got up.
"Don't you know anything? It's in the top floor."
"On the left wing or the right wing?"
"What's with all these questions? Why are you speaking in Engli—?" Before he could even turn around to face them, an array of transparent concentric rings had struck him from behind.
Felix lowered his cobalt gun and caught him before he could fall to the floor.
"That was… convenient." She remarked.
As he placed the old guard on the bed, a sudden transmission crackled, " Can you hear me, is anyone there?"
Felix picked the transceiver on the ground, and pinched his nose as he answered, "S-sir, we were shot. W-we need medical assistance, asap."
"Medical? U-Understood. Just stay where you are." The voice over the transmission answered.
"That should buy us a bit of time."
"Nice acting skills." She perked up.
Felix grinned at her, responding, "Guess I learned something from you."
Without wasting another moment, the two agents made their way through the floors of the labyrinthine construction site.
~