FUNCTION DISORDER :: VOLUME ONE

18B

ZEO: Here's the deal. The Sheep has been known to use room 616 of the building you're at right now. He's not there at he moment. There's information there about his business and what happened to his victims. Go get it.

Soren peered down one of Arillien's numerous shadowy alleyways, then upwards to the back-facing side of the targeted building. "I'm ready for this.", he resolved. "I think we can do it. Soon, we will have victory over The Sheep!"

"Yup, let's do this, should be easy.", Rain responded with a little fanged smile and adjusted his neon pink arm warmers.

Two sad humans with long dark hair stepped out of one of the side entrances maybe twenty metres away, where a whitish pink glow poured out onto the street before the door rapidly locked behind them. One gestured to the other and pointed at Soren. The second one nodded and frowned, before they proceeded further into the mild overcast night.

"We look weird and suspicious here.", Soren observed.

Rain crept along the smooth metallic wall to the door. It was firmly locked and of opaque metal like the walls. "Well, we are doing something suspicious, and I think Zeo said they only have human tenants here, I think." He lightly dashed further down the street.

ZEO: Yes that's correct. At least officially. They're snobs here.

Soren bounded after Rain, keeping pace on strong soft paws, to the next door over, then glanced around to check if anyone was watching. "This looks like our way in. Do you have the Hacktool?

Rain grinned and produced a rod-like magitech tool that was apparently made of a wild assortment of electronic parts stapled together. It felt clunky to use when he turned it on and he gave an annoyed rawr when it made his paw shake uncontrollably.

"Here." Soren gently guided Rain's paw over a bit further, then gently pulled it into a few different angles, until the stainless door popped open with a satisfying click. "It's kinda fiddly but works on most not-magic doors.", Soren explained.

When the door shut behind them, the air was still and stuffy, thick with the smell of dust. They were in a tall stairwell, extending in both directions with dirty grey steps, plain white walls and cold, sterile lightbulbs. "There's always emergency stairs somewhere, one of my favourite tricks.", Rain said.

"Mine too.", Soren said, gesturing downwards. "Sometimes you can sneak all the way in from the Shellen basement quarters through the catacombs like a phantom. It's fun."

Rain bounded up the stairs, smooth claws softly scratching on each one. "It's kinda creepy and narrow down there, and too full of Midnightkind, I prefer, like, racing through the dark nights with the icy wind in my fur, haha, but it does sound... neat."

"It's not that bad. Afraid to get a little dirty? Haha.", Soren teased.

"Hey, I have thick fluffy white fur, if I get a little bit dirty, then I look terrible.", Rain pointed out. "It took like half an hour to get the zombie blood stains off me, the other night, hah."

"Yeah whatever, doggo.", Soren responded, then jammed the Hacktool up to another door. Nothing happened. He tapped the tool several times. Then, it buzzed unhealthily and turned off, as if one of its tangled components had come loose. "Damnit.", he hissed.

"What will we do now?", Rain asked. "I don't think I can shoot out the lock, we should've brought that cutting wave spell thing...", he then mused.

Soren stared at the door to gather his resolve. "No matter. This one's not metal." He made a deep feline mrrowwllll and brought his big fuzzy grey-pink paws in front of himself so that Rain could see his sharp, curved claws first extend, then glow hot red for a moment before lengthening even further into smooth, glistening steel blades. He then turned to the door and slashed into it, shredding through the shitty paint as easily as zombie skin and scoring deep marks through the wood beneath, cutting deeper, fragments falling off the door, putting the might of his whole body into every cut. Then, he gave a stiff kick and the door snapped off its lock and fell open. "Too easy."