|
  |
LexCorp has dozens of warehouses all throughout New York City- the financial district is no different. The warehouse here is small, located just a few blocks from LexCorp's World Headquarters. Here, in this small warehouse, some of LexCorp's prototypes often sat in rest before being sent to further testing in whatever LexCorp division they were intended for. Located below ground, the entrance to the warehouse was simple and easily missed, but for the LexCorp logo on the warehouse door.
*
Prototypes were always interesting, and interesting? That was always worth a lot of money to someone. Here in the warehouse has its bonuses, after all there was no reason for her to maintain her disguise when she wasn't ment to be seen at all. Her odd-colored hair was revealed in full, but tied back behind her head as she crept by towards the door. Her normal attire too was replaced, bright white or her skirts would stick out here in a place she intended to go unnoticed. The pale girl had simply stuck with her corset top and slacks.
Lexcorp might actually be advanced enough to have cameras in their in range, rare as they may be, but such feeds would find their lenses covered by an obscuring layer of frost as the mutant thief draws near. She didn't expect things to be unguarded after all.
*
If LexCorp was one thing, its careful. Corporate espionage is alive and well in the 1960's, and LexCorp has some of the best tech in the world. Cameras are indeed in place- watched by guardsmen who are paid very well to ensure that LexCorp property stays that way.
When the lenses fog up and frost over, the guards go on alert and a silent alarm is tripped. Men with revolvers- and M-16s begin to slowly patrol the warehouse, looking for anything and anyone who might be prowling the premises.
Miles away a phone rings. Once. Twice. Lex sits up in bed, pulls back her eyemask and frowns at the phone. She picks it up, "I see." she says, eyes narrowing. "And have you found anyone, yet?" she wonders, "I see. Should you see someone, use non-lethal to subdue them. Call me when the situation has been… concluded."
*
For those that new her, there were some signs that Ne was here. A light drop in temperature that might bring a fogging to the breath while one stalked between the crates. Hidden by the warped light, at a distance Ne would truely appear invisible while she makes her way silently between the crates, making her way around the guards.
Harming or killing the? That would just cause a mess she didn't need. However, one might be suprised what they can live through… Nimbly springing atop several crates she presses her small form low, waiting for one of the guards to pass by before reaching out and trying to seize a hand around the back of their neck. Nothing like a little hypothermia to take the wind out of one's sails.
*
"Hey, its getting kind of cold in here…" One of the guards says, "Yeah, its weird." answers another as they stalk though the warehouse. The lights, of course, are on- blaring bright and removing most shadow from the room. This is an active warehouse, after all, not some dock-side affair with barely working electricity. The men are keeping in contact with radios- constantly checking in with a central security desk.
Ne is able to put one guard down, but he's able to cry out into his radio before he goes down- left shivering and confused on the floor by the sudden onset of hypothermia. "Hhel…" He couldn't say more due to the sudden onset hypothermia, cold enough to leave the exposed skin black and frostbitten. He'd be lucky if he survived- that kind of sudden trauma has a way of shutting down organs.
Another guard, not far from where the man went down shouts- they're traveling in teams. This is a high-budget organization. "Sector Six! Johnson's down!" Now more men come, starting to surround the area Ne is in- these guards seemed to be fairly well interested in doing their jobs. The sound of racked rifles is obvious. "The orders are to take it alive, if possible!" comes a call over the radio. "Converge on Sector Six. Teams of three. Loose rank. Be prepared to fight. Possibly a corporate spy- metahuman or mutant."
*
If nothing else, it'd give them something to worry about. Treating the man should give her all the window she needed. Ne was no hero after all…
Moving her way deeper into the warehouse, the woman's odd-colored eyes swipe over any and everything she can lay them on. There must be something important enough to be valuable, now the thief just needs to locate it. Still cloaked by her warped light, the mutant bites her lip in a frown. Taking down the guard was a careless move, risky and limiting…but she'd have to play the cards she'd dealt herself.
*
"Shit! He's turning blue!" One of the guards shouts, "Looks like Hypothermia. I'll get him somewhere warm, and call an ambulance!" The other guards are on Ne's tail- she's leaving cold air in her wake, and these men mean business. One of them falling doesn't mean they're going to stand around and gape like idiots. Now it was personal- Ne has hurt one of their coworkers, potentially fatally.
Most of the gear in the warehouse was crated, boxed. It had designation numbers on it, and much of it was difficult to see through the wood sided crates that LexCorp tended to use. Still, there were some smaller boxes and crates on various shelves- all with numbered designations. All but one- one labeled: Project Void. The Project Void box is rather small- about the size of a large hatbox.
The guards are approaching still, "I think it went this way- look, condensation on the floor. Footprints!"
*
Perfect! Just about the size she was looking for and looked important enough to have its own place. She'd have to treat it cautiously, after all it could be wired to blow, or some kind of weapon, but she'd deal with it as she needed to. Of course she needed to get out of here first before she had to worry about her prize.
The guard calling out about footprints? That makes her frown deepen before idea strikes and she exhales a breath to focus herself. She couldn't cover the effects of so much power use, but she could immitate them. Slowly more footprints begin to sweep outwards across the floors, spreading out in confusing patterns to try and stall the men while cloaking her own. This was all begining to take far too much effort! Gently she reaches out, attempting to take the box for herself.
*
Whatever is in that box is heavy. Its likely one of the reasons its in such a small box. Still, it doesn't explode or seem otherwise trapped. The guards are hot on Ne's heels, though- coming out to where she's at- all of them flashing lights into what shadows hide between the network of crates and boxes not otherwise lit by the harsh overhead lights. "I lost the trail!" one of them calls, "The footprints go everywhere!" the next calls, "Get the radar guns!" another calls, "If we can't see it, we can at least try to figure out where it is!"
Ne is running out of time. She needs to make her escape as quickly as possible. If it wasn't for her powers, its very likely she'd already be caught.
*
The solution wasn't more power, it was less. The room was already heavily frosted, the footprints went everywhere and the guards hadn't found her. All she needed to do was remain hidden a little longer. With the hour what is was, there was too much darkness to make use of her 'leap', so the short woman moved with as light a step as she can towards the door. They hadn't worked out she'd taken anything yet, so they would still be looking around inside, not outside the warehouse.
Slipping for the door she holds her illusion of invisibility and moves, the young woman making her quick exit while she still has a chance.
*
The guards are quick to find where Ne had been only moments before. Ne's made her escape- but it doesn't take long for the guards to figure out something is missing. Another call is made.
Blocks away in her lavish apartment, Lex Luthor is sitting quietly with a coffee- frowning deeply as her phone rings again. She listens as the report comes through. "Project Void." she says softly, "Stolen. From Me." her eyebrows knit together. "I see. Get Johnson to a hospital. However, do not file a police report. We're going to deal with this internally. Bring the information to internal security at headquarters." Luthor then hangs up the phone.
A few moments later, Lex picks up the phone again and dials out. "Hello? Its Ms. Luthor." she states into the phone at this ungodly hour. "Something of mine has been taken. I want it back. I expect to have it back in no more than forty-eight hours. The information will be on your desk within the next hour." Lex then hangs up the phone again and stands quietly, walking towards her window with its commanding view of New York City. Her eyes are narrowed as she thinks.
*
Somewhere, elsewhere, Ne has a call of her own to make. No words, not from the mute girl, instead just a series of taps of her gloved fingertip against the mouthpiece of the payphone. The job was complete, but now she has an exchange to make and money to be made. This 'Project void' was almost certainly something that was over her head, but the odd-colored mutant had no intention of getting involved beyond the exchange. A girl's gotta eat, gotta keep a roof over her head…
Unaware of the manhunt that's almost certainly starting on her trail and with her prize stashed? Ne steps out into the night, her parasol slung over her shoulder. After a night like that? Well, it was time to get something to eat!
*