Shades of Grey

[Max Griffiths]

*I accept the packet, taking a bite as I tilt my head, motioning towards the building. As I approach the doors I hold my gun loosely in one hand. I don't expect a fight here; there's been no sign of life for miles around. There's a padlock on the entrance but it's long since broken, and I slide the large metal door open along its track with one foot, stopping when it sticks halfway open.*

*Pocketing the rest of the ration packet, I pull out a flashlight and shine the beam around the inside of the warehouse. The space is huge, easily three stories tall, with higher levels for management offices visible to the left. It's also mostly empty. There are a few crates huddled in the shadowy corners and a stripped down piece of moving machinery against the far wall, but that's it.*

If there's anything useful, it'll be in a side room. Keep an eye out for basement or sewer access. *I pause* And tell me if you need to rest. That's an order.

[redhavoc]

*I nod, not happy about it, but an order is an order. I stuff the rest of the ration packet in my mouth as I go back to the car for a flashlight and gun. It feels good to have a weapon in my hand. Max is already in a side room by the time I get back. I see he has the ground floor covered, so I go up the stairs to the second floor, resting on the landing*

*The second floor is a maze of catwalks and siderooms. I pick one at random, shining my light in to reveal an empty room. The next two are the same. The third one has nothing but an old computer terminal in the wall, the glass from the monitor shattered. I take a closer look and realize there's dried blood on the glass, probably from someone's head. Nothing good happened here*

[Max Griffiths]

*I check one room after another, but other than a few filing cabinets full of crumbling, yellowed employee reports, I don't find anything useful. I'm about to go find Red when I notice a block of lockers against the wall in one of the back halls, three of which are still secured. Taking out my hidden lockpick set, I start working on getting them open*

[redhavoc]

*I move to the next room. The wall connecting to the terminal in the previous room has been partially ripped open, revealing a tangle of wires. I follow the wires through to the next room, which is a main hall of some sort. The wires have been pulled up along the length of the hall, thin snakes frozen in time. Some boxes along one wall are filled with empty cans. I move on, climbing the stairs to the even darker third floor*

[Max Griffiths]

*Apparently this warehouse has been used by killjoys in the past; the first locker contains row upon row of cans of food. At least half of it is Powerpup dog food. I shake my head, wondering where they get so much of it and how they can stand to eat it. I close the door before moving to the second locker. This one has several boxes of batteries on the upper shelf, and a cloth first aid bag hanging on one of the hooks. Some mismatched shoes on the floor and three cans of spray paint complete the picture.*

*The third locker gives me a better idea of where the killjoys are now. Though there's nothing of any use, it was obviously the most important. Taped to the back wall are three pictures, one cut out of a BLI Exterminate poster and the other two Polaroids. All three faces are obviously those of killjoys, and all the pictures are well-worn, with fingerprints and creases along the sides. Graffiti covers the inside of the locker, various anti-Better Living slogans mixed with messages to the three and the occasional promise of revenge. Partially burned candles and match stubs litter the floor, and tacked under each photo is a killjoy masquerade-style mask.*

*After staring at the contents of the locker for a long moment, I close and relock it. Deciding not to take any of the other supplies yet, I go back down the hallway and start up the stairs to find Red.*

[redhavoc]

*The third floor has a thick coating of dust, more so than any of the other floors. One door is labeled 'Manager' and I turn the handle, not noticing the extra clicking sound. As I step inside a terminal flashes on. I almost shoot it, but stop when a digital killjoy mask smiles at me. I hear a slamming sound and look back. An extra steal door has appeared where my exit should be. I hear another bang and the window seals off as well, leaving only my flashlight and the computer screen for illumination*

*I watch the screen as the graphic changes from a mask to a tape player and a recorded woman's voice sings at me*

This office was designed to protect the warehouse manager when the workers revolted. Now you are the prisoner, drac. Look up

*I do as the voice says and immedietly stiffen. The celing is a madman's contraption of knives and gears. The gears begin moving and a knife drops down a foot away from me as the computer begins to sing*

Make a wish when your childhood dies
Hear the knock, knock, knock when she cries
Were all alone tonight...

[Max Griffiths]

*I don't find Red on the second floor, though I can follow the signs of where she's checked. She appears to have been quite thorough, so I don't bother checking any of the rooms. I'm on the stairs to the third floor when I hear a series of metallic thuds echoing down from above.*

*Breaking into a run, I slide to a stop when I get to the upper landing, shining my flashlight down the halls to either side. Footprints in the dust show me which way she went, and I start down the hallway as fast as I can while scanning for traps or disturbances. I don't call for her, hoping to keep my presence unnoticed if there's someone else in the building*

[redhavoc]

*I see that the first knife was just a warning and that, with the next turn of the gears, half or more of the knives will fall at once. I slowly breath in, telling myself that it was exactly situations like these that I was trianed for. Well, not exactly this situation, but ones like it. I quickly click off my flashlight, so I only have the computer as a light source, and throw it and the gun into the corner. I bend my knees as I hear another click and the knives begin to fall*

[Max Griffiths]

*Approaching a door left ajar halfway down the hallway, I hear faint noises, both metallic and human. It's hard to tell, but it almost sounds like someone singing. I open the door quickly, my gun raised, but find my way blocked by solid steel - apparently some sort of security precaution. Holstering my gun, I start feeling my way along the sides of the door, looking for some sort of lock or hinge, but there's nothing. The metal is wider than the doorframe, and I can't get to the sides. Out of options, I tap the door once, hoping Red hears me and responds if she's able*

[redhavoc]

*A part of my brain regesters the knock, but saves the analysis for later. I see that the knives are not falling evenly and dodge to the right before diving back to the left. A knife just barely misses my foot, another falls past my shoulder. They fall like rain around me. There is a pause before the second wave and bend over, breathing hard and clutching my side*

Move your body when the sunlight dies
Everybody hide your body from the scarecrow
Everybody hide

[Max Griffiths]

*I don't get a response, and press my ear against the metal, listening. What I hear doesn't make sense, but I know whatever is going on needs to be stopped. Something in there is a threat to Red.*

*Stepping back, I pull out one of my larger knives and start hacking at the wooden doorframe, prying it back from the wall until I get to the edge of the metal door. I still can't move it, but there's enough of a gap for me to work with. In one of my inner jacket pockets I find a grenade; possibly the one she gave me back at the fight over the beetle bombs. I look at it for a moment, wondering why I don't remember deciding to keep it, then shake my head once and focus on wedging it as tightly as possible into the gap at the bottom side of the door*

Red! Get away from the door! Count of 5! *I call to her, not caring who else might hear, before pulling the pin and running back down the hall and waiting on the landing of the stairs*

[redhavoc]

*I hear Max, but before I can contemplate what's going on the knives start to fall again, flashing silver crashing into the floor, some stick up on end. I look around as I dodge and see the desk. I skid in behind the desk, pulling myself under*

[Max Griffiths]

*When I reach 'one' the grenade goes off with a blast of light and noise, and after waiting a few seconds I round the corner and jog back to the doorway. There isn't as much damage as I'd hoped, but the bottom corner of the metal is twisted and blackened. It's not a large enough opening for me to fit through, but Red is much smaller than I am and might have a chance**

[redhavoc]

*The blast sends the computer over the edge of the desk and it shatters in a blast of sparks in front of me. Suddenly there is no more music and I don't hear any more knives falling. I slowly and carefully get out from under the desk. My vision is blurry and I look down at my bandages, which are more than half red right now. I don't think any of the knives touched me, so that means it's just the wound reopening. I carefully sit on the floor and lean against the desk. Knives surround me on all sides*

*I look over and see that a cornerof the steel door has been blasted away. The image of the door blurs. Huh*

[Max Griffiths]

*I kneel down next to the gap, trying to see into the room. It's pitch black inside, except for the glow from Red's flashlight lying on the floor. There's no movement. Did I bring her back from Oregon just for this?*

Red! Answer me! *I realize the absurdity of what I just said, but don't correct it. I can't physically open the door any farther, so it's up to her to get out if she can*