[center][color=gray]
S'il vous plaît! Je dois. S'il vous plaît? J'ai besoin. Mais? Pourquoi tu me fais la gueule?!

This is who I am. Who you were. Why are you arguing about this!?
Because I see you making the same mistakes I already have! HiveMind isn't owned by The Louvre...

...Thierry...

No! I will not idly sit by and...
And what? Watch me ruin my life the way you have yours?

That's ...n-not fair.[/color]
[b][h3]"Vitals are stable. Nick, how are you feeling?"[/h3][/b][/center]
The HiveMind assistant caught Nick off guard, he wasn't used to using earpieces and having virtual assistance. He refocused his energy away from the memory of his whimpering spouse and lied, [b]"100%."[/b]

[b]"We're getting close to the site. Be prepared to exit the craft in a few moments."[/b]

[b]"Roger."[/b] Nick had no real desire to carry on a conversation with this disembodied woman. Just get the job done with. Get home. That's how every new mission started off spectacularly more since getting married. Nothing new here.

He unstrapped himself from the seat once the submarine stopped. There was a sense of familiarity as he strapped his EDC belt, thigh and shoulder holster on. Nick mumbled to himself, [b]"Pistol, flashlight, check. Clip. Check."[/b] But hushed himself as he went back into deep thought about his gear, or [i]mostly [/i]about his gear.

The stride out of the submarine lead him into a deep cave. He'd been in underwater aqueducts similar to this before, but none that also had the playground of ancient ruins. Supposedly ancient, [i]supposedly[/i]. It really was a site to behold. The cave ceiling turned sky as the rock legitimately looked like light striking across the dark night, [b]"Pay dirt."[/b] It was during this mental noting that he heard the breathing. Nick figured there was no point in beating around the bush when he was in plain sight.

[b]"Hey, I know you're here."[/b] Nick paused, lowing his voice a bit, [b]"I know you can see me."[/b]

Nick put his hand to his ear piece to talk to the virtual assistant, [b]"Anybody supposed to be down here with me?"[/b] As he waited for the assistant to answer, he removed the AR sight from his face. It was starting to give him a headache. He placed the device in his utility watch for safe keeping.

Then spoke out to the ruins again, [b]"We [i]good[/i]?"[/b]

He muttered to himself with an eyeroll, [b]"...[i]and has no harmful byproducts[/i] my ass."[/b] Maybe... Thierry was right about HiveMind.

[center][color=gray]...


...Don't do anything [i]I wouldn't do[/i].[/color][/center]