"Going down." The automated female voice announced as the doors closed, the group of six standing idly as they descended.
"Did you know? The Urigucaí Building is the tallest skyscraper in Porto Plácido!" An inauthentic, rather cheesy male voice chimed in. The elevator had 'fun facts', too — how customer-friendly.
"I certainly look forward to the completion of this building. How are matters with the investors, Mr. Guimarães?" The President asked, heartily smiling. The two gentlemen were friends, which perhaps spelled some degree of nepotism evident in the upper echelons of Alvimia's government — whether or not the President was a corrupt man was up to interpretation.
“Oh, matters are well, darling. I’m sure my clients will just eat such a building up.” Adriano chuckled once more, garnering a strange response from X-Control, who laughed again.
Lourenço kept quiet, eyeing the glowing screen in the elevator. An advertisement had replaced the news headlines, urging consumers to visit the 'new', 'improved' Porto Plácido Museum of Science and Technology.
"Welcome to ground floor." The automated voice declared, the doors opening with a pleasant ding. The lobby was at its usual, press greeting them as the entourage departed the building and returned to the motorcade, which awaited them. Soon enough, they'd resumed their travels through the city.
A bizarre (but all too familiar, to Sabina) series of buildings, comprising a rather grand complex, was to their right, separated by a grand patchwork of gardens and open lawns. The contemporary architecture, bearing certain deconstructivist touches and aspects, was unmistakable: the Federal University of Porto Plácido. It'd been years since her time there (coincidentally, she and Lourenço had both attended UFPP a few years apart) but it seemed little had changed since then. The only new sight was an observatory, which towered above the other buildings and had a telescope aimed skyward. It was part of the greater center of sciences of the University, which were among the finest in the country, perhaps even Ophir as a whole.
It was clear on the Princess’ eyes that she had been captivated by Porto Plácido’s many sights, eagerly conversing with the President about every detail she noticed. Etoile Marin was a small place, kept far from many nations in the world. It was no surprise that their head of state was not well versed in the outside world; as far as most knew, she was rarely able to even leave it, spending most of her time either on the island or in Euphemie. No doubt that this state visit was a breath of fresh air for the newly coronated ruler.
There was at least some relief for the OSP agents at least - she hadn’t been going around entirely unprotected. Since their arrival, her own escort had mainly been protecting state grounds she visited at a polite distance, giving her freedom of mind and movement to enjoy the tour as she pleased. The only man who continued to accompany her almost the entire way, a Sergeant “Çarrelons,” had done well to ensure the Princess was always escorted by at least someone. The deep blue suited soldier, noticeably, kept a single turquoise peacock feather pinned to his suit, something none of the others wore. Whether it was purely for courtesy or somehow symbolic was unclear.
The motorcade came to a halt outside the botanical gardens, which extended vastly in labyrinthian fashion for quite a bit. Extending far above the series of glass domes and tunnels was an even greater rotunda. In anticipation for the state visit, access to visitors had been barred by local police.
"Ah, it's certainly been awhile." The President noted, leading the entourage out of the vehicle. Past the police lines, the botanical garden was entirely empty. "You'll find we have a splendid collection, Your Highness."
“Indeed! Alvimia’s bound to have such diverse flora just like Etoile Marin does. Maybe there’ll be one I’ll consider bringing home one day.” She joked, of course not intending on borrowing from the Botanical Gardens.
Entering the grandiose lobby of the gardens, they were greeted by an intricate array of flowers flanking both sides of the space. There were exotic flowers of every color imaginable, from chrysanthemums to lotus berthelotii.
"Impressive," Lourenço looked about, admiring the meticulous arrangement around them. "You don't have allergies, do you, Sabina?"
“Nope.” She nonchalantly said, inspecting the flowers. The environment was notably more 'at ease' than the palace or the building. Perhaps, if they were lucky, nothing would happen this time.
They proceeded to the next hall, walkway flanked with various strange, unique flowers. "The Alvimian Jadeflower," President Alvaro gestured to a rather large flower to their left. It was shockingly tall, with a height of six feet. "One of the largest flowers in the world. Indigenous tribes once cultivated it for its unique, perfume-like scent. Some even became addicted to the flower's delightful scent!" The man wasn't wrong — the smell was delightful, almost intoxicatingly so. The fact the two OSP agents even walked near it made them both feel lightheaded.
"This must be a Protea cynaroides," Lourenço gestured to another flower, looking to the President.
"Ah, we have a fellow botanist among us." Alvaro chuckled cordially, lowering his glasses to analyze the plant. "Indeed it is. You certainly know your flowers."
“Oh!” Amilessi exclaimed in surprise. “I recognize this one!” She noted of the Protea cynaroides Lourenço had pointed out. “We have similar ones like these back home too. I’ve never seen one so colorful before.”
Sabina smirked, as if she were preparing to make fun of her partner for his niche interests, but stopped herself. Adriano was still giving them the occasional glance. She was just about ready to ask him about why he happened to know about them and their “exploits” but stopped herself midway. Not now. She turned away, looking at the flowers.
"One of the rarer parts of our botanical collection," The President announced, stopping by an exotically-colored group of flowers. "The Ningxitzia. Native to Western Sinica, it was brought here by Dom Pedro IV, who was so enamored by the flower's exquisite beauty that he personally demanded the Emperor of Sinica deliver five-thousand specimens to Alvimia." The flowers bore a crown-like shape, a magnificent mixture of blue and yellow giving them quite the unique appeal. The entourage continued on, finding themselves in a rather grandiose atrium filled with too many flowers and bizarre plants to name.
“All these exotic plants.. Alvimia has got quite a diverse collection. It is so beautiful here!” The Princess agreed, enamored by the sights - although a light sneeze gave away a potential allergy to this Sinican flower in particular. “..Of course its the most beautiful ones I’m allergic to.” She added, causing a small bit of laughter from the group as they moved along.
The flowers hadn't caught Sabina's eye, however — rather, it was the silhouette of a man leaving the room as they'd entered. He'd slipped away, seemingly unnoticed by everyone else. Hadn't the police ensured nobody would get in? This was an immediate red flag.
“Look.” She quietly nudged her partner, pointing in the direction of the man leaving the room. “Another one.” Almost like clockwork, another person had appeared.
Lourenço's attention was drawn away from the various exotic plants around them, instead glancing to where Sabina was hinting at. "Huh?" He quietly muttered, oblivious to what she was hinting at. There was nobody there, after all.
“I just—” She shook her head, irritated. “I saw someone. Again. He left the room as we entered, unsure what he was wearing.”
"Surely you can make up an excuse for the others," Lourenço whispered back. "We wouldn't want to make the Princess believe something's amiss."
“Uh huh.” She said aloud, once again placing a finger to an imaginary earpiece that she wore. “Alright. There appears to be an, uh, unwanted photographer or reporter roaming around here. Press aren’t supposed to be here, so we’ll take a look and see him to the exit. We won’t be long.”
"Ah, I see." Alvaro nodded. "I trust you'll handle it soundly. We'll continue on."
The President and Princess made to continue with the tour, though her bodyguard had taken note of the frequent departures of the extra escort the two members of state had enlisted. To say the least, he’d been suspecting them for some time now - and it only amounted with every departure.
The two trailed off in pursuit of the man, through the labyrinthian corridors of extravagant botany, as they pursued the man Sabina had apparently seen. Entering the next room, Lourenço too had noticed the silhouette of a man entering another corridor to their left. This confusing game of cat and mouse persisted on, the two agents picking up pace in chasing the man until they'd found themselves in a grandiose rotunda — presumably the space they'd seen towering above the other domes. Judging by the signs and barriers, it had been under maintenance, effectively barring it off from the rest of the tour. Various catwalks led up the rotunda, surrounding a rather grand tree, perchance a species of oak. The space was entirely silent, save for the sound of a crow's cawing — evidently it'd gotten inside somehow.
The silhouette of the man was visible further up, opening one of the glass panels — but what for? Lourenço pointed up, the two promptly ascending the sequence of ladders that led them to one of the higher walkways in the structure. They'd run into the man, who promptly stepped back — he hadn't expected them. He wore a rather expensive suit, and had a light stubble of a beard and light skin. He also had a cane about him, which had the ornate golden design of a ram's head atop it. He seemed more fitting of a college professor than an assassin. On the floor of the catwalk, he'd been setting up a sniper rifle from a briefcase, though he obviously hadn't finished.
"Hands in the air!" Lourenço drew his assault rifle, aiming at the man. Sabina quickly followed in suit, aiming her MP56 up at him. “Don’t try anything stupid. Hands up!”
"Now, there is no need to be rude.." He stepped back, raising his left hand, but keeping his cane steadfast in his hands. Certainly he was the 'odd one out' compared to the previous two assassins they'd faced. He was either an idiot, or a professional — or maybe even both.
“I said hands up! Both of them!” Sabina wasn’t buying it, nor was she taking any chances.”
The crow from earlier landed gracefully in the man's raised hand, to which he lowered his hand, seemingly whispering something to the creature. "Go, Bruxa." The bird soared off, the man suddenly aiming his cane and firing something at Sabina. Lourenço raised his gun in reaction, practically ready to empty a few bullets into his skull.
"Now, now.." The man began. "I will tell you a few things about myself. I am Professor Tiago Paz "Saci" Kleyton.. I work at the Federal University of Porto Plácido, I specialize in biochemistry, I consider myself a visionary... I have just fired a vial of Berserk into you, agent." He gestured to the vial that had embedded itself in Sabina's arm, its red fluid slowly emptying. The realization of what had just happened hit her as she yanked the syringe out, but by then, it was too late. “You.. what did you just put into me?!”
The professor continued. "I invented it, in fact. In Sanjar, there is a drug called Pamyat. It's highly addicting, and has similar effects. Dom Pedro hired me to.. develop something that could turn our soldiers into adept, capable fighters in more than one way. Berserk, I called it — much like the ancient Teutonic warriors of old. The war ended before I could finish my studies, but it's rather impressive when tested on animals. It kicks most stimuli in your body into overdrive. Your most primal senses — like the desire to murder — begin to take hold. Of course, this is a small amount.. but I'm sure you'll feel it. And this," He smirked, looking to his cane. "Is my weapon. I made it myself, actually."
"Make a move and I'll kill you!" Lourenço threatened, aiming to the man's head. Something about his otherwise 'civil' appearance made him oddly hesitate.
"Anywho, if you overdose on my drug, your heart will over-work itself and you'll go into cardiac arrest. That would take... a few shots more than the dose I've just administered. I forgot how many, actually." He laughed innocently. "Bonne chance!" He suddenly leaped off the side of the catwalk, landing on the walkway just below them. He continued his descent until he was on the ground level, standing at the center of the botanic area, as if expecting a fight.
Sabina felt her heart rate begin to rise—the effects from whatever Professor Kleyton had shot into her arm evident already. One would’ve expected her to run for Lourenço, but, rather, she ran straight for the man that had shot her in the shoulder. He evaded a long haymaker as she stumbled into a roll, continuing her blind rush.
Lourenço began climbing down the catwalk to pursue the man — realizing rather late his assault rifle lacked a suppressor, and would surely alert the others if he fired. He discarded his rifle, reaching for the knife tucked inside his coat.
CAW! CAW!
He was, in a rather confusing turn of events, suddenly attacked by the crow from earlier, which attempted in vain to peck him. "Get off me, you son of a bitch!" He tried to shake off the bird, with little success. It seemed almost comedic — Lourenço and the bird were fighting each other with almost no progress, the OSP agent swinging his knife in the air and throwing punches to scare the crow. It suddenly clawed his cheek, sending him hilariously falling backwards as he clutched his injury. The crow nabbed a lighter from Lourenço's pocket, flying back to Professor Kleyton, who stood idly watching at the center of the rotunda.
"Ah, thank you, Bruxa!" He laughed, producing a cigarette from his pocket, which his pet crow promptly lighted. He casually smoked, watching the two agents stumble over themselves. "Come on, you two! I'm waiting! Give me a good fight!" Kleyton taunted.
Likewise, Lourenço had climbed down, sprinting towards the man, knife in hand. The crow flew off Kleyton's shoulder, attacking him again. He was clearly not getting any breaks today. "Fuck OFF!" Lourenço swung at the bird, who proceeded to fly upwards before pecking him again. It'd hit him pretty hard, sending him falling to the floor. He'd managed a swing that had made it recoil, but it dove again — Lourenço closely rolling out of the way of the bird's attack, which would've certainly gotten his eye otherwise.
CAW! CAW!
The bird flew back, taunting Lourenço as he got up from the floor. A scream of rage came from Sabina as she ran for Kleyton, tossing away her MP56 onto the floor as she reached out to grab him. A whack of his cane did nothing to her as she pushed him rather forcefully, breaking a block he’d placed up at the last moment. "Oh my!" The strange professor leaped back and giggled, steadying himself as his rather enraged opponent came towards him. He aimed his cane again — but swiftly swung it back, as if it were a bluff. He was certainly screwing with his opponent, keeping her on edge.
After she recovered, Sabina lunged once more with speeds one would expect from a professional athlete—even the professor was surprise. His cane was yanked away as a strong punch flew into his gut, before she was pushed off by a powerful shove with his cane.
"Predictable!" Kleyton laughed, leaping several feet upward onto one of the oak tree branches. His agility bewildered the both of them—how was he able to move around this quickly, and jump this high? Leaping down again, he repositioned himself. "Bruxa, deal with her!"
A shrill CAW preceded the crow swooping down and scratching Sabina, aggressively trying to peck at her. CAW! CAW! It shrieked, attempting to bite at her ear, while Sabina tried to bat away the crow with her hands.
Lourenço, meanwhile, had recovered from the rather annoying bird's attack, steadying the knife in his hands. He charged the professor, managing a fairly decent cut at the man's side, passing him and leaping into the bushes. Lourenço suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back, however, to which he reacted by swiftly pushing one of the professor's vials out — revealing he'd prevented himself from receiving a full dose like his partner. He was certainly feeling a swift effect, however — rapidly reacting to the crowd's attempt to attack him again by swinging at it, the bird letting out an agonized CAW! as he punched it mid-air, which sent it flying back in retreat.
She ran for the professor once more, evading another swing of his cane before lunging once more. It seemed a sort of primal fighting style had overtaken her capoeira—her movements were much more jagged, sharp, and aggressive, rather than the refined dance-like movements of capoeira. However, the Professor was swift in his movements, sliding backwards with incredible precision and grace as he took aim with his cane, firing another vial of Berserk into Sabina's leg. The vial quickly emptied before she could remove it, the effects clearly worsening as she began clawing at the area in vain.
"By the second dose, your mind starts to get a little foggy," He taunted, twirling his cane condescendingly. "The 'lizard brain' we've all got in us begins talking louder.. in a few more doses, you'll hardly have control of yourself." Kleyton grinned, stepping back in anticipation of Sabina's attack. Another sharp CAW alerted Sabina to the approach of Kleyton's pet crow, swooping down to attack the OSP agent.
In a sudden turn of events, Sabina snapped upwards, balling her fist. Lourenço watched in awe as she launched her arm out like a cannon, striking the bird’s body with a sickening WALLOP, much to the surprise of the professor.
The bird recoiled back with a GAAAHGK, being sent backwards and crashing hard into a grouping of flowers nearby. Knowing the hollow bones that birds had, such a hit would’ve most likely killed Kleyton's bird.
"You— tasteless bitch!" The act of animal cruelty elicited rage from the Professor, who angrily swung at Sabina. It was a bad swing, but he'd managed to send his cane whipping against her, striking her by the temple. The hit knocked her over, Kleyton twirling his cane in the air. Lourenço charged the man again, intending to drive the knife through his abdomen. The Professor had other plans, however, knocking Lourenço back with a sharp 'thwack', effortlessly swinging at the OSP agent.
Another lunge from Sabina, and another miss. By that time, Sabina was too wholly focused on trying to kill Kleyton that she didn’t notice he was already in position to shoot at her again. The Professor laughed maniacally, leaping backwards onto one of the treebranches behind him, firing another vial with his cane. It struck with precision, embedding itself in her right arm. "Now, things really get interesting," He continued, leaping back down. "Those primal instincts are kicking in marvellously. You might even attack your own partner."
"Fuck you, asshole!" Lourenço yelled, managing to deal a cut to Kleyton's right arm, which began bleeding profusely. The man leaped back, clutching the spot he'd been cut. It was a rather deep wound.
"Now this is getting interesting!" The man mused, jumping down into one of the flower rows. As Lourenço prepared himself to attack the man once again, he took note of the MP56 Sabina had dropped on the floor earlier. It had a suppressor, too...
Sabina stumbled around again, blindly looking for her target. Her partner briefly resembled the professor only for a few moments, causing her to subconsciously run for him, where she flailed her arms out at him. Perhaps it was the drug’s effects kicking in, or just a call for help? Though unpleasantly surprised by his partner suddenly losing restraint, Lourenço managed to block her attempt at an attack, pushing her back before returning his focus to Kleyton. Now would be a good time to utilize what he'd learned from the BSN's Escola Nova gun kata. Leaping forth into one of the trees, Lourenço lunged downward with the grace only martial arts could allow — landing softly amidst a cluster of exotic flowers, taking aim at Kleyton. Firing several suppressed shots at the man. He'd managed to hit Kleyton's hand, to which he yelled in pain. "You strike impressively, unlike your partner!" He declared, throwing the cane to his left hand and leaping back, presumably to flank the agents. Lourenço kept at the ready, observing his surroundings in anticipation of the man's attack.
THWACK
Lourenço tumbled backwards as the man came out of 'nowhere' lunging from the trees and striking him in the head with his cane. He fell backwards, crushing a few of the flowers. That was, to Lourenço, more of a shame than the fact he'd been struck in the head.
Sabina wildly rushed the professor after this occurred, much to his surprise. His feeble attempt at a block was dispelled by a sudden and powerful kick to his lower left leg. Evidently breaking (or damaging) something, Sabina leaped back as the Professor let out a pained yell, tumbling backwards and landing in the pond of the rotunda. Something interesting had been revealed then — his right leg was a prosthetic, which had come loose as soon as Sabina had struck his left leg.
"What a lack of class!" The Professor exclaimed, struggling to catch his breath, steadying himself with his cane as he dragged himself backwards, away from the two OSP agents.
"Tell us who hired you and I might allow you to live!" Lourenço aimed the MP56 at Kleyton's head.
This immediately elicited a response of fear on the man's face, eyes widening at Lourenço's threat. Realizing his situation, he began hyperventilating in a panic, trembling wildly. "I'm...not gonna say it..."
"Was it.. Adriano Guimarães?" Lourenço asked. This seemed only to further unsettle the man. "I'm right, aren't I?" Lourenço continued, keeping his weapon aimed at Kleyton's head. Rather than respond, the man twirled his cane, aiming it at his own throat. Lourenço moved forward to stop him — but it was too late. Kleyton fired the six remaining vials into his own neck, severing his jugular and casting arterial spray all over the pond. The Professor let out a few incoherent gurgles as he let out his final death spasms before slumping over in stillness. The man would rather die than reveal who'd hired him, it seemed.
Lourenço's first course of action was to check on the state of his partner — the man had died far too early to explain how long the drug even lasted. "Sabina?" He tucked the SMG back into his coat, cautiously approaching his partner.
“I’m fine.” She sharply said, still a bit aggressive from the drug. It seemed to have worn off, though, as she wasn’t blindly focused on killing him.
"Uh-huh." Lourenço was still cautious around her, still thinking Sabina to be unstable. He'd gotten pretty roughed up in the fight, and took a moment to fix his hair, using a handkerchief to wipe the blood from the cut on his cheek. They'd simply need to tell the group an 'altercation' had occurred with the suspect. "You think Adriano—"
“What?” She snapped over to him. “It’s obvious. Yes.”
Lourenço nodded with a slight smirk, dusting off his coat before making for the rotunda's exit. He wasn't sure how long they'd been fighting, but surely it hadn't been long. A few twists and turns through the labyrinth that was the botanical gardens led them right back to the group, who were practically finished with their tour.
"Our esteemed security return," President Alvaro nodded, noticing their return immediately. "I take it there was no trouble back there, yes?"
"Dealt with accordingly," Lourenço calmly replied — though it was likely the others would notice the scratch he'd received to the face. Adriano, meanwhile, kept his unassuming poker face as the two arrived, even after looking at the both of them and their slightly tousled up appearances. Was he this good at hiding his true motives? Or, was he plotting something much more nefarious under his sleeves?
“Oh, you poor little babies!” He swooned over them in a melodramatic manner, especially taking note of the cut on Lourenço’s face. “I’m sorry you all got into a little..scuffle with that guy. Everything is okay, other than that, hm?”
There was little doubt that Adriano had sent these assassins. The first had failed his job, the second intended to get rid of Lourenço and Sabina, and the third had a goal akin to the first. Lourenço was quick to respond, not wanting Sabina's irritability to blow their cover. "Certainly." He flatly answered.
She furrowed her brow, almost calling the man out, were it not for Adriano’s quick actions. “I think we should move on this little tour, Mr. President. Don’t you think?”
"Certainly. It's gone splendidly, I must say." Alvaro nodded. They continued on, reaching the lobby once again. For the others, it'd been quite the ride — for the two OSP agents, however, it was a wild ride for much different reasons.
Oddly enough, the rest of the 'state visit' was soundly quiet. They'd protected the lives of the Alvimian president and Amilessi, all the while ensuring that neither were aware of just how much trouble was transpiring behind the scenes. There was, however, a certainty — people close to president Alvaro were planning his downfall.
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Porto Plácido, United States of Alvimia
29 June, A.C. 392
Agente Sabina AugustoOrganização de Segurança Privada 'Murutucu'
Tiki Villa
Tiki Villa is the name of a Turmenista-based restaurant and bar chain that has since gone international, with locations sprouting up in Akhmanar, Alvimia, Mainland Euphemie, and, of course, Turmenista. With an aesthetic focusing on a tropical island feel and abundance of real parrots and a plentiful selection of drinks and dishes to choose from, there is no questioning why Tiki Villas are very popular among tourists. Locations vary from on the sandy beaches of resorts to airpots in the most urbanized of cities. It should be noted that Tiki Villa has gained some little international fame for its sale of Kola™, a pale lager brewed by Turmenistanian beverage producer Donnie and King (D&K) that is famous for its eponymous mascot, as well as the sale of the Moa Burger, made from allegedly the meat of the large, flightless bird found on Kole Island.
They had soon found themselves in Tiki Villa, a bar chain that was widely popular outside of Alvimia for a myriad of reasons. Amid the shouting of “YAA WAA YUSA BOMBACLAATI MON!” in the background and the sounds of meals and drinks being prepared, Sabina and Lourenço had settled down in a booth towards a quieter section of the bar, trying to get their minds off the stressful events from earlier.
"That was some performance today, Sabina." Lourenço took a sip from the glass of tequila he had before him, casually reclining in his seat. He was still rather careful around her, due to earlier — and he did not want to arouse her anger, as she seemed rather irritable after the fight with the last assassin.
The effects from the drugs had subsided in both of them, but her anger was still evident, perhaps from some other side effect? In reality, the entire day pissed Sabina off, from the various assassins, whose actions were self-explanatory, to Adriano’s cryptic behavior, the entire day seemed to be solely dedicated to making their lives miserable. She just couldn’t get her head around it.. Was Adriano pulling the strings, or was something much larger at play?
“I..don’t know what to say.” She shook her head, looking at her half-full beer. “There’s been something on my mind, ever since we rescued that girl and fought those Euphemians. Something larger is at play here, Lourenço, and I just can’t get my head around it. Why is Adriano not who he seems? Why was a pop star and a business mogul with us on this tour today? More importantly, why did none of the assassins go for the VIPs?”
"Well, the first n' last one sure seemed to be ready to." Lourenço replied nonchalantly. "Maybe the second was trying to pick us off first? You know that superstitious friend I mentioned earlier? Yeah, uh, she explained how tarot cards work. Apparently your card, the way you got it, means something about a lack of direction and, uhh, self doubt. Mine was something about depression and resistance to change. Now, I gotta say, this stuff's so vague it can describe pretty much anyone! That's how it gets you. I don't believe we're experiencing a bad luck streak. The opposite, rather!" He laughed, taking another sip of his drink. Perhaps he hadn't been thinking too much into the Euphemians from the mission before, or he was ignoring the matter — or he was somehow accustomed to the levels of intrigue they were dabbling in.
She pushed her glass forwards, sighing. “I don’t know, Lourenço. At one point, it seemed as if I was the only one who was aware of things. It seemed like some of those assassins were deliberately targeting us, trying to break us down. The tarot cards? Berserk drug? Like I said many times before, if they could’ve easily killed the President or Princess..why not do it?”
Lourenço shrugged. "Clearly there were attempts — all failed, of course, thanks to our efficiency as a team."
“Maybe.. But what about Adriano? I’m not buying his persona—and how would he know us, if he hadn’t even met us?” She was right, Adriano’s knowledge of them did seem quite suspicious, albeit vague.
"Well, you were agreeing with me that he was suspicious earlier. You're right — but aren't you letting things get to your head a bit?"
“Maybe a little.” Sabina reluctantly took her drink and sipped it. “Maybe I’m just a little too paranoid about things. Maybe I need to relax.”
"Isn't that what we're doing right now?" Lourenço finished his tequila, glass meeting the table with a light clink as he eased up. She gave a light laugh, smiling. “Well, you aren’t wrong.”
"Hey, it's like you said — live a little." He continued. "When it's all through and done, we'll remember these days for a lot more than just 'shooting at people' .. and isn't that what counts?"
She nodded in agreement. “Yeah.. and, uh, I—no, we need to have more of those moments more often, Lourenço! People need heroes in times like these. I guess I just have to, uh, smile more often, while we've still got things to smile about, y’know?”
Lourenço agreed with a light nod. "We sure do. That view at the bay yesterday was something else. We should go there more often, yeah? Nothing better than a few drinks and the sun setting over Porto Plácido."
In a poetic fashion, the sun had begun to set over the city, basking the area in a warm, orange glow, casting shades of orange, pink and red through the windows. Lourenço's attention turned to the sun, which crested over the mountains to the west.
“Yeah. Good times, Lourenço. Good times.” She nodded slowly. However, something remained in the back of her mind as they watched the sun set—something which tugged at her. It was a quote she’d heard from someone before, about good times like these.
Good times.. They never last.
"Something the matter?" Lourenço had seemingly noticed his partner's distant gaze to the mountains beyond. Maybe he'd said something that'd stuck with her.
“It’s..nothing. Just something I heard a while ago. Don’t worry about it.” She smiled.
__________________________________
Porto Plácido, United States of Alvimia
29 June, A.C. 392
Adriano Guimarães
Lucida Telecom Tower
The center of Lucida Telecom — and Adriano's cult of personality — the Lucida Telecom tower looms ominously, setting itself distinctly apart from the rest of Manacapuru. The sleek, modern aesthetic of the tower emanates an oddly, distinctly corporate, ominous feeling. Every empire has its heart, its nerve center, and this one is the 'brain' of one of the largest media conglomerates in Ophir.
The Synapse, they called it. It was the living, beating heart of Lucida Telecom, which had become a corporate empire from Alvimia to Velezia. Truly, it had dominated southern Ophir in an incredibly short time. One would expect a corporate entity hosted in Alvimia to suffer from the political instability, but it was the opposite for Adriano's business. Fear sells. Sensation sells. This inherent fact about reality, paired with the man's clever, shrewd — often underhanded — business strategies had made the man into a billionaire. He'd been rich before — but now he was even richer.
Fear, indeed, sold well. Alvimian society was rife with it — fear of the Euphemians, fear of crime, fear of police, hell, even fear of their own government. He'd mastered the game like no other, and the Alvimian people were eating it up. In retrospect, it almost seemed easy to Adriano. Perhaps he'd been at the right place, at the right time.
The Synapse's tele-screens covered practically every corner of the room, giving Adriano a perfect, almost spectator-like view of the most important news transpiring in Alvimia. To him, it was like white noise, and he never truly felt at ease beyond the Synapse's confines. Out there, he was an outsider. But in here, spectator. A God?
Yet there were forces among all the fear, misery and corruption that played on those screens that had caught Adriano's attention. Two people, bound to something more than money—to a vague vision, a sense of justice that unconsciously influenced their every move — like a weaving, guiding hand from above. The mercenaries he'd hired to assassinate the President of Alvimia and the Princess of Etoile Marin had thoroughly failed in their jobs, all due to them. What kill-joys! He could only imagine the sensation that could've come from such a high-profile killing, and he'd be able to provide a tear-filled account of it all to the public on national television, of how terrified he'd been the whole time throughout! It was almost ironic, he'd figured. Few had the willpower to make it this far, despite all adversity — and yet it made the thought of witnessing their descent, their fall... all the more desirable.
The duo’s actions had been tracked—almost like a little “reality TV show,” in Adriano’s eyes. Tijuca’s defeat, their daring escort job to Miranda, and now, this, all covered from impossible angles by an entire web of cameras throughout his far-reaching empire. Truly, he had been playing the game like a fine piece of music. The duo had remarkable adversity and chemistry—where else could one go to see such a remarkable team, but here?
Sabina was still, obviously, distraught with Tijuca’s death, and his manipulative manner. But Lourenço... oh, Lourenço. He lasciviously licked his lips at the mere thought of toying with such a manipulative, enigmatic figure. What was his past like? Was it tragic, like Sabina’s? What did he have to lose..or what was he hiding? To Adriano, it was truly the greatest action drama series: it practically wrote itself! He believed they were in the third act of this play — the terrible tragedy and delightful demise just around the corner. Adriano just knew this story would be without a happy ending. And yet there were many questions ahead of Adriano, his mind simply running wild with the possibilities and hypotheticals that could arise from this grand play. He, of course, was the phantom playwright in all this, subtly toying with the two OSP agents.
Hmmm... what to do, what to do… Drumming his fingers against the arm of his chair, the business mogul eyed the phone in the room. It would make sense for a man so craving of omniscience to have a means to communicate his desires to subordinates and associates readily...But wait.. that’s perfect. A nasty, awful, no-good and very bad idea had just formed in his mind as he dialed the all-too familiar number, placing the phone to his ear. It didn’t take long for the person at the other end to answer—after all, this was a number that was used rather..frequently.
“Oh. My. Gosh. Hi, GK!” He squealed in an overly-elated, effeminate tone. “It’s been such a long time since I last talked to you, honey. How have things been?”
"Same boring eternity. I take it this isn't a courtesy call?" A feminine voice on the other end replied.
“Oh, no, honey. It is most definitely not. I’ve just got a quick question, darling.. You know that little, how do I put it, ‘friend’ of yours in Porto Plácido? You know, the one hangin’ around the diplomatic quarter, doin’ her little thang.” He chuckled. “You still in touch?”
"Of course she is. The information she's collected has been absolutely vital to my operations." GK responded. "I take it her services may be.. of some use to you? You've caught mention of her on the headlines as of late— or is this about those two cops you're so enamored by?"
“Oh, you know it’s about those two cops, honey.” Adriano admired his nails as he spoke on the phone. “My gut’s tellin’ me they may get in on this juiciness very soon.”
"If you're so fascinated by them, why do you want 'em dead?" GK asked, curious. "I've never even heard of these two.. they're almost like phantoms."
“Mmmm.. just a little pet peeve of mine. They had a bit of a run in with my guys—you wouldn’t want them to make their way up to you, now would you, honey?”
There came a chuckle from GK on the other end. "You're right — I am getting rather old, after all. It would be best if this thorn be dealt with early.. and soundly. What kinda request you want me to send to my.. 'friend' in Porto-P?"
“Just to make sure they’re not some issue to you, honey.” Adriano smirked. “A little bird’s been tellin’ me that they’re way too curious for people like.. them. I wanna know more about them. Maybe, play around a little with ‘em.”
This elicited a wry laugh on the other end. "I'll send her to.. 'poke around', so to speak. I'll also make a few calls— drop a few hints, set the authorities on a right enough track to call them into the case. Consider it a favor — for free, I'm already knee-deep in cash."
“Beautiful, darling. Beautiful.” If he wasn’t holding up the phone with one hand, Adriano would’ve let out a melodramatic golf clap. “If only your boss was here to see this—another successful business deal.”
"Oh, my boss is certainly something else. That's a secret, though!" GK mischievously giggled on the other end.
On the side, Adriano wondered if there were more of these “shadow people” pulling the strings out there, like himself. He could only imagine it—a whole shadow empire, all to himself, with people who could make decisions with the push of a button and declare wars with the flip of a switch. It was almost like directing a beautiful movie! But, he was but one man, and he couldn’t have all this power... not yet, at least.
“Thanks again, cutie pie! I’ll talk to you soon.” Adriano giddily hung up the phone and returned to his devices. Things were about to get very interesting, and he couldn’t wait to see how things played out.
CONTEXT NOTES
1 - Ave Stella Maris - The national motto of the Principality of Etoile Marin, translating to "Hail to the Star of the Sea!" Frequently espoused by the Polarist Church of Etoile Marin and people who represent the nation in their place.
2 - 2e Compagnie de la Mer - One of the two regiments of Etoile Marin that is responsible primarily for home defense. Their counterpart, the 1er Compagnie de la Mer, is frequently seen deploying overseas. The 2e is also engaged in royal protections, and provides escort for the Crown as needed.
3 - Aéronavale de l'Étoile Marin - Etoile Marin's air force. It only consists of a single flight of imported F-19 Cicadas.
4 - The technologies - The Mayer CR.SP used by the Marinian Crown is equipped with a myriad of gadgets and features for the defense of its passengers. Most notably, it possesses bulletproof glass and armor, a hermetically sealed interior with countermeasures in case of chemical attacks, backup firearms in case of an ambush, and other features.
5 - Imperial Palace - The Imperial Palace in Porto Plácido was the original residence and hub of the First Alvimian Empire. While the Second Alvimian Empire, the Kingdom of Alvimia and the Third Alvimian Empire had their own palaces in Aurum D.F., the Imperial Palace in Porto Plácido saw continued use as a 'summer home' by Alvimia's many historical monarchs. Dom Pedro XVI and his predecessor, Dom Pedro XV, oversaw the transformation of the palace from a largely historical site into a modern place for Alvimia's elite to congregate and mingle. It sees this purpose continued in the new Republic.
