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((Story progress is story progress.))

Several weeks passed. None of the Agents were called out onto assignments, and they all killed time as they chose to. News filtered in from other Agent teams about similar attacks, each time proceeded by a single Agent going haywire and having to be subdued in one way or another. Each time, the Agent was investigated briefly, then put back on duty. It was having a negative impact on morale, and a sort of gloom was already beginning to settle in San Francisco.

However, soon enough, the team found themselves gathered back together. They didn't meet in Hades' office; he didn't come to meet them at all. Instead, each had Steven Johnson show up at their door, telling them to get packed and ready to go - it was time to initiate the plan.

After they were all collected into the car, they stopped at a warehouse just within the walls around San Fran. Steven quietly lead them into the warehouse, refusing to answer questions. The door had something of a sanitation airlock in it. Once everyone had filtered in, he flicked the lights, revealing...

...an Agent-maintenance machine? The rings glinted in a manner slightly sinister.

"Okay, listen up," he told them. "You're going to be hiding for a long time in enemy territory, most likely. Scanners could easily enough pick you guys up, or even a metal detector. That's what you're here for. Couldn't do it in the main building, would've been conspicuous, so we've sealed and sanitized this warehouse for the sake of the job. The job is going to be short and simple - we're installing a few plates we've spent quite some research money on that should negate that.

"Any questions? I'm sure I'm forgetting something," Steven told them.

Shae nodded, signaling that he was wondering the same thing. "I'm getting rather tired of all the operations."

((Not dead.

Reviving shortly, once I can contact members.))

"The honor is all ours," Cado replied dryly. He indicated himself with a hand. "Cado Long, Minister of Things Exploding."

"Step right up," Steven told him, bowing and swinging an arm out to the device. As though in reply, the machine suddenly moved - it was warming up, obviously. Of course.

((I'm just going to skip through this so we can get it done with - Isa, essentially all of you get to watch each other flayed alive so as to receive implants, but that would be nothing new, since it already happened to you. I will be putting up her profile very soon.))

It only really took fifteen minutes, and everyone felt just a tiny bit heavier - it hadn't actually be a solid plates, as Steven had described, but rather sheets with the occasionally miniature circuit board placed, following a pattern. Some amount of copper or gold wire had run through the plastic. Whatever it was, it had gone everywhere, from the toes to the scalp.

Once it was done, Steven directed them to the door. "There's a car there. I won't be driving today, your driver's a civilian taxi driver, essentially. I'm here now to explain what you're going to be doing. It's a bit complicated, and it's a bit far-fetched, but we think it'll at least get you close enough to fake your way in.

"Every time we've done an operation with you people, they've attacked and sent one of you insane. So we're sending you out on a combat mission, straight into Boeing territory - there's a neighborhood called Mountain House, you'll be pushing into a residential section. AS SOON AS they show up - and I think it should not be hard to recognize them - you get back in the car and you start driving. Be prepared to disable each other. I don't think... Aiko, you have no idea what's been going on, so your problem to explain it to her, okay guys? I have a bar to go to. Have a good one," Steven told them before marching for the door.

"That was helpful," Alyx grumbled.

Aiko sighed. So we have a percussionist, a drum major, and a melaphone player. What an interesting band we shall make. Aiko smiled at the others and said, "Perhaps you can tell me on the way to the car? It seems that our companion is eager to leave."

Aiko nodded at Cado's words. "It's a mess, but it's a mess that I need to understand. Would you kindly explain it?"

Aiko looked grim. "I see what you mean." She stared over at Shae, who was waiting impatiently by the car. "Is there something wrong?" she asked Shae. She didn't know anything about him, so she wasn't sure if this was a part of his normal persona or not.