The black market opens (Finished)

Beneath the crowded streets of Beijing, a desolate warehouse's lights flickered on behind the thick dust in the barred windows that had settled over the years. Within the day, the homeless squatters that crowded the underground vanished. It was suddenly eerily peaceful, with the exception of a few passers-by who ducked beneath the heavy warehouse doors at periodic intervals.

It was an odd sight that was best to be avoided, especially if you did not want to disappear in a dark corner of China as well. At least that's what the lowlifes among the locals believed. But to those who had been clued in about the truth, a new and opportunistic market had just opened up.

Within that small and dark warehouse, an assortment of illegal weapons and equipment could be found. Old Soviet weapons were in abundance, and a great many new creations the world had not yet seen were kept under close guard. Here there were rifles, ammunition, explosives, chemical weapons, keys to vehicles, advanced robotics, and the promise of so much more... to the right buyer anyway.

A cold and lifeless robotic form stood alone within, as silent as death itself.

He walked past the stalls, admiring the weapons and other trinkets on display. He wasn't looking to buy however. He had sold the last few spoils of his last campaign for some food coupons. He would be eating well for a while. He looked over a stall selling watches, and when nobody was watching and a quick sleight of hand, and that stall was a couple of Rolexes short. Then he simply blended away into the crowd without anyone noticing.

Eventually, he made his way towards the metal man. He looked it over with glee, then gave the body a couple of taps. Laughing to himself, he then started to walk to the next stall.

The robot's eye slowly tracked the area, even as the rest of its body remained as still as death. The small warehouse was cold, but beyond the warehouse doors there was heat. The shapes of that heat took the form of men, but only one attracted the attention of the black market dealer. Thieves were the scum of the earth to most salesmen, but an illegal dealer only cared when those thefts directly challenged their business. So the robot waited.

When the shape of the thief's heat signature crawled beneath the warehouse door, the robot's eyes switched back to normal vision and tracked his movements through the shop. Galya was curious more than suspicious, so she allowed him to peruse the wares. She always could kill him if he caused trouble, after all.

When the thief finished his tapping and turned away, the robot came to life with a humming of electronics. "You know, stealing around here will get you killed someday," it said with its disguised electronic voice. "Not all of us deal in watches."

The sound of the robot's voice coming out of nowhere surprised Mimic, if not for more then a second. He turned around and smiled at the machine. "Well now, that's an impressive feat there, metal beast." Mimic attempted to investigate the robot more, but from a further distance than last time. "But you see, I really have no idea what you are talking about."

Meanwhile, Mimic was cursing himself in his mind. After all, how could he have been so sloppy that someone, (or something), had seen him? He looked over the robot, and knew he would not possibly be able to defeat a large metal beast like this in combat. He knew it was a good idea to tell Lucky to wait for him back where they were staying. After all, a fight in a place like this was not safe for her.

But yet, there was something different here. Mimic could sense it, but was unsure exactly what it was he was feeling.

OOC: From what I read on her app, Red Death is a Technopath? Is that right?

The robot took a recording of the thief's voice as he denied his involvement with his thefts. The analysis of his voice lined up perfectly with what had been seen. He was lying. Not that lies really surprised Galya, since she told plenty of lies on her own. She'd likely say the same thing in his position, not that she'd ever steal some watch that was probably a fake anyways.

The roll-up door slammed down behind the thief before he could slip out, which allowed the robot to walk closer to him. Thieves amused Galya, so she'd much rather talk to him instead of kill him. But he wasn't walking out just yet.

"There is no need to lie to me. Watches are not my business," the electronic voice echoed out. "But I am curious. What caused you to slip under that door to investigate this warehouse? I did not roll out the red carpet to welcome just anyone in to peruse my wares. So who are you?"


OOC: No she is not a technopath. She has no super powers at all.

Mimic knew when he had been caught. He enjoyed the casual to and fro, but knew when to stop. And he also knew that should it come to a fight, he won't be able to do any good. Even his invisibility would be useless if this machine had infrared heat detection.

"Just making a few trades from my last job." Mimic pulled out the food stamps he had traded for earlier today. "And possibly looking for something new to tinker with." He looked the robot dead square in the eyes. Or where he assumed where the eyes were. "I'm not causing any trouble, am I?"

Whatever exchange of words the two abnormals present in the warehouse were having was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a knife vibrating at a high frequency cutting through the metallic roll-up doors. Admittedly it was an overly specific sound, and one not often heard, but there's a first time for everything.
The knife cut a clean rectangular hole into the door, which, once that most peculiar act of cutting had been completed, tumbled forward into the room in a comical fashion, revealing the man who had orchestrated its demise.

It was a man seemingly in his mid-thirties, dressed in jacket, vest and bowtie, an attire that made him seem much like an elderly college professor...only not so elderly. The man smiled politely, almost cheerfully, before offering his most humble apologies.
"Ah, hello. I do apologize for, well, cutting a rectangular shape into your security doors, and err, crashing your party, so to speak. But am I correct in assuming this is the uhhh, ah well nevermind the cloak and dagger. This is the advanced arms exchange, isn't it? If not, I believe I may have rightly made a dunce of myself."

The few vagrants that had been lurking about the area had skittered off after having accepted the man's more than generous bribes, leaving the three abnormals alone in each other's company.
Though the man would most likely seem just a simple mild-mannered to the other man in the room, the robot's heat-vision could possibly detect some anomalies within the man's anatomy. Mainly the fact that he was mostly synthetic, and had a laser cannon hidden away in his right arm. Then again, was heat-vision that comprehensive? Probably not.


(OOC: Hope that entrance was up to scratch. New character and all, you know how it works.)

Galya watched Mimic through the display she had set up several miles away. She had made sure to bring a very comfortable reclining chair into the small room so she could relax while she did business. She even had a hot cup of coffee waiting on her on the end table next to her. Because of all this, even the annoying little thief couldn't ruffle her feathers. Mimic was surely in the wrong place at the wrong time though. This was no flea market.

"We do not trade in food stamps here," the electronic voice warned him. "I do not think you can afford the kinds of toys I am selling. Nor can you hope to lift them from behind my back. I do not turn thieves over to the authorities." A robotic arm reached out to grasp at Mimic's chin so she could get a good look at his facial features from each side. She didn't mind that he probably disapproved of the act. "You are a handsome young man though. It would be a pity to mar this face." The robotic grasp released him before changing subjects on him. Now Galya had a good recording of every angle of his looks in case she ever saw him again. She liked to keep records just in case, even if she couldn't attach a name to the face. "Tell me about your jobs. I hope it involves more than lifting cheap watches."

Shortly after releasing the man, the screech of metal tearing apart echoed throughout the room. Galya divided a good portion of her attention to the incoming surprise, but didn't let the thief slip from her watch. Sounds of moving mechanics and the whir of electronic motors came from the innards of the robot, but no visible response was seen from the outside. Galya had the weapon systems armed, but she wouldn't let that be common knowledge until she knew the level of threat that had interrupted her. Then a very human-like sigh came from the robot's voice box when the full account of damages were taken in. "It is so difficult to come across a well-made door in this part of China."

The robot had several alternative methods of vision, but none were enough to see exactly what this newcomer had hidden away. All she could tell was that his heat signature wasn't within human range. Whoever this was, he wasn't another common thief. Not that she had forgotten about the thief lurking within her warehouse.

"If you really are in the right place, I hope you buy enough to make me forget about the door." Galya paused to take a long drink of coffee, though they wouldn't know exactly what was keeping her. "If you really do want to get straight down to business, what can I help you with? You are obviously looking for something..." an outstretched arm motioned across the display of weapons and gadgets throughout the warehouse, "... but maybe it's not something in this warehouse. Just don't start browsing to waste my time."

"Ah, yes, straight to business! A spiffingly good idea indeed!" The man exclaimed, and proceeded to walk further towards the robot. When passing the would-be thief, the man gave only a curt nod and a smile. Formalities and politeness were very important to him, even when dealing with those whose existence he was entirely indifferent towards.

"To put it bluntly, as I believe would be your preference, I would like to purchase something lethal, with a wide range preferably. I've not spent much time working on biological and chemical weaponry I'm afraid, and haven't much experience in the field. And while I'm more than certain that given enough time I could master the field to a sufficient degree, I feel that the more prudent approach would be to outsource; hence my presence here."
The man took a breath after speaking so unabatedly, though the breath had something artificial to it; as if it were just another movement in a long line of formalities. The man's manner remained all smiles and sunshine, his voice pleasant and upbeat while still retaining some of the poise and reservation one would expect from a customer attempting to purchase highly illegal and deadly biochemical weaponry in an abandoned warehouse.

After a short pause, one seemingly meant for the robotic store clerk to reply in, the man spoke up again. By going through all the details of what had just occured, and analyzing every word and sentence the robot had spoken, the man was reminded of something he had entirely overlooked. And though its actual urgence was nothing to speak of, he thought it was important enough to bring up again.

"Oh, and before I forget. I really must apologize for the err...mishap with the doors. I may have acted a little rashly when I found my path led me to a closed door. Though you must admit that a closed gate isn't the most hospitable welcome.
Still, I believe monetary compensation for material damages must be paid before we continue with any sort of business."

The man reached his hand into the air as if reaching into an imaginary drawer. His motion however contained no hesitation, nor was it a gesture of comedic content.In fact, once he retracted his hand, somehow a thick wad of 100-dollar bills tied with a rubber had found itself in it. He extended the money towards the robot.

"I believe this is more than enough to compensate for your door and resume our dealings. Biochemical agents of a lethal nature. Got some?" His smile never faltered.

(OOC: Not sure if we were supposed to continue without Mimic for a while or not. If not, then consider this post null.)

The robot's arm reached out and quickly transferred the reparation money to a secure location within its chest. Galya was never one to refuse money that was freely offered to her, even if it was for the destruction of a door that wasn't actually her property. Whoever owned this warehouse didn't actually know it was being used right now. Galya just happened to know that the warehouse owner was away in India right now.

"I only wished to discourage the loiterers and nosy scoundrels who had no business here," the robot stated clearly for Mimic to overhear. "You, on the other hand, are more than welcome."

The robot went silent for a minute without explanation. Behind the scenes, Galya was looking through her digital inventory of a biochemical agent in her arsenal that she was willing to part with. Her biggest successes were not for sale, including her Red Death agent that no one was supposed to know about anyways. Handing those out would allow others to make some defenses and cures against them. And she couldn't accept that.

A proper alternative that had long been out of personal use was pulled from her records though. "You will want the Verbti agent," the robot spoke up after a long, uncomfortable moment of silence. "I have found it particularly effective in the past. And while it has ways of being neutralized, people will be hard-pressed to discover exactly how to do that. Especially if they are currently being burned alive...."

The robot walked to a counter in the back with five stainless steel briefcases laying on it. The one on the right flipped open with a turn of a key, and a single gas canister waited within. "The Verbti agent is odorless, but not colorless. It creates a dense black cloud that reacts with the oils present on the skin of humans and most animals. When they mix, the chemical reaction produces enough heat to ignite and melt through that skin. It becomes deadly once it has come into contact and ignited the fatty tissue beneath the skin."

The robot picked up the canister and handed it to the man. It was so small and light that it was hard to imagine the destruction that slept within. "Most people will try to roll on the ground or jump into a body of water if they are on fire. Those people will die. I would personally advise you to keep a foam or carbon dioxide fire extinguisher nearby and protect your skin if you dislike being consumed by fire. That is unless you don't mind freezing yourself. Few other methods will neutralize this gas once it ignites."

Silence fell between them as Galya waited for the man's approval.

Galya smiled at the man from behind the other side of her display. She knew her product was enticing, so she never expected anyone to turn it down. She just enjoyed hearing praise of her work. Indeed, she was as twisted as they came. And she reveled in that fact.

"Step into my office then," the robotic voice spoke with almost a hint of glee. "We are closed," she proclaimed to everyone else still in the warehouse, which happened to be only Mimic. "Thank you for shopping. Now get the hell out." Whether he left or not wasn't really much of her concern. Heavy lids began to close down on top of all the merchandise, so nothing could be stolen whether Mimic wanted to or not.

The robot led the way to a small office room at the back of the warehouse, where it held the door open for the customer. Once inside, she allowed him to take a seat in the one comfortable chair that waited inside if he wanted to. "I hope you'll excuse the anonymity. I cannot allow just anyone to see my face with all these fun toys spread about." This time the voice was not disguised behind electronics. Galya's voice was a heavily accented tenor; low for a woman, but still alluring in its own way. Joining her voice was a holographic projection just in front of the robot's head of her real appearance. It had a disturbingly realistic quality to it, as if you could actually reach out to stroke her fiery hair.

"What you are seeing is live footage." A second projection lit up the wall opposite them. In the video feed, a terrified man was yelling for his life in Hindi, revealing where the footage was coming from. "This man was caught stealing from one of my storehouses, so it is only fitting that he demonstrates how well the contents of that storehouse work. Now, observe..."

A thick, black smoke poured in from four large vents and began to cloud the room. A look of terror filled the man's face as the fog crept closer and began licking at the edge of his clothing. As the fog filled in the screen, the video feed switched to thermal. Not a second later, the space where the man was was replaced by a fiery inferno. It began at a mediocre heat at first, but picked up incredibly within the minute. As soon as the skin had melted away, it was all over. The center of the screen glowed white hot. The screaming had ended.

"Will you want just the one case? Or shall I put in a bulk order?"

Galya's holoprojected face on the robot formed a small, calculated smile at the request of a bulk order. She thought that would be the case here. Anyone dealing in death would be attracted to a product this effficient at killing. She switched off the video feed and reached a robotic hand out to shake his.

"Then you can wire me the payment any time this week," though she did not state exactly how expensive this was for now. Shye figured anyone shopping for such an illegal and deadly weapon would have plenty to spare for this transaction. "The full order will reach you in small packages at a time in different locations. We don't want anyone tracking this transaction, after all." Even if he hadn't asked for this delivery method, it was the only way her and her customers could constantly evade the law and continue doing business.

"Oh... and please be careful with your modifications. Verbti can be very tempermental. We wouldn't want anyone to get hurt after all." Her laugh crackled through the robot's audio feed. "Now I won't ask you how and where you will be using this, of course. That is not my business. But if you happen to find anyone interested in your purchase, direct them to me. I might slip a bonus into one of your packages for the trouble."

She concluded there, allowing him to either take his leave or stay for any last comments or discussions he wished to bring up. Galya's door was always open to those who did business with her.