Riley had just finished putting her groceries into her car when she received a text from Marcus.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjxBN4X0xz 維尼
You have a moment to meet? Something I'd like to discuss.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PbbUNoRJE 維尼
She struck a confused face, placing the bags of bread and eggs on top of everything else so they wouldn't be crushed. Shutting the trunk of her car, she wheeled the shopping cart over to the designated return area. On the way back to her car, she sent a quick reply.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3IPrFvU8i 維尼
I'm just finishing up some shopping. I'll drop this off at home and we can talk. Any place in mind?8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpfIY28q74 維尼
Part of her was worried. Had she done something wrong? Had her first post not been up to their expectations? They hadn't asked for her help again in the past few days, could they be questioning their arrangement? The other half of Riley knew that she was probably just overreacting and this was all a big assumption on her part. She climbed into the driver's seat and turned on the engine, reversing out of the parking spot and heading towards home.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLoIsXhd1Q 維尼
Her phone pinged, alerting her to a text, but she was in the middle of driving and didn't want to risk an accident. Phone tucked between her thighs as she drove, Riley meant to reply at the next red light she hit. A few streets later and the opportunity arose.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDvaSR1PZW 維尼
Union Square, if you can.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡojHqnZkH21 維尼
Yeah, should take me about 20 minutes.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxM44r35FH 維尼
Riley sent the message just as the light changed, and she set the phone down to drive again. Thankfully traffic today was lighter. Sundays tended to mean less people on the road, just because most wanted to stay home rather than go anywhere. It was a solid concept. The brunette normally liked being lazy on Sundays too, but she was critically low on food for herself and Pants. If she accidentally ran out for him, well, suffice to say she wouldn't hear the end of it.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUOvTmWBd4 維尼
Once making it home, Riley spent the arduous task of walking up three flights of stairs several times because of the amount of food she'd bought. Her arms were sore and aching by the end of it, and Pants was freely perusing the bags she'd set on the ground to search for anything that was designated for him. Bringing the last of the bags up with her, she shut the door with her foot, then dropped the bags onto the floor gratefully.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDI2eL25pY 維尼
"Shoo, it's not time to eat yet." She said, gesturing the cat away with her hand. Pants wasn't feeling so inclined to go anywhere. Giving up because she was tired and he was stubborn, she quickly sorted and put away the food into their proper places. Nonperishables went in the pantry, and everything else went in the fridge.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoaxeAkgUb 維尼
With that taken care of, she knelt down and patted the cat's head affectionately a few times. "Alright, buddy. I'm leaving again, so guard the apartment while I'm gone." He purred and rubbed up against her hand. She knew full well he could easily be persuaded should an intruder feed him, so he'd be a useless protector.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oIplD4xYq 維尼
Giving Pants a quick kiss, she stood and grabbed her purse, heading back out the door and locking it.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVVdsy1TCS 維尼
Riley parked in one of the only parking spots left on the street. Despite it being a Sunday, Union Square was one of those places that was always busy no matter what. A commerce and social hub, Riley honestly hadn't had much reason before to visit. Of course, when she'd originally set up in San Fransisco to begin her assignment, she'd staked out many of the more popular locations in the city. This had been one of them, but there hadn't been any reason for her to come back very often.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfmfA5yfgF 維尼
People milled across the concrete square. Some walked or ran with dogs on leashes. Other played guitar, the cases open to implicate tips were welcome. Some had set up blankets in the grassy areas to sit in the grass, laptops and books stealing their attention. Covered tables lined the square, and most were occupied.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5fZPxx3iG 維尼
She walked slowly through the center of the square, not quite sure what to look for. Marcus hadn't been too specific with the instructions to meet here, so she just looked around hoping something would become apparent.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSPiR59oR3 維尼
Someone sitting at one of the tables started waving in her direction, and she saw it was a dark-skinned man. He was wearing one of those snapback hats and carried the same messenger bag as Marcus did. She smiled, walking towards him.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSGKoRWyOP 維尼
"Nice to see you again, Riley." He greeted when she approached. He held up his fist, and she bumped hers against it.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hZg9NYGEi 維尼
"You too." She sat in the chair facing him, shrugging off her purse and placing it in her lap. "All going well?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlPPDjPKSZ 維尼
"You know it."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdPcAg7mDF 維尼
"Nice. So, what did you need me for?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dbOQEriBz 維尼
Marcus leaned casually back in the metal chair, eyes glancing around at the milling crowd. "I've been talking with the others, and we've decided that we can trust you. What do you say we have you meet the rest of the team?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUfYN4nyCg 維尼
"Oh." Riley sat back, surprised. This had been the last of her expectations. Marcus sensed the surprise in her tone and smirked at her.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIeMV1xX4h 維尼
"You don't want to?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5mGpbMdFp 維尼
Riley hastily shook her head, trying to recover. "No, nothing like that! I just know how cautious DedSec is when it comes to the people they work with and trust. I hadn't thought I'd earned that yet."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mDXxT3mqv 維尼
"Heh, Wrench said something to you about earning our trust, didn't he?" Marcus laughed with humor. Not wanting to lie, but also not wanting to get Wrench in trouble either, Riley shrugged with a small pout. "Don't worry about it. He was part of the discussion too."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGVFmXow8n 維尼
"Well, I'm grateful." Riley smiled, feeling a surge of warmth. This was exactly what her investigation needed. That close trust would gain her access to most of DedSec's information. It would also gain her some valuable friends, too. Of which Riley currently had few.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXYvuyDB0W 維尼
"So, ready to see the hackerspace?" Marcus clapped his hands together in excitement, leaning forward. Riley was still overwhelmed by how quickly this was progressing, but she was also extremely curious as to the inner workings of DedSec.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡubgP4fsBZH 維尼
"Sure."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDCrB1YeUp 維尼
Marcus stood and Riley followed suit. He gestured to follow, and she did so. He weaved through the people in the square, going slow enough not to lose Riley in the crowd. They were headed in the opposite direction to where Riley entered, but she wasn't concerned. This was one of the few places that there weren't any parking meters along the street.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRFdRn45UT 維尼
They continued until the street was in sight. Marcus was headed towards a nondescript, white van. Riley raised a brow and laughed. "You know, this all seems very serial killer-esc."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpNmjSmpaq 維尼
"Oh, really? How so?" Marcus glanced back at her as they approached the vehicle, amusement evident in his smile.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8fF6KR0yq 維尼
She counted off on her fingers. "A vague text asking me to meet you, a white van, not telling me exactly where we are going…what's next, a blind fold?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRQVf6ovUy 維尼
Marcus had opened the passenger door to the van, then paused. He looked over his shoulder at her, shrugging apologetically when he showed her the blindfold in his hand. "Well, about that…"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1PvNiVe3h 維尼
The brunette stared down at the cloth with a sigh, smiling despite herself. "You trust me enough to know your identities, but not the location of your base, is that right?" She took the blindfold and gave Marcus a look.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡH651QDaKrW 維尼
He rubbed at the back of his neck, laughing hesitantly. "It's nothing personal…don't get me wrong, we do trust you. It's just-"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡNa2qxNiEp1 維尼
"No need to explain, I understand." She waved away his attempt at answering, giving a reassuring smile. "We only just started working together. I'd be a little wary too."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvYLgzzmt1 維尼
Her words seemed to relieve Marcus a bit, and he nodded happily. "Great to hear. Now, let's get you in the seat before putting that on."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKWE5jQHiB 維尼
She climbed inside while Marcus went to the other side. She slammed the door shut and strapped on her seatbelt. She aligned the blind fold with her eyes, then wrapped it around her head so she couldn't see. The driver side door opened and Marcus climbed inside while she tried tying it behind her head. The angle was awkward, and she couldn't quite see the knot or anything. He must have seen that she was struggling.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4XTkNkWNS 維尼
"Here, let me." He offered, taking the two sides from her hands.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OXKGKDpFR 維尼
"Thanks."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53ItQJ5xYB 維尼
The cloth tightened around her head, but not painfully so, and then a second knot secured it there. Riley heard the engine start up, and she settled into the seat. This was all a bit thrilling. Being blindfolded, and taken to an unknown location. She really should be more concerned about her safety. After all, she'd only ever Marcus once before. Logically, she shouldn't be able to trust him this much yet. But he was DedSec. And Riley trusted DedSec. That was all she needed to know.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa3AUAjhhf 維尼
The van lurched into drive, and began to move. Not being able to see while they moved was a bit disorienting, but Riley quickly adjusted and held onto the handle on the door. She intentionally started distracting her thoughts with song lyrics so she wouldn't unconsciously start keeping track of turns and distances as they drove. They trusted her not to know where they operated, and she'd keep that trust sacred.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9GcYHN0OQ 維尼
"So, any questions for me before we get there?" Marcus asked. Riley smiled, jostled by a particularly bad pot hole in the road.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡF14pLpdGbL 維尼
"Not really. Is there anything I need to know before meeting everyone?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9iYzxIqUl 維尼
She heard him laugh from beside her. "We might not be what you're expecting, so don't be surprised if DedSec is a little…different."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡSe6nqM1LO1 維尼
"Different?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwwdJ6jYuY 維尼
"Lots of people call us misfits for a reason."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡmL7zfUkfKC 維尼
Riley couldn't keep back the snort of amusement. "I've met Wrench already. Surely none of you are stranger than him?" If they were, maybe Riley was in for a lot more than she had bargained for.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYcPnXAM0U 維尼
"True. He does stand out a bit more than most. If you can handle him, you'll be fine."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFGOfYJhKX 維尼
That was reassuring. But it wasn't like Wrench was all that ridiculous. In fact, he seemed almost normal. Hmm, although she didn't know that much about him. He certainly was interesting. Riley looked forward to getting to know him a bit more.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡuL4JOYK41C 維尼
"So, what's your story?" She asked Marcus, turning in his general direction out of instinct. "What got you into DedSec?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtmeCKYauJ 維尼
She heard a scoff. "Awhile back, Blume's new algorithm tagged me as the most likely suspect in a high tech equipment theft. Only problem is, I didn't do it."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4HHp24UhM 維尼
"Ah yeah, I've heard that system was massively discriminatory." Riley added, nodding in understanding.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUwWT2DnVs 維尼
"Right?" He agreed, then continued on. "They put me in community service, but no one believed that I was innocent after that. Made life a lot harder."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3wah4k26l 維尼
"I can imagine."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡGe3Da5Lk0M 維尼
Marcus sighed gently. "I wasn't gonna take that shit lying down, though. Started working on computers, figuring out how they worked, exposing small leaks here and there. Made myself more of a nuisance than anything." He explained, taking them into a left turn. Riley had no idea where in the city they were at this point. "DedSec noticed what I was doing, and offered me a spot if I could erase my ctOS profile."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtu6ENsxX2 維尼
Riley paused, suddenly nervous. "Am I gonna have to do that?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuYnfQEQ2C 維尼
"Nah, nothing like that." He chuckled with humor, amused by her nervousness. "It was just a trial to prove my skills to the rest of the group. You won't have to, since you're mainly going to be helping Sitara with getting our name out there."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4AnUvugJBY 維尼
"Cool." She said, feeling a bit better.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtEeAFrfcb 維尼
It seemed they'd arrived wherever they were going, because Marcus slowed the van to a stop. The brakes squealed in slight protest underneath them. He threw it into park and turned off the engine. Riley unbuckled her seatbelt but then sat there, unsure of what he wanted her to do.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3cej4n0Zv 維尼
"Do I still have to keep this on?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdmDIOlCj1 維尼
"Yeah, just for a little while longer." He said, opening the driver's side door and closing it after him. He walked around to her side and opened her door, gently guiding her to jump down to the sidewalk. At least, she assumed it was a sidewalk. It felt like concrete under her shoes.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnHcgJWu2p 維尼
The door was slammed shut behind her, and Marcus lead her forward with a hand on her back. She cautiously moved forward, one hand extended slightly in front of her just in case she bumped into anything. Even if she trusted Marcus wouldn't let that happen, her lack of vision made it impossible not to worry about it.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡgijck0ihXO 維尼
The concrete under her feet became a short carpet, and the sound from outside was muffled as they entered a building. It was much quieter inside, and Riley began to feel a bit ridiculous. Were there a lot of people in here? How many of them were staring at her, wearing a blindfold and being lead by someone? She could feel her cheeks growing red.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQif3SgHXZ 維尼
"Just a little further." Marcus said quietly, patiently leading her again.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOVvYkTTNK 維尼
They walked to what she assumed was the back of the room, then took an immediate left, before Marcus halted her with a hand.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmUpnftmbu 維尼
"One second." She heard faint tapping sounds, before some sort of lock disengaged.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpqwRzujZ2 維尼
Riley couldn't help but laugh. "This is feeling more and more like a real life spy movie."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bx9guMQoZ 維尼
"Heh, I know. It's pretty sick." Marcus took her arm and pulled her forward, a bit slower this time. "There's a set of stairs here, so take it slow."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡlD3h99Fgn5 維尼
Riley did as instructed, thankful for Marcus' guidance and patience. There wasn't a handrail to help, so she just trailed her hand down along the wall to keep her balance. It was made of concrete as well. This felt like a basement of some kind.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqR0Gh69ee 維尼
The sound of computer keys, and some newly released song faintly playing overhead came into her hearing. She nearly tripped up getting down the final step, but Marcus caught her just in time.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPIYUfrDLm 維尼
"Alright, you can take that off now." He said, helping to untie it from behind her head.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rkBqYO1Ja 維尼
Riley slid it off of her face, blinking a few times to get used to the light again. The brunette jumped backwards into Marcus upon seeing Wrench's mask a few inches from her face. It flashed two X's at her.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡej4SBecJt3 維尼
"Fucking-!" Riley cried, causing the masked man to laugh openly. Her heart was racing a million times a minute, and she raised a brow. "Really?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡSToTNkPcsh 維尼
"I couldn't help it. Ha ha, you should have seen your face!" He doubled over in an attempt to contain his amusement. It wasn't working.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdXPndgdD9 維尼
"Obviously you've met Wrench. A bit of forewarning: he can be an ass sometimes." Marcus chuckled good-naturedly.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTHKYgRFdz 維尼
"Clearly…" She muttered. Riley shook her head and collected herself, examining her surroundings.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOVLwLD2Or 維尼
She was standing in a concrete basement, as she'd guessed, but it was so much more than that. As soon as you entered, bright and vibrant colors assaulted your eyes, but she was enthralled with it rather than offended. The DedSec name was graffitied all over the place, their logo and symbols everywhere.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSTUhK3Sfh 維尼
To her right was a sectional couch and small living area, complete with lockers and a vending machine. Past that was mostly open space, a few desks spaced out against the walls at intervals. And towards the center of the room was a large wall of over a dozen computer or tv screens. All in all, Riley was impressed.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7dfP1gxWM 維尼
"Sitara, Josh! Come on over and meet Riley."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPs05xSYOJ 維尼
A woman, whom she assumed was Sitara, met them first. Her outfit was just as loud and colorful as the greeting wall, but tastefully so. The purple hair, off-the-shoulder cardigan and thigh-high socks were actually pretty stylish together. Not something Riley would have thought of, but still appealing nonetheless.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdgkJJZq5x 維尼
"Ah, our newest recruit." Sitara said, standing across from her and cocking her hip. "It's nice to meet you finally. Loved the blog post, by the way."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡChJH29O4g7 維尼
"Glad you liked it." Riley said, genuinely meaning it. She always enjoyed hearing that others liked her work. "Have you seen any sort of difference since it was published?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KYOHfcwD3 維尼
She gestured to a laptop on the closest desk. "Hell yeah. Our app downloads have increased about 15%, and I was able to source them from your post."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFwcJidIe3 維尼
"How so?" Riley couldn't see how that would be possible to track.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pyP2baSyq 維尼
A man in a green hoodie approached next, just behind Riley causing her to jump from fright when he spoke. "We tracked the source coding from your blog post and sequenced it with those phone IP's that have our app data. It wasn't that difficult."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUn0rJcdJV 維尼
"Damn, are you guys all trying to kill me from fright?" She asked, placing a hand over her heart. His expression didn't really seem all that concerned.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEUPaJ3LRa 維尼
"Sorry." He said simply, standing there awkwardly. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4Rh87GHGD 維尼
"It's alright. I'm assuming you're Josh?" He nodded neutrally, almost inspecting her closely without being overly intrusive.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJxFXaTN5e 維尼
"Yeah."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdL2TRX3TA 維尼
"Well, I'm Riley." She cast her glance around the small circle of people, nodding with a smile. "I'm thrilled to meet all of you, officially, by the way. You've certainly been making a name for yourselves, I didn't know what to expect coming here."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBDyeOuiCF 維尼
"We're not all that bad." Wrench said, shrugging his crossed arms. "Well…sometimes."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXNTEymGVC 維尼
"Riley wouldn't have started working with us if she thought we were bad people." Sitara pointed out.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkp1tR7AsA 維尼
Marcus jumped in with a laugh. "You'll learn to love us eventually. Weird quirks and all."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EJoOo9t2R 維尼
"I'm sure I will." Riley agreed, looking around at the odd bunch of faces. Josh just watched the conversation quietly. From what she knew of him, he wasn't much of a talker anyways.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1z0thTe5c 維尼
Sitara cleared her throat, gesturing to the set-up of paper and colors and graffiti at the foot of the stairs. "Now that we've got introductions out of the way, we'll give you a run-down of our operations here, but let's start with my station. You know, since you and I will be working together on spreading the word."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDBuQ26rAq 維尼
"Sure." Riley followed after her, glancing around to see the others go back to what she assumed were their own personal work spaces. Marcus wandered over to the couch and lounged. Josh returned to a computer further in, and Wrench stood next to the 3D printer in the center.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlGty4bfDq 維尼
"This is where the magic happens." Sitara opened her arms wide, indicating all of the artwork and equipment in her area. "Like I said before. I've spent a long time working on DedSec, making it into the army we need to take down these big corporations."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsvgLnnRdV 維尼
Riley inspected the various logos and artwork on the walls and floor. "DedSec is your baby?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡW21NZD0nIW 維尼
"Oh yeah. Guess you could call it my life's work. I've put blood, sweat, and tears into building it from the ground up." Sitara admired her own handiwork, a proud smile settling on her lips. Riley had no doubt that she'd done just that.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRLyEjqx14 維尼
"What is it exactly that you'd like me to focus on?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡcppko6Rftc 維尼
Sitara turned back to the brunette. "Getting people to download the app, mostly. But also just waking people the fuck up to what's happening." The hacker shrugged and took on a incredulous expression. "Honestly, it's easier getting all this data to expose to the world than it is changing people's minds about it."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJka0gycI7 維尼
Riley nodded slowly, thinking about it. "People don't like realizing that something they'd previously supported or believed in is wrong. Humans are prideful. They don't like being wrong."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡkifdulIq6p 維尼
"No kidding." Sitara smirked, turning back to the printer to show her how it was done.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBvCHZwT19 維尼
Riley spent the next half hour or so learning from Sitara the inner workings of DedSec's 'marketing' campaign, so to speak. She explained the process of graffitiing certain billboards in specific locations, or covering specific messages that would get the most attention. How all of this affected the fans, the dissenters, and just the general public who didn't know what to think of them. The journalist was surprised that Sitara had thought so far ahead and so thoroughly about this, but then again, the woman had been doing this a long time. She'd had a lot of time to learn.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjnj6nlgXm 維尼
Riley in turn brought up good points of interest for online supporters, and ways to better integrate their art on the web. Most of the information Riley couldn't tell if it actually would help or not, but Sitara was at least polite enough to listen anyway. The brunette honestly couldn't tell how much of a help she was being. Sitara seemed to have everything covered already.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8iXEyqxwLi 維尼
After going over everything she could think of, Sitara lead her over to Josh's desk, where he was busy tapping away at keys and going through lines of code. "I'll let you meet with the others and they can tell you about what they do. We want you to get to know all of us around here."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqtfTCYGWX 維尼
"Awesome." Riley said, watching as she returned to her workstation. Then the brunette turned back towards Josh, watching as he intently did whatever it was he was doing. "What's all this?" She asked, pointing towards the screen.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4NJihlA0c 維尼
Without missing a beat, eyes glued to the computer, he responded. "Rewriting the security codes for the Haum robots. They could come in handy later, and this will make it much easier to hack into one."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJJPvMbZUv 維尼
"Nice." She said, watching for a few more seconds. He didn't say anything after that, and she tried finding something else to say. "So, what is it that you do for DedSec?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡalGdjagE23 維尼
He gave her a small glance, before focusing on the screen once more. "The others say my coding is superior to theirs. I do a majority of the long-distance hacks."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zswTFyZdk 維尼
"I can see why." She leaned closer and pointed to some strings of code he'd already typed up. "Some of this I don't understand at all where you're going with it. A lot more complicated than I'm used to. But it must have a purpose right?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡQI55mwL5uZ 維尼
He nodded, but didn't explain it. Riley gave him some space again, awkwardly biting on her lip as another silence persisted. God, she wasn't very good at this conversation thing was she? Why did she have to be so awkward?8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDbrqsqvbN 維尼
"Where did you learn to code?" He asked out of the blue, fully looking at her this time. She crossed her arms and leaned up against the corner of the desk.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoMXYnVKHX 維尼
"A friend of mine was really into hacking. He taught me most of what he knew. Went by the name of Cyph3r."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnFw6R4I1k 維尼
"Cyph3r. I've heard that name." Josh said, frowning as he thought to himself. "He isn't from San Fransisco."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4kL9wAi2L 維尼
Riley shook her head. "No, we lived in New York. I'm not originally from around here, so…"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmpY6y2vUA 維尼
"I know. I read your file." He said bluntly. That neutral expression never seemed to change. Riley pursed her lips.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZnMBGto8a 維尼
"That's…slightly ominous. But I guess I should have known you guys already knew everything about me."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QsACg0hCK 維尼
"Not everything." Josh was quick to correct, shaking his head and looking at her again. "Just what's on the web. Despite what people might think, you can't know everything about a person from their ctOS profile alone. Lots of things can't be measured by a computer."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ddAyuZiLJ 維尼
Riley cocked her head. "Like what?"8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡWuCqAQM51E 維尼
"Self-worth. Loyalty. Trustworthiness. Creativity, and other things. The human part of what makes us human. Not everything can be put into a statistic."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡGyIaPWWQW2 維尼
Riley opened her mouth but couldn't find anything to say to that. His words were unexpectedly and satisfyingly deep. She'd never thought of it that way. And it was strangely comforting. They were more than just a number and face on a screen. She smiled at him.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HC7aJjo2S 維尼
"You're right. That's never occurred to me before." Josh must not have known what to say to that, because he just went back to typing at the codes on the screen. Riley took that as a sign that she'd overstayed her welcome. "I'll let you get back to it, but I'm glad we'll be working together, Josh."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8lWMf20eO 維尼
"Sure thing." He said, flashing her a small, quick smile. It looked very sweet and cute on him. Josh was just…cute all around. So innocent and genuine. Patting his shoulder gently, she wandered over to where Wrench was tinkering with the 3D printer.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡavBR6ZfF5X 維尼
Riley tried walking as quietly as possible to sneak up on him, suddenly popping up beside him out of nowhere. "Whatcha got going on over here?" She asked, hoping to see him jump from fright like she had earlier. However, he only laughed and his mask took on an amused expression.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKebmV3TUx 維尼
"Ah, so much to learn, young padawan. I could hear you coming from across the room."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrInQ7OOT8 維尼
She smirked, then shrugged. "Well, it was worth a shot. But really, what's all this?" Riley spread her hands to indicate the machine.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHx2q5FFtD 維尼
"This," Wrench said, introducing the machine with a flurry of his hands, "is our amazing-shit-making device."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkmz4ec7Yo 維尼
The brunette raised a brow, unimpressed. His mask turned into three dots, and she made a dismissive gesture. "The name's a work in progress. Anyway," he waved her closer to inspect it, "as long as we have the epoxy, we can make whatever the fuck we want."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIuMA5r9TQ 維尼
"What do you normally make with it?" She smiled at the image of a unicorn adorning the front.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYdbcdpXc5 維尼
"Eh, you know. We've got this cool jumper car that gets us into hard-to-access places. And a flying drone to scout around with. But oh ho ho," he rubbed his hands together diabolically, "the weapon plans I've got in store? That shit's gonna make some really cool explosions."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7LNDGj5mf 維尼
Riley laughed, unable to help herself. This Wrench was very different from the one she'd met on the previous few occasions. Before, he was distant. Guarded and cautious. The contrast was almost staggering. And kind of cute. This Wrench was so weird and…well, dorky. "I'd love to see them when they're done."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGM4VZNGin 維尼
"Oh, trust me, you'll see them. They'll be huge explosions."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OlA5nAqCs 維尼
Riley shook her head with mirth, and looked along Wrench's workspace. He had various blueprints and diagrams posted along the board. Some were obviously weapons and guns, while others were a bit more vague and unassuming. Perhaps they were bombs? Who knew.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gmY0de9w5 維尼
Intermingling with the designs were posters and printed out memes, solidifying her earlier assessment of him being a big dork. In fact, from what she could discern, the entire DedSec team were big dorks. But that was just fine, because so was Riley. In fact, she was itching to use that 3D printer to the fullest extent. Of course, perhaps they wouldn't want her using it to print off figurines of Batman and Darth Vader, but the retail prices on those things were hella expensive, and she could just print them herself with the right design plans for almost nothing.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSNSWQRDay 維尼
She'd have to ask later.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEStGhdZVV 維尼
"Are you the engineer of the group?" She guessed, seeing tools and various computer parts stuffed in boxes on the shelf beneath the desk. Wrench leaned against it casually, his eyes turning into X's again.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WUpyfkc3x 維尼
"Yup. You need something taken apart or put back together, I'm your guy."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRQX6LnuAp 維尼
She glanced around at the hackerspace again, taking in everything. "Huh. It's cool that you've all got separate strengths. Sounds like the team works well together."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVfuqE9Des 維尼
"Oh yeah, haven't come across a problem we couldn't fix." Wrench replied proudly. He stuck a thumb towards the rest of the hackerspace. "Sitara's gave us the face and name, Josh is the brains, Marcus is the brawn, and I get shit done." He summarized jovially, mask indicating his good mood.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXBb4w8ioR 維尼
Riley couldn't help but reflect his positivity about it. "I'd love to see how you all work together. For such huge information leaks, you're such a small team."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡDs3P91CAna 維尼
Wrench shrugged. "We do call on our supporters on occasion, but yeah, it's pretty much just us in San Fransisco."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9uWM370zv 維尼
"Do you ever feel overwhelmed? I mean, you're basically taking on the technological backbone of America. Silicon Valley isn't small." She'd been wondering about how a group of four people could do all this damage. They were only human after all. Surely the pressure got to them.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6T40ViHin 維尼
"Hell no, this is the kind of shit I live for." The masked hacker picked up a tool from behind him and waved it around as he spoke. "You'll see. Just wait until we've got ourselves another target."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RHihtl8tC 維尼
Riley nodded, taking his word for it. He knelt and picked up the remains of a motherboard for a computer, various wires and cables sticking out of it.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Nk9ieP2O2 維尼
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta finishing taking this baby apart. You can stay and watch if you really want to, but it might get boring." He added with a shrug, not wanting to be rude.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGapycDIYy 維尼
She took a step back. "I'll leave you to it then."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHsVIFj3zY 維尼
He started tear away at the cables and wires, dismantling the motherboard piece by piece. Riley turned and glanced around again at the hackerspace. She was extremely impressed so far. This small group of 20-somethings was able to make serious hits against all these companies with a few computers and some hacking skills? Incredible. The journalist couldn't help but imagine an entire news station with resources and people skilled like this. With the right focus and motivations, a team like that could have the potential to hack across the whole country.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbvbxnYdUk 維尼
There wasn't anyone new to talk to, so Riley wandered around, gazing at the walls and posters plastered everywhere. Most were memes or DedSec graffiti. She slowly walked through the giant room, taking in all there was to see. The others let her wander, giving her space to look around.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFWgVpkJaH 維尼
Marcus had been right. They weren't what she expected, but not in an unpleasant way. In her mind, she'd conjured up this dark den with dozens of people tapping away at keyboards. For some reason her mental image had them all wearing black hoodies. Huh. What a cliche.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3EuSSUgEY 維尼
In reality, DedSec was open and friendly, and welcoming. Just a handful of people trying to make a difference. Trying to get people to care about their privacy and security. Trying to stop those with power from exploiting the rights of the people. Riley could get behind a group like that.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Vj72GKyD6 維尼
Her wandering brought her over to an empty desk at the far end of the room. The wall in front of it was decorated with dozens of pictures of another man she hadn't met before. Riley glanced down at the desk, seeing dust beginning to gather on the keys and screen. Whoever this was hadn't used this workspace for awhile.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPUbUH4VkD 維尼
Marcus sauntered up beside her, looking up at the wall himself. They both took a few moments to look over the pictures, before he quietly spoke. "That's Horatio. He was our operations coordinator, and a good friend."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUG0UGLgvX 維尼
Riley saw the solemness in his expression and kept silent, not wanting to ruin the reverie. He paused but eventually started up again. "The Tezcas kidnapped him and questioned him for information on DedSec. He wouldn't give us up. So they killed him."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZuqWhmstH 維尼
"Oh my god…" Riley murmured, horrified by the truth. Past that, she wasn't sure how to respond. Marcus apparently didn't expect anything more, because he nodded slowly.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHrN4yzaRM 維尼
"We made sure the Tezcas payed for what they did, but Horatio is still gone…He gave up so much for DedSec, believed in it with everything he had…We can't let that mean nothing." Marcus finished with determination. He turned to Riley then. "DedSec isn't just a movement. It's so much more to us than that."8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9myTeUYF3 維尼
He gestured to the others who were busy working away at their various tasks. Riley thought she caught Wrench looking away quickly when she glanced over, but she couldn't tell for sure. The brunette sighed deeply, beginning to understand that perhaps she was thinking too superficially in terms of what DedSec was.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dpQ8PYPrM 維尼
"I'm coming to realize that." She said eventually, meeting Marcus' eye. They shared a brief moment of understanding, of mutual respect, and of shared pain. Riley may not have known Horatio personally, but the care and love that went into memorializing him here was painstaking and obvious. And any loss of life was sobering.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBSMOBYZBt 維尼
She had a feeling this was what Wrench had referred to when he'd threatened her before. Of course, the reality was a bit more surreal than she'd imagined, but now she understood his caution in trusting her. He didn't want to see any more of his friends be hurt or killed. Understandable.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrD7BJNpN4 維尼
Riley was left looking up at the photos, smiles and laughs and silly faces in each picture. I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you, Horatio. You seem like a good person.8964 copyright protection498ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Xh3BEBYvX 維尼
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