Adrian smiled, outwardly oblivious to Cameron's discomfort, but in the back of his mind he knew. The half-dead soldier would have just as easily submitted to him, dying or otherwise. Yet.
He had taken note as soon as Cameron's "reactions", which were reflexive and sharp when aided with telepathy, had slowed during his manipulation of Alexis. Their first encounter still burned bright in Adrian's mind. Black tuxedos, the unique sensation of slight stubble and roughness, and of course, Cameron's formidable defense mechanisms which had delved into Adrian's mind, unlocking his deepest secrets.
When he failed to pounce on Adrian during the interaction with Alexis, Adrian suspected something. To his great surprise and pleasure, these suspicions were now solidifed.
"Sure thing, man," he said outloud, nonchalant. But the admission would no doubt make Cameron more malleable. He ignored the outside interruption associated with Haleigh, as yet another member decided to give him a speech.
When Morgan addressed him, Adrian turned to her for the first time. Looked at her. Really looked at her. Morgan Victoria. The catalyst of the sequence of events which had landed him here, in an unlikely and forced companionship with four different individuals, united only in the search for Alexis, the last of the group. At times like these, Adrian himself marveled at the scope of his machinations, but lest he drift out of thought, listened to her sharp tongue.
"I know that this is my fault," he said softly, his brown gaze raising bravely to stare at her icey blue irises. "And I'm going to fix the problem, Ms. Victoria."
An admission of guilt. And no defensive rebuttals. Not a suave introduction to this woman who he had been dying to meet, nor a correction about Cameron, who he would argue was just as filthy in his eyes. Rather than make excuses and smooth talk his way out of this, Adrian stated the situation in a concise, matter-of-fact way. Undoubtedly something new to this woman, who was used to dealing with the irresponsible. But this man was a gifted chameleon, and it was apparent that no amount of eloquency would convince them of another source of the problem. This attack had been inevitable, and Adrian would deal with his position as the scapegoat with grace.
"You guys mentioned a hidden staircase around here," he continued, his eyes searching the room. "But I don't think we have time to excavate this passageway with a pick and axe."
Suddenly turning and, without a word, Adrian walked out of the living room and into the hallway, striding in large, confident steps toward the staircase. He stopped. Analyzing the stairs and then looking forward, towards the entrance of the Quartermaine library. Adrian cycled over the situation.
Alexis Quartermaine. Daughter of Adam, associated with Mystech. Science. Hostage of Helena, who killed AJ in connection with Mystech. Mystech. Science.
Adrian put a hand on the railing to steady himself, and raised the other hand to rub his head. He had never actually gotten a headache, but the mere comforting motion acted as a wonderful placebo.
The library. It had to be. It was cliche, but there was no way it would be right near the staircase, where there was always traffic.
Walking faster now, with a sense of urgency, Adrian burst open through the library. Seconds later, a very strong smell of toxins invaded the room and wafted outside. No books were visible, and the immense library was laid bare. The finely constructed wooden shelves melted, along with the books, Adrian stared in frustration at the walls, which had no remote indication of a secret passageway.
Unless...
He looked down at the expensive Persian rug which carpeted the floor. A few more seconds passed, and that fabric was also melted away with Adrian's highly potent toxins. He stared, again repulsed by the lack of any kind of entrance. During the "meltdown" of the libray, any kind of trigger for this passageway had also been demolished. It would have to be manually found. And he knew, with inexpressable certainy, that it was in this room. Adrian stomped his feet in chidlike frustration.
A hollow sound rebounded back to him, echoing in the large, enclosed room.
He blinked, staring down at the area below his feet. He knew that sound. Like hard metal relaying something insignificant.
Throwing his hand down, palm facing the floor, a powerful blast of venom shook the floor as it penetrated the radius around Adrian. The venom sizzled, burning through a surprisingly resiliant wood and tearing away at the vestiges of some sort of panel. In its destruction, a bright metal surface came into view with a metal handle and a password key, fixed with green digits, next to the handle.
Kicking away the last of the wood, Adrian grinned triumphantly at the door, no doubt leading to an underground passage of some sort. Simple yet effective. Eveyone always tried to complicate the situation and create elaborate problems when, really, this problem's genius lay in its cunning. A cunning Adrian could appreciate.
"It's here," he shouted, raising his head towards the doorway.
