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You have to deal with the spooks or, at least, see what they're doing here. You know they're petty bastards but they should have a reason for being here.
[WOLF IN DEER'S CLOTHING] I ain't smart but this place is in bumfuck nowhere and these spook guys like being hidden, right?
[WOLF IN DEER'S CLOTHING] Maybe it was wrong time, wrong place. Hunters bumped into that Billy guy's operations, spooks got worried or somethin'?
You look over at Lex. You're not how much of that voice was your own speculation and how much of that was you but that DOES make some sense. He doesn't seem to acknowledge what the copy of his voice in your head is saying.
Before you can dwell on it, that god awful fragrance you smelled earlier hits your nose again. It reeks of sulfur, burning plastic, and dog vomit. Something about wearing NEW YOU (LEX) is making your nose way more sensitive to this smell. It's faint enough that you wouldn't have noticed it normally.
Lex and Quentin seem to have picked up on the smell too and Ashley, while seemingly not able to smell it, is clearly feeling the presence of whatever is producing that smell.
[SIXTH SENSE] "Their most vile trick...can't see it, vision is too blurry." Ashley whispers to herself. "Should we check it?"
[BLOODLUST] "I say we should rush in and crack that fucker's head in." Lex is about ready to fucking bolt it in the direction of the scent like a wild god damn animal. "You can't see it? That means it's an enemy."
[ASHLEY ALLY!] Ashley firmly grabs onto his shoulder with both of her hands. It's barely enough to stop him for a second. Lex notices this and for a moment, it's clear his five neurons are trying to think about what to do.
[BLOODLUST NEGATED!] "Fine! We better be able to crack SOMEONE'S head open." Seems like Ashley's presence is enough to calm him. For now. "Send in the robots or somethin'."
With a small hand gesture, you send two of the robots in the direction of that smell. Since you're not a fucking bloodhound you can't pinpoint target it but it's somewhere northwest of the front entrance. Glancing in that area, you can barely make out what appears to be a small hardware store?
Weird but you have more pressing issues.
"Where did you see the doppelganger?" You keep your voice low as you talk to your two scouts.
"Aisle 10, north of here. It gets really dark up there and I didn't want to draw too much attention," She shakes one of the REINFORCED LANTERNS your party has. "But I heard your voice up there."
You take a look around the shopping centre again. With the security system off now, it only clicks that most of the power has been shut off. The only source of light in or out of here is through holes in the ceiling that Rotwood and other growing plants have punched their way through.
You'll make do. You dig into your inventory for a DAMDAM PILL and a PINK FRAGMENT...and you throw both of them into your mouth. You crunch down on the fragment like rock candy. Tastes like peach bubblegum, oddly!
