Clusterfrag

Max tries to let Doc off the hook of his guilt,

"We all do what we have to do to survive, amigo, and in my experience things never turn out the way they should. A gang of trolls taught me that. And then a few years later, there you are, loading severed limbs into luggage or crawling through ducting."

Doc nods.

"Hey, at least I finally got to go to space!"

He finishes darkly, "Of course, we managed to burn that one to the ground too. Story of my life."

Max chuckles,

"Yeah, I meant to ask you if it was all you thought it would be..."

Doc grunts, "Hoped for? No. Expected? Pretty much, yeah."

Doc and Max come to abrupt halt. The duct they are crawling in is suspended above a large room. A portion of the steel frame has been torn away and allows them to peer downwards. A number of makeshift tables have been set up and at least a dozen monks walk to and fro, working intently on various pieces of computer hardware.
Though they are briefly exposed, the intrepid pair pass the opening with expert stealth.

Max taps Doc's boot to signal 'let's keep moving.'

Doc continues half crawling, half sliding down the duct, tracing the cable as he goes.

The duct descends and ultimately terminates in a loop with a small opening to a corridor. The optical cable spills out of the duct and snakes its way along the floor, disappearing through a doorway at the end of the corridor. Two robed monks are lounging in the hallway, blocking access to the room.

Doc pulls out the deadly syringe, and gestures at the monk on the right, before handing the syringe to Max. Then he points at himself, and gestures at the monk on the left.

He gives a questioning thumbs up.

Max responds with an affirmative thumbs-up.

Max hastily responds with a thumbs up, but just as Doc begins to move to unscrew the gate, Max puts a hand on him to pause the action. Reaching into his skin pocket, the elf produces the few tabs of bliss he'd stowed away for the trip aboard the shuttle. Max pantomimes the motion of throwing them down the hallway to distract the guards. Thumbs up?

Doc's expression is blank as he eyes the tabs.

He nods his head.

Max works the grate off its track and creeps out just far enough to throw the pills down the hallway in the opposite direction of their location.

The monks, engaged in conversation, fail to hear the tiny sound generated by the bouncing pills.

Max's inner cynic responds to the event-- or lackthereof-- with 'of fraggin' course.' Shrugging and holding the syringe in his teeth, Max slips out to try to sneak up on the monks.

Doc follows Max out, padding as silently as possible on his bare feet.

Max approaches the monks undetected.

Doc, following close behind, fails to see a piece of broken plaster. It crunches underfoot, causing both monks to spin around.

"Infidels!"

Max lunges at the nearest monk, tackling him to the ground.

Doc takes a running leap at the other monk, hoping to tackle him off his feet.

Max clotheslines the first monk, knocking him to the ground.

Doc collides with the monk, but fails to take him to the ground.

The monk lashes out at Doc with a left hook.
Doc reels, stars filling his vision as the fist slams the side of his face.

Pinned to the ground, the first monk tries to kick Max off of him.
Max knocks the monk's legs aside with his own.

Somewhere in his mind, Max is aware of Doc getting his bell rung by the monk, but until this drekbag is dealt with, there's nothing Max can do to help.

Doc regains his footing after staggering back from the blow. He charges at the monk with his arms out, in an attempt to grab and pull the man to the ground.

Max brings his forearm down hard on the monk's throat, trying to introduce the cultist's adam's apple to the floor.

Doc's attempted takedown misses the monk.

Max begins to choke the consciousness from the monk.

Grumbling as the monk begins to gurgle, Max speaks mostly in vowels with the syringe between his teeth,

"Be with you-- *HRMPH* in a moment-- *RFF* amigo!"

Max redoubles his effort, waiting for that fantastic moment when his enemy beneath him goes limp.

Doc puts his arms up in front of his face. ((Full Defense))

He spits a streak of blood onto the floor, and taunts the monk,

"I'm going to kill your god."

The struggling monk finally collapses.

The monk aims a jumping roundhouse at Doc.
Doc sees the kick coming and leaps to the side.