Tenjin looked over at Isis who gave a rather harsh glare in return. It seemed as though the telekinetic barriers were keeping her at bay though he was slowly loosing focus. "would you mind settling down? You would make this whole debarkle a lot easier on the both of us" Isis considers it for a moment bofore going back to finding a way out. Tenjin lets out an exasperated sigh "what have I gotten myself into?"

Piotr and Danae were cruising down the streets of Strana Mechty. Yang, the oddly named Asian, was driving the vehicle. Looking down at her PDA, she spoke without turning to look at her lieutenant.

"You say that there was no trace of Virgil at the spaceport?"

The big Russian cracked his knuckles and stretched his neck. The sound from both was barely distinguishable.

"No. Every exit was watched. Nobody fitting the description you gave was encountered. I doubt that he ever- "

Danae interrupted him. " Save it. I know. He didn't come in by the spaceport."

"How would you know that?"

"Look at this." She lifted the PDA to her lieutenant's face, and Piotr took it from her.

"Rath's comlink received three calls in the past 15 minutes. It was on silent mode and in my bag, so I didn't feel it, but when I did, I noticed that they were from Virgil. I had Miki do a trace, and while it wasn't long enough to pinpoint the exact location, it's virtually guaranteed that he's on the planet, but outside the city."

"Got it. I'll have my men watch the city gates."

"Good. Take me to-"

Just then, Rath's comlink began vibrating. Instantly, Danae had it open and to her ears.

"Virgil?"

"Yes. Danae. You know I'm here, but what have you done with Rath?"

"Oh, her? She's still in our custody. If you want her back-"

"What do you mean, we? Who'd you hook up with?"

"It doesn't matter! Do you want her back or not?"

There was a short pause, and then Virgil spoke up again.

"Yes. What do you want?"

"Meet me at the Hotel Rendezvous tonight at 1930. Come alone. If I smell a rat, the dal's off. If you don't show up, the deal's off. If there is any word at all about this leaked to the authorities, the media, or anyone from the establishment, the deal's off. Do you know what happens when the deal's off?"

"No."

"It simply means you'll be getting pieces of her back every month in your safety deposit box with the Altair System Private Bank. An eye here, a hand there... Ooh, Virgil, have you f-"

"That's none of your goddamn business!"

<click>

Danae looked up at Piotr, her face flushed and slightly damp.

"Could you get your men to the hotel? I want to make sure he doesn't run away this time..."

"R...right. I'll recall them now."

Danae smiled in a kitten-like way that made her look almost angelic.

"Thank you, Piotr. I'd like that very much."

She squeezed his hand, and he recoiled inwardly despite the neutral expression on his face. One moment she was talking about dismembering a woman and mailing the pieces back, then acting like an innocent schoolgirl the next. He was both surprised and disgusted by the way she could change faces, like a spinning coin.

That girl makes me sick.

Then he picked up his handset and began issuing the necessary orders.

* * * * * *

Sasaki Kojiro reached into his coat the instant he felt the comlink's vibration. He tapped the "send" button and plugged in the earphones.

"Yeah, Piotr?"

"She's got him to meet her. Come down to Rendezvous now."

"Whatever for? She is deadly enough for an entire army of us."

"She just wants some security. Come down now."

Piotr's voice clicked off, and Kojiro was just about to put it back when it vibrated again. He opened it up, but instead of a call there was a text message.

"I did some digging, and it turns out the guy she wants dead is as dangerous as she is. We're probably going to end up as cannon fodder, so don't stick your neck out for nothing. I'd have told you over the line, but she's sitting beside me, and you know how bloody sharp her ears are. Good luck."

Kojiro let the cover slide shut, and then he ran his hand through his black hair.

As though one insane killer wasn't enough, now she's using us to block bullets from another mad murderer...

As he got up, he muttered silently to himself, "I am so damn fucked..."

Then he turned, and he locked eyes with Tenjin Masakaru. His fellow disciple. Tenjin saw Kojiro, and he too rose from his seat, the malice plainly evident in his eyes.

Kojiro groaned and immediately made a bee-line for the bar's exit.

"No, now I'm fucked...."

-Take it easy Step, I know how it feels, right?

He had seen it al along, and he knew how it was, geting all emosional when not wanting to be it

-You are starting to feel emmosionalabout him, if its friendly or other I don't care, but you should not try to hide it from him... ok? Just a friendly advice...

He looked at Steph again

-Ok I'll shut up now

Stephanie stood there in silence for a few minutes, letting Ryan's words sink in. She had to make a decision here and now as to what she would do next.

She could either sit here and do nothing, waiting possibly only to be caught by some form of authority.

Or she could leave. Follow after Virgil most likely.

One way was just as risky as the other.

Her eyes slowly shut, and once again turned to face Ryan, her decision made.

"I'm going. You can follow me if you like. But I'm not going to keep myself cooped up in that ship waiting for them to find me." With that, she turned and took off running.

Liar... you know just want to be sure Virgil is going to be okay. There's no point in hiding that. Still, you'd be much safer back at the ship. What you ought to do once your out of sight is find the nearest ship and hightail it the hell out of here. She scolded herself over and over as she ran, staying more along the shadowy path.

I just have to know he's going to be okay though.

"Shit he thought... Ok... Calm down this was not planned"

He started to follow Steph trough the dark alleys and roads

-Hey take it easy ok? Hmpfr I thought you where a spy, calm down and walk slowly and cassual now ok, no need to attract unwanted attention.

Virgil squinted as he opened the doors to the outside world. The sun was a blinding contrast to the cool darkness of the corridors of Xypher's base.

He glanced at his watch. 1530. The warehouse was two hours from here.

Just enough time.

He descended a small flight of steps to a covered carpark. Most of the spaces were unoccupied, save three. They held an SUV and two motorcycles. He noted with irritation that the SUV used a DNA laser key system - his pocket myriad would be useless.


Damn. Don't have a Slim Jim, and bullet holes will attract too much attention to me when I go into town. It'll have to be the bikes, then.

Virgil walked towards a red racing bike. He reached into his pocket and withdrew the pocket myriad, which was actually more of a nanotech multitool than anything else. He switched the fluid injectors and scanning head on, then pointed it into the lock. The greyish-silver nanomechanicals ebbed and flowed, then they solidified into a key-head.

Here goes nothing...

He inserted the shaped head into the slot, turned it, and gunned the engine. To his relief, it gunned to life.

Excellent.

Then he noticed that the oil level was dangerously low. He checked the other bike. That one was empty too. Cursing his luck, he reluctantly switched the engine off, getting off the bike and looking for a shed or engine oil of some kind.

"A bloody waste of time..." he muttered under his breath. He had the feeling Stephanie wanted to follow him, and if she did, she could get caught in the crossfire.

Suddenly, Virgil felt like turning back. It would be so easy, to hide out in Xypher's base. He'd probably be able to run off to some resort world and spend the considerable sum he had accumulated in various off-system accounts. He might even be able to persuade Stephanie to run away with him too.

But then, the sight from that night flashed before his eyes. Claire, dead, crucified against the kitchen wall, her pale skin bleached a bone white by the full moon shining on her. And beside her, the note scrawled in blood - "I'm waiting, Virgil..."

No. This ends now. Living in fear isn't living - it's little more than a field mouse fleeing a hawk.

And besides, Virgil knew that his fate would be the same. He would run, but sooner or later, when he tired, he would be caught.

There was an added urgency to Virgil's movements as he ran down another flight of steps cut into the hillside.

Stephanie continued her quickened pace through the shadows.

If I don't hurry up...

She came bursting out of one of the alleyways, landing herself in the middle of an open area, with a group of clanners heading right towards her. Hell, now there wouldn't be any excuse for her not to get caught.

Stupid! Stupid stupid! Now look what you've gotten yourself into! As she stood frozen like a deer in the headlights and mentally scolded herself, she felt a firm hand placed on her shoulder, then quickly grasp and pull her back into the safety of the alley way.

She stood there now and watched as the clanners passed by, apparently having been so busy with their conversation they luckily hadn't noticed her.

"Hey take it easy ok? Hmpfr I thought you were a spy, calm down and walk slowly and casual now ok, no need to attract unwanted attention." She shook her head, turning around to see that it had been Ryan to pull her back to safety, and was now warning her not to try that kind of stunt again.

"I'm sorry... I just..." Her voice was just over a soft whisper. After a brief pause, she continued. "I won't do that again. I need to be more careful if I intend to make it to Virgil alive."

Her head peered out of the corner of the alleyway, seeing the clanners a good distance away now, still chatting between themselves. Being a little more careful now she made her way through the streets.

Now, if I were him, where would I be..?

I wish he was here.

Another one of those 'less than sane' thoughts she had been having as of late. It was the thoughts like these that were making her head so scatter-brained that she would run blindly into an open street with clanners heading directly towards her.

No more of that. I HAVE to concentrate if I'm going to find him at all.. much less survive getting to him through here.

Looks down the alley where the Claners where

-Now listen Steph, we have changed our clothes but since Xypher didn't have any makeup we couldn't change our faces, so our best chance is to just walk cassualy as a married couple or friends... I don't know just act cassual alright?

[ooc] Holy crap you guys post a lot, note to self don't ever miss a single day of posting again! EVER! Seriously though, I'll try to post more, but I have finals this week so I can only do so much. [/ooc]

Latmov was enjoying the hot air being swept over his face as he glided onward. The desert isn't so bad once you get past the dying of thurst part of it, nevermind the trudging through it barefoot part of it.

Latmov had a smile on his face, the map database on the craft told him exactly where the nearest drink was, and it was minutes away to the east. East is always a good direction.

Latmov started passing by buildings as he entered town. The place was crawling with clanners. Luckily they paid little attention to one of their own vehicles.

As the hovercraft came to a stop Latmov sighed, "At last a fucking drink. Now I can get the taste of sand out of my mouth."

He stepped out of the hovercraft only to be stopped by a clanner, "What are you doing with a clan issued hovercraft?"

"Again with the questions... you people are so nosey," Latmov said under his breath.

The clanner picked up his standard issue assault weapon from his side, "What was that? ...Answer me!"

"I said I'm undercover ops, and I need a drink. Don't worry here let me show you my ID,"

As the clanner lowered his weapon in slight relief, Latmov reached into his coat and pulled out his pistol, "You people need to be more throughly screened for terminal stupidity," one shot entered the clanner's neck.

Latmov was slightly confused, however, because the residual shock treatment did not come into effect. He thought to himself for half a second, "shit."

Latmov dived through the window into the bar next to him as the designer bullet exploded, causing a chain reaction with the hovercraft fuel tanks and its ammunition stocks.

"I need to get a god damn label for those cases. God damnit!" Latmov looked at the bar patrons, who were, naturally, staring at him, "I suggest ducking, and somebody get me a drink!"

[ooc] My god do you guys spam...... help!! And this is prep week for finals week so Im a tad busy, thats why Im not posting as much. Sorry.[/ooc]

Xypher gathered the last of the supplies from the ship and then beings back down the ramp.

Shena, you can lock it down now, then follow me. He goes into the hallway just off the hanger and looks around Virgil? Virgil? Where has that man gone now..