(OOC: Awesome! Can I join?)

In the shadows behind one of the market stalls a figure crouched, observing the passersby carefully. His hair had once been brown, but masses of dirt and grime had turned it a dirty grey color. It stood up from his head in a tangled, matted mass...obviously it hadn't been cut or washed in ages.

His skin was pale, and his frame was thin and bony. His eyes were grey, but held an interested, burning fire inside them. The fire of youth...he was only seventeen years old.

He wore a small dark orange waistcoat, far too small for him, and a pair of long, brown, baggy pants. His chest and arms were visable beneath the waistcoat, he wore no t-shirt. Around his middle he had tied a red sash, and on his feet he wore heavy brown boots. Attached to the red sash was a large, ornatley decorated sword in it's scabbard, covered in gleaming gold and studded with gems!

He watched the keeper of the nearest stall as she peddled her goods, some fruit from the biolabs. Someone stepped up to the stall and began talking to the woman. Now was his chance!

Stealthily, his years of practice paying off, he crawled up to the stall and began to pick some of the fruit off the table, stowing it away in a fold of his sash.

Suddenly the stall owner turned and saw him in the shadows, and her eyes widened. "Hey just a second you little...!"

But he had dissapeared...

A short was away the figure flicked back into existance and began to stroll happily down the path. His stealth magic hadn't failed him, and the woman hadn't got a good enough look at him to recognise him. Another successful catch.

He pulled out one of the fruits he stole and began to eat as he strolled down the road towards the center of the market. The water tower was just up ahead; he could get himself a drink while he ate.

Turning the corner he saw the large tower set on it's tall stilts. There were lots of people around, but given time he'd find a way to open a tap without anyone noticing. He wondered over and sat down by the structure, nonchilantly throwing away the core of the fruit he was eating and taking another out of his sash.

Name: Damien 1/2053
Age/Gender/Species: 17/Male/Human
Appearance: Described IC above
Equipment/Abilities: Large sword, a remnant of his past and family, not very skilled at using it though. Also has learned some stealth magic from a shady character in the slums. Has become quite proficient with it.

(OOC: Hope that's ok^^ Let me know if anything needs changing)

OOC: I'm not joining (though it would be tempting to), but I couldn't help but notice that a lot of the details in this RP were taken from Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter, for the PS2. I didn't see any actual acknowledgement of that in the thread (correct me if I'm wrong), just wanted to point that out. I haven't played the game yet, my little bro has and I've seen enough to get the gist and connect that to this RP.

Not saying you can't do it, you've done a great job integrating it into RP format. It'll be cool to see how this turns out.

OOC: A good point, Tergonaut! I wasn't sure how much I wanted it to be like the game, but I did end up blatantly 'stealing' most of the details directly from Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter. Therefore, (C) to CAPCOM for making such a cool game (and series!), and peace unto the copyright people.

With that knowledge, know that anyone can join the RP. I know Wraith has never played the games before (nicely done Wraith, btw!), so don't let a lack of knowledge impair you! In fact, odds are you'll enjoy it more if you have no clue about the game (personal opinion there)!

EDIT: Eh, if you read the part here about the age, don't worry about it. I decided it wasn't important to this RP.

IC EDIT:

The core of the fruit rolled in front of Farris' feet. With a curious gaze, he looked from it to the youth who had tossed it. "Hmm. A rogue. But, he has a nice weapon. I wonder if he knows how to use it? From his looks, you'd think he stole it. Still, beggars can't be choosers."

He approached the kid. "Excuse me, I need some help. I want to hire you to be my bodyguard."

Ren gave the shopkeeper some money for the goods she had just bought, and then began to walk off. Holding the bag in one arm, she slid her wallet back in her pocket with the other. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something shiny. She stopped walking and turned her head. A shiny sword! Her curiosity of this one object led her to walk to the two people.

The man had just finished speaking, "Anyway, so that's my situation. I'll pay you quite a lot. What do you say?"

Ren smiled, and interrupted, "If it involves money, I'm in!"

OOC: Character Profile!

Name: Ren 1/828
Age/Gender/Species: 19 years old/Female/Cat Person
Appearance: Tall (6'1"), medium/light build, and in good condition. Wears a pink leotard, and a gold bracelet on each of her wrists, ankles, and on her tail. Wears a thick belt/sash with four baggy pockets. Wears a crimson cape. Orange hair and marmalade fur, deep emerald eyes.
Equipment/Abilities: 3 Daggers (hidden in folds of cape)/Flare Trap (sets an invisible magical trap that explodes when stepped on), Ice Barrier (creats ice that can be formed into a protective barrier), Spider Climb (allows her to make one person climb virtually any surface), Spider Dash (allows her to make one person move much faster than they normally would), unknown number of ???? abilities...

Damien recoiled at the approach of the two figureslooking from one to the other suspiciously. They didn't look like the law...undercover maybe? It was unheard of for anyone to pay attention to him for reasons other than trying to arrest him.

"Who do you work for...?" he replied testily. The man blinked in supprise.

"What?"

"Who do you work for? You been hired to catch me or somthin'?"

This wasn't going as well as Farris had been hoping. There was this young lady who came out of nowhere, wanting money or something, and the youth wasn't trusting of him. True, he was from High Sector, so this all made sense. "Still, may as well be honest."

"No, no, kid, I don't even know who you are. I work for a company in High Sector, an office person."

Ren watched Farris' face as he saw that Damien was still unconvinced.

Farris tried again, "I promise I'm not here to get you in trouble or anything. What can I do to convince you of my sincerity?"

Farris turned to Ren for a moment. "The heck is wrong with you? You don't even know what I'm asking, and you want to be a part of it?"

Ren nodded, still smiling pleasantly. "You said something about money. Danger isn't an issue!"

Farris shrugged. "Maybe I did luck out..."

OOC: Wow...This looks cool! The whole number thing's a bit complicated, but I'll probably figure it out eventually. Now, a character. I haven't Rped in what seems like forever, so I don't have anything right now...I'll think of someone, then I'll edit here, ok? ^^

OOC: OK! It's nice to see another face, so welcome aboard! ^^

And with the whole number thing, I don't expect anyone to really know about it. Just pick a number at random, I guess. It won't change the character you make when I explain it later on; it's more a technicality than anything.

(OOC: o.O The numbers don't matter? lol I'd been figuring out a long complex backrgound on how Damien's parents were high level buisness owners with lots of potential, but Damien himself didn't have that potential because he has something along the lines of attention defesit disorder and can't concentrate, so his number was really bad so they turfed him out of their family for being embarassing and...lol.

Am I still ok to use that Way, btw?)

Damien stared at the Suit in front of him (That's what he called all the High Sector people: "Suits"). He didn't look like a cop. Still the police were sometimes devious and cunning, setting traps and being sneaky.

But the offer of money was tempting. Maybe he'd be able to buy his way into the High Sector. Maybe he'd be able to buy the police force and make them work for him! Not, of course, that he would become a Suit, with their stuck-up ways and holier-than-thou attitudes. That was just annoying.

But the idea of safety, freedom from the law that money could bring...it was very appealing. He wasn't certain what to make of the figure in front of him, but he felt inclined to trust him until he'd proved he couldn't be trusted...

"Okay, just pretendin' I'm interested for a mo," he said, guaging the Suit's reaction, "tell me more..."

OOC: lol! I didn't say the numbers didn't matter. But yeah, you can still keep what you were working on, because you were right that potential doesn't necessarily carry from one generation to the next. Though I will say that it is easier to go down than it is to go up.

Those specific numbers are assigned at birth, and don't change. While they measure potential, scientists debate as to how much they truly can determine real potential. Perhaps if the D-ratio tests change, then the numbers will change, but the largest impact the numbers have right now is limiting access to areas. That's one reason why the Low D's are still in Low Sector.

I hope that didn't confuse anyone further...

IC:

Ren looked back and forth between Farris and Damien, keeping that contented smile on her face, her tail swishing side to side at a steady pace.

Farris cleared his throat. "Right, okay. My name is Farris. As I said, I need bodyguards. Since the trains are down, I have to go through some of the tunnels to get to a BioCorp lift. With rogue genics running around, I can't make it by myself with this load," he gestured to the large container at his feet, "and I can't wait for the trains. We can negotiate the price, but I promise it will be more than you can make down here. If you're interested, meet me at the second floor of that tavern," he pointed to a popular tavern, "in an hour. That will give you time to do anything before we leave. If you need some money now for supplies, I can give you an advance, but I'll provide the food and medical supplies. We shouldn't take any longer than a day, if we go quickly. So, like I said, if you're interested, meet me there in an hour. I'd like to try to get at least a couple more people, if possible."

Ren nodded, gesturing to the goods she had just bought from the store. "Good idea. I'll be there."

And with that, Ren walked off.

"A'right." replied Damien after a moment's pause. "I got nothin' to prepare. I'll follow you."

He glanced down at the case the Suit was carrying, eyeing it curiously. "What's in there?"

OOC: Just a general announcement: I will start the RP between Saturday night and Monday morning. The time before that is the last opportunity to join before it gets going. I'm not starting sooner because I've got a lot going on right now, so it gives everybody a chance to 'catch their breath'.

Of course, people can still join at anytime, it just becomes more complicated to work it into the story. Just let me know, either here or by ezmessaging, and I'll do the hard work.

IC:

Farris looked down at the box. "This? It's the main reason I need to get up to High Sector so soon. It holds something very valuable."

Farris looked over it again. It was a large, rectangular box. It was just a little bit bigger than a coffin, and of course square, not coffin-shaped, but the thought was not encouraging, especially since he didn't know what was inside.

He began to walk, looking for more people who looked like they might be prospects. "Kid, you sure you got nothing to do? Don't you need to make sure your residence is in order and the door's locked, or maybe make sure the stove's not on?"

Damien shrugged, shaking his head. Farris was struck with a sudden chain of thoughts that had never crossed his mind before. "Is this really how Low-D's live? Are conditions really that bad? I...I had no idea...wow. Just...wow."

The box rolled quietly behind Farris on its wheels. "Okay, just checking. So, if we're going to be working together, I may as well know your name."

Ren finished putting her groceries into the storage unit. She wouldn't be gone for long, so she wasn't too concerned about their well being. Just as she was walking to her room to make sure everything was in place, she saw something move out of the corner of her eye! Grabbing the nearest blunt object, she called out, "come on out, I know you're there!"

A man she recognized stepped from around the corner, a broad grin on his face. "Haven't gotten rusty, Ren. Good. I'm here-"

Ren cut him off. Anger filled her voice. "You're here uninvited and unwanted! I've been doing fine on my own. I told you people, I'm done with your organization!"

The man shrugged, and leaned against the wall. "But we're not done with you. Why waste your talent?"

Ren set the toaster back on the counter, and worked on packing a bag. "That's my business. I don't like it, the way you disregard the privacy of people's homes, Shrike! Whatever. I'm listening, so get to the point."

Shrike adjusted his dark clothing and his gas mask. "Well, it seems that there's a company man with precious cargo around here..."

"Met him already."

"Already?"

She finished packing the bag, and swung it around her shoulder. "Yeah. He's offering a load of money to anyone who'll help him get to High Sector."

"That works out perfectly, then. We were gonna have you practice your talents on him, but if you'll be with him, it will be easy to take it, now won't it?"

"Who said I was going to take it?"

Shrike stepped forward. "We do." he pulled a thick leather collar from his coat, and handed it to her. "Just take this and go with him, like you were planning. One of our operatives will meet up with you later, to discuss the rest. We need to know how many people he hires, and information about them, so keep that in mind."

Ren hesitated. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and took the collar. "...Fine, Shrike, I'll play this game just a little while longer."

Shrike bowed politely. "Good. Ren, you made the smart choice. We'll see you later."

Shrike left silently. Ren looked at the collar. It resembled the sort of thing somebody would put on their genic pet. It had a large bronze bell on it, the kind that made only a light tinkling noise. She suspected she knew what it was for. Sighing again, she wrapped it around her neck, and then left the apartment, locking it behind her. She had to deliver this bag to a friend, and then she would head to the tavern.

"Damien." replied the youth casually. He had one eye on the case the Suit had with him. Valuable he said? Just HOW valuable? Would it be worth his while to grab it and make use of it himself, or would the man be offering more money for the job than thie item in the case was worth? He'd have to try for more info, but he couldn't let the Suit get suspicious.

"So what do ya do up there in High Sector?" he asked curiously. "What's ya job?"

OOC: OK, I am finally here! School started and I ran outta time...Anyway, I think I've got a character now!

Name: Kage 1/1085
Age/Gender/Species: 21 years old/Male/Human
Appearance: Very thin and slightly built with pale skin, white hair and icy blue eyes, wears a long black jacket over a leather shirt, loose cream-coloured pants are tucked into knee-high leather boots.
Equipment/Abilities: Dagger(strapped on back of boot), knowledge of necromancy(ability to communicate and control dead spirits).

Haha I'm special, I put my profile before my IC instead of after! ^^ I'm amused by the most trivial things...Anyway, IC!

IC
A young man leant against the water tower, watching the spectacle unravel before him. Long white hair hung down his back, contrasting deeply with his leather shirt and jacket which reached his ankles. Arms crossed, he appeared uninterested in the High D and the small band of bedraggled civilians he seemed to be recruiting, but it wasn't the case. Narrow blue eyes, half-hidden under a lock of the snowy hair, watched the group intently. Finally, after standing still for so long he moved slightly, lowering his arms and touching a small vial held in his belt. There were many theives in Low Sector and the last thing he needed was for one of them to get their hands on this, the most important component in his nercromancy...Thinking of the long, thin dagger with its bone handle on the back of his boot he smiled, a thin smile that didn't reach his eyes. Anyone besides him who meddled with death would be very sorry, very sorry indeed.

"Job? I work at Power One, the power plant for all the Sectors. I usually push papers, but you could say I got the short draw on this assignment." He glanced back at Damien. "No offense."

Knowing that getting angry with the Suit wouldn't help him at all, Damien replied casually, "none taken."

Farris slowed to a stop, his attention caught by a slight movement near the water tower. "Thin...pale...white hair. Doesn't look like much, and I don't even see a weapon. But, looks aren't everything. And I am kind of desperate. Should I...?"

Farris shrugged, and flipped Damien a couple of coins. "Damien, please head to the tavern. I'll meet you there in a few."

Not looking to see if Damien actually left or not, Farris stepped forward, straight at the man he had seen, the pale, gaunt-looking man.

Kage's inner senses were alerted as the High-D approached. Whatever was in the box wasn't dead, but those sensitive to such things could pick up the power inside. Something was strange about it; it was like nothing Kage had ever encountered, living or dead. It was faint, so that he could barely detect it, but he noticed.

Farris stopped a few paces from the thin man. "Excuse me, sir? I wonder, would you be interested in being hired as a bodyguard? I need to get to High Sector, and it is urgent."

Ren bit her lip as she knocked on the door. A moment later, an aged woman opened the door. Her wrinkled face folded into a smile. "Ren! It's good to see you in good health."

Ren smiled. "Thank you, Sister Lyla." She held out the bag of supplies that she had packed. "These are for you and the kids."

Lyla took the bag, and then hugged Ren. "Bless your heart! We keep you in our prayers every day."

Ren looked past the Sister, and saw some of the other convent nuns, as well as some of the orphans. "After that big accident, this is the least I can do. Sister Lyla, I'm heading out of Low Sector for a while. I hope to be back in a couple of days."

Lyla nodded. "Everyone has their own path, Ren. I hope ours cross again. It is not often I find such a rare gem of a heart among the stones that surround us."

Ren hugged Lyla. "You take care."

"Fare thee well, friend. Go with God."

Ren strolled towards the tavern. It surprised her that there was a man in front of the door. He was tall, and the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt only showed off his powerful muscles. He was completely shaven, from his head to his bare feet. The only thing he did wear was a pair of navy blue pants, tied to his waist with a thin cord. Ren approached him, wary but bold. "Excuse me, I need to get in there."

The man turned to her. He was much larger than he had originally looked. "No can do. There's a big meeting going on inside, between my boss, Marlock the Merchant, and the 2nd Ranger unit's leader, Captain Zeno. No one is allowed inside until they are done."

Ren shifted her left leg anxiously, her tail flicking back sharply. "Well, when will they be done?"

The man shrugged. "I'm just the bodyguard." He took a pose, flexing. "I'm Kahn, the greatest bodyguard!"

Glancing nervously around, she spied a clock. Not too much longer before that hour was up. It was amazing how fast time could fly! Still, she wanted to at least get one drink before she hit the road. "Come on, can't you just let me in for a minute?"

Kahn flexed in another pose. "No way! Marlock treats me good. I'm loyal to him! I won't disobey orders!"

Ren shook her head. This wasn't going well. Still, addictions to a substance known as alcohol were a strong motivator. She took a few steps away, pondering how to get in...

Under normal circumstances he would have dissapeared and never been seen again. It wasn't often that anyone gave Damien money!

But he had decided not to run off, not this time. He was holding out for more!

He turned and strode down the street to the inn, looking purposeful and proud...then suddenly he dived to the side and hid behind a crate!

He recognised the massive figure on the door...recognised him very well!

Kahn had a debt to repay him...if the massive figure saw him there'd be trouble! It all related back to a little incident involving some goods Damien had "aquired" from the merchant that the massive figure worked for...

A few moments later the cat girl that he had seen before arrived and tried to get into the tavern, but the immense figure of Kahn stopped her. Damien listned with interest to his explanation...so the Trader and the Ranger Leader were both in there???

His young foolhardiness took over. The Trader delt in some valuable goods, Damien knew. That was why he had been interested that other time! And to pull a large crime right under the Ranger Captain's nose...that would be really something!

Closing his eyes for a second, he focused his mind, drawing in power from the air around him. His figure shimmered for a second, then dissapeared behind a stealth haze.

Now invisable, Damien crept forward, sneaking round behind Kahn towards the tavern door...

"A bodyguard?" Kage repeated cynically, icy eyes gleaming with sarcastic humour. "You drag yourself all the way down here, then want to hire a bunch of low-lifes to help you get back up? Interesting." But Kage was intrigued. If the High D had managed to get all the way down here, since it was obvious he wasn't from the Low Sector, why did he need help to get back up? And why was it so urgent? Almost unconciously, he let his eyes move to the box beside the suited man. The energy he felt from it...He would do anything to get his hands on that box!
"If I agree, what will be my reward?" Kage smiled his cold smile once more, stroking the vial at his waist. Either way, I'll get what I want,he thought, sizing Farris up quickly. For death comes easily around me, and most spirits are more than willing to give up their possessions from their previous lives...His smile spread wider as he stood up straighter, black coat tails curling around his boots. It would be interesting to see how long this High D lasted down here, very interesting indeed.

Ren's mind was working rapidly. "Kahn obviously isn't very bright, and has an inflated ego, but how to use that against him...?"

Ren's ears perked up, and she glanced at the exact spot Damien happened to be in! Kahn, still posing and flexing, didn't notice. Ren whispered to Damien, "I'll help you get in, so please get me a bottle of brandy while you're there."

Ren stepped up to Kahn. "Hold on there, Mr. Kahn! You said you were the greatest bodyguard, but I've just been hired as a bodyguard, and I think I'm the greatest!"

Kahn stopped in surprise. He gawked at her. "You? No way!"

Ren winked at him. "Try and prove it to me!"

Kahn cracked his knuckles. "You asked for it, little lady! Here I come!"

Kahn lunged forward, fists flying! Ren jumped back, blocking and dodging his furious assault! "You've gotta be faster than that!"

With Kahn thusly distracted and away from the door, it was a piece of cake for Damien to open the door and slide in.

Farris was surprised by how confident this man seemed. Nevertheless, he pressed on with his negotiations. "Payment is negotiable. I usually pay in money, but either way, it will be more than you can get down here. If you're interested, head to the tavern over there, and I'll brief you with the others. I'll be there in a few minutes."

With that, Farris began to make one last lap around the market.

Marlock was a shrewd man, and he knew how to make a deal. He sized up the woman in front of him, studied her face, and thought about what he knew of the Ranger Captain. Zeno was a legend among the Rangers, and was also a Mid-D. She had been assigned down here to lead the Ranger 2nd unit, mostly Low-D's, and was now negotiating with Marlock for equipment needed for possibly the biggest operation of her life. "So, Captain," he said, leaning forward over the table, "how many weapons do you need?"

Zeno sat straight in her chair, at full attention and alert. "We have weapons, Marlock. What I'm looking for is something...a bit bigger. A giant mechanical weapon, something that can't be beaten by conventional weapons."

Marlock leaned back, clasping his hands together. "Ah, I see! I have just the thing..."

And Marlock proceeded to describe the specifications of a large machine, tank-like in power and design.

Damien saw that they were the only two in here, and that the tavern owner must have been dismissed as well. He saw that both Marlock and Zeno had brought a few bags of something with them, but they were too close to be safely reached. Zeno's long, pointy ears made Damien a bit nervous, as they indicated that she could hear better than others, and maybe as well as that cat girl outside. He paused for a moment, to plan a course of action...

Of course, it had to be this inn! Kage swore under his breath at the sight of the fighting, ducking behind an abandoned street stall to ponder his next move. If it had been only for the money, he would've never accepted this job, would've let the suited man fend for himself. But the contents of that box intrigued him, pulled at him in a way nothing but an opportunity for more knowledge could. He had to travel with the High D to get any closer to it, Kage knew that. And it was apparent that the inn they had been told to meet at was off-limits, that much was obvious by the cat girl fighting, who Kage recognized. But he had to get in, if he wanted to find out what was in that box. And there was a way, even if it wasnt exactly him entering...
"Very well." Sighing softly as he spoke to himself, the necromancer lifted his precious vial out of his belt, eyeing the dwindling contents with a critical eye. "If I must, I must. And if this trip brings me in contact with any dead bodies, I can always refill it." Closing his eyes, Kage began the incantation that would bring back the most recently deceased soul to him. Finally, after several hissing phrases, he unstopped the vial and let a small trickle of its contents fall onto his outstretched hand. A swirly mist, essence of the underworld that could only be obtained from a recently dead body spilt out, forming around his fingers as the command of the spell travelled through it. He waited a few moments, pulling his knife out from the sheath on the back of his boot. There wasnt anything overly sinister about the market, but even his necromancer senses lied sometims. And if a horrible death had taken place here, then the spirit he had just called would be twisted into an unrecognizable form, called a shade. If that happened...Hed have to be prepared, for Kage had no intention of having his life drained right then.
Ahh... A small voice cried out and Kage kneeled down by the small form, wincing slightly at the small child that appeared. This girl, no more than eight, she was the last to die?
M-Mandy? Kage stumbled over the strange name as it slipped into his head. Is that yuor name? He trusted his necro senses most of the time, but it didnt hurt to check.
I... Her misty eyes, wide with fear, focused on him, then glanced around frantically. Wheres Mommy? I was looking for her, then this scary animal attacked me and...
A rogue Genic? Kage asked in reply to her question, noticing the scars that marred her ghostly shape, then lowered his voice hurridly as a lone merchant stared at the leather clad man talking to thin air. Look, Mandy. If you do me a favour, Ill let you visit your mother again. It wont be for very long, since youre heading somewhere she cant follow, not yet at any rate, but you can see her.
O...Ok. The young ghost nodded her head, spectral pigtails bobbing, then cocked her head slightly. What can I do to help you? In reply, he outstretched his hand, then gestured for her to do the same. Misty fingers touched his, and he grimaced as the cold shot through his body, paling his skin even more than normal. Closing his eyes, he let his mind slip into hers, the cold of her ghostly presence surrounding him. The transfer complete, his body slumped back into the shadows, Mandy instinctively feeling him withing her own conciousness.
What now, Mr. Kage? she thought to him, feeling his name through the command link.
Head to that inn over there, he replied, flashing its image through her. Inside should be a young boy wearing an orange vest and a sword. Offer your assistance in whatever he is palanning to get the rest of us in there. Mandy nodded obligingly, walking straight through the door that Damien had left slightly ajar, then glided by the two deep in discussion over to Damiens hiding place.
Hullo Damien, she said cheerfully, sensing his name unconciously with her newfound ghost senses. Mr. Kage says Im sposed to help you, so here I am. Suddenly noticing the discussion going on, she lowered her voice, leaning in closer. Dont worry, she giggled, Youre the only one that can see of hear me. Mr. Kage made sure of that!

Damien jumped out of his skin and nearly cried out in supprise as the figure appeared next to him! His face went white and he stumbled backwards, hitting the floor with a BUMP. Fortunately the two sat at the table were so deep in discussion they didn't hear.

Damien began to scramble backwards along the floor, bumping into a bar stool as he did so. "Wh...wh...what...???" he kept muttering, not loud enough for the figures at the table to hear...

"You're funny!' Still giggling, Mandy observed Damien's fear with amusement. "I'm not gonna hurt you, ya know! I'm not a shade!" Seeing that she was confusing Damien even more with her necromancy terminology, Kage stepped in, speaking through her.
"Damien! Get ahold of yourself, unless you want those two to catch sight of you!" The girl's face twisted in Kage's customary scowl, and his much deeper voice came out of Mandy's mouth. Avoid using words he's unlikely to understand, he thought to her, showing the terms to avoid. Shade, Styx, spritualalsm...
Got it! she replied cheerfully, and he let her regain control.
"Mr. Kage is right," Mandy continued seriously. "We've gotta be quiet, and find a way to get the others into the inn. That's why we're here, right?" She flashed a little kid smile at him, hoping to banish some of Damien's fear.

Ren ducked another blow, and slammed an open palm into Kahn's chest. The attack seemed to bounce off of Kahn's muscles, but it did annoy him. He jumped back, and gathered energy for a new attack. "That's it! I'll show you what being the best is all about!"

With that, Kahn used his Ultimate Technique: Tiger Fist! Dashing forward, he let off an insane number of punches in a mere moment! Ren pulled up an Ice Barrier, and it absorbed most of the attack. But the Tiger Fist truly was powerful. The barrier shattered, and Ren was hit several times. Staggering back, Ren gasped for breath, several cuts and bruises now apparent. "Not bad. In fact, very impressive! Now try this!"

Ren continued the attack, taking advantage of the fact that Kahn was now tired from using the Tiger Fist.

Zeno nodded. "It sounds very good, Marlock. What sort of price are you asking?"

Marlock winked. "It depends: are you going to rent it, or buy it?"

EDIT OOC: I realize now I was tired and not thinking with this post, so I am editing in more now.

IC:

Zeno grabbed one of the bags, and lifted it onto the table. "To buy. I honestly doubt you'll have to opportunity to see it again."

A crash from upstairs caught everyone's attention. Zeno's ears twitched as she heard the sounds of the safety of guns being clicked. "Down!" She shouted as she lunged over the table at Marlock, knocking him to the floor.

By her actions, they were both out of the way of the spray of bullets then came through the ceiling! "Who would dare?!" Marlock shouted.

Zeno drew her Violet Blade. "Take the bags and get out of here! Deliver the machine to HQ. I'll take care of this."

Zeno rolled to the stairs, and began to run up them, dodging a second shotgun blast. Marlock didn't need to be told twice! He grabbed the several bags of money or goods next to the table (accidently leaving the one that had been set on top of the table!), threw them over his shoulder, and ran for the door!

A few moments later, the ceiling broke, and Zeno and two of the attackers fell through it! Damien caught sight of at least two more attackers upstairs, but they quickly started running for the stairs! With a swift motion, Zeno slammed her blade in the floorboards (Violet Death!), and an explosion shot out of the ground, throwing her current two opponents across the room!

In one decisive motion, Ren and Kahn lunged at each other. Ren dodged his first punch, and as he swung with his other fist, she kicked one leg up over her head (performing a splits-like function)! Her foot hit his head at the exact moment his fist hit hers! They both fell back, collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

It was about that time that Farris came walking up to the tavern. Sighing, he pulled out a medical kit, and began to tend to Ren's wounds, just as Marlock burst through the door! Marlock wasn't too surprised to see Kahn beaten up (seeing as how he had been attacked), but he was surprised to see who had done it! "Her? Mr. Farris, what happened here?"

Farris glanced up at him. "Mr. Marlock, a pleasure, as always. I hired her to be my bodyguard, and apparently, our bodyguards met. Thankfully, it looks like Kahn was tough enough that he didn't really get hurt."

Kahn was unconscious, but there were no bruises, cuts, blood, or other apparent injuries.

Marlock shrugged. "I guess this is how it goes, eh? I have to go now, but maybe we'll do business again, eh?"

Marlock winked to him, then slid all the bags to one shoulder as he picked up Kahn and tossed him over the other. With his load, which didn't seem to trouble him, Marlock took off at a jog, rapidly getting away from the new battlefield.

(OOC: Sorry for not posting in this for a bit. I'm afraid I've had a lot on irl, and I've had a bit of writer's block on this story...I wasn't sure where to go next I should have said something but with all the stress irl atm I kinda forgot...sorry.

Things have calmed down some now though, so I'll get back IC and make a post soon as. Sorry again for the pause...everyone was waiting on me weren't they )

EDIT IC:

Damien was paralised with fear! Just what was the apperition he saw in front on him? He thought he recognised the deeper voice as the man that the Suit had spoken too earlier, although he hadn't really payed much attention. But now, this girl, floating in front of him...

Then all hell broke loose as the bullets ripped through the roof and peppered the floor. Glasses behind the bar smashed, sending a rain of glass shards tinkling acros the bar and onto the floor. Fortunately Damien was far enough underneath the overhang of the bar to escape injury.

This was more than he bargined for! He wasn't planning on getting killed! He poked his head out from behind the bar, guaging the distance to the door, but it was too dangerous! No, the safest option would be to stay put and hide until everything settled down!

The girl was interestedly watching the events in the tavern unfold, a slight smile on her face. Damien felt a shivver run down his spine whenever he looked at her. Surely it couldn't be what he was thinking...!

"Why don't you make yourself useful and see who's up there?" he asked, more to get her ghostly form away from him than for any real interest...

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp A very vile oath came from the ghost as the attackers fell from the ceiling, sounding not at all like the young girl. She seemed just as surprised by it as any onlookers would be, and exclaimed in an incredulous voice,
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp "Mr. Kage, WHAT did you say?" He chose not to reply to her, instead watching the vicious battle through her eyes. Oh, ok! She heard Damiens suggestion behind her, and turned to her invisible summoner eagerly. Can we go see? Please? But he was lost in his own musings.
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Hmph, what's their motive in attacking the Ranger captain?
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp "The captain? Really?" Mandy squealed, unaware that she was carrying on a conversation that only she could hear. "I wanna see!" Standing up, she ran forward into the fray, seemingly unbothered by the fight going on mere inches from her.
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Mandy! I can only shield you so much, and surrounded by so much magic, even that becomes shaky. Go back to Damien.
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp "You're right, she does look pretty important." The young ghost peered at Zeno, deciding to ignore her summoner. "Hey look! That guy left one of his bags behind! Sighing softly, Kage braced himself against the childish chatter, knowing that he couldnt order around a child using the command link unless they wished to be controlled, which children seldom did.
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Why dont you be useful, and go get it then? he told her, exasperation filtering through his thoughts. Instead of standing there and gawking in the middle of the battle like that. If youre not careful, the barrier will... He trailed off as with a soft hiss, the shield fizzled out, revealing the beaming, pearly-white girl in the middle of the tavern floor. ...Fail! Mandy, get out of there, NOW!

The attackers and Captain Zeno were surprised to see a girl appear suddenly! One of the attackers who had just ran down the stairs screamed in surprise, and fired a blast from his shotgun right at her! By instinct, Zeno jumped in the way, blocking the barrage of bullets! She gasped in pain. Her Ranger Suit protected her from most of the damage, but blood spots began to appear. Now surrounded by the four attackers, 2 of them with shotguns, 1 with a sword, and 1 with a sword and a shotgun, Zeno held up her sword in one hand and its' sheath in the other (for it, too, was a blade!). "Do you know who you're attacking?"

The leader of the attackers, the one with both the shotgun and the sword, spoke. "Of course."

"Then you know you can't win."

The leader laughed. "Of course. But we're not here to win. We're here for your head."

"My head? Who would dare?"

"Somebody who hired the Dark Rangers, for another task. Aside from that, I don't know. I just thought you'd like to know, before we killed you."

Zeno's eyes widened, and her body stiffened in surprise at the mention of the Dark Rangers. "I appreciate the sentiments. Will you give me your names, so that if this goes badly, I can write them down on your tombstones?"

The leader laughed again. "Nope. Just know that we are jealous Low-D's who were given an opportunity. Who knows, once we're done here, we might join up with Trinity!"

Zeno had been stalling as much as she could, because she knew some help would be forthcoming.

Ren slid back into consciousness as a smelling salt was put in front of her nose. Her eyes met Farris', and he pulled the salt away and set it back in the medical kit. "You're not supposed to get beat up before we leave on the mission, silly! Now try to get up, toughest bodyguard of them all, we got trouble!"

Farris tried to be quiet as he made his way to the window. He drew his pistol, and peeked inside, watching Zeno face off against the attackers. "Man, I'm gonna have to do something, but I'm not trained for this kinda stuff! Maybe I can take one out..."

Big names...big faces...

Big trouble!

Not for him. Damien had been uncertain when he had agreed to get into this mess, and now he was officially convinced it was a major mistake!

So why was he suddenly compelled to draw his sword and jump out from his hiding place, shouting: "You won't kill her!!!"???

Maybe it was sheer panic clouding his judgement and making him do insane things. Maybe it was the thought of more money possibly being offered as a reward...

At any rate, it was too late to turn back now!

He lunged towards the figure at the bottom of the stairs, who happened to be closest to him, shouting a war cry and flailing his sword wildly around. He was completely hopeless with it, but the shock and supprise of his entry allowed him to actually injure the man in a few places before he could react...

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Mandy screamed as the bullets moved towards her, then stared in surprise as the Ranger captain jumped in front.
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp "Why..." she whispered, then was interrupted by Kage.
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp If you don't know how to fight, get out of there and give me back my body! She complied quietly, running out the door and leaving the battle behind.
"Thank you." He sat up gingerly, rubbing the feeling back into his cold hands. Inhabiting a spirit did that to you, made you feel like you'd never be warm again. But it would come back. He'd done it to many times to be doubtful.
"Do you want me to do anything else? Mandy asked, looking at him with an unreadable expression.
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp No, I believe I can manage fine now, he replied, preparing the spell that would send her back to her mother briefly. You can go now.
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp C-can I stay, for a little while at least? Kage started at the unexpected request, ending the spell quickly. I just, sorta wanna know what happens, with the fight and all.
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Hopefully we win, he replied drily, then nodded his head. Alright. I suppose you wont be too much of a burden...
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp You dont need to protect me, she said seriously. Cause Im already dead; thats why I can walk thorugh things and sense peoples names and stuff.
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp You;re very perceptive, Kage replied softly, a small smile touching his lips. For once, it was reflected in his eyes. Very well. Lets go.
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp He strode to the door, Mandy floating quietly at his side. Finding Farris with a gun in hand, he squeezed his shoulder and leant over, hissing in the older mans ear.
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Nice inn you picked here. How you planning to do a briefing in the midst of this? Pulling the dagger out of the sheath on the back of his boot, he stepped in, surveying the fight with grim humour as Mandy drew back from the flashing steel slightly.
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Who wants to taste silver first? he whispered softly, carressing the bone handle gently.

OOC: Hee hee, now we get to beat some guys into the dirt! Booyah, let's go! ^^

The shotgun-wielder Damien attacked staggered back, giving him some room. He hadn't been hurt badly, but it was a bother to be bleeding. The man almost laughed when he saw he'd been attacked by an inexperienced kid! He held up his shotgun, aimed it at Damien's head, and...nothing? The attacker looked over his gun in surprise! "That kid destroyed the trigger mechanism when I used the gun to block!" With his weapon damaged, he had to rely on his skill! He began to use his shotgun as a staff, blocking Damien's random attacks, waiting for an opening.

The sudden appearance of the boy, plus Kage entering the room with the vanishing girl, surprised the attackers enough to prevent them from countering effectively. Farris rolled in past Kage, and fired a round at the other shotgun-user. "All coincidence, friend," Farris said to Kage. The bullet grazed the attacker's arm, shocking him enough to lose his grip. This opening was enough for Kage to get in close. The attacker blocked the knife with his shotgun, and the knife punctured the shotgun's barrel, making it dangerous to use, so he engaged him in close-combat like his ally. Farris rushed forward and attacked from a different angle, helping Kage out.

Zeno charged the leader, the one with both the sword and the shotgun, but the attacker with the sword got in the way and defended. The leader had a sly smile as he aimed his shotgun at Zeno...

A Ranger crashed through a window, rolled rapidly to the leader, and stabbed him through the leg with his fancing sword! The leader dropped his shotgun, and swung his blade down as he cried out in pain, but the Ranger had already moved out of the way. The Ranger and Captain Zeno backed up, and faced the two sword users together. Zeno smiled. "Nice timing, Bosch!"

The dashing blond-haired boy, definitely younger than Damien, smiled back. "What can I say? I'm just that good!"

Farris glanced over at Damien. He seemed to be having some trouble, so Farris fired a bullet across the room. The bullet slammed into the wall right in front of Damien's opponent! He was so startled by that sudden near-miss, that Damien got a clean attack in! Damien swung with all his might, and the flat-edge of his sword slammed the face of his enemy! The opponent looked dazed for a moment, then crumpled to the floor.

By that time Kage had gotten the upper hand. In one swift motion, he plunged his dagger into the shotgun again, and pulled the man, still clinging to his weapon, to him. As the man stumbled forward, Kage lifted his foot and kicked the opponent soundly in the face! He, too, crumpled to the floor.

Ren stepped in the room in time to see Zeno and Bosch disarm and knock out their opponents. Everyone still up and about in the room looked at each other. Farris and Zeno faced each other. "Captain Zeno, fancy meeting you here."

Zeno sheathed her sword, and set it back on her belt. "Mr. Farris. Good fortune you and these others showed up."

Farris set his gun back in his suit. "Yeah, I just hired them to help me get back up to High Sector, what with the Rangers being so busy now."

Zeno nodded. "That makes sense, with the trains out." She gestured to Bosch, who stepped up next to her. "This is Bosch 1/64, my unit's 'Golden Boy', and a prodigy among the Rangers. Bosch, meet Farris 1/144, who works for Power One."

The two shook hands. "Bosch 1/64! Amazing! It is an honor, sir!"

Bosch had a casual smile on his face. "Also an honor for me, to meet somebody else who's earned Captain Zeno's respect."

Zeno glanced around at the unconscious opponents, then looked back at Farris. "I'm sure you met Mr. Marlock on his way out. I needed his assistance for a problem we have..."

Farris raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Besides the trains being out, and rogue genics, and Trinity lurking, there's another problem?"

Zeno laughed at the irony. "Yes." She became very serious. "Bosch's partner, Ryu 1/8192, was caught in that Trinity attack. We found out very recently that he not only survived, but is allied with a Trinity Agent! They have a girl as a hostage, and have a very powerful weapon. They are intent upon heading up, to High Sector. Anyway, we will stop them. I haven't had to deal with a Rogue Ranger before, but as you could tell by his D-ratio, he's the lowest rank a Ranger can be. But that weapon's power is amazing, and that Trinity agent is skilled, so that is why I just bought a weapon of our own."

Farris had an odd smile. "Well, I guess we all have our jobs to do, Captain. You've got your hands full, and we've got to get going. It's been a pleasure meeting both of you."

Zeno and Bosch nodded, and gathered up the attackers. Bosch said to Zeno on the way out, "come on, we've got to get you patched up! You've got to be in good shape before the ambush!"

Ren smiled as she held the door open for them. Once the Rangers had gone, Ren looked around at the crew. "Well, that was an exciting start!"

Farris sighed, as he stepped outside and dragged his container inside. "Yes, that was. Now then, Before we get going, we should introduce ourselves properly. Once we've done that, I'll tell you everything you need to know before we head on out. I'm Farris, worker of Power One."

Ren leaned against the wall near the door, rubbing a bruised shoulder. "I'm Ren, currently...unemployed. I'm preparing to take the Ranger entrance exam, though! To get by, I do odd jobs for people all over the Borough."

OOC: If any of that's inapropriate, lemme know and I can change things, if need be. Sorry for running through the fight like that, without letting you get much in, but this is what I thought was prudent.

If it was confusing, lemme know and I'll clarify.

Oh, also, Bosch 1/64 is a High-D, and he is an aristocrat. He is in Low Sector to work as a Ranger. He is 16 years old now, and all he needs is time and accomplishments to become one of the most powerful and prominent figures in High Sector!

On a further side note, Ryu 1/8192 is also 16, and he has the lowest D-ratio of anyone! Even someone with a D-ratio in the 1/4000's has little, if any, hope of ever progressing.

Just thought I ought to mention Bosch and his (former) partner in a little more detail.

"Damien, and that punch-up seriously freaked me out!" exclaimed Damien as he stepped forward. He ran a hand through his matted hair, pulling it out forwards again when it got stook at a tangle. He looked down at the ornately decorated sword in his hand. It was still in beutiful condition...the blade wasn't scratched or dirtied in any way by use.

Carefully he replaced it on his belt. "What was all that about, and what the HEY was that little girl thing???"

"I am NOT a little girl thing!" Mandy sulked, sticking out her lip. Floating forwards, she stared Damien squarely in the eye. "Just because I'm dead doesn't mean you can be mean to me!"
"I'm sure Damien meant no respect," Kage interupted smoothly, shooting a meaningful glance at him. "Mandy here was my spirit assistant in the fight back there. I will send her back in a moment, when this briefing is done." Looking around at the others, he sighed softly. "And I suppose you want to know my name...I am Kage. That's all I will tell you, and all you'll ever need to know." Lifting out his vial, he examined its contents with a critical eye. "Although, I really wish you'd have let me kill one of them, so I could stock up..."

Farris glanced at Kage. "Necromancer. I thought they were only rumors, but I guess not."

He turned to face Damien. "Most of what just went on doesn't concern us. If we pick our path to High Sector carefully, we won't run into the Rogue Ranger, so let's leave the Ranger Captain to her business."

Ren waltzed over to the bar area, and began looking for a drink. She commented aloud, "it couldn't all have been bad luck, though; you guys were able to help Captain Zeno out." She found a bottle of brandy, and began examining it.

Farris pulled out his gun and aimed it at the bottle. "Ren, I'd like it if we were all sober for this mission."

Ren made a face, then slid the bottle into a belt pouch, as Farris withdrew his weapon. "I don't mean to be picky, but this is important to me. And my company."

Farris faced Kage. "The fate of the people we fought was up to the Rangers, and they made their choice. Besides...I think Death will be easy to find."

Farris cleared his throat, preparing himself for the briefing. "Right, well, there's a few things you all should know before we go."

"First, we will be going through dangerous territory. We will definitely encounter Rogue Genics, and there's the possibility of meeting Trinity Agents. I hope we'll be able to talk our way out of a conflict with Trinity."

"Second, your job as bodyguards is to protect me, but even more importantly, you are to protect the container."

"About the container...it is protected with the best security I know of. Specific passcodes must be given before it can be opened, and I don't have all of them. It is reinforced with a powerful metal alloy, so even a grenade would have trouble denting it. Also, it cannot get any more than 10 meters away from me." He pulled up his right sleeve, revealing a metal band on his wrist. "This device is the last security measure I know about. If I die, it will cause the container to explode. If either are damaged too much, they'll both explode. If I get too far away, those 10 meters I mentioned, they will both explode."

He slid his suit sleeve back over the wrist device. "Third, we have to move as quickly as possible with this container. If I don't reach specific checkpoints by specific times, it will explode."

Farris nodded encouragingly. "That all being said, I don't expect this to be particularly difficult. You knowing all of this just helps to prevent any accidents. I'll carry the container, and you protect me. So, shall we get moving?"

"Heh." Kage scruntinized Farris carefully, eyes a cold mirror. "You seem quite confident for someone who just listed over three different ways they can explode." Turning to Mandy, he held out his hand. "I'm freeing yuo from yuor pact with me. You can go see yuor mother now."
"Thank you Mr. Kage!" she squealed, beaming up at him. "You're being so nice to me, and I'll never forget you!" He smiled softly, then pressed a thin silver coin into her hand.
"You'll be able to stay with your mother for one night. After that, the Gates will open for you, and you'll have to pass through them. When yuo enter Death, simply keep walking until you reach Styx. It's a huge river, so you can't miss it. Are you following?" She nodded and he continued, ignoring the others for the moment. "Alright. You can use this coin as payment for your journey, as long as you remember one thing. Don't pay the ferryman until he gets you to the other side! Or you'll be stranded on the banks forever, unless you can get another coin."
I won't forget," she replied seriously. "Good bye, and thank you again!" With a final wave, she disappeared. Kage stared after for a secong, then turned back to his employer.
"Where next?" he asked, eyes gleaming coldly.

OOC: And the journey begins, just as I got to camp! *sigh*I'm gonna be gone and computerless all week, so you can be guaranteed no posts from me. So do whatever you have to to keep Kage in the story please, just nothing too drastic, k? Be back later! ^^

Damien had recoiled in terror as the little girl had spoken up at him, and now he was stood staring wide eyed as she slowly dissapeared. He stayed parilysed for a moment, before dragging his eyes away from the spot on the floor where she had been standing, looking up at Farris.

"Dang, you never said anythin' about explosions!" he muttered, finding his voice. "This sounds dangerous!"

Farris met his gaze. "It should be relatively easy." he replied calmly.

Damien put on a half-smile, a glint coming into his eye. He decided to try his luck. "Yeah but it may require a little more payment...y'know what I mean? Danger money, kinda thing..."

OOC: Thanks for informing us, trueblue15. I'll be sure to remember your char. Have fun (thought you'll read this when you get back, lol)!

IC:

Ren slinked over, sat down next to Damien, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. She put on a big grin. "Now that's what I like to hear! More money!"

Farris sighed. "We should negotiate when this is all over with. The more trouble there is, the more you'll get paid. But I don't have more than a handful on me, so you'll have to wait either way." Farris glanced at the wrist bomb again. "And this thing, I've gotten used to. This isn't the first time I've had to do this, it's just the first time I've had a problem getting back up. After the first four or five times, you get used to the idea of blowing up. Besides, only if you're standing right next to me will you be in any danger. I'll let you know when we're running out of time, but thankfully they were pretty liberal with the time limits, so I really have no reason to worry." He looked back at them. "As I said before, I promise you will get paid more than you can get down here. And, as to where we're going...we are going to go to the Low Sector Train Station, and get permission to use the older subway tunnels."

Damien nodded slowly. "Alright." he muttered, then his eyes narrowed.

"But you'd better pay us! I ain't goin' all that way then you not give us peanuts!"

Farris smiled and chuckled. "Don't worry, I promise you'll get paid."

Farris glanced over at the table. Ren was already over there, investigating. "Good grief, she moves fast!"

Ren shoved part of the damaged table out of the way, revealing the bag that was left behind! She pulled it off the floor, setting it on the table, and opened it. "Huh, that's funny."

The others gathered around. The bag held nothing but sand. "Zeno was paying Marlock with sand?" Farris asked.

Ren began sorting a hand through it. "Seems unlikely. The Rangers are honorable, and they may have deliberately left it behind. Maybe to prevent thievery?"

Ren made a startled noise, and her hand stopped! Kage leaned forward, interest in his voice. "What happened?"

"I found something hidden in here!"

Ren pulled it out. A key chain, with something on it! At first, it was unidentifiable. It was some sort of red crystal, attached to the key chain by a metal holder, and it fit easily into the palm of a hand. Also attached to the keychain was a letter. Ren glanced at the letter, then handed the whole thing to Farris. "It's for you, I guess."

Farris read aloud, "'Mr. Farris, I was informed of your coming and your mission, and prepared this for you. You will need the crystal, it is a key. Best of luck - Captain Zeno.' Well, blimey! Not just coincidence after all, somehow."

Farris pocketed the letter and crystal key. "Well, then, let's get a move on!"

While Farris had been reading, Damien had begun rooting through the sand in the bag himself, hoping to find something of valuse hidden along with the..."key"...thing...that Ren had found, but he sighed in dissapointment as his search turned up nothing.

Hearing Farris' words, he stood up and sauntered casually up to the man, a broad grin on his dirty face. "After you, mister!"

OOC: Back, just in time for this to start up! What coincidence. ^^

IC:

Kage watched Damien root through the bag, face expressionless of emotion. Behind his mask, he wasn't sure what had won out: disgust or pity. Disgust at how low the world had let this boy sink, for him to be so desperate for anything of value besides the sword at his side, and pity for Damien who had to live in such poverty. At least, after playing with death, the path seemed much less frightening to Kage. He could almost picture himself walking those lifeless banks, offering his own coin to the ferryman and being shipped off down the immensely black river...Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts aside. Although slightly better off than Damien, Kage had little to brag about. A run-down shack to call home, a few coins, most of them necromatic and worth nothing in the living world, his vial of spiritualsm and the clothes on his own back. Yes...If they actually managed to complete the strange tasks that Farris asked of them, they'd all be better off...
"Lead on," he whispered softly after Damien's exclamation, the corners of his lips twitching slightly. "That way we can be a distance away from you if you decide to explode unexpectedly."

OOC: Lotsa RL stuff going on. I hope to get some more free time soon, but I can't say for sure. I'll try to move this along more frequently.

Oh, and wb.

IC:

It did not take long to walk to the Train Station. As before, there were guards to let people know about the destroyed train tracks. Farris found the one he had talked to earlier, and got permission to use the old subway system. The guard directed him to a tunnel, commenting, "just be careful, rogue genics make it almost impossible to move around there anymore without a fight."

Farris nodded. "I understand. Thank you for the warning."

The group walked past the guards, and stepped down into the tracks. The tunnel ahead was dark, and Farris raised the hand that wasn't pulling the container. He activated his Hand of Light, and a greenish light began to shine from his hand, like a torch. Ren took point, and Damien and Kage stood to the sides of Farris and his container in a defensive position.

The ground was varied, between old wooden tracks, dirt, and cement. It was very claustrophobic here, and even with the light it was hard to see very far. The sound of dripping water somewhere in the distance reached their ears...and the sound of something moving. It was impossible to see around the sharp corners, and the path branched off several different ways, maze-like.

Farris seemed to know where he was going, pointing out the direction to Ren at every intersection. All of a sudden, something big and round fell from the ceiling! It hit Ren's shoulder, and after she let out a little scream, they both fell to the floor! The group tensed, hands going for weapons!

The thing that had attacked Ren wriggled and squirmed on the floor. It looked like a bloated football, and it was some kind of giant worm. Half of it was colored blue, half a pale pink. Ren laughed, and picked it up. Standing, she pointed out several more sticking to the ceiling! "Who knew Hychee tried to attack you?"

Farris looked puzzled, but relaxed. Hychee were a Genic designed specifically for food...as in, to be eaten. "I wonder how they got out here?"

Ren shrugged, and took a bite out of the Hychee in her hand. With her mouth full, she commented, "hey, they taste pretty good raw! Doesn't compare to when they're cooked, but it'll do if you're hungry."

Farris shuddered as she took another bite. He knew they had no pain receptors, and were a very nutritous, high-protein food, but it still bothered him. "Right, well let's keep moving."

The group continued to walk, Ren eating the Hychee like a cookie! As the others fell around them, they avoided them and set them to the sides, out of the path of the container.

Damien drew his sword, and as he walked he began playfully swiping at the sluglike figures around them, tearing gashes into their skin.

Farris looked down at him a little uneasily. "Do you have to do that?"

Damien looked round, raising his eyebrows. "Just havin' a bit of fun man! Gees...you ain't very friendly sometimes!"

"I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry." replied Farris. "I just..." he tailed off, looking down at the Hychee as they walked past. "That's a very impressive sword!" he continued, changing the subject. "Where'd you get it?"

Damien's face creased into a massive grin and he held the sword up in front of him, the gold and gems glittering in the dim light. "From my parents." he replied. "I took it to get back at 'em."

"Get back at them?"

"Yeah." Damien started swinging the sword around playfully, pretending he was fighting off armies. "They both suits like you...whole family is, an' they got loads of money, but when I wuz born they said I was "a disgrace to the family" becuz of my low potential, so they turfed me out."

"They what???" asked Ran in supprise, looking round.

"They threw me out on the street, told me not to come back." continued Damien. "But I got the last laugh. Before they got rid of me I took this sword...their family heirloom. It's their most treasured possesion, and I nicked it from 'em!" he grinned proudly. "That taught 'em not to mess with me! I came an' hid down here after that, an' I lived here ever since."

Ren shook her head. She had heard of that sort of thing happening, of Low-D's being born to High-D's and getting tossed to Low Sector, but it was not too common, and she had never met anyone before who that had happened to! "Well, shucks, that's too bad." Her casual grin formed back on her face. "Good thing you got something to show for your trouble!"

Farris rolled his eyes. "Irresponsible kids!" Still, he couldn't do anything about the behavior, no matter how unappealing it was to him. A glance at Kage's face told him that his thoughts weren't much different.

The group had passed the Hychee area, and the Genics began to crawl back of to the ceiling.

Farris had hired his team, and they had freedom. He couldn't control them. Nor did he presume to force his High-D concepts on Low-D's, who often lived in conditions he could barely fathom. He couldn't help but think that maybe he knew Damien's family. He made a mental note to himself to check it out later.

Ren's ears twitched, and she held up a hand, motion for the group to stop. She silently inched forward. The corridor they were in had a turn to the left in it, and they couldn't see around the corner, so Ren must have heard something they couldn't. She peeked around the corner, then motioned the others to come closer, but quietly. They did so, and all had a look around the corner.

This particular corridor had several piles of junk in it, and they were crouching behind one of them. In the corridor, which went on as far as the eye could see, and then turned to the right, there were several Genics.

All of them recognized the Genics at once. Dukes. A Duke was distinctly humanoid, though shorter than a human, with a broader body, a hunched over and bulldog-like appearance, though covered in red scales and not fur. Big yellow eyes glowed slightly in the dim light, over a heavy-set jaw, lined with fangs. Short ears poked up from the top of the flat head, and twitched slightly as they moved.

Dukes were one of the first Genics ever made, and were designed to be worker Genics, with a basic intelligence, though no real ability to communicate above grunts. Their job was to do the dirty work no one else wanted to do, and they were pretty good at it. But a lack of supervision contributed to them eventually going Rogue, and there are only a handful left that aren't Rogue. They were intelligent enough to band together for survival, and even create makeshift weapons and armor! They even managed to invent crossbows! Their hides were already tough, but they seemed to instinctively know they needed more protection. They work pretty well in groups.

Four Dukes were rooting through the pile of junk in the center of the corridor, gathering pieces of machinery and other junk that might be useful. These four had little armor, at most bits of metal tied up by string. They each had a club-like weapon nearby, whether a piece of wood or metal.

Two more were at the far end of the hall, keeping watch, and a third was watching the other end (the end near Farris' group). These ones had a couple decent pieces of body armor, helmets, and crossbows. Their keen eyes pierced the darkness, but the one near them hadn't noticed them.

There was one more, taking a nap not far from the workers. This Duke was huge, more than twice the size of the others! It's body was covered in thick metal armor, down to it's clawed feet! It didn't have a helmet, but at it's side was a huge axe!

Farris' group took a few steps back around the corner, and huddled. Farris asked, "so...anyone got any bright ideas?"

Kage crossed his arms, leaning against the tunnel wall slightly.
"I suppose that's the way we have to go...?" He sighed at the others' expressions, taking them as an affirmative answer. "All I can say is: keep your wits about you! I sense death on them..." An unnerving thought crossed his mind as he remembered the numbing cold that surrounded the Genics' weapons. Some of it was too weak to be a human life, probably nothing more than a stray rat, but that big one's axe...Had it been Mandy on the end of that weapon? What would it do to them...

OOC: Meh, short post...Ah well. Better than nothing! =D

"I can get past with my stealth, but I dunno about you guys." said Damien.

"We'll have to fight." muttered Kage quietly.

Damien's face became a mask of horror. "Now hang on a mo! Fight them??? You gotta be kiddin'!!!"

"Keep your voice down!" replied Farris quickly. "And he's right, there aren't any other ways round."

"No matter what money you're offerin', there ain't enough to pay for that!" retorted Damien, staring at him wide-eyed.

Farris sighed. "I told you you would be a bodyguard! What did you expect?"

"I expected followin' you an' protectin' you, not getting myself killed!"

"I have no intention of anyone dying, that's why I said "anyone got any bright ideas" so we could get past them safely!"

Damien looked back at the creatures ahead. "Well whatever you plan it'd better be good!" he muttered.

Ren had been posing thoughtfully for the brief conversation. "I could boost us, so that we could move really fast and slip right by the..."

Farris shook his head and gestured to the container. "Even with super speed, I can't get this by them without them noticing."

"Hmm, yeah, and I can only boost one person at a time. And there's definitely no other way around?"

"This is the shortest way. There is another path, but it could take hours, and there could be dozens more Rogue Genics. This is the best way to go."

Ren nodded. "Then I think I have a plan. Damien, you'll slip past them, then toss a rock or something to get their attention-"

Damien's eyebrows shot up. "That don't sound safe either!"

"Lemme finish. You'll stay hidden and out of sight, trying to get them to move closer to you. I'll set up three magic traps, and when they move to investigate, they'll trigger them. The resulting explosion should take out a few of them. Then, Kage, Farris and I will attack them from this side, and if there's an opening, Damien will attack, too."

Farris rubbed his chin. "Sounds pretty good. Probably the best we can do. What about the big one?"

Ren's casual smile came back to her face. "Maybe he won't wake up."

"...um..."

Ren winked. "We'll cross that bridge if we have to. Besides, you got any brighter ideas?"

Farris shrugged. "I guess not."

Ren put her hands together, in concentration. "Right, I'm making the traps now. I can't control them - they have to be activated by somebody stepping on them, so I won't finish them until you're on the other side, Damien. Only I can see them, just so you know. But in case one doesn't go off, I'll dispel it before we rush them. Everyone ready?"

"You gotta be...!" Damien's voice petered out as all three turned to look at him.

"Okay, okay!" he retorted eventually. "But it's REALLY gonna take a lot of money!"

Stepping forward, he focused his mind again, shifting the dim light in the tunnel around his body. His figure blurred, then vanished altogether.

He could keep his stealth up for quite a while, but it did take energy, and if he was exerting himself at the same time it would drain him quite quickly. As it happened though, he had no trouble keeping it up while he quickly jogged down the corrigor past the Genics.

They didn't notice a thing, and as he rounded the next corner he dropped his stealth again. Well that went well.

But now came the hard part! Slowly, apprehensivley, he looked around for something to throw. He spotted a large chunk of rock on the floor and picked it up, moving up to the junction he had just passed. It was a T shaped junction, with the corridor he was now in the cross bar of the T, and he decided to throw the rock over to the other side of the junction, hoping the creatures around the corner would hear the noise over there and look that way not towards him.

Holding his breath, he launched the stone...

Tak, tak, tak.

The stone bounced on top of a pile of junk, then bounced against the wall and to the floor. The sound echoed through the tunnels. The Dukes turned, and at the prospect of an intruder, they all drew their weapons and headed that way. The one near Farris and his group turned his back to them, facing the noise.

Ren had a confident smile on her face, as she watched them move. "Almost...just a little more...there!"

BOOM! Three consecutive explosions blasted out, and they seemed to briefly fill the entire corridor! When the blast faded, the Dukes were in confusion, communicating and yelling back and forth in their unintelligable language of grunts! One of the two crossbow Dukes near Damien was toast, and while all four of the workers had been burned, only one had been finished off. Out of eight, that left five confused Dukes and one sleeping one. Amazingly enough, the giant one was still sleeping!

Seizing the opportunity, Farris led the attack by stepping into the corridor, taking cover behind the pile of junk, and firing bullets at the workers! Kage leapt over the junk pile, and stabbed the nearest crossbow Duke until he fell. Ren also leaped over the junk pile, and flung a dagger out, stabbing a worker in the back, but only making him angry. Then, Ren used her fists and engaged in melee with the workers! Her speed came in handy here, though she was forced to use her arms to block several blows from clubs. Farris had injured most of the workers with his volley of bullets, but suddenly his gun went click! "Outta ammo!"

As Farris fumbled to change clips, the Duke near Damien took aim with his crossbow - at Farris! Being distracted, Farris was a clear shot! The Duke made sure to aim for his heart, which would take just a moment longer...

"That's my pleasure!" Speaking in the hissing language of necromancy, Kage summoned a few jagged bones, shooting them towards the crossbow Duke with a wave of his hand. It grunted and lost its aim, making the arrow go stray. Smiling bitterly, Kage turned to face the next onrush, flicking his long dagger quickly at the club-bearing Duke. Blocking a swing, he swung in the knife with all his strength at the sudden opening. Hit! He grabbed the falling body, then pulled the vial out of his belt with his knife hand. The weapon fewll to the ground, but he knew its location and didn't worry about it. Uncapping the vial with his thumb, he held it over the fatal wound, then watched in satisfaction as swirling mist filled the container, giving off the numbing cold that only Death can possess.

"Perhaps this trip may be worth more than coin," he whispered, prepared to cap the vial and grab his knife at an moment.

Damien had drawn his sword and was making a big show of flailing about with it and making a lot of grunting and shouting noises. He hoped that in the heat of battle the others wouldn't notice that in reality he wasn't actually anywhere near the Dukes. The things scared him to death, and he certainly did not intend to die today!

He swung the sword in a particularly large and powerful arc, knocking himself off balance with the movement and making him stagger sideways and bang his shoulder on the wall of the tunnel. He let out a sharp cry of pain, gritting his teeth and rubbing his shoulder with his other hand.

One of the genics, attracted by his shout, turned to face him.

Damien's eyes widened. "Uh oh...!"

The creature let out a roar and charged at him full speed, teeth bared! Damien let out a petrified scream and turned to run, but he lost his footing on a loose stone on the floor of the tunnel and went sprawling, landing with his sword arm underneath him and the sword sticking up by his side. The Duke lunged at him menacingly...!

Damien opened his eyes again after a moment, looking round. The creature had lunged towards him and ended up impaling itself on his upturned sword! For a moment he just lay there staring at the mass on top of him, then, he promptly fainted in shock...

OOC: Apologies for the absence, my schedule has been murder. Now that my schedule has become stable, I will usually be able to check/post only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I'll try to find time to move this forward faster than that, as it could easily be a very fast RP, but we'll just see how it works out.

I'll edit an IC part in later.

EDIT: I guess now is later. ;p

IC:

Farris clicked the extra clip into place, and looked up in time to see Ren put a dagger in the last Duke's throat. He had an uneasy expression as he put his gun away. "Is everyone okay?"

"Unharmed," Kage replied.

Ren retrieved her daggers, and glanced at her new collection of cuts and bruises. "Okay, I guess."

From beneath the Duke he had finished off, Damien called out, "uh, some help here guys?"

As Ren lifted the body, tossed it to the side, and helped Damien to his feet, Farris grabbed the container and started walking through the hall. "Good work! You must all have a lucky streak."

Kage gestured to the giant Duke, who was still sleeping, amazingly enough! "What about this one?"

Farris walked by, shrugging. "I see no reason to kill it. Let's move on."

Ren glanced uneasily at it, then took point again. "You're the boss."

The group moved on again. The halls seemed eerily quiet now, and even the distant sound of dripping water seemed fainter. No other incidents occured for the next ten minutes. Then, they reached a door. There was a ID card reader next to it. Above the door was the label and logo of BioCorp. Farris stepped up to the door. "This is an outer-storage area for BioCorp. Through here, there is a lift that should get us pretty close to Mid Sector. From there, we just have to link up with the Main Lift, and that will be that."

Ren tossed a sideways glance at him. "You make it sound like a walk to grandmother's house. We can't even open this door, can we?"

Farris pulled out a card, and ran it through the reader. The door slid open. "True, that was the ideal situation. As for this door, I have connections. There's shouldn't be any Genics in here, though this is an old section, so let's be careful."

A Trinity Agent entered the office, and saluted to the person sitting at the desk. "Mabeth, Lin is on her way here!"

Mabeth put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "She succeeded?"

"Sort of. With the help of a Ranger, Ryu 1/8192, she escaped a Ranger attack squad."

"A Renegade, then."

A second Trinity Agent entered the office, and saluted to Mabeth. "Sir! I'm here to report a delivery of the 'Soulus' experiment!"

"No...what's the current status?"

"The damage done to the railway has prevented them from having an easy ride on the Main Lift, but with the help of hired Low-D's, they are making their way through the abandoned subways. They are just now entering that section of BioCorp."

Mabeth stood up. "We have no choice. We must stop the delivery. Since Lin is not back yet, and many of our agents are still out on missions, I am assigning the two of you to this new situation. You will divert their path and lead them into an ambush, which will be manned by other agents as they return. We must not allow the experiment to get through! Move with haste and God's blessing, my friends."

The two Agents saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Only Farris had ever been inside BioCorp before. This wasn't their main building, but the arcitecture was much the same. The tiled floors and ceiling, with white and light green being the most common colors, reminded them of a hospital. This passage they were going down seemed to be a collection of long halls with abandoned rooms. There was still some lab equipment in some of the rooms, but most everything was broken or unusable. Of the most note were broken glass containers, which must at one time have held Genics...or other experiments. The first one Ren walked by, she shuddered. "...this place gives me the creeps, Farris. Let's hurry."

Kage was not surprised to sense death, very old, but still strong. The life forces involved here must have been powerful, or else there must have been a lot of them. Maybe this would be a good place to study, when he had more time... "...hmm..."

Farris nodded, and picked up the pace. "I hear ya." He guided the container around some empty storage boxes. "It should just be through the door at the end of the hall."

They reached the door, and it slid open as they got near, its motion sensors still active. As they entered the next room, they saw it was huge, a relief from the claustrophobic tunnels they had just been going through. This room was more cave-like, with them walking on a ramp above a dirt-covered floor. Throughout the room, there were quite a few tiny glowing insects, which illuminated the area nicely. The ramp continued on straight, to near the end of the room, and then it turned to the left, ending in another door.

As they moved forward, Damien was the first to see it. "WOAH!"

The others jumped at the sudden noise, then looked up, following Damien's gaze. On the wall in front of them was a huge skeletal lizard-like beast, with great wings spread out. Dried and withered scales still held molding organs, intermingled with the bones. Whatever it had been, it was big, and resembled a dragon, from legends. Keeping it on the wall were a variety of weapons, but most notably were giant wooden stakes, impaling it through various parts. Even the massive weight it must have had wasn't enough to break free of them.

Farris stared up in awe. "Th...there's no Genic on record that large..."

Kage felt a very, very large power in this corpse. Some part of it was still alive. Did it just move? No...it had been his imagination...right?

"That is so awesome!!!" exclaimed Damien, staring at the object wide-eyed. "I want a souvenier!" He darted to the edge of the gantry and quickly clambered up onto one of the huge wodden stakes, sitting astride it and shimmying along until he was right next to the body.

Kage had tried to grab him as he moved, but he hadn't quite been quick enough. Now he stood staring at the figure, a worried look on his face. "Damien, get back here!"

"One sec." replied the teen, pulling out his sword and carefully scraping away at the corpse's back, uncovering one of the massive pointed wing bones underneath the old, leathery skin. The skin removed, he began carefully cutting the tendons keeping the bone attached to the skelleton, working the bone free.

Farris noticed Kage seemed on edge. "What's wrong?"

Kage spoke again. "Damien, I'm talling you, let's get out of here!"

"Nearly done...there!" Damien swivled himself round on his perch, facing the group with his back to the corpse. He held up his prize in his hand, a five foot long bone, thick and strong, but tapering into a sharp point at one end. He grinned at the others wildly. "Will you look at this! It's awesome!"

"Right, you got it, now let's go."

"Geez Kage, you're no fun!" Damien replaced his sword on his belt and began moving back along the length of the wooden stake, towards the gantry. He glanced up as he neared the flooring to see the others staring at him wide-eyed. "What?"

He didn't realise at first that their gazes actually went over his shoulder...behind him...