NationStates Jolt Archive

The Undercity, notorious for being the center of any and all illegal activities in Greywatch Prime. It was a dangerous place, not somewhere anyone would like to visit without extremely good reason. One could find nearly anything here, from drugs to illegal fights to gang wars to slaves. It was a dark place; only one group amongst the rabble was able to carry itself with a real sense of purpose, however dark that purpose might be. The Forbidden Ministry, they were the ghosts of Greywatch’s underworld, moving silently and unseen through the dark passages with purpose unknown to outsiders. A new force had recently arrived in the Undercity, one that should not be there, one that worried even the Forbidden. Without hesitation they responded by sending in one of their own, a lone soldier of the Forbidden, to combat what could be a new menace. But one does not just appear in the Undercity, nor does one simply slip in unseen. To get into the Undercity, one must have the right contacts to do so, the Forbidden soldier had such contacts, but to make sure it was not discovered, mingled with many others.
Convenient that so many others were apparently on their way to Greywatch’s Undercity as well. The Wraith, as this particular brand of FM soldier was called, would certainly have its hands full. It didn’t need to know these people, the fact that they were there was enough, two of them being Xiscapian, an Angenterian, a Moralite, and an Alversian… This particular group had just earned itself the attention of the Forbidden Ministry. It wasn’t all that hard to do that, all you had to be was apart of an alien race was not apart of Greywatch. The group was smuggled in by cargo containers aboard a small transport. No would know the process that had to be used to get from orbit to the surface, but in due time, the group would find their containers opening, revealing light from the outside. The Wraith would be the first to step out, followed by the others; they apparently in a garage in the middle of the slums, a more dangerous part of the slums at that. Three men, all of which were not very heavily armored but very well armed signaled for the group. One of them came forward, “Alright meat, get your asses over to this here elevator!” He yelled at them, one of the other men flicked an obscure switch opening up part of the floor, revealing a lift underneath it. As soon as the group was on, the man who’d been yelling stepped on and the lift proceeded downward, the floor closing back up.
The trip down would take a good ten minutes, ten minutes on a cramped and open lift as it moved so slowly, ever downward into the Undercity. Eventually the group arrived there; they were inside a shaft of some sort, with a door in front of them. When the door opened, they would find themselves in what appeared to be a bar/casino. All sorts looked up at the newcomers, the man exited, “C’mon now, get out. I ain’t got all day for you bastards.” Once the group was off the man pressed the up button for the elevator and was on his way out the door and into the Undercity.
The room the group would find itself in was like that of any other casino one could find on the surface, minus the shady people who looked ready to slit some throats. There were bounty posters on the wall, various types of gambling devices, groups of people betting on various things here and there, groups of shady figured clumped together on sofas, a bar was packed with different forms and figures… this was only the entrance of the Undercity. The Wraith left the elevator without a sound and quickly separated itself from the others and headed to the exit, disappearing into the darkness outside this particular safe zone. Even for a ‘safe zone,’ this place didn’t look like a place you’d want to slip up in. People were heavily armed and obviously formidable, unless one was a gambler or had some connections, being anywhere but here would seem like a good idea.

OOC: There, the entire group is in the Undercity… take it away all you dark and mysterious people.

Urteil (http://redderz.deviantart.com/art/The-Perfect-Gentleman-15936249) had not enjoyed his time inside the packing crate. The darkness hadn't bothered him, he could see quite well even in the dimmest of light, nor had the claustrophobic space, as he had simply folded into a relatively comfortable position, or even the heat, which he hadn't felt. No, what really irked the kitsune was the utterly undignified air of the entire operation, the second-class ship with its third-class people, transporting other third-class people via clandestine, certainly clumsy means straight into a hellhole. He could have thought of a dozen different ways, louder and quieter, to introduce himself to the Undercity, all with considerably more finesse than this dull, uncreative little way. He would have to have a few quiet words with the informant that had gotten him in this way, no doubt the man (or kitsune or whatever alien he, she or it happened to be) had gotten a tad rusty on the whole 'respect for your betters' aspect.

Once out into open air he had taken his sweet time in brushing off all the dust that had accumulated on him during the voyage and adjusting his suit to his liking. He had ignored the shouts and insults of the men as they sought to hurry the group along; they were beneath him, not worth the time it would take to reprimand them for their uncouth attitudes. Certainly the lesson would have little effect, and even if it did these looked to be the typical thugs who would be dead, one way or another, before they got the chance to do anything about it. Once in the lift he had taken the time to examine the others in the group. Little better than the very men that were escorting them, a rabble of skull-crackers and hired guns, all brawn and might with a distressing lag of brains or style. He dismissed them too, whatever they did, if it aided him, hindered him or affected him in no way didn't matter, he felt no equal among this dirtied, piggish gang.

Urteil looked around the casino with little interest: People playing at games of chance with money they didn't have. This area was a waypoint, nothing more.
And yet...
He sensed there was something to be learned here, perhaps a contact or two to make. The bartender, of course, so cliché and undoubtedly as loyal as a cat, but a solid choice nonetheless. Of all the patrons in places like these, bartenders tended to survive the longest, knowing the tricks of the trade (how not to die during a bar fight), and, if someone killed them, who would serve the various alcoholic beverages to their addicted customers, who would aide them in their slid down into depression amongst a swirl of chemicals and sour-tasting piss marketed as drink?
It bared his attention, anyway.

The Xiscapian strode away from the others, standing out amongst the roughly dressed ruffians with their holstered handguns or conspicuously hidden automatic weapons in his suit, complete with gloves and only a black cane. He made a beeline for the bar, moving with a grace that tended to make women blush and feel a bit flustered and men sweaty and vaguely threatened by the presence of the tall, elegant stranger. Instead of sitting Urteil casually leaned on his cane in front of the counter, hands clasped over the simple gold grip, smiling in an almost condescending manner at the bartender. "Evenin' to you, gent," he said amiably with an unmistakably Received Pronunciation accent, "I was wondering if the good sir could kindly direct me to nearby housing suitable for one of my status. I would be most obliged to you." The nod that could have been a tiny mocking bow, coupled with that strangely off-putting smile, made all who viewed it slightly uneasy...

The bartender didn't bother looking up from his work and only pointed to the door. A man beside Urteil, "There ain't no upper class housing down here, mate. You're in the Undercity, lowest of the low, everyone here is dirt living amoungst dirt. You want quality? Go follow the FM agent that just passed through here." The man talking had what anyone from earth would think was an Australian accent. The man was dressed in camo pants and a green vest and had a rifle slung over his shoulder. His skin was a healthy tan color, his eyes a piercing green, and his hair was shaggy and black. He wore an unusual smile and gave off an aura, it was as if he could read Urteil with a glance. The man pulled out a cigarette and lit it putting it his his mouth, "I assume you saw the guy in all black with who seemed to be in a hurry? Most FM types are that way. If you're looking for something better than a mat and cheap pillow, go find an FM hangout and dish out some cash or information." The man got up an turned away, "Better hurry, that FM looked like it was in a hurry. Oh, and word of advice, don't think of yourself as being any better than anyone else down 'ere. If yer here, yer in the same shit hole as everyone else. Chow." The man snapped his fingers and vanished, any hint of his presence vanishing with him. The bartender was silent for a moment, "Damned youngins and their tricks."
Everyone else in the room didn't pay too much heed to the conversation or the newcomers. There was nothing special about any of them, they were run of the mill trash that came in every day of the week. They'd most likely be dead within a few hours, the only strong one in the bunch was the Forbidden Ministry soldier that had moved through so quickly. The place was full of all the typical and out of the ordinary types, one just had to look. Among the typical muscle and shooter types were the people who looked like they had no real business being there, the people who looked far too comfortbale, the people who one didn't dare make eye contact with. One such man came up to the counter,he was dressed in white, a cross hanging from his neck, wel groomed pink hair, one eye blue and the other solid black like a Drone's. He gave a look to the bartender who then in turn produced a book. The man took the book and began flipping through it, bounties. There had to be hundreds of them. The man flipped through them, passing over the big hits. The first was a man with red hair, brown hair, and caucasion skin; he had the look of a killer on his face and murder in his eyes. The description read:

Redemption: Elden Greyknight
Bounty: 1,000,000,000 Universal Credits

The next one was a picture of a face that was completely obscured by white bandages save for one piercing orange eye:

Mirage: Unknown
Bounty: 1,500,000,000 Universal Credits

The picture after that was a man with green hair and tan skin, he had an insane look in his brown eyes. He wore a large smile with solid black teeth.

Unknown: Dealer/Supplier/Thief/Murderer
Bounty: 20,000,000

The pink haired man looked over the last picture before handing the book back to the bartender. "I guess I'll be going for Mr. Unnamed. Gimme a gin for the road, will ya?" The bartended put the book away before taking out a small glass and pouring the liquid into it. The pink haired man put some money on the table before drinking the gin down in one gulp. Then, without anything else to say, he left. Others in the bar looked at him with disdain, though the newcomers wouldn't know it, that man was dangerous. He knew his limits, and the limits of others, and he had a nasty set of abilities to boot. He was a hardened bounty hunter with plenty of experience.

"Hmm." A twirl of the cane. "How incredibly rude." Evidently Urteil wasn't one to elect any more notice than was normal down here, or at least as far as the common people were concerned. That would make his life easier, at least for a little while, and the man had had a point. Maybe it was more direct than he had originally planned, but it made sense, though he doubted he could find the agent now, after so much time had elapsed. Tracking was for bloodhounds, and he had better things to do. He suspected it wouldn't take long for him to find what he was looking for.

But to do that in the best way possible...
He turned back to the bartender. "Tell me, sir, who has placed the bounties of the unfortunate heads of the three men in that book?" Urteil had formed a plan, not the most elegant, but with no leads in this glorified sinkhole and a number of people outside who were probably ready to try and kill him, it was his best chance. It might take him a time, and undoubtedly it would be dangerous and more than one being would attempt to destroy him, but Urteil had all the time in the galaxy and abilities this wretched place had never seen. He would inevitably get what he wanted.
Somehow, he always did.

Pontius Millham stepped out of the cargo crate, taking a breath of the stale, recycled air in the process. It's not that he wasn't used to being stuck in tight, cramped spaces by now, it's just that he had never thought that the Undercity would be so...deep underground. He made a show of stretching his arms and legs, more out of mechanical instinct then actually feeling better. He would dislocate his own bones if he had to.

He took a look around the room, noting the run-down look of the place he was in, some sort of gambling den from the looks of it. He chuckled to himself. What sort of items did these people even have with which to gamble? The people around didn't look much better, dressed in shoddy clothes which held poorly-concealed guns and knives of all sorts, and probably some homemade surprises, as well.

Whatever. It wasn't his concern.

Looking around, Pontius noticed one of the aliens who had went down with him leave the group, looking slightly annoyed. As if to contrast to those around him, he was well-dressed in a formal suit, and was, to his suprise, not attracting very much attention, and briefly wondered how many people he had to kill to get that suit. Pontius, however, was dressed a little more conspicuously for this occasion. His combat suit tightly clung to his body, covered by white clothing (http://www.everyeye.it/public/immagini/11072007/c_AC-Altair.jpg), with a hood the obscured his face. His weapons, two short power blades and a pair of pistols, were masterfully concealed within the recesses of his clothing. Hopefully, his efforts had paid off.

Ignoring the well-dressed alien, who had moseyed along to the bar and was not chatting with the bartender, he noticed another character wearing all black had departed as quickly as he had arrived. Pontius barely had any time to notice him, but he moved like he had a purpose, and probably had enough skill to easily dispatch a suspected eavesdropper. Or two. Or three. Or four.

Not that Pontius had enough time to follow him. From what he'd learned about the Greywatch so far, if they look like they can kill you, they probably can. Instead, Pontius decided to take a slow approach to Undercity, and moseyed along over to the bar, propping himself on a stool next to the alien in the suit.

Greeting Area:

The bartender scoffed, “Men who can’t do things themselves. What more is there to say? People placing bounties never come in person; they get someone else to come for them. Information gets around quick down here, and bounty books are constantly updated. That’s why this book is so damned thick, there are hundreds of bounties in here, just depends which one you’re going for.” The bartender slid some drinks down to three other men at one end of the bar.
A woman with dirty blond hair walked in with a corpse over her shoulder. She was dressed in red and wore a pair of shades. She had a very obvious rapier at her side though her real weapons were concealed. She looked around at the dirty people in the bar, most turned their eyes away from her, a few just stared. She cleared her throat and let out with a booming voice, “Alright, which one of you mugs wanted the dead Viper?!” She was obviously referring to the corpse she was holding. A man came forth from the crowd; he was dressed in black and kept his features hidden with a cloak and hood. Whenever he exhaled, an unnatural green gas came from the darkness of his hood. “That would be mine.” The man held out a briefcase which the woman took happily while handing the body over. The man looked over the body, confirming the identity before stepping out of the bar, still looking to the woman, “I may have something special for you,” the man said, the woman raised an eyebrow and followed.
After the scene was over, the bartender opened the bounty book and found the page about Viper. The information on the page immediately faded and was replaced with a different bounty. The bartender sighed, “Always more of ‘em,” he muttered while sliding the book back under the bar. The bartender looked to the man in white who moved to the bar but said nothing. The Undercity wasn’t a place one would get a warm hello.

Elsewhere:

The Wraith had long since gone into the deeper reaches of the Undercity. There was no need to get caught up in the useless rabble that came down with it. The newcomers could say whatever they wanted; they were just the useless snot that inhabited this wretched place. The Wraith had better things to do than mix with them. Of course, shit typically happened when one was in a hurry, and it wasn’t long before the Wraith ran into some trouble. It was gang territory, and as chance would have it, the Wraith hadn’t gotten the memo about gang popping up in this area. Despite being underground, the passages were large and there were plenty of materials one could use to make a bit of a fort. This area had plenty of tents and sandbags set up, men on guard, and some very nasty looking weapons stockpiled. The Wraith sighed before activating cloak and moving forward, quietly.

Outside Greeting Area:

The woman looked at the man she’d followed, the man dropped the body, a rift opening underneath it, taking the corpse to fallen gods know where. The woman shuttered, she felt something strange emanating from the glowing white eyes in the hood. “What do you want?” The man gave a slight cough and held up a picture of Redemption, the man from the bounty book. The woman took a step back, “I’m not that good I’m afraid. No one can kill him.” The man coughed again, sending more of the odd green gas out, “I want you to find him and work with him on a mission he’s already received from me.” The woman was in shock, working with a Greyknight… it was hard to tell if one should be honored or horrified. One way or another, it was going to be a long day. The woman sighed, “Where do I find him?” The man handed her a tracking device. “You will find him in the level below this one, he also has a tracker which you will use to find him.” The woman put the device away, “The pay had better be excellent,” she looked at her briefcase of money, “Second level is all yellow and red. Nothing good happens down there.” The man coughed again, “I’m aware. He has the orders you and he will follow, do as you’re told and you will be paid well. I send you because you have talents he might need.” The woman sneered, “Don’t try to flatter me. I’ll handle my money first, and then I’ll go.” The man began walking away, “Do what you will, you have three days to complete this task.”

"Hmm-hmm," Urteil tapped the bar with a single finger, encased in fine velvet. "This Mirage character stands out to me; I will find and destroy him, as per the bounty." It was a simple enough statement, but the kitsune's eyes glittered, and one would see that his left eye was, in fact, made of glass, a fractured, deep green orb. His other eye was no less disturbing, for it shown with the glint of madness, the kind of insanity that permitted one to know of their condition, and embrace it. It was, in fact, unsanity, the elixir of gods.

His intentions announced, the gentleman, still leaning on his cane, pivoted to examine the character who had none-too-delicately established himself on the seat next to him. "Tell me, sir," he looked down his snout at the human, or at least what he suspected was a human, "do you like money? Of course you do. What about money in the neighborhood of a billion standard credits? Would you kill," a knowing smile, "for that amount of currency?"
It sounded like a game, but was, in fact, dead serious. Maybe even lethally serious. Because Urteil didn't care about money, but he knew that finding this person with the bounty on his head would be the first step towards his ultimate objective here. And to do that, he would need a sufficiently motivated partner with contacts here, preferably one with a lot of visibility. When Urteil killed this Mirage being, he wanted people to know about it.

"Tell me, sir, do you like money? Of course you do. What about money in the neighborhood of a billion standard credits? Would you kill, for that amount of currency?"

Pontius looked up at the alien, whose eyes were positively glittering, as if he'd just come up with a great idea. He seemed to be asking his help in the gaining of a bounty of some dangerous criminal. Pontius couldn't help but wonder, however, why the alien would even need the prize money anyway. He seemed well off enough. He probably just wanted some hired thug to do all the work for him.

Pontius smiled. He decided to see how far could play with this alien.

"And why would I do that?" He finally replied "So I can do all the hard work, and end up giving you the bounty? Sorry, friend, but I don't see the incentive in this."

It was after the doors to the crates had been dropped, and the rest of the occupants had left to take their chances and a deep and dangerous undercity, that the final two people within it's confines made any sort of move. For the entire trip, they had been quiet, everyone had. They were only now starting to get up and prepare to move out to take their chances. For, even in the biggest cesspits in the galaxy, there was always money to be had. A lot of it if one knew where to look for it and the two thought they had struck gold.

The first to move was a small female. She possessed a short, slender body and chocolate brown hair that flowed halfway down her back and gleamed like crystals even in the unnatural light of the undercity. She was a Kitsune, so the first thign she did as she stood up was flick her tail so as to clear it of dust and whatnot that had been in the crate. Her slitted, yellow eyes scanned the immediate area while her large, fox like ears turned to every source of sound, finding threats and evaluating them on the spot. There was nothing. She sighed in relief, the Kitsune was stunningly beautiful, a one in a billion girl and she quickly slipped the rifle from her back, where it had uncomfortably wedged between her and the crate wall. She stretched for a moment in relief before scanning the area again. Still nothing.

She looked to the prone figure in the crate,
"All clear," She whispered into it's darkness.
No reply.

"Nathan?"

Still nothing.

"Nathan?"

A snore.

"Nathan!" She aimed a gentle kick into the crate and felt her boot connect to the figure. He gave a groan and tried to turn over,
"Just put it on the desk Lieutenant," He muttered to himself, "I'll read in the morning" Another snore.

"Wake up, you lazy bastard," she kicked him again, this time harder.

"Ouch!" The Alversian leapt up and looked around quickly, bleary eyed from his sleep in the crate. He rubbed his eyes and glanced around, "We here?" the black-haired Alversian asked.

The Kitsune nodded,
"Alright then," he clapped his hands together, "Breakfast!" He moved into the nearby bar, filled already with the previous occupants to the crate.

Chloe, for that the Kitsune's name, groaned and followed him into the bar. She would let him get away with it this once, then it was time for some serious work. Not than Nathan ever knew the meaning of the word serious.

Nathan had taken a seat next to the gentlemen Kitsune and tapped him on the shoulder,
"Buy you a drink, My Lord?" he asked mildly while Chloe contented herself to sit beside him and ignore the stares she was getting from the bar's other patrons.

The bartender didn't so much as shift, "Well then, I suggest you begin preparing a will right now." There was laughter from some parts of the bar; in the past, people would've been quiet, they would've thought they were looking at a god. Someone who thought they could claim such bounties had to be powerful, but alas those days had past. Now, everyone knew that the biggest bounties were reserved for fools and dreamers. Urteil was far from being the first to die at Mirage's hands, and he would come back a corpse soon enough. Only idiots fought enemies they had no information on. Mirage was a well known bounty hunter, no one knew why it had a bounty placed on its head, but in the dark corridors of the Undercity, no one was ever truly safe. The bartender didn't bother to say anything else, it was already obvious the Kitsune had a deathwish and he wasn't going to stop the man from suicide, one less piece of dirt to worry about. He looked to the man in white, obviously this fellow was smart enough to not be dragged along into deathtraps. Then there were the other two who just stepped out of the elavator. They didn't seem like all that much, one of them being an idiot, the other being more under control. Then there was the last one, the Moralite, what the hell was he up to?

Urteil ignored the bartender, peasant bootlicker that he was with his safe certainties. He would learn to respect his betters, once Urteil came back with the corpse of the bounty hunter. Instead, he addressed the doubts of the man he had spoken to; spreading his arms wide in a gesture intended to show the human his full form. "Do I look like I need halfpennies such as those? You can keep every credit of the prize; I'm interested only in the bounty himself. I need a good man who knows the ins and outs of this underworld, and you, sir, fit that bill."

The aristocrat was interrupted by the touch of fingers on his shoulder.
"Buy you a drink, My Lord?"
Annoyed, Urteil turned, making a show of wiping away imaginary grime from his suit. "No," he said coolly, looking Nathan over with that little smile of his, "I think not." Cad. His gaze drifted, set upon Chloe, and remained fixed there for several seconds despite her determined stare at the wall. In an instant he had brushed by Nathan and Chloe found herself facing him, her hand lightly held in his. "Madame," he raised it, lips ever-so-lightly brushing the back of it above her knuckles, "I do not believe I have had the pleasure of your acquaintance. I am Urteil." He smiled again, differently now, turning on the charm.

He decided to let the human at the bar think his little offer over for a time; doubtlessly he could find other acceptable candidates, but all he had seen here thus far had the look of expendables, while the man in white seemed almost predatory in his ways. Besides, this here was a pleasant distraction, in more ways than one. Urteil knew the goon who had attracted his attention was with this lady, and both had the look of soldiers of fortune about them. He could use a couple of reliable henchmen here as well, and if his suspicions were correct, they were here for one thing and one thing only: Money.
A resource which Urteil had in abundance.

Nathan raised an eyebrow at the treatment and did not press it, he merely shrugged and looked at the Bartender,
"Suit yourself, all the more for me. How much will 30 credits buy me in cheap booze?" he asked mildly rubbing his hands together gleefully at the thought. He didn't care how much of the stuff he ingested, so long as he got so drunk he couldn't remember his left from his right. That was the guideline Nathan set himself, either get himself drunk or get someone else drunk, that was the Nathan way.

Chloe turned to face the man, expecting a sleezeball in a grimy top. Instead she got a sleezeball with a suit. Her eyes widened in surprise as he took her hand and kissed it. It was a gesture she had not been offered in years. Not since before...that. She blushed slightly at the comment and gave a small nod,
"My name is Chloe," She stated quietly, "My Friend behind you is Nathan," She indicated to the Alversian who was taking a drink from a rather large glass,
"May I ask," Chloe stopped for a moment, saw his glances and sighed, she would like to see him try anything on her, "What Kitsune such as yourself is doing down here? You look a little...out of place."

"Ah, but My Lady," Urteil seated himself beside her, both hands on the grip of his cane, tail wrapped around the stool, pleased by the faint color he could see in her cheeks. "I could ask the same of you. Don't try to hide it," he winked handsomely, "I may look out of place, but so do you, though considerably," his eyes narrowed as he took stock of the others at the bar, "less so. Do not fear, it's not something any common vulgarian could perceive, but I can tell," he nodded with a knowing smile, "you still retain the ways of one formerly in a position of associated power. The way you avoid the lustful glares of the common brute, the way you walk, even the slight nuances in the way you speak, you cannot conceal it from a fellow kitsune of nobility such as myself. As I said," he nodded in a way that could be considered a slight bow, "don't be afraid, your secret is safe with me."

Chloe listened to him, surprised as he rather smoothly came across something from her past. It was true that Chloe had not been born as an average Kitsune. She had been born as the youngest daughter of Lord Mana on Xiscapia. Lord Mana was indeed nobility and so Chloe had spent her childhood in posh and expensive apartments in Rio Casa or large and elegant country Manors during the summer, being tended to by Maids, Servants, Butlers and everything else that her heart could desire. She had been the Darling of Rio Casa high Society. Heads had turned when she entered the room in her elegant gown, men had stumbled and fallen over their words when she had smiled at them. She had practised her duelling technique, she had learnt shooting skills and she had studied hard acedemically, all set for her future life.

Then that had changed.
She looked at this stranger and nodded,
"Thank you," It seemed the polite thing to say, "May I ask again, what would someone of the Xiscapian Aristocracy be doing in depraved and as damned a place as this?" She knew that her voice had taken on something of it's old elegance, but it was a habit, something she often did when she spoke to the higher classes, her eyes narrowed, trying to place the Kitsune in front of her.

"Do I look like I need halfpennies such as those? You can keep every credit of the prize; I'm interested only in the bounty himself. I need a good man who knows the ins and outs of this underworld, and you, sir, fit that bill."

Pontius' expression remained the same as the alien stalked off to some other tough-looking aliens in the corner. Probably just wanting to find another acceptable candidate. Knowing that the offer was still open, Pontius turned his attention to what was in front of him, while he considered it a little more. The alien had a look of deception and trickery about him, and Pontius found it hard to trust in his words. But a billion credits was certainly a lot. He motioned to the bartender.

"Get me a drink."

"Suit yourself, all the more for me. How much will 30 credits buy me in cheap booze?"

The bartender smiled to himself, this would be well worth it. 30 credits didn't normally buy one a flask of Kiixori Firewater, the stuff was as bitter as hell and could put you down in less than a second if you didn't have some serious resistance. It also made you numb and demented for a good few hours but this guy seemed to want it. He took out a flask and put in front of him, "30 credits, please."

"Get me a drink."

The bartender put a bottle of beer in front of him, "Ten credits if you will."

"Very little, My Lady," Urteil smiled, "at the moment, anyhow. As I am fond of saying, my reasons are my own, just as I am sure you have found cause to be in such a place as this. However, I feel we share a common goal: You wish to obtain considerable amounts of currency so as to buy more weapons and technology to enable you to acquire even larger amounts of currency. I have large amounts of currency, to make it an understatement, and a goal in mind to which the destructive aspects of yourself and your partner, if the what I have heard is true, can be put to good use. I do not habitually prowl the criminal bowls of society, and though I am sure I would be quite smashing at making obscene amounts of money by selling people means to destroy themselves with, I prefer to keep my hands, ah, clean. Therefore I need people who can function independently though this place, the Undercity, as I see fit, and we can all walk away with our pockets fatter and memories enhanced by deeds of debaucheries violence." The smile seemed to be fixed on his face, and the glass eye glittered almost, if Chloe could delude herself, as if it had a life of it's own.

"You need Henchmen." Chloe saw no point in beating about the bush. She knew what he wanted and there was little point in pretending. This Aristocrat had money and that was what Nathan and her had come to get. If he needed henchmen, then he was going to have to pay them well for being henchmen.
"What kind of prices are we talking about?" She asked quietly, being sure not to catch the eye of anyone in the bar. It was difficult, but she managed to be discreet.

Meanwhile, Nathan took the drink and knocked half of it back in one go. He stopped for a moment, savouring the taste, then recoiling from the bitterness, his eyes watering and his mouth wide open, panting heavily. However, after a few moments, he drank the rest of the glass then licked his lips in delight,
"Delicious," He laughed, "Give me another!"

"Ten credits if you will."

Pontius reached into his robes, producing the appropriate amount of credits and placing it on the table. He took a sip. The beer itself wasn't that great, but it wasn't so horribly watered down either. He sat there, taking swings of beer every now and then, while he considered the offer. Come to think of it, he would probably get a very good amount of money (one billion credits wasn't anything to shake a beer bottle at) from it, and finally have some interesting information about Greywatch to send back to the Holy Imperium to keep them off his back. Shadowing low-level politicians and diplomats gets very dull after a while. Bottle in hand, he stalked over to the man in the suit again, pulling up a chair in the process.

"I'm in."

"'Henchmen' is such a dirty word, my dear. Think of yourselves as," he waved a hand, "associates. Naturally your payment will depend on the speed and quality of your work, but I would not be opposed to giving up credits in the seven to ten digit range. I trust that is sufficient?" A single raised eyebrow.

"I'm in."
Urteil turned slightly to the man with a brilliant smile. "Capital! I will be with you in a moment, after I finish here." He had known, had been certain, that the man would come to accept his offer. Greed was one of the most powerful motivators in the galaxy, especially when paired with the vast accumulation of wealth that he stood to gain. No doubt the human had ulterior objectives, but Urteil was not concerned about them. As long as they didn't interfere with what Urteil wanted, he would leave them alone.

"Associates?" Chloe raised an eyebrow and a slight smile crept across her face, "If you are willing to pay the sums to which you have referred to and I have a garuntee that you will not go back against your word, then I feel that I am in a position to accept the charge that you have laid before me" She gave a small nod. She had not touched a drop of drink, nor did she intend to.

"You have my word as a kitsune of honor and fellow aristocrat," Urteil nodded, satisfied that that bit of business had been concluded. Now for the second part. "You, lout," he reached out and scatched away the drink Nathan had just been served, sliding it across the bar. "Come hither." Once he had done so the Xiscapian spoke to both mercenaries. "There is a man, here in this city, who I wish to confer with at some point while I am here. His name," Urteil pulled an old-fashioned photograph out of his suit, handing it to Chloe, "is Redemption. You are to find and follow him to find out where he sleeps, if at all, and where his usual haunts are. Failing that, you must install a tracking device of some kind accurate up to the second that he cannot detect, so when the time comes I may find him easily. For this you will be rewarded handsomely." He looked from the kitsune to the Alversian, seriously. "Do we have a deal?"

"Hey!" Nathan watched as his precious drink spun away from him, then turned back to see the Kitsune and Chloe looking at him,
"Do we have a deal?" The Kitsune asked.

"A what?" Nathan cleaned out one of his ears, "Deal? What deal? I never heard anything about a deal? What's going on?" He asked this to Chloe in confusion. She, for her part, shook her head and turned back to Urteil, holding out a hand,
"You have a deal," She confirmed, then looked back at Nathan, "We're going stalking"

"Again?" Nathan grumbled and picked up an auto-shotgun from the floor beside him. He checked that it was clean, mumbling as he did so, then moved off.


Chloe looked back to Urteil and offered him a slight bow and a small smile. Then she turned on her heel, her every movement being followed by many patrons in the bar before catchinh up with Nathan, who was still talking about something, then they vanished from the Bar.

"What have you done this time?" Nathan asked he walked through the streets of the Undercity, "What have you got me into?"

"A potentially lucrative contract, so shut up and start looking" Chloe replied patiently, preparing to move off.

"With Lord Cold Shoulder, I presume?" Nathan asked grinning, "And you did the voice"

"Did not," Chloe knew it sounded childish but she said it anyway, checking her own weapon for cleanliness.

"Did to. You always do it," Nathan laughed, "When you meet someone who's even touched a Nobleman, you go all posh and proper" He said this in a posh accent, sniffing the air and waving a hand grandly. And got a slap on the back of the head as his reward.

"Ouch," He said mildly, rubbing the back of his head.

"You deserved that," Chloe stated mildly as she threaded her way through the people, in search of their target.

"Did not...well...maybe a little," Nathan grinned as he rushed after her.

Urteil watched them go, eyes half lidded, smile remaining as it was as he turned to the first man. "Terribly sorry for the wait, certain things must be accomplished for the well-being of everyone." He leaned forward on his cane as he had done before, earnestly studying the the darkness that concealed the face and whatever expression it wore. "My given name is Urteil; yours is Millham, no?" It would occur to Pontius that he had never told this alien who he was, but before he could say anything the kitsune continued. "We, you and I, are going to hunt down and eliminate a being who goes by the alias Mirage, for a bounty of one and a half billion standard credits. All of those will go to you; all I require is five minutes alone with Mirage, while he lives, before we can kill him and bring back his corpse. I am certain this character has survived for some time in this city, and with such a large price on his head, this is a feat, so he no doubt has a network of spies and informants set up, some of which are probably watching us right now. The way to him is to go up the chain, from informant tracing upward though the network until we find our target. It will be dangerous, but I am confident you can handle it."

"My given name is Urteil; yours is Millham, no? We, you and I, are going to hunt down and eliminate a being who goes by the alias Mirage, for a bounty of one and a half billion standard credits. All of those will go to you; all I require is five minutes alone with Mirage, while he lives, before we can kill him and bring back his corpse. I am certain this character has survived for some time in this city, and with such a large price on his head, this is a feat, so he no doubt has a network of spies and informants set up, some of which are probably watching us right now. The way to him is to go up the chain, from informant tracing upward though the network until we find our target. It will be dangerous, but I am confident you can handle it."

Pontius gazed at the alien, who had now introduced himself as Urteil. He seemed very adamant when he said that all the credits would go to Pontius, but he couldn't help but have his doubts. If he wasn't in it for the money, then what could possibly be the reason? What was so important in those extra five minutes before they dealt the final blow? And, most importantly, how did he know Pontius' name?

Well, if anything, Pontius knew the alien was smart. Already, he had recruited a couple of "associates" (Pontius chuckled at the thought) to track down this "Mirage" character. He certainly had done his homework.

But Pontius couldn't help but play with him a little more. He smiled beneath his hood.

"Well, then...Urteil." He began, throwing in the alien's name for extra kick. "You certainly know how to play your cards, no doubt about that. However... I can't help but have my doubts. If the credits aren't what your after, what is?" He paused. "This 'elaborate network of informants.' Whose to say...you're not one of them? Perhaps this is an entire scheme to root out 'Mirage's' enemies. Also, how are you sure that I'm not such an informant? Have you considered that?"

All things considered, this Urteil character probably had nothing to do with Mirage as of yet. But Pontius decided to go with it anyway.

Urteil let out a surprisingly high-pitched laugh, rapping his cane against the floor in amusement. "I am utterly certain you're not a informant; you may have noticed I know your name, and if I knew your name and knew you were an informant to Mirage, we would be having a very different discussion elsewhere at the moment. Besides, you came out the same way as I, and I highly doubt any agent of such a street thug would be clever or sophisticated enough to stage this entire charade successfully. As to my own identity or reasons," that infernal smile again, "you have no way of knowing, and I have no acceptable way of proving them. It would appear you'll simply have to trust me."

Pontius folded his arms, considering what Urteil. The alien was pretty intelligent, and made a good point. He nodded in agreement, happy with the way Urteil had answered. He would work with him for the time being. The alien certainly had some ulterior motive to finding Mirage, but that didn't concern Pontius.

"All things considered." He began "This 'Mirage' character is much more then a common criminal. Being a so-called 'street thug' is not enough to get oneself a hefty bounty of a billion credits." He took a swig of his drink, draining the contents of the bottle. "Of course, you're aware of that already. Now, how do you suppose we start? It's not like Mirage's going to found easily. Although, I suppose our 'associates' (making the appropriate quotations with his fingers) are already getting to it. "

"Not quite," Urteil shook his head in mock sadness. "Alas, I fear they might not survive their particular assignment, but if they do it will be a great boon to me. They, however, are unrelated with this for the time being and you do not need to concern yourself with them or their affairs. How to start is a study in simplicity: We make ourselves visible. Ask questions to untrustworthy men about the target, lurk in areas where he's been, and eventually one of two things will happen: Either Mirage will send out a hit on you or I, where we can then take down the hitman and go from there, or one of his informants will become visible, rendered so by valid information others might provide us with. The former is, of course, the more likely, but do not hesitate to use force, even lethally, against anyone, though of course if you have a would-be hitman or informant we'll want him, her or it alive. This could take mere hours, or weeks; in any case, we will need to find good lodgings. I have other business aside to attend to, so I will be quite engaged in other things. I leave our accomodations up to your own tastes." The Xiscapian nodded, leaning back his weight from his cane slightly.

Elsewhere:

Blood dripped from the ceiling and bodies littered the area. Weapons, ammo, and all kinds of equipment lay here and there, scattered about. It had been quite a battle. The Wraith had been slowed down enough, it didn't need to scuffle with another group of well-armed bandits. Being held up was an annoyance, one that the Wraith didn't need, there was too much at stake. It continued on through the wide passageways that made up this section of the Undercity. Soon, it would be able to go down to the 2nd level.

Undercity, somewhere on the 3rd level:

A single orange eye stared out from the darkness, nothing else could be seen in the black halls. Two men with autorifles stood ready for an attack, they knew it was coming. "Shit. It don't matter, just kill 'im!" One of them yelled, both of them openned fire on the unseen figure but the orange eye just kept coming closer. Then came a deep, raspy voice, beyond anything a human could make, "Is that... all?" Two screams then echoed through the dark, empty halls followed by an unnatural silence.

Greeting Area:

People came and went, turning in bounties and accepting them. People sold drugs, info, and weapons in corners of the area. It was a collection of thugs, bounty hunters, mercs, gamblers, dealers, informants, collecters, addicts.... and behind all of that rabble, only seeable from the corner of one's eye, were those that had power. This place was full of chaos, yet maintained quite a bit of control. An invisible force kept these people in check, something indistict. Anyone paying attention could tell the bartender was more than just a man filling orders; there was far more to him than that. There were several figures in the room just like him, giving off that aura of simple innocence to mask something much greater, the question was what.

Halls of the Forbidden:

The halls were black, black and silent. There no sound, only the blackness of the hallways and the banners that hung from the ceiling, banners of black and red. Figures moved silently through the shadows, gathering no attention, never stopping. In the darkest of inner chambers, conversing between two voices could be heard. "The operation."
"The Wraith is nearly on the second level."
"It delays."
"There are many obsticals."
"It can go faster."
"Haste is a dangerous card to play for an operation so delicate."
"Everything is at stake."
"We understand."
"The newcomers."
"They've arrived."
"They come forth."
"They seek the Mirage."
"Folly."
"Indeed."
"You believe they will fail."
"Without a doubt."
"Will they die?"
The second voice paused, this was an actually question, "I do not know."
"No?"
"I cannot be sure. They will fail, but whether Mirage will kill them or not. I cannot be certain."
"Uncertain?"
"Yes."
"That is... different."
"Mirage is not... easy to comprehend."
"I see."
"I know little of him."
"Archivist?"
"There is little knowledge to be had about him. Even master does not know much about him."
"Interesting."
"It is."
"Perhaps..."
"I will make it so."
"Make it so?"
"Yes."
"You have sent them?"
"They are moving now."
"Will they be accepted?"
"They will."
"You are sure."
"The newcomers will need them."
"Need them."
"They've be powerless without them."
"Very good."
"Thank you."

Pontius made a slight chuckle, placing his empty bottle down on the table.

"You realize, this being the 'Undercity', our accommodations will probably not be the five-star resort hotels you look like you are so attuned to. Whatever your business, though, I'm sure I can find something not too bad, perhaps one with working lights, even! Anyway, I suppose we start with good old barkeep over there." He gestured towards the bartender. "They're always a good source of information, and in a place like this, the good ones are the ones who are still alive."

"I know our lodgings will be rather shanty, the Undercity isn't a tourist attraction for most," Urteil smiled in amusement, "but we shall take what we can get. You may begin with the barkeep, I believe we established that he rather dislikes me, and I shall meet up with you at a later time. Until then," Urteil rose with a twirl of his cane, a stately bow, and walked out of the casino into the Undercity, looking for all the galaxy like the gentleman he was.
OOC: GW, TG.

Greeting Area:

"I can hear everything you're saying. What the hell do you want to know?" Said the bartender, not bothering to look up. Otrher shady figures went along with their business, whatever it may be. Other bounty hunters came and went with their bounties. Another paculiar character got up from a table, he was dressed in all black and had spiking white hair. His eyes were masked by a pair of goggles and his lower face was covered by a red scarf. A black cloak masked his weapons, he was trained, well trained. His walk was one that was prepared for anythig and everything, his aura gave off the desire to kill. This one had a specific purpose. The bartender watched as the man left, he knew tha men's name well: Ghost.

Outside of Greeting Area:

What Urteil would notice first was the overpowering smells of the Undercity. Rotting corpses, excrement, sewage amoung other thing. Pipes running along the ceiling leaked water and vile fluids on those below. The sound of machinery was faint but could still be heard. Gangs prowlled the tunnels, their laughing and talking echoed throughout the Undercity. The poor begged, dealers sold their products, and informatnt gave out information for high prices. The area Urteil was in right now was a large underground plaza, all sorts of characters gathered here. The man from before, Ghost, waled out and went right by Urteil and moved down one of the tunnels that split off from the 'plaza' area.

Unknown are of the Undercity:

Men in armor walked back and forth between crates and containers, moving and setting up equipment. "Brothers," one of the said, "It is almost time for us to fufill our duty. On this day, a holy plague will wash across Greywatch and kill the vermin that have gone against our emperor..."

3rd Level:

The room was dark, water dripped form the ceiling, making small puddles on the floor. It was empty, large and empty, the only thing in it being a single throne. The darkness, it obscurred everything except for the glow, the glow of a single orange eye. A dark figure sat upon its throne, it orange eye staring across the room, "A storm is coming." The eye closed, "This might be different. Perhaps they'll offer more than food and fun. Perhaps..." the eye opened again, this time it was solid red, "they will offer me something more."

Urteil's fine nose twitched in disdain, electing a slight cough from him. Dirty common people and their entire unhygienic, unsanitary ways, probably dirt under their fingernails and everything... As he strolled along he had an uncanny way of avoiding all the disgusting liquids that dripped onto everyone else below, the kitsune smelling like vanilla, strangely, not accumulating the stench all others had. The guttural, harsh laughter and speak of various punks and thugs from the tunnels and alleys assaulted his ears, and Urteil was almost tempted to ask them to quiet, politely of course. But he knew they wouldn't listen, would probably take offense and attempt to silence him in turn, and that would only slow him down.
However...

If he did want his stay to be as pleasurable as possible, perhaps he should establish his dominance now, rather than later. Doing so would send a clear message to potential muggers and hit men, and if they ignored it, their loss. In a few moment he would head over to an informant to begin spreading the word, assuming it hadn't already circulated, but first he had a small job to do. Urteil didn't much care if his target could see him, there wouldn't be any escape once he elected to take Mirage. Just as he turned to step into one of the darker alleys, a figure caught his eye, and Urteil half turned, studying the person. White hair, scarf over the bottom half of his face, what seemed to be flight goggles on the top, wearing a cloak, radiating the desire to find and maim something.
Perfect.

"Excuse me, good sir," he called to the man, stepping forward even as he walked away. "But you wouldn't happen to know of a certain character who goes by the name of Mirage," a flash of ivory teeth, pointed and designed to rip flesh from bone, "would you?"

Ghost stopped and meditated for a short time about the question. He didn't turn around to face Urteil right away, but he made it clear he'd heard him. Rich, out-of-place, stuck-up, had something for the ladies, someone who demanded respect... amoung other things. He also had strength, what kind was unknown to Ghost, that would be something to research later. For the moment, Ghost had to decide whether to acknowledge this person or not. He had been aware of Urteil's presence at the bar, he was also aware that he saw the bounty book. Ghost knew that Urteil was probably hunting Mirage just so he could flaunt the fact later. The idiot probably didn't even know who or what Mirage actually was, he was too short-sighted to know when to draw the line. Despite all this, Ghost deidied to humor this man who, like anyone hunting death and expecting to live, was a fool.
Urteil would feel a sudden chill, not like that of being afraid, but the chill of the air around his body growing colder as Ghost turned his full attention to the man. He hated being distracted from the tasks he already had at hand, but perhaps this fool would make it back and Ghost woul dhave a new employer. Being an assassin, it was helpful to have contacts who might require one's services. Ghost made his way back to Urteil, who would now feel the uncomfort of having Ghost's eyes resting on him. Even with the goggles completely masking his eyes, Urteil would experience a feeling similar to the one someone gets before they're raped in a prison shower. "That depends," he started slowly, eyes locked on the Urteil, "on what you want to know."

"Right! So, we're looking for this Redemption character?" Nathan asked as he and Chloe walked through the streets of the Undercity, "Not to kill him, just to find him?"

"Seems that way," Chloe nodded and walked up to one of the Undercity's inhabitants who looked as though he had his wits about him,
"Hey," She flashed a cute smile, tail flicking behind her, "D'ya know where a little girl like me can find a person named Redemption?" She asked, displaying her beauty to it's full potential.

"Very simple, my mysterious friend," the glass eye glittered, "I want to find him. If you don't know where he is, kindly direct me to someone who does." The kitsune showed no signs of discomfort, and his real eye was equally locked on the goggled part of Ghost's face, almost as if he could penetrate the mask and see his true visage. This man could have simply been another step in the plan, but Urteil sensed that, for whatever reason, he was willing to help him. If he couldn't, or changed his mind, then he could become that next, simple step.

@Al:

The man was dressed in a sleeveless shirt and jeans. He wore shades that covered his brown eyes. For a second, no reaction, then he smiled, "Depends, pretty lady. What're you offering for my services?" The man had no visible weapons and before she could answer, he continued, "How about a kiss? Nothing dirty, just a simple kiss on hand. You give me that, I'll tell you what you want to know."

@Xis:

Ghost gave a invisible smile behind the scarf, this man was going to die. "He stays in red zones. If that is all you wanted to know, then I'll be on my way."

Chloe licked her lips, a small smile on her face, a smile that did not match the level of disgust that she felt on the inside. However, she managed to hide it and behind her petite smile,
"Sure then," Chloe took his hand, grimy and, holding back her gags, she kissed it gently with her full, red lips, "Satisfied?" She asked, slyly.
Nathan had watched the whole exchange with amusement, hand on his pistol.

Pontius watched as the alien left, with the ever-prevailing air of arrogance outstretched across him. He certainly was full of himself, but probably had the strength and skill to back it up. Not one to be messing with, Pontius concluded. Looking toward the bar, Pontius' eye went toward yet another mysterious figure, wearing all black, with spiked white hair. The man stood up from the bar, and proceeded to leave the bar. Pontius stalked over to the bar again, taking the bow empty seat of the man, placing another ten credits on the bar.

"This place has no shortage of mysterious characters."

Undercity 'Plaza':

The man smiled and pulled out a small device, a holo-PDA system. He activated it and, after tapping a device in his ear, began communicating with other informants. "Hello, Roj. It's me, yeah, Lucus, who the hell else? Gimme all available knowledge about Red's current location. What? You're sure, fine then. Anything else? Nothing, eh? Figures." He looked back to the other two, deactivating the device. "You'll find him on the 2nd or 3rd level performing a mission. That's about as good as the information gets." The man turned away as three other men approached him. "Ah, my other customers-" One of the men slammed the informant against the wall as the other two quickly armed themselves. "Cut the crap, you know why I'm here. You want that pretty face of yours messed up?"
"No, please," the informant said with a grin. "Yes, I remember..." The conversation between the two parties continued from there.


Bar:

The bartender put another bottle down on the table and continued wiht what he was doing.

Ptolemy began to regain his bearings as he looked around him. The crate was NOT kind to him. I'm getting too old for this... Gingerly touching his back, he simultaneously touched his two rifles. Pushing them further back inside his coat, he realized what a problem they would be for his left arm. Damn! Why didn't I take something smaller? Ptolemy walked over towards the barkeep in a slow limp, his Moralite attitude hidden behind a facade of humility. Sitting down at the bar, he took a careful look around him. The scene before him evoked no pity, but disgust. Turning to the barkeep, he asked quietly "How much for a bottle of whatever you have? I've no preference, as long as enough of it will knock me out cold."

"You'll find him on the 2nd or 3rd level performing a mission."

"Thank you," Chloe offered a small bow to the man and, once they were out of sight, she spat on the ground and wiped her face,
"What?" Nathan asked grinning.

"That was the most disgusting thing I have ever had to do. Now we have to get to this 2nd level I suppose," She shrugged and looked for a way up to the next level. Nathan was beside her, that made grin on his face.

Greeting Area:

The old man got plenty of attention from the thugs in the Greeting Area, he would be a good target later. It was obvious he was armed but that was something easy to get around. The bartender looked to the man, 10 credits will get you the basic beer. You want something more expecnsive, put down more money. That simple.

Undercity tunnels:

Chloe and Nathan were about to recieve their official greeting to the Undercity. They had left the plaza and entered the yellow zones, also known as gang territory. It wasn't long before their way was blocked by a group of figures, all of which looked like they were out for blood. Luckily, none of them seemed to be armed with guns, the others had various melee weapons from brass knuckles to pipes to knives. "Well, well. Looks like some morons decided to walk into our territory. That's too bad." There had to be seven of them in total. Three in front, two behind, one on each side. As soon as they were in position, they struck.

Pontius smiled, picking up the beer and taking a swig. "Not much of a talker, huh? That's okay." He looked up toward the bartender, only to find his attention drawn toward someone else. Looking over, Pontius spotted an older man, sitting on a stool near him. An idea began to formulate inside his head. Taking a 10 credit bar out of his pocket, he slid it toward the old man. "Drink's on me."

It was Chloe who reacted first to the attack from the local thugs. She faced the three to her front while Nathan turned so his back was against hers and he was ranged against the two Thugs behind them.
Chloe watched as one of the Thugs swung forward with a knife, then ducked out of his way and karate-chopped him hard across the shoulders, a move strong enough to stun an elephant. She then turned to face the next charging attacker and dropping low to the ground, she lashed out with a boot to his his left shin hard, she felt her own leg jar with the impact, then, without even standing up, she lashed out again and hit the final Thug in the stomach, knocking him backwards with ease.

Nathan's style of fighting was less elegant but no less effective. He grabbed the wrist of one of his attackers and pulled the smaller man towards him. He tried to resist but Nathan put a hard fist right into his chin and knocked him straight on his back. The final attacker lashed forward but Nathan, displaying reflexes that belied his height, grabbed the man's arm and pulled him forward, smashing the man's forehead in a sickening headbutt as he did so. That was the final man down. The whole fight had taken less than a minute and there were no fatalies. Just five Idiots with various bruises and degrees of stunness.

Nathan dusted off his hands and grinned at Chloe,
"After you, Madame," he bowed and offered her a hand. She accepted it, grinning as well and they moved on through the streets of the Undercity.

"Red zones." The kitsune repeated, with an air of evident delight. "And what, exactly, are red zones, and where are they situated?" His gaze seemed to be, simultaneously, focused on Ghost and concentrating on the area around them, perhaps an affect of the fake, independent movement of his false eye. Urteil continued to radiate an air of total confidence, as if the very idea anything could harm him was laughable.

Greeting Area:

The old man got plenty of attention from the thugs in the Greeting Area, he would be a good target later. It was obvious he was armed but that was something easy to get around. The bartender looked to the man, 10 credits will get you the basic beer. You want something more expecnsive, put down more money. That simple.


Putting his hand into his pocket, he suddenly realized something. Cursing quietly, he thought to himself Only the Senate would send a man undercover, into another nation with TIOSLES!. "Uh, on second thought, I'll be off." Suddenly noticing Pontius, he smiled politely and nodded. "Thanks." Somewhat nervously, he pushed the bar towards the barkeep. Leaning on the counter, he asked Pontius, with more then a hint of suspicion: "What's the occasion?" Years of experience had taught Ptolemy that, in most places, someone didn't buy you a drink for no reason...

Pontius smiled, and let out a small chuckle. The old man was sharp, and probably more the just that. He wouldn't have to tiptoe around the subject, then. "Right down to business, then? That's good; I like that in a person." He replied, leaning in to discuss the matter more privately with Ptolemy. "Perhaps you can help me. You see, I'm looking for a certain someone. A very important someone. In fact, he's so important, that people don't even know his real name, but is known only by the alias of 'Mirage'." Pontius made the appropriate quotation marks with his fingers. "Long story short, I need someone to help me track this guy down."

Pontius smiled, and let out a small chuckle. The old man was sharp, and probably more the just that. He wouldn't have to tiptoe around the subject, then. "Right down to business, then? That's good; I like that in a person." He replied, leaning in to discuss the matter more privately with Ptolemy. "Perhaps you can help me. You see, I'm looking for a certain someone. A very important someone. In fact, he's so important, that people don't even know his real name, but is known only by the alias of 'Mirage'." Pontius made the appropriate quotation marks with his fingers. "Long story short, I need someone to help me track this guy down."

Ptolemy shifted nervously. He hated when people picked him out to be more then what he tried to appear as. "And what makes you think I can help? Perhaps this 'Mirage' is dangerous?"

Undercity Tunnels:

Without hesitation, Chloe and Nathan both recieved blows to the back of the head, heavy ones. They'd forgot about the two thugs on the side, both of which were moving in for more attacks...

Undercity Plaza:

Ghost rolled his eyes, idiot was deifnately not going home in one piece if at all. Only the ignorant would leave the Greeting Area and not get at least a basic handle on the layout of the Undercity as well as the area rankings. "Red zones are any areas where the freaks hang out. Everyone there is stronger and enviromental hazards are present around every corner. Whether you have business there or not, it's never a good idea to go. Now then, I have more important things to be doing." Ghost turned and left Urteil to himself, not interested in the man any longer.

Elsewhere:

The Wraith sat quietly on the floor of the elevator as it went ever downward. It was on its way to the 2nd level, about time.

Chloe fell to the floor, stunned by the hit, but it took more than a knock to the head to beat an Alversian. And now, Nathan was mad. He turned on the Thug who had attacked him, grabbed him by the arm and leg similtaneously and threw him into the nearest wall, ramming him hard against it's immovable surface.
He turned on the next Thug, closing in on Chloe and smiled at him,
"I would back off, Punk," Nathan suggested calmly as he came forward. Chloe was groaning and made a weak move to get up.

"And what makes you think I can help? Perhaps this 'Mirage' is dangerous?"

Pontius was enjoying this now. Not picking on the elderly, mind you. He always enjoyed the chance to act perceptive and mysterious. He found it rather ego-boosting. He could tell the man was nervous, but went on nonetheless.

"Perhaps he is dangerous. In fact, he probably is very dangerous." Another swig of beer, and a smile. "As for you, let's just say... you're not senile yet."

Pontius was enjoying this now. Not picking on the elderly, mind you. He always enjoyed the chance to act perceptive and mysterious. He found it rather ego-boosting. He could tell the man was nervous, but went on nonetheless.

"Perhaps he is dangerous. In fact, he probably is very dangerous." Another swig of beer, and a smile. "As for you, let's just say... you're not senile yet."

"Senile?" Ptolemy thought for a moment. "How old do you think I am?" Suddenly touching his face, he smiled. I forgot how old I look... And feel. "Fine then. I'll help." Hopefully, this will help me figure out what's going on...

Undercity Tunnels:

"And what makes you think I'll do that?" The man clenched his fist and then lunged at Nathan while also sending an earth shattering punch forward. It was obviously enchanced muscle, not the highest class but it could most likely put a hole in a car.

Nathan smirked as he side-stepped the punch, grabbing the Thug by the hair and forcing his head down on his waiting knee. The blow send shivers through Nathan's body but one thing was certain. The Thug wasn't getting up again.
Nathan checked him one more time, then went back over to a groggy Chloe,
"Wha?" She asked, eyes half-closed, "What happened?"

"Nothing, I just needed to exercise my kneecap a little," He smiled at her, helped her up then set off again down the street. Keeping a closer eye out now than before, looking for ambushes in every corner and on every roof.

The further Chloe and Nathan wandered, the closer they were getting to the heart of gang territory. It wasn't long until the tunnel they found a fork, one guarded by one man. A lone figure sitting on a bench, he didn't look all that tough on his own, but around him were several corpses. Obviously, whatever he did, he was good at it. There was a open crate sitting next to him, though its contents couldn't be seen. Before the pair could even get within fifty feet, a warning shot was fired. "If you want to pass, better get out two hundred credits." Came a voice, it was relaxed, but very serious.

"Senile?" Ptolemy thought for a moment. "How old do you think I am?" Suddenly touching his face, he smiled. I forgot how old I look... And feel. "Fine then. I'll help." Hopefully, this will help me figure out what's going on...

Pontius was quite overjoyed to hear this quick acceptance. He thought he'd have to go a little more in-depth then that. Less work for him, he supposed.

"Excellent." Pontius finished off the defenseless beer bottle, placing it down, empty, on the bar counter. The question was, where to go from there. Recalling the alien's words to him, Pontius began to formulate a plan. "We first need to attract his attention. Talking to people associated with him, taking out people under him, if necessary. As of right now, we have nothing to go on save for a picture and quite a large bounty. Oh, before I forget, I'm Pontius."

Pontius was quite overjoyed to hear this quick acceptance. He thought he'd have to go a little more in-depth then that. Less work for him, he supposed.

"Excellent." Pontius finished off the defenseless beer bottle, placing it down, empty, on the bar counter. The question was, where to go from there. Recalling the alien's words to him, Pontius began to formulate a plan. "We first need to attract his attention. Talking to people associated with him, taking out people under him, if necessary. As of right now, we have nothing to go on save for a picture and quite a large bounty. Oh, before I forget, I'm Pontius."

"You still haven't answered my question. How old do you think I am?" Ptolemy smiled. "And just how big is this bounty?" The senate's gonna need every Tiosle they can get... Leaning forward, he asked, somewhat hesitantly "Do you even know what he's done to get a bounty on his head?"

"Excellent," said Urteil happily, his words lost as his helper walked off, evidently fed-up with Urteil's ignorance of the Undercity. However, the kitsune only smiled. Red zones indeed.
Come look at the freaks...
Urteil would fit right in; despite his appearance and demeanor, among his people (at least until recently) he was a one-in-a-billion chance, nature's little joke. A deviant, a mutant, but nevertheless revered, though the Xiscapian had no use for priests, or indeed any religion at all.

Turning with a characteristic swing of his cane he strolled down a nearby alley, knowing that it would be quite obvious when he entered a red zone. Though the aristocrat knew it would be unlikely for him to find Mirage on the first zone one the first day, it would give him exposure. Weather the man he had spoken to told anyone of what had transpired mattered not, he had probably written Urteil off as a doomed fool, condemned to die in a tunnel somewhere with his skull cracked open. If anyone was going to be cracking skulls, or bones of any kind, it was going to be Urteil, though he preferred to find a way though any given situation that would benefit all parties. However, he had noticed that he had received much information for free, and though the motives of the informants were certainly circumspect, it was a good sign. Perhaps the Undercity would be easier to traverse, and ultimately manipulate, than he had originally anticipated.

"You still haven't answered my question. How old do you think I am?" Ptolemy smiled. "And just how big is this bounty?" The senate's gonna need every Tiosle they can get... Leaning forward, he asked, somewhat hesitantly "Do you even know what he's done to get a bounty on his head?"

Pontius looked at the old man from under his hood, trying to get a good view of his age. Well, his face certainly told a story of untold years of the rigors of life. Going on the face alone, he was...late 150's Angenterian standard? However, he could have undergone surgery to appear younger (or older) then he appeared. Or he could just be wearing a flesh mask. He really couldn't tell

"Please." He began "It isn't polite to guess one's age, but I think you'll be politely pleased with the bounty. Does 1.5 billion credits interest you?"

Pontius looked at the old man from under his hood, trying to get a good view of his age. Well, his face certainly told a story of untold years of the rigors of life. Going on the face alone, he was...late 150's Angenterian standard? However, he could have undergone surgery to appear younger (or older) then he appeared. Or he could just be wearing a flesh mask. He really couldn't tell

"Please." He began "It isn't polite to guess one's age, but I think you'll be politely pleased with the bounty. Does 1.5 billion credits interest you?"

Ptolemy tried to do exchange rates in his head, but wasn't quite up to it. His head as still pounding from his time in the crate. "Fine. I'm in." Standing up, he smiled grimly at Pontius. "And just so you know, though it may surprise you, I'm only thirty-four."

"Ah ha," Nathan stated, raising his hands in the air, "I see. What happens if I give 205? Do I get the change or is it kept as a bonus for your kind self?"
Chloe rolled her eyes, it would be Nathan to say something stupid like that.

@Al:

"If you're stupid enough to throw money away, paying me more than you have to, I certainly wouldn't mind taking it off your hands." The man was still very calm, he'd probably done this several times before and wasn't an ordinary thug. He was wearing some kind of armor and had a mask on to cover his face. He held his gun steady, it was obvious they weren't getting any closer without his permission.

@Xis:

The further Urteil continued, the darker the halls grew around him. At one point, the path seemed to end at a collection of large pipes traveling perpidicular to the direction of the tunnel, emerging from the tunnels walls only to give another convinient route to travel. There were obvious entrances into said pipes, and they were easily big enough to walk in. Seeing as the pipes had so many opened and damaged areas, it was a safe bet that they were no longer in use and safe enough to use. There were certainly nough footprints on the ground to suggest that they were used all the time.

Nathan grumbled and went to his pocket, picking at it for a while before looking up,
"Do I put the money in the bucket? Nice decoration by the way," He nodded to the bodies, "Your own work?"

"Just drop it." The man said, not even paying attention to Nathan's other question. H elooked over the two, analyzing them in case they tried what every other idiot had tried. He'd be able to put a bullet in their heads easily if they tried to get past him without paying.

"Forget it, I'm not dropping 200 quid on the bloody floor!" Nathan called back, "If you want it, then either I give it to you on my way past or you come over and get it," a pause, "And I want a damn receipt as well!"
Nathan still had his hands in the air, so did Chloe. Neither was moving and, while Nathan was focused solely on the man in front of him, Chloe was looking along the roofs for more snipers

OOC: Are there any people on the roofs?

OOC: You're in tunnels, there are no roofs
IC:

The man fired another shot, this one going right by Nathan's ear. The man then reached into the crate and pulled out a small spheric device. "I don't take kindly to idiots. If you're trying to stall, then you seem to think I'm patient. The next shot goes into your skull." The man was still as calm as could be.

"Stall for what? It's not as if the bloody Army's coming to my side is it?" Nathan grumbled and dropped the money on the floor, "There, 200 hard earned credits on the floor. Now can we pass, oh wise and apparently-not-so-patient one?"

"I'm a man of my word. Now go, your idiocy only adds to the plague of unintelligence in this dump."

"I am glad to have such a great mark of your wise self oh kind Sir," Nathan offered a final bow and walked through the tunnel with Chloe at his side.

"You're an idiot," She shook her head, "It was a miracle he didn't shoot us"

"You heard the man, he's a gentleman of his word. Now, after the most expensive tollbooth in the world, we need to get down a level." He was about to walk in one direction when Chloe grabbed him by the ear and pulled him in the opposite direction. Nathan followed sheepishly,
"I knew that." He said quietly

As Chloe and Nathan walked, the sound of distant, rushing water could be heard ahead of them. The next area was, in essense, a canyon. A single maintainance bridge spanned the otherwise uncrossable gap. Below them, a river a sewage ran its course through the sewer system, giving off a horrid smell. Before the two could study the scenery, the sound of footsteps could be heard coming from the path ahead of them.

"Charming," Chloe winkled her nose at the sewage, "That's what you smell like after a week without bathing."

"I'm hurt," Nathan said in a mock sad tone, looking at Chloe. The Kitsune stuck her tongue out, teasingly,
"Yeah, you're right. You smell much worse."

Nathan looked up in time to see someone approaching.
"Oh joy," He sighed, "What does this wonderful underworld have to offer us now? Y'know, I'm stunned this place hasn't become a tourist spot."

"Must be the nightlife," Chloe laughed.

The approaching footsteps belonged to a group of men dressed in brown and red. Each one wearing more or less the same clothing, a uniform of some sort most likely. They all had various bladed weapons. It wouldn't be surprising if one or more of them had a gun on them. There were a good five of them in total, all of which looked like they were trained in some. They quickly assessed the two in front of them. One had skill, the other was a brute. A common enough combonation for a two man team, also an easy one to dispose of. They didn't look to be as beefy as the last gang Chloe and Nathan fought, but these gys deifnately weren't ones to be underestimated. Their stances made something clear, melee would be difficult. One of them stepped forward, "State your business here, travelers. You should know better than to wander into gang territory without a guide, or some decent protection." The person whistled and four more of the figures appeared, climbing out from underneath the bridge.

"Decent protection meaning you, I suppose?" Nathan asked, raising an eyebrow. Chloe watched as the four figures came from under the bridge and took up position behind them. These one's seemed different, they seemed more on their toes than the last group. And it was nine against two.

Not than Nathan had noticed,
"I'll tell you what," he said dismissively, using his height to look down on the supposed ringleader, "How about you let us past and no one has to get hurt?" he and Chloe both took a step forward as if to backup the assumption.

"Decent protection meaning more than two people, perhaps even some body armor would help. Either way, you're in gang territory, more specifically, my gang's territory. Which means going against us-" There was the sound of guns being readied behind the pair, "-is your funeral, not ours." The people in front looked more than capable of handling themselves.

Urteil gazed around, studying each pipe and the potential route it offered in turn. All equally dirty, poorly maintained and covered in signs of recent foot traffic. By this point it had grown quite dim, but it proved no problem for the nocturnally sighted Xiscapian, single eye picking out every little detail, his other doing gods-knew-what. With a soft sigh he began to walk down the one which seemed to be traveled the least, taking the road less traveled, as it were.
OOC: GW, TG.

"I did try and warn you" Nathan took another step forward, as did Chloe. They were now seperated by two feet, though Chloe was almost close enough to touch the Thugs who had trapped them from behind. Nathan and Chloe acted as one.

Their hands shot into their belts with a speed and skill that only came with decades of unrelenting combat, where a man's only chance of survival lay in his ability to draw his weapon. Nathan and Chloe drew two blasters each and pointed them at the Thugs. They had not fired yet, but what they had was a Mexican stand-off. No one would walk away alive if it were allowed to continue like this,
"I think we can handle ourselves," It was Chloe who spoke, now back to back with Nathan again.

By the time Chloe and Nathan had pulled out their weapons, the thugs behind them had already gained the advantage. Nathan and Chloe would find those behind them already had guns at their heads. Two of those in front of them had swords to their guts, while the others in front still stood ready to slaughter. "Looks like the advantage is ours. Good try, but ordinary rabble doesn't cut it on the turf of the Glass Fist. O'course, it's not like you newbies would know what that is anyway. You must think we're the only ones, the Glass fist is over two hundred strong. You wouldn't make it out of here alive one way or the other. But if you wanna try, go ahead. I'm more a dealmaker myself, o'course, dealing with death is a deal nonetheless."

"Okay, you got us," Nathan sighed and slipped his guns back into his belt. Chloe did the same. At the same time, Nathan stamped on the ground and something dropped from his trouser leg. He closed his eyes as it whistled, sounding like a man calling for the attention of a dog, attracting those that did not know it's purpose to glance down, if only for a moment. The Mercenaries shut their eyes only in time to avoid the blast.

It was not a blast of material, but a blast of light. A blinding light which flared and burned the eyes of anyone who looked upon it, ruining their eyesight for as much as an hour at a time, bringing stinging pain to their faces. Nathan and Chloe, eye's a little askew after the blast despite closed eyelids, moved forward and quickly disarmed the group by a series of kicks and punches. They grouped the stunned Thugs in one corner of the bridge and threw their weapons over the side.
"I knew the old Bomb up the trousers would come in handy someday." Nathan grinned as they walked.

"Okay, okay," Chloe sighed, "I admit it, you were right, I was wrong. The flash bomb was a good idea. Now where though? We must be getting close to the second level by now?"

There was one last clanging sound as another figure lept up from underneath the bridge. "Always have a ace in the hole." She muttered, and it was an obvious she. Of course, to that extent, it was also a Leanorian. One with a rather large grin. "Tsk, tsk. You fell for an old trick." She was speaking half to the other thugs and half to the pair. She had a different set of clothing, black and untattered.

"Ah now what?" Nathan moaned and turned back to face the being, "Can't we get more than a hundred paces in this city without being ambushed by someone?" He asked in a whiney voice.
Chloe took one look at him, shook her head then looked back at the Lenorian,
"Are you here to demand money as well?" She asked, looking over at the thugs.

"Nope, I'm just here to pick something up." Said the Leanorian, "Now then.... please-" She disappeared, reappearing only to give Nathan a solid kick in the stomach, sending him back, -move." She immediately turned on Chloe, throwing her acorss the hall effortlessly. She then looked to the group of thugs that were her companions. "Ah, well. Time to go." She placed her hands on them and the entire group vanished before the two would even see what happened.

The kick to the stomach knocked the wind from Nathan but he was up in moments, helping his partner to her feet. She shook her head, unharmed from her adventire, but a little annoyed,
"What the hell was that?" She asked in frustration.

"I dunno," A pause, "correct me if I'm wrong but was that not cheating?"

"I feel like we've been mugged" Chloe got to her feet, brushed her tail off and soon they were walking towards the elevators again.

@Al: It wouldn't be long before the two came to a large room full of machinery. Banners depicting a fist hung from the cieling and the room was much better lit than the rest of the halls. Crates and canisters were here and there. And it was obvious this place got a lot of foot traffic. There were also plenty of warning signs on the walls stating that trespassers would be killed without question. They were walking right into a gang's hangout, or in this case, a guild hall.

@Xis: Urtiel was in for a nasty suprise, as he continued through the pipeline, it eventually began going, quite literally, down hill. It began to twist and turn to and before Urteil knew it, he was ankle deep in dark fluid of questionable contents. The sound of rushing water came form up ahead, though with all the twists it was hard tell how far he'd have to go to get to it.

"What now?" Nathan seemed irritated now, "Is there a way around it?"

"None that I can see," Chloe sighed, hands on her rifle, watching for ambushes.

"Then we had better get going." Nathan pulled one of his pistols from it's holster and moved into the hall, silently.

The sounds of talk and laughter grew louder as the two got closer to what seemed to be the central area. The machinery dampened the sound of anything else. No one appeared ot be in the first chamber, but with a group like this, not giving a second glance to every little thing might be fatal.

A quick nod and Chloe vanished. She was moving to somewhere where her skills would be better employed. Nathan himself entered the second chamber, still watching for any ambushes,
"Greetings Chaps," He announced, blaster spinning in his hand, "What's the craic?"

Both had done something stupid in their approach, not only alerting an entire guild hall but blatently walking into it. The room was large and had no real vantage points, nor was there any secret passages fro Chloe to go down and try to make herself stealthy. The fact she split off only made her an easy target. Nathan was first, stepping right onto a trap; a surge of electricity went through his body. If he wasn't out cold, his body wouldn't be able to move for at least a good two hours. Very few people in the hall gave too much attention, letting the elites take Nathan out of the hall and to a cell. Chloe was confront soon after a three droids, all of them well armed. They floated around her, out of attacking range, machine guns ready to reduce her to pulp if she didn't come quietly.

Ptolemy tried to do exchange rates in his head, but wasn't quite up to it. His head as still pounding from his time in the crate. "Fine. I'm in." Standing up, he smiled grimly at Pontius. "And just so you know, though it may surprise you, I'm only thirty-four."

Pontius couldn't help but be surprised at this new piece of information, but didn't dare show it. He had his doubts, of course, but couldn't have helped but feel a little fooled. And fooling him wasn't very easy. He stood up.

"I see." He stood up. "Very well. Shall we?" He motioned to the door.

"Ah that's not fair," Nathan said as he fell forward onto his face. He was followed closely by Chloe, who had come quietly rather risk her own death.
"How do we get into situations like this?" She wondered aloud, looking at Nathan. Nathan seemed completely undisturbed, simply sitting and whistling. Waiting for someone to visit them.

Urteil did his best not to walk in the foul-smelling sludge, lifting his expensive shoes with frequent expressions of disgust. Finally he gave up and jumped, flipping onto the side of the tunnel, where he launched himself to the other side, landing in a crouch on the side of the curved surface, somehow maintaining a balance even when perpendicular to the floor. In this fashion, bouncing off the walls as it were, he made his way down, seeking the end so he could resume movement normally.

Elsewhere...
In the darkness of a shabby room, two eyes opened, yellow pinpricks of light in the shadows. For a second they were still, then floated quickly across the room, the sound of cloth rustling, then a small thud of plastic on wood. They pivoted to face their place of origin, then moved across to it once more, a the room was filled with light. The silluotte of a figure could be seen on the opposite brick wall outside, framed by the illumination, before vanishing, dropping away.
For a few more seconds, all was still and quiet.

Then there was a fair explosion of light and noise.
The dim area was lit suddenly; the drab, dirty, threadbare carpet over stone with soiled, ripped furniture, a single wooden table and chair badly scratched and chipped. In what could have passed for a kitchen cupboards lay open, empty, infested with rats, cockroaches, and other denizens of such places. However, those who entered saw none of this; they moved quickly, beams of light flashing though, working together as they cleared the first room, then kitchen, then, finally, the dark room. It's single feature was a bed, in similar condition as the rest of the apartment, and it was empty, sheets twisted at the bottom, impression where a body had been lying still warm.
One of the men swore loudly. "She escaped!"
Another looked to the others, a mask concealing his face. "Search the whole place, if she left anything behind I want it."
"Yes sir."
The masked man smiled. No one evaded the Syndicate for long, and especially not her. She had fled far, but she wouldn't be getting much further.
He'd make sure of it himself.

Pontius couldn't help but be surprised at this new piece of information, but didn't dare show it. He had his doubts, of course, but couldn't have helped but feel a little fooled. And fooling him wasn't very easy. He stood up.

"I see." He stood up. "Very well. Shall we?" He motioned to the door.

Standing up, he moved to the door. "Age before beauty." Ptolemy said, a small grin on face as he walked out the door.

@Al: It wouldn't be long before someone did indeed visit the cell the two were being held in. It was a different figure this time, one dressed in a red, ragged cloak. Its face was covered by a wooden, white mask with a large eye painted on it. "So," the figure started, "you are the ones." Three voices were clearly audible: one deep and demonic, the other like that of a little girl, the last one like that of an old man. All three voices spoke in unison, giving off an odd effect, "You aren't very smart, are you? Then again, not many people are." Both Nathan and Chloe had been completely disarmed, Nathan's clothing was even ripped in some areas from the search for any more hidden weapons. "I suppose it would be best to find out who you are. We've already established you're both idiots. Walking into enemy headquarters sfter alerting the enemy of your presence, not gathering intelligence, and certainly not paying attention to surroundings. But, that aside, who are you and why are you here?" The figure was calm, unnaturally calm, simply facing them through the bars.

@Xis: The pipeline showed no signs of ending anytime soon. The sound of rushing water simply got closer and closer. There was a section where the pipeline went straight for a long while. In this straight section, one could see hatched were smaller pipelines would connect to this one. Yet they were all sealed tight, and were nowhere near as large as the pipe Urteil was in. It would appear the only way was forward.

"I'm an idiot? All I do is bloody walk into a house to find my clothes ripped off for saying hello and you call me an Idiot Sir, Mate, Ma'am," he said all words similtanously, referring to each of the voice one by one.
Chloe just sat and stared at the bars with a faraway look in her eyes, saying nothing.

"You really are thick, aren't you? You must not have been here very long. You must also have never dealt with criminals before. Not very smart at all." The eye on the mask, despite being painted, blink before then looking to Chloe, "And what say you, girl? You obviously have a sense of tactics... albeit not very good ones."

"I am delighted to left so high an opinion upon your good self madame" Nathan bowed to the man, while Chloe did not even turn around. She continued to stare at the wall, as if she were a million miles away.

"So, if you are criminals, then I'm sure a little money would facilitate our release and the return of our weapons?" Nathan asked innocently.

"The money we can and will take as is? You'll have to do much better than that." The figure's painted eye continued to star at Chloe.

Chloe did not match his stare. She did not even turn around. He may as well not have been there for all the attention she paid to him.
"Then what do you want?" Nathan asked glancing up at the window of his cell wistfully, "Nice view. Come here often?"

The 'window' which Nathan had refered to was nothing more than a pipe entrance. They were still deep underground, a place where no sunlight would ever pierce. The figure snapped its fingers, causing water to flood into the room through various entranceways, one of them being the forementioned pipe. "In three minutes, this water will fill the room. You have until then to begin talking. I want to know who you are, where you come from, and why you're here. Don't talk, you die. Simple as that." The figure waited patiently as the water began reaching its knees.

Nathan moved forward against the wall in apparent shock,
"No," He said in theatric horror, "You wouldn't dare would you? A little girl like you? That's very nice" He rubbed his hand against the wall, "Ew, slimy...my name is Lewis Mantle and this is Sally. We are here to do some work for a friend of ours. No death eh?"

Still Chloe did not speak, only stopped to look at the water at her ankles before her gaze settled back on the wall with distain.

The figure gave no reaction, letting the water continue to rise. It only took a few more moments for the water to be up to the figure's chest. It could see through Nathan's lie, and had no intention of letting him or CHloe out. If they weren't going to talk, it was going to let them die. It gave no indication of being bothered by the water and simply stood, patiently waiting.

ooc: GW, are they in a tunnel or in a room? What's on the other side of the wall?

OOC: Room, stone walls. On the other side of the wall is solid rock and a lot of pipework, which happens to be where the water is coming from. Pipes are intentionally ruptured and walls have holes corresponding to those rupture points for the very purpose of flooding the room.

OOC: Room, stone walls. On the other side of the wall is solid rock and a lot of pipework, which happens to be where the water is coming from. Pipes are intentionally ruptured and walls have holes corresponding to those rupture points for the very purpose of flooding the room.

OOC: Where's the bloke talking from?

OOC: There are three cells in the room, bars and other nasties keeping unwanteds from busting out or getting in. The person is on the other side of your bars, leaning against the wall, facing your chars. There's a OOC thread for this stuff, I'll bump it.

Nathan looked down at the water, then at his interrogater, then sighed,
"If I tell you why I'm here and what I'm doing, will you let us go?" He asked quietly, leaning against the bars.

"The water stops when you start. Though I doubt you're leading this two-man group." The figure spoke calmly as the water neared its neck.

"Of course I'm leading this bloody two man group" There was no lies in Nathan's voice only anger. He had a quick glance at Chloe, "I'm a Lieutenant in the Alversian People's Navy. I am here for a Recon mission only."

The water, for the moment, had stopped. "A nameless idiot military personel, and an nameless girl specializing in gymnastics." The voice was uncaring, completely ignoring Nathan's apparent anger, "Very well," the figure lifted one hand from the water, "is that all you're going to say, nameless one?"

Chloe still refused to speak, not even dignifying the man by turning to face him. Nathan did the talking, as he always did,
"We are here only to find the location of one known as Redemption," Nathan nodded, "We would like to employ your services to aide in such an attempt if it were possible?" He asked.

"Interesting.... and your names? Your REAL names."

Ptolemy spat. "This is taking too long. I'm going without you." Turning, Ptolemy wandered out into the street. I'd bet any amount of money that this 'Redemption' fellow is part of the reported disturbance. His bounty would bring a nice amount to the Senate too.Lord knows we need every cent, Tiosle, or credit we can get our hands on... Glancing about him, he suddenly realized he had no idea where the Casino he had came out from was. Great. Lost in some Godforsaken slum. I don't seem to be having any luck today. He began to look around himself for a clue of where he was...

OOC: Be patient.

"Hold up, I'm coming." Pontius chuckled, as he picked up the pace after Ptolemy.

"Interesting.... and your names? Your REAL names."

"Real names? Lieutenant Nathan Robertson of the APS Melody. My Collegue here, were she so inclined, would tell you that her name is Destin...Chloe," Nathan stopped himself just in time and, with another quick glance at his Kitsune friend to see if there was any damage done, turned back to their Interrogator, "Her name is Chloe, though pray tell, we have not been formally introduced?"

Urteil just kept going, moving rapidly down the pipe, watching the hatches. Just because they looked sealed and too small for a normal life form didn't mean there wasn't any person, beastie or trap waiting to come out and try to kill, eat or maul him. However, he was made hopeful by the various turns and twists the tunnel was taking, and the complete lack of signs anyone had passed here recently; if there were mutants around here, they would probably be in an area not easily reached by normal beings.
Fortunately, Urteil was far from normal.

Elsewhere, in the Undercity...
She walked quickly, unnoticed amongst the other foot traffic of the place. It was unlikely they would find her now, until the next time, but it was always possible they'd try to hire a local to do their work for them. Besides, she needed something, and she needed it soon. The orange tail flicked and curled; she was well inside the 'neutral', or blue, zone, not even near gang territory, but it paid to be cautious, and she tasted the air though her fine, Roman nose as she pushed though a crowd. If someone moved too slow, she hit them with the stock of her gun, and if they protested, she would be gone before they could stop her.

Cell:

"If that's the way you want it, very well." The eye on the mask closed, and when it next opened, was solid red. From the figure's point of view, there were letters floating over Nathan's head. "Na-than-iel Bar-nes. I'm sure the Greywatch governement would be interesting in you and your girlfriend." The figure then turned to 'Chloe,' like clockwork, letter began to appear over her head. It didn't matter what she wished to hide, the mask would tell the figure what it wanted to know.

Pipes:

Urteil came to a ledge, an area where the pipe just went into a vertical drop, or a sharp right if he were still standing on the side of the pipe rather than the actual bottom. The sound of water was coming from down there, but it was definately a ways down, judging the sound. No light pierced that darkness of below, and what was worse, the sound of the rushing water was now coming from behind, and towards, him as well. The hatches had opened, and what they were holding back down had to go somewhere.

OOC: Blue zone, XIs

"Damn!" Nathan shook his head, "Ah well, it was worth a try..."

"...and I am not his girlfriend," Chloe at last turned to the figure, yellow eyes meeting his red one, seemingly undisturbed by the sight, "And my name is Chloe. Who wants to know?" She snapped.

The figure simply said her real name, the one Nathan had tried so hard to keep a secret. "This mask isn't just for show. I can see your names."

"Then it will tell you that my name is Chloe," The Kitsune stated simply, mildy, "I was born with the name Chloe and I pray that I shall die with it. Contrary to what the Idiot tried to tell you, Destiny is an alter-ego I use from time to time. He remembered that I do not like to be known by alter-ego's and so reverted to my original name."
She was looking at her fingernails,
"You will you help us or not?" She asked casually, leaning against the bars as Nathan had done before, rubbing her sleeve against the metal, as if testing it's strength.

"I don't fall for the same childish games everyone else does. You can lie to my ears and lie to yourself but I will always be a step ahead of you. That is why you are the one behind bars, and I am not. I don't see any reaosn to help you, actually. You have no power here, and are completely at the mercy of me and my companions. So you can take your make believe power, and do with it what you will." The eye on the mask developed a pitch black circle in the middle, "Both of you are looking for Mirage because you wish to claim the bounty. You have two other companions, a human and a Xiscapian. Truth cannot be hidden. I will return once my master has given me the order of how to use you." The water in the room sank to about chest level and the figure walked out, seemingly unaffected by the water's height.

OOC: Just so you know, this mask will see the name given to her at birth, it can't actually be fooled by anything.

OOC: Her name is Chloe, she was telling the truth.

"Who the hell is Mirage?" Chloe lost her temper now, "We don't know any bloody Mirage! We're here to search for the known locations of someone known as Redemption. That's it! We were only passing through when you saw bloody fit to attack us time and time again! This is the welcome someone gets down here? A mugging then a session in voodoo!? No wonder no one ever comes down here, it's a bloody shithole!" She then turned away from the bars.

Nathan came sheepishly forward,
"Women," he shook her head, "And Kitsune...don't take kindly to this sort of thing," he tapped one of the bars.

10 minutes later...
The heavy door swung open, and back came the figure followed by another. The water began to drain out of the room as both approached the cell. The second figure was a Drone, its solid black eyes looking over the pair. "This is it?" Asked the Drone, the original figure nodded, "Yes, that is them." The Drone looked back to them, "Good, you've earned your credits. I'll take over from here." The other figure bowed and left, the bars opened. The Drone looked to the two, "Thank you for being so easy to find. For once, someone's stupidity was actually useful. Now then, you're both now under my command and will follow me. I will explain the situation along the way. Once I am done, you will recieve orders and will be expected to carry them out. Is that understood?" The Drone stood waited for a response. It had intentionally left out the part about being stronger and faster than any flesh based being and was easily capable of killing the two where they stood right then and there. It wanted them to try and attack it, it wanted them to see that they were going to listen to it or die. It wasn't an Elder Drone, but it still possessed enough Cryption to reduce both of them, and anyone else in the 'guild' to ash without any effort. Nathan and Chloe were now about to see the Forbidden Ministry.

"Yea...wha?" Nathan was more dazed than anything else, "We're under whose command? We don't really go for the whole 'command' thing, though if you do need our help," He was speaking politely, unthreateningly, "Then perhaps we can be employed for a one off salary?" He asked hopefully.

Chloe was looking at the Drone with interest,
"You're not human, are you?" She asked quietly.

"Command is the only proper term, mercenary, since you will be working under the command of my kin and I." The Drone didn't bother addressing Chloe, "Now then. Assuming you do not try to cause trouble-" The Drone's body lit up like a torch, "-I will not resort to anything drastic. If you come quietly, doing the jobs your told to do, you will be rewarded. I do hope we have an understanding."

"We do, almighty kerosene man," Nathan nodded, "Work equals money. Gotcha. So," Nathan looked from side to side, "Where to first?"
Chloe sniffed at the rudeness of the Drone and looked away. Their attitude reminded her of another race, far away.

"For starters, Redemption is no longer your target. You're going to be working with him later on." The flames went out as quickly as they'd appeared. "My masters will give me orders that I will forward to you." The Drone led them out of the room they were being held in and into the bright light of the well-lit gang halls. "The first task you be given to do is accompany me to the meeting Halls, the halls will then be your home during your stay. For accompanying me, and to whet your appitite for what is to come, you will receive twenty thousand standard credits." The Drone led the two out of the gang halls and back down the path they'd come, "If you're wondering how I know about you and your quest for Redemption, its because my masters keep a eye on every corner of this place and we've been watching you two for awhile. There is currently a Drone tracking Urteil down as well. A word of advice to you both, use your eyes. When you walk into gang territory, pay attention to the territory part. When you're someone else's turf without permission, they will attack you. I'm sur ethat where you come from, barging into people's homes is perfectly acceptable but in the Undercity, you'll be abused to no end if you think you can get away with it."

"Hmph." Urteil sniffed, on the side of the pipe, and crawled out to where it terminated in space, above the area so black he could see nothing. On top of the pipe now, above where all the water was to come out and quite safe unless the pipe decided to crumble, he thought for several moments, then looked up and around him. If there were other pipes, he would try to make it up or down to them, but if not, he'd have to get a little creative.

Blue Zone...
The kitsune stopped short, green hair swinging slightly, in front of a door, completely nondescript and without any apparent advertising. Knowing that barging in unwelcome could get one shot, or worse, around here, she knocked casually, looking around warily. A plate slightly above her opened, though no eye could been seen there, and she spoke. "I have an appointment." The plate shut instantly and, after a few moments, the door opened a crack to admit her before quickly shutting. Waiting for her eyes to adjust, the Xiscapian slowly put her shotgun down on the floor, moving slowly and trying to seem as non-threatening as possible.

"I have an appointment," she said again, "with the Surgeon." The Surgeon was the name of a doctor who lived in the Undercity, a very popular cosmetic shaper...among other things. The operation she needed would be expensive, and potentially crippling, but it would all be worth it if she achieved her final goal. The kitsune was a mere goal, not even looking of age, maybe twenty, if not younger, her skin bleached white, yellow eyes staring out balefully from beneath a curtain of straight, soft green hair.
OOC: TG, GW.

"Yeah, well we are new here," Nathan answered sheepishly, "We didn't know this was gang-territory. Besides, it was only a little harmless travel, not like we were doing anything dangerous. By the way, can we get our weapons back? They are quite expensive." Chloe just followed as always,
"So what are we doing first?" Nathan rubbed his hands together eagerly.

@Al:
"The banners hanging from the ceiling and warning signs didn't tip you off? Ever notice how the Greeting area is calm while these halls actually have dangerous people in them? That should set off some lights. There are plenty of informants around who give advice for some cash, so not talking to them is your own fault. Just because you're not doing anything dangerous doesn't mean you won't be bothered. It's the Undercity, it's the biggest criminal hangout in the system. Don't be so foolish as to act like you're above ground where security will come to your aid, this place is lawless and dangerous. Those who don't properly prepare themselves die first. Simple as that. As for your weapons, they're as good as gone, I suggest you forget about them now. As for what you're doing first, I already told you. You follow me until we get to the pre-set destination, then you will receive equipment and further orders." The Drone led them back to the fork though this time they went the other way, the man who'd been guarding it didn't say a thing as they went by, the Drone obviously had authority. They were being led down a different set of tunnels, ones that were obscured by an oddly thick fog. They continued down various paths for half an hour before finally coming to what appeared to be an elevator. "Are you ready?"

@Xis:

Blue Zone:

The door openned, and a heavily armed man beckoned for her to enter. "Come quickly, Greywatch patrols are getting pretty hot so the doc's gonna wanna make this quick. Can you dig it?" The man closed the door when she entered and led her through the halls and into a bathroom. The guard knocked on one of the walls and it lowered, revealing a secret room full of high end medical equipment. The man pointed to a bed, "Strip and the doctor will be with you shortly." The man left without saying anything more.

OOC: Has Urteil moved through matter or something?

OOC: No, I assumed the tunnel stuck out of the wall slightly, giving him a upper side to escape to. If not, he's latched onto the ceiling of the tunnel.
IC:
She just nodded and quick did as he instructed, her catsuit coming away quickly, knowing that this was the end of many things; her innocence, her helplessness and of her first identity, and the beginning of her new one, the start of her mission, and the finale of this saga that had started so long ago. She lay down on the bed, completely nude, hands clasped on her stomach, nervous but trying not to show it. She had to go though with this; she had come to far not to, and all other avenues were closed to her, this was the only way.
She waited for the Surgeon.

"I suppose," Nathan grumbled, unhappy,"Even if you have stolen all my weapons for your own profit. Not a very nice thing to do to someone working for you is it?" He suggested humbly.

"No," Chloe stopped, "Forget it, I'm nowhere without my katana."

@Al:

"Idiot," said the Drone, "Let's review, shall we? You wandered into gang territory, and then had yourself captured and disarmed. I don't have a clue where your weapons are, nor do I care. Let me make something clear, my masters own this place. We watch, we listen, we learn, we help, and we terminate. The group you just saw was becoming powerful, they were beginning to invest in.... questionable things... For that reason, I found it necissary to call up some proper Greywatch authorities and give them a 'helpful tip' or two. That guild hall is currently being assaulted and by the end of the day, it will be stripped clean of anything and everything that could be considered useful or interesting. That's known as a 'Purge.' You don't have weapons because you were being careless, simple as that." The Drone turned to Chloe, "You can go back, you'll either die or be taken into custody, which is a mess my masters and I don't feel like dealing with. Instead, I will send in someone to see if they can find it, assuming it isn't apart of the sewer system by now. I suggest you worry less about it and more about your own life. I don't have time for this child-like behavior."

@Xis:

Pipe:

Urteil's path was one encased inside metal and rock, there wasn't anything outside the pipe but earth, and with water approaching at seemingly ever increasing speeds, it was time to make a decision. Be thrown into the blackness below him by the water forcefully, or 'go with the flow' so to speak. Of course, the question had to be asked, would it be so bad falling into that blackness? Urteil was trying to find a way to the next level down, and by all means, this was a way down. It may have been a distasteful and questionable way into the lower levels of the Undercity, but everyone in the Undercity knew very well that not everything was what one expected.

Blue Zone:

A door opened and in came the surgeon, a Xarniosi. It stood 8 feet tall and much of its body was mechanical at this point in its life. It looked over her body performing the necissary scans. "And what changes will we be making today, m'dear?" The voice heard was not that of the Xarniosi's but of another figure, a man dressed in white with long blond hair and brown eyes who entered behind the Xarniosi. He wore a large smile as he looked over her, explosing his sharpened teeth, holding a scalpel in one hand. The Xarniosi looked to the man, "You're far too eager. I will call when I need you." The man laughed, "No fun." The Xarniosi shooed the man away, "You're better with the dead. I'm better with the living." The man left the room, leaving the Xiscapian and the Xarniosi alone. "I apologize for my assosciate, he's new to this particular field. Now then, what exactly are you looking for? We wouldn't want any mistakes, now would we?"

"My katana is important," Chloe insisted stubbornly, "I will not leave without it."

She was telling the truth, the Xiscapian race put a great deal of weight on their swords, believing that they held a very part of their soul. They would risk life and limb to rescue their katana, no matter what the cost to themselves for, without their katana, they would be incomplete. Not something, Chloe was willing to do, especially as she had had this katana forged herself.
The Drone could bully her, it could threaten her, it could even kill her, but she would not move without her katana and if she did not go, then Nathan did not go.

"So is my mission. Your kind has always had this flaw, hasn't it? I am not risking my mission because you're too childish to accept the consequences of your own actions. Grow up, you could have turned back at any time and this is the reward for your stubborness." The Drone had other things to worry about, if things didn't go according to plan, the Undercity and possibly then entirity of Greywatch Prime would be destroyed. For a moment, it considered simply killing them here and now, eliminating the problem all together. Indeed, it was probably the best way to do things, iot didn't have too much of a choice at this point. Instead, the Drone proceeded to give Chloe one last chance to be a woman instead of a fussy child, "I'll say this once more. You can come now, be patient for a good two or three hours, and actually have the chance of getting your katana back; in which respect you might actually demostrate the intelligence of an adult for the first time in your life. Or you can go back, face certain death, and never see the katana ever again." The Drone's words were not lies, the only reason the pair had even made it to the elevator was because of the Drone's presence. Numerous enemies lurked in the unnatural fog, enemies much better equiped than any others and completely capable of killing both of them there and now. It was now a do or die decision.

"Oh, what I do, what I do..." Urteil murmured to himself, hanging from the top of the pipe, listening to the water roar nearer and nearer. There was no way to go but down, unless he wanted to try to ride out the coming deluge, in which case he could be stuck here for some time. Fine, but if I'm going down I do it my way, damnit. He dropped, past the floor of the pipe, into space, in an apparent free fall, but as he did so he turned in the air and gave a rakish salute with his cane upwards. "Enjoying this, aren't you?" he asked no visible person, dropping rapidly. Just before he hit the surface of the water something fell under him, and the kitsune hit the force field he had dropped, suspending him mere inches above the disgusting river of filth. It began to move as he directed it, upwards to avoid the flood of waste that was coming from the pipe, as he looked around again, trying to discern the best route out.

Blue Zone...
The Xiscapian matched the humans smile, teeth far sharper than his, the grin making her look almost feral, but otherwise she did not move. After he left she looked to the Surgeon, responding simply. "That would be unlucky," she conceded, staring intently at the Xarniosi. "Skin grafts, total cover, black. Hair colored the same, fur," she stroked her tail under her and rubbed her fox ears, "silver. I want eye implants, deep blue in color, containing a HUD, FOF I.D., miniature scanner and an analysis reader. Enhancements for increased strength and muscle building, and heightened reflexes. The cost has been discussed, and you already have half in the arranged account with fail safes, the other half comes on completion."

Pipes:

The only way was forward, towards the light at the end of the tunnel. It didn't matter that a forcefield had been errected, the pipe that Urteil was in connected to several other pipes. The water level began to increase rapidly and the end to the pipe was a good 100ft away. The Undercity had no apparent intention of being kind and did what it did on scheduel, no matter what. If it hadn't been apparent before, it certainly woul dbe now, Urteil was in one of the many sewer systems of the Undercity. Typically, these areas were used by people who had little time to get form one place to another, and little care about how they got to their 'point B.' It was certainly a good way of getting around without being seen, but it helped to know when 'the next train was due' so to speak.

Blue Zone:

The Xarniosi's right hand very quickly transformed into a truly terrifying multitude of surgical tools. "Sleep." It said before using its left hand to inject her with a clear fluid. In an instant, everything went black for her and the Xarniosi started its work, first removing the skin. The rest of the process after that would be a little more delicate.

"I did not say I would not take part in your pointless mission," Chloe snapped, "I said I would not leave this city without it. You cannot vent your anger on someone who did not know that they had entered a Guild hall, which looks like every other damn building in this rotting dump. I wonder if the whole of Greywatch is as rotted to the core as this place?" She asked, temper snapped by the patronising tone of what was only a dumb machine. She didn't care if it could move at the speed of light or fire rockets from it's arse.
It was still a dumb machine with no feelings except to kill. It was like the SASM except they were actually frightening. Chloe had never been less frightened of the thing in her life.
"Take us to this bloody knight. I hope he's a better advertisement for his people than you are." She huffed. Nathan shrugged and moved on.

"You seem to misunderstand me. You don't meet Red until I say so, so I suggest that you buck up little girl. And once more, you prove your indiocy, if you can't tell you're entering a guild hall that is clearly marked, you may as well jump off a bridge. The world would certainly be better off without your corpse adding to the stink. You're obviously retarded in some way seeing as we're underground and there are no buildings so pehaps you should have your eyes checked before you do anything else." The elevator doors opened and the Drone entered, waiting for the other two.

"I'm...what?" The word came from both Nathan and Chloe at once, both expressing total outrage at the statement that the Drone had just uttered. Both looked at it as if it were something, not to be feared, but to be treated gently, for it seemed quite happy to offend anyone and everything it faced. They didn't care about Greywatch and, to be honest, the more time they spent in the company of this...thing...the less they were caring about the planet.
They liked to think of themselves having a conscience, despite being Mercenaries, they liked to think that every race had some kind of redemption in it, but this Drone was a thug, nothing more than a jumped up thug, they hated it and the race that had created it with such a passion already.
"If I am such a...retard..." Chloe snarled the word, "...then why do you need us? Just go and do the mission yourself if you think we're so bloody useless!"
They were not following the Drone anymore. But stood and stared at it. Neither Alversian nor Xiscapian peoples could be expected to take such an insult laying down. If the Alversian Government heard of this...there would be trouble.

OOC: LOL Paddy; so if that Drone insults them one more time, the People's Republic is going to send an army after it to kick it's ass? :tongue:
IC:
Urteil's force field moved a good deal faster than the water, and he made it into the next tunnel with time to spare. "Better luck next time," he said sympathetically to the liquid behind him as he sped into the darkness of the next area.

Blue Zone...
Her eyes widened and there was a tiny gasp before she fell into a deep blackness, no longer aware of anything.

"Simple, becuase my masters want some muscle, and you want to meet Redemption; an easy enough exchange." The Drone stepped off the elevator, "You both seem to be in awe-like state of some sort." The Drone returned their glares with its own, "What's wrong, little girl and big man? Look at you two, like any other biological, you're completely blinded by your emotions. You're completely willing to do something stupid and then put the blame on someone else, you walk blindly into obsticels and then blame them for being there, you insult others but hate it when you're insulted back. You think I like the fact I have to work with you? Don't kid yourself, I simply follow orders." The Drone spoke its typical monotone, there was no emotion in any of its words, as if it was simply laying the facts down that had been given to it by someone else. "Don't give me your egotistical bullshit and stupid looks. Both of you apparently have no real survival instict and both of you, for whatever reason, want my respect. What should I respect? You haven't given me any reason to care about your existence, so I don't. It's that simple." The Drone looked directly at Chloe, solid black eyes giving off the sense that she was nothing more than a damaged product, "I, like all my kin, was born on a production line to serve multiple purposes. In this case, I'm an escort, and 'The basics of sucking up to medium biologicals with large egos and small brains' was not apart of my programming. If you want me to respect you and care about you, then give me something to respect. It's that simple." The Drone glanced to Nathan, "You look like the more pleasureable one to work with but your smiles and nice attitude seem terribly overdone. You use this forementioned attitude at all the wrong times and make yourself look like an untrustworthy fool. I figure you do it on purpose to lighten the mood but in this case its just annoying." The Drone then looked to Chloe, "As for you, all you've done so far is pouted and whined. I'm sure other biologicals call this bitching, even though it has nothing to do with dogs. Its not a concept I understand but its just as annoying as a fake smile." It then took a step back and looked to both of them, "Do you think I care about Greywatch and its condition? Greywatch is a host, the vassle for my masters and my organization, nothing more and nothing less. If it burns, we lose our employers, and that's not something we want to see happen. So go ahead and hate me, as if your feeling mean anything to a being that doesn't have any of its own. Your objective lies ahead, and this is the best chance you get. Oh, and as much as I'd love to hear you explain your feelings for me, a simple 'yes' or 'no' will suffice." The Drone had changed its tone slightly, something very bad was coming their way and it sensed the approach. Without waiting for an answer it boarded the elevator once more, this time waiting for it to go down.

This time they both got in the elevator without saying a word. There was nothing to say. The Drone thought it had them figured out. It did not. It assumed that Nathan put on his attitude for light entertainment and that Chloe did nothing but pout. It could not have been further from the truth on either of them. They did not care about it's masters, they did not care about Greywatch, they did not care about this machine or it's respect, for respect was useless in a dump such as this. They would complete this mission then get back to civilisation, something that Greywatch did not seem to have. They stood in silence and waited for whatever would happen. There was nothing to say to the Drone. It did not respect them and they did not respect it. It kept bringing up the fact that they had walked into a sign-posted Guild Hall by accident. Perhaps they had wanted to walk into it? Perhaps they had wanted to talk to the Gang leaders and get the frequent attacks off their back? Perhaps they were planning to enlist the Gang, paying good money for the privelege?
Nathan and Chloe never did things by accident. If the misguided machine wanted to proclaim them stupid, then it could do so all it wished. They did not care.

OOC: Gonna go type up my lost post in word now... thank you NS

OOC: Be patient.

"Hold up, I'm coming." Pontius chuckled, as he picked up the pace after Ptolemy.

"Damn it." Ptolemy muttered "I've never had a good sense of direction." Looking at Pontius, he sighed. "So, where should we start looking for this 'Redemption' fellow?"

Pontius slowed his pace, catching up to Ptolemy. Coming to a stop, he took a quick look around.

I've never had a good sense of direction. So, where should we start looking for this 'Redemption' fellow?

Pontius chuckled. The 'old' guy was right. Looking back, the bar they were in was totally out of sight. It seemed like they were in a different part of the Undercity altogether. He brushed off the shoulders of his clothes. How he got there was beyond him.

"It looks like you don't. If we're gonna go looking for this guy, we should at least know where we are." He paused for a moment. "We should start by showing our faces in the places he has people in." He looked around again. "But that could be anywhere...."

Pontius slowed his pace, catching up to Ptolemy. Coming to a stop, he took a quick look around.



Pontius chuckled. The 'old' guy was right. Looking back, the bar they were in was totally out of sight. It seemed like they were in a different part of the Undercity altogether. He brushed off the shoulders of his clothes. How he got there was beyond him.

"It looks like you don't. If we're gonna go looking for this guy, we should at least know where we are." He paused for a moment. "We should start by showing our faces in the places he has people in." He looked around again. "But that could be anywhere...."
Ptolemy shook his head. "Not to mention that just showing up at his doorstep might not be the brightest idea ever. Chances are, he doesn't have a high price on his head for stealing a few wallets, right?"

Pontius thought of Ptolemy and himself standing in the inner sanctum of a major crime boss, smiling awkwardly and waving hello. He laughed.

"I think that speaks for itself." He said. "In the meantime, we need to find out where we should go."

Pontius thought of Ptolemy and himself standing in the inner sanctum of a major crime boss, smiling awkwardly and waving hello. He laughed.

"I think that speaks for itself." He said. "In the meantime, we need to find out where we should go."

"Aye. Problem is, where?" Looking around, he shrugged, his shoulders carrying a heavier burden then just this criminal. "Might as well ask around... Of course, a small pile of t-...Credits can do wonders for a tight lipped man."

"It seems that can be arranged." Pontius was quite aware of the number of people that were passing them by, going about their daily lives without a bother. He waved down one of them "Excuse me, could you help us?"

"It seems that can be arranged." Pontius was quite aware of the number of people that were passing them by, going about their daily lives without a bother. He waved down one of them "Excuse me, could you help us?"

The man who actually bothered to stop for them had dark skin and red hair. Obvious signs of genetic and cybernetic engineering were seen on his body and he looked to be in a bad mood. Unnatural yellow eyes fixed on the two, "What you want?"

The man who actually bothered to stop for them had dark skin and red hair. Obvious signs of genetic and cybernetic engineering were seen on his body and he looked to be in a bad mood. Unnatural yellow eyes fixed on the two, "What you want?"

Ptolemy crossed his arms. Something about this man unnerved him. He shifted uncomfortably. Leaning towards Pontius, he whispered "You deal with this one. I don't think he'd be too receptive to an old man, such as myself."

Pontius gazed at the man, noting his unusual yellow eyes. Implants of some sort, no doubt. He'd seen enough Enginseers and the like on Imperial starships to make out an augment or two. Anywhoo, he seemed in a hurry, so Pontius wasted no time getting to the point. Hearing Ptolemy's comment, he smiled slightly. But would people be quicker to talk to nice old man than the mysterious guy in the white hood?

"Would you happen to know a person who goes by the name of 'Redemption,' or anyone who does?"

"High bounty brown hair guy? Talk to an informant." The man pointed to another figure wearing camo pants and a black sleeveless shirt. The man was bald and was fiddling around with a PDA system. "Informants keep information about the high stakes people, for the right price." The man, without saying anything more, vanished into the crowd.

"High bounty brown hair guy? Talk to an informant." The man pointed to another figure wearing camo pants and a black sleeveless shirt. The man was bald and was fiddling around with a PDA system. "Informants keep information about the high stakes people, for the right price." The man, without saying anything more, vanished into the crowd.

"Well, that turned out better then I expected." Making his way to the 'informant' the man had mentioned, he made his way, as if to walk past him, and whispered "I'm looking for a man named 'Redemption'. How much for your services?"

The man smiled, "Ah a new customer, and one who's bold at that. Well, if you're looking for Redemption, it will cost you. The bounty is big, and so are my prices. It'll cost 2000 credits for my services, a small price to pay if it equals success on your mission, eh?"

The man smiled, "Ah a new customer, and one who's bold at that. Well, if you're looking for Redemption, it will cost you. The bounty is big, and so are my prices. It'll cost 2000 credits for my services, a small price to pay if it equals success on your mission, eh?"

Reaching into his pockets, Ptolemy felt the small wad of money in his pocket. Damn the Senate! I doubt if anyone accepts this outside of CM... Stalling for time, Ptolemy asked, with a tone of suspicion "And how do I know you're trustworthy?"

The man cluthed his chest in false pain, "I'm hurt!" He then smiled and straightened up, "Does this place look like it would be forgiving to liars?"

Pontius' eyebrow perked when he heard the price of the informant's services. 2000 credits was no beer bottle. He shouldn't have spent so much on beer.

"You pay, I'm running out of credits." He hissed at Ptolemy. Seeing his hands already in his pockets, he assumed he'd by paying anyway.

He looked up. "I don't think this place would be very forgiving to honest people, either."

The man cluthed his chest in false pain, "I'm hurt!" He then smiled and straightened up, "Does this place look like it would be forgiving to liars?"
"No, I suppose it wouldn't." Taking his hands out of his pockets, he crossed his arms once more. "So, tell me then, is there anything that you would take in lieu of credits?"
Pontius' eyebrow perked when he heard the price of the informant's services. 2000 credits was no beer bottle. He shouldn't have spent so much on beer.

"You pay, I'm running out of credits." He hissed at Ptolemy. Seeing his hands already in his pockets, he assumed he'd by paying anyway.
Leaning over to Pontius, he retorted quietly "I don't have any credits!" Glaring at Pontius for a moment, he returned his gaze to the informant.

"Depends. Can I go to a bank and exchange what you give me for credits?" The informant was smiling, his information seemed to be out of their price-range. A shame, but finding quality info on Redemption was difficult, and for good reason.

"Depends. Can I go to a bank and exchange what you give me for credits?" The informant was smiling, his information seemed to be out of their price-range. A shame, but finding quality info on Redemption was difficult, and for good reason.

Shifting uncomfortably, Ptolemy nodded. "In every bank I've went to, yes." Pulling out a small wad of paper notes, Ptolemy held them out in front of the informant. "Six-thousand Tiosles, about two-thousand credits." Ptolemy's gaze was unsure, hoping the informant would take the money...

"Well then, looks like I may have to move some business into your world. Either that, or your government had better begin some trade with Greywatch. I don't like being cheated, sir." The informant's gaze now had a slight killer look to it, "I don't like it at all." The informant took the money, pocketing it quickly, "Well, now that we have that out of the way. Redemption is an Elden mercenary that occassionally works for the Greywatch government on important missions. Being an Elden, he is well over five thousand years in age and possesses more than a few arsenals of Crytpic attacks. If you engage him directly, you will die; it's that simple. Legends say he is an immortal, but that's just rumor. If you want to find him, you're in luck, he's currently working here in the Undercity, level 2. Mind you, that's one level down. His main weapons are a pair of pistols but he's been known to use swords as well. His primary Cryptic element is fire-based. It's also believed that he owns an entire off-world Mercenary Group known as the Crimson League."

Pontius leaned in slightly to examine the paper bills Ptolemy had just handed the informant with a bit of interest. They certainly weren't credits, that was certain, and were from a place he obviously wasn't familiar with. Well, that didn't surprise him. The Galaxy was a big place, after all, and there are probably many races that the Holy Imperium hadn't met yet. Well, it got them the information they wanted (hopefully), and it got them known, now that it was seen that a strange foreigner was after Redemption.

He listened to the given information with great interest, especially the part about Cryptic. In his time in the Greywatch Empire, he had made it a goal to learn about this thing called "Cryptic." Apparently, it was some sort of psi-energy, but was able to cancel out other psi-energies wielded by other users. If Redemption had Cryptic powers, then it would difficult indeed. He leaned toward Ptolemy

"The Crimson League. They certainly don't sound like the cute and cuddly type. More like the high-caliber automatic weapons kind."

"Well, if that's all you guys wanted to know, I suggest you move along." The informant pointed to a tunnel, "That's the way you probably wanna head down. Be careful, its a yellow zone. Hope you're well armed, you can jumped from anywhere and anytime down there. Might even want a guide."

Pontius leaned in slightly to examine the paper bills Ptolemy had just handed the informant with a bit of interest. They certainly weren't credits, that was certain, and were from a place he obviously wasn't familiar with. Well, that didn't surprise him. The Galaxy was a big place, after all, and there are probably many races that the Holy Imperium hadn't met yet. Well, it got them the information they wanted (hopefully), and it got them known, now that it was seen that a strange foreigner was after Redemption.

He listened to the given information with great interest, especially the part about Cryptic. In his time in the Greywatch Empire, he had made it a goal to learn about this thing called "Cryptic." Apparently, it was some sort of psi-energy, but was able to cancel out other psi-energies wielded by other users. If Redemption had Cryptic powers, then it would difficult indeed. He leaned toward Ptolemy

"The Crimson League. They certainly don't sound like the cute and cuddly type. More like the high-caliber automatic weapons kind."
Ptolemy grinned. "Then they sound like my kind of people." Winking, he turned back to the informant, who had begun talking again.
"Well, if that's all you guys wanted to know, I suggest you move along." The informant pointed to a tunnel, "That's the way you probably wanna head down. Be careful, its a yellow zone. Hope you're well armed, you can jumped from anywhere and anytime down there. Might even want a guide."
Ptolemy nooded as he removed a capsule from his pocket, and pushed it into a high-tech looking syringe. Placing it into his pocket, Ptolemy nodded to Pontius. "Just in case. Let's go, we can't waste anytime."

(OOC: Yay, we're getting somewhere!)

IC: Pontius regarded the syringe as Ptolemy slid it into his pocket. Whatever it was, it probably contained a nasty surprise for whomever they ran into.

"Of course."

With that, he took off into the tunnel.

(OOC: Yay, we're getting somewhere!)

IC: Pontius regarded the syringe as Ptolemy slid it into his pocket. Whatever it was, it probably contained a nasty surprise for whomever they ran into.

"Of course."

With that, he took off into the tunnel.

Ptolemy was close behind him, one hand keeping his weapons hidden, and the other keeping them ready at a moments notice.

The hall they were going down was a rather cramped one, like one you'd expect to see on a submarine. The hall was, at least, well lit. It would be difficult for anyone to sneak up on the two, the cramped size and plenty of light made sure of that. Some ways down, the hall would open up into a fairly sized tunnel; of course, with the larger size came less light. There were no side passages, and there was almost no one else to be see, looked like the only way to go was forward.

The hall they were going down was a rather cramped one, like one you'd expect to see on a submarine. The hall was, at least, well lit. It would be difficult for anyone to sneak up on the two, the cramped size and plenty of light made sure of that. Some ways down, the hall would open up into a fairly sized tunnel; of course, with the larger size came less light. There were no side passages, and there was almost no one else to be see, looked like the only way to go was forward.

Ptolemy marched forward, with the confidence one might expect from a Moralite. Keeping his hands free in this cramped tunnel, Ptolemy slowly, but steadily, made his way towards the other side of the hallway...

The hall continued on for awhile and eventually began to bend. Several pipes carrying fallen gods know what ran along the ceiling and walls. Lights flickered as the two continued on. Before long, they would begin to hear laughter and shouting in the distance.

Pontius looked around. He was certain he could hear something in the distance, like laughing, or something. In a place like this, hearing a combination of laughing and shouting probably meant violence. His hands went into the recesses of his robes, gripping the two power blades that hung inside.

"Hear that? That probably isn't good." He remarked.

Pontius looked around. He was certain he could hear something in the distance, like laughing, or something. In a place like this, hearing a combination of laughing and shouting probably meant violence. His hands went into the recesses of his robes, gripping the two power blades that hung inside.

"Hear that? That probably isn't good." He remarked.

Ptolemy nodded in agreement. Moving ever closer, his footsteps almost silent against the ground, he tried to listen in on the shouting, trying to pick out words from the din ahead of him.

First Level:

As the two neared the source of the sound, they would both clearly hear the sounds of breaking bones and tearing flesh followed by the roar of a crowd cheering. Something was definitely happening up ahead, something that reeked of trouble.

Second Level:

“Struggling won’t help you now,” said the Wraith, holding another figure off the ground by the neck. The figure wheezed as the last breathes left its body. The Wraith had decided to get a bonus out of its trip. Several bodies lay motionless behind it, none of them baring any serious looking wounds, only a few scratches. The Wraith didn’t need to grievously wound a target to kill it; its manner of killing was much more sinister in nature. With a last sputter, the figure slumped, its body shutting down. The Wraith threw the figure to the side; it was almost to the third level. Finally, its mission would begin.

--------------------

A group of figures sat around, not apparently doing anything. All of them wore red trench coats that covered their other clothing. Among them was none other than Redemption, wearing a suit of very sleek white armor, obviously something custom made for him. A single Drone approached the group slowly; its Cryptic aura was intense, saturated the air and making it difficult to breathe. Red was one of the only people able to brush off such an intense aura, “An Elder Drone?” Red asked with a raised eyebrow. It had to be an Elder; it wore a sleeveless, black shirt; long, black pants; and grinding boots but no coat. Its arms were decorated it blue tattoos and its hair had a blue stripe in it, Red tried to think what blue was supposed to represent, probably water and ice. In any case, an Elder Drone was dangerous; the Forbidden Ministry was definitely being riled up by something. He was here only because an old friend had contacted him. “I’m assuming we’re moving forward now?” Red asked. The Drone nodded, “The entire third level has fallen, the second level is already become infected, spawns and mutants are already being sighted, the Harbingers of Wrath have already begun making their way up here, and the we have a feeling that the Mirage has now become involved.” Red took in the information without saying a word; the situation had now gotten very bad. “If we don’t end this soon, the Undercity won’t be our only problem… Do we have any extra support coming?” The Drone nodded, “Chaos is already on his way as are some other Elden. Ghost is among them. An FM Wraith has already been deployed and we are considering sending another.” Red was a little awed by this, “Damn, this is gonna turn into a war. Very well,” he turned to the others, “Okay people, let’s move out!”

Third Level:

“Master, the Third Level has already become ours. The Divine Plague spreads quickly and the wretches here are already beginning to turn. The Harbingers of His Wrath have already begun to move to the second floor. Can we proceed in placing the explosives?”
“No, we must not rush here. We must be patient and convince the Mirage to join us. When it does, we will have won this war.”

------------------

There was a sound of deep laughter in the darkness, “Well, it looks like a storm is coming. Perhaps I should awaken now.”

First Level:

As the two neared the source of the sound, they would both clearly hear the sounds of breaking bones and tearing flesh followed by the roar of a crowd cheering. Something was definitely happening up ahead, something that reeked of trouble.

"Hmm. Sounds like a gladiatorial arena." Ptolemy muttered, to no one in particular. Shifting his two rifles forward, and in plain view, Ptolemy quickened his pace, almost running. He knew he had to find out what was happening ahead...

"And here he goes again." Pontius thought to himself. He certainly wasn't one for stealth. Sighing, he produced the dual power blades from his robes, activating them with a surge of blue energy, which danced around the metal. He picked up the pace after Ptolemy.

There was a sickening crunch and the body of an insect-like creature went flying past the two at high speed, spraying a greenish blood as it went. Up ahead, a circle of people seemed to be exchanging money, drinkings, and watching some kind of fight. It was loud, very loud. Every member in the circle was heavily armed but didn't seem to notice the other two approahing them. The victor of the last match ouldn't be seen through the crowd but there was something in the air, something terrible.

There was a sickening crunch and the body of an insect-like creature went flying past the two at high speed, spraying a greenish blood as it went. Up ahead, a circle of people seemed to be exchanging money, drinkings, and watching some kind of fight. It was loud, very loud. Every member in the circle was heavily armed but didn't seem to notice the other two approahing them. The victor of the last match ouldn't be seen through the crowd but there was something in the air, something terrible.

Quickly drawing his Laser, Ptolemy calmly walked in, brushing off some of the green blood off of his shoulder. Gently nudging through the crowd, Ptolemy tried to get a better look at what was happening in the circle. Something strong enough to toss a creature's body that far... I'd better be careful.

OOC: Last post for a bit.

The person Ptolemy would would see had dark gray, nearly black, skin and spikey brown hair. Its clothing was ripped and tattered with the exception of its black pants. Both its eyes were a solid, hazy blue. The person's was aparently in a state of complete ecstacy, its head tilted up and its mouth open, exposiing razor sharp teeth. The closer Ptolemy got, the more it felt like the person was looking directly at him. Blood covered the person but it showed no signs of being wounded in any way. Obviously, it had been fighting for awhile and had taken in little to no damage from any of its opponents.

The person Ptolemy would would see had dark gray, nearly black, skin and spikey brown hair. Its clothing was ripped and tattered with the exception of its black pants. Both its eyes were a solid, hazy blue. The person's was aparently in a state of complete ecstacy, its head tilted up and its mouth open, exposiing razor sharp teeth. The closer Ptolemy got, the more it felt like the person was looking directly at him. Blood covered the person but it showed no signs of being wounded in any way. Obviously, it had been fighting for awhile and had taken in little to no damage from any of its opponents.

Ptolemy felt very uneasy around the man. Shifting uncomfortably, and reaching for the syringe, he carefully observed this strange man. Staring at the man with the hard gaze of a veteran warrior, Ptolemy looked at him somewhat suspiciously as he noted Pontius' two glowing blades.

A man entered the ring of people and grabbed the figure by the wrist, lifting its hand into the air, "Gentlemen! We have a winner!" The crowd roared, people could be seen giving money to one another. "And to add to that, our friend here has won ten matches straight!" The crowd roared again. A group of people on the outskirts of the circle began passing out beer and other drinks to the crowd, taking in plenty of money as they did so. "Perhaps it's best if we let our friend rest for now, eh?! We don't want to wear 'im out too quickly do we, boys?!" Another roar from the crowd as the figure was allowed to leave. "Well now, is there anyone else out there who wishes to prove their strength?!" A roar from the crowd as two new men entered the ring...

Pontius gazed at the warrior, who was apparently an arena champion or something. He gave off this uncomfortable aura, seemingly to already be sizing the pair as they stepped into the ring. Probably someone not to mess with, but the urge for mischief flashed in Pontius' eyes for a nanosecond, and whispered to Ptolemy.

"Shall I, or you would like to have a go?"

A man entered the ring of people and grabbed the figure by the wrist, lifting its hand into the air, "Gentlemen! We have a winner!" The crowd roared, people could be seen giving money to one another. "And to add to that, our friend here has won ten matches straight!" The crowd roared again. A group of people on the outskirts of the circle began passing out beer and other drinks to the crowd, taking in plenty of money as they did so. "Perhaps it's best if we let our friend rest for now, eh?! We don't want to wear 'im out too quickly do we, boys?!" Another roar from the crowd as the figure was allowed to leave. "Well now, is there anyone else out there who wishes to prove their strength?!" A roar from the crowd as two new men entered the ring...

Ptolemy stepped forward, head held high. "May I inquire as to the rules of the match?"

The two men already in the ring looked to Ptolemy as he entered, as did the ref. "Rules? As long as the crowd isn't in danger and ocntinues to cheer, rules mean nothing!" There was a roar from the crowd, "Now then, if you want to play, you'll have to wait. We already have two competitors, as you can see." The other two men laughed to each other. "Now then," started the ref, "let's get this started!" The crowd roared again.

The two men already in the ring looked to Ptolemy as he entered, as did the ref. "Rules? As long as the crowd isn't in danger and ocntinues to cheer, rules mean nothing!" There was a roar from the crowd, "Now then, if you want to play, you'll have to wait. We already have two competitors, as you can see." The other two men laughed to each other. "Now then," started the ref, "let's get this started!" The crowd roared again.

Ptolemy nodded and stepped back. He leaned over to Pontius. "As much as I'd love to, I doubt it would get us anything, other then noticed."

Pontius stepped back as well, falling to the side of Ptolemy. "Don't you see? Getting noticed is just another way of getting to him."

The two men in the circle began their fight. Each one was putting up a good fight, it was obvious this was a club for the hard hitters. Every punch was followed by a sickening crunch. In only five minutes, one of the men went down. The loser had his entire face smashed in and was a sickening crimson color. The winner wasn't in much better shape, he looked like he had at least a few broken ribs and an arm that would be useless for a good while. The crowd cheered once more as money and booze began flowing around. The figure from before had long since vanished from sight and returned to the darkness of the Undercity without a trace.

Pontius stepped back as well, falling to the side of Ptolemy. "Don't you see? Getting noticed is just another way of getting to him."
Ptolemy hesitated for a moment. Then he nodded. "All right. Let's go."
The two men in the circle began their fight. Each one was putting up a good fight, it was obvious this was a club for the hard hitters. Every punch was followed by a sickening crunch. In only five minutes, one of the men went down. The loser had his entire face smashed in and was a sickening crimson color. The winner wasn't in much better shape, he looked like he had at least a few broken ribs and an arm that would be useless for a good while. The crowd cheered once more as money and booze began flowing around. The figure from before had long since vanished from sight and returned to the darkness of the Undercity without a trace.

Ptolemy quickly jumped forward. Walking calmly out to the middle of the circle, he smiled as he remembered the 'rules'. This'll be over quickly...

Jumping into the ring, Pontius couldn't help but feel a little disdain for the warrior they were about to fight. He looked like he had taken a beating, and seemed unready to put up an adequate fight. But as they say...

"a wounded animal fights the hardest." he reamarked.

"And we have two more contestants!" Shouted the ref as the other man left the ring. "Well boys, since you two seemed so eager, get ready to trade some blows!" The crowd cheered once more. It would soon become clear that now Ptolemy and Pontius were expected to fight each other.

"And we have two more contestants!" Shouted the ref as the other man left the ring. "Well boys, since you two seemed so eager, get ready to trade some blows!" The crowd cheered once more. It would soon become clear that now Ptolemy and Pontius were expected to fight each other.

Damn! I can't use it now... Ptolemy crossed his arms for a minute. Looking at Pontius, he frowned. He didn't want to fight him, but if he didn't, well, the crowd didn't look like the forgive and forget kind.

Pontius raised an eyebrow. This was quite unexpected, to be honest. It seemed now the crowed wanted him to fight good Ptolemy there. Pontius didn't want to fight him, well, not right now anyway. While he had no intentions of killing him, it would be at least quite interesting to see how this 'old man' fought. And it's not like he couldn't. Do that and you'd turn the crowd against you.

"No hard feelings, right?" He said, circling Ptolemy.

Pontius raised an eyebrow. This was quite unexpected, to be honest. It seemed now the crowed wanted him to fight good Ptolemy there. Pontius didn't want to fight him, well, not right now anyway. While he had no intentions of killing him, it would be at least quite interesting to see how this 'old man' fought. And it's not like he couldn't. Do that and you'd turn the crowd against you.

"No hard feelings, right?" He said, circling Ptolemy.

Pushing down the syringe deeper into his pocket, he nodded. "None at all." Cracking his fingers, he closed his eyes, waiting for Pontius...

Pontius nodded.

"Here goes nothing." He thought to himself. He spun around and raised his foot, moving to deliver a spinning kick to Ptolemy's face.

Pontius nodded.

"Here goes nothing." He thought to himself. He spun around and raised his foot, moving to deliver a spinning kick to Ptolemy's face.

Ptolemy heard the shift, and quickly ducked. Grabbing Pontius' foot as it passed over his head, Ptolemy slid across the ground and swept his foot into Pontius' leg in an effort to trip him...

Feeling the force of Ptolemy's foot pull on his leg, Pontius couldn't help but fall over, hitting the ground.

"Careless, Careless, Careless!" He repeated in his mind. He got back to his feet with a backwards roll, putting some distance between them.

Feeling the force of Ptolemy's foot pull on his leg, Pontius couldn't help but fall over, hitting the ground.

"Careless, Careless, Careless!" He repeated in his mind. He got back to his feet with a backwards roll, putting some distance between them.

Ptolemy backed away again, always on the defensive. Carefully watching Pontius' watching his every breath, his every move, Ptolemy tried to figure out the point of this. If we wanted to get noticed, I can think of a thousand different ways, each and every one better then this! One of us is going to end up with a broken arm...

It was then that a shot rang out through the halls, three people fell to the ground immediately after wards. The shot had been so perfect, it had been shot while the crowd was at its loudest. If those three men had been further in the crowd, the rest of the people around them might have kept their corpses from falling and the shooter might have been able to keep his cover a little longer. But alas, the three men had fallen, and the crowd was now aware of what was happening. Before anyone could react, the soudn of repeated fire was heard and blood splattered all over the ring, a Purge. Many in the crowd began to quickly disperse, producing their own weapons in order to fight back. By this point, it was clear that the fight between Ptolemy and Pontius was now over. Multiple shots rang out all over the hallway as a firefight broke out between an ever-closing Greywatch Purge Team and the various cirminals.

Ptolemy knew exactly what to do: Run. Preferably the other way. Shoving his way through the crowd, he ran down towards the other end of the room. Suddenly turning back, he realized he had forgotten about Pontius. Quietly swearing, he pushed back trough the crowd, searching for Pontius amid the gunfire...

"Emperor damn it!" Pontius swore, pulling his dual pistols from his cloak. His eyes darting left and right, trying to locate the source of the gunfire. It seemed to be coming from all around, but in a small, constricted hallway like this, sound tended to echo around.

As soon as the shooting started, the crowd began to disperse, getting in the way between him and Ptolemy. He couldn't stay there, he had to move. He began to push his way through the massed crowd, looking for Ptolemy, or a way out.

The Purge Team was moving ever closer and the shots became louder. After a moment, what everyone feared could now be seen clearly. The Purge Team was quite visible, all nine members. Five of them were standard, well trained soldiers, each one was well armed for carrying out their mission. The other four members were droids, two shield droids and two battle droids, the latter were amazing sleek machines that held no visable weapon. Soon enough, however, it became clear why. Other criminals were either trying to make a run for it, taking Pontius and Ptolemy with them. Others tried to take a stand against their aggressors, only to be literally cut down. The battle droids were a newer breed, a breed used for quick kills and close combat. The machines seemed to disppear for a brief moment, only to appear again in front of their desired target, using their metal claws to rend those who stood in their way. Blood sprayed across the halls but as quickly as it had all started, it stopped. "Enough, we have areas to clear. They have been broken, they will not return here for some time." Said the Purge Leader, with that the team disappeared into the darkness, leaving a good few dozen men dead.

"Emperor damn it!" Pontius swore, pulling his dual pistols from his cloak. His eyes darting left and right, trying to locate the source of the gunfire. It seemed to be coming from all around, but in a small, constricted hallway like this, sound tended to echo around.

As soon as the shooting started, the crowd began to disperse, getting in the way between him and Ptolemy. He couldn't stay there, he had to move. He began to push his way through the massed crowd, looking for Ptolemy, or a way out.

Ptolemy spotted Pontius as he pushed through, grabbing ahold of him as the crowd surged around them. Using his free hand to pull out his laser rifle, he quickly swept through the area with the laser in an attempt to take down the Purge team. Realizing that they had already left, Ptolemy pushed aside a few of the fleeing criminals to Pontius. Montioning to the other side of the room, he began to shove through the crowd...

Picking his way through the crowd of vagrants and pickpockets, Pontius realized that the shooting had stopped, and was quick to re-holster his pistols, in fear of attracting more attention to himself. He was even more surprised when a hand swept out of the crowd and grabbed a firm grip on him. Pontius turned, ready to blow a hole through whoever just did that, only to find Ptolemy, who was busy gesturing toward something on the other side of the room. Nodding, Pontius began to push his way towards it.