Adam Ruin's Story

Ready for the response he flips backward only to be blasted back by the force of the grenade slamming into the side of the building next to him coughing up blood. "Shit that actually really hurt" standing up wiping the blood off he is quickly greeted by 20mm rounds barely avoiding the first round he sets into a flurry of motion dancing around the round. Moving out of sight he darts back into the bar, the mechs were retreating anyways that he just wasn't getting decent cuts "i can cut fate but nanosteel apparently to much right now" muttering under his breath. Seeing the girl Aeka wounded he sets about to helping them picking up the girl he sets her on one of the tables. Even though he knew this was possible he didn't like it, i mean shrapnel was better then a 20mm hole in a person he still felt responsible turning toward the Major Motoko Kausanagi "i owe this girl one big time tell me what to do and it will be done".

Genevieve stood back, but she had no plans on leaving until she was certain Aeka would survive. "From the look of things, she'll need a quick patch and once we get out of dodge, she can receive proper medical attention. Since I highly doubt I can make it out the front undetected, I'll help the effort here. Once the battle here has stopped and the girl is stable, however, I will take my leave. I have drawn too much attention to myself as it is."

She hated to sound so cold, she truly wanted to stay and help, but the small healing power she had used would send a red flag to Mark. In other words, she would need to leave the planet rather soon.
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Back on Terra ...

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S GONE?" Mark stood angrily over his cowering minion. Genevieve, the last remaining daemonus in existence, had managed to escape her room of solitude several weeks ago, and the bumbling, good-for-nothing imbecile whimpering at his italian-leather shoes had been unable to locate her. "Do you mean to tell me that every available demon has searched every bloody corner of the entire bloody planet and, still, Genevieve is NOWHERE TO BE FOUND?!?"

"We searched everywhere for the daemonus, your grace." The demon managed to control his cowardess to continue his report. "There wasn't even a trail to follow, like she was refraining from using the full extent of her powers."

" YOU DON'T BLOODY THINK I KNOW THAT?" With a furious swipe of his hand, Mark vaporized the demon. "IDIOTS! THE LOT OF YA! UNLESS SOMEONE HAS ANY IDEA ON LOCATING THE GREATEST WEAPON WE HAVE TO FIGHT THE ANGELS, I WANT THE WHOLE BLOODY LOT OF YOU OUT OF MY SIGHT ... NOW!" He roared the last bit so much ferocity, the demons fled in fear.

"Sir?"

Mark was approached meekly by a young demon called David. "This better be good, kid."

David smiled proudly. "We found her, sir."

Adam cursed as the barrel came up, and even as the grenade sailed towards him, his open palm was screaming around. Inhuman strength and perception combined to do the impossible, as his hand slapped the grenade away from himself and the Penance. Unfortunately, it didn't go very far, striking a building and detonating with a roar. The man was plucked and thrown by that blast, hurtling into another shop on the other side of the street, crashing through the front and tumbling through the floor into the counter.

Groaning as he fought unconsciousness, blood streamed freely from his nose, ears, and half a dozen cuts just on his face. Looking at himself, he scowled at the sight of deep, deep bruising over most of his torso and arms, remnants of being far to close to what would have been lethal for a human. Out of the line of fire for the moment, Adam was damn well content to let them run like hell.

"That went like shit."

---

"Behind the counter, big fucking box with a damn medical cross on it, jackwit." Snapping off as he maintained the pressure on Aeka's wounds, Zachariah glared and snarled with draconian menace at the fool returning from outside. "Don't even think about fucking touching her till she's stabilized, you lowlife fucking prick. WE caught your fucking backwash of shrapnel, so I advise you get the fuck out and don't come back before I rip your balls off and shove them all the way down your throat."

Waving Randin off with a toss of his head, Zach's form rippled, a look of almost ecstatic pain on his face as with sickening noises, reptillian arms burst from the center of his torso, sliding under the girl and cradling, before he lifted Aeka from the floor with only the smallest of grunts. Carefully maneuvering the girl to a table, he shifted his focus back to maintaining pressure.

---

With a palpable wave of warning radiating from him, the white haired man strode down the avenue of the Undermarket, one hand tapping a significantly sized magnum against one thigh. As he can across the combat damage, his expressionless mask shifted to a scowl, his blood coming to a slow boil as he took in his own property, the Penance.

Less than a minute later, he opened to door, only for the blasted piece of wood to fall inward off its hinges. Jegun's scowl deepened. Glaring around the room, his eyes found Kusangi. "What happened, and who did it. Feed me bullshit, and you'll never quite know what sent you to meet your gods."

"She's a little busy," Randin glared at the white-haired man, his voice stern but not unkind. He handed off the medical box to Kusanagi as Zach lifted Aeka onto a table and assisted with the medical efforts. Randin wasn't going to be much help here - Aeka was in good hands. Best diffuse the tension in the bar as best he could.

"I can answer your questions," he stepped back towards Lobos, meeting his eyes carefully, "your bar was attacked by Umibozu, Taiyou special ops. They were after that girl-" He nodded towards Aeka. "-and they very well would have killed her had your men not stopped them. You've saved an innocent life, and you have my thanks. We'll be out of your hair just as soon as she's stabilized and able to be transported."

Genevieve watched the newcomer, keeping a close eye on his hands in the case he should reach for a weapon. She wasn't very experienced in trusting anyone - she only barely trusted the rest of the bar patrons - and this guy was no different. Under her cloak, she held her right hand on the holster on her .45 mag. Should he try and harm any of the wounded, she was ready to fight back. If he let them flee unharmed, she could slip away unnoticed all the easier.

Met by a hostile response from Zachariah The Last responds politely bowing "very well i understand your reaction and respect it, i do believe though that shrapnel is easier to fix then a 20mm hole but very well". Stepping back The Last manages to find a stool still standing sitting in it he pours himself a drink downing it, "man so many hot heads these days with all these powers can't be helped i suppose the universe is only get bigger and bigger". Grimacing as he shifts a bit, coming off his adrenaline high he realizes his wound's reopened from the blast and is bleeding nicely "well shit maybe that why people don't take me as serious anymore because i bleed so freaking easy" grumbling he precedes to bandage himself.

Having finished that he tightens his grip ever so slightly on his sword and gun as a newcomer with white hair Jengun Lobos comes demanding to know what happened. The cop Randin stepping up to explain the situation trying to diffuse the angry man, anymore people this might as well become a party. Wellllll maybe only to some its a party considering the bodies,bullets, explosions, and just general mayhem.

With everyone working to keep Aeka stabilized, Motoko turned to the exit of the bar.

"It won't be long before they come back, Help me get her out of here." She said, moving to quickly lift the edge of the table, which was done with relative ease no thanks to her enhanced strength as a combat cyborg.

Once she lifted the table, she started to pull it towards the door. "Someone help me get her out of here. I have a safehouse in the mountains to the north, but I need help getting there." The Major said, stepping over shrapnel and other debris.

"It's also fairly well equipped, and no one knows about it." She added, turning to Randin. "We can resupply and rearm there, and then I need to make contact with Counter Balance."

Someone watched the scene unfold from a nearby rooftop shrouded in shadow and a form fitting body suit that bent the light that may have given away his or her position. It had taken some time for the Dúnmharfóir to track down Aeka Takayama but the assassin had come such a long way already and did not expect anything about this job to be easy.

The murderer did not dwell on the fact that the Taiyou seemed to be attempting to take the life of their own princess. If Aeka managed to die at someone else's hand it would make no difference to the assassin. The contract only stated that the royal family with the exception of the crown prince must die and that CONCORD involvement must be staged. A Dúnmharfóir is no stranger to political intrigue and assassination plots. This was an everyday thing in Onyx.

Settling a level glare on Randin, Jegun was silent a moment. His eyes edging past the cop to Zach, he nodded faintly. "Get her topside. Xiv's waiting. High likely whatever she's got is stolen, so get your ass moving, and get these people clear."

With a solemn nod, Zach bent to the task of helping Motoko move Aeka, a sudden discipline enforced by the presence of the owner of the tavern, and the master of the Judicarius standing in the room. "Adam went out after that shit there." He jerked his head towards the Last.

"He hasn't shown back up yet."

The white haired man nodded, then went through a rapid self check, hands shifting to tap areas on his person. The visible touches were to the hilts of blades, but all too often it was a pat to something concealed. Satisfied, he reached under his coat, drawing forth a sizable revolver etched in archaic runes, the barrel to chamber stylized in that of a snarling wolf. The draconian Judicar's eyes narrowed slightly, knowing the weapon to not be Jegun's usual Gambit's watch firearm. One of the mercenary's Soulbringer magnums, it did much more than shoot bullets.

"Then I have overwatch. Ruin can find us if he's able, otherwise he'll help Molk and Tholk with clean up. Boys, you know the drill. Any of the rabble thinks this means we're weak, teach them the fuck otherwise. And stow that nuke."

The entities bowed acknowledgement, set out on their tasks. Bringing his attention back to Randin, his gaze was ice. "Now comes the hard part. Step up and look lively."

And as they made for the streets of the Undermarket, his final words were for the Last, on whom that frozen, frightening regard settled on in passing. "My man doesn't make it back, and you won't make it through the month. Get lost."

Sighing after Jegun left The Last gathered himself reaching into his pocket suddenly he pulls out a card setting it on whats left of the bar leaving a note on the bar saying 'for damages rendered' the card was actually worth much more then the damages but the Last didn't care. Standing up he dusts himself off, just because you're being spat on doesn't mean you have to spit back The Last thought to himself. Walking out he passes Motoko "i would offer my help but i assume you don't want some stranger helping you, i do wish you the best of luck if we ever cross paths again i hope it is under better circumstances" pausing to look at the unconscious Aeka "if she needs anything i mean anything i am in her debt".

Walking out of the bar he surveys the scene taking in the field of bodies and destruction The Last Closes his eyes breathing in the smell he could never quite get rid of, he then recalls his original destination before all this excitement now where was it again.........hmmmmmmmm.

Genevieve remained silent for the longest time, allowing the exchange to go on without her input. Despite her apparent nonchalance, her right hand rested on the .44 magnum snug in her hip holster. Strangers made her nervous, since trusting a stranger had put her in her current predicament. Her mind wandered for only a moment as she remembered that day ...

"Hi, I'm Mark." He smiled, showing off dimples and a row of pearly whites. "I'm new around here ... Could you give me directions to the library?"

"Sure," Genevieve could barely function as she spoke. "Follow this road to the second light, turn right and once you come to the fork, go right. It's the first building on the left." She couldn't help but smile back, he seemed so sweet. If only she had known ...

She brought her mind back to the present, turning toMotoko. "How can I help?"

"You're coming with us, then?" Randin looked between Zacariah and Lobos. That was good. Something told Randin that this fight was far from finished - Aeka was going to need all the protection she could get.

As he checked his weapon and prepared to go topside with the Judacarius detail and Motoko, Randin gave Genevieve Bordeaux a serious look. She wanted to help? After all they'd already put her through? Without having any personal attachments to Aeka whatsoever?

"I admire your courage, sai," Randin nodded towards the daemonus, "if you want to come with us, I'm not gonna stop you, but-" He gestured towards the warzone that the bar had become. "-I mean, it's dangerous. Are you really willing to risk your life for someone you don't even know?" There was no condescending warning in Randin's words; he spoke with the calm, ordered temperance of a man who is simply laying down the facts. While the detective didn't want to see anymore innocent lives lost in getting Aeka to safety, he also wanted to make sure that Genevieve knew exactly what she was getting herself into by offering her assistance.

Genevieve merely shrugged. "I have nothing left to lose, kid. Should I finally die after all these centuries, I would much rather die saving a life than running away from my own." She glanced to the battlefield before them, knowing too well the risks and dangers she was getting into.

"I will warn you, though, that if my company is accepted, there will be a risk of great danger. I have been running from something which could endanger the entire group. However, if we trust each other and work together, I believe we can handle it." She looked to the man called Randin, wanting to finally trust someone again. "What say you?"

It was finally when Motoko managed to free herself from helping with the Princess, that she turned to speak to Genevieve.

"Couldn't be any worse than what we're running from." She said, starting towards the door of the bar. "Let's go." She said, turning out towards the Undermarket.


"Let's make this nice and slow, and try not to attract any attention." She added, nodding to Randin.

"Kaye, take point, You; help them carry her out the door." Motoko said flatly. "When we reach the surface, we'll need to head about ten miles south of Fort Veritas, off the main highway."

Genevieve moved to assist in carrying the girl out the door. Should the demons of Tera manage to detect the small amount of magic she'd used earlier, her group would need to vacate the decimated bar speedily. "Ready when you are, people."

MEANWHILE AT THE WING CITY ENTRANCE ...

"She's not far from here, my leige," the younger demon told his superior. "Jen should be approximately fifteen miles South of here."

Mark observed his surroundings quietly for a moment. This was his first time leaving Terra, and his thoughts of granduer started to grow. Perhaps the Prince of Darkness might consider putting him in charge of this flourishing planet? He turned his attention to his minion. "You better be right about this. The sooner I have my favorite chew toy back, the less likely I'll kill at random."

The demon soldiers looked at each other nervously while the guide gulped, "Right this way, sir."

While Molk and Tholk started cleaning up the tavern, Zach worked with Genevieve to move the table to the door, inhaling deeply as he ran scents through draconian nostrils. Something seemed off, yet with Jegun around, the man was content to play defensively.

Jegun himself strode through a gap in the wall, ducking slightly. Holding his Soulbringer at the ready, the Judicar scanned the area, his gaze sweeping high as well as low. A rough place at any normal time, given the sudden violence unleashed, he noted the telltale signs of paranoia and suspicion in closed doors, bolted windows. The streets were empty of the usual bustle. And still his hackles rose.

Something's wrong.
"I know. Someone doesn't belong here."
Too many strangers here recently.

His mouth tightening its scowl at Kyriel's confirmation at his suspicions, he let Randin take the lead, his free hand loosening a blade in its sheath. Chill temperatures roiled around him, his influence of cold agitated.

The assassin's personal defense system cloak was neigh flawless. The killer stalked the prey and waited for the opportune moment to strike. Surprisingly the assassin would have had no guns and no visible weaponry in hand or stowed on body even if not under the cloak. The hunter waited, knowing that Aeka's guard was too much to contend with at this time. Patience would be needed. The opportunity would present itself eventually.

Genevieve helped move the table as best she could, as such an item was an awkward one to move. As she helped Zach steady the table, she peered down at Aeka. The poor girl's face was pale and still, stirring Genevieve to mentally say a small prayer for the girl. She called over her shoulder, "Which way are we headed? I mean, not to take the lead, but if we're going to avoid as much trouble as possible, shouldn't we take a less direct route out of the city?"

She shifted uncomfortably. The idea of Mark the Wise discovering and attacking the group plagued her mind. She hoped the girl could be taken care of before they ran into the likes of that maniac.

Randin nodded at Genevieve. "I'll stand with you then, sai. Come hell or high water, we face it together."

Taking point, Randin looked over his shoulder to ensure that the rest of the detail was prepped, and that Aeka was properly secured. "We make straight for the surface towards the transport. Once Aeka's loaded in, we'll head for Motoko's safehouse." He looked back at Lobos. "And on my father's face, I swear, you'll never see me again in this bar."

His hand trailed down to the magnum holstered in his side, his eyes flashing out into the deep dark beyond. The fighting had scattered much of the traffic in the Undermarket, leaving many of the crooked pathways and smoggy streets eerily silent. Though the Umibozu were gone, Randin couldn't shake the chill in his gut that told him something was wrong. He only hoped that whatever danger still hunted them could be stopped - and that no more blood would be shed in doing so.

He straightened his belt and lifted his feet.

"Alright then. Let's go."

Into the Undermarket they went.

As Genevieve helped Zach move Aeka into the Undermarket, she thought of her enemy and wondered if Mark the Wise had managed to detect her small use of magic. Hopefully not, as that would mean he could show up any minute now. Her magic was something of which he had often made use while he controlled her. How unfortunate it was he had decided to finally trust someone else to watch Genevieve. Apparently, he had believed ten years of servitude was enough to break her.

"I'm following you, uh Randin, wasn't it?"