Turns out our room was a lot bigger and nicer than Piers made it sound. The main room consists of two large king size beds. Between them is nice oak bedside table. On either side of the beds are slightly smaller oak bedside tables. On the opposite side of the wall to the beds is a large flat screen TV. My duffel bag was thrown onto the farthest bed.

I jump onto 'my' bed kicking off my shoes. I leaned back staring up at the ceiling. "Do we have anything to do today?" I asked. Piers thought for a moment and sat down on his own bed facing me.

"No, but we're booked for tomorrow." I roll over so I'm facing Piers. I study his face. His eyes looked alert and wary. I wondered if that was the look mirrored in my eyes. I felt a pain of hunger and I put my hand against my stomach as it growled embarrassingly loud.

"Hey, do you want to go get some dinner?" I asked ecclesiastically. I sat up angling my body so I could talk to him easier.

"Dinner?" He asked. I glanced at the clock then nodded.

"Yes dinner. I'm hungry. Besides this is New York, I've never been here before, I want to get out there, you know, explore!" I exclaim enthusiastically. He smiled slyly and pitched forward stretching as he stood.

"Well we better get going then." He huffed. I eagerly fallowed him out the door cheerfully talking about what dishes sound good.

"You know, those little rice and fish things? They're wrapped in this green-black stuff too." I explained motioning with my hands the shape of the image in my mind.

"Sushi?" He guessed, he thanked a bellhop accepting the umbrella and I pushed the front door open. He extended the umbrella so it shielded both of us from the pelting rain. I spent a moment considering what he called the wrap things I was suddenly craving.

"Is it Chinese?" I asked. We had to stand awfully close together to stay safe from the rain and I could feel the heat of his arm radiating off warming my own skin up.

"No, Japanese."

"Then that is not it." I said nodding my head in confirmation. He looked down and gave me a funny look.

"I'm pretty sure it is."

"I'm pretty sure it's not."

"You want to bet?" He asked. I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes.

"Duh, I mean when am I ever wrong?" I tease.

"Right now." He turned swiveling the umbrella away from me and I cried out in protest as a big ol' drop of water hit me squarely on the nose. Piers had turned and was talking to a tall burly man. "Where's the nearest Sushi restaurant?" He asked.

"Yes, right around the corner. You turn left then a right at 7th then it should be right about there." The man explained. Piers gratefully thanked him then turned fallowing the instructions he was given. I was distracted, staring up at the sky, if it wasn't raining I would have been left behind but once again the cold rain drops caught my attention. Where I lived you could see the stars clearly but here there was so much smog the sky was always dimly lit and I couldn't see any stars, not even the moon.

It may have been only the rain clouds obscuring the moon and stars from my view but I had a feeling that wasn't it. "Have you been to New York before?" I asked.

"Once before. When I was maybe 9 or 10." He explained dully. He left no room for the conversation to be carried on and I wondered why he suddenly became so quite.

"So who ever loses the bet pays for dinner?" I ask in attempt to break that stupid silence. Even with the roar of traffic and people the silence between us made me concentrate on the strange heat coming off between us.

"Sounds good to me." He said. I gave up on the whole 'filling the silence' and focused my attention on stepping on every crack in the sidewalk that came my way. We made it to the restaurant and to my dejection the image in my head was indeed called Sushi.

"You just grab it?" I asked skeptically as I watched the convertor belt slowly inch its way across the counter. The small urban shop was called 'Aloha Sushi', it was crammed between to larger stores and from the outside it didn't look very promising. Although inside was illuminated by dim lights that preventing a harsh glare on the smooth black counters.

"Yes you just grab it, see." He said nonchalantly snatching up a plate. I copied him grabbing up the nearest plate.

"Got ya." I grumble under my breath. I plopped the whole thing into my mouth and instantly a rush of heat burned through my entire being. Gagging I reached over grabbing my glass of water and drinking nearly the whole thing to calm the sensation.

"What was that crap!" I exclaim angrily. Piers was laughing so hard he spit his food out right back all over his plate. I gave him a disgusted look and took his water drowning that down as well.

"That was Wasabi dynamite crab sushi role." The Asian cook said with a slight accent. He narrowed his eyes at me and rolled his eyes. "Stupid Americans." He muttered beneath his breath. If I was a normal person I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to hear what he said but not only are my natural senses enhanced but I'm also a trained warrior. I glared at him coughed a little bit then finished the rest of Piers water.

I'm assuming Piers also heard the Asian guy because he began to laugh even harder. It was not that funny . . . right? Stubbornly I slammed my glass – or well Piers' glass - back onto the counter. "Re-fill." I commanded. Asian man turned a pointed glare back onto me and hesitantly I added, "Please." That glare quickly melted and blossomed into a bright smile.

"Yes 'mam!" He said cheerfully with a big 'ol toothy grin. I rolled my eyes and picked up the newly filled glass. Piers finally calmed down and stole the glass from my hand and took a big gulp. I smiled and shook my head.

"A little-" The sound of shattering glass and screaming cut me off. Instantly I shot out of my stool and had my hand over my gun. Piers reacted similarly standing right in front of me, almost in a protective stance. His arm naturally extended out obscuring my view.

The few people inside the shop dropped to the ground and it was only Piers, the crazy Asian, and me standing.

"Not again." He groaned, I glanced down at his hand and winced when I saw that he was holding the large knife used to cut the sushi. Next I wondered how much this could possibly happen. The gun shots died down and everything was still. In the corner of my eye I saw a young woman barely move. Her foot hit her table and her glass fell with a loud crash. As the sound rang through the room the 7 or so costumers shot up and ran out the back door in a fury. Even the Asian man abandoned his own shop.

"Fall back. Do not engage in combat. I repeat, fall back. Do not engage in combat." I faintly heard over what must be some communication device. Piers still stood strong and ready and I pushed his arm down and relaxed.

"We're fine. They're retreating."I explain. He gave me a funny look then glanced back at the window.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure." I groaned rolling my eyes. Piers sighed and sat back down. "I heard there radio transmission. It said fall back and do not engage in combat. What's up with this crap anyways? I thought no one knew we came to new York."

"They shouldn't, but whoever that was obviously did."

"So what do we do, go the bar sit around and drink?" I asked skeptically. Piers thought for a moment and smiled softly.

"Sounds good to me." He said parading out the front door. I stared at his retreating figure in shock for a moment before shaking my head and jogging to catch up to him.

"Your paying." I grumbled.