Amara and Leah entered the villa carrying bags of goods with them. When Amara saw Alistair and Uri talking together calmly she smiled broadly at the two. I was a little worried leaving them together, but they seem to be ok.
"Hi, we bought some food." She said setting the groceries down.
"Come on, let's get dressed and go." Leah said rushing back to the bedroom.
"Find something nice?" Uri asked going over to where Amara set the food. She pulled out a glazed ham and put it on a plate for him.
"Well...." Amara began feeling the blood rush to her face.
"Come on!" Leah interupted, "I wanna see how the suit looks!"
Amara shrugged and retreated back into the bedroom to change into her swimwear. Uri watched her walk away and frowned.
"Hmm." He said shaking his head. "I can only imagine what she made her get."
------
"Nice to meet you Illya." Ben said then realised his chest was bare and pulled his shirt on. "Um yeah actually I'm by myself right now. My sister gave some friends a ride earlier. What about you, traveling alone?"
------
Samora leaned back into the plush seats of Aeron's car and felt the tension in her shoulders recede. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye then looked at her hands setting in her lap.
"Thank you for picking me up." She said quietly.
"It's not a problem, trust me." Aeron said almost smiling.
"So, where are we going?" She asked peeking out the window.
"I thought you wanted to be surprised." Aeron arched an eyebrow at her.
"You're right." She nodded and leaned back into her seat again. "I guess keep it a surprise then."
"Is Leah always like this?" he asked Uri with a laugh. It seemed like the girl was a bit troublesome, although well meaning.
-------------
Perfect.
"Yeah, I just came into town a little while ago. So, you have a sister? Is she a pilot?" Elia asked. She sat down on a nearby crate, making sure her skirt was showing a good amount of leg to catch his interest. This was going beautifully.
------------
Adray got up from his place at the meeting table, along with the others in the room, when someone suddenly came into the room and whispered something into Director Cross's ear. Adray suddenly felt a knot in his stomach as Cross looked at him suspiciously. The others quickly filed out of the room, along with the messenger who had no wish to stick around, until it was only the two of them left.
"Is something the matter, sir?" Adray asked, his unease growing every moment.
Uri tipped his head to the side as he thought about Alistair's question.
"Yes, actually she is." He said finally then laughed. "Ever since she was a child. I think she's actually mellowed out too."
------
Ben watched Illya sit and eyed her leg a moment before realizing what she had asked. Why would she come to the conclusion Leah's a pilot? Did I say something to make her think that?
"Yeah actually, she is." He said carefully and gave her as charming a smile as he could. "So where did you come in from?"
------
Director Victor Cross silently stood from his desk and made his way over to Adray's side. He gazed at the man carefully trying to gauge his stress level.
"Aparently files reguarding Dr. Powers' assasination were accessed this morning using your security clearance." He said slow and deliberate. "Do you know anything about this?"
"That's quite scary," Alistair replied, still laughing. He was glad that Uri was becoming easier to talk to like before. He felt a sudden breeze from the ocean and felt a longing to enjoy the beautiful afternoon.
"Actually," he said, turning to Uri., "I think I am going to go to the beach. You can tell the others I went ahead."
He unbuttoned his red sweater vest and laid it to the side so no harm would come to it. Then he rolled his sleeves up to the elbows and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, loosening his string bow tie in the process.
"You know, I don't look half bad this casual," he thought. But he did love that sweater vest...He shook his head and grabbed his book before strolling out the door to find a nice place to read on the beach.
-------------
"Ugh, I wanted quick answers, not a flirting session," she thought with annoyance. She gave a quick, convincing giggle from his smile and leaned toward him.
"I came from out west...toward Nibelheim. I'm thinking of moving here, but I also here some areas on the eastern continent are nice. Have you been over that way?"
------------
Adray felt a flare of anger. He preferred not be an angry person, but he wouldn't take any slights on his honor after all that he'd done for RETABLIR and what it meant to him.
"Of course not," he replied shortly. "I've been in meetings with you all day. How could I access the Powers files?"
His mind briefly flashed back to the two kids he had let in earlier and he felt his stomach clench. No, it couldn't have been them. He wouldn't believe that.
"I realize you couldn't have done it personally, Adray." Cross said keeping his voice calm, "Can you think of anyone that may have been able to get your password?"
-----
Aeron opened the door for Samora and she gingerly stepped out and took a look around. They were on an old road in old Midgar she knew, but had no idea where.
"Used to be the highway to sector 5." Aeron said guessing what she was thinking. He pointed out to where Edge connected to Midgar. "Nice view of the city. Not many people know how to get up here."
"Wow." Samora looked out across the wrecked remains of Midgar and the new, though recently damaged, city of Edge. "How do you know about this place?"
"I used to live in Sector 5 when I was a kid." He shrugged briefly calling to mind his childhood.
"Really?" She asked surprised, "So you saw it then?"
"Yes."
-------
"I feel naked." Amara said looking at herself in the mirror. She turned this way and that checking how the swimsuit fit her curves and frowned.
"Oh come on," Leah said coming up beside her, "You look great. Now lets go!"
They walked out into the living room and Uri pried his attention away from the glazed ham long enough to look the girls over.
"You're going out in public like that?" He asked raising his eyebrows in surprise.
"Yep!" Leah said grinning widely, "Where are the boys?"
"Alistair decided to go out, he left a few minutes ago." Uri looked around then shook his head. "I'm not sure where Arashi got off to."
Amara gave Uri a quick pat on the head before Leah lead her out into the open air and down to the beach. It wasn't difficult to spot Alistair and they made their way toward him.
Wow, Amara thought noticing his change in attire forgetting for a moment what she was wearing, He looks good.
Adray hesitated, his eyes locked onto Cross'. Did he really have sufficient reason to think it would be those two? Could he really subject them to interrogation when they could be completely innocent? But if they weren't...if they found out something important...the results could be devastating. But...they couldn't be with FESTANCA. Why would FESTANCA kill Powers and steal her files, then send in two kids to search through the RETABLIR databanks? It made no sense.
"No, sir," he replied. "However, I will look into the matter and give it my full attention."
-----------
Liam stopped to take a rest. He would never be able to catch up on time, not on foot. He looked over to see RETABIR's headquarters looming over the city.
"I could ask them for help...make them think Aeron kidnapped Samora and has the documents. It's risky but it might be worth it."
He started toward the building hesitantly, wondering if he was doing the right thing.
------------
Alistair heard someone's approach and looked up from his book to smile, when his eyes suddenly widened and a blush creeped across his face.
"Wh-what are you..." he coughed to stop his babbling flow of speech, then tried again.
"I see you're wearing your new...bathing suit," he replied, making sure not to let his eyes wander, a considerable task with what she was wearing.
Amara blushed at Alistair's reaction and shuffled her feet in the sand.
"Uh, yeah. Heheh." She said feeling embarrassed as she watched his eyes trying to stay focused.
"Hmm. Awkward." Leah said pursing her lips and raising her eyebrows. "I think I'll go for a swim. Catch you two later!"
As soon as Leah turned to leave, Amara took her beach towel and wrapped it securely around her and sat next to Alistair.
"Sorry if I made you uncomfortable." She said her face still matching the color of her bikini. She smiled at him and ran her fingers along his shirt collar. "This is a good look for you."
"You're too kind," he said softly, loving the way her fingers trailed across his collar. "And really, you don't need to apologize. It...surprised me, is all. It didn't seem like your style. You shouldn't be embarrassed though."
He could hardly tell her that she looked stunning in it, but he hoped she understood that it was merely his desire to stay gentlemanly that gave her a bad impression.
"Leah's bluntless didn't help much either," he thought with a tinge of annoyance.
"Thank you." Amara said brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked out to where Leah was swimming and shook her head. "She's a little crazy, but you get used to her."
When she looked back at Alistair she was caught by his eyes again and had to force herself to look at her toes that she burrowed down into the sand. A smile crept unbidden to her face and she felt the blood rush to her cheeks.
I feel a little...light headed.
"I...I think I'll dive in really quick too." She stood and dropped her towel to the ground. "Be right back."
------
Ben thought about herquestion a moment before answering.
"Yeah, I've traveled all over." He said, "Personally I think Kalm's a pretty nice place."
------
Samora and Aeron didn't stay very long on the bridge and were already heading back to Edge. She gazed out the window at the scenery as it passed by and sighed.
"Back to your hotel then?" Aeron asked glancing at her from the corner of his eye. She just nodded in return.
How am I going to explain everything? She thought trying to figure it all out without throwing up.
Hmm, whatever happened earlier seems to be working in my favor. Aeron thought going over the scene he saw between her and Liam that morning.
Alistair watched her go with a satisfied smile before running his gaze to his book.
"Yes, I think coming to the beach was a good idea after all," he thought with a chuckle.
------------
"You're such a world traveler," Elia replied flatteringly. "So what do you think about Edge? I hear it's a pretty impressive city. Have you been there? I'm sure you and your sister had to have seen it."
"Come on," Elia thought, her frustration mounting. The stupid boy was proving useless. But she just had to get it out of him.
-----------
Liam had almost reached the headquarters when he stopped short.
"She's all right," he whispered. He didn't know how he knew it or why, he just knew that she was. He needed to find her though. He decided to head for her hotel.
The water was cold and refreshing and it was just what Amara needed to clear her head. She felt her face cool down and she instantly relaxed.
"Glad you could join me." Leah said swimming up next to her and gave her a friendly splash. "So that was a pretty uncomfortable moment there."
"You have a knack for making it that much worse." Amara smirked and splashed her back.
"At least I'm honest about it." She winked at her then became serious. "Why didn't you let us know you were leaving the canyon?"
"I'm sorry." Amara said shaking her head. "It was just something I needed to do."
"Have you said anything to the others yet?" Leah asked frowning. When Amara didn't answer she shook her head and sighed. She looked back at Alistair then to Amara again. Maybe this thing between them will be good for her. Too bad it'll break Ben's heart. "I'm going to find Arashi and see if he wants to go surfing with me."
Amara watched her swim away and ran her hands over her wet hair. Leah's hint was frustrating, but she came to the conclusion that maybe she should let them in on why she was traveling. They had already been through a lot together, they had a right to know some of it at least. Slowly she waded out of the water and back to where Alistair was sitting. After wringing the water from her hair she sat next to him again and looked out over the ocean.
"Can I talk to you about something?" She asked not taking her eyes from the water.
---------
There it is. Ben thought after she mentioned Edge. He looked into her eyes and thought he could visibly see the cords about to snap. He kept his mindless boyish grin on his face to try to keep her unaware that he suspected something.
"Oh yeah," He said as casually as he could. "It's great there. A little big for my taste, though. I, uh..." he paused a moment studying her reaction. "I actually have some friends traveling out that way." He backed away from her and threw his thumb back behind him. "I need to get back to work. Maybe if you'd like we can get a bite to eat after I'm done."
I better call Leah.
-------
"Thanks." Samora said to Aeron as he walked her to the entrance of the building. She bit down on her lip and turned to him. "Do you wanna hang out for a bit?"
"Hang out?" He repeated genuinely surprised. No one actually chose to spend time with him except for maybe Elia and it caught him off guard.
"Yeah..." She said a little unsure herself. I'll just be freaking out otherwise. "If you want."
Aeron slowly nodded going over how he should word this in his report and followed her up to her room. Strange girl. He thought with a smirk.
"Of course," Alistair replied, noticing that something was bothering her. "Is something the matter?"
His mind was racing with ideas as to what this could be about, but he stilled his thoughts and waited patiently for her to continue.
-------------
"Aww, okay," she replied, pouting. "Don't make me wait too long!"
She winked and waved as she turned and left the hanger. As soon as she was safely away, she gripped her hands into fists.
"Idiot," she snarled. "I just barely managed to get anything useful out of him. He's lucky I'm in a hurry or I would have loved to see that stupid face twisted into a mask of death."
The thought of that made her grin and she hurried to see if her contact could provide a ship. She had to get to Edge, and fast.
-------------
Adray left headquarters and ran a hand over his face. He needed to track down those two while the matter was still in his hands.
"Samora Opar," he thought. It was all he had to go on. He dialed his phone and waited for an answer.
"I need you to check all hotels in the area and see if a Samora Opar is staying at any of them."
Ben waited until she was out of sight before grabbing his phone and calling Leah. When it went over to voice mail he silently cursed. The only time you don't keep it charged!
"Leah!" He said urgently into the phone, "There was a blond woman here with pink eyes. I think she's one of FESTANCA after Amara and Uri and the rest. Tell them she's on her way to Edge."
He hung up and thought over what else he could do. More than likely she wouldn't prove to be too much of a threat to them together, but he couldn't risk anyone getting hurt. Especially not....
His fingers quickly dialed another number and he impatiently waited for the other line to pick up.
"Dad, I wanted to talk to you about maybe lifting Leah's punishment..."
--------
Amara took a moment to put the words together and let out a long sigh.
"Uri told you about how we met right?" She began slowly, "I don't remember anything before that day. It's been ten years and I always hoped that maybe my memories would come back, but they never have." She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them to her. "It's been really hard going through life not knowing who I am or where I came from. I've had Uri there the whole time, but...."
It was difficult to speak a loud about it, she avoided it like the plague because of how it made her feel. She had to swallow back a lump in her throat before she could continue.
"I've always felt really alone. I don't know if I lost my family, if they lost me...if they didn't want me...I don't know who I was before I met Uri. That girl is lost...and I can't help but wonder who she was. That's why I'm out here now. I just want to know."
Alistair wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her arm consolingly with his gloved hand. The poor girl. At least he had known his parents loved him and had gotten to spend many years with them. She had never known hers, had no idea about her past. He could only imagine how difficult that was.
"I understand," he finally said in a soft voice. "And I'll do whatever I can to help you find that out. I promise."
He smiled at her gently and hoped that confiding in him meant than she trusted him as much as he trusted her.
Amara was lost in her sorrow for a moment and didn't realize right away that Alistair was holding her. When the realization sunk in she was surprised by how nice it felt. She wasn't uncomfortable in the least bit and even felt...safe.
She looked into his eyes and smiled warmly at him.
"Thank you." She said softly then pulled her wet hair over her shoulder opposite of him so his shirt wouldn't get too soaked and rested her head against his chest. "That means alot."
"I'm glad," he breathed as his body tingled all over from their intimate position. He smiled as he stared out over the ocean, not remembering the last time he felt this happy or content. He loved the way she snuggled up to him. It made him feel protective.
"Maybe I finally have found someone to protect," he thought. He looked down at her and felt his heart swell.
"Yes. As long as she chooses to stay by me, I'll protect her with my own two hands."
She sighed contentedly enjoying the moment then ran her hand over her arm until she touched the leather glove he always wore and gently placed her fingers over his knuckles.
I wonder if he would mind.... She thought as she started to tug at the glove. When there wasn't any resistance, she pulled it free, set it on her lap and then laced her fingers with his. His hand was warm and the touch sent a thirll of electricity through her body. She tilted her head up slightly to see if he liked it too.
Alistair blinked at her in surprise. He really hadn't expected her to take his glove off. It was like his second skin. But he couldn't really protest. The feeling of her skin made his hand tingle, and he gently rubbed the pad of his thumb along her hand. Just feeling his skin on hers gave him such a suprising jolt of excitement. She looked up at him expectantly, and her shy and curious expression made him smile.
"If you only knew what you do to me," he thought.
"...anyway...that's why I came to Edge." Samora said, finishing her story and then took a small drink of the vodka she got out of the mini bar. They should really get better locks on those. She thought with a giggle.
Aeron stared at her unsure of what to think about the whole situation. Obviously he had succeeded in earning her trust, but he never expected that she would consider him a possible friend. What he did know for sure is that something was really bothering her or she would not have invited him up with her.
Liam hid as he saw Adray's car pass by, heading away toward the hotel areas.
"He must have found out where Samora is staying," he thought. He hurried after it, trying to keep to the shadows.
"I hope she knows what she's doing," he mumbled, clutching the bag with their findings.
"So what's wrong?" Aeron finally asked when he was sure Samora was inebriated enough to talk.
"Oh," She said slightly slurring her words, "I did something really stupid....hey, you're really tall you know that?"
"Samora," He rubbed the bridge of his nose, frustration setting in. "what did you do?"
"Hmm...I shouldn't really say," She got up from her chair and not so gracefully sauntered over to the bed and plopped down. "But, I will say that I'm probably going to be in A LOT of trouble with RETABLIRrrr. Rrrr. Hehe, that feels funny on my tongue. What now? Oh yeah, lots of trouble. I'm probably going to end up in jail or something."
"What?" Aeron said doubtfully, but then he sensed someone coming up to their floor. He rushed over to Samora's side and shook her to attention. "What did you do?"
"This scientist lady died." Samora said coming to for a moment, "I wanted to find out why and I looked through the database, but I gave them my ID when I got to the building because they wouldn't let me and Liam in." Liam. Her head cleared slightly from the thought, He still has the papers. I hope he's ok.
Dammit. Aeron thought standing and paced the room. He quickly assessed the situation. He could not be discovered by a RETABLIR agent and he couldn't let Samora be taken into custody. That would mean failing his assignment and that was not an option. He sensed the man approaching and pulled Samora to her feet.
"Get what you need quickly." He told her urgently and she nodded and started collecting her things.
Liam reached the hotel, but he saw the black car parked in front all ready. Getting to her first wasn't going to be an option. He could only hope that she would find some way to sneak out. He ran for the back alley, hoping to find some back way of getting inside. Maybe she would try to get out through there.
--------------
"Samora Opar?" Adray asked after he rapped his knuckles on the door. "Could I have a word with you?"
He noticed light coming from the bottom of the door, but no one was replying.
"Strange.." he thought as he knocked again.
Aeron quickly put his hand over Samora's mouth when the knock came at the door. He forced her to look into his eyes and spoke in a low voice.
"Answer the door." He told her, "Invite him in. I AM NOT HERE. Understand?" He released her mouth only when she nodded. He slinked back and shut off one of the lamps in the room as she went forward to open the door.
"J-Just a minute." She stammered and looked back at Aeron thinking he'd duck into the bathroom, but there was nothing where he had been standing. What the hell? She thought considering she may have had too much to drink, but went ahead and opened the door. "Can I help you?"
"Hello, Ms. Opar. I believe we already met," Adray said, slightly raising an eyebrow at her inebriated demeanor. "Do you mind if I come in?"
The girl didn't seem to pose any kind of threat, but he still felt uneasy. He felt his silver fleuret at his hip and felt slightly more at ease. Hopefully this wouldn't take long and the whole matter could be cleared up.
------------
Liam pushed open the door and looked around. Apparently it led into the hotel's kitchen. He quickly crawled on his hands and knees behind a counter as one of the chiefs strolled by.
"This is crazy," he thought, the self-preservation instincts finally kicking in. "I should just go. It won't do us any good for me to get caught too."
He sighed and rubbed his face. No, he had to keep going. He wasn't sure why, but he knew he needed to. Maybe it was his mother's spirit guiding him down his path of revenge. He quickly gripped his hands into fists and wheeled around, checking to see if the coast was clear. He dashed out of the kitchen and into the restaurant, which was fortunately empty at the moment. He saw the elevators but made a split moment decision to take the stairs. He didn't want to get trapped in an elevator if things went wrong. He felt his Sylph Blades safely in his blazer and hurried up the carpeted stairs.
Aeron had melded in the with shadows of the darkened room and watched as Samora let the man step in. He had seen the file on him and recognized him immediately as Adray Lasbard. He didn't seem to have any intention of arresting Samora, or he would not have come alone.
"Wh-what is it?" Samora asked tilting to the side, still under the alcohol's influence. She tried to straighten up and push away her anxiety, but found that neither came easily. "Something wrong?"
"Yes," he replied, his eyes scanning the room. "Someone accessed RETABLIR's databanks today with my information from the same room I let you into. I highly doubt that FESTANCA would send a girl into the headquarters to read about files they already stole, so I need to know why you did it so I can clear this matter up. If you don't cooperate with me, RETABLIR is going to take the security breach into their own hands, and I'd rather not see that happen to you.
He looked at Samora and could tell that her nerves were on edge. It couldn't just be him though. He sensed clearly that someone was around but he couldn't see where anyone could hide. His eyes turned back to focus on her.
"Well, Ms. Opar?"
"Uhh." Samora tried to steady herself as her stomach churned and her heart constricted. She instictively sensed where she had placed her weapons and felt herself suddenly sober up. Just tell him. He doesn't want to arrest you. "I...I heard that Dr. Powers had died. I had read a lot of her research and...I wanted to know how she died."
Aeron watched the scene very carefully, moving ever so slowly to her side. Dr. Powers is it? He thought strangely amused by the irony. You used Lasbard's clearance? How resourceful.
Adray was watching her very closely. She wasn't behaving normally. There was something else bothering him though...something was missing.
"The boy," he realized. "The one who was supposedly her brother. Why isn't he here?"
"Ms. Opar," he said slowly so as not to frighten her, "what is your interest in all of this? What were you so eager to find out at RETABLIR headquarters?"
He very carefully moved his eyes around the room. The boy definitely wasn't here. Something wasn't adding up at all.
-------------
Liam reached the first floor, then realized with a terrible shock that he had no idea where he was going. She could be on any floor in any number of rooms.
"How am I going to find her?" he thought. He diddn't see much point in asking at the desk. He doubted they would give it to him and that would raise suspicions. No, there was nothing he could do. He sat down on the steps and rested his head in his hands. At least he could see the lobby discreetly from here. There was nothing to do but wait.
"I wanted answers." Samora said inching her way to her tantos and katana. Don't be stupid. She told herself. "I wanted to know what was happening to the planet and I figured whatever was taken from Dr. Powers held those answers." She paused a moment and thought about Liam. What did he want to know for?
"It was stupid and I didn't think it through." She said trying to put blame on her immaturity. It worked back at home and adults seemed to accept that reason often enough. "I'm sorry."
-------
Uri looked out at the two sitting side by side out on the beach. He had to concede to Amara's feelings for this man and he admitted that he did in fact like Alistair. Whatever might come of their relationship, he'd have no other choice but to watch it unfold and be there for her as he had always done.
He thought briefly about his future, years after they all had returned to the planet, and realised he would end up being the one left alone. The thought was sobering and he decided to make the most of the time they had together now.
Though he'd still better keep his hands where I can see them.
--------
Ben had tried several times to get a hold of Leah, but his calls went straight to voice mail. He turned the rest of the repairs over to the tech crew and loaded his things into his motorcycle. He'd have to ride out to Costa del Sol where he knew his sister would still be and let her know himself. He just hoped that he could make it in enough time so they could beat the blond to Edge.
Adray sighed and shook his head.
"Yes, I'm afraid it was. I hope you realize that you're not a child anymore, Ms. Opar. Simple apologies aren't going to suffice for everything. I'm going to try to discuss the matter with the director, and I suggest you stay in the city until the matter has been cleared if you want to maintain a good light on yourself."
He turned to leave, and as he grabbed the door handle to leave, he turned and said, "I hope your brother hasn't gone too far. I would suggest you keep a closer eye on him if you don't want him to get into trouble."
With that, he turned and closed the door behind him.
"How very troublesome," he thought as he wiped his face before continuing down the hall.
----------------
"Damn it where's my ship!" Elia screamed, causing the FESTANCA contact to shrink back.
"It-it should be here a-any minute," he replied, wincing as she took a step forward.
"I want that ship here now or heads are going to roll!" she barked. He nodded frantically and nearly tripped over himself as he left the room to call to find out where the ship was. Elia sighed dramatically.
"You can't find good help these days."
Samora let out a long sigh as he closed the door. That was too close. She thought as the knot in her stomach slowly started to unravel. She quickly looked around the room trying to figure out where Aeron had disapeared to when suddenly he materialized beside her causing her to start in surprise.
"What the hell?" She said backing away from him. "What was that?"
Aeron paid her little attention as he went over to the windows and looked out to the street below.
"We need to get out of here." He told her scanning the cars below.
"But..." She tried to protest but he cut her off.
"That man is not the director and he cannot speak for him." Aeron said with an air of finality, "Even if you aren't detained, you'll be watched. Every where you go and everything you do they'll know. You obviously haven't killed anyone and they'll come to the same conclusion. Don't worry. We will stay in the city."
"We?" Samora asked feeling a little nauseous.
"He's probably still near by, we'll have to sneak out." He took her by the arm and, after checking the hall, led her out of her room. "We'll take the stairs."
Liam heard the elevator ping as it reached the ground level and watched as Adray got out and walked through the exit.
"Without Samora," he thought. He stood up and turned to look up the staircase. Did that mean she wasn't here? Or had she someone managed to avoid getting in trouble?
"Well in that case, there's no point in staying here," he thought. He looked toward the exit, feeling very confused, and started to walk.
They raced down the stairwell and Samora was beginning to feel terrible from the alcohol. Her head was spinning and the repetition of stair after stair round and round was starting to get to her.
Once they reached the first floor landing, they dodged out the side exit to the parking lot and Aeron stopped to check if anyone was around. The sudden stop sent Samora's stomach churning and she bent over and vomitted the contents from her stomach all over Aeron's pants.
"Ugh that's gross." She said hunched over wiping the corners of her mouth.
"Lovely." Aeron commented sarcastically with a frown creasing his features.
"Yeah it is," Liam replied, standing up. He had ducked behind a car when he heard the door burst open before and now was grimacing at Samora.
"What did you do to yourself?" he asked. He wondered if Adray hadn't taken her because he couldn't believe a crazy drunk could hack their computers. He tried to keep his face neutral as he had to stare yet again into the face of his mother's killer.
"Soon," he told himself, trying to keep his hands from shaking. "Soon."
Aeron held Samora's shoulder while she wretched and eyed the boy as he stepped forward. He looked down at the bag he was carrying and realized that she must have given whatever information they found to him so she wouldn't be caught with it.
"I...ack-ugh...had a little too much to drink." Samora replied trying to right herself. "I'm glad you're alright."
"We should get going." Aeron said angling her towards his car. He glanced at Liam and arched an eyebrow. "He mentioned you too. Better come with us."
"That's an understatement," Liam thought with an exasperated sigh. He watched Aeron take her to the car before telling him to come with them.
"How many times am I going to have to see this guy and pretend that nothing's wrong?" he thought with a twist of his stomach. These things took patience though. He'd get his chance soon enough.
"All right," he said with a nod and climbed into the backseat, idly wondering where this murderer was going to take them.
-------------
"I guess we'd better get back," Alistair whispered to Amara, hating to break up the moment. He retrieved his glove and put it on before standing and offering a hand to help her up.
"There will be time later," he told himself. "No need to rush things."
Though she was disappointed when Alistair pulled away from her, she knew he was right. She took his hand and rose to her feet then dusted off the sand that had dried on her legs. When she looked back up at him an etheral smile spread across her face making her eyes light up and she stepped toward him suddenly emboldened.
"Alistair..." She gently placed her hand on his face and moved in closer and closer.
"Amara!" Leah cried as she charged to where the two stood. "I got a message from Ben. Get ready, we're going to be leaving for Edge within the hour. I'll explain when we're all together. Hurry up."
Alistair blinked, as if waking up from a dream, at the sound of Leah's voice. Had...had Amara been about to-?
"We'd better go," he said before hurrying after Leah. Whatever was going on had to be serious, so there was no time to think about what was happening between the two of them.
"So what's going on?" he asked after they had regrouped at the villa.
------------
Elia jumped into the cockpit of her ship and prepared to launch. She had lost precious time getting it and was in a foul mood to say the least. She thrust the ship forward out of the hangar, not caring who or what was in the way, and felt a thump as she broke free from the interior. She idly wondered if the thump had been the contact and if she had proceeded to smash his brains on the pavement.
"If he had brains," she thought, deadpan. Then she suddenly burst out laughing and slapped her knee.
"Oh geez I crack myself up!"
"Apparently, Ben had a run in with a blond girl with pink eyes." Leah said as soon as they were all together in the villa. "He says she was asking weird questions and thinks she's on her way to Edge to cut you guys off. He's on his way right now and should be here within twenty minutes."
"The woman from FESTANCA." Amara said taking up her place next to Uri. "But the ships aren't running, how are we going to get to Edge?"
"Best part!" Leah grinned at her friend. "Ben got dad to give me back my flight clearance. I can use one of the choppers here. They're normally just for military use, but they'll make an exception for dad and he already called ahead."
"Ben did that for you?" Uri asked surprised.
"Well, I'll owe him one." Leah replied glancing at Amara, "But he didn't do it for me. Better get everything you need, I'm going down to the airbase to prep for takeoff."
"What was that supposed to mean?" Alistair wondered, looking from Leah to Amara. A creeping suspicion started to enter his thoughts but he quickly pushed it away. This wasn't the time to worry about such things. Still, when Ben arrived he could hardly help but scrutinize him more. What was he playing at?
-----------
"Oracle!" Silyl called. His eyes went vacant and he could see million of little sparks of light covering the Planey. He picked one and immediately it zoomed in closer until the next moment he was staring out into a flight hangar. His hosts eyes turned and he caught sight of the red-headed mage, the wolf-lion, the black-haired girl, and the narcoleptic boy.
"So they're taking a helicopter to Edge," he mused. He disconnected his mind and found himself standing back in INQUINA headquarters. He didn't like to have to lower himself to helping INQUINA's lower members but he grabbed a phone and called Elia.
"Good news," he said.
Leah jumped up into the cockpit and put her headphones on then checked the gauges and confirmed departure with the control tower.
"Everyone strap in!" She shouted to her passangers. Ben took up his position next to his sister and began the startup sequence. Amara looked at the two and smiled.
"They may get on each other's nerves," She said to Uri, "but they make a good team."
As the helicopter began to lift off the ground, Amara bit her lip and pressed herself back into the chair. It wasn't that she was worried they would crash, Leah was an amazing pilot, but this was only her third time flying and it still made her nervous. Uri seemed to mirror her concerns, his body had tensed and he was crouching low in his seat.
Alistair had flown many times with his family on their trips to edge, but certainly never in a helicopter and with someone younger than him piloting it.
"Oh dear," he thought as it lifted off, and he gripped the seat so tightly he thought the arm rests would break off. His face drooped as he realized this was going to be a long trip.
----------
"Where exactly are we going?" Liam asked Aeron. It made him uneasy enough to be around the man in public, much less in a car where he was driving them to anywhere he wanted.
"I hope I don't regret this," he thought.
Aeron regarded his passengers. Samora had passed out cold within three minutes and the boy looked so tense it appeared he would snap. Aeron would have attributed his behavior to the close run in with Lasbard, but he had acted this way from the moment they met. He will be a problem.
"I'm taking you to my quarters for now." Aeron told the boy. "It's off the grid, no one will be able to track you two down there."
Once they pulled into the car port, Aeron lifted Samora up and took her inside. He showed Liam to a spare room and set Samora down on his bed. After that, he changed into some clean clothes and quickly typed up and sent his report to both FESTANCA and INQUINA. He would be interested in what the former had to say about his curernt situation.
"What do I do? What do I do? What do I do!" Liam thought as he frantically paced the small room. Despite Commander Lasbard's lack of affirmative action, he was still convinced that RETABLIR would want their heads. That made their only ally an assassin from an enemy organization that just happened to be his mother's killer.
"Crap," he thought, sitting down on the bed. What a hopeless situation. If only the man didn't have Samora with him. Then he could just go and finish off the assassin.
"Wishful thinking," he sighed. Another sobering thought came to him. "I don't even know this guy's fighting style or powers. I-I just remember...being afraid of the dark after Mom-"
He shook his head and stood up, resuming his pacing. He needed to think. There had to be something he could do.
Aeron heard Liam pacing in his room and frowned. What is he doing? He thought as he approached the door. He stood there a moment debating whether he should check on him or not when he heard Samora stirring in his own room.
"Oh god!" She moaned. "What happened? Where am I?"
"You had nine ounces of vodka in one sitting." Aeron told her dryly as he entered the room with a glass of water. Samora started and squinted at him. "You're in my apartment. You passed out on the way here."
"Oh...did I...puke on you?" She said slowly remembering events of the evening.
"Yes you did." He said setting the glass down on the side table. "Drink this and get some rest."
He left the room before she could say anything and listened as Liam continued to pace.
Liam finally stopped pacing and made up his mind.
"I can't afford any mistakes or miscalculations. I have to know everything about this guy before I try to kill him. That means staying near him as often as possible till I learn all that I can."
He wondered if Aeron had anything lying around or maybe a computer with someone information he could hack. He might as well make something out of this mess. He walked over to the door and opened it.
"Wha-!"
He jumped back from the door, pulling his Sylph Blades from his blazer, and assuming a battle position. As he stared at the man, he realized he may have jumped the gun. Still, he couldn't be too sure.
"What were you doing there?" he demanded, though his nervousness made it sound a little less imposing.
Aeron blinked at the boy and frowned. He looked like a trapped animal.
"Calm yourself boy." Aeron told him sternly. "I heard you and was..." What would be a good term? "concerned."
------
After the initial takeoff, Amara relaxed considerably and tried to enjoy the changing scenery below. She had hoped to take it slower on her journey, but she supposed it was for the best that they were getting it over with. She glanced at Alistair from the corner of her eye and briefly reflected on her attempt to kiss him.
What was I thinking? She asked herself. He had seemed so eager to get away from her and she felt embarrassed for even trying. I need to control myself better.
Concerned? For him? The irony made him almost made him want to laugh if the bile that felt like it was coming up his throat didn't force him to be sick first.
"You needn't be," he said, his tone frosty but considerably relaxed for how he felt inside. He lowered his Sylph Blades and tucked them into his blazer, wishing he hadn't let Aeron see his weapon before he'd had a chance to see his enemies.
"How is Samora doing?" he asked, trying to move the conversation to keep the man from analyzing him.
-------------
Alistair sighed, hating every minute in this flying metal deathtrap. He stopped his death-clutch on the am rests, hoping he hadn't left any permanent finger marks, and turned to look at the others. Somehow, beyond all reasoning, Arashi was sleeping away. Alistair had to wonder how he did that. He looked at Uri and saw that the wolf-lion was even worse off than he was.
"How are you holding up?" he asked Uri, seeing as how Amara didn't seem like she wanted to talk.
"Not so good." Uri told him shaking his head stiffly. "I'm ok in airships, but this is torture." He eyed Alistair's fingers that had turned white from gripping the armrests, "How about you?"
--------
"She's hung over." Aeron said flatly. He watched the boy carefully as he put his weapons away. "If you don't need anything, you should get some rest."
"I'm with you," he replied with a slightly shaky laugh. He wondered why of all things they had to get a chopper, especially since Elia would likely be flying something faster.
"Just our luck," he mused, thinking of the deranged blonde.
-------------
"Thanks for the advice," he replied, his tone saying the opposite. He turned his back to the man, hoping that would cause him to go away. He figured he wasn't going to have much choice but to try to rest, seeing as how the man was keeping tabs on him.
"We're coming into clear airspace." Ben said checking the readings on the console. "How about shifting into stage 2?"
"No can do." Leah replied not even bothering to look at her brother. "For emergencies only."
"At this rate, we're not going to make it ahead of her." He argued trying to stay calm.
"Shut the hell up." She said finally turning toward him, "Considering what their original plan was, they should be happy to be getting a free ride to Edge. I'm thankful for what you did, but I also know why you did it and I think you should reevaluate the whole thing."
"What do you mean?" Ben asked his eyebrows knitting together in a frown.
"Look, Amara is..." Leah started to say, but was interrupted by a proximity alert. She looked down at her radar and frowned. "Something's coming up on our six."
A shrill screech penetrated the hull and the helicopter shook from turbulance as the unidentified object passed over them and came into view. Leah and Ben simulateously took a sharp breath in as they recognized the creature.
"Dragon zombie." Ben breathed, "What the hell is it doing out here?"
"I'd consider this an emergency." Leah stated as she started flipping switches. Suddenly the dragon changed direction and began to circle back toward them. "Brace yourselves!" She called back to the others then gripped the cyclic stick (thank you wiki) and banked left dodging the head on collision.
Amara squeeled and clutched her armrests feeling her stomach lurch against the gforce as the chopper tilted sharply to the side. She watched as the dragon sped by the helicopter then exchanged a look of terror with Uri.
"God, holy God," Alistair mumbled, his face turning white as a sheet, his hands resuming their former death-grip on the armrest. What were they going to do?
"What the hell is that thing doing here?" he wondered with horror. "First Elia, now this!"
-----------
Elia, however, would not be joining them. Silyl had already told her to go on to Edge. He would be dealing with this. It had been a brilliant idea to take control of a dragon zombie and direct it to them. Now he was simply content to use Oracle and see through it's eyes as the events unfolded.
"Now, finish them!" he cried, a grin of triumph splitting across his face.
The dragon recoiled and doubled back rushing up from underneath them. Leah pitched back and cut right to avoid the monster.
"We need to get the hell out of here before it casts anything or we're screwed." Leah stated as she worked the controls, her face showing only the slightest hint of stress.
"Can't you open fire?" Ben asked her as he called out the dragon's position.
"Negative." Leah replied as she suddenly pitched down. "Zero artillery."
"Wha-? Why the hell wouldn't they give us ammunition?"
"I'm just 19, Ben!" Leah said frustrated. "Why the hell do you think? I can initiate stage 2, but I'll need time to calibrate before I can engage."
"If it's for emergencies, why the hell doesn't it automatically calibrate?" He asked becoming irate as he unbuckled himself and raced back to the storage locker.
"God damn it!" Leah shouted back at him, "Stop asking stupid questions and cover me! Take it up with the engineers when we get out of this!"
He busted the lock that latched the locker closed and pulled out an M16 and quickly loaded the magazine and shoved an extra in his belt. After tightening everyone's restraints and harnessing himself to the chopper he opened the side door and took aim.
Silyl laughed wickedly as the dragon wheeled around and flew back toward the chopper and swiped at it with his tail.
"Cast Shadow Flare, you foolish beast!" Silyl thought, balling his fists. The chopper dropped down to avoid the dragon's swipe, confusing it slightly. It flew ahead and turned back again, raising a claw to slash at the helicopter.
"Why does the creature toy with it? Finish them off!" Silyl growled with frustration.
Ben saw the dragon's claw coming at them and opened fire. Bullets rained from the weapon and pierced through the dragon's arm causing it to shriek and fall away only to arch back and make for another attack.
"How's it coming up there?" He shouted up at Leah.
"Give me two more minutes!" She called back frantically trying to make adjustments and calibrations. Suddenly seeing the dragon weave for the prop she wretched on the stick and pulled to the left and pitched up. "Oh shit!"
As the dragon whipped around it slashed at Ben with its tail as he was shooting at it and caught him in the chest breaking his harness and knocking him out of the helicopter.
Amara seeing her friend falling, reacted instantly. In a fraction of a second she was out of her restraints and leaping out of the helicopter after Ben. Focusing her spirit on the special materia she carried, she called out as she fell to the earth.
"Phoenix!"
Blazing lights surrounded her then shot away and combined below forming the outline of a massive bird. It let out a deafening caw as it materialized and swooped up catching Ben and Amara on it's massive back then spiralled toward the dragon zombie.
"Amara!" Alistair yelled, running over to the exit. A sudden flash of red caused him to stumble back as Amara's phoenix summon flew upward and rattled the helicopter in its wake.
"Please be careful," he murmured.
--------------
"What?" Silyl gasped, his mouth falling open in shock. He certainly hadn't expected the girl to summon a creature in midair like that. It was time for drastic measures. Letting go of Oracle, he decided to activate his second Limit Break.
"Overshadow!"
He felt his consciousness completely leaving his body and entering the dragon zombie's. He laughed, causing the dragon to open its jaw in a horrific imitation of a grin.
"Now you'll pay! Shadow Flare!"
Arashi's head shot up as drool dripped from his mouth slightly.
"Ugh....what have i missed?" he asked in a slurred voice.
-------------------
"No!! More people must die!! Bozulma must be summoned as quickly as possible!!" Lau screamed at his assistant as he wrapped his hand around her throat.
"Please....Mr. Lau!" the assistant squealed. Lau smiled evilly as he took out a syringe that read C-G (Compressed Geostigma) and drove the needle into her neck. The assistant convulsed and fell to the ground trembling. Lau smiled wider.
"Now that you're infected, let's see if Bozulma will like your corpse!" Lau said as he took out his shotgun and pressed it against her forehead. "Goodbye." Lau said as he pulled the trigger, sending brains and blood spraying across the floor.
Alistair looked back at Arashi, his face one of completely annoyance and incredulity.
"What HAVEN'T you missed."
----------
Adray knocked on Director Cross' door, hoping that the man would see eye-to-eye with him about Samora's information break-in.
"Let's hope it does, for all our sakes."
Amara watched as the face of the dragon altered, becoming deranged as if it had become something or someone else.
This isn't right. She thought willing the phoenix forward.
"Amara! It's casting!" Ben yelled and she realised he was right.
Oh no. She thought looking back at the helicopter feeling a strange calm settle over her. It'll rip them apart. She glanced at Ben who nodded understanding and they rode the summon between the others and the dragon zombie as it cast shadow flare. Amara squinted as the dark light filled the sky. This is going to hurt.
-------
"AMARA!" Uri cried as he watched the flare envelope the phoenix and struggled furiously against his restraints, but was unable to move. He turned his attention to Alistair and roared at him. "HEAL IT NOW!"
"Fools," Silyl thought with a sneer. He willed the dragon zombie forward to finish off whatever was remaing.
-------------
Alistair gripped the still open door of the chopper and watched with horror as Amara and Ben were hit with shadow flare. His shock was so extreme that Uri's roar only barely shook him out of his daze.
"But...my healing spells aren't very good.." he though with dismay. Still, he had to do what he could.
"Cure!" he called, aiming his hand at the phoenix.
Cross turned his back to Adray and gazed out his office window. Even though he had a high stress level job, he very seldom let it affect his mood, but when a close friend and colleague is killed and then that tragedy is closely followed up by a breach in security due to the negligence of one of his trusted associates, it was difficult to remain neutral.
"So," He began being careful to keep his voice level, "You are suggesting that we simply overlook this matter even though the young lady cleary broke the law and saw classified information?" He turned back to face him, his expression severe. "I hope this is your attempt at humor, because I cannot fathom how you could be serious."
--------
The Phoenix shrieked as the flare engulfed it and its riders leaving them wracked with pain. Amara felt her hold on the injured summon slipping and she fought with all her might to keep it from dissolving back into the lifestream. It was a shock when she felt their pain subside minutely, but it was enough to gain full control over her summon once again and she drove it into the dragon.
The ferocity of the attack caught the dragon off guard causing it to loose altitude and the giant bird used this to its advantage. Its talons latched into the rotting flesh and ripped away at its abdomen as it pulled it down into a death spin. Ben held tight to Amara as she pulled at the invisible reigns that tethered her to the creature. Being face to face with the dragon she saw something alien in its eyes and it sent a chill down her spine.
"You have thirty seconds to get your asses back in here!" Leah shouted into the com.
The phoenix tore away from the dragon, taking chunks of its chest with it and made a mad dash back to the helicopter. The dragon howled in rage and flapped its wing furiously as it pursued them. Ben checked over his shoulder only to find the dragon gaining on them.
"We're not going to make it." He told Amara tightening his hold on her waist. "I can get us up there. Kamikaze the son of a bitch!"
Amara nodded and released her hold of the phoenix as Ben used his dragoon jump to catapult them to the helicopter. The phoenix turned and plummeted back towards the dragon becoming a giant ball of fire as it fell and colided with the monster in a blinding explosion.
Ben's leap brought them just short of making it through the door forcing him to clutch the threshold for dear life and shove Amara in the rest of the way. He scrambled in himself as a shrill cry reached his ears and he shut the door behind him.
"Get ready everybody!" Leah called to them once the hatch was secure. "Engaging stage two in three...two...one!"
As soon as she hit the switch, the chopper's hull transformed turning it into a slender jetship. The rotary props ejected as the turbines fired up sending the craft hurtling forward at incredible speed leaving the maimed dragon behind.
Adray felt slightly ashamed, but he couldn't back down now.
"Sir, I understand completely how you feel. However, I'm positive that she has no connections to FESTANCA and was a foolishly curious youth. I understand that we cannot simply let her carry around confidential information but I don't think any extreme methods of interrogation or detainment will be necessary. We don't want to appear as though we're coming down on the common people."
He looked up at Cross, hoping that the Director would see his point. Otherwise, he was going to continue to fall out of favor.
-----------
Siyl felt his consciousness snap back with full force, knocking him off his feet and to the black marble floor. He kept his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead, trying to get used to the feel of his own body. Having his mind returned forcefully was an incredibly painful and disorienting experience.
"Impossible..." he murmured, staggering to his feet. Against all odds, they had managed to escape.
"Consider yourselves fortunate," he whispered. "This time."
-----------
"Amara!" Alistair said, scooping her up in his arms. "Are you all right?"
He cast another cure spell, hoping that would help. She seemed to be without any serious injury, which helped relieve the knot in his stomach slightly. He looked around at the transformed airship and sighed.
"Why in the hell couldn't we have done that in the first place?" he thought with a twinge of annoyance. "Protocol be damned."
"I agree." Cross said drawing his hands together behind his back. "That is why we're not going to use extreme methods. We are however, going to take the young lady and her accomplice into custody to find out exactly what they pulled out of the system and what they were intending on using it for. If they in fact have nothing to hide, they should be forthcoming. I'll give you until fourteen hundred hours tomorrow to bring them in. That is all commander."
Cross walked back to his desk, took a seat and turned his attention to the city recovery reports signalling the end of their conversation.
-------
"Get me out of this thing dammit!" Uri hollered thrashing about in his seat. Amara scrambled up to free him and he in turn pounced then forcefully pinned her to the floor and growled. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"
Adray opened his mouth, then quickly shut it. There was no point in further argument. After all, the director's arguments were rather valid. He gave a nod, said, "Yes, sir," then left the room.
"I just hope for their own sake that those kids are still at that hotel," he thought as he headed for his car.
----------
"Uri..." Alistair said as he took a step forward to try to break it up, but he felt someone place a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
Ben gave Alistair a warning look and shook his head.
"I can't loose you yet!" Uri yelled shaking and Amara smiled gently at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"They need a minute." Ben whispered to the young mage. "Hey...thanks for curing us out there."
Alistair blinked, then turned to face Ben.
"Wh- Oh, yes of course. I'm afraid my white magic isn't quite as good as my black magic but I'm glad I could be of assistance. I suppose really I should really be thanking you and Amara for getting rid of it."
He smiled and realized that it was foolish of him to have ever worried about Ben.
"Well, I was scared to death at the time." Ben said laughing weakly, "But it'll make for a great story one of these days."
"Ben!" Leah called back to him. "Get yer ass up here!"
He nodded to Alistair and noticing that Uri had backed off of Amara, knelt down and helped her to sit up.
"Thanks for coming after me." He said giving her a hug then kissed her forehead and took his place in the cockpit with Leah who punched him in the arm three times. "What is that for?!"
"I know how Uri feels!" Leah said irate, "I swear if you worry me like that again I'll kill you myself." She glared at him then turned back to the others. "ETA for Edge is thirty minutes."
Alistair frowned at Ben's actions.
"So much for that."
He walked over to Amara and gave an exhausted smile. "I would give you the whole deal of how worried I was, but I think you've gotten enough of that already."
------------
"I wonder if we've been filed as criminals already," Liam thought as he stared up at the celing. Despite any efforts on Commander Lasbard's part, he had a feeling Director Cross wasn't going to be so easy on them. They probably wouldn't be able to return to Edge.
"Not that that worries me too much," he thought with a frown. "I've hated that city since Mom..."
Amara returned Alistair's smile and shrugged.
"I told you I wouldn't give it a second thought." She said softly.
"Well," Uri said nuzzling up against her. "all things considered, that was pretty impressive."
"Thank you." She gave him another hug and ruffled his mane, "And at least I was able to learn shadow flare."
"She learned shadow flare?" he thought, his eyes widening. He felt a slight pang of jealousy. As a powerful mage, he would have loved to add that to his arsenal.
"Well, you should probably rest now. We should be getting to Edge soon," he said. He knew he was probably babying her but he still helped her over to her seat before returning to his own.
"I hope we won't be experiencing something like that again," he thought. What a freak coincidence that a dragon zombie would follow them all the way out there.
