Chapter VIII: Deals of Steel

"Let me out!" Yuffie screamed from inside one of many few holding cells in the crate littered luggage area that was connected to the control room and cockpit. "We really didn't do anything! We were just trying to save our own lives!"

"By steaing my ship?" The unnamed woman shot back, now with two sickles out and ready to attack of Yuffie wouldn't shut up.

"If it wasn't for us... You would have been killed too." Salem said coolly standing beside Shelke and a few feet behind the woman.

"I have gotten everyone's name except yours..." The woman said dismissing the other Yuffie who had caused to much trouble and ended up in one of the cells.

"I don't give off personal information... My mom told me not to..." He said sarcastically.

"Oh is that right?.." The woman casually made her way to the man, making sure there was only a few inches between them. With a flash the woman pushed the sickle into his neck in hopes to threaten his name out of him only to be countered with Orthrus pressed under her chin. "Seems as if I miss understood you..."

"You can say that..." Salem returned.

The woman smiled as if intrigued by the mans fearlessness. "So... Are you going to shoot me, or are you momma's little boy who doesn't hurt women..."

"Salem Valentine is a man without fear..." Shelke let in with a scowl at the woman's flirtatious acts.

The woman dismissed to what she still thought was a 'small girl' and grew closer to Salem, pressing the blade harder into his throat as he did the same with his gun in return. "So... Your the one they call 'The Angel of Death', 'Shadow'..."

"Just names I have gained over the years..." Salem returned glaring at her with his red eyes, if she pressed that strange excuse of a weapon into his throat again, he was going to blow her brains into the ceiling.

"Over many year... Thirty years from what I have heard..." The woman added with a smirk. "Yet while your brother was sleeping in a box... You were trying your hardest to find the Doctor that... Tortured you... And yet, through all these years... You have lived in his shadow... Always coming second. Am I right?"

Salem began to feel anger through his whole body, not only because it was true... It was the fact that someone else knew all his secrets. "Shut up... Or I'm going to blow your head off your shoulders."

The woman's smirk faded into a slight smile. "Fine..." She said putting her sickle back into its curved sheath following the other and walking to the controls of the ship.

"Wait!" Yuffie screamed. "Who the hell are you and what were you doing in Nibelheim?!"

The woman continued. "I don't thing it's any of your business."

"Cl-Click..."Salem pulled the hammers of his gun, warning her to answer.

The woman halted and paused. "Fine! Fine!" She yelled turning around. "I'm a weapons smuggler! I was supposed to meet someone in Nibelheim to make a trade until someone decided to take off before the other got there..."

"That explains the crates..." Shelke added.

"Yes..." The woman turned. "Now because I trust no one and don't like man handling... I want both of you to put yourself into one of those cells..."

"Sorry lady..." Salem said still holding to gun directed at her. "I don't do captivity... Besides... You haven't told us your name yet."

"Its Stella... Stella Bleu'Rosen." She said admitingly. "I suppose you do not have to, but the brat does. I don't like kids."

"I would like to add that I am nineteen years of age..." She said informingly.

"Whatever... That just make it even more weird. Now get in there..."

Shelke looked at Salem wondering if she should protest. Salem nodded. "Just do as she says." He said normally. "For now..."

The woman smirked and made her way into the cockpit as Shelke slowly made her way into the cell next to Yuffie. "This, I think, is going to be a long trip."

"I'll say!" Yuffie added.

"Don't worry... I'm going to get us off this thing..." Salem added before walking into the control room and sitting next to the woman.

"So your Salem Valentine..." Stella said, her hands on the controls.

"I think we have already distinguished that..." Salem said in a smart manner.

"I would guess your looking for your brother?"

Salem turned with narrowed eyes. "And how would you know that?"

"I saw him being kidnapped..."

"By whom?"

"I don't know. But I did follow them. Only because I thought I could get my hands on some of those guns of theirs."

"Where is he?" Salem said in a demanding voice.

"Sorry. But I'm not going back there. I was nearly killed trying to get out of there."

"Your going to take us." Salem said reaching for his gun."

The woman paused as if thinking. "I guess I could... But it will come with a price."

Salem's eyes narrowed again. "What?"

"Your gun..."

"No!" Salem said staring back out the windshield of the ship.

"Then I can't help you..." She said with a sigh.

Salem thought for a moment. He couldn't give his gun away... But it was his brother... And he didn't know what possibly could be done to him at that very moment. He was abducted, as she said. That could never be good.

"Fine..." He murmured.

"Are you sure?" The woman said now excited.

"Yes... But you get it when we get there..."

"Sounds like a good deal... You aren't as dumb as I thought I guess."

"Funny..."