Relics

Chapter 20: Reunited – Leo & Brad

By Silver

Author's Note: A new year, new chances, new chapter! I hope everyone got to enjoy the holiday season and rang in the New Year with high hopes. Maybe this will be the year I actually finish this story.

I'm still behind in thanking people for their reviews, so please don't take offense if I haven't replied yet. I thank everyone for reading this story as I thank ZeroPioneer for the proofread.

Nothing more to say, so let's move on!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the brief time Leo had known Brad, the mercenary had always acted too cool for anything else in creation. Not dismissive or haughty, but distant. That unshakable composure always shielded him during a crisis. His wide eyes and slack mouth were far too foreign. Leo almost doubted his recognition.

"Leo?"
"Brad?" Yes, this was definitely Brad Hunter. Leo's mind made the connection instantly, and more memories surged forth. Leo dared to hope for just a moment that the world was suddenly conspiring to help him.

"Brad!" A woman shouted from further down the street. Leo propped himself up enough to peer over Brad's shoulder. A woman was running towards them. She was slim and athletic, with reddish-brown hair that spiked out over her back. She wore some kind of battle outfit that was a cross between a cow-girl's costume and a bikini. Leo thought it was a little silly, but he didn't mind the view. He knew this person too. Na… Nissa? Natarle? Naomi. Yes, Naomi Fluegel! "Brad, he's getting away!"

For a moment Leo wondered if she was talking about himself. Then Brad pushed off the ground and sprinted down the street after the bald man that had nearly knocked Leo over. The man was running like the condemned, outdistancing Brad in several strides. He was just coming up to the alleyway.

On instinct, Leo called out, "Uriel! A hot woman wants you to stop that bald guy!"

"Urraaagghh!" Uriel exploded from the alley, rearing up before the fleeing man like a lion pouncing on its prey. The bald man could not stop in time and rebounded off of Uriel's chest, stumbling backwards but somehow keeping his footing. He raised his hands up futilely and screamed so loud that Leo wondered if any of the nearby windows might shatter. "Grraaahh!" The scream cut off abruptly as Uriel brought his tail down on the man's skull. He slumped to the ground and fell on his back.

Leo ran up beside Brad, who had stopped just shy of the Organoid. "I said you should stop him, not give him brain damage!"

"Urr reer urgh?" Uriel shrugged his shoulders as if to ask, "What do you want from me?"

"Leo?" Brad still hadn't shaken off that stunned expression. Leo took it as a personal success that he could surprise his friend so thoroughly. "I… I-I heard you were dead!"

"Yeah. I'm not." Leo's whole life (such as it was) chattered behind his teeth, begging to burst out and reveal itself. Yet Leo held back. It was too funny seeing Brad like this.

"Brad!" Naomi sprinted up to them. "You didn't kill him did… you?" Naomi stopped and looked from the fallen man to Uriel and then Leo. "Leo?" Funny, he realized suddenly that somewhere along the way he'd gotten used to his own name again. Hearing it from these people—his friends—felt like the most natural and comfortable thing in the world. Leo wondered how he'd feel if he heard Leena say his name.

"Hello, Naomi." He smiled, "Before you ask, I'm not dead."

"Hang on!" Brad stepped closer. "Don't act so easy! Where have you been? What happened to you? What is this thing?" He gestured to Uriel. "And… why is it staring at Naomi's breasts?"

"Rao ho hooh…" Uriel leaned in for a closer look. Naomi stared at the dark metal Organoid for a moment, then reached up and slapped it across the cheek.

"Hey, thing, my face is up here." She pointed to help Uriel's gaze. Uriel responded in turn by looking her deep into her eyes. He stared at her with complete intensity, as if the rest of the world had completely faded away. Naomi froze up, unsure what to do under its wavering stare.

Then Uriel abruptly leaned forward and wrapped his lips across Naomi's mouth. "Muuuwwwaaa!"

"HEY!" Naomi nearly tripped over her own feet as she backed away. Then she lunged and delivered a kick to the center of Uriel's chest. The Organoid flopped down on his back, moaning but with an idiotic grin on his face.

"What the hell?" Brad glared at Leo as if he'd been the one to steal a kiss. "Leo, what is going on?"

Leo glanced around. No one else had arrived on the street yet, though the bald man's scream had surely attracted the police. "Can we go somewhere private? I'll explain everything, but I can't let people see this Organoid. His name's Uriel, by the way."

Naomi growled, "He's dead if he tries that again."

"Noted." Leo knelt down by Uriel and rapped his knuckle off his "partner's" metal skull. "You get that, moron?"

So worth it.

"I can't believe you kissed Naomi."

With tongue!

Leo realized that Naomi and Brad were staring at him, and at the lights that danced across Leo's skin as he communed with Uriel. "Like I said, I'll explain everything once we're in hiding."

Naomi crossed her arms and shrugged. "Fine. But if you want us to bring along that thing of yours, then it has to carry this guy." She pointed to the unconscious man.

"Deal."

I'm not a thing!

"You're lucky you're not dead. Now scoop up that guy up and follow us."

Make me.

Leo sighed. He just couldn't win with this thing. He leaned in closer and whispered, "I bet you anything that Naomi is taking us back to wherever she's staying. Maybe she'll even have a shower on hand."

Uriel snapped to his feet, reach down, and hefted the unconscious man onto his back. Come on! Let's go! Let's go!

XXXXXXXX

Stoller should have been on-edge, nervous. The soldier behind him seemed to think that poking him with the barrel of his gun was some kind of game. If he managed three pokes in half a minute, he got a ten point bonus, or something like that. Stoller could only support this assumption by the number of times his escort giggled.

Re-clad in an environmental suit, Stoller led a small line of his captors through the necropolis that had once been the Globally 3. It was strange to see the ship darkened and lifeless. Despite its role as a prison, Stoller had not felt nearly so confined when it had just been himself, Celica, and Leo. The entire ship had been illuminated, functioning, alive. Now it was just a rotting corpse, and they were little more than parasites hoping to take something before all life drained away.

Stoller tried not to focus on his surroundings, or another poke/giggle from the following soldier. He instead focused on leading the party away from the secret room. That was harder than he'd anticipated. The ZBC soldiers had blown many pathways through the ship's hull. Stoller had to improvise quickly to force them to waste time and demolitions on new routes. He'd already led them to several intersections that had already been opened, risking Palta's anger in the process.

"I can't help it." Stoller had said innocently. "We took a very circuitous route through the ship. My mental map is incomplete. Perhaps if you allowed Celica to walk beside me, we could retrace our steps." Palta had kept Celica close to him at the back. His idea of a game was keeping a pistol trained on the back of her head.

"Lucraft stays with me!" He snapped and gave a tug on the cord binding Celica's wrists, pulling her just a little closer. She winced, but seemed amused by his attempts at intimidation. "You'd better not be leading us on a wild goose chase. If you are, I can promise you won't leave this ship, ever!"

"Fine." Stoller turned to the right. "We're going to go down this hallway and take the third door on the left."

"That's not right." Celica called from the back. "Don't you remember, Stoller? We took the fifth door on the right, then hung a left and went down one level. That's where we lost Stoltz and Leo!"

Stoller suppressed a grin and shook his head. "You're letting your emotions distort your memory, Ms. Lucraft. Though now that you mention it, I think we took the third door on the right, then went down one level and only then did we turn left."

"No, we turned right!"

"Both of you shut up!" Palta waved his pistol menacingly. "I don't have time for this nonsense. Either pick the right route right now or so help me-"

"Patience." Stoller replied calmly. "We wandered these hallways, scared and confused and lost. It's natural that we wouldn't remember every twist and turn. It's even harder in the dark. Would you rather I rush my choices and get us lost, not to mention taking us farther away from the treasure trove?" That made Palta falter, and Stoller chalked up a bonus point.

The entire unit looked at Palta with expressions of apprehension and doubt. Stoller could see the man's mind racing, trying to find a means of controlling the situation. He wanted everything, and would not sacrifice anything in the process. That was his weakness. Palta had always been a weak-minded coward in the Backdraft. He had come without any skills as a Zoid Warrior, but had gained power through deception and betrayal. He set new standards for cheating in unofficial matches, a feat that only made him more detestable.

If their roles were reversed, Stoller would have seen through this scheme almost instantly and abandoned all desires on a hidden treasure. This situation contained too many unknowns and variables to be fully controlled. Palta was risking everything for extremely limited gains. His greed would be the death of him. In fact, if Stoller had his way, it would be Palta who never left his ship again.

"All right." Stoller said. "It was definitely the third door on the right, but we still have several levels to traverse and there is still no sign of Mr. Stoltz. Let us be on our way." He slowly began moving and hastened a little when he received another poke from the gun barrel.

XXXXXXXX

Leo was forgetting how to use main streets. Thanks to Uriel, he'd spent at least half the night skulking around back-alleys and dodging people who were still hunting the "Newsstand Monster." Naomi and Brad had a small hotel room near the Zoid mechanics district, the perfect locale to cater to visiting Warriors. It had been a challenge to sneak Uriel within as well, though thankfully the hotel was lightly staffed at this late hour.

Leo smirked a little at the setup. Naomi had strung a sheet between the twin beds, offering some degree of privacy. She had the bed closest to the bathroom. A small table with hard wood chairs rested under the window, and a dirt-cheap video monitor slumped on an even cheaper dresser against the wall.

Brad deposited their prisoner on one of the chairs, and Naomi produced a roll of duct-tape from a nearby closet. Without explanation, she bound the man's ankles, secured his hands behind the chair, and plastered a strip over his mouth. Brad then hauled the man into the room's closet and closed the door. "We'll know when he's awake. Now, Leo, you keep promising an explanation. Where have you been? What happened to you? Is Fang with you?"

"Fang?" Something in Leo's chest started to hurt.

Brad frowned. "Yeah. Fang. Your Command Wolf, remember?"
"Fang…" Cold swept over him. All of a sudden, Leo couldn't see anything around him, couldn't feel presence of others. All of existence became a blank, horrifying cold. Leo tried to move but found his limbs frozen. He couldn't hold himself to try and force warmth into his body. There was only the cold, and he was helpless in it.

"Leo! LEO!" Something shook him and Leo startled back into awareness. He was lying on the bedroom floor, curled in upon himself. Brad, Naomi and Uriel were all looking down at him. How long had he been like this?

"I…" Leo slowly uncurled himself and sat up. "Let's not talk about old Zoids. I'm… going through some issues right now." Brad helped him to his feet and over to the bed. Leo's legs felt stiff, as if they were still thawing. He slumped down on the bed and sighed. "I've lost a lot of my memory, and it's still coming back in pieces." He looked at Brad and Naomi. "I remember you guys, the other Blitz Team members, but it's all fragmented. There are big chunks missing and I can't remember anything beyond my time with the team."

He told them about waking up in the desert, meeting Celica, discovering the Globally 3, Stoller appearing, being sealed away within the ship and his haphazard escape. It took over an hour for the story to spill forth, sometimes gushing out in a torrent and other times streaming out in a faint trickle. Describing his ordeals, Leo suddenly felt very old and tired. He'd faced far more in these last few months than any person should have to endure. Having concluded the tale of how he literally bumped into Brad, Leo said, "I need your help. Celica and Stoller are still back at the campsite. I don't think I can rescue them on my own, especially if I'm dealing with piloting phobia. But if you guys can cause some chaos in the camp, I can sneak in and rescue them without much trouble."

Brad nodded. "You say there are four Snipe Masters and a Pteras at the camp? That shouldn't be too hard. Maybe I can help myself to some military parts afterwards. You know, as a rescue fee."

Leo grinned. Ever the mercenary. "That's great. I-"

"We can't." Naomi said flatly. "I'm sorry, Leo, but you're on your own."

The room fell quiet. Everyone stared at Naomi (though Uriel was probably staring for different reasons). Leo couldn't accept the hardened expression on her face. The indifference. The complete and utter lack of compassion. Was this really Naomi Flugel? The Naomi that Leo remembered had been warm and kind. She'd been easy-going. Quick to laugh and slow to anger, though she loved to tease Leena. Who was this person with Naomi's face?

Brad started, "Naomi-"

"You work for me, remember Brad? We can't waste time on side-trips. Leo is on his own."

Brad became angry. "I agreed to work with you, but I'm not your servant. I'm going to help Leo. If you want to terminate our contract, then fine. I'll refund the rest of your payment."

Naomi was about to reply when a loud bang came from the closet. The trapped man was trying to call for help, but the duct tape muffled his cries. Naomi sighed, "We'll finish this conversation in a minute. Brad, go get some food for everyone."

"Yes,ma'am." Brad seethed as he went out the door.

Naomi didn't pay any more attention to Leo as she moved over the closet, and she completely ignored Uriel, who was now sniffing around Naomi's bed. Leo grimaced and grabbed hold of the Organoid's tail.

Ohhh-hhhooo… This is where she sleeps…

"Get over here!" He yanked and Uriel reluctantly came over.

Naomi owes me a shower. Remember that! We have a deal!

"Not now."

Naomi returned, dragging the bound man's chair behind her. He looked around wildly, trying to take stock of his whereabouts. He started screaming when he spotted Uriel, who stared back impassively. Leo watched the man freak out with some amusement and realized that he had grown used to Uriel's presence. To everyone else the Organoid was a freakish monster. To Leo, he was an inconvenience.

"Hey!" Naomi slapped the man on the side of his head. "You should be more worried about me, Eins." The man took notice of Naomi for the first time, and his expression filled with even more terror. He screamed and tugged at his bindings, but Naomi took hold of his face with one hand and forced him to look her in the eyes. "I'm going to take the gag off, and you're going to stay absolutely quiet. If you try to scream," she pulled a knife from one of her legging's straps, "it'll be the last sound you ever make." The man nodded slowly. "Good. So long as we understand each other."

She reached and yanked the tape of Eins' mouth. He suppressed a yelp and kept his gaze on Naomi. "H-hey, Naomi. Long time no see." He giggled nervously.

"Yeah, it has been a while." She smiled, fingering the knife around Eins' throat. "I've been doing a reunion tour, looking up members of the old crew. I've been looking for you for some time."

"T-that's nice. Hey, where'd you get that weird Zoid. Ya in the mood to sell it? I know a-"

"Where's Broden?" Naomi said the name like it was an insult. Leo frowned, startled by the venomous look in Naomi's eyes.

"Broden?" Eins looked even more afraid. "I-I-I left his gang years ago. Just after you! Broden was ready to kill the lot of us after you stole Big Red." Naomi's Gun Sniper? "He chased off just about everyone! He kept us all in line long enough to make sure Nissa wouldn't die, then chased us all off. Said we were a bunch of morons who didn't have any place in his world."

Something changed in Naomi. The moment Eins mentioned that girl's name, Nissa, she tensed up briefly as if a volt of energy had passed through her. Her eyes widened, then narrowed. "Where is he, Eins? You can't hide from Broden unless you know where he is."

A cruel smile spread across Eins' face. Scared as he was, he'd seen the change in Naomi's posture. "You're not looking for Broden at all, are ya? You wanna find Nissa." He laughed. "You're about five years too late, Naomi! Why the sudden change? You weren't in any rush to get her back when you jumped ship! Don't tell me you suddenly care now!"

Naomi struck with the back of her fist, toppling Eins' chair over and sending him to the ground. His head struck the floor, but he kept laughing. He had that resigned hysteria of the doomed. "You ain't gonna get her back, Naomi!" Eins sneered, "Nissa only thinks of you when she sees that bullet wound in the mirror. Out of all of us, she's the only one who got to stay with Broden, and he wanted it that way! Hell, I bet she's his number one bitch now!"

"You scum!" Naomi raised the knife high. Leo managed to step in and seize her wrist just as she began to thrust downward. Naomi turned on him, and from the look in her eyes Leo wasn't sure that she wouldn't use the blade on him next.

"That's enough, Naomi!"

"Stay out of this!"

Leo smiled, "Why mess up the carpet when we can just have our monster eat him?" The tension left Naomi's body and she looked at him as if he'd just declared himself king of Zi. Leo looked down at Eins, who watched the exchange with both confusion and amusement. "Hey, buddy, you wanna survive this little spat, don't you?"

Eins shrugged as much as his bindings would allow. "If I die, I'm gonna die laughing at Naomi. You her new boy toy? Better watch yourself. She'll probably ditch you just like she did Nissa."

Naomi tensed up again, but Leo gripped her shoulder and squeezed to signal calm. He said to Eins, "I don't know anything about that, but Naomi isn't going to be the one to kill you. I haven't fed my pet monster tonight and he's pretty hungry. You'd make a perfect meal." Some of the wild humor faded from Eins.

"Urrgh?" Uriel stepped over Eins and pressed a claw to the back of Leo's head. "Pet monster?" Where the hell do you get off saying that? You're anti-Organoid, like that old guy in the street!

Leo usually communicated by words, but now he focused his thoughts to project one clear message to Uriel: No, I'm anti-you. Now pretend you're going to eat that guy's face, and be threatening about it.

You expect me to try to eat that guy? No way!

You don't have to eat him. Just act like you will. Scare him a little.

I'm not putting my mouth on that guy! He doesn't even look like he's showered! You try to eat him if you wanna be so intimidating!

Leo suppressed a sigh and thought, If you do it, I'll have Naomi use extra bubbly soap when she showers.

Uriel conjured up an image in his mind that Leo tried his best to ignore.

Promise?

Yes. Now make with the intimidation.

"Rrrrrgghhar!" Uriel opened his jaws wide and bent down towards Eins. The Organoid had a flare for the dramatic, keeping his maw wide as it neared the terrified man's face. "H-hey! Wait a minute!" Uriel let out a few hot breaths on the man's face, causing a thick line of sweat to appear on his scalp. "Call it off! Call it off!"

Leo said, "Tell us where we can find this Broden guy."

"I can't! He'd kill me if I told him!"
"What do you think we're gonna do?" Uriel's teeth clamped down on either side of Eins' head, and the Organoid's tongue ran across the bridge of his nose.

"AAAHHHH! Okay! Okay! I'll tell! Call it off!!" Leo reached out and tugged on Uriel's tail. The Organoid released his grip and stepped away from the man, who was now sobbing uncontrollably.

"Broden never stops moving! He keeps setting up new bases and gathering the local gangs into a private army! Says he's creating a new world. Once a base is set up, he leaves someone else in charge and moves on!"

"Where is he now?" Demanded Naomi.

"I don't know! I don't know! He-he was hanging around the Daygon peninsula last I heard. A lot of old city ruins around there! He's piloting a new Zoid. Some kind of red tiger. They call it a… a… Blast Tiger. If you can find that, you'll find Broden!"

"Daygon Peninsula, huh?" Naomi smiled and tucked the knife away. Then she reached down and grasped Eins by the collar. "Thanks for the info." She knocked him out with one punch.

As if on cue, the door opened and Brad stepped into the room. He was carrying a bag of fast food in one hand and three bottles of water in the other. He looked at Leo and Uriel, then over to Naomi who was still crouching over Eins. "Did I miss anything?"

"Uuragh!" Uriel hustled over to Brad and snatched a bottle from his hand, then broke the cap and swigged a mouthful of water around and spewed it back out… on Brad.

Leo stepped over and pressed a hand to the Zoid's shoulder. "What are you doing?"
That guy tasted terrible! It was like he slept in the mud or something! Disgusting.

Brad was looking at them with a menacingly blank expression. It was the kind of look someone wears before they snap and kill the closest warm body. Leo smiled uneasily and handed Brad a towel. "Sorry… we had to use some different interrogation methods." Brad set down the food and took the towel.

"Get that thing away from me."

Leo pushed Uriel into the corner. Naomi was reapplying Eins' gag and then began writing something on a slip of paper. They ate in silence, an uncomfortable weight hanging over all of them. Leo marveled at the Naomi he'd seen. So angry and violent. She looked at the floor, deep in thought and nibbling at her food absently. Leo practically inhaled the food, realizing that it was the first meal he'd eaten in a long while.

"So what do we do with him?" Brad nodded at Eins.

Naomi snapped back to the present and held up the sheet of paper she'd been writing on. "The police are going to find this cockroach at their doorstep with a full letter of confession. We'll drop him off and then get going."

"Going?" Brad frowned. "We just got here."

"We can't wait. We're going to the Daygon Peninsula next."

Brad frowned. "You do realize that Daygon's huge. You honestly want to try to find one guy in all of that?"

"He's hiding in ruins."

"That doesn't narrow it down very much. Daygon's full of old ruins."

"We're going, Brad."

"Hey!" Leo held up a hand. "What about me?"

"I told you, Leo." Naomi said coldly. "You're on your own. We can't afford the time it'd take to help you."

"Naomi." Brad set down his burger and leaned forward. "I told you that I'm not your servant. I'm going with Leo. You can either come with us or go on your own way, but you'll have a better chance of finding this Broden guy if you come with us first."

The two of them stared at one another defiantly. Each one seemed to be trying to force the other into submission with just their gaze. Leo shifted uncomfortably and tried to come up with a plan. He'd need both their help if he was to save Celica and Stoller. How could he get Naomi to come along as well? What would Stoller have done? He was good at getting people to go along with his plans.

Leo didn't have enough info. He needed to stall for time. "How about this?" He stood and interposed himself between the feuding partners. "Brad and I will drop off our friend at the police station and come back here. Naomi, why don't you at least rest for a minute. Lie down, or take a shower."

"Ro-ho-hhooowww!" Uriel smiled with great anticipation.

"Oh, yeah. That reminds me. Brad, hand me that duct tape please."

"Rur?" Then Leo was upon Uriel, wrapping the duct tape around the Organoid's legs and claws. Once he managed to bind the Organoid, he applied two bits of tape over the creature's eyes.

What are you doing?

"I said you could be present while Naomi took a shower. I never said you could watch."

Liar! Deceiver!

Leo smiled and stood up. Uriel kept his tail pressed against Leo's leg. The joke's on you. I have a fantastic imagination! Just the sound of running water will fuel my fantasies, so there!

"Good luck with that." Leo leaned close to Naomi and whispered, "Just run some water in the shower and make sure Uriel can hear it. It's a favor for all his help." Naomi looked at him, clearly confused but certain that she should be offended. Leo grabbed the back of Ein's shirt and started pulling. "Let's go, Brad."

They lugged Eins out the door and down the street, careful to hide if someone appeared. "So," Leo grunted as they neared the police station. Eins was exceptionally heavy. "Was Naomi replaced by some kind of clone or impostor while I was gone?"

"That'd be easier to explain." Brad sighed. "I don't know what's happened to her. She was like that just before she hired me. We've been going from town to town, chasing former members of some gang that Naomi knows. She keeps asking about some guy named Broden and a girl named Nissa, but I've never found out who they are. She's been quiet about the whole thing."

"And you haven't asked her about it?"

"I'm not paid to ask questions."

Leo stopped pulling and released his grip on Eins. He looked at Brad to signal that he clearly didn't believe that line. "Mercenaries don't like working in the dark. That much I know. You haven't even tried to ask for a price hike to keep the secret, right? You're not doing this for the money, Brad."

Brad likewise took his hands off Eins and looked Leo in the eye. "You're wrong. I am doing this for the money. It's why I went with Naomi in the first place, and why I didn't come running back when I heard you'd been killed. We found out that bit of info three weeks after the fact, just so you know."

Leo shrugged. "But you haven't asked Naomi about her past, and you haven't tried to ply her for more money. Not very good business skills, Brad." He poked their unconscious prisoner with his foot. "You know, we could ply this guy for some background info. Just a few minutes with him and we could probably find out what's going on with Naomi."

Brad flustered a little, ran his hand through his scruffy brown hair, and grabbed Eins' shirt. "If Naomi wants to tell me, she'll tell me. I'm not going to force the answers and neither are you. You've got more important things to think about, Leo!" It was funny to see Brad's cool shell crack twice in one night.

"She'll tell you? Not us? Admit it, Brad. You like her." Now Brad looked like he might punch Leo. Fun time was over. "But did you mean what you said? You'll come with me and help me save Celica and Stoller?" He grabbed Eins and started pulling.

Brad grunted. "Yeah. I'd rather have Naomi come with us, but she's dead-set on finding this Broden guy. I don't think she'll change her mind."

"You'd be surprised." Leo smiled. "I learned a thing or two from Stoller, including how to get someone to follow your lead. We'll have one more talk after we drop off our friend."

They deposited Eins on the doorstep of the police station just as he started to wake up. A quick knock on the door and they were on their way, waving goodbye as the bound gangster tried to shout something after them. Leo decided it was probably better that he didn't know what the guy was saying. They hurried back to the hotel and found that things had changed a great deal since they'd left.

The shower was running, and Uriel was still duct-taped in a corner, listening intently to every drop fall with a disturbing grin on his face. The cloth barrier between both beds had been taken down. Naomi had cleared out the closet and packed all her clothing in a bag. Brad's possessions were still in the closet. She regarded as they surveyed the room. Her whole body was tense, as if she were getting ready to rush past them and out the door.

"I'm going."

Brad said, "It's too dangerous to go alone."

"I'd rather have some backup, but if you want to break our contract that's fine. You can send me the refund later. I won't need it for a while."

Brad's mouth twitched a little. "Come with us."

"I have my own priorities." She looked at Leo, "For what it's worth, I hope you can save your friends and I am glad you're alive." She stepped forward slowly, then increased her pace a little as she came shoulder-to-shoulder with both men. She might have actually sprinted out if Leo hadn't spoke just then.

"Stoller might know something about Broden." Naomi stopped. "He's with the Arcadian Guardian Force now. They've been trying to keep the gangs and raiders of the southlands in line. He probably knows enough info to narrow down your search."

Naomi looked over her shoulder. "That's too many 'mights' and 'probablies' for me. I can find Broden just fine on my own."

"Eins said that Broden moves around a lot. Sets up one gang, then moves on to start another part of the network. How long have you been chasing him? Are you any closer than when you started?" Naomi didn't respond. Encouraged, Leo said, "Stoller has had the resources of Arcadia and the independent city-states at his disposal. It might not be ZBC-level information, but he'll know something about the new gangs that have been popping up."

Naomi turned around. "From what you've said, he's been out of touch for several months. His info is out of date."

"You'd be surprised. He managed to track me down in the middle of the nowhere, even though I was supposed to be dead. You honestly think a former Backdraft member can't find a guy who's trying to set up his own crime network? Come on, Naomi. Right now, you're just taking a shot in the dark. Stoller can narrow things down for you. Let you close the gap with the guy you're chasing. This rescue will only take one night. You can afford that."

Naomi's bag lowered closer to the ground. She looked from Leo to Brad and then back again. "And if we fail?"

Leo shrugged. "I'll probably be killed in the attempt and you guys can slip away. You're a sniper, Naomi, you can cut out if you have to and I won't blame you. You don't have to risk your mission and you won't have to break your contract with Brad. Admit it, this is a better deal than you could hope for. Just come with us."

Naomi sighed and looked over at Uriel. "Does that thing have to come with us?"

"Urrur?" Uriel perked up at being called a "thing" again.

Leo became a little crestfallen. "Yeah. He's part of all this, even though he's a major pain."

"If your Organoid tries to steal another kiss, then the deal's off and I shoot it."

"Deal." Leo nodded.

"Raah?"

They shook on it.

Leo went over and began to peal the duct-tape off the Organoid. "You hear that? No more kissing."

Oh, the things I've imagined! That shower was fantastic. Leo tried to keep his thoughts hidden. He doubted that Naomi had even stepped into the bathroom in the time they'd been gone. He knocked the Organoid between the eyes, "We're going back to save Celica and Stoller. I need you to focus."

Save the naked lady? Heck yeah! Uriel hopped onto his feet with a new eagerness. Leo sighed and went over to Naomi and Brad. "Okay, let's start planning."

XXXXXXXX

"I'm tired of waiting!" Polta exploded. "You're trying to trick me, aren't you?"
"I have no idea of what you mean, Commander." Stoller tried not to smirk. "This is the path we took. I'm 90 sure. It's hard to say for certain because much of this ship looks the same. It's also difficult because the artificial gravity has deactivated and I am seeing this ship from a different perspective."

They'd traversed another five levels, going backwards twice. The entire team was tired and irritated. Stoller could feel the collective anger boiling between the soldiers, gathering strength and pushing them closer to the limit. Suddenly the game wasn't fun anymore. If he misspoke now, they'd likely be slain on the spot. Or at least he would. He didn't want to think about what would happen to Celica.

What could he say? Could he delay them any further, or convince them to turn around and return to the surface. It had been hours, maybe even the whole of the night. Even so, Stoller knew he couldn't keep the charade up forever. He'd spent much of the night watching the soldiers under Polta's command. They were all greedy and petty, taking pleasure in violence and easily swayed by the promise of wealth. They were the same breed of person as Polta had commanded in his Backdraft days. Scum attracted scum.

The problem was that Polta kept them all in line by playing them against one another. Stoller could not incite a revolt because the soldiers did not trust each other enough to make a play for power. If one benefited, the others would only weaken. Thus he could not use their greed against him. Polta's threats were the only thing keeping them in line.

"No more tricks!" Polta nearly shrieked. "You've wasted almost all our explosives on this damn chase. I've had enough. We're going back to that chamber where we found the Organoid."

"That's not the treasure's location." Stoller said as calmly as possible. "It's empty now."

It was hard to see Polta behind his environment suit's visor, but Stoller could feel the malice in his grin. Stoller had underestimated the man's greed and taken his patience for granted. He'd hoped to buy at least another hour or two, hoping for… what exactly? Leo had to come back to claim the newborn, but Stoller knew the young man would try for a rescue as well. He was too much of a protector. He put the safety of others above the concept of victory. That was why Stoller had wanted to recruit him as a member of the Guardian Force.

Just a little more time. Stoller wanted to hold onto hope as long as possible, and buy time for that hope. "Just two more floors." He tried not to sound like he was pleading. "Just follow me down two more floors and I'll show you what you want."

Celica said, "He's telling you the truth."

"No." Polta turned around and pushed Celica down the hallway. The soldiers reoriented themselves so now Stoller was in the rear with a soldier still playing the "poke him with your gun" game. "I won't wait any longer. I can see it now. You've been keeping me away from that chamber! You've been hiding something from me. I'm going to claim it, now."

They started heading back down the dark hallway.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's Note: Next chapter is the reunion of Leena and Jamie. How has the young boy changed? We'll see. In the meantime, reviews are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!