"This is a terrible idea." I muttered under my breath. I could feel Jade rolling her eyes through the ear piece. "It's not like we have any better options. Unless you want to stay here for the rest of your life. Which according to Mech would be for about another hundred forty years. According to the health ministry and their latest statistics in the 2565 census."

I blinked. "When did you learn that?"

"Mech says I need to know absolutely everything. The motor mouth."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Cat's high-pitched voice screeched into my ear. I winced and turned down the volume. "It means are you in position to pick us up?"

I chuckled as Jade had quickly and smoothly changed the topic on Cat. The plan was very simple. Andre and Cat remained behind on the shuttle waiting for Jade and I to finish raiding the office of the Port Authority. Well, Jade was raiding his office. I was poking around the rest of the building in the hopes that something might be hidden around here. Not even Miss Budding Criminal knew what to look for and we were all just drifting it. Not the best plan but as EVERYONE kept pointing out, it was the only one we had. We had given each other code names, Cat was Mech (Short for mechanic) Jade was Grim, I was Sky Captain or just Sky and Andre was Dolt. Pretty sure the last one is an insult but Jade refused to answer if it was.

"See anything anyone?" I asked. A chorus of no's came back to me. I sighed and kept poking around a an office. So far, nothing. I at first doubted that they would have anything here, but I changed my mind after the "security" turned out to be a skinny kid that nearly lost his head when Jade and I flirted with him for a minute or two. Add in Andre and Cat messing with the cameras and other security bits and we pretty much owned the place. Not bad for only a couple weeks of planning. Maybe I should leave a note telling them about their problems.

"Weird." Jade whispered. "Ja-Grim. What's weird?"

"A bunch of people in the lobby wearing some weird shit." I rolled my eyes. "The twenty-sixth century is different than yours. Clothes too." I said kindly. Andre and Cat snickered over the radio.

"No fucking shit. One look at your wardrobe told me that. I meant these people. They aren't wearing much and what they are wearing is all bright and tie-dye. It actually kinda hurts to look at them." My blood chilled and I swore silently. "Jade. Get out of there now. Be quiet. Don't get their attention."

"Wha-"

"Jade, please. Shut the fuck up and listen! Get out of there now. We can try again later. Andre, get ready for a fast pick up. Cat, be ready on the guns."

"We only have enough bullets for ten seconds of firing." Cat said, thick with worry. "It'll have to do." "Shuttle's ready." Andre reported.

"Jade, come in. Where are you?"

Silence answered me. "Jade!" I hissed. "Sky shut up!" Jade hissed back and I could hear the fear in her voice. I drew my pistol. "Cat. Find her." I ordered. "One tick." She answered, panicking but doing her job. "She's on the fourth floor, farthest office on the left. I thanked Cat and started moving. I made a mental note to thank Andre for convincing me go for the more expensive ear-radios with the trackers in them. "Jade, I'm on my way, stay hidden and safe. "Tori, be careful." Andre said. I could hear the fear in his quivering voice. Though who wouldn't be scared with these people? "Vega hurry the fuck up. They're setting up some kind of boxes and giggling about it."

"Bombs probably." Cat said a little too calmly. Though I suppose she can be calm because she isn't in the building that might explode. Stealthy time over. "Andre use the scrambler and call emergency services. Tell them Sense-Freaks are here."

"Got it."

I sprinted up the stairs and nearly ran over a sense-freak. Before he could say anything, I cracked him across the temple with the butt of my pistol. He didn't make a sound as he crumpled to the ground.

"The police are on their way. I got to your dad, he said that they're coming in force."

"Oh, thank god! Thanks Dolt." I said breathlessly, slipping back into the code names now that I wasn't panicking as much. Police on the way and no one like Sense-Freaks so hopefully didn't have to worry about anyone on the force being bought by them. They would handle this. I stopped in front a bunch of offices and immediately dove into the first open. And totally landed on Jade. Woops. Jade's breath left her in an explosive rush as I muttered a sorry to her. I bit my lip to not squeal as her boot slammed into my hip in retaliation. Jade grabbed me and dragged me underneath this incredibly oversized desk. It was just big enough for us both to fit, so long as we didn't stretch or really moved much. You know how things can get strange when your life is in danger? Well at that moment, I noticed that the desk was a shade of dark brown. I ran my fingers over the desk and gaped at it. "Oh my god." I muttered.

"What? What is it?" Jade hissed.

"This is real wood! Who spends money on this stuff?"

Jade's eyes seemed to pop out of her skull as she glared at me. "Let me cope!" I hissed at her. I clapped my hand over my mouth as I heard footsteps enter the room. A powerful, fruity cloying scent filled the room and both of our eyes started to water. I screwed my eyes shut and held my breath. A light flighty laugh filled the room.

"I thought you said that you saw something." A musically soft voice said. A woman answered that voice. "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. Maybe I just wanted you all to myself right now. On that desk."

Another light chuckle. "Focus Q. Those bombs are going to go off soon. That bastard is going to learn why you don't fuck us over. His house on fire yet?"

"Yes yes. Though for a Dock Admin he had a pretty big house."

"The price of bribery. We helped get him that place and then he turned on us." A tsking sound echoed throughout the room. "Bombs are set!" A voice shouted. A loud giggling shriek erupted and I risked a glance. The long silver haired man had picked the girl up and onto his shoulders and started to walk away. She started to protest and the man spanked her and she cut off her fake-complaints with a moan.

I breathed a sigh of relief as their voices faded. That silver haired guy…He seemed familiar. Not like personal familiar, like the person you saw again after not seeing them for several years, the familiar of seeing them from holo-screens and can't remember where.

"Can we go?" Jade asked. I waited a few minutes more and then nodded. "Dolt, pick up at the farthest landing pad. Go. Now."

"On it. Police are a few minutes away." Andre replied. I nodded even though he couldn't see me and grabbed Jade's hand and took off at a run. No time for subtly or being safe. Bombs and Sense-Freaks? Never a good combination. "When do you think the bombs will go off?" Jade asked, panting right next to me. "I don't know. Maybe in thirty seconds, maybe at the end of the month."

"Wait, thirty seconds? They'll still be here!"

I glanced at her. "You really think that they care? Hell, they'll probably do it because they could and want to feel what it's like to be in an explosion."

Jade gaped at me and started to run a little faster, eventually outpacing me. We thundered up the stairs two at a time until we reached the roof and the landing pad. Cat barely had the door open when we launched ourselves into the shuttle. Andre immediately took off just as the police started to arrive. A minute later the entire building exploded. It wasn't the only explosion, all along LAX building after building was either going up in flames are just exploding into pieces.

A chorus of yells echoed throughout the shuttle as we stared in horror at the burning building. Then a though occurred to me. I grabbed a wave-fone and punched the number for my father. He answered on the third beep. "Dad! Are you okay?!" I yelled into the phone.

"Yes, I'm fine. Wasn't near the building when it went up. Damn Sense-Freaks." His deep voice reassured me. I breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed against the wall. "Tori, how did you know that the Port Authority building went up?"

I blinked and then coughed. "I was…..out for a walk!" I lied. What? I am a terrible liar. I left the lying to my older sister Trina. "Uhuh. Well you're in luck because this fire is going to go for a while so there won't be any evidence of your walk."

"Thanks Dad." I said, trying to keep the smile off my face. "I have to go and deal with this. Stay safe kiddo."

"I will dad. Love you. Give my love to everyone!"

I hung up and leaned my head back against the shuttle wall and breathed a sigh of relief. "Hey Andre, what's this blinking green light?" Jade asked. I opened my eyes and looked towards the cockpit. "It's the sensor connected to the Nostromo. It only blinks green…" Andre trailed off and looked back at me. I didn't even try to hide the smile that was about to split my skull in half.

"When we land, Andre and I to the bridge. Cat, get to work on those engines. Jade, go to the cargo bay and make sure everything is tied down." I rapped out. Everyone nodded, all on the same scan. We had barely docked when everyone exploded out of the shuttle, sprinting to their assigned areas.

"Who would have thought that bomb would mess up the land lock?" Andre said with a laugh as he landed in the copilot's chair. "I didn't but let's not let this go to waste!" I replied, giddy to finally escape. I ran through the pre-flight sequence and sat ready with my hands on the controls.

"Engines ready!" Cat sang out over the com.

"Cargo-bay thing ready." Jade said a moment later. I grinned and started the engines. The thrusters roared as they pushed us into the air. "Looks like we're not the only ones taking advantage of this." Andre said. He pointed and I followed his finger to look at the dozen or so other ships taking off as well. "Keep an eye on them. Be stupid to have an accident now." I ordered.

Once we reached a pretty good distance from the ground, I switched from the bottom thrusters to the rear ones and we took off! Racing through the sky, the city of LA rapidly shrinking behind us. As we broke out of the atmosphere, I heard someone come up behind. I turned around to look at Jade, who was staring in awe. "Welcome to space. Where do you think we should go?" I asked gently.

Jade stammered and didn't say anything.

"I have an idea." Andre said with a cheeky grin.

"What's your idea?"

"We go…wherever we want." Cat had joined us at and said, "I second that motion!" Jade shrugged. "I guess I third it?"

I laughed. "Wherever we want it is!"

Racing ahead, we put Earth behind us as we set out amongst the stars.

Sense-Freaks are Slaaneshi cultists. Though without any influence of any Chaos gods. Can't tell if that makes them worse or not. And yes, they are just as bad as the ones in Warhammer 40k. Was looking for a villain and thought…why the fuck not?

Hope you all enjoyed.

-C.H.