A/N: This chapter is a whopping 6 pages of non-crap!! You know what I really hate, even though the food was really good? When I'm on a writing streak and either my mom or my father calls me for dinner. T_T
Knowledge is power. ~ Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626); Religious Meditations Of Heresies, 1597
Chapter Four
Blue Heaven
She sighed as she remained seated in her small corner of the bar. It hadn't taken her long to reach Blue Heaven, and all she needed now was a drink. And it would appear that her waitress was taking forever with that simple order. 'You think a snooty place like this could afford to hire decent help now.' She looked around distastefully at the décor of the room; it was far too bright and cheery for her taste. But this place had a reputation for serving the best culinary delights that Blue Heaven had, as well as being a hotspot for the scientists attending the conference.
"All right. Here's your order. A glass of whiskey and the crab special. Personally," the girl leaned in. "I think you should have gone with the lobster."
She looked at the girl more carefully, taking in the cat ears peeking out from blondish hair and the sharp claws on her fingers. "Because you're a Ctarl-Ctarl?" she looked away dismissively, focusing on her food. "I've eaten worse."
She ignored the indignant huff the girl made before she stalked off; steam would have shot out of her ears if that were possible. She ate in silence, taking a drink every once in awhile, listening to the sounds of conversation around her. It was all useless prattle; who was working on what project, who had quit and who had been promoted. She was finishing up when she heard a snippet that caught her attention from the table behind her.
"So you think Khujesta will show up for this event?"
"She most likely will. I mean she is still considered Styx's leading scientist. No one knows what really happened to her though. She pops up every once in awhile and leaves. And when she does show up in the buildings, she always leaves with 8-P666."
"8-P666? Why would she need that? Is she-"
"I don't think so. I mean she doesn't need the extension. She's pretty young, and that stuff is highly experimental. I mean-"
"Yeah I know. Just a bit over and it's all over."
She smiled to herself; the properties of 8-P666 weren't lost to her. In fact, they might make things even easier for her. Rising quickly, she exited the restaurant, pausing outside to slide on her shades. The lights of this place hurt here eyes for some reason. She glanced back into the restaurant, noticing the figure seated in the far corner, the long blue hair hiding the face. He looked like… 'Can't be. He died on that alien planet when he and his brother went after them.' She continued on down the street, ignoring the people who refused to move for her. She most certainly didn't want to remember him or his little perverse fascination with Styx's android. It was too disturbing for her taste.
"Now, all I must do is wait," she said to herself. "Then, you will finally be mine Khujesta."
"Look lady, you are really starting to get on my nerves." Gene growled as they took the elevator out of the XGP. "For once, on this whole trip, could you just be quiet?!"
Khujesta pouted sullenly. "Fine."
Jim looked between the two of them. "At least the two of you agree on that."
"Jim, perhaps if I took Gene and you took Khujesta, we could do this faster?" Melfina asked.
"Good idea Mel." Jim said as the elevator touched down. "Come on Khujesta!"
"Thank you." Khujesta said in a weary voice. "He seems to only irritate me."
"Gene can be like that sometimes. I think he's just rattled and anxious." Jim said as he watched Gene and Melfina disappear into the crowd. "The first place we're going to go, La Fleur Rouge."
"La Fleur Rouge. I haven't been there in a while." Khujesta said in a wistful voice. "But we aren't going for the food are we?"
"No. To talk to an old friend." Jim said. "Maybe you know of her? Aisha Clan Clan?"
"Oh yes. That rash and somewhat hot-headed Ctarl-Ctarl officer?"
"That's her." Jim said with a laugh. "Though she might object to that description."
"And what is she doing at La Fleur Rouge?"
"How am I supposed to know? I just know that she is." Jim shrugged.
They didn't say anything else as they hurried through the crowded streets. After a few minutes , Jim could see the large, somewhat tawdry, red neon rose that was the sign. Once they arrived at the restaurant, Jim started in but found himself stopped by the maitre d'. He scowled up at the man.
"I am sorry Monsieur, but do you have an appointment?'
"He's with me Jacques."
"Ah, Mademoiselle Khujesta. Right this way. Will you have your usual place?"
"Actually no. We need to talk to an employee. An Aisha Clan-Clan?"
"Oh. Her. One moment."
"Snob." Jim muttered as he watched the man leave. "Is he always like that?"
"Always. You learn to put up with it." Khujesta said. "And speaking of said person…"
Jim looked up seeing the man come back, his friend behind him. "Hey Aisha!"
"Jim! What are you doing here? Want some bad French food?"
Jim smiled at the snort Jacques made. "Actually, we wanted to talk to you in private."
"All right. I'll be back Jacques." she said as she headed for the door.
"Like your new job?" Jim asked once they were outside the door.
"I hate it. That jerk in there doesn't make it any easier. But I gotta eat you know." she shrugged. "At least I haven't dropped any dishes this week."
"With all those people here for the conference?" Jim looked slightly astounded. "And we all remember your last time waitressing."
"I've gotten better at it," she said with a proud smirk. "So what can I help you with?"
"We have a new job that is paying well and one hell of a target that annoying Gene more than he cares to admit."
"Gene? Annoyed with a target?!" Aisha looked at Jim astounded before she broke out laughing. "This I need to see. Hang on a sec."
Jim watched as she darted back inside and tossed her apron to Jacques and strolled back out. "You quit?"
"I was thinking about joining you guys again anyways." Aisha stretched. " So who's this chick?"
"This is Khujesta, our client." Jim said, stressing the last word.
"Oh. So you're the one taking that stuff."
"I beg your pardon?" Khujesta looked mildly surprised.
"You know, that stuff those other scientists talk about all the time. 8-P6-"
"Interesting. That is called a rumour. I don't take that substance." Khujesta said curtly.
"Sorry. From the way that girl was paying attention, I figured you were."
"Girl, what girl?" Jim asked, stopping Aisha.
"Some girl who was in earlier in the day. She was so rude too you know. She called me a Ctarl-Ctarl like it was a bad thing."
"She does have a knack for offending people." Khujesta said in a quiet voice. I have been on the receiving end of it once." she explained quickly.
"All right. Now let's find Gene and see if we can figure out a way to find this person." Jim said as they started walking again. "The sooner, the better if you ask me."
She peered over the edge of the building's roof; it was a straight drop down, broken only by a flagpole. She scrutinized it more carefully, measuring the thickness; it should be good enough for her purposes. She sat back down, the gravel shifting with a crunching noise underneath her bottom. She took out her dagger and tested its edge against her finger. A thin line of blood came only to disappear abruptly as it healed. 'Knife is sharp…' She took the loop of rope from her side and cut off an end before she rose and tied it to the old chimneystack securely. Looping it underneath her upper legs, she jumped out and started walking down the side of the building; she was even more glad that this place was out in a fairly run down section of Blue Heaven; no one bothered much if a random gunshot was heard.
"Hm." she frowned as she looped extra rope around the flagpole and continued on; why did she suddenly feel as if she was walking into a trap.
She continued one, brushing it off; there wasn't anything she couldn't fight her way out of. She slowed down as she came closer to the window; she knew Khujesta was on this floor somewhere. She peered into the first window: a man scribbling frantically on a piece of paper. She jumped across to the next window: no lights on. She strained her eyes, seeing a still figure in the bed: not Khujesta. Hopping across to the third window, she came across a couple who were, rather enthusiastically, banging each other's brains out and creating quite a racket with the headboard.
"Shut up over there!! Some people are trying to sleep!!"
She smile dot herself as she quickly hopped over to the next window and peered in carefully. There was Khujesta and Melfina, the former with a very irritated expression on her face while Melfina was trying her best to read a book peacefully and ignore all the noise. She hovered about the window, as Khujesta gave a sigh of disgust and flopped down in the chair.
Every once in awhile, she would peep in, seeing Khujesta's hand start to shake slightly. When Khujesta finally rose and excused herself to go to the bathroom, she smiled to herself and let the rope go from underneath her legs, standing freely on the side, hanging by the rope. Now she s imply had to wait until they went it sleep and all was well. 'I guess that Ctarl-Ctarl went with Starwind and Jim.' It was somewhat hard to miss the tall ex-Ctarl-Ctarl officer as well as Gene's unique face. She hung there for a while, glancing at the green display on her watch. Finally, as the clock started to read twelve thirty six a.m., the lights finally went off. She waited for another hour, before she moved. Twisting the rope around her waist, she lowered herself to the window and raised it up slowly before she slipped in through the small space.
The leather of her boots creaked softly as she made her way to the bathroom. 'Where'd you put it? I know you wouldn't leave it out in the open like that.' She started to search through the bathroom before she paused. With a disgusted mutter at herself, she went to the toilet and lifted off the top. Sitting there at the bottom of the tank were a few vials of 8-P666, cool and unspoiled with a fluorescent blue. 'You idiot.' She reached in and took them all out in a scoop, placing them in her pocket. 'Let's see how you survive without this. The Styx branch here doesn't carry it and you'll need it when you wake up.' She smirked to herself; for once, she wasn't creating a problem. It wasn't her fault that Khujesta had developed a-
"What was that?" she tensed, hearing a rustle come from the next room.
Her hand strayed to the dagger she had on her side now as she eased her way to the door and peered out. There was absolutely nothing out there that she could see. She sniffed, smelling the air; something was off. It was fairly cleans with a hint of some light perfume. Now there was something muskier that underlay it. She didn't pause, running for the window and wrenching it up. She pulled herself to the roof with the rope. It flew up into her hands as she hauled it up and coiled it in less than a second, jamming it onto her belt.
She turned around to run but stopped short seeing his figure. The same long blue haired man from the restaurant. "What do you want with me?"
"I think you know that as well as I do." his voice was calm and collected.
"Hm. And you think you'll succeed where he failed?" she couldn't stop the curl in her lips. "Humans at this stage of their evolutionary development are pitifully weak."
"He wasn't weak."
"He was an android. Just like her, they were one and the same." she didn't bother to hide the contempt in voice.
"But I am the original." his hand made a slight creaking sound as he tighten his hand around his weapon.
She narrowed her eyes before she darted forward, dagger whipped out and coming in for a low strike. He blocked it with the muzzle of his gun. Her other hand snapped out a palm dagger and sunk it into his shoulder. With a growl, he cocked the gun and fired directly at her midsection. She crumpled to the ground a pool of blood growing beneath her.
"Good thing I brought that medical kit." he groaned as he walked to the other side of the building.
She stirred after a few minutes, rising slowly, murder in her eyes. She hated it when she was shot in the midsection. She didn't wait, springing into a full run before she jumped. She watched as he looked around puzzled for a split second before the shock kicked in. She gave a yell just as she was about to hit him, making him look up. The roofing gave out beneath him from the force, leaving them to fall in a dusty bruised heap on a floor.
"Fuck." she cursed as she felt the crunch of glass beneath her, the bright blue fluorescent liquid leaking out and seeping into her wound.
"Oh my God, you took it!!"
She looked up sharply as she heard Khujesta's shrill scream. Now was as good a time as any. She lunged for her only to be flung back into the wall sharply.
"Stay out of this. It is none of your business what I do." she snarled as she charged at him viciously; she wouldn't lose with her target so close.
"I beg…to…differ!" he grunted as he fired off the shots.
She still didn't stop as the bullets lodged themselves in her shoulder and leg, kicking the gun up out of his hands and onto the roof. She grabbed him by the neck and slammed his head through a wall. When she pulled it back through, a trail of blood leaked from his nose down his dusty face.
"And what's to stop me from killing you now, like I did to Ed."
"Don't you talk of him that way." he growled in a low voice as he tried to pry her finger off.
"Does it bother you? Then should I talk about what I did to Ron? How would that make you feel?" she chuckled to herself as Melfina gave a shocked gasp; that was an even better reaction than she had hoped for. "Aw…I'm sorry, did I ruin it for you?"
"All right you, let him go!"
She turned her head slowly to find Jim holding Aisha back while Gene pointed a gun at her - his Caster gun to be more precise. She narrowed her eyes in anticipation. "Or you'll do what Gene Starwind? Kill me?"
"I'm warning you…" he muttered as his finger constricted imperceptibly.
She simply sneered at him, tightening her hold on his throat.
"You asked for it Lady!"
"No, don't!"
The faint hoarse words were lost in the sound of the energy ball hitting the girl and flinging her out of the window.
"Jade!"
Gene looked back to see Jim take off down the hallway. "Aisha, stay here with Melfina and our…Harry look-alike."
Gene took off after Jim. 'Blasted kid; he knows more than he's letting on.' He tore down the stairwell, occasionally banging into the banister. When he finally reached the street, with aching knees and ribs, he paused, seeing the strangest thing. The girl was still lying there in the street, only now, Jim was crouched down in front of her; and she was fully healed, with no gaping hole in her midsection. It looked he was murmuring something to her and she was looking at him warily but with a light of trust in her eyes. She reached out to touch his face hesitantly before her eyes flickered up and locked with his. Immediate anger crashed through them as she scrambled up and took off down the street, her feet splashing in the puddles becoming fainter and fainter.
"Jesus Gene. You have the worst timing. I was about to convince her that we weren't gonna do anything bad to her!" Jim looked more than a little irked.
"Oh, I'm so sorry to break up your little lovey dovey moment!" Gene snapped back. "If I didn't come down sooner, I'd expect to find you two kissing and making out like hormonal teenagers!"
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Jim asked, his face flushing a bright red. "Like you're one to talk. But for once I don't' find you following after some woman!"
"She's our problem Jim! It doesn't help if you make googly eyes at her!"
"You think she's the problem!" Jim retorted finally as his patience snapped. "Ever notice something Gene? No? Hm…let's take a closer look, shall we? Khujesta comes from Styx. Jade comes fro Styx somehow, we don't know exactly what yet. Oh, and let's not forget this lovely conference that's being held here; again by Styx!! Styx is always a problem for us now. And fifty bucks says that the guy she was fighting, he was from Styx too!"
Gene glared down at his blond haired associate. "Fine. We'll look at it from your angle. But next time that girl rears her head, she's not getting anything from me." he started to walk away.
"Gene wait!" Jim called after him.
"What?"
"We do need to find out why your Caster gun didn't injure her as you expected it would."
Gene looked back at Jim before he smiled with a shake of his head. He had to admit, the kid had grown a lot in five years. "I'm on it."