Vincent found chaos on the Observation Deck, staring out the window. At least, he seemed to be staring, yet when Vincent approached him, the snow-haired pilot turned his head and seemed to stare right through Vincent, as if looking through a shadow. Instantly, Vincent felt the familiar twinge of something being off.

"What is it?" he asked, quietly, trying not to break chaos' reverie.

"Something's here," he replied, his voice an even monotone. Instinctively, Vincent reached for Cerberus, his dog-headed pistol, but chaos shook his head, to say that it would not be necessary.

"They've gone already," chaos informed him, blinking and regaining focus, looking as if he'd just woken up from a deep slumber.

"Who?" Vincent inquired, trying to figure out who could have snuck onto the ship without being detected. chaos shrugged, as if it was of no great importance.

"I don't think they meant any harm. You may want to leave our...guest alone for a little while though. I have a feeling he's going to be needing more than his fair share of sleep."

Vincent was puzzled by this v ague answer, but then, many things about chaos puzzled him. Still...one less fight.

"Do you know what our next destination is?" Vincent asked, evenly. chaos smiled, his signature expression of 'knowing something you don't' alighting his cherubic features but he shook his head.

"You didn't know it would be like this when you signed the contract, did you?" chaos returned with his own question. Vincent stared at his left hand...well, claw, encased in a segmented gauntlet of burned gold. He flexed the digits, slicing at air. Under the red scarf he wore around his head, he glanced at chaos, who was regarding him peculiarly. Vincent found this interesting, because it was very rare that people looked directly at him. It seemed to make them uncomfortable. But chaos exhibited no discomfort in the strange dark warrior's presence...in fact, he never showed any discomfort at any time.

Eventually, Vincent took his leave of chaos, and made his way back to his own room. It was the darkest quarter on the ship, much darker than the rooms Leon and Paine were inhabiting. He had requested one like that, and chaos had accomodated him by giving him the only room with black walls, and no windows. He, chaos, hadn't asked any questions, had merely procured the room, as if by magic.

Now, Vincent sat in the darkness, on the edge of his bed, staring into oblivion. His thoughts were not jumbled, because he was not that sort of man. Instead, different images and concepts and ideas that floated towards him, out of the void. He turned, and looked at the space he was meant to sleep. In his lifetime, he had slept a lot. Sleep was a bringer of brief respite from the cares of the world, a way to rest and gain strength. Yet as he flexed the muscles in his arms, covered in the thick black fabric he wore, he knew no rest would be offered him this night. Even though chaos had said the beings...whatever they were, had gone, he didn't trust the absence of things he couldn't see in the first place. Perhaps somehow he knew that they were DreamMasters, and he was protecting his mind and the secrets hidden away in it.

It is far more likely though, he simply didn't want to dream of her.

Like Leon, Vincent was haunted by a face, a voice...a collection of memories. And like Leon, the warm remembrance brought with it the heavy bitter burden of guilt. Eventually, Vincent moved off his bed, which had suddenly become uncomfortable, and sat down in the darkest corner of his room. He brought one knee up and rested his 'good' arm on it, while his other leg stretched straight out in front of him. He rested his forehead on his raised knee and closed his incandine eyes, indulging himself in a brief moment to think of her. Just her face, her eyes, her smiled...and then he pushed it away, put it back in the dark drawer of his personality where it would stay till he took it out again. Eventually, exhaustian took him, and he passed into a deep, dreamless sleep.

And the night continued.

The interior lights of the StarSong slowly brightened, as if to simulate a silicone sunrise. chaos woke first as always, making his rounds and checking each of the ship's systems, adjusting controls here, changing the settings there. His ship was completely defensible and boasted a highly advanced weapons system, but there was no inner security system. None of the rooms had cameras, or locks. When Paine had asked him about this, he'd regarded her very calmly, without smiling and said with all sincerity that it was not necessary. She hadn't asked him about it anymore after that.

By the time Paine came out of her quarters, chaos had already finished his morning chores and had disappeared to...wherever it was he went afterwards. She'd always respected his privacy, though she made no secret that she was curious. Still, her philosophy was that as long as the job got done, she wasn't interested in the extra-curricular activities.

She was anxious to get on the way, whatever way that may be. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming and she wanted to be ready for it. She was on her way from her quarters to the Observation deck, when she passed Vincent. He gave her a brief nod, and then turned and followed her to the center of the ship. She didn't notice the little details that showed chaos had already come through and fine-tuned his precious space craft, but that didn't mean she didn't know they were there. In a way, it was background noise, something you're aware of without paying attention to. When she and Vincent reached the Observation deck, she pushed a button on a sidewall which turned on the intercom.

"chaos, would you meet us on the Observation Deck?"

His answer was immediate. "Right away."

The door hissed open behind them, and Paine spun around, surprised that the white-haired pilot could move so fast, but it was Leon and not chaos who strode in. If she noticed the weariness in his face and eyes, she made no mention of it, but then as Vincent and chaos noted, she avoided looking directly at Leon at all. Before thinks could become awkward, chaos also entered and once again, the four of them found themselves in a strange polygonal situation. On one hand, Leon and Paine had a history that chaos and Vincent were not apart of. On the other hand, she had a bond with the two of them that Leon, while the source of the arrangement, was also not privvy to. Then there was the fact that Vincent and chaos were on civil terms, and it was becoming aggravatingly apparent that Leon and Paine were not.

Paine spoke first, although it was reluctantly.

"So, what have you decided?"

chaos answered with a smile and a nod, saying only, "I have nothing better to do." He looked at Vincent, stoic as always. Vincent nodded as well, feeling no need to justify his decision. All eyes turned towards Leon, the wild card in the deck. He appeared to be oblivious to their scrutiny as he looked at Paine head-on and asked:

"What's the plan? Where do we go?"

As if there was some kind of competition between them over who could be more unflappable, Paine didn't even blink in shock. Instead, she asked slowly:

"So you're going to stay?"

Leon nodded.
"What made-"
"Look, I said I was staying, alright? Keep pestering me with obnoxious questions and I may think again."

Paine clenched her jaw, as he'd put her in an awkward position, professionally and personally. He must have known that she would never admit to wanting him there, which meant if she stayed silent, the implication would be left hanging. However, if she argued, she would lose him as an asset, something he also knew she couldn't afford to do. He could see the cold-burning anger smoldering in her crimson eyes, but she let him win the round.

She turned to face Vincent and chaos, who had watched this tableau with thinly veiled interest.

"We can't continue just floating, waiting for something to happen. We're going to need coin to keep the ship in order, and we need to find out what the purpose of the people after us is. Which means finding people willing to talk," she smiled wickedly, betraying the hope that some of them would be reluctant enough to need a litte...extra persuasion.

"And what are we going to do to accomplish all this?" Vincent asked, dryly.

"What we do best," Paine replied, "Offer our vaunted services in security, protection and retrieval to those who can pay for it."

Leon and Vincent seemed to like this plan. Only chaos had an objection. Paine could see his troubled expression and when it became obvious he wasn't going to offer his thoughts, she asked him what was wrong. He raised his hanging head and looked at her with angelic concern.

"But...won't that put innocent people in harm's way? If they are associated with us, they could get caught in the crossfire."

Paine paused, though it was a point she had considered before. Finally, she regarded them all and answered.

"Then we'll just have to be better, won't we?"