Sorry for taking so long guys! I got absorbed into video game world (Daxter came out and Kingdom Hearts is coming this week) so I've been a bit distracted. I know it's never taken me this long to update so I'm very very very sorry Lol.

Thanks for the reviews everyone and yes mecca-dog, Keira will be coming. Of course, it would be a sin if I didn't include her. I was a JakxKeira fanfic writer before an AshxTorn one Lol. Trust me, a lot of characters will be coming in, well most of them are already included in the story like Jinx, Razer, Rayn and now you know Keira will be popping up. Matter in fact I'm gonna let her pop up in this chapter Yay!

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Chapter 6

"You want me to make a what!" Keira protested as she clenched her fist around her green steel toolbox. Her other hand cupped her waist as she stared at Torn in disbelief in the lobby of the palace.

"What am I, a criminal now?" scolded Ashelin right behind Keira.

Torn waved his hands nervously in front of him in innocence, "Listen girls, I don't mean it like that. The transmitter is just so we could know where Ashelin is at all times"

"Yeah but a transmitter on her ankle? That's a bit drastic don't you think?" Keira lifted an eyebrow at him in question. She tried to resist cringing with disgust at the whole idea. True, her and Ashelin were never too close but still, this was outrageous. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for an answer.

"Listen Keira, It's not like I want to do it but it's necessary" Torn tried to avoid Ashelin's furious gaze burning through his head as he tried to reason with the mechanic.

"Necessary! I don't need some clunk of metal attached to my foot everywhere I go so everyone can be on my ass every minute of the day!" Ashelin walked over in front of Torn, forcing their gazes to meet as she held her hips and swayed her head.

He took a step back and cleared his throat. Sweat was beginning to trickle from his forehead. "But Ash-" he raised his hand to grab her arm and she smacked it away, not caring that Keira was a witness. She snarled at him and he could see her clenching teethe through her red lips.

"I can't believe you…commander" There she was again, speaking to him formally when she was angry. He felt the pang of pain and anger stab him as he furrowed his brows. He inhaled deeply as if he was about to start yelling before Keira interrupted.

"Alright I'll make it" They both spun their heads to her in shock. "However due to my morals, I'll have to make it so that she can take it off when she pleases and she can only turn it on when she needs help"

"But-" Torn raised a finger to object but Keira simply turned her back to him and lightly swished her turquoise hair.

"Take it or leave it," she growled and Torn had no choice but to give in. It was two very angry ladies against just him in the room with no men to back him up. He silently wished Jak wasn't in Kras City at the moment with Jinx. Then again even if he were here, they were no match to the wills of these two women when they got fired up about something.

Torn nervously swallowed the lump in his throat before cautiously meeting Ashelin's angry gaze still focused on him. Her lips were tightly pressed together in anger as she crossed her arms and shook her head at him. Torn opened his mouth to say something but Ashelin rolled her eyes and brushed past him roughly. As he heard her leave the room he dug his nails into his palms. His fist quickly met the wall at full force as he groaned in frustration. His knuckles had cracked the wall but he didn't feel any pain. He brought his fist down, lost in thought.

The night before had been an awkward one. After Ashelin had returned and they had fought and ended with a hug, they hardly spoke a word to one another. After being locked in embrace for a few silent minutes in the lobby, Ashelin had eventually pulled away from him and walked away. She simply said she was tired and avoided his eyes. It pained him to know that she must've felt trapped because of him trying to protect her. She couldn't roam wherever she pleased, whenever she pleased and she couldn't be her usual independent self. It was as if her power had been ripped away from her and she didn't know what it was like to feel weak. The guards now only followed Torn's orders because on the situation.

Last night neither of them visited the other's bedrooms. Torn wanted to lay beside her and he hoped that his embrace would comfort her but he thought that if he did come, he'd only make things more awkward for them. All day she had been cooped up in the office under paperwork. He had caught her in a daze staring out the window in her office, observing the outside. He thought maybe he should take her out soon and let her have some fresh air to get away from things. They both needed to get away from things. He couldn't wait until they found her assassin so everything could just go back to normal.

The crackling and static of his walkie clipped upon his waist interrupted his thoughts. He brought his lips to the walkie, "Yeah, Torn here"

"Yeah Torn, it's Jinx, I got some news for ya"

"I'm listening," Torn tuned in all his attention to what Jinx was about to say. Every moment and every piece of information was vital.

"Rayn claims she ain't got nothin' to do with the letter but it turns out one of her own is leading a rebellion against her. Names Cutter and he ran outta here like a bat outta hell when I was about to tell her about it. He took Edje with him. We don't know if he sent the letter to the governor but we're pretty sure it wasn't Rayn. She's agreed to help us. Jacky-boys in the room now sealing the deal"

Torn nodded, "Alright guys, when you get outta there, stay alert. Cutter may be out there trying to send his goons after ya. I'll have Vin do a background check on him and Edje. Rest up and be back here by morning"

"You got it, over and out" Jinx had cut off his connection and Torn walked out of the lobby. Two guards were standing on both sides of the doors. They raised their hands to their heads as he passed and Torn nodded.

"Go up to the governor's room and keep watch until your shift ends and the other two guards take over"

"Yes sir!" they obeyed and marched down the hall to head to Ashelin's room. Torn didn't need to check to know that she was in her room. He knew she was upset with him and there wasn't much choice as to where she could go anyway. He allowed the worry in his face to show as he headed outside the palace. He hopped on a zoomer so he could head to Vin's and get that fingerprint checked out along with Cutter's and Edje's backgrounds.

After about a twenty-minute drive he arrived. He hopped off the zoomer and headed through the two sliding steel doors. The room still looked the same except it was now flickering with green and blue lights against the walls from the computer monitors. Torn searched the room for any sign of life and heard a nervous voice call out.

"Wh-whose there? M-m-metal heads? G-go away!"

Torn laughed to himself. Vin was always paranoid. "It's Torn"

Finally a hologram of the geeky man with glasses popped up in front of him. Torn held up the fingerprint so that Vin could see.

"Oh y-yes I see. Ashelin was in here yesterday so does this mean you have a clue?"

"Yeah we gotta fingerprint that Samos managed to scrape up from the letter. We need you to search through your files and see if you can find a match"

"Oh s-sure, just slide it into the machine right there and I'll take a look"

Torn walked over to a box-like machine full of buttons and a monitor. He slid the paper through the slot and it came out through the other side. Green numbers raced up and down the screen and then the same numbers appeared on the big screen in the front of the room. Torn watched and waited as Vin processed through his information.

"I also need a background check on two men from Kras City. They're names are Cutter and Edje. I don't know if those are their real names or not but-"

"Shh," Vin hushed him. Torn was breaking his concentration. Finally after a few minutes, the monitors flickered and a criminal profile popped up. Torn's eyes widened at the identity and he gasped.

"No, that can't be right. Mizo's dead!" Torn protested to the profile on the screens which even stated his real identity as G.T. Blitz and his decease date which was the day Jak killed him. This didn't make sense.

"W-well yes it seems that he is. B-but somehow that's where the fingerprint links"

Before Torn could reply, the profile disappeared and the screen split in half to show two more profiles. One was Cutter's and one was Edje's. Torn studied the profiles. Nothing too unusual, just robbery and assault charges, suspected for trading illegal goods and subsiding under Mizo's command. Eventually something on Cutter's profile caught Torn's eye. He squinted to study it closer and finally his eyes widened as he realized it. He read aloud his findings.

"Birth place, Haven City? Cutter was originally from here?"

"W-well according to this, he is"

"The how'd he end up in Kras? Running away from pending charges maybe?"

"Well this is just the record from the criminal's files but it would take me some time if you'd like me to look into his personal life. B-by tomorrow maybe"

"And about Mizo, are you sure that the fingerprint was linked to him?"

"W-w-well yeah I'm pretty sure. My sources don't lie"

Torn brought his hand to his chin as he thought. Mizo was dead and it even stated it in his criminal profile so how was it possible that the fingerprint linked to him? Also did the fact that Cutter was originally from here have anything to do with his rebellion or Ashelin's death threat? He shook his head as he sighed in frustration. He was getting tired of questions without answers. The clock was ticking and no one knew what was going to take place next. Finally he headed toward the doors with a wave and a mumble of thanks. He stepped out into the frigid night air and inhaled. He felt the nervous sweat on his body being cooled against his skin with the breeze.

He calmly hopped on his zoomer and sped away. He failed to notice the dark figure lurking in the shadows. He had watched Torn emerge from Vin's and retreat. The figure shook his head in disapproval and sped the other way in a hurry.

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Don't worry guys, it's not what you think. Mizo is not coming back to life like friggin Erol did. I hate crap like that, oooh look at me I'm back from the dead to get revenge because I can't think of a new villain or a bigger plot Muahahaha! Lol Well I'm planning to write another chapter today and submit it by tonight hopefully. I didn't remember much of Vin since it's been so long since I seen the poor geek so I hope he's in character here. Hope you liked.