2515: An Introduction.

The woman woke, among the garbage of the spaceport. She would have been a pretty thing, if it weren’t for the fact that she was bald-her head shorn so that the Tempus Group could ID her. She raised her slender hand to her head, pushing away the garbage and slowly rubbing the short fuzz of her shaved head. She massaged it back and forth, wondering about where she was...and who she was..until her fingertips ran across the Bar code, and the ID chip below. A shock ran through her, and her whole body shook. Voices spoke-their words a warning.

"It doesn't matter if you escape, Sixteen. Your gift for escape will only bring us closer.
As long as you wear the suit, which you cannot take off without us...we WILL find you.."

*she seized for a few seconds..and then her eyes opened for the first time. The pink orbs cringed as the bright lights shone in her eyes.. And she sat up slowly. The first thing she looked at was her hand..and the tattoo upon it. It was a bar code, beneath which was inked in stenciled letters Tempus Group Heavy Industries Designate 016."

She wobbled to her feet, feeling the tight grip of the Suit for the first time since she had awakened, memories flickered of an ability she once had..an ability repressed by this tight skin of the suit, and the thousands of needles in its material, injecting her with nanomachines and chemicals that would alert the Group if she did anything that wasn't human..
And she was certainly not human. If she was, they probably wouldn’t have wanted her.

She waded around the garbage for about an hour, and happened upon a ladder and maintenance hatch, and climbed up. It didn’t matter what the Group had told her, she was free. she didn’t know how, or why, but she was free. All she would have to do is to keep from doing anything extraordinary until she could get out of the Suit, and that would be easy, right? I mean...humans did it all the time...right?

-he had already been heading into his back room after hearing Nikkitta's need for explosives, but froze as he heard her revelation. He turned around slowly and gave her a peculiar look-

A stripper? Honey, you've got the figure for it but I'd never imagine you bringing yourself to demean yourself like that, even for a job. What exactly will you be getting out of this? -he asked as he turned and walked into his explosives room, motioning towards the speaker next to his register with a little red button underneath for her to speak into. He closed the door behind him, flipping a switch on the inside that projected a hologram bearing his likeness, going about business behind the register to prevent the customers from becoming too emboldened while he was gone-

-Inside he quickly found his way to the small explosives safe, turning pins and locks lining the door until it cracked open. The lights flicked on upon his entrance, and walked inside slowly, being very careful with his motions. He adjusted his nearly invisible earpiece to listen on Nikkitta's response and flicked out a microphone from beneath his shirt.-

Ah yes...these'll do just fine...

"Yu know I can't discuss that." She said softly into the microphone. "Just get me what I need. Small concealable weapons, so we can get out of here and get a drink. I'm dying here. This blood wont last for long in room temperature. That guy, Nightmare, have yu seen him before?" She asked idly, thinking about his weapon in her pack. She couldn't wait get a proper look at it, but she would wait until she was at least somewhere more private

-Reitis stashed an assortment of tiny contraptions and, as Nikkitta requested, a full pack of explosive chewing gum into a small bag. He had heard her question and kept it in mind, deciding to talk more in detail once they were outside. He even decided to throw in some shot glasses loaded with a shooting mechanism that, once activated, would shoot a metal blade directly into the drinker's throat the next time he or she took a drink from it. Now that the explosives were taken care of, he walked out of the room, sealing the door behind him, and shuffled around the perimeter of the store, throwing in two invisibility sheets that would conceal her weapons so long as she kept them behind the sheets, which were around the size of a sheet of lined paper. Lastly, stored in the side pockets of the bag, were two plasma emitters. They were shaped like a pen and sized similarly, putting forth exactly five killing shots of superheated beams each before running out of fuel.

Reitis walked back over to Nikkitta and, figuring she'd like something that could be used in a gunfight, turned around and grabbed a small pistol with ten full clips of ammunition-

I know it may seem like a bit much, but I would much rather see you go in prepared with everything you possibly can. Now, this all should come out to... -he flips out a scanner from his sleeve and runs over the items- around 2,500 platinum. But..since you have that blood on you, I think I can cut about half of that off. 1,250 platinum shouldn't put you down too much now, should it?

No, Reitis, it's exactly what I need, I think. It's why I come to yu, yr always on point. *She carefully concealed all her new wares in the pack and slung it once more over her shoulder, stopping to admire the invisibility sheets a moment as she did. These were expensive accessories, and for the first time she began to feel like maybe this job wouldn't be so bad after all. It seemed like her luck was turning up.

She gave him her card to swipe, which would leave a hefty 1,500 credits for her to play with when she went to buy ....clothes....if they could rightly be called such, for her new profession. She gave Reitis a grin.

"And where shall I give yu the rest of yr payment?" She asked. She had still felt the chill of the refrigerated packs, heavy in her backpack now that it was filled with so much stuff, but safely nestled in her Silver dress to keep the condensation from affecting her new toys.

-Reitis noticed the last customer exiting the store and sealed off the entrance, covering up all of the front windows with a steel door that dropped from the ceiling. He then walked Nikkitta over to a blank wall on the left side of the store and reached up as high as he could to push in a depression, which let the wall slide out and form a doorway underneath it. After allowing Nikkitta in he walked in after her, sealing the door off behind them again and taking a seat in one of the cozy lounge chairs inside. Plush sofas surrounding a floating glass table were in the center of the room, with an array of floating bottles lined around the room, undoubtedly alcohol of some kind. An expansive sound system was hidden behind the walls and could be heard lightly through the filtered and thin walls in front of them.-

To answer your question from earlier, no, I had not seen that man before but have dealt with the gun-slinging cowboy types in here many times before and treated him as such. Just what exactly made him so smitten with you, anyway? -he leaned back and pulled out a long and finely-crafted cigarette packed with tobacco and having the taste of blood lined on the filter. He blew on the end of it and it instantly burst into flames, much to his delight-

And what are you waiting for? Let's get my purchase prepared and ready to feast upon!

Nikkitta slung her pack onto the floating table, which true to it's engineering did not waver under the weight. From inside, she bought out one of the large blood packs, sealed in thick pliant plastic. She inquired and had him get her a few new syringes, fresh out of their blister packs. She tied him off first as he likely had not had as much sustenance as she that day.

She sat next to him and swabbed his skin with alcohol. Then she pushed the long silvery needle into his pale, resilient flesh, and moved his damned shirt sleeve out of the way as she slowly pushed the plunger down. She wiped away the blood dot that remained, the only sign a needle had ever been near his self healing flesh.

"I really don't know, except it sounded like he was more interested in Shell than me. Yu know those of us on the low end of the food chain keep barracks in sectioned off city sewers. We have to bribe people to keep those places safe. My apartment? Wouldn't even get a casket in the doorway, much less be able to hide it from my Waver. "

She had him tie off her own arm next, and seconds later was sighing happily. She left both bags in his freezer for the time being, and then helped herself to his bar. She made them both drinks, Vodka tonics, and was surprised to see he even had fresh limes for garnish.

"Speaking of which," She said, handing him his drink and taking a seat on one of the velvet cushions, running her fingers through it's hairs. "Mind if I crash here tonight? Those places are hell. We've got enough MRE to last a few nights, and my new assignment starts tomorrow. Shell said the alliance is going to be setting me up with a place, hopefully better than the piece of shit I got now. New indentacard and everything." She held her drink up to toast to her new, hopefully short lived life.

"I just gotta go shopping at some point." She said, remembering the clothes she would be needing. "Yu uh....yu don't know anyplace that might carry that sort of thing, do yu?"

The next evening it rained. This suited Nikkitta just fine, accustomed as she was to being drenched. The streets were only slightly less crowded, and the hover ways above each street made into ethereal parking lots. The flashing of the lightning could not compete with the similarly hypnotic and at once jarring lights of advertisements, so far removed from the world around them as the high and distant sky seemed to be. A dancing neon Jackal arrested Nikkitta's eyes from three giant stories up.

Her new contact, the alliance colonel Cary, who fancied himself her handler now, had provided Nikkitta with a fly car, a new indentacard, a new apartment, furnished with new things. But the flycar had been too obviously new to use, and so now she stood three stories down from her target, brushing her hair, and the accompanying droplets, vainly from her face. The Jackal's sign was of a medium size; it's grotesquely long tongue hung to one side of it's orange and red mouth; it's eyes were like marbles swinging in all directions, devoid of intelligence or couth. The message the dancing mascot sent was clear enough

She entered the block by way of an interior stairwell, climbing up the flights of crowded stairs, people drunken, and trying to piss in corners. A bum sat on the second landing, accepting the kicks to his ribs as easily as he accepted the odd clink of a cubit into his polyurethane money catcher.

Nikkitta went on her way, pulling her long navy peacoat tighter. Her hair had been in curls but the water had destroyed them and now she looked a mess, what with her darkly lined eyes and pale glistening lips.

The entrance to the club was a filthy wall stretching to the third landing's left side. Groups of men hung about the long corridor that stretched away from the stairs, their dark collars popped up, their beady eyes constantly searching. Somehow they seemed to ignore the massive beast of a thing at the door behind and around the stairs. The bouncer, though, did not ignore them, or Nikkita for that matter, as she neared. He looked her over, obviosly annoyed by her presence, or maybe that she had not been simply on her way somewhere else.

She forced a smile at him, and tried to see behind him, but his giant round body filled the doorway up. Flashing Lights and smoke curling up around his shoulders was all that could be made out. She sighed.

"I'm here to speak with Troy. Troy Dubins."

"Troy's not here."

"He told me yu'd say that." She responded, thanking her lucky stars that she had been well briefed. Shrugging her coat off her shoulders, she let the dark haired, olive skinned man catch a glimpse of her cleavage. "I'm here to take's Sundry's place. He said I should tell yu: Shut the fuck up, and let the woman pass."

The bouncer shifted, and turned a bright, crimson red. Humiliated, her let her pass, and as she entered, the voices of the outsiders followed rounded off by insults flung from both the bouncer and his audience.

The club inside was wide more than long, and seemed smaller than it's 3,000 sqft. This was an effect created by it's deep and shrouding shadows, the long and awkwardly proportioned stage (now empty) , and the inefficient layout of pool tables and bar stools. The bar was back lit and to the immediate left, placing it squarely in the way of comers and goers, and causing the room to the right to seem even darker than it really was. The patrons were beyond seedy, Nikktta saw as she looked around, and the glint of metal could be seen behind every cloak and from under every table. There were maybe fifteen men inside, scattered here and there, and staying far from the bright beacon of light that was the hallway that went to the restrooms and back office.

This of course, was where she needed to be. She ignored the looks, both suspicious and lusty as she passed, and found her way to the door marked private. She knocked.

Waking up the next evening he slowly rose from his chair and walked over to a wall he placed his hand on it and the wall opened. He moved inside a room where there was a large mech. He moved under it and started to work on it with a wrench and screw driver. After a few hours he stood up and walked over to the square and got fitted again. He put the power pack onto his back once more.

"Im going out, send the TR to the closest box to my coordinates." He took the credits he owed that woman and turned on the homing beacon he placed inside the blood. He knew where Reitis was, the nano machines inside the blood would dissolve and dissipate after a few days causing no harm to the body. He followed it to the club where the woman was at. The bouncer looked at him and laughed as he tried to walk through. Stepping in his way he pushed him back.

"Sorry freak no weirdo's allowed inside." Nightmare glared down at the man and then walked through once more. The man grabbed him and turned to punch him. Nightmare spun around dropping to the ground and swinging his leg around tripping the man. He lunged through the doorway and was lost in the crowd. His body was big but amongst the huge men in the room he blended easily. Walking to the bar at the backside of the room he sat down.

"Get me something hard I don't care what it is." He looked at everyone around the room. There some people in this club that has gotten away from him over and over again. He wasn't on duty now and this was a refuge for them as well. Not being armed at the moment only with his limited gun much like the one he gave Nikkita. His Terra Ripper could easily bust in the wall at any time to give him aid but he would rather play this cool tonight.

When Nikkitta emerged from the back office, it was with the fanfare of music and her coat quickly thrown off. Underneath, she wore a strappy, flimsy thing constructed in several pieces, silver and black and neon green in color, the green hightlighting her best features and angles under the errie glow of the scattered black lights. Her boots were impossibly tall, and only her supernatural grace kept thier savage on-toe points from causing her to fall over with every step. Perched upon her toes, supported only by the five inch long needle thin heels, Nikkitta climbed the three steps up to ths stage while and announcer introduced her as "Tempest moonbeam" She looked levelly at the gathering crowd she could barely see for all the black and blue lights pointed at her, and shook out her long dark hair as the music (and smoke machine) picked up tempo. It was no surprise that already she was being insulted, for the patrons doubted her choice of footwear, insisting and urging her to dance already. And finaly, she did.

The progressive electronic music, both moody and ethereal, began to pick up tempo, and just as the stronger beats fell into place, she dropped her right shoulder and bent her right knee, turning her face away as her right shoulder rolled back, followed by her left one. She was pantomiming now, in rhythm and with smoldering eyes. She stepped to the left, as though to struggle to balance on the bondage boots, bending forward and her arms rolling in a slow flail. Her hands closed around the pole and she pulled herself forward, lifting her legs up as she spun around the pole, in a slow and artistic fall to the floor. The patrons were beginning to be won over. Hands pressed down onto the floor she lifted her lower body, wrapping her legs tightly around the pole and then bending upward, her hands framing her face in vogues as she swept her torso around for a look in every direction, though the lights blinded her. She lifted her hands above her head and brought her legs down slowly and perfectly straight. The patrons began to get restless. They wanted to see skin, and they wanted it now.

She pantomimed once more, though the scene she portrayed was much darker. She danced as if running, and afraid, and magically her clothes began to fall off, revealing the smooth lines of her torso first, then the white flesh of her hips, and finally all but the tiniest strip of her breasts, as though assaulted by unseen forces. They ate it up, and as the music reached it's climax, she began to pantomime fighting back, sending kicks while twirling around the pole, bending over backward and fending off several opponents at once. It was the first time throughout the routine that she felt comfortable, and was able to lose herself in her performance. Finally, the music came to a close, and the stage darkened, allowing her to gather her strips of clothing as the crowd cat called, clapped, and hummed in turn. The audience, it seemed, had mixed feelings about this new girl, and as she carefully departed the stage, Nikkitta tried not to get hit by the credits flung haphazardly at her feet. She didnt bother picking them up. One of the other employees, she had been told, would do that for her. The house got a cut of everything, including her tips. She didn't care.

Nikkitta dressed in the back room, turning down the next performers offer of drops. The girl was young, human and so strung out on the vicious drug that she seemed half out of her mind. The blond's hand shook as she applied her make up, and Nikkitta could only leave the girl in peace. She didn't have time to save everyone. She emerged into the main room, barefoot and slightly more covered up, her next costume meant to shine in the black lights. She had been instructed to mingle between shows, and this is exactly what she set out to do.

The place had gotten crowded since her arrival, and the unmistakable (to Nikkitta's eyes) air of a black market hung all around her. It was in the way people talked and glanced around and the way they eyed all approachers.

He looked up at her as she came out to stage, in his former life acts like her would probably do him many wonders, but all he could give her was a cold stare. He didn't know how to smile nor did he wish to try. He simply looked away until the end of the little dance. When she was looking around at all the people his eyes met hers and when they did, his eyes flashed a crimson red. He looked down at his drink and took a long gulp. Sitting his glass down he pushed it forward. " Refill "

" Put that on my tab! " Someone shouted from behind, Nightmare looked over his shoulder and then looked away.

" What are you doing here Ares? " he asked the man who approached and sat down next to him. He had long red hair and was wearing a leather trench coat and a vest that glowed red much like his armor. The unique thing about the two of them together was they both had pointy ears.

" I came to see how the Great Commander Krims-" as Ares was talking Nightmare grabbed him by the neck of his coat and pulled him close.

" I am Nightmare! " He said strictly then let him go and slammed his drink. He looked over at him for a second then looked away. "Sorry"

Ares simply sat there surprised by the way he was acting and somewhat offended by such. " You've gotten way to far into this Mercenary life, if you could simply let go of your past instead of drowning it out with this needless job you would do better."

He said nothing and just waited. He was waiting for Nikkita to get done with this job so he could give the credits she so very desperately wanted. He had never cheated the system like that before, something about her struck interest in him.

It was a struggle for Nikkitta not to show on her face that she recognized Nightmare. She glanced at him from time to time, unable to help herself as she smiled and flirted and exchanged banter with the clientele. The people she spoke to seemed unremarkable in their criminal demeanor. She knew the type all too well and her face, when she looked at them, didn't give away the derision she felt inside for their sorry jokes and boring repartee. Shell had taken great pains to school her in the art she employed, taking pains to be charming.

It was work, though, and she couldn't wait to drop her false smile and put some damn clothes on. She gave two more shows, and by the time was she given leave to go home, she had come to understand why she had to be a cursed stripper here. There was nothing so lowly and innocent in the Dresden boys eyes it seemed. They were treated like playthings, harmless kittens devoid of importance beyond pleasure. The men had all hit on her, though in ways she shuddered to remember, and been eager to impress her with hints at their not so secret dealings. Already she had names and guaranteed entrance. No, she simply would not have been able to do it any other way. She sighed as she tugged her coat back on. It was only three am, and the nightclub was still in full force, but new girls had come on, and she was happy she was leaving.

She made her way out the door with several glances at the pointy eared man that had spent most of the night at the bar, trying to signal that he should follow with just a look. She took the steps down to the street below slowly.

All night he sat at the bar, he must have had several drinks, but being a demon he never allowed the toxic chemicals to affect his brain or body functions. He watched the girl leave and saw her glance at him. Not moving just yet he didn't want to make it obvious he was there for just her. After a good ten minutes had went by he got up and walked outside. Taking a look at his tracking device it put her a few miles down the road. He went into a very dark shadow and instantly traveled a little ways in front of her.

Stepping out from the shadows he leaned against a wall waiting for her to come up to him. His hair bounced softly in the cool gentle breeze of the night sky, the rain had stopped and left the streets damp. Crossing his arms he closed his eyes as other people passed by.

Nikkitta looked around quickly, and saw no familiar faces. Her pack was slung over one shoulder and she shrugged it back into place.

"I see yu found me. Again. I have to say I didn't really expect to be seeing yu, collateral or no. Are yu really going to pay me that platinum, or was there something else?" She asked, shifting her eyes to each passing face in the crowded lower streets around them. Sirens wailed in the distance and nearby vision boards blasted cartoonish ads for food and game shows. Her hair was braided once more, long and knotted every few inches, her bangs pushed away from her brown eyes.

Opening his eyes to her he pushed off the wall and opened a compartment on his leg where the credits sit. They were 30, 1000 worth cards. He handed them to her but kept a firm grip on them for a moment. " My gun? " He said looking at her that was the only thing he wanted from her at the moment. He had nothing else to do with her right now seeing he wasn't on duty, he was merely acting out on his own.

Looking around he saw some thugs watching them, he turned his head and made his fangs bare and his eyes glow at them. Some were intimidated and ran the others stood there in a bit of awe not knowing weather to run or attack. He looked back at Nikkita wondering if she saw that small act or not.

Nikkitta looked troubled as she let her pack slide from her shoulder. She tucked the cards into her coat, and unzipped her pack slowly, revealing glints of silver and rayon. She withdrew his weapon and handed it back to him, the look still clear on her face. Somehow, she knew he wasn't vampire, but this display seemed to suggest otherwise.


"Nice teeth." She said. "Those prosthetic fangs are so popular, aren't they? The ears, not so much. Yu get those on a whim?" She was prying, of course. She had heard tales and read stories of strange creatures that went bump in the night, but could think of none that also was said to sport the vampire trademark. "If yu still want work, it might be arrangeable." She added. The man had been honorable already to a point, and Nikkitta was sure she would gain influence with her true boss for bringing someone into the fold, especially if Nikkitta's instinct happened to be wrong. If he was vampire, and so well paid by the Alliance, he would be a valuable addition indeed. The pay suggested they trusted him, and Shell paid dearly for such contacts.

He watched at her and cursed cause she saw his fangs. He listened to her remarks about his fangs and ears. He shook his head a little. " No these are not fake nor am I a vampire. I am a... " He trailed off a little bit. " Never mind." as for the work part his ears twitched.

Looking around some he feared he brought trouble upon them. " Before we talk I suggest we go someplace safe." Taking his gun from her hand he kept it out, taking the other into his other hand he readied himself for anything.

Nikkitta looked around reluctantly, but nodded, her own hand reaching into her dark blue coat. She jerked her head east, towards her new apartment building just two blocks down.

"Follow me, then." She said simply, leading him towards her place. The new building was tall, as all the building's were, and it's high rise top couldn't be seen from the street below. The door, unattended, was glass and brass, and right away the place looked dirtier and older than her real place. But the lobby was big and even with it's slow elevators, it had something her other place didn't: Personality. Her place was n the twelfth floor, and down a long corridor lit in flickering, soft light. Nikktta brought them to her door, and her indentacard let them in easily, though she was not Desiree' Wing as the card seemed to claim.

She closed the door behind them, and threw her pack down on the low and round coffee table in the rooms center. It was a sudio, but spacious compared to her closet sized place across town, and furnished with real furniture, basic and of mass production, not built into the walls. She felt like a queen here. Cheap art hung on the walls, and the whole place seemed to lack authenticity and style. It was bland, without many personal affects. She took off her coat and threw it onto the couch, the partition that hid the bedroom area behind her. She said not one word until a small device next to her waver had been turned on. it disrupted any bugs that might have been in the room.

"There. Better?"

Following her to what seemed one of her many hideouts. He watched her curiously, he had no friends in this city, nor did he want any. Although despite that he seemed that he was going to make one soon, or maybe a few. He despised the thought, anytime someone got close to him they died or got hurt.

Looking around at the place he walked to a few things touching them and looking curiously then simply letting it go or placing it back down. Moving to the middle of the room he heard her "there better? he nodded his head.

"Much." Moving over to the couch he sat down and looked over at her she was wearing seductive clothing, he hadn't felt a womans touch in nearly 1000 years. Watching he look at him and take in his many inhuman features. Working for Shell he could finally take off his suppressing armor. " Your still curious about my looks arnt you? Your wondering if im a vampire right?"

"Something like that." She said crossing her arms and taking a seat. She watched him touch the things around the room, things that weren't hers really. She seemed unsure of him even now. What was he, with those ears and fangs? Also, something about him seemed strange, looks aside. He wasn't animated like other people, and seemed not subject to the same capricious passions most people went through as easily as breathing. She sat on the edge of the curved black couch, still unable to relax, aware of the gun she had strapped under that section of sofa earlier.

"Yu throw blood at me....almost as if the alliance knew." She said, figuring he could have no doubt of her own condition. "And yet if that's true, and the Alliance knows, then why am I still walking around? Why haven't I been shipped off for testing as some facility that doesn't have a name?" Then the thought crossed her mind: perhaps her own organization was being infiltrated as she infiltrated the Dancing Jackal. She tried not to narrow her eyes. This work had made her suspicious.

"And if those aren't prosthetics..."She said, glancing up at his ears, the more curious of his two striking features. ".....then....." She didn't finish her question, but then she didn't need to. She paled as she spoke, the pains of withdrawal and hunger hitting her at once. But she fended it off, reluctant to take such liberties in front of this man she had just met, and reluctant to allow herself to become so vulnerable.

Liberties or no, she had to admit she was out of her mind, to bring him here like this. Had she been asked, she could have come up with no answer.

Listening to her he nodded his head. Seeing the hunger she longed for in her eyes he typed in a few numbers on his gauntlet and it opened. He tossed another high grade blood packet her way. " Well the Alliance doesn't know about you. I do, and the only reason your alive and not being shipped somewhere is because of me. I know where you and your friends sleep." He wasn't well informed more he knew of the place when he first came to this space port as a drifter and was slowly climbed the ranks into one of the best Mercenaries.

"If anyones in danger of being shipped anywhere its me." Pointing to his armor, " Do you know why my armor glows red? There not special florescent lights, they are runes signifying my power is being sealed." He said bareing his fangs and his eyes turning from green to red right before her eyes. That was as far as he could change normally. " I am an ancient being, the humans used to call us Demons."

Nikkitta looked at the packet she had caught in her hands. It was hundred of credits worth of stuff, and even Nikkitta couldn't resist a taste. She rose and went into her closet sized kitchenette. From the fridge she took two pre-filled syringes, and left what Nightmare had just given her. She tied off right there, and a short moment later emerged, flushed and breathing in easy deep breaths, a slight hint of a smile splayed on her lips.

"Perhaps yu know the method we use, but the locations change at least once a month." She said quietly, rolling her neck from side to side, sighing as the muscles stretched and relaxed. "Demons....beings from the Christian hell meant to punish and terrorize the living." She shook her head and smiled "I guess it's fitting then. A demon and vampires. Surely yu have to take some form of nourishment. What happens when yu take the armor off?

As for Shell, she has agreed to retain yu, but not personally. I am to be yr contact to the organization, and it's my neck on the line. The fee I promised yu will be honored, and paid in the form of salary. In exchange, yu can not take any other jobs, Alliance or otherwise. At some point in going to have to debrief yu. It will take a few days, and involve a lot of questions and a few tests in a lab, but no records will be kept. Everyone has to do it." She said apologetically.

"For now, yu don't have to worry about that. There's a person of interest that needs to be investigated. His name is Coleman Cary and he is a Colonel for the Alliance, though I can't tell yu what I'm looking for, or how yr supposed to find it. It's of monumental importance that Cary not know who is looking into his life. Find something useful, and yu'll get paid. It's that simple.

Now, there are some jobs in this line of work that require life taking be kept to a minimum. This is not one of them. Yu can't kill Cary, of course, or any information on him is useless. For the moment anyway." She added quickly. It might very well come down to killing the man. It would not be the first time it had happened either. She looked at him as she spoke, searching for clues as to how he was taking on this, searching for red flags in his demeanor, or anything for that matter.

She was vaguely proud of her speech. It was the first time she had been anyone's liaison. And this marked her second promotion. She had started, as most did, at the very bottom of the chain of power, merely tolerated by other undead and left to fend for herself or else thrust into conflicts as a soldier, nameless and expendable. In Shell's employ, though, she had protection, if only a little. But as Nightmare's contact, Nikkitta could rightly be called an agent. If Nightmare was successful, she would be too. It made her tingle with vertigo, to think her future and fortunes were dependent upon a man, a demon, she had only just met.

It did not bother her that he would begin with the same title, or that he was already being paid more than three times her own wages. She cared only for her own advancement. By the same token, she had dismissed the stirrings of interest she felt. She ought to be more suspicious, she chided herself inwardly. She could and should not trust him, not yet. And if ever she came to, perhaps after he had been debriefed, then she would be responsible for him. Romance would always be untenable, and she pushed the thoughts away.

Watching her feed off the blood in a very weird way he blinked a little. " Im surprised you don't drink it." He used to feed on blood back in the day till he got used to human food. As for now he ate and drank normally, he feared blood if he was given it his power would max out probably breaking his armor off with the surge. "The Alliance would probably pick up a strange anomaly in the system and order to have me taken away and tested on. I have a feeling I may be being targeted for assassination. It seems I'm becoming too good for my job, and usually the best get targeted as a threat. If that happens I'll need to lie low for a while."

Listening to her talk about being tested on, he nodded his head. " I'll need to bring some equipment with me if they plan on revealing my body to them. I cannot let my power escape, if I do... this place might be destroyed." He looked dead serious there was no hesitation in his voice. Shell could full well use that information to her benefit, Nightmare basically was a caged, furious beast.

Hearing her talk about this new Mission he nodded his head. He already knew a few things about this "Cary" He wasn't the greatest leader, he did his secret deals under the table, Nightmare knew all about the few times he sold Alliance information to the black market. Though he cared no more about honor, he simply cared about the next pay day.

Lowering his head momentarily he looked up at her. " As for blood you shouldn't worry so much for your next meal. I shall supply them to you when I can. We can't always meet like this so when the day finally comes when we work together your hunger will be satisfied."

"The stomach lining the blood would have to permeate is too fine a net to let certain enhancements of the blood be absorbed. Intravenously, we introduce a molecule that encourages the blood to reproduce for hours. Our ancestors had to drink pints, but now we thrive on four ounces, and it feels like....." She shook her head. The feeling was one of satisfaction, and continuous fulfillment. It gave her a healthy pink to her cheeks, and that bliss of blood drinking, only prolonged and effusive. She didn't say this, however. Instead she took a moment to think.

"I'll let the proper people know about yr special needs for the debriefing. As for the lying low, I trust someone so handsomely paid can disappear when he needs to. If yu do decide to run off to one of the border planets or moons, and hide under a rock where there are no power grids or Alliance patrols, just let me know, if yu can. Other than that......" She bit her lip a moment, trying to figure him out, and finally, said "And I appreciate yr generosity, really I do, but honestly, I don't understand it. What do yu care if my meals are on time? Such congenial disposition is thing that makes me twitchy, and rightly so. There are plenty of reasons yu might be trying to gain my trust, but few of them are to my favor. I wouldn't put it past the Alliance to send an assassin to befriend me, but if it's Shell yr after, yu wont get her. I promise yu that."

Listening to her ramble on about the assassin part of the conversation he just started to laugh. He hadn't laughed in some time and it was some what eerie. He stopped and his expression changed back to normal. " Befriend you to get to Shell? Hardly... im acting out on my own right now. Im looking for who pays best right now. And as for the place to hide, I have my home planet. The only problem is getting my armada here." He seemed pretty confident if he wanted to he could get off this station. He didn't own the entire Armada simply one ship of it, but for the missions off the planet he seemed to bang it up quite a bit and most of his money was spent on the ship.

Getting up from where he was standing. " If you don't believe me about my demon heritage, let me show you a taste. " He took the power supply off his back and then the back plate dropped to the floor. Two massively large bat wings unfolded out and spread out in the room. As soon as he did an eerie aura washed out around the room. After a few moments he quickly placed the armor and the power supply back on and slicked his hair back from his eyes. " There now you see... "