A DEAL IN THE DARK

Since the start of the Academy of Bristle Crios in September, Leta had been absent from Bristle Crios. Her twin, Lydia, wondered where her sister had been. At first she preoccupied herself with running the Academy, but after three months, she didn't have a good feeling. She had heard about a man that could help her. Unwilling to let anyone at Bristle Crios know that there was an issue, she made an appointment to meet him away from the compound. She arrived precisely on time that evening at the small park and began walking to the fountain and benches she instructed him to meet her.

Word had gotten to him that he was being requested for a job, which was good because his funds, which were low to begin with, were even less than usual. A man did have to eat, after all, and his landlord would kick him out as soon as he missed a payment. With his slightly tattered trench coat wrapped around him and his ever-present mask firmly tied onto his face, he showed up at the appointed time and waited.

She wrapped the collar of her closed plain grey, woolen coat around her neck to shield her from the sudden gust of wind. She looked around worriedly as she saw the masked man. It was obvious this was the most outlandish thing the simple woman had ever done. In trying to look unsuspicious, she only achieved looking as suspicious as possible. Her simple flat shoes sounded lightly on the paved walkway as she approached him. She didn't really know what to say. She stumbled through her few words in a meek voice, "Hello. I'm Lydia."

He gave a polite nod and stopped a few feet short of her. "Evening, ma'am. I'm Q. I hear you were interested in buying my services?" Simple and to the point. Much like he generally tended to be. He looked her over, trying to get a read, but she didn't seem different at first glance.

Five gold would keep him going for quite a while. Heck, he could even get some new clothes with that. he tucked the coins away into a pocket and went back to his notepad. "So, now that I've taken this case, can you tell me what she looks like" Picture would be even better if you had one. And how soon do you want this taken care of? Just so I know how fast to try and be."

"She looks just like me. We are identical in every way, physically." She put emphasis on her last word, then continued. "I don't care how long it takes. Even if you can't find her, just let me know anything you find out. If you find her, I'll give you more." Her last statement was said with desperation. She shifted her hips, looking down uncomfortably, feeling guilty that she didn't quite know how to tell him how bad this could get if he wasn't careful. She continued to look down, as if ashamed that her sister was involved in an organization like this. "Leta has only ever referred to it as "The Company'. I'm unsure if it even has a name....I wouldn't even know how to help you begin looking for her. She comes and goes from this area often as her company needs her."

"So I'm finding a needle in a haystack....great." At least it was a cute one. The extra pay possibilities were also starting to give him incentive to get to work on this come morning. "Don't worry too much about it. This town's got a bunch of shadowy organizations and they're all not as secretive as people think. Word travels in strange ways." A job was a job, and one of the rules was that he didn't question motives or try to dig too deep. That was bad for his health and his rep. He put the notepad away and looked at her once more, studying her face and trying to commit it to memory. "Well, if that's all, I'm going to head home and get some sleep so I can start this in the morning. Anything else you'd like to tell me?"

She looked back up at him. She admired his professionalism, something she worked hard to achieve herself. She looked into his eyes, passed the mask. If he could really pull this off, she would be amazed. Still looking at his eyes, "I don't think there is much I can help with, but if you have anything else to ask, I'll try." His eyes locked with hers, which was strange for him because most people just saw the mask and didn't bother looking behind it. It was almost unnerving for him. "I don't think I have any more questions for now, but I'll let you know if I have anymore.? And with that he nodded, turned, and began walking before he got lost in her eyes anymore.

Taking a deep breath and letting out a little bit of a sigh before he spoke. "Bad news is, I haven't been able to dig up any leads yet. Good news is, I still have a few more cards to play, but I don't like having to use up these kinds of favors." Probably wasn't the worst news he could have given here, but it certainly wasn't the best. "I figured I'd fall back on an old favorite of any investigator. City hall and tax records. No matter how shadowy the agency, there's usually some clue there."

"I've got a contact that'll let me in this time of night, so I can take a look around without being disturbed too much. If you wanted to come along, I was thinking that maybe it would help jog your memory and maybe give me something else to go on." It couldn't hurt any, that was for sure. Looking down, she said softly, "I doubt the Company would leave any paper trail of evidence..." She definitely wanted to help in any way possible, though. She looked up, into his eyes and said, "It's certainly worth a shot. I would love to go with you." Her eyes widened slightly from embarrassment from her wording.

He chuckled slightly. "Not directly, I don't think. But one can often find a clue by looking for what isn't there, but should be. Absence of data is just as good as data itself sometimes." Way this was working, at least he'd have some company to talk to while he searched. made things go nicer. He got up and looked at her. "Well then, shall we be going?" He was right. She smiled, thinking that maybe this masked man would be up for the challenge. She stood up next to him and said simply, "Yes."

He walked smoothly, but at a light pace through the streets with her until they came to city hall. Going to one of the backdoors, he knocked four times in what appeared to be a set pattern, then waited until a janitor came and opened it up. "Hey Miles. Need a favor. Mind if I come in and look through some records" Nothing comes home with me, and I'll put everything back the way i found it." He then slipped him a few coins and was given the nod for the both of them to enter. "Thanks. I know the way and I'll try to be as quick as possible." Giving her a quick look as the went inside. "Just stay with me and try not to touch anything. We'll all get in trouble if anything's out of place, even though I think I'm not the only person who does this from time to time.?

"First I'm going to search the electronic records and hope I get lucky. probably won't, but I can hope. If that fails, we'll go through the hard copies." Searching for "The Company' wasn't a good way to start a search, but he figured he'd take advantage of his other resource sitting next to him. "So what is it that they do anyways" And do you have any clue where one of their buildings might be?"

"They have buildings that they operate out of for limited times. Their offices are only temporary." There could be just as many errors with a business constantly on the move. She continued, "They seem to be involved in a lot of things. Leta was caught up in stolen antiques. She arranged business contracts for sports teams. She also had some dinner with a politician once, though I think they were declared dead not long after. Just about anything, really."

"Hmmm...temporary offices. That actually smooths things down a bit. Means I can exclude any permenant business. the tricky part is going to differentiate the owners of the buildings and try to figure out who they might have rented to....." Getting deep in thought here, and wondering if he was going to have to bring in a hacker contact. He didn't want to have to do that, mostly because it would eat into his profit margin, but he'd do what he had to in order to get the job done.

She thought a moment. That reminded her of something. Excited to offer some help, she eagerly smiled and looked into his eyes as she said, "Renting. I remember one office they had a few months ago was a real estate office, at least that's what it appeared to be on the outside. If someone came into the office to find a new home, one of their staff would take them to old abandoned places until they eventually left since the 'realtor' didn't have any "good' places to offer. I can't remember the name....It had "homes' in the title, though."

Out came his notepad and he began to jot down a list of addresses. "I'll get working on these in the morning. Anything else you wanted to ask while you have me around?" He closed down the computer and stood up, putting his jacket back on. Anything else she wanted to ask him' No. Anything else he could ask her" Sure. No. Her students needed her to finish their studies. She got up and put on her coat as well. She said as casually as she could, "No, but if there's anything I can help you with you search, I hope you'll get in contact with me."

Another nod as he led her out back up to the streets. "I'll get back in contact with you sometime in the next week or so. However long it takes me to go through these leads. You need me to walk you back?" That last bit out of concern for the neighborhood. It was never a good idea to be walking alone this time of night. She grinned. "Oh, no, I'll be ok." She certainly didn't look like she could handle herself, but anyone who thought so, would be seriously mistaken.

"In that case, goodnight miss.?

He nodded and headed down a back alley in the direction of his apartment so he could get some sleep before starting back up in the morning.

"Good. Shall we get started then?"

He stood up, offering her a hand and reaching into a pocket for his notepad with the other. "Shouldn't take us more than a few hours." Inside his head, he was making sure that the pockets of his coat were carrying all the appropriate tools that a night of picking locks and breaking into buildings entailed. She stared at his hand a moment. She had never been offered a hand up like that, not for a very long time, if at all. She didn't mean to keep him waiting so she quickly grabbed his hand light a light touch and pulled herself up. She quickly let go after she stood and took a deep breath to clear her mind, knowing not to read into the simple polite gesture.

He wasn't wearing gloves, because his fingerprints being what they were, he'd always have an alibi. "You need to pick up anything before we go?" She didn't know exactly what she would need. She just assumed a lookout didn't need any supplies, since they would just be watching. She'd obviously never done anything like this, but she figured she could make due if need be. She said, "I don't believe so."

As they began to walk towards their first destination, he looked over at her cautiously. "Now, I'm pretty sure you've never done something like this before, so let me set some ground rules. One, no lights. Those give us more problems than benefits. Second, be as silent as possible, even if something goes wrong. Shouting out just gives away your location. Three, avoid windows if at all possible. Four, channel your inner ninja and act like you belong there, like a fly on the wall." She listened intently, memorizing his instructions. Unbeknownst to her, her footsteps became softer. She followed in his footsteps exactly, making sure not to step on any crackling leaves or snapping twigs.

He had them take a few twists and turns, going slightly out of their way from time to time, but it ensured that they weren't being followed. And then they came to their first target, an old brick building that was across the street and down a block from them. "I didn't notice any security cameras when I cased the place earlier. But these days people use that fancy magic stuff that's harder to spot. We'll try the back door first, just so we're not out in the main road." She nodded silently, acknowledging his instruction, though since she followed closely behind him, he probably didn't see it.

Q got through the second door and pulled her inside with him, making sure to relock the door once they were though. "Office is on the third floor. No elevator, which I would avoid anyways, so stairs it is. Just try to keep it quiet." After going upstairs, they reached the door in the middle of the hallway. "Keep an eye out for anyone. I'm going to pick through this and enter. I'd invite you in, but you're more useful for me out here." That, and if she stayed out, she wouldn't accidentally leave any prints or random DNA inside.

He pulled out his lockpick set and started working on it, until the lock sparked and he fell back on his butt. "Shoot. They got a magical system set up. Least I know we probably got the right place." She jumped back when she saw the spark. When he fell back, it was her turn to offer her hand to him. She reached out her hand gently, smiling slightly. He took her hand and got back up before staring at the lock. "Thanks. Lucky for me, I have something for this."

He pulled out a small box that fit around the doorknob and attached to it. Waiting for a few seconds, he heard a ping and the box disintegrated. He then opened the door and looked at her. "Remember, stay quiet and keep an eye out. I'll start having a look around." She did as he asked.

What seemed like only a few breathless moments after she was left alone, Lydia heard as a man's footsteps approaching from downstairs. Either he was on lookout duty or he was there to break in too. She didn't know how to alert Q. She was instructed to be as silent as possible, even if something went wrong. She took a breath and stood against the wall.

She had no idea what was going on....Whatever happened, she didn't mean to do any of it; she never did. She wouldn't even bring this up to him; there was no way he would believe it; she didn't even believe it. All she knew what that he was leading her by the hand. She probably would have been glad to have been holding his hand, but given the circumstances, she just wanted to get out of there. He wasn't going to say anything until they got out of the building and a safe distance away anyway. He led her down a stairway that didn't have footsteps echoing from it and made his way down and out the back door. Continuing to walk with her hand in his for a few blocks, he finally stopped and faced her.

"Whatever you did back there, nice work. Made it easier to get out of there without any...interruptions."

Lydia didn't even know what to say. It wasn't like it was something she could do on command. Still flustered by the ordeal, she tripped over her words, "I don't really....you're welcome....I don't know exactly what happened...It's not something I can control. I didn't even know I could do something like that. It's not my fault..." She looked down a moment, not wanting to say too much. She didn't think he had seen her and suspected by now that he had. It wasn't so much as what he saw, but what he heard. Security doesn't just turn and say that everything's normal unless somethng happened to them. "Relax. I don't really care what you did or how you did it. I just wanted to say thank you."

She looked back up at him and smiled lightly. She glanced down again, connecting a few dots in her head. She noticed her hand still in his. She looked up, trying not to draw attention to it, assuming he hadn't noticed either. She said as casually as she could, "You're welcome, then." He hadn't noticed it at all. His mind was more on making sure that no one was following them. "You know of a place where we can go for a bit' I'd rather not talk out here."

She took him to the safest place she knew.

WAREHOUSE SEARCH AND SEIZURE

The wind had picked up a bit as it grew dark, causing him to turn up his collar in a vain hope that it would keep him a touch warmer. He pulled the scrap piece of paper out of his pocket and looked it over one more time. Sure enough, the date and time hadn't changed since he last looked at it. He looked down the street that the warehouse he was looking for, waiting for darkness to creep a little bit closer before he made his way over. Once it grew dark enough, he snuck around to a back door and tested the handle. It was locked, but a good set of picks fixed that. Trying to make as little sound as possible, he slipped in, kept to the shadows, and began to look around.

The warehouse was bustling with activity. Outside, large skids and taped-up boxes were being moved by several strong men and forklifts into trucks. Inside, men and women were organizing boxes in piles to be taken outside. It seemed as though they were packing up and getting out of there in a hurry. The boxes were unmarked, though it was clear that the men were handling them gently. Two security guards were even helping out. Unlike the other men, they seemed to move in odd steps, as if not their own. One person seemed to be directing everyone. A woman.

She turned and her profile lit up from one of overhead lights. It was Lydia. No, she looked like Lydia. Her dark sapphire eyes were much harsher, commanding authority with a simple glance. Her stance was relaxed, as if she had done this many times before. There was an unmistakable confidence about her as she flipped her long jet black hair back over one of her shoulders. She wore tight black pants and a dull black leather jacket. It was a harsh comparison to Lydia's business blouses and pencil skirts. This woman was dressed as though she was ready to get into of out of any situation she got into, running into, or away from, trouble.

He spotted her as she went under the light. Just the person he was looking for. Inside, he was thinking of a nice bonus he'd get for doing the job right. He hoped, anyways. She did look just like Lydia. Just with a more sinister and evil tone about her. Like that one time June Abernathy did those drugs and became her own evil twin. Now, all he had to do was get out of here in one piece.

Her demeanor shifted with her grin to a serious manner. She said harshly, "You will leave from here, do as she asked you to, then you will leave her alone." She dropped her arms to her sides and took a step forward. She said in her previous light hearted tone, "What you do from there is up to you, but I will caution you that if you try to find me again, you will find yourself in a pawn's position." Her lips remained flat, but her sapphire eyes smiled. She was a hard read for most. Even those she worked with thought she seemed volatile and unpredictable, but she was good at what she did. That was the only reason they put up with her craziness.

Behind the mask, his eyebrow raised a smidge. This wasn't quite what he expected. Perhaps it was time to find a new hole in the wall to sleep..."I'd planned on doing that already. She's asked for a job. I did it. I don't have any other reason to have contact with her. And be careful about those pawns. Everyone tends to ignore them, until they put you in a bad position." She liked him. If this pawn played his pieces right, he'd find a "promotion' with this queen. He did get a lot further than most men in his place. She could see the potential in him. "After your work is done with my sister, find me again," she dared, "You may earn a "position' in with my crew."

"Hmm...we'll see about that. Make it worth my while and you might get to see what positions I'm capable of handling." Q, are you really flirting" Smile, nod, and get the heck out of there before kitty decides to stop playing with you and start showing her claws. He gave a little nod and smiled behind the mask. "In any case, good luck getting all this finished in time." With that, he walked right towards the nearest door, trying not to break out into a run and wondering if there was a knife that would soon be introduced to his back.

She had to tend to her men. She liked having the final word, but loved how he denied her of it. She put her hands in her jacket pockets and swayed back to a good vantage point from which to command. She didn't look back at him until she reached her spot on a small stack of boxes. When she did, she almost smiled, watching him go, making sure no one in her crew would hassle him if they saw him.

Lydia could tell even through the mask that he wasn't in a good mood, as upon entering he chose to stand instead of sitting. "Miss, I have news tonight that the job is over with. I found what you were looking for." After hearing that, she needed to sit. She sat down in one of the two chairs in front of her desk, but turned to face him. "You found Leta" She is alive" She is still in Rhydin?" Excited, nervous, she tapped her foot on the floor in a soft methodical pattern. He responded, "Oh, she is alive, well, and still in Rhydin. I'm lucky I got out in one piece." Still feeling upset about having been spotted, plus pretty much being let out of that mess by her.

"Oh!" She exclaimed as she jumped up and over to her desk. "Your payment!" She reached into her top desk drawer and pulled out the money. She handed him five gold, same as her beginning payment. She could see that he probably had been through more than he bargained for. "I hope this will cover all that you endured to find her. I will forever be grateful for what you have done for me." The gold was quickly pocketed as he said, "Now, seeing as how this job was a bit more than I expected, I'm going to have to try and disappear for a while. So if you need me for another job, I'd suggest waiting a month or two before trying to contact me."

She smiled and said "I doubt I will have a further need for your services, not unless she disappears for months again." She looked into his eyes and offered a simple, "Thank you." She lightly hugged him, then quickly released him once she realized how forward that must have been. He froze for a moment as she hugged him. Wasn't expecting that at all. "Well, uh, if that's it then, I'm going to go and find a nice place to hide in hopes that they didn't track me down. Be seeing you." He turned and headed on out before things got any weirder.

There. Job was done.

He could focus on more important things, like finding a way to stay alive long enough to spend this gold he got. He took another roundabout route back to his place, hoping that it was still there and not blown into the Nexus by now. Time to pack up what few things he had, and make haste for anywhere but here.

"I find that I rather like being freelance. Less pay and job security, but the freedom makes up for it. My experience with company work has been that I'm a pet on a leash. I'd like to avoid that now that I'm here." He shrugged off his coat, getting a little comfier. Hopefully she would get the hint and he wouldn't have to make things ugly. She nodded, blinking slowly. "Yes, I completely understand that. Then look at it as a Company looking to hire a freelancer for one job." She looked at the table, where she had left a four inch squared box with a note on the top. She turned back to him and said, "All you have to do is go to the directions on that note and drop it off. Get in, get out, no problem." She added, making sweet eyes and speaking softly, "I would be very appreciative if you would do this one job for me." She tried money. She would try anything at this point.

He sighed in slight disgust as she tried the whole batting eyes and womanly charms on him. It had been a long, long time since he had bothered with women, and the whole thing continued to have little effect on him. "Please, I'm not some random guy off the street. Quit batting your eyes and trying the sweet routine. I know you better than that and I just met you tonight. 50 gold. Payment in advance. And you knock before entering next time." She smiled and teased, "Who knew you'd be such a cheap date" I brought one hundred." She pulled out two small coin bags from under her jacket and tossed them on the bed, a few of the fifty gold coins spilling out. She continued, "One catch....You can't peek in the box. It goes unaltered."

"Secrets, I can keep. Used to that sort of thing." He said with a little tap of his mask. "I wouldn't be good at this if I just opened up to anyone, you know?" Leta leaned back in her chair and said, "Oh, I don't think of myself as just "anyone' but I do hope to see what?s under that mask one day." Her eyes softened. That flirting wasn't to get him to take the job. That was just for her. She uncrossed her legs and put both feet on the floor. "You see I'm quite good myself. If I could give you a small pointer?? His head tilted slightly as he wondered just what could this pointer be.

Leta paused, then continued, "You're a hard worker, good at what you do. You seem to be a good man, but I won't hold that against you." She smirked, teasingly.

He gave her a little snort of disdain. "Good is a relative term. All depends on who you talk to and if you're doing what they want. I find that doing what i want works out better for me. Does that make me a little self centered" Maybe. But it's what more people should be doing anyways. We're just a step up from animals. Most people tend to forget that." Stopping before he rambled on too much. His finger poking her nose slightly. "If it works out for me and you at the same time, I suppose that'd be acceptable."

Her eyebrows raised as she watched his finger tap her nose. She looked back at him and said, "Good." She used the 'relative term' on purpose, to push any buttons and prove she was paying attention to his every word. "Then I will wish you luck on your delivery." She took a few steps back, standing next to the table. She patted the small box with the note on top as she said, "Remember, don't peek.? Watching her as she left, he said, "Don't worry. I know how to do a job." She turned and confidently walked to and out the door, closing it softly behind her.

Leta began on her way to tell Lydia that she was alive and well since she had intercepted his message. She took Lydia's money to pay him, so it was only right that Lydia got the results she paid for.

Months ago, when Lydia had told Leta about becoming the Head Mistress for the Academy of Bristle Crios, Leta decided to leave and throw herself into her work. Leta wouldn't admit it, but she was afraid that Lydia wouldn't have time for her anymore with such a demanding job. Leta chose to walk away from Lydia before Lydia had a chance to ignore her.

After waking up around noon and running a few errands such as getting a clean shower and washing clothes now that he could afford it, Q waited until night began to fall before heading out with the package tucked inside his trench coat. He wanted to get there in plenty of time, because who knows what would happen to the package at 8pm.

Well, the place was easy enough to find. The address was a small two story house in the West End. There were a few children's toys left outside on the porch. Even though the house didn't appear to be in the best shape with paint chipping off the exterior brick and the tattered screens on the windows, it still was kept up well with neatly cut grass and clean windows. A light was on in a back room of the house. Metallic numbers 588 were screwed onto the front door.

He even had some time to kill before it was the appointed time. He had the package in one hand, a pocket watch in the other, just waiting for the minutes to get closer. At around 7:58, he went from the shadows up to the doorstep, dropped off the package, and knocked on the door. Without waiting for it to be answered, he quickly darted back into the shadows.

When he knocked on the door, it opened a few seconds later. A man stuck his head outside. When he noticed the box, he hurriedly began to open it, reaching a small note sitting at the top. He picked it up and read it, shaking his head and talking to himself, "I can't do this. I just can't?" He turned to hear some children playing in the back room. When he turned back to the note, he looked in the box and dropped it. He fell back against the doorway. He regained his footing, then looked around. He took a step forward and said loudly, desperately, but determined, "Tell her I'll do it." He stooped down and picked up the item that had fallen out of box when he dropped it. He clutched the slender finger in his hand as the diamond ring around it glinted in the light as he turned and walked back inside, closing and locking the door behind him.

He cracked it open and pulled out a straw, putting the end through his mask and sipping. "Most people aren't perceptive enough to notice the difference. They don't think to look for finger size, shape, color, time of decomposition, scars, and a bunch of other things to identify it." She nodded. She liked how he worked, how he thought. "You could definitely have a future with The Company," she said as she stood up and walked towards him, ?"if not with me." She stopped a few feet in front of him and smiled, looking into his eyes behind the mask.

"Hrmm...if they want to hire me on a per diem basis, I wouldn't be adverse to it. As for you..." He took another sip and stared right back at her. "We'll see how useful I am to you as this relationship moves forward." She stared for a brief moment, her eyes softening. Unfortunately she didn't have time to continue her proposal. She had a deal to settle with a certain distraught husband and father in the West End. Still smiling, she slowly began backing up as she said softly, "Oh, I definitely have a few uses for you. I'll keep in touch." She waited a moment when she got to the door.

A smile creeping onto his face under the mask. "Oh, you know where to find me. Try not to get into too much trouble tonight." He wasn't quite sure what kind of sendoff she was looking for, but he was still cautious about having his guts ripped out. She nodded as she turned. She looked back and slipped a quick smile before going out the door and closing it behind her.

QUIET EVENING

It had been a relatively quiet week. After that last job, he hadn't needed to go our for much other than food and some random errands. Which left him here tonight at his table reading a book he managed to find on marine biology. Since he was likely never going to step foot in the ocean, he figured it was as good a way as any to learn about it. So it came as quite a surprise to him when his studying was interrupted by a knock at the door. Looking up, he put his mask on and asked "Who's there?"

Leta rolled her eyes, knowing that she agreed to follow his rules of etiquette and not just barge in when she felt like it, and now she had to announce her presence. She bit her lip, not wanting to say her name in case anyone else was listening. She smiled, then said, "Your boss." Quiet evening" Somehow he had the sinking feeling that he was kissing it goodbye. He got up and opened the door, motioning for her to come in. He got right down to business, asking "Ok, what?s the job and what?s my cut?" While he wasn't terribly upset to see her, since she did look good after all, he knew this was primarily a business relationship.

Leta was covered in a long black trench coat. It mostly covered her tight black pants and tank top, and much of her black leather boots that covered her knees. She had on black gloves and her long black hair was brushed to cover her face as much as possible. It was clear whatever she was getting ready for, she wanted to keep a low profile in the night. She rushed into the room as he waved her in. One deep blue eye peeked out from underneath her hair and stared at him. "Look, we got to go now. We can figure out your payment later. You know I'm good for it." He really didn't. She had only hired him once before. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Ok, fine. You can fill me in on the way over."

He grabbed his trench coat and motioned her back out, locking up behind them. "Would it have killed you to give me a little notice instead of just showing up in a huff?" She did come on short notice. Granted, she was not happy about having to rush into this either, but this time she was desperate. She just couldn't believe he would be so willing; he had only worked for her once before. She was so appreciative; she couldn't help but let it show through in her eyes. But she quickly remembered what needed to be done. She began to walk and talk, telling him where they would be going and what needed to be done. He followed beside her, trying not to take more than an occasional peek.

There.

One picked lock. "Wait a sec, some people are actually important to you? You mean we're not all just tools for your amusement?" Was he being slightly sarcastic there" Yeah. But considering that he was doing her a favor, he felt she could deal with a little of it. She threw back some of her hair so she could glare at him. She then smiled and said, "Well, in your case, I think you may find that you can become a very important tool for my amusement."

A little more work on the door and he opened it without so much as a squeak. "Here. Now let's hope that there's no wards or silent alarms. Assuming this is just a restaurant, we should be safe, but you know me. Always pessimistic about things." He didn't mind being thought of as a tool, so long as he was well compensated for his work. Money spoke higher to him than most anything else these days.

Now that they could get in, she felt a lot more comfortable, and overconfident. She flicked her hair back over her face just in case and pushed him out of the way as said, "Alright. Let me in there." She barreled into the restaurant, trying to find the room where she could find some files. Q grumbled for a second as she just pushed past him, but he took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy her backside for a second before standing up and following her in. "Do you know exactly what you're looking for or are you just looking for any kind of dirt?"

"Anything," she barked as she found the office. She grabbed the handle of the door and quickly turned it. She growled, "It's locked." She still kept trying to open it, thinking, hoping, maybe she didn't know how to open it properly, like if she never opened a door before in her life. He sighed and shook his head as she displayed all the grace of a giraffe on ice skates. "Move over. Let me work on it." Giving her a nudge out of the way, he knelt down and took a look. This one wasn't quite so bad. Pulling out a card, he stuck it in the frame and wiggled it around until he heard the lock pop. Then he stood up, pushed it open, and bowed slightly. "After you, miss."

From the windows, they could see as two figures waived flashlights around. A barely audible comment could be heard acknowledging that the back door had been broken into. Great, figures that there'd be some Watch members out patrolling by here. Q said quickly, "Put everything back. We need to get out of here quick and quiet without these guys IDing us. Word leaks that it was us who broke in, or if they find out who we are, we're done for." Was he nervous" Yes. Scared, quite a bit, actually. If only because he had a clue of what he was dealing with.

Now their roles were reversed. She may have been nervous to get in and get what she wanted, but at the mention of a name, he was nervous to get out. She ignored his instruction and put the few papers in her hands in her coat pockets. She would be hellbent if she left with nothing, especially if Vinny's name had this much of an effect on Q, so who knows what this Vinny might be up to. "Ok, fine. Let's go.?

He let her take the lead out of the back office. She obviously had the better fighting skills of the two. He relocked the door behind them, trying to leave as little trace as possible that anyone had been there. If she was only taking a few papers, maybe no one would notice until a long, long time from now. "Take them out, I don't care how. Just get us out of here fast." Leta was more than prepared to fend them off as passively as possible to save them from any further incrimination, but as she rounded the corner, one was already up on her. She took a swing and hit him square on the jaw, knocking him back a few steps. She took the opportunity of their distance and jump-kicked him back into the man behind him. Still, she was no lethal fighter and the two men were quickly regaining their balance.

THE LAB ASSISTANT

A quiet night of catching up on some reading was interrupted by a knock at the door. Putting his book down, he made sure he had one of his tools within arm's reach. "Who is it' And it better be worth my time."

Leta responded tersely, deliberately not answering his question, "You are needed for a job."

He rolled his eyes and went about putting on his mask. Figured it was her. Not like anyone else ever came by unless it was for a job. "One sec. Let me get dressed for company." Once the mask was on, he went over and unlocked the door, opening it up slightly. "This the kind of job where you come inside, or we discuss it on the way?"

Leta was dressed in unusual attire. A heather gray pencil skirt, solemn white blouse, and black soft flat shoes. Q would recognize Lydia's typical dress, but the harsh eyes and confident posture would reveal Leta in disguise. She said hurriedly, "We'll talk on the way." He paused for a second. She was doing her sister impersonation. Which usually meant that she'd been doing some sneaking around somewhere. It also made him think that she was up to no good. At least, less good than she was normally good for. "Fine, let me grab my coat and we'll head out."

They started to walk along they alleyways in the moonlight night, their path leading towards a place he generally had been avoiding like the plague. "Wait a sec, you want me to go where and do what now"!?" Leta continued, "I need some information from a lab. Don't make this harder than it needs to be." She explained how they would attempt to walk into a secret laboratory, one that Lydia has been to before, and might be able to get in again. She wasn't quite sure of that, but she wasn't going to let him know that. They would need to collect the information that she needed in order to complete one of her own science projects. "We walk in, grab some research, then leave," she concluded.

He was more than just a little skeptical of all this. "Easy for you to say, but you know who's lab this is you're trying to break into' I've heard rumors that it's one of the five most impossible places in Rhydin to access. The guy's probably got wards, locks, and a heck of a lot more than I can take care of. You got any idea how we're getting around all this?" She seemed to choke on the words, as she said simply, "I suspect he has generally let his defenses down when it comes to my sister. I'm going to test that theory by seeing how far she gets us inside.? She walked faster, fueled by her silent anger.

On the inside, Leta was panicking, but she didn't show it. She called out sweetly, mimicking Lydia's charming demeanor, "Mike, I don't know what you are talking about?" She purposefully used his name, hoping to indicate she was Lydia, since Lydia would know his name. She needed time to think of a game plan. She knew she would scan identical to Lydia, a side effect of the way they were turned so long ago. If she wasn't the problem, maybe Q was. She noted that Q said he resembled Vinny. She didn't know what that meant exactly, something she was going to look into later, but now, they had a problem. She continued to Mike, "Are you saying that this is not Vinny?"

"I'm not saying that it isn't A Vinny. I'm just saying that it isn't THE Vinny. Really now. The guy's put himself under the proverbial knife so often that I know his body better than most of the women he's slept with. I know all the enhancements, adjustments, modifications, nanites, and magical hoo-ha he's done to himself. This guy' Reads just like Vinny.....if he never had any of that stuff done to him. Where'd you dig him up anyways" Ah, nevermind. I'm not that curious right now. So, before I gas you both and have the bodies molecularly disassembled, any last words or requests?"

Leta's posture relaxed and she spoke in her normal harsh tone, "Ok, look. I want to get into the lab and take a look around. I wont steal anything. I just want to figure out how to make a little mini me of my own. Vinny's done it countless times. I just want one." She knew he'd never grant such a request, but she didn't have anything to lose now.

Mike said bluntly, "See" Asking nicely gets you a lot more things than trying to be duplicitous."

The elevator started moving down towards the lab and Q looked over incredulously. "Um, ah. We're not dead."

Mike spoke back up. "Not yet, but you may end up on one the lab tables for dissection if you don't be careful. The more you're here, the more I want a closer look." Shortly, the doors opened up and they had access to the lab. Leta was pretty shocked about their escape from demise, but she tried not to let it show. She turned to Q and said, "Let's get on it, then."

Though she was literally eternally grateful for all of his help, she still didn't quite trust him. "I'm fine with walking. We don't mind the trip up the elevator. You've done more than enough for us already. Thank you."

Mike put on is best HAL9000 voice. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I can't let you do that....."

Really, he was messing with her just to see what she'd do. The other guy was already two steps away from leaving bodily fluids on the floor, but at least he had been smart enough to take the dissection threat seriously and zipped his lip.

She froze on her way towards the elevator, waiting for their impending doom.

"I've decided that I'm going to have some fun and send you both......off to the cornfield!" With that, he had them both sucked into a rift that dumped them off right next to the equipment in the warehouse. Attached to the growth tube was a little note with a smiley face that read- "Have fun with this. And come back afterwards to let me know how incompetent you were at this. I could use another laugh."

Leta took a step forward, trying to make sure she was on solid ground. She quickly realized where she was, but Q wouldn't have known. Q! She looked around to make sure he was safely with her. He was there. Taking a few deep breaths and making sure all his pieces were intact. "I don't believe it, but we made it out successfully, and with what you wanted."

Leta returned to her arrogant demeanor, "Oh, yeah, everything went according to plan." She only felt so sure of herself, since they were out of earshot from Mike's potential wrath. She shifted her pencil skirt, not knowing why Lydia would wear anything so impractical for running and fighting. She said, "I need to go and get out of these clothes. Stay in touch. You know me, I'll be contacting you sooner than you realize." Sooner than he wanted, most likely. She turned and headed off into the shadows of the nearby warehouses. She left Q to find his own way home. Her real plan was just beginning.

In all of her foresight, Leta did not see this coming. She watched in horror as the clone shifted on the table.

"Call security," Leta instructed the scientist, while still staring at the woman. He immediately fled the room, locking the door behind him.

The woman slowly got to her feet, and steadied herself against the bed. She took an unsteady step towards Leta, but soon understood her coordination. Leta could have been impressed at how quickly the clone was learning and adapting, if she wasn't so anxious. She tried to remain silent. If the woman learned language as quickly as she learned how to move, any words Leta might speak would fuel her vocabulary. Leta knew how easily words could become power.

Leta walked to the foot of the bed, and the woman walked with her, mirroring her steps. This was all wrong. This was everyone's fault. Leta hated her scientific team for getting Vinny's cloning experiment wrong. She hated Vinny for his stupid cloning research that would allow such a flaw in the procedure. She hated Q for helping her to get the equipment and research in the first place. Mostly, she hated the abomination that stood before her. Leta would not allow it to continue. She would put it down herself.

Leta reached out to lightly grab the woman's arm and was surprised when the woman jerked her arm back defensively. Leta stared at her a moment. She moved faster, but the woman mirrored her speed. Leta stood still and stared into the woman's eyes. She could dominate her mind that way. She spoke a one word command.

"Stop."

Leta again reached out to grab her, knowing she would have to stop and hold still. The woman stood still as instructed, but repeated Leta's command, "Stop." Leta immediately paused. They stood staring at each other. It was then when Leta realized. Not only did the woman have her appearance, she had her abilities. She was an even match for the woman. Much to Leta's dismay, the woman seemed as if she began to realize it too.