Lara and Madison 2

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((Hi :) So would you mind pausing here for a moment just so that we can discus what's happening next really fast? Mostly so that I can know how to write Ellis' part in particular. Like, is he going to actually catch Lexi and such....))

[Lara]

((Yeah that's fine. :) I'd rather that Ellis doesn't discover the underground yet, so maybe she catches her when Lexi's above ground on her next trip? It would be good for him to catch her at least at some point, so Felix can rescue her, and Chase can question her. But further than that, I'm up for anything :) ))

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((Okay! So how quickly should this happen? Because I mean, I feel like we have a lot still to cover with Lexi and Felix, like him getting initiated and such, and he needs to have a reason to want to go in and rescue her, but it don't really think that he would want to if he's only just met her.... But then, I also kinda want Ellis to catch her quickly so that she isn't just wandering around searching for her...))

[Lara]

((Well, we could have Ellis check out the area, and then pause Ellis and Chase for one post or something while we rp Lexi and Felix's first day or so. Felix doesn't have to know her well to discover she's somethinn worth saving. But lol, I totlally get what you're saying. Do you have any suggestions, or is my idea alright?))

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((Okay. Yeah, I think it's a good idea to pause Ellis and Chase while Felix gets set up in the underground and such, and then I'll bring Ellis back in once Lexi goes back above ground. I think that I'm going to cut Ellis off now and just bring her back when it's time. Just as soon as Lexi goes above ground, I'll take that as my que. Oh, and one last thing. I don't suppose that I actually have permission to kill the wolf, do I?))

[Lara]

((Sounds like a plan :) that'll give them some time to get to know each other, and we won't have to try to find things to rp about for Chase and Ellis until then. As for the wolf *bites lip* though I am attached to it, and don't want to devastate Lexi, it just isn't likely that it lives, if Ellis is anywhere near as skilled as I think she is. So I guess he has to die *sniffles*. But it's up to you. If she ends up being soft hearted and not killing it, I'll be happy, if not, that's fine too. It'll advance the plot either way. So yes, you have permission.))

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((Awww, well I don't want to have her kill it if it makes you sad, but Ellis is as skilled as you think she is, and she wouldn't care about Lexi's feelings. See, because she takes Lexi's betrayal of the government personally, since she knew her relatively well, and they could have possibly even been friends. Now, she has no regard for Lexi and wants her revenge however she can get it. Preferably by killing Lexi for her crimes, but since she isn't allowed to do that, she'll have to find another way. She wants to kill the wolf so badly because number one, she knows that Lexi loves it, and number two, because she now views Lexi as a rival since their skill sets are so similar. She wants to take down any signs of Lexi's power so that she can assert herself as the stronger of the two of them. If she can kill the wolf, she'll have that achieved. All that life is to her is taking down her enemies in order to prove herself, because that's really all she's ever known... I don't know, I suppose what she does once we get closer to the time when she captures Lexi...))

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

Felix followed close behind her as she continued down the sewage tunnel, and he began to wonder why exactly they were here. Why couldn't they just get to wherever her secret base thing was at by walking above ground. The sewage tunnel was dark and it stank terribly. He honestly didn't know how she could stand it. Then, Felix remembered that she had said that she was being followed by someone, and he figured that this was why she insisted on being down here. Therefore, he said nothing.

When they got to the part if the tunnel with the security protocols, Felix began to question things again. It seemed as though they really were down here for a reason, not just to move undetected. He couldn't help but wonder where she got such high tech security out here, unless she brought it with her when she fled from the government. But why did there need to be so much security when this place that they were going was already down in the sewers? He decided that Lexi must be very paranoid about someone discovering whatever she was hiding down here.

Once they finally reached their destination, and Felix realized that it was some sort of city, he couldn't help but stare in amazement, only half listening as she told him all of the rules and such. He truly thought that it was amazing that all of this was here and no one knew about it. All of these people supported the rebellion, and the fact that they had got together and built this place was fascinating to him. Now he got to be apart of it.

Lexi finally got his full attention again when she asked if he had any questions, and Felix finally decided to ask the one that he had been wondering about for quite some time now. "Who are you hiding from?" he asked her, "I mean, obviously the government is after you, but there had to be someone or some reason that would make you go to this much trouble to keep this place a secret, and make sure that no one gets in who isn't supposed to. I mean, the eye scanner, the DNA reader.... I would think thy building everything underground would be enough to keep people from finding out about it."

[Lara]

When Lexi asked Felix if he had any questions, she noticed easily that it wasn't really any question related to the things she had just told him. In fact, if anything, it told her that he had not been listening to her at all. She didn't blame him. The city was a wonder to take in. But is still was quite annoying that he didn't listen to her at all. Lexi brushed this annoyance away, ignoring it, and turned her attention to him.

Who was she hiding from? Hah. Lexi Winter didn't hide from anyone. She knew, without a doubt, that at some point, one of the government's assassins would come after her, and she also knew, that she couldn't run forever. At some point, she would slip up, or not be cautious enough, and she would get caught. She knew this, and she didn't fear it in the slightest. She just wished to amass as many numbers as she could, and get them as prepared as she could before that time came, and they had to stand on their own. She had already conversed with her most trusted general, making sure he knew how to lead once she was gone. She was a means to start the rebellion, and she knew that her use would wear thin once the war started. Better to die a martyr to fuel the rebellion, then become a useless leader and lose the loyalty of her people. "I am not hiding from anyone." She said seriously, keeping her tone cool so that no offence was shown. No, she didn't like what he had said, but she didn't get frustrated that easily. Lexi had patience, and she knew that patience was a virtue.

She turned her eyes out to look at the buildings which housed her followers, and a soft smile spread across her features. "Rather, I am hiding this, from someone. I have hundreds of people under my care, and I certainly am not going to flaunt their trust and leave them open to the guns of the government." She said seriously. "These people, though loyal, are not yet ready to fight for my cause. Everyday, they train and grow stronger, and in return, I offer them a safe harbour where they can live without fear of constant attacks. The security ensures that." She explained. She glanced at him then. "If you think there are not minds among the royalty, and those who serve them, that are sharper than blades, and could find this place, then you are a fool. They will find this place eventually. Everyone will be found eventually. The security buys us the time to be prepared for when that happens."

Then she glanced at him again. "I have a meeting in two hours, but until then, I can show you around, and make sure you are settled in your place." She offered. Silver nudged his wet nose into her hand and she smiled lightly, looking down at him. "After we feed Silver." She nodded at the wolf, giving her praise, and he wagged his tail, getting up and bounding down towards the streets of the city. Lexi smiled wider then, following him. She looked back once to tip her head, telling Felix to follow, before she jogged the rest of the way through the streets to the kennels, which were just hut like housings for the dogs, and an open run that actually had some dirt with sparse grass for them to play in. Lexi unlocked the shed at the back, returning from inside with a full deer leg, which she threw at Silver. The wolf leaped up and caught the hefty thing in mid air, his tail swishing as he slunk off through the streets with his meal.

Lexi locked up the shed again and smiled at Felix. "I have found, that man works well with an animal at his side, whether it be a horse, or a hound. And hounds are lethal weapons that have something guns do not… a brain, and loyalty." She pointed to the puppy pens, where roll polly bags of waggy tails and floppy ears scuffled and lounged. There were many different breeds in there, but most of them were mutts, bred to be large, fast, and strong. "Each of my soldiers gets one, which they are responsible to train, take care of, and watch over. It teaches them responsibility, gives them a friend, and a powerful ally." She explained, reaching over the fence to scratch one of the puppy's ears. "You'll get one too, once you've been assigned to a job." She straightened then, looked around the buildings that lined the streets. "And I believe we have you stationed in building 3B, room 108." she pulled out a small silver card, hung on a metal chain. "This is your key, for when we get there. It opens your door, and all the rooms you have access too. Don't lose it. I can't replace it. We only have so much funds for these things." She said seriously, dropping the key into his palm.

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

Felix sighed a bit, understanding that she obviously wanted to protect this city and these people from the government, but then something new occurred to him. She was setting up these high tech security fortifications because they were long term. She was making sure that the city would be safe because she didn't plan on being around later to help defend it. He realized that when Lexi said that she wasn't hiding from anyone herself, she had been right. She had already expected that even she wasn't good enough to outdo the governments finest bounty hunters and/or assassins forever. Sooner or later, one of them would catch her, and then it would be all over, but at the same time it wouldn't because she would have already set up all of the foundations for the rebellion. Felix truly couldn't help but see that as noble, not that he planned on telling Lexi that. If she hadn't been able to tell already, he mainly stayed silent and kept his thoughts to himself whenever he could. It was simply the way that he was.

He started to listen to her once again when she said that she was going to show her around, because he truly did want to see everything in this city if he really was going to be staying here from now on. However, when the wolf nudged her leg like that, he had a feeling that they would be taking a detour, for the thing was clearly asking for food. He sighed and followed them when Lexi motioned him to, even though he truly didn't like that wolf very much. Even though it simply seemed like an ordinary dog since it was well trained, it still made Felix rather uneasy when he thought about how easily the thing could rip his throat out if it saw fit. As he watched Lexi throw it the entire leg of a deer, and watched as it caught it in the air like that, it only increased the uneasy feeling.


However, when Lexi pointed out all of the puppies running or laying around, that feeling almost instantly went away. Felix had always loved dogs, even though he had never had one. They were mostly used for hunting, or protection for people, and they were usually expensive. Not many people simply kept a dog as a pet anymore like they had used to a long time ago, unless that person happened to be pretty wealthy. Felix smiled and reached down over the fence to pick up a puppy that had been looking at him, and while the puppy seemed scared at first, as soon as Felix began to pet it, it relaxed very much. It wasn't squirming around or barking at him, or licking him, it was simply very docile and quite. It kind of reminded Felix of himself.

When Lexi gave him the key to his room, Felix took it still holding the puppy with his other arm as he put the long metal chain around his neck like a necklace so that he would be sure not to lose it. The puppy began sniffing the key and investigating it, which made Felix smile. "Can I... can I have this one now?" he asked her, knowing that she had said that he would have to wait until he was assigned or whatever in order to receive his puppy, but he was already certain that this was the one that he wanted. Even if he couldn't take it from the kennel now, he just wanted to be sure that no one else got it instead of him.


(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

[Lara]

((The puppy is adorable!!!))

Lexi watched with a mild interest as Felix approached the puppy pen. Lexi had a soft spot for canines, as much was obvious, and she understood them enough that she had been able to tame Silver that one night in the outskirts of the city. He could have eaten her, killed her in a second, and yet, they had found something in each other, something similar, and the bond was formed, a sort of trust that allowed Lexi a friend, and a loyal ally. Nothing made her happier than seeing others finding that same bond and watching it grow strong. In her opinion, no one should be alone, and dogs were friends that didn't ask questions, but offered a quiet understanding you couldn't find in most people, and for that, she respected them.

But she understood them as well, and never had she seen a pup take to anyone as quickly as that one quiet mutt took to Felix. Her smile was soft as she watched him scoop it up, and stroke it until the pup was relaxed and happy in his arms. Lexi only shook her head slowly, happy, amused, and grateful that he had found a dog that he liked already. Made the choosing easier later on, and made it more likely that he'd grow attached to this one.

She glanced around at the streets as if someone might be spying on her, but in reality, she was just doing it for show, as she smiled and turned back to him, nodding. "Alright. You can take him along." she said, her smile genuine, for she truly was happy for him, and a little jealous, that he had been able to find a puppy that was right for him so easily. "Just… keep him out of sight when the general comes to call, ok? He'll be harping on me for days if he finds I broke the rules for someone." She said, rolling her eyes. She locked up the kennels again and then headed out into the streets once more, smiling back at him once to make sure he was following.

It wasn't a long walk to his building, and after that, she merely used her own key - which she hung on a short chain around her wrist - to slide into the slot by the door, and open it into the building's lobby which she moved into and headed to the stairs to the second level. Two flights up, and one long hallway, and then she stopped in front of his door, where she gestured for him to use his key in the slot to unlock the door. Then she pushed it open, revealing a tidy room with the simple necessities one might need for life, a door into a small bathroom, which had a toilet, a shower, and a sink. A small kitchenette sat on one wall, and a bed stood on the other wall, near a simple chair. None of it was lavish, but it was clean, and not falling apart, which was better than a good percentage of the slums above ground.

"It's all yours. You'll find a change of bedding, both for your bed, and for your pup in the closet. You'll have to get food from the soup kitchens, but any extras can be bought and brought back here. You're allowed to keep your personal belongings here, and are permitted the keeping of one firearm on your persons at all times." She smiled wryly. "I supposed I don't have to warn you that if you use this firearm against any of the other people here, the consequences are not kind." she said, knowing that this was probably obvious. "But… other than that, no one else is permitted entry here without permission, or on express and urgent business, with orders from the general or I. This is your place, unless you plan to get in trouble." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Please tell me you plan to behave?"

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((Haha thanks! I just googled "mutt puppies" and thought that that little guy was super cute! I don't know what to name him though....))

Felix's eyes lit up when she said that he could take the puppy with him right now. He would have been perfectly happy with her simply putting the pup on hold for him until Felix was ready to receive him properly, but something about her almost instant willingness to break the rules for him said something to Felix. He wasn't she what exactly.... Maybe that she wasn't all tough talk and fight, maybe she had a real heart inside of her too. Felix liked to believe that all people did, but with some, like Lexi, sometimes it was just hard to tell.

He smiled widely, still holding on to the puppy as he followed her through the street. The puppy looked around at everything with interest as they passed, making Felix believe that it had never been out of the kennel before, which saddened him a bit. This puppy had never been out of the kennel and had never been loved by anyone until today. Felix didn't believe that any person or animal deserved to live like that. It only made him more grateful to Lexi for letting him take the pup early.

Once they reached a building, Fekix determined that this would be where he would be living from now on. Once they got up to his room, he was pleased to see that it was nicer than where he had lived before, but it still seemed very dull and empty. It seemed like a temporary residence instead of a home, but he supposed that's what it was supposed to be. He put the puppy on the floor so that it could explore it's new home and then took his sketch book out of his jacket pocket and set it on the table, for it was really the only "personal belonging" that he had at the moment besides the clothes on his back and a knife hidden in his boot.

He looked at Lexi as she stated the rules, smiling a but when didn't say customizing the dull room wasn't allowed, because that's what he planned on doing as soon as possible. Felix smirked a bit when se asked if he would be causing trouble and shook his head, "You just gave me a free puppy," he said, "I think that would keep just about anyone well behaved at least for a little while." Felix knew that she probably already knew that he wouldn't truly cause any trouble. He didn't even look like the trouble making type, and was just honestly here because he wanted to help people. That wasn't typically the type of guy who would go around causing havoc, but then again, he was apart of a rebellion.

"So, do I just wait here until the general shows up, or do I have to go to him?" he asked, knowing that she had said that he had to receive his position from the general, and he had a feeling that it was going to happen soon.

[Lara]

((lol, he's definitely cute! And I'm afraid I can't think of anything to suggest. I'm horrible at naming animals, and usually I just end up giving them people names. I know a dog named Gunner though. That's probably the only boy dog I know… lol))

Lexi shrugged a little when he pointed out that she had just given him a free puppy. Yes, she supposed, it was something free. Though it still came with a price, and that was the cost of food for the thing, and the cost for repairs should it wreck havoc due to poor training. As well as the costs for grooming, and a spot in puppy school, for those soldiers who really just couldn't train their dogs to do anything. So really, the pup cost a lot more than he thought at the moment, but initially, it was free, and she was thrilled for him to have found one that loved him so. It was always her wish for her soldiers to connect with their dogs just like she had connected with her wolf.

She simply waved her hand. "Don't thank me. It is a gift I provide to every one of my soldiers, though I am happy to have offered you yours early, and that it has connected so well with you." She said honestly, her smile soft. "It really does seem enamoured with you. I think you made a great choice from the litter. As you know, you will be responsible for training it." She grimaced then, remembering something she'd have to warn him about. "Oh, and due to recent incidents, I'm told to warn you that should your pup be responsible for stolen food from the kitchens, then you will be responsible to replace it with your own wages. Should this grace be violated a fifth time, the cooks are then allowed to shoot the dog, if caught stealing. So I highly suggest you train your pup to stay well away from the kitchens, as food of any kind can be tempting for the animals." She said seriously. She hated that some of the dogs had already been shot, but it wasn't as if they weren't well fed, and she couldn't let her own people starve as the dogs gorged themselves on human food, so strict punishments had to have been set in place.

She shook her head at him then, indicating an answer to his question. "You can stay here. The general will be by soon. He already knows that you've arrived, and his task will be to assign you to where he thinks you'll do best here. He'll ask you a few questions, and then give you the place you are supposed to show up at tomorrow. If the choice doesn't seem to be a good fit, we move you until we find where you are strongest." She said honestly, glancing around the room. Her own quarters weren't much different from this, except in one area. Every square inch of her wall was covered in photographs. Of people, places, and things, all significant to her. She hoped he wouldn't leave his own room this barren. Turning back to glance at him one more time, as she knew she really should get a move on: she needed to recruit two more today alone, she said, "Do you have anymore questions? If not, I'll leave you to get settled, and the general should be by any minute here."

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((Hmm I'll think of something :) ))

Felix didn't think much of her warnings, since he didn't anticipate his puppy getting into trouble. Sure he would need some training, but far less than some of the other more rowdy pups that had been with him in the kennel. That was why Felix had picked him up in the first place. He hadn't been running about or fighting with the other puppies, or making noise. He had simply been sitting there calmly. Felix knew that some of the other more "hard core" soldiers might find that an unattractive quality in a dog, which was another reason why Felix had taken him. He was very unlikely to be picked by someone who wanted their puppy to grow into a vicious fighter.

Felix looked over at him now, seeing that the puppy had already explored it's new home, and had found nothing of interest. Now it was curled up on the bed, sleeping on the pillow. "I really don't think that the cooks will need to worry about him," he said, thinking that shooting dogs who stole food was a very harsh punishment. He understood that it was to punish their owner for not training them better, but why did the dog need to be punished if it didn't know any better?

He sighed and shook his head when she asked if he had anymore questions, knowing that now he would just have to wait for the general to show up. "Thank you for everything," he said to her as she turned to leave, "And I'll be sure to put the puppy in the bathroom before the general gets here so that you won't get in trouble."

[Lara]

Lexi turned back as Felix spoke, and a small smile crawled across her lips. She liked this boy, and was glad that she had decided to bring him on. Both he and his pup seemed laid back. And while the angry, spiteful, hating soldier had its uses, Lexi valued the soldiers who had a level head on them, and could make decisions without being clouded by anger and hate. She nodded once. "You're welcome." She stepped through the door. "And thank you, for hiding the pup." Her smile turned thoughtful. "I hope to see you again at supper tonight, but if not, it was nice to meet you." She turned then, and left through the door. She was aware more and more now, that she was running out of time. That goodbye might have been the last time she would ever see that boy, and that made her sad. But she was thankful, at least for having the chance to have met him in the first place, and brought him on to join her cause. She knew she needed to get up top and finish the rest of the recruits for the day before dark came.

Traversing quickly through her city, nodding politely to those who stopped and smile or saluted to her, she made it to the west gate and walked through. Anyone could get out, the security was only in effect for those wanting to get in. Silver joined her at the gates, happy and well fed, and Lexi smiled once at him, giving him a quick pat before she set her mind to the task ahead.

Once in the sewers again, she paused by the wall, scanning both ways down the tunnel to make sure she hadn't been spotted emerging, and then quickly made off down the left hand curve, into the darkness. She was used to the smell and the dampness down the hallways that lead to their underground city, but it still was something of a relief when she pushed up through the opening into one of the back alleys, and climbed out into the streets again. She replaced the man hole cover after Silver had climbed out, and gave him instructions to wait in the shadows. She wasn't very conspicuous with him trotting by her side, so whenever she was recruiting, she always told him to wait. His eyes looked sorrowful for a moment, before he flicked his ears back in understanding, and inched two spaces backwards into the shadows, where only his eyes shone in the darkness. "Good boy." Lexi whispered, before she took off down the street, heading towards her target.

…..

The General, a young man in his mid thirties, strolled through the building towards the room of the new recruit. He wore a trim suit, something much more expensive than should have been owned by someone in the slums. But the general was no longer in the slums. He had lived in the city long enough that he had been able to earn the wages for a new wardrobe, and a new position as general. He had been one of Lexi's closest friends when she had worked as an assassin. Late at night, she had sometimes snuck food, or gadgets, or clothing to him in the slums, and he was the one who had urged her to split from the government and start a rebellion. She had agreed, and together they had built the city. Lexi looked up to him as something of an older brother, and the general looked at her like a younger sister that didn't need protecting, but sometimes needed support.

He reached the room and using his cane, tapped the handle of it twice against the door to the room. He could use the card that hung around his neck under his shirt to open the door, but that was incredibly rude, and though the General held a position of power, he wasn't one to wield that power to other's expense.

When the door opened, he smiled curtly, the expression not quite reaching his eyes. He was a stressed man, with many responsibilities, and in truth, he looked aged beyond his years. And these days, he worried for Lexi constantly. "Goodday." he said immediately. "I'm George Walsh, but most people address me as General, or General Walsh." he said, extending his hand to Felix to shake. "And I assume you're the new recruit. Felix?" he asked, confirming what Lexi had told him.

He looked around the room, still pretty bare from having a new recruit just moved in, and then looked back to the boy, scanning him up and down. He looked strong, and levelheaded, and one hand seemed considerably more worn, in the right places for those who used firearms regularly as well. They could get to that part of this intro immediately. The General produced a small pistol from the flaps of his coat and he spun it around, handing it handle first to Felix. "This is the only weapon you will be permitted to have on your persons at all times. If you lose it, we can not replace it. If it is damaged, you can bring it to the weapons vault and it will be repaired for the next morning. Do you know how to fire a gun?" He asked, needing what he suspected was a yes, confirmed. As always, he was calculating where to assign this boy, and where he would be strongest.

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

Ellis had been walking through the slums for several hours. They were much larger than most people in the city assumed that they were, and she knew that there were many places for Lexi to be hiding. She'd started at the grocery store, where Chase had the footage of her leaving several hours before Ellis had arrived. She had gone inside of the shop, asking the owner if he knew anything about Lexi, but the man had insisted that he knew nothing. Ellis hadn't been entirely sure if she believed him or not, but the poor man seemed to be very stunned that she was standing there before him, and that had made Ellis smirk a bit. Clearly he had known who she was. Even though Ellis wore a black cloak to hide the tattoos on her arms, and kept the hood up to hide her distinguishing red hair, people still recognized her face from time to time, for the Phoenix had quite the reputation in the slums, as well as the city.

Deciding that the man wasn't worth her time, Ellis had simply left, knowing that she was simply going to have to do this the way that she normally did, by using her tracking skills. After all, she'd dealt with much tougher cases than this one. Lexi hadn't been gone for too long, and had been stupid enough to allow her image to be caught on camera, giving away her location. Ellis had always thought that she was smarter than that, but apparently she had over estimated her.

After heading away from the store, it hadn't taken long for Ellis to notice a single wolf print in the dusty dirt path. Several hours had passed since Lexi had been in this location, so other people had stepped over the tracks from her boots, erasing them, but every so often, Ellis would find a little wolf paw print in the dirt and she smirked. Lexi's beloved wolf was going to be the thing that led to her downfall, for now, Ellis would be able to get closer to where Lexi was at, even if eventually she wasn't able to find anymore wolf tracks.

She had followed the tracks all the way to an abandoned church, wondering if this was where The Wolf was hiding out. Just as she was about to enter the church and investigate, she heard a noise and quickly ducked into the shadows. Ellis did peer around the corner, so she did not see Lexi and her wolf emerging up from out of the sewer. She stayed very still where she was, her back against the wall and hidden in the shadows, and she waited like that until, much to her pleasure, Lexi and her stupid wolf walked right past her on the road. Honestly, she had no idea where they had come from, but couldn't have been happier about how easy it had been to find them. Knowing that this was her chance, she silently slipped one of her daggers out of her boot and waited for the right moment. However, her aim was not at Lexi, since Chase had clearly stated that she was not to be harmed too badly. No, her aim was at the wolf. She could see it lurking in the shadows on the other side of the street, and when the moment was right, she threw the dagger, hurtling it through the air with amazing speed and accuracy, and she smirked to herself when it impaled the wolf in it's flank. Not enough to kill the beast, not yet, but enough to injure it enough so that it would not attack her when she reveled herself to its master. And oh how much she enjoyed watching it bleed. Ellis truly hated that thing.


Finally, she stepped out of the shadows, lowering the hood from her cloak, and then taking it off in one smooth motion, revealing her favorite black jumpsuit with all sorts of high tech modifications in it, including special, thin, bullet proof material on her torso and back. She had her belt around her waist with all sorts of weapons and tools in it, truly looking like the frightening image that people seemed to have in their minds of her. "Hello again, old friend," she said to Lexi, smirking a bit, but it was a smirk clearly filled with hatred, for Lexi was no longer her friend,"You thought that I wouldn't find you, or at least that I would take longer, but alas here I am." As she spoke, she was also loading a magazine into her gun, which she cocked and pointed at the wolf. "If you know what's best for the both of you, you will not move to help your precious little wolf. If you do, I will think nothing of shooting it, understood?" she asked, finally realizing why she really did hate this wolf so much. Because Lexi had chosen it over her. Ellis and Lexi truly had used to be good friends before Lexi had betrayed the government, and Ellis in the process, and Ellis had no toleration for those who betrayed them. Lexi was dead to her, and she would hurt her in any way that she could, because even though she had yet to admit it to herself, being betrayed by her only friend had hurt like hell. And Ellis didn't allow anyone to hurt her and get away with it.

-----

When Felix heard a knock at his door soon after Lexi had left, he knew that it must be the General. "Coming, just a moment!" he called, knowing that he could not answer the door until he had hidden the puppy. He quickly lifted it up off of the bed, which woke it up, and he gently set it down on the toilet seat in the bathroom. "Just stay here for a little while, buddy, okay?" he asked, as if it could understand him. "I'll be back," he said as he closed the door. The puppy jumped down from the toilet and started pawing at the door and whining. Felix bit his lip, hating to leave it alone like this, but he really didn't have another choice. "Shhh, quite," he whispered to it through the door, "He can't know that you're here or else be might take you away." After a moment more, the puppy was quiet, as if it had somehow understood.

With that, Felix finally went and answered the door. He smiled a bit and shook the general's hand when he offered it to him. "Yes, Felix Schiller," he said, moving so that the general could come inside. He could feel the other man scanning and assessing him, which he did not like, but knew was probably necessary. When the General produced the pistol and handed it to him, Felix took it, examining it. It certainly wasn't as nice as his own back home, but he knew that it would do. When he was asked if he could fire it, Felix raised his eyebrows, a little surprised by the question. Who would be stupid enough to join a rebellion if they couldn't even fire a gun? "Yes sir, of course I can," he responded, knowing that his father had made sure of that. He had always wanted his son to be a strong fighting type, and trained him as such, even though that wasn't the type of person that Felix was, and both him and his father had known it.

"I actually believe that's why Lexi sought me out and recruited me, because of my skills in marksmanship," he explained, but then sighed a bit. He knew that this meeting was supposed to determine where he would be serving in the rebellion, and the way things seemed to be going so far, it seemed as though he would get stuck doing something with guns, even though that truly wasn't what he wanted to do. Even though he was gifted with them, Felix truly didn't like guns all that much. He would prefer to do something constructive instead of destructive, but he knew that he would simply do whatever he was assigned to do without complaining.

[Lara]

Silver yelped when the knife impaled his flank, sending him toppling to the side. This was what caused Lexi to spin around. In seconds, she had the knives that were always in her sleeves out in her hands, and she was in a crouch, racing back towards the alley she had left Silver in. She already knew who she would find there. She knew how this was going to end. She had been anticipating it for a while. Her purpose was to die, and at least she could go down fighting. She growled softly, almost like her wolf when she saw Ellis standing there in the alleyway. Her friend looked exactly the same. Nothing had changed about her, not even her smug look of satisfaction. What Lexi had never expected, was to also see that cold hate which she directed at her victims, staring back at her now. Ellis had been something of a confidante to her, and she had always looked up to her. No matter how many times Ellis had flaunted her strength in front of her, Lexi had put up with it, and had ignored it, trying to be friends with her.

Eventually, when she learned about what was wrong with the government, and decided that everyone deserved a chance at a good life, she had found her chance to be equal with Ellis, found her chance to prove herself stronger than just some sort of student to her, and she had taken it. How she wished Ellis would have joined her, but with the way Ellis spoke and thought about her position, and the slums, she knew that never would have happened. And by how she was speaking now, she knew she had made the right choice to leave when she did. "You haven't changed a bit." She hissed, still taut and in a ready position, her gold eyes analyzing the alley and any ways she could use her surroundings. "You're right. I expected you'd be the one they'd send after me. I just expected you much sooner." She taunted, slowly circling to the right, towards her wolf.

She wasn't going to leave him alone, and already, her blood was bolding with anger at Ellis for having wounded him. She could smell his blood, and though she was careful to keep her eyes trained on Ellis, she had seen the knife handle buried in him from her peripheral. Ellis would pay for that. "You're just as blind as you were when I left." She hissed at her. "To think you're doing the right thing." She was slowly calculating how to get Silver out of there, for she was not stupid enough to think that Ellis would spare him. She knew her friend was brutal and cold, and would not spare any life. She killed at a whim, and Lexi would never trust any life to her hands, which was why she was starting the rebellion, and Ellis was still a government crony. So she knew that just submitting wasn't an option. She had to get Silver out, and get him safe.

What she wasn't expecting, was when her wolf made the first move, and leaped at Ellis with a low growl. Lexi wanted to shriek at him to stay back, but it was too late. He head leaped, and to divert Ellis's attention, she threw one of her knives, with deadly speed and accuracy, right at Ellis's shoulder. She knew her friend could dodge it, and the main intent was to divert her attention as Silver barrelled his full weight into her, latching his jaws down on Ellis's wrist. Lexi flinched out of habit when she heart a soft crunch as Silver clamped his jaws around Ellis's wrist. He was a horrific thing to see when he was on his back paws. The wolf was taller than a man, and nearly three times the weight, his teeth longer and sharper than any dogs. But what Lexi saw when she looked into his eyes, was only worry, and sympathy, worry for her sake, and it nearly tore her heart out. "Good boy." She whispered, in the same instant, reaching for her gun at her waist. She knew that either her friend would die, or her wolf would, so she had to end this right now.

….

The general nearly chuckled at Felix's quick retort about being able to shoot a gun. So he was good at it. Good enough at it that it was the reason Lexi was recruiting him. "Good. Then I wont have to babysit you." he said, his smile reaching his eyes. He liked a capable soldier, and he was liking this boy more and more. He could shoot a gun well, and yet he seemed to be calm and level headed, and not the angry type at all. He clapped his hand on his shoulder. "We can definitely use people like you in our ranks. I'm glad you joined." he said seriously.

Moving to the kitchen, he grabbed a glass and searched for something to drink. "No beer?" he mumbled, mostly to himself, though he knew that was because the poor boy had just moved here, and didn't have wages to buy anything yet. "No matter." he switched the tap on and filled his glass with water, downing it in two gulps.

Then he set his glass down and turned back towards Felix. He knew he had a few places he could put this boy, and figured that the best way to find his skill set, would be to give him a choice, and then see how well he did in that area. "Well… I think you'll do quite nicely in a few of our areas." he said seriously, moving to lean against the counter. "You could work as a soldier, a sniper, to be precise, we could use your shooting skills. Or, you could work on more covert missions, gathering information from the government, files and the like." he said, smiling kindly at him, as he gave him time to think it over. "Or, instead, you could choose one of the jobs here, in the control hub as a leader of a squad, or in the weapons room, taking stock of weapons that come and go, and fixing those that you can." He said, standing again as he leaned on his cane. "But choose the place you think you would do best in, not the one you want to do most. We don't take kindly to cowards." he warned, knowing that some people chose safer jobs simply for that reason.

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

Ellis glared at her, thinking that she was seeing this all wrong. "And you're still just as stupid as you where when you left," she retorted back, "Don't you see that even if you do get enough supporters to form you little rebellion, the government will always be more powerful. You are outmaned, and outgunned, and if you were to launch a rebellion, you would only be getting previously innocent people killed." Ellis knew that Lexi had to see that she was right, for she had worked for the government, and she knew the power that they possessed. There was absolutely no way that any army that she could create would be able to overthrow the government. "The king is doing what he can to try and fix the problems here in the slums, but he isn't a miracle worker. The changes will not be felt instantly, you and your people are simply impatient," she insisted, her normal smugness gone now and replaced by firmness as she talked politics. She remembered earlier when Chase said that she could have gone into politics, but she still thought that he was crazy. Politics was no place for a freak like her, or at least that's what she thought about herself.

"Now, you're going to come with me before things get out of hand. Agreed?" she asked Lexi, highly doubting that the other woman would try and attack her, seeing as she knew her skills. Then again, Lexi had very many skills of her own, being a former assassin, and a fight between the two of them would certainly be interesting. Besides, if Lexi started a fight, then Ellis would have an excuse to hurt her, even though Chase had told her not to. However, it was then that the wolf suddenly got up and charged at her, and at the same time Lexi threw the knife. Not physically being able to react to both at the same time, Ellis moved to catch the knife before it could impale her shoulder, and as she did, the wolf bit down onto her wrist hard, making her drop the gun that she had been pointing at it previously. A cry of pain escaped her as it bit her, knowing from the crunch that it's powerful bite had broken her wrist.

Now, fueled by purely anger, Ellis decided that she had more than enough of this. Taking Lexi's knife that she had caught with her specially enhanced reflexes, she forcefully stabbed the wolf in the throat, shoving it off of her in the process. She felt no remorse as she did this, and honestly, she wasn't thinking much either. The anger, and hatred, and the pain from her broken wrist were all mixing together, forcing her to do whatever she needed to in order to finish her mission and end it. "You're coming with me, and that's the end of it!" she exclaimed then, reaching for her tranquilizer and shooting a dart into Lexi's neck, knowing that the toxins inside of it would knock her unconscious long enough for Ellis to drag her back to the palace. Once that was finished, she gently held her injured wrist with her good hand, examining it. There were several deep, bleeding gashes from where the wolf had sunken it's teeth into her and ripped her flesh, so much so that she could see her bone in two different places. Wrapping it quickly and tightly in bandages, since that was all she could do at the moment, she looked down at the wolf again, knowing that she was simply going to leave it here to die. With her broken wrist, she would have no extra strength to take it back with her. For now, she simply waited the few minutes that it would take for the toxins to completely take Lexi over, and when they did, she would drag her to the car and bring her back to Chase. She certainly hoped that he was happy that she had been able to track down and capture Lexi in one night.

((I didn't have her officially kill the wolf because I didn't want you to be sad, since I know that you love it so much :) I was thinking that maybe Lexi thinks that Ellis killed him, but later, Felix come up and finds it dying, which is when he realizes that Lexi has been taken. Then maybe he can help to get it medical attention so that it lives))

-----

Felix sighed a bit, almost wishing that he hadn't brought up that Lexi had recruited him for his marksmanship, because it certainly seemed to impress the General. Sadly, he knew that this probably meant that he would be assigned a position that had very much to do with shooting and killing, even though that wasn't at all what he wanted. There had to be someway that he could serve the rebellion without having to kill anyone. Felix shrugged a bit when the General remarked on the fact that he didn't have any beer. Honestly, he wished that he did, for he could certainly use a beer after the day that he had had.

When the General began listing off positions that he thought that Felix would be well suited for, he flinched a bit when he said sniper as his number one choice. That was exactly what Felix did not want to do, so he was happy when the General began listing other things as well. However, none of them sounded anymore appealing to him. They all involved weapons, weapons, weapons, and more weapons. Felix knew that he should assume as much from a violent rebellion, but he had simply been hoping for something nonviolent. He sighed a bit, blaming his father for this. He had forced him to learn how to fight and shoot, even when he had made it clear that he didn't want to. Now, people were getting the wrong idea of who he was, and Felix hated that. All he wanted to do was make art. He knew that the practice was outdated, and he would get no where with it, but he didn't care. It was one of the only things in life that made him happy.

He was about to ask the General if there was anything that he could do that was more.... creative than the options that he was given. He thought that maybe he could draw some propaganda posters, or design a flag for the rebels, or something along those lines, but that was when the General brought up how much cowards were frowned upon here. He was supposed to not choose what he wanted to do, but choose what he would be best at, and Felix knew that the General thought that that would be being a sniper. He took a deep breath, knowing that he didn't have much of another choice. "I suppose that I will take the sniper position, sir," he said, hiding his disappointment well.

[Lara]

((lol, awesome, thanks! :) ))

What she said all seemed logical, and trustworthy even. If Lexi was just some random person on the street who had just listened to their conversation, she would have definitely agreed with Ellis. But she was missing one key piece of information that tipped the scales entirely. The government wasn't trying to help the poor, in fact, they needed the poor there, and the rich to keep up the economy. They didn't' have enough resources to just support a population full of mediocre people with mediocre lives. They need the rich to spend spend spend, and anyone who didn't have money, well… they didn't provide them with recourses. This was what made the government powerful, and she knew that the newest heir to the throne was too drunk on this power to do anything differently.

What Lexi had been expecting, and dreading to happen, happened in the next second, as Ellis took her own dagger, and turned it on Silver, slicing it into his neck. The wolf yelped, and immediately released her wrist, with a pained look in Lexi's direction, it thudded to the concrete, lying still. Lexi paled, staring at her wolf in horror. She could see his side rise and fall with ragged breaths, and he whined once, a pained sound as his eyes clouded. Either with pain, or death, Lexi couldn't tell, for her own eyes had filled with tears.

It was in that one moment, that one brief pause that Lexi knew had been a fatal mistake. A pinch flared up in her neck, but she didn't even wince. So this was how it ended, and her only friend had died to try and prevent it. Lexi gasped as the horrible toxins seared through her blood stream and she shuddered, falling to her knees. She stared at her wolf, who was going blurry as her eyes lost focus, but she could still see the puddle of blood beneath him. And a cold hatred filled her, a hatred for her friend who killed so easily, without any sort of remorse. Well, she was a friend no longer. Lexi looked up, her eyes blurry with tears, but her face was contorted in fury. "You're despicable, and I hate you." Her words slurred as the toxin claimed her body and she slumped to the concrete beside Silver, both equally motionless.

…

The general noticed that the boy crinkled up his face in distaste at the options, and it was then that he noticed the small sketchbook on the table. An artist, hmm? The General's smile was soft, as he thought over what this could mean for the boy. Maybe his passion was somewhere else, and a bored soldier was not an effective one.

His smile was genuine, however, when Felix made his choice, and the General handed him a small book with instructions, and things he would need to know about the job, like where to meet in the mornings, and where he would be training. "Wonderful." He said, shaking his hand again. He picked up his cane and headed for the door, turning right before he left. "Your pup just peed in the bathroom." He said, winking at him. "Oh… and painting your own walls, is allowed. If you ever get in the mind to be creative." his smiled was genuine. "And if you're still bored, there's canvases you can buy down in the markets. It would be a good outlet for your wages and spare time."

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((Haha, of course! Are you enjoying this so far? And be honest :) ))

Ellis watched Lexi as she wrapped the bandaged around her hand, trying to ignore the agonizing pain that came from wrapping them so tightly, but she knew that she had to get the bleeding to stop. She would look at it more in depth once she returned to the palace. When Lexi said that she hated her, Ellis simply looked at her, but there was a sort of sadness in her eyes, something that didn't show up often. "The feeling is mutual," she said quietly, just as the toxins took Lexi over. There was something about watching her old friend, turned enemy lay on the ground in tears that made Ellis' heart ache slightly. It was until very rare moments like this that she even remembered that she had one. In her line of work, Ellis knew that she couldn't allow herself to have such dangerous emotions such as these. She really only allowed herself to feel anger, and other related emotions that helped her get job done. Such emotions such as compassion and sadness were usually very missing from her.

Quickly shaking her head to rid it of such dangerous thoughts, Ellis scooped up Lexi with her one good hand and arm, which was much harder than it sounded. With that, she cared her to the car and placed her body across the back seat after handcuffing her, just in case she somehow woke up early. Once that was finished, she got into the front and drove with one hand all the way back to the palace. By this time, it was dark out, and most of the palace staff had gone home for the night. She pulled up by the entrance to the weapons room, where Chase had found her earlier, because below this room was where the cells for prisoners were located. Getting Lexi out of the car and carrying her downstairs, Ellis placed her in one of such cells, laying her down gently on the bed instead of simply dumping her on the floor, as she would have done with any other prisoner. Forcing herself not to look back, and left and set the code into the key pad outside of the cell to lock Lexi inside.

Ellis sighed deeply, wishing for the first time that things didn't have to be this way, but she quickly pushed those thoughts away as she headed upstairs, cradling her broken wrist close to her body. She knew that she would have to take care of it soon, for the blood was beginning to seep through the bandages, but first, she knew that she had to inform Chase that she had returned. Ellis picked up a small communicator that she had left on the table, setting it to the correct frequency to contact the prince. "I'm back," she said into it, "Come down and see your goods." With that, she set it down, waiting for him to show up so that she could report and then send him away. Those rare emotions that Ellis had felt by seeing Lexi like this had worn her down a bit, and she currently wasn't completely her normal self. She honestly would prefer that the prince not see her like this, but she was required to report to him before going home.

----

Felix sighed a bit and took the manual from the General, knowing that he was now stuck with this position. He was already questioning why he had committed to being a sniper, but he already knew the answer. It was because he didn't want to be thought of as a coward by asking for something else. After all, he was sure that people around here would only laugh at him if they found out about his true passion. He was almost positive that no one here would appreciate art.

As the General turned to leave, Felix nodded a goodbye. "Thank you for everything, sir," he said, but when the General made the comment about his puppy, Felix froze. How could the General possibly know about that?! The pup had been quite after all. Felix only hoped that Lexi wasn't going to get into trouble now for breaking the rules for him, but when he saw the other man wink, he relaxed a bit. When he continued to speak, talking about painting the walls, and canvases, Felix was truly stunned that he had been able to figure all of these things out about him, but then he saw his sketchbook on the table and knew that that must have given it away. A wide, genuine smile spread across his face as he looked at the General. "Thank you, sir. Thank you very much," he said again, deciding that he quite liked this man.

Once he was gone, Felix went into the bathroom where he found that his pup had in fact peed on the floor. When the puppy saw him, he hung his head in shame a bit, which only made Felix laugh a bit. "What did you do?" he asked light heartedly as he found some paper towels to clean up with. Once that was done, he picked up the pup, knowing that he still had to name the little guy, but he simply couldn't think of anything that suited him correctly. "Don't worry, you'll get a proper name soon," he promised the little pup as he grabbed his sketchbook off the table and carried the puppy with him so that they could both go up above ground and get some fresh air. Once they got above ground, Felix set the pup down, letting him walk on his own and explore as he pleased, as long as Felix could see where he was at. With that, he began to search for something interesting to draw.

[Lara]

((I am! This is getting good :) How are you liking it? Oh, and sorry for the crappy post last night, it was getting late, lol))

The air was balmy, but the humidity made the lights of the city waver and shimmer under the sun. Chase wasn't bothered by the heat. He had been born and raised here, after all. But it was the humidity that was gruesome. That, and the fact that listening to peasant complaints was probably the most boring thing in the history of ever. Chase sat slightly reclined back in his chair, one hand drumming his fingers against the armrest. This was needed, obviously, and while he and his father both had their expressions schooled to something like calm interest, he knew that like him, his father was tired.

Chase let his eyes sweep the man who was standing before him. He was clothed in jeans and a tattered white t-shirt, and he had a patch over one eye. But besides for the one gruesome injury, his scruffy hair, and bright eye marked him as no older than twenty. "I need money…" he started off, his voice hesitant.
Chase resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Doesn't everyone these days? His thoughts were interrupted by a buzzing, and he lifted his watch, peering at it in real interest as a message scrawled itself across the screen.

A thrilled half smile curved across Chase's features and he stood, bending to whisper to his father. "The girl got her." Before he bowed to the man standing in front of him. "I wish you all the best, good sir, but you must excuse me." Then he turned and left, heading swiftly back through the palace and down into the lower chambers where the message had come from.

It didn't take him long at all, to arrive where Ellis was standing, outside a locked cell. He slid his hands in his pockets, walking up to the door to peer in the window (also a sheet of invisible metal) at the figure laying on the cot. Sure enough, there was the wolf, apparently unconscious by the sag in her shoulders and slow rise and fall of her chest. But she was cuffed, and in a cell, in his palace. Chase grinned. This was going wonderfully as planned, better than planned even, as he had not expected the bounty hunter to collect the girl so swiftly. Now he and his father could enact their plans for her, and the rebellion would be quenched immediately.

He turned, then, to face Ellis, his smile a polite one again. "I must say, I am surprised." He said honestly, figuring that she deserved a compliment for her skills and quick work. "Good job Ellis, I commend you for you speed in bringing her here." He dipped his head in a slight bow. It was then that he noticed that Ellis looked worn… and she was clutching a bloody wrist to herself. So there had been something of a fight… "You'll find your reward in your accounts." He said, as all money was transferred digitally, and he had already payed her handsomely for her work. "But for now, we should get you to an infirmary." he insisted, starting the walk in that direction. He felt responsible to make sure she got the care she deserved, and he, in all honesty, was worried that she would just kneel over any second.

….

There was only darkness for a long while, darkness and a pulsing, throbbing pain. It originated from two places, her head, and her heart. Lexi focused on the pain, gasping as it was brought into sharp clarity, and then slowly, the darkness swirled, and light poked a hole in the centre, scattering the black from her vision.

She could see grey now, shiny metallic grey, but everything was swimming. The pain had only grown worse, and now that she was conscious, she became aware of an aching cramp in her arms. So I'm cuffed then.

Blinking was hard, painfully so, but she forced her eyes to close, blanketing her in darkness for a moment, before she opened them again, her chips working frantically to clear the haze from her eyes and sharpen her vision once more. The cell came into focus, and then split apart so she was seeing double. Lexi's head swam and she groaned, closing her eyes again.

This time, when she opened her eyes, there was only one cell, and she could see it clearly. Not that that was much of a blessing. She was locked in a cell, with the frigid knowledge that her one friend was dead, and her other former friend had killed him, in cold blood. Lexi then realized why her heart was aching so terribly.

Pushing herself up onto her side, and then onto her knees, she looked around the cell. She was alone, and enclosed in a small metal room, with a single cot. At least it was dry, and she was alone. Being alone meant that she could mourn Silver. The tears came unbidden and rolled down her cheeks. She was a silent crier, so she just sat there and stared, feeling the ache in her pounding heart worsen and crack as she replayed how Silver had died over and over in her mind. He had died trying to save her, and her friend had killed him. She had never held much against Ellis, as she knew she was blinded by the lies that the government told. But now… Lexi knew she would never forget the cold hatred in Ellis's eyes as she had not even paused a moment before stabbing her wolf. She could still see his eyes clouding, hear his pained whimper. The tears streaked down her face until she had no more left to give. Shrugging up her shoulders, she wiped her cheeks against them and schooled her face into a cold mask of indifference. That was how she wanted to play? Fine. Ellis had died to her.

Lexi glanced around the cell with calculation, but it only took her a quick glance to know that she couldn't get out through strength. It would have to take tricky work, and help from outside. But she would get out. She swore she would get out, and then she would avenge Silver.

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((I'm really liking it so far, and I'm glad that you are too! :) And yeah, one or two of my posts last night were really crappy too, so it's okay! Not that I thought that any of yours were bad or anything))

Ellis waited outside of the cell until she saw Chase approaching, at which point she stood a little straighter and refused to look at her injured wrist in hopes that he wouldn't notice it. She was definitely not at her best at the moment, and she truly didn't want the prince, her boss, to see her like this. She was injured, physically worn, and mentally weary. All of the above were very unlike her, and in Ellis' eyes they were weaknesses that she wished not to display to others. She wished to lock herself away until the pain and these foreign feelings passed.

As he looked into the cell and then complimented her on her work, Ellis simply nodded a bit. Normally his gratitude would have meant more to her, but right now, she simply didn't care all that much, and she cared even less about the money that he spoke of. Ellis didn't find much pleasure in material things, so truly, money wasn't that much of an incentive for her to do a good job. She simply did her job because it was all that she had ever truly done, and she wanted to be the best.

When Chase finally seemed to notice her injured wrist, the blood that was still seeping through the bandages now dripping on to the floor, Ellis sighed, holding her it gently with her other hand to stop the blood from dripping as much. "That damn wolf bit me," she muttered in irritation. "It ripped right through my flesh with it's teeth, and no doubt broke the bone too," she said, remembering the awful crunching sound, "But that wolf got what was coming to it in the end. Sorry I didn't bring it back to you as I promised, but it was hard enough getting the girl back here with only one good hand..." She shrugged a bit, obviously implying that the wolf was now dead, or so she assumed.

When Chase said that she should get to the infirmary, Ellis stopped and shook her head. "No, I can deal with it just fine myself, and I certainly don't need you to escort me," she said in irritation, for she always got in a bad mood when other people tried to help her with things that she could do just fine on her own. With that began to ignore Chase as she began to unwind the bandages from around her wrist, even though the simple action made her wince unintentionally. She only hoped that Chase hadn't seen, because it would only make him insist that she needed to go the infirmary even more. She really did hate it there, and was convinced that she had more medical knowledge than most people who worked there. It wasn't like she hadn't been injured before, and she had simply taught herself how to deal with it.

------

Felix continued walking, letting the pup lead the way. However, it wasn't long until he suddenly darted off down a seemingly random street, making Felix quickly run after him. "Wait! Come back here!" he called, wondering why the puppy suddenly seemed to intent on going somewhere specific. When Felix finally caught up to him, he saw what the little pup had been so insistent on getting to. There on the ground was a wolf, Lexi's wolf no doubt, laying in a pool of blood with two knives sticking out of it's body, one in it's flank and one in it's throat. Felix froze for a moment as his puppy circled around the wolf, whimpering and nudging it's head against it from time to time to see if it would react. Felix could tell that it wasn't dead yet, but it was certainly close.

Still slightly afraid of the thing, he took a few cautious steps closer to it, unsure of whether or not it would let him help it, or if it would try and attack him in some way. "Hey, it's okay, I'm going to help you," he said softly as he approached, wondering where on earth Lexi was at.

((sorry that was short, but I figured that you would want to write something for Silver..))

[Lara]

((Yay! And lol, great, so it was mutual. I'm so glad this one is going better than the last one ^-^))

Chase paused to look back at her in the moment that she started explaining what had happened with the wolf. Though he kept his face passive as she told him how she had acquired her injury, inwardly he flinched. For he had seen the size of that animal, and with all that muscle powered into it's jaws, it could probably pack a pretty hefty bite. It was no wonder that that rogue assassin had chose to keep it with her a lot of the time. It would be a killer defender if she had really trained it to protect her. And the evidence was here, in the blood pooling on the wrist of the government's best bounty hunter.

Chase let his eyes drift down to her wrist, which really looked like it needed help, before his eyes wandered back up to meet her gaze. It was then that he saw something he had not noticed in her gaze before. It was almost like pain, and that, more than anything, was most surprising, especially since the bounty hunter looked cold and calculating most of the time. Where had the pain come from? And why was it there? She must be hurting pretty badly for it to show up on her features even in the slightest.

Chase had only a brief moment of thought before he remembered that Lexi and Ellis had been friends at one point. And then his thoughtful expression returned to normal, as he realized that this must have been why she looked so worn. Lexi was her friend, or had been at one point, and even if they were at odds now, it still must have been hard to have to bring her in. And that proved something else to Chase… that this girl actually did have feelings, and could be hurt. Some assassins were just so blinded by rage that they didn't feel anything at all, and others were too empathetic, like Lexi, and would find pity for those who didn't deserve it. And Ellis, he had thought, was one of those people who just didn't…. feel.

But he seemed to have been corrected, and he looked at her in a new light then. "It is not my intent to try and say you aren't capable of going there yourself." he said quickly, hoping she understood that. He knew she didn't need his help. "But please, allow me to see that it is at least being properly tended to, before I leave you to your own devises. I wish to know that you are on the way to recovery." He said seriously. "It would give me peace to know you were alright. I certainly don't wish to just leave you here bleeding in my hallways."

…..

((no problem, about the length. This will be short too… because… lol. There won't be much to say for the wolf.))

Silver was laying on his side in the puddle of slick warm blood. Breathing was hard, seeing was hard… living was getting harder. Pain was flaring up in his side, and worse was the pinching fire that seared through his neck. He knew, instinctually that he was dying, and it was the knife in his neck that was killing him. The blood, his life, was escaping, and he could smell the thick stench of it in his sensitive nose. He knew his own smell, and it just made him more panicked. Not that he could do anything about it. He couldn't move.

And that was when a blurry form materialized in his vision, and the smell of a strange creature hit his nose. Boy, and dog. That new boy. And one of the pups. He knew it's smell, so he didn't fight as the animal came over and started nudging him. He whined, and then growled a warning when the puppy nudged his shoulder and pain jolted through him as it jarred his neck wound. Then he just lay still, happy to have the company of one of his own kind. But what he really wanted, was his master, his friend. And some bad women had taken her. He had watched her being dragged off.

When the boy came over, Silver tried to lift his head to look at him, to determine if he was intent on being friendly or not. But he only whimpered and weakly flopped back again. He pawed at the cement, trying to get up, but he couldn't move. He yelped as the knife in his flank shifted, and his eyes clouded further with pain. He was growing weaker. But he had to get up… he could see Lexi's footprints in the dust, he could see the evidence of the fight, and he had to follow her, he had to save her.

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((Yes, it definitely is! I still do feel really bad about how I pretty much abandoned the other one, because I know that you liked it a lot, but it simply got really dull for me and I just lost all motivation to ever post, and I know that that wasn't fair to you, so thank you for putting up with me through that <3 If you want to continue the other one, I would be willing to try. We could possibly do both at the same time???))

Ellis caught him looking at her with a questioning look on his face, and it was clear that he was thinking of something and studying her. She knew then that somehow he could see how she was feeling, even though she was trying to hide it, and she knew that she had to do something fast before he thought of her as weak for allowing herself to get hurt like this.

She glared at him as he spoke to her, convincing herself that she didn't buy the genuine concern in his voice because she wanted a reason to be angry with him. "Listen to you, talking to me just like you do to those people from the slums who come and visit you everyday to beg for money," she accused.

"Lexi was right about one thing, I'm a government puppet. You use me to get what you want, and then you give me my reward. That is the extent of our relationship, so don't you dare pretend that you care about my well being, even for a second. Don't treat me like you do those people who come to see you. Don't waste your breath on me like you do for them," she snapped, letting her forced anger flood her mind if any of the other feelings that she had at the moment.

She did have a point though, he had no reason to care about her at all, and honestly, she didn't want him to. Ellis had now convinced herself that she didn't need people, she could get on just fine by herself. People, like Lexi, she realized, only hurt her in the end, and she couldn't afford to be hurt like this ever again. After all, she had a reputation to keep up, and she had to continue to be strong and confident.

------

((Haha yeah, it's okay. I just felt like you should add in something in there so that Felix had something to react to, you know? On a completely random side note, I keep thinking I want to name the puppy Joey, but that the same time, I really don't like it... Thoughts?))


When the wolf suddenly growled at him, the pup yipped and jumped back, suddenly afraid, but he got the courage to slowly come back and curl up next to the dying wolf's head, wanting to stay by one of his own kind as it lay dying.

Felix also jumped when the wolf suddenly growled, but when it looked up at him whimpered like that, Felix felt safe enough to get closer to it. When the wolf tried to get up, he frowned and gently placed his hand on it's back to keep it down. "I know you want Lexi. I don't know where she is either, now hold still," he said softly to it, as if it could understand.

With that, he gently pulled the knife out of its neck, and then removed his shirt and used it to soak up blood since it was all that he had to do so. The knife that was stuck in the wolf's flank wasn't as sevre, and the bleeding had mostly stopped in that area, so Felix decided that it was best to leave it in for the time being to not make things worse.

As he held his shirt to the wolf's neck, he gently and hesitantly pet it's head to try and comfort it if he could. He knew that he needed to call someone to help him, but who. He didn't know anyone here besides the general, so he decided that he didn't have much of another choice than to find him once he got the wolf's neck to stop bleeding. It would then need expect medical attention, and fast.

[Lara]

((Lol, thanks for your concern, but honestly it's alright. I don't want to continue anything you won't be interested in. I'm alright with just doing this one. It's interesting :) ))

Chase watched a sort of alarm cross her features, probably as she realized that he was studying her. And he knew that he should have hid that better. At least he had had the good sense to keep any pity off his features. He didn't want her thinking that he thought she wasn't capable or needed pity, he was honestly just worried for her. She was a human being, wasn't she? Wasn't he allowed to care about her well being? Apparently not. When she whirled on him and snapped about him treating her like the people from the slums.

Something about her comments stung, truly stung. And while he was practiced enough at hiding his emotions, that it didn't show on his features, he did just stop and look at her for a moment, unsure of what to say. She was accusing him of not caring about anyone at all. She was saying he was heartless. He could very well accuse her of the same thing, but he had kept quiet, and lo and behold, she had proven to have a heart. And yet here she was, all angry at him for trying to make sure she was alright, and she was accusing him for being heartless.

Yes, he didn't care about the people in the slums nearly as much as he made sure he appeared to care. But that didn't mean he was heartless. It didn't mean he was blind to the suffering, and the angst of those people, he just avoided thinking about it, knowing it was better if they stayed poor. More people would lose jobs if the poor revolted, and in the end, that would just be more painful for everyone. So he just ignored the suffering as best as he could, and tried to move on with his head held high. But let no one say that he was heartless, that Chase did not care. His shock melted away quickly into a hard mask that clearly portrayed his annoyance. "Forgive me, oh supreme bounty hunter." he bowed deeply, before standing again, his eyes hard. "For offering to walk with you to receive the care your broken arm clearly needs." He shook his head, turning to walk away. "You clearly are fine on your own. I wouldn't call you a puppet, more of an employee, but clearly you don't hold yourself in very high esteem. No matter. I won't bother you with my presence any longer." He spun then, and paced away through the hallway.

….

((yeah for sure! No problem. And Joey is a cute name! I definitely approve. :) ))

Silver watched cautiously as the boy approached, talking soothingly to him. His calm words let him relax slowly and Silver's eyes blinked closed. He trusted this boy. Lexi had trusted this boy. She had been relaxed around him, so he was relaxed around him.

At least until a searing pain bit into his neck, as the boy ripped out that sharp thing. Silver yelped, jerking his head up, and then lay back down weakly again when the boy pressed his soft white cloth thing against the blood. The throbbing ebbed and Silver closed his eyes again. Less pain. Less pain now, and now he could sleep. He could just lie down and let the darkness claim him.

He felt the boy's gentle hand smooth over his head in that lovely way that only dog people could manage. Silver's muscles slackened and his tail lifted in one feeble wag. He liked this boy. Maybe this boy would feed him when he woke again. So tired. The air was heavy. Silver's breathing slowed.

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

Even though it didn't show on his face, Ellis could tell that her words had hurt him by the way he got super sarcastic and defensive. She hadn't meant to hurt him that much. She had only meant to irritate him enough to make him go away, but apparently she had somehow hit a nerve. She knew that she should just let it go, let him go, but for some reason, something was pushing her to go after him. Maybe it was that little heart of hers that had been damaged as badly as her wrist, and was now bleeding out everywhere when it shouldn't. No matter how much she tried to make it stop by yelling at Chase, or trying to get him to go away, her rare emotion brought about by all of this happening to Lexi, just wouldn't go away.

Before she even really knew what she was doing, Ellis was going after him down the hall. "Chase," she said to him once she got close enough to him, addressing him by his name which was a very rare thing for her to do in the first place. Something was telling her to apologize, but honestly, she didn't know how. Ellis rarely believed that she did anything wrong, and she never apologized even if she did regret her words or actions. Maybe it was because she thought that admitting that she was wrong was a sign of weakness.

Ellis simply stood there for a few seconds, blood from her wrist dripping into the floor, but at this point, she didn't even care. Finally she said, "You can take me to the infirmary like you wanted, and then I'll buy you a beer, okay?" It was the closest she could manage to come to an apology of any kind. She didn't even know if he liked beer, but she certainly wanted one now, and she wouldn't mind going with him to get one. She did like Chase, for she found him amusing, and she convinced herself that this was the only reason why she was going out of her way to try and fix the damage that she had caused, even when she knew that she shouldn't even be wasting her time. Getting too close to people only got you hurt in the end, and she knew that now.

-----

As Felix continued to hold his shirt against the wolf's neck, he watched as it seemed content with his presence as it finally gave in and went to sleep. However, he knew that if it didn't get medical attention soon, it may never wake up again. Knowing that he didn't have much of another choice, he wrapped his arms around the large creature and lifted it up somewhat awkwardly, but then adjusted so that it was better.

"Come on buddy," he said to his pup so that he would follow as Felix headed back towards the sewer grate and removed it with his foot so that he could jump down again. Felix had never once pictured himself running shirtless through the sewers with a dying wolf in his arms and a puppy at his feet, but here he was anyway. He couldn't help but think about how much his life had changed in just a few hours.

Once he was down in the city again, Felix knew that it would be better to take the wolf to the infirmary first, and then try and find the General and tell him everything. That Lexi had no doubt been taken by the government. As he traveled through the streets, he got some strange looks from people, but he ignored them, and then at last, he made it to the infirmary. He knew that it was for people, and not animals, but he hoped that the doctors would at least be able to do something.

"Please, can you help?" he asked quickly once he entered, "This wolf is dying, Lexi's wolf. It was stabbed twice, once in the throat. Please, can you save it?" He hoped that by adding that it was Lexi's wold, it might give them a bit more motivation to act quickly.

[Lara]

Chase spent his time pacing away lost deep in thought. Most of those thoughts consisting of condescending ones that were directed at himself. He hated that he had lost just a little bit of his resolve in that moment, that he had let his emotions pan through. He didn't know why her words had cut through him so easily. He got hateful speeches in his honour nearly everyday. And yet he didn't let any of them get to him. And yet this girl had actually hurt him with a few simple comments. Either I'm getting soft… which I know I'm not…. or I actually care what she thinks about me. He realized.

Ellis was stoic a lot of the time, stoic or sarcastic, so Chase had begun to enjoy talking with her. He knew she took most things seriously, and wouldn't just joke or lie about something. Which meant, if she thought he was heartless…. then he probably was. And he knew that both hurt and bothered him. And it shouldn't have. It shouldn't have gotten to him at all. And yet it had. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She's an employee, and she wants to be left alone. Clearly wants her space. That's what you're going to give her.

And that was when he heard his name and he spun, shocked to find that she had actually followed him there, and then used his first name in addressing him. He had not thought she would ever make the effort to follow him, ever, in the history of ever. And yet here she was, with a strange look in her eyes. A strange look that almost looked too close to…. remorse. Chase turned, giving her his full attention, as she just stared at him for a moment, clearly at a loss for words. Politely, even though he was puzzled, he didn't say anything, not until she spoke first.

And when she did, he was nearly blown away. If that wasn't an apology, he didn't know what was. He had been expecting more taunts, or threats, or sarcastic remarks, or something cool and condescending. And yet, here she was actually apologizing. Could it be that she actually might care a little about how he was feeling? That she would care about anyone at all was a shock factor in its own.

Chase's lips quirked up into a half smile and he shook his head. "Wait here." he said softly, taking off down the hallway. He reached the infirmary and asked for one of the healing bandages, the types to mend flesh and bone, but minor injuries, mainly for limbs, and the neck. One of the nurses, wide eyed at seeing the prince, just handed one of the long white strips of cloth over to him. He bowed lightly in thanks and rushed out again, returning to Ellis. "They would have just given you one of these anyways. And seeing that you don't seem to want to go there at all," he raised an eyebrow. "I brought one to you." He held out his hand, clearly asking for her wrist. She had been kind enough to apologize, in her own way, and he wanted to return the favour. "Before you comment, yes, I know you are capable enough to put one of these on yourself. You can probably do it better than I can." A little flattery never hurt anyone. "But allow me this one gesture, please, and you can save yourself the digits for beer."

….

The doctors were bustling around the infirmary, hands full with those who were wounded while out on the streets, most of them in street fights, though some with mix ups with soldiers and the government. They would have had more work for themselves, however, if the war had started already. So no one was complaining.

They did look up in shock, when Felix came running up, shirtless, and with a large black wolf limp in his arms. One doctor moved up a table for him to lay it on, already examining the animal. They all recognized it, and they knew that it would be of utmost importance to keep it alive. If Lexi was really gone to the government, then this wolf would be important as a symbol to keep up the rebellion. So the doctors thanked Felix, and quickly rushed the bleeding animal into a separate room to be worked on.

The General strode into the infirmary just then, surveying the scene with a sad, and yet schooled eye. "So she's gone." he said simply, his voice lacking the emotion that was set in his eyes. He stated it simply, like he was expecting it, and yet, it sounded almost wistful, as if he couldn't quite believe that it had actually happened. His shoulders almost looked heavy with the weight of responsibility that had settled on them. "I almost thought she'd just manage to stay out of trouble forever." he admitted to no one in particular, before finally turning to Felix.

He surveyed him in one quick motion, recognition flickering in his eyes. A smile lit up his features and he clapped Felix on the shoulder. "So you managed to find the wolf and save the day, just in the nick of time, I gather." he nodded towards the doors the wolf had disappeared through. "Lexi must have just been taken. It gives us an advantage to know so soon." A heavy sigh escaped him then and he looked out towards the city. "The people will have to know… so that there isn't wide spread panic if she dies." A muscle in his jaw feathered, and it was obvious by the way he said 'if' that he actually meant 'when'.

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

Ellis was expecting him to say something, most likely mocking her for her weakness. She knew that she should have let him go, and she shouldn't care that she had hurt him. She hurt people everyday, mostly on purpose, so why did she feel bad about hurting him? Ellis decided to blame her mental weariness, knowing that it was causing her emotions to show through when she normally tried to hard to block them out. She simply needed a cold beer, and some sleep and she'd be back to her old self again.

When, however, Chase said nothing, but only for her to wait there, she did as he asked, having no idea of what he would come back with or where he was going. When he finally did return, she knew that she should have expected to see the healing bandage in his hand. Ellis could see that he was wanting her to give him her wrist, but she truly was very hesitant about it. Part of the reason why she wasn't truly close to anyone was because she had some serious trust issues. Her entire life had given her reasons not to trust people, and something in her mind was saying that if she gave Chase her wrist, he would only injure her more as a punishment for her hurtful words. Being treated like that was all that she had ever known.

Still, something in the way he was looking to her as he spoke told her that he truly did want to help her. For some reason, he really did seem to care about her, and Ellis could tell that this wasn't just an act so that he could hurt her when she was weak. He had even said that she could do it better, but he still wanted to do it instead. Slowly, she sighed and gave in,extending her broken wrist out to him, unwinding the blood soaked bandages in the process to reveal the deep, bloody gashes from the wolf's teeth. She only hoped that Chase didn't mind the sight of blood or gory wounds, because he had asked for this.

As she gave him her wrist, there was a clear, I can't believe you talked me into this look on her face, some of her old self returning now as she had time now to calm her mind somewhat. When he said that she could save herself the digits for the beer, she asked, "What, you don't drink?" Her offer had been genuine after all. For some reason, she did want him to come with her even though she knew that she should probably be by herself now in order to push out her emotions again. However, drinking alone was always very lonely, and she didn't hate Chase like she did most people.

----

Felix sighed in relief when the doctors came and took the wolf away, and he only hoped that they would be able to save the poor creature. Lexi would be devastated if they couldn't, for he knew how much she cared for that wolf. Just then, his own puppy nudged Felix's leg with his head and whined softly. He frowned and bent down to pick him up, scratching him gently behind the ears like all dogs seemed to love. He could tell that the pup was confused and distraught after all that had just happened, so he simply held him and pet him, not such what else he could really do.

Before he had time to think of much more, the General was suddenly there, and Felix sighed in relief again when the other man worked out what had happened to Lexi on his own, for Felix hadn't been looking forward to explaining that. "I didn't find the wolf, this little guy did," he said, looking down at his pup because he didn't feel right taking credit for something he didn't really do. "Joey did," he rephrased, the name popping into his head seemingly from nowhere, but he decided that he like it. It seemed to suit the little pup well.

Felix could see the stress settle into the General's features, and while he felt bad for the other man, he knew that he had sighed up to be in charge if something were to happen to Lexi, and now it was his job to lead these people for the time being. "So you were expecting that she would be caught?" he asked him, "Did she know?" To him, it didn't seem right that Lexi was just suddenly taken off the streets without warning, and he wondered why she hadn't fought. Or, maybe she had, but whoever the government had sent after her had just been able to over power her.

What really irritated Felix the most was when the General began to speak as if Lexi was never coming back, and how the would have to prepare to tell the other people in the city. "Wait, so there's no one going in after her? No rescue team or anything like that?" he asked in surprise, for it simply don't make sense, "But, she's the most powerful asset that this rebellion has. She is the leader, this entire thing is her set up. You all owe her everything, and now you're just going to leave her to whatever fate that the government plans for her?" The thought truly infuriated him, for Lexi deserved much better than that.

[Lara]

Chase waited for a moment, not missing the turmoil that was flashing in her eyes. Obviously she didn't really trust him. That was slightly hurtful, but Chase knew she had no reason to trust him. Fear and respect him, yes. He was the heir to the city, the future ruler, and current prince. She was supposed to respect him just because of his status. And she probably didn't. He knew she saw her position, and knew her place, but at the same time, he also knew that she saw herself as equal or superior to him in some manner whether due to her skills or self esteem, he wasn't sure. Regardless, it was a relief to him in some manner, because he could talk to her like an equal.

She seemed to decide that she trusted him to some extent, and he watched as she unwound her arm. His eyes hardened as he saw her injury. It was pretty gruesome. But he had seen worse. So he stepped up and gingerly took her hand in his own, surveying the gashes through her arm with a schooled eye. It was a pretty bad injury, but not anything the bandage couldn't heal. He took the end of it, and pressed it down with his thumb just above the injury.

Holding it in place this way, he used his other hand to gently stretch the bandage and pull it around her wrist. Once the end was pinned, he used both hands to wrap quicker, and then pinned the last strip in place with a clip. "There." he said softly, surveying his work. It wasn't too tight to cut off her circulation, but it was tight enough to keep the bandage snug so it wouldn't rub against her skin or the wound. "That should heal up by the end of the week." He assured. He had used these bandages before when he got into a scrape, and knew how well they worked. Just a bit tingly for a few days… and then poof. The injury was gone.

He let go of her arm and stepped back, smiling lightly in a relieved manner. She had let him help her, and he couldn't have been more thankful. He felt… right somehow, now that he had helped her, and righted the wrong that had been done to her by that vicious animal.

Somehow, her comment made a genuine laugh bubble up his throat and out of him. Not like to drink? Where had that come from? He supposed it was because he had declined her offer for beer. But it wasn't because he didn't like the drink, but mostly because he had the money to buy it himself, and didn't feel he deserved her offer. He had sent her out, after all, and in doing so, gotten her injured. Helping her had righted some of that guilt, but he really should be buying the drink. "No, of course I drink!" He said seriously, his smile soft as he turned to look at her. "Quite enjoy it, when I'm permitted to have more than a sip. I just feel I don't deserve you offer to buy me one." he admitted, seeing no reason not to tell her the truth.

…..

The General's eyes had grown distant, as he thought of his friend, alone, and in some holding place in the palace no doubt. The young girl with so much fire, captured… caged. It made him sick. He just hoped they wouldn't kill her and make a trophy of her. He hadn't even considered the possibility of them taming her. No one could tame the Wolf.

He broke out of his thoughts as the boy, that brilliant boy he had grown to like so much, started to talk. Yes, the answer was yes. He was expecting she would be caught, but only because Lexi had insisted that she couldn't outrun the government. He nodded. "Yes, I was expecting she would get caught, and so was she." he said seriously. "She most definitely knew, she was the one who told me." he told the boy, wondering why he was so interested in what Lexi's fate was all of a sudden. He wasn't sure if it was just a devotion of a follower of the cause, or something more.

Then he bristled, wondering when he had given the impression that the boy could just talk to him like that. He stood up straighter, looking completely peeved. "Do you think I like that she was captured any more than you do, boy?" he asked, keeping his tone even. "Do you think I like the thought of her being held, and possibly tortured in a cell somewhere? She was my friend." he said, his eyes narrowing. "And it makes me sick to think of her over there alone." He shook his head, the fight going out of him, then, his shoulders sagging. "But there's nothing I can do to help her. She herself insisted that no one was to be sent after her once she was captured, as she wouldn't waste soldiers on her escape. She said it was a waste of life, when no one could break into government security and come out alive." He explained. "And nothing hurt her more than the thought of bringing innocent lives down with her. She wanted to go down fighting, and her death will be for a worthy cause." He said softly, looking over at Felix. "There is nothing we can do to help her."

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

Ellis watched as Chase took her wrist, wincing slightly when he touched it, but she tried to hide it as best as she could. The broken bone truly did hurt terribly, but Ellis felt weak admitting being in pain so easily. She watched as he gently wrapped the bandage around the bloody gashes from the wolf's teeth, noticing how careful he was being, even though he was wrapping tightly because he had to. She wasn't used to receiving such a gentle touch. She was used to being hit, kicked, slapped and shot, but this was all new to her. Sometimes she forgot that people were capable of such gentleness, since she never ever received any, or gave any for that matter.

When he finally finished and pushed the pin into the bandage to keep it secured together, Ellis looked up at him, not knowing how to say thank you for something that she hadn't wanted in the first place, or at least, she hadn't known that she had wanted it. Hadn't known that she longed for such a gentle touch, one that showed that he actually did care about her, and that he wanted to help. However, Ellis quickly pushed those thoughts from her head. He wasn't supposed to care about her, and she wasn't supposed to have enjoyed being touched with such care like that. She was supposed to have put that stupid bandage on herself, and she was supposed to have let him walk away earlier. Why hadn't she just let him walk away?

When he suddenly laughed a bit, it snapped Ellis out of her thoughts, and she remembered what they had been talking about. As he seemed to decline her offer to buy him a drink, Ellis wondered why on earth she had offered that in the first place. Why had she wanted him to come with her anyway? She always drank alone. She always did everything alone. However, Ellis knew that she had invited him to
come because she had felt sorry for him, and maybe.... maybe it was a secret plea for companionship in disguise. Maybe so that Ellis wouldn't be so lonely, just for one night. Because she did like Chase, at least enough to want to spend a bit more time with him.

However, the one time she did something so completely out of character as that, she got rejected. She figured that she couldn't blame the prince, for of she were him, she probably wouldn't have wanted to go get a drink with her either. "Alright then, I suppose this is where I leave you," she said emotionlessly, as if nothing at all had just happened between them, and she didn't feel rejected. She didn't need him. Ellis didn't need anyone, and she wondered why she kept forgetting that. "I'll be at the bar if you require my assistance again," she said, then turned to leave.

-----

Felix listened as the General spoke, thinking that it was stupid that they both he and Lexi knew that she would be captured, and that had truly done nothing to prevent it. Even if the government agents were truly that good, and preventing being captured was truly impossible, they could have at least done something to postpone it, couldn't they?

It was clear to see that the General was angry with Felix when he spoke up like that, and normally Felix would have cared, but right now he simply didn't. Right now he didn't respect the General's authority over him, and he was going to say whatever he wanted to say because he truly was that frustrated with this all. "She was your friend?" he snapped, "My God, you're talking about her like she's already dead!" He stopped then as he saw the will to fight leave the other man's features, and at that point, Felix relaxed as well and continued to listen.

He understood what Lexi had been saying about not wanting anyone to come after her, and he truly thought that it was noble of her to not want anyone else to be hurt saving her, but even still, it irritated Felix. How could she possibly think that dying a martyr was her best option? The rebellion would die without her!

Just then, he got an idea. "But I... I'm not a soldier, at least not yet anyway. I don't start my training until tomorrow, and I can still pul out of all of tis if I choose to," he pointed out, "That means that I can go after her."

[Lara]

Chase was a little taken aback by what she seemed to have taken from his comment. Did she think that he didn't want to be near her, or hang around her? Because that was not the case… he had simply meant that he didn't feel like he deserved to be paid for. If anything he thought he should pay for her drink. And now she was obviously disappointed, and starting to walk away, apparently she had taken his comment as a rejection. He hadn't meant it as a rejection, that was for sure.

Chewing his lip, he watched as she turned to leave. He had things to do. He had lots of things to do, and people to talk to, primarily his father, and Lexi. That was a big 'to do' on his lips, and he really didn't have time to just hang around. But that didn't mean he didn't want to… Chase never had any true interactions. He always just kept his expression pedicured, cool, fake. He rarely showed his true emotions, and if he did, it took a skilled eye to notice it. But Chase felt like he could be himself around her, he didn't feel like he had to fake anything, or prove anything, or keep up appearances. She could take the real him. She seemed tough enough to take anything.

Chase went after her then, deciding this had to fixed. He reached out a hand, as if to stop her, but didn't actually touch her shoulder. "Hey… wait." he said, stopping beside her as he slipped his hands into his pockets again. "I never said I didn't want a drink…" He pointed out softly.

"I uh… I just said I didn't feel I deserved a drink you bought me. I should be buying." his smile crawled back to his features as he said it. "But I'll make you a compromise. We'll go to the bar together, and each buy our own drink?" He suggested. He knew neither of them probably wanted to concede and let the other buy, so he thought that was a good compromise. "Unless, of course… you'll let me buy." He raised an eyebrow at her, as he joined her in the walk towards the bar. Maybe some part of him, wanted a friend.

….

The General prickled at Felix's outburst. He didn't ever appreciate the soldiers and men who thought they were better than everyone else. In fact, he absolutely despised people who thought they were better than everyone else, and above the rules. Everyone had a place and a part to play, if they wanted this to work. And he needed everyone to work together. This boy had come across as smart, as willing to work together. But now… he wasn't so sure anymore. He was shouting at him about not caring about his only friend.

The General turned to look at him. "I wish circumstanced were different, I really do." Then he swallowed and looked away, images of Lexi flashing through his mind. Please have a swift death. Let them be merciful… He thought.

At Felix's sudden suggestion, the General paused, not having thought of that. It wasn't directly disobeying Lexi's orders. This kid wasn't a soldier yet, and he was the only new recruit that still hadn't started training. Did he think he had much of a chance for success? Well… he hadn't really known him long enough to judge… but the task was almost impossible. However, if there was a chance, then the General really wanted to take it. He wanted Lexi back safe again.

So he nodded slowly, pulling out his key. He held it out to Felix. "This will open the weapons room for you. Take whatever gadgets and weapons you might need." He said nothing more.

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

When Ellis heard him tell her to wait, she almost ignored him. Almost simply kept walking like she knew that she should, but sometimes told her to stop, so she did, however she didn't turn around to face him as he spoke. She simply listened, feeling a strange feeling inside when he said that he still wanted to go have a drink with her. Maybe it simply felt nice not to be rejected, even though she knew that she really should care. She sighed a bit, knowing that these foreign emotions were making her softer and weaker, and she wanted them to go away as soon as possible. It was all Lexi's fault after all. If she hadn't of gone and betrayed her, Ellis would be just fine.

When Chase suggested that they simply each buy their own drink, Ellis didn't say anything, for she was insistent on buying his whether he liked it or not. Instead of commenting on that though, she simply said, "Alright then," and then continued walking the rest of the way to the bar in silence. She decided now that silence was the best option for her, at least until she returned to her normal self again. Hopefully with a few drinks in her, that would happen sooner. She truly was happy that he had decided to join her, though she didn't entirely know how to explain why. Ellis knew that she shouldn't care about him or if she was lonely much of the time, and normally she simply didn't. But now.....

As they finally approached the bar, all of the other patrons turned their gaze on them as they entered, probably not expecting to see the Phoenix with the prince, especially in a bar. Ellis' eyes moved from one man to the next, her gaze hard and calculating as it always seemed to be. Now, she was acting much now like herself as she continued walking down the middle of the room. No one said hello to her, or said much of anything to her, for most of them were afraid of her, and Ellis knew it. However, one man in particular decided that he wanted to pick a fight with her. He was a young cadet who really had no talent in weapondry, but thought very highly of himself because he was a big man who looked truly frightening on first glance.

He was sitting at the bar, but stood as Ellis strode in. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the infamous Phoenix," he said, standing tall in front of her and crossing his arms over his chest. "With the prince himself in tow," he added, only glancing at Chase for a moment before returning his attention back to Ellis, "I'm sure that you've just got him wrapped around your finger, hmm? What's your plan? To get him drunk enough so he'll agree to anything? Since when do you fancy sleeping with royalty anyway? I never pegged you as the picky type Ellis." It was clear that this man had no respect for women, and was messing with Ellis like this due to that.

Ellis, who was in no mood to deal with his derogatory jokes and remarks simply gave him a good punch to the jaw, the impact so strong that it knocked him to the ground, and he didn't get up after that. "There's always one that underestimates me, and they never make that mistake again," she muttered as an explanation to Chase, and then, as if everything that had just happens had been totally normal, Ellis pulled up a stool at the bar and ordered herself a beer. As it quickly appeared, she took a long sip and then looked back at Chase. "Don't worry about what that idiot said by the way, none of it's true, as I'm sure that you can infer," she added emotionlessly, knowing that the thought of her trying to manipulate anyone, much less Chase, to sleep with her was something that she was never do, and the thought truly disgusted her. Ellis simply didn't live that life the way that some other government women did. Her life truly was all buisness, and she knew that Chase knew that better than anyone. She simply didn't have time for shenanigans.

-----

Felix could see that he had angered the General, and he knew that he had to control himself, but it was simply hard when Lexi was gone and no one wanted to do anything about it. Didn't anyone car about her at all? They claimed to, but there were willing to wait around until they received official news of her death, and Felix thought that that was truly ridiculous.

However, when the General slowly extended the key out to him and told him what it was for, Felix realized that maybe the or her man truly was willing to do something to try and get Lexi back, although he truly was surprised that the General was allowing this after what he had just said. "Thank you, sir," he said in disbelief as he took the key from him, "I'll bring her back, I won't let you down."

Truly, he had no idea how he would do that, since the government's castle facility was almost impossible to sneak into and even harder to break into. It would be next to impossible to get Lexi out, but Felix did have one idea of how to do it. However, it was dangerous, and probably not the best plan in the long run, but he knew that he didn't have much other choice.

However, because it was so dangerous, Felix knew that he didn't want to bring his poor pup into it, for who knew what would happen to him. "But sir, before I go, I need to ask you a favor," he said as he bent down and picked up his pup, holding him close because he truly didn't want to leave him behind, "Would you....would you please watch Joey for me while I'm gone? I don't want him getting into danger and....and if I don't....if I don't come back for some reason....promise to take good care of him for me?"

It was clear that this was very hard for Felix, and the pup could tell very well that his master was upset. He looked at him with sad puppy eyes, not understanding what was happening.

[Lara]

When Ellis agreed to have him come along with her to the bar, Chase couldn't help but grin. He felt like he had accomplished some small deed, just by managing to convince her to let him come along. It was like he was making steps towards being more friendly, having a true friend, and he was proud of himself for it. Regardless the reason, he smiled along as they entered the bar which was only a couple hallways down.

The whole thing was just as decked out as the rest of the palace, most of it consisting of polished metal everything. Polished metal rotating disks atop straight rods served as sitting places. Silvery countertops adorned the bar itself. The tables gleamed with their polished surfaces under the light, and even the floor had tracks of blue light running like a grid between the metal tiles. It was warm, and glowing, and completely sanitary. But it was a place where people smiled and laughed and hung out. It was nicer than the board room, and Chase loved that.

Almost everyone was happy here. Almost.

Chase knew immediately when the man staggered up that he was drunk and looking for trouble. And knowing that he was going to try and pick for it, Chase kept his stance, and let his face remain stoically passive as the man started to spew his rant. Chase watched, his expression unchanging, as he started to both insult him, and Ellis. Inside, Chase was bristling, but outwardly, his expression never changed. He was the prince. He couldn't stoop to the level of a drunkard by engaging in a fight with him. He certainly had no intentions of getting drunk himself. However, he would like to speak his mind to this man.

He never got the chance, as Ellis got to it first. He shook his head slowly, stepping over the felled body to sit at the bar with her. "Remind me to stay on your good side." He said, flashing a smile at her as the bartender walked over.

"What can I get you two?" The well dressed man asked.

Chase smiled politely and looked to Ellis, wondering what she wanted. "I'll have a pint, and you'll have to ask this lady what she's feeling up for."

The bartender nodded, as one of the helpers went to get the pint of beer, "Alright, lovely lady. What would you like?' he asked politely.

…..

The General knew he was taking a huge chance by expending weapons on this mission. But he did care for this boy, and think that he had good potential. He hated death… and if he was honest with himself, he truly thought, in some part of him deep down, that this boy could actually do it. Small chance… yes, but still a chance, and he was willing to expend weapons on that chance.

He was almost surprised when Felix accepted the key. He had half expected the boy to decide he just couldn't do it, and back down. But no, his guts seemed to surprise him more and more. The General was not really in the mood to smile, but some part of him seemed to lighten when Felix accepted the key and promised to return Lexi. "For her sake, and all our sakes, I hope you can do it boy." he said softly, meaning every word. A very big piece of the revolution was locked up in enemy lines, and they were hinging it's survival on one boy. It was a lot of responsibility, and he hoped the boy could pull through.

He raised a brow when Felix said he had a favour, however. Who was he to ask favours from a general? Of course, the General would never refuse, not after what this boy was offering to do. So he nodded. "Anything." he promised, listening. He watched as the boy scooped up his pup and explained what he wanted, and immediately the lines in his face softened. The love this boy had for a dog he had only just met was incredible, and the General truly admired it. You just restored my faith in humanity… He shook his head slowly, actually smiling this time. "Of course I will." he vowed. "Your pup will be well taken care of and waiting for you when you return." He smiled kindly at the boy. "Now go on then. The sooner you can attempt to bring her back, the more chance you have of actually accomplishing it." he cautioned.

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

Ellis looked at Chase when he said that, honestly surprised that he wasn't more fazed by what had just happened, for it seemed like the other people in the var were, even though they knew quite well who she was, and that she often did things such as punch out people who were making derogatory and offensive comments towards her, which was why the rest of them knew better than to do it. Ellis didn't take crap from people, and she certainly didn't let herself simply stand there and be insulted. That guy had clearly been looking for a fight, so he chose to fight Ellis and Chase, the two most powerful and respected people in the entire room. Ellis wondered where people got stupid ideas like that from.

"I don't really have a good or a bad side," she explained to Chase, "I have people that I wish to kill, and then everyone else." There was no special category for people that she cared for, at least not anymore. Ellis simply had enemies, and then everyone else in the world, who were really of no regard to her.

When the bar tender called her a "lovely lady" Ellis simply glared at him, her gaze icy as she simply said, "Don't push it," as if she were threatening to dish out the same punishment to him as she had the drunk guy if he irritated her too much. "Besides, I come here practically everyday, you must know what I like by now," she said, her voice smooth like silk, yet clearly irritated at the same. Ellis truly could be very two faced at times, coming off two different ways at once, usually on purpose. It was easier to confuse people that way and keep them guessing about her, which was what Ellis liked. No one, not even Lexi had been allowed to see the real her.

One of the helpers soon brought a large bottle of beer for Ellis, which she slammed down from the top on the side of the bar to pop the top off of before she took a sip and then looked at Chase. She figured that since she had more or less invited him here, she should at least make conversation, even though simply having someone sitting beside her who she didn't hate made her feel a little less lonely, not that she would ever admit to loneliness in the first place. She didn't know what to talk about though, since they never really spoke outside of business terms. She took another sip of her beer and looked at him again, her eyes calculating him and sizing him up. Finally, she simply said the first thing that came to mind as she observed him. "You don't get out much, do you?" She couldn't help but notice that he didn't exactly seem at ease here, but maybe that was just because of her.

-----

Felix didn't think much of asking the General for a favour. To him, he wasn't necessarily an authority figure as much as he was simply... a friend. The only friend that Felix had here besides his puppy. When the General promised to take good care of him, Felix could tell that he truly did mean his words, so he sighed and gently scratched his pup one more time behind the ears before slowly handing him over to the General. He knew that if he set him on the ground that he would only try to follow him as he left, for Joey was already whimpering and squirming as Felix handed him over. He clearly didn't want Felix to go, and Felix only hoped that the pup didn't think that he was abandoning him. Hopefully he could see that he was just as sad about this as the pup was, but he knew that it simply had to be done to ensure his safety.

With that Felix looked at the General one last time. "Thank you, sir. I'll bring her back, I promise," he said, intending to keep that promise even though he knew that it was very possible that he may not make it back alive. Sneaking into the rich part of the city where all of the government leaders lived was very illegal, but he knew that it had to be done if he was to rescue Lexi before they killed her.

Felix headed down to the weapons room then, using the key that he had been given to gain access. His eyes widened a bit as the doors opened to reveal many more weapons that he had guessed would be inside. He grabbed a sniper rifle first, knowing that the General had thought that he would make a good sniper, so he figured that he might as well try it out. He grabbed two other smaller pistols and put those into the holsters on his belt, while he put the strap of the sniper rifle over his shoulder so that it rested on his back. Finally he grabbed some ammunition, hopefully enough, and two grenades just in case. He certainly hoped that he wouldn't have to use all of these weapons, but just in case.

After that, he went and found a few other materials that he would need, such as medical supplies, food and water, and a bit of money that he convinced a random rebel soldier to lend to him without telling them anything about his mission to bring back Lexi. He knew that it would be better if none of them knew that she was even gone, or else everything would go into a panic. With that, he set out of the city and through the sewer tunnels until he was above ground again, ready to go.

[Lara]

Chase wasn't really surprised by her retort, honestly. She was an assassin and a bounty hunter, and she came across as that even when she wasn't doing a job. She came across as brutal, and unforgiving, and rather… well… cold.

That was probably what intrigued him most about her. The fact that she seemed closed off and guarded from the world. As if hiding from someone. Or maybe something. Like friendship, and people in general. But Chase, more than anyone, understood what it was like to guard your expressions, actions, and even thoughts, to pull off a certain appearance and personality, which would often change depending on who he was with, and in what way he needed to impress them. His father had made sure to train him well in appearances. But in doing so, he had also enabled Chase to recognize a false one when he saw it, and he was a fairly good judge of character. So while some may have been frightened and confused by Ellis, Chase was intrigued.

The bartender was not like Chase, however, and he looked rather startled by her outburst, bowing quickly. "Sorry madam…" he mumbled, quickly moving to get Chase his drink. He returned with it in a moment, setting the frothing glass on the counter. "Here you go, your highness." He said respectfully, before retreating away from the strange pair to serve other couples.

Chase inwardly sighed at the title, but as always, he remained passive on the outside, simply nodding and accepting the drink with a polite thanks. He immediately sipped the foam off the top and took a good long swig of the beer before turning in his stool to look at Ellis. Her comment sure had been unexpected. After all, he wasn't used to other people being as perceptive as he was all the time. And yet she, had somehow been able to pick up on that one bit of information about him.

He pulled on a friendly smile and nodded simply. No sense in denying it. "No, I don't get out much." he agreed. "At least not as Prince Chase." he added, lifting his glass in salute as he took another swig. "I like going into the city, for sure. But only as Dylan. My alias. As Dylan, I am merely an attractive young man with a considerable amount of money who can do as he wishes." his smile was genuine as he thought of it. "No strange looks, and stiff bows. No one feels like they owe me anything. I'm not a figurehead to stare at."

….

((I'm trying to figure out who I can rp as for this part now… lol. Lexi's part isn't very interesting… as she's stuck in a cell. Any suggestions?))

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((Hmm yeah I think that this is a good spot to stop and plan because I honestly don't really know how he is going to break into the palace either, or what's going to happen after that, or what Ellis and Chase as going to do about it and....yeah.... I really don't know much of anything at this point :P Any ideas?))

[Lara]

((Haha, lol yeah, I totally agree. I highly doubt that Felix would be able to get in and out again, so I was thinking he could pretend to be someone on the inside or something? Like he could take a job as a maintenance man or something like that so he could scope out the palace, find Lexi, and just sort of take care of her/ make sure she's ok until he can figure out the best way to get her out? That would allow Chase time to start working on his plan for her. ))

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((Yeah I like that plan. I guess that he would probably have to talk to Chase or someone them to actually get the job, and then he could sneak into Lexi's cell and take care of her and such like you said. Okay, so we've got that, but what should happen with Chase and Ellis?))

[Lara]

((Yeah, for sure. And lol. Ellis and Chase... I think they've got enough natural chemistry that we don't have to force them together. If they keep bumping into each other, something's bound to happen. Lol. But if you want a plan, I had one idea where they make a deal where she'll teach him how to fit, and he'll teach her politics (social manipulation, playing people, pleasing a crowd, getting what you want through charm, etc) lol just some ideas.))

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((Lol yeah, I really do like Ellis and Chase together! They just for together so well I think because in a way, they are very similar. Chase is just much more passive, while Ellis is more aggressive. They both are forced to hide who they really are from the world, even though it keeps trying to slip out. Like Ellis with her emotions and Chase with his liking for Ellis. I think that her teaching him to fight and him teaching her politics could be a good idea, because there really is nothing more that Ellis enjoys than besting people at everything to feel better about herself. She's messed up that way lol XD))

[Lara]

((Haha, alright, sounds like a plan then! I totally agree though, they both are very similar :) ))

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((Haha yep definitely :) Anyway, what should I do with Felix, like, right now? Because I mean, it's going to take him a whole to get all the way to the castle, and then he's going to have to meet with someone to get the job and all that stuff. Should I skip through all of that so that you can play Lexi again, or should I play it all out?))

[Lara]

((We can just skip that if it's easier for you. Or you could just summarize it all in a short paragraph, and then start the detailed rping up again once he's gotten his job and is looking for Lexi? Either works fine with me :) ))

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

Ellis sighed and rolled her eyes a bit, thinking that "madame" wasn't much better than "lovely lady". She honestly had no idea why the bartender was so formal with her, but she figured that it was because he either feared, or respected her, or both. This seemed to be the case with most people around the palace, and the rich side of the city in general, which was why Ellis much preferred to simply have a beer alone in her apartment than at the bar. Most times, she wasn't looking for attention, and she didn't like it, however sometimes when she was in a good mood, she allowed herself to allow people to practically bow down to her. She was the Phoenix, she was a symbol, and sometimes it was nice to take advantage of those benefits. However, now Ellis was not in a good mood and would much prefer if everyone leave her alone, aside from Chase that is. He was probably the one person who treated her normally, although she figured that this was because he was higher up than her.

So, Ellis truly wasn't surprised when he claimed too have an alias, a way to get away from the doting and unwanted attention. "I used to have one too before I got these," she muttered, glancing at the black wing tattoos that extended almost all the way down her arms, which were now on display since she had removed her long sleeved jacket. She knew that they made it impossible for people not to recognize her, but most days she liked having them more than not. they reminded her of who she really was, and kept her from thinking otherwise. "I used to call her Darcy. but even back then people still recognized me sometimes," she said, truly having no idea why she was telling him about this personal part of her. She had never really told anyone about having an alias, not even Lexi. Ellis sighed, deciding to blame it on the alcohol, even as she took another sip, but she was much too tied to care all that much. "I'm surprised that people don't recognize you," she said, knowing that as the prince, everyone knew who he was.

((I just kinda did 2 especially long paragraphs for that one :/ Sorry, I'm tired today...))

-----

((And now I'm going to try and pull of an awkward skip thing with Felix like we'd talked about. I feel like it would take him like, several days to do everything that I'm going to put in this post, but...... XD Anyways, I'm not going to have him come into Lexi's cell or anything yet, but you can probably start posting for her again just to get some context because I'll probably have him discover her in the next post after this one.))


After many hours of walking, Felix finally made it to the rich part of the city where the castle was located, and no doubt where Lexi was located, that is, if they hadn't killed her already. His biggest fear in all of this was that he might jut be too late to save her, and he knew that this was very possible. The king really had no reason to wait to kill her, unless he had something big planned here. Either way, things were not looking good for the rebels. Once he had arrived, Felix made his way to the castle and got past the guards at the front gate by saying that he had come looking for a job. He knew that sneaking in was much easier and much smarter than breaking in after all. It turned out that the palace was always in need of more servants, and once it was determined that Felix was intelligent enough, and that he didn't look awful the way that many people in the slums did, he was given the position, amazed by how east that had all been. He was given a uniform and sent off to work immediately, even though it was getting late at night now. However, once it was dark and everyone had gone home or gone to bed, Felix planned to sneak out of the servants quarters and find Lexi.

((That was pretty much just a brief summary like you said, and I'll obviously go back to detailed in the next post :) ))

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((Was my short post okay for just this once or should I add more?))

[Lara]

((no it's fine! :) I'm replying now ))

[Lara]

Chase didn't know why he was so surprised when she said that she had an alias too. He had thought that maybe only he was the one who liked to escape his own life for a bit and get out. He thought that Ellis seemed happy and perfectly suited for her job. It had never crossed his mind that she might want more than her work. But now, he was starting to realize that they were much more alike than he first thought. And something about that made him feel more comfortable around her. They had common ground they could stand on, things they could relate to about each other. He had finally found someone that he felt he could talk to, and have them understand. Albeit, she may make fun of him, or come up with more witty quips, but he could deal with that. He was used to sharp speech and well hidden blows.

"You could just wear long sleeves when you go out, you know…" He said, glancing over at her as he rested his drink back on the bar counter. He was mostly just teasing her with that comment, as he knew that long sleeves didn't solve the problem of people recognizing her face. But he had ways of solving that too. For she was right. He, being the prince, had his face plastered up all over the place. Advertisements, tv, the news… So he couldn't go out looking like himself. "I'm always wearing a disguise when I go into the city, you know. The 'masking' tech that changes your facial features? Just small changes of course, but enough to make you look like a different person." He said, shrugging lightly, for in his world, tech like that was an everyday thing. When in reality, that sort of tech was worth meals to feed a family for a year. "We could go out into the city sometime, if you wanted. I'm sure my father wouldn't mind us borrow two masks." He offered, finding it completely natural to invite her along. She had an alias too, after all.

……

Lexi had been sitting in the cell, second after second, hour after hour… and with no window, or any method of telling the hour, she had lost all track of time. For all she knew, she could have been down in that cell for days… or maybe weeks. She never slept long. It was hard to sleep on a cool flat sheet of metal. Never mind the nightmares about Silver, and the knives in his neck and back, the look he had given her before he died. She woke screaming a couple times because she had dreamed that the government gunned down everyone in the slums, and she was drowning in their blood. And all the while, she grew more pale, from lack of sunshine, and more scrawny, from lack of exercise and a proper diet. She sat there on the 'cot' most days and just rocked back and forth, trying to get her broken mind to form enough of a schooled thought on how to break out. But there were never guards for her to manipulate. Everything was automated. Even the food was brought by drones. So after just a while, the fire in Lexi's eyes dimmed, and her confident stance was reduced to just a huddled bone thin girl with dull hair and dark circles under her eyes.

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

Ellis sipped her beer again, then friends when he said that she could just wear long sleeves. She knew that he meant it as a joke, but she still took it seriously. "I didn't stop using my alias because I got the tattoos," she explained, "I got the tattoos so that I would stop using my alias, among other reasons too of course." She didn't know how to really explain it to him without giving too much of herself away, which was the last thing that she wanted to do. She had already told him more personal information tonight than she would have liked to originally, but she found that for some reason, he listened like he actually cared, and that made it harder and harder for her to keep all of her thoughts and emotions to herself like she normally could do so easily.

Ellis set her beer down and looked down at her arm, tracing the outline of one of the feathers in the wing ether finger. She had mostly gotten her trademark tattoos to always remind herself of who she was. She wasn't anyone but the Phoenix, and that was always who she would be. Ellis knew that she couldn't waste her time living in a fantasy and pretending that she was someone else. It was unnatural, and so that was why she had given up her alias, so that she could live solely in the real world. So when Chase offered to lend her one of the face shaping masks to borrow sometime, Ellis shook her head before she convince herself otherwise.

"I said I had an alias," she pointed out somewhat coldly because she was no longer enjoying this conversation, "I don't ever use it anymore, and I don't ever plan to use it again. I see no point in pretending to be someone that you aren't and can never be. If I were you, I'd give it up and accept the life that you have. That's what I did...." Ellis knew that she was being cold to him, that she was probably insulting him and crushing his dreams, but she was only doing it for his own good. He was going to be king soon after all, and she knew that it would only hurt him if reality all came crashing down on him then. She was truly trying to save him from what had happened to her.

------

Once it was dark, and it seemed as though most people in the palace were either asleep or simply in their chambers, Felix snuck out of the servants quarters, a gun in hand just in case. He also had a small back pack on in which he had packed some food, for he had no idea if these people were even feeding her at all. After asking around some amongst the other servants, he had discovered that Lexi was in fact still alive, and he had even gotten one servant to tell him where she was being held, all without blowing his cover, which he thought truly was pretty impressive.

He had been told that she was being kept in the dungeon underneath the weapons and training room, so that was where he was going now. Felix knew that there wouldn't be any actual guards for him to deal with, for all of that was automated, but he said was still worried about running into someone in the training room doing a late night workout or fight practice. His biggest fear was running into the Phoenix, for he had been told that she liked to lurk around in the training room and never really left. She even sometimes slept up in the rafters of the room and jumped down an attacked people who came in and startled her while she was sleeping. Since Felix was almost positive that she had been the one who had taken Lexi, he really didn't want to run into her.

Thankfully, there was no sign of the Phoenix or anyone else as he feet through the training room and then entered the door that would lead him down to the prison cells. It didn't take him long to find the one that Lexi was being held in, and he quickly accessed the keypad on the door to unlock it before he quickly entered and stepped inside, unsure of what he would find. When he looked down at Lexi, he honestly was surprised that she already looked so bad. She had only been here for a few hours after all. He figured that she simply didn't do well in captivity. Truly unsure of what to say to her, he simply looked at her for a moment, deciding to let her speak first. It wasn't everyday that the new recruit ended up saving his new boss. Now the tables truly had turned.

[ϻαđίѕσи ~ I'm gonna be free, and I'm gonna be fine, but maybe not tonight]

((Frowned not friends))

[Lara]

((Lol, np. And just got on to reply now. :) ))

Chase's neutral expression turned into one of surprise the moment she frowned. Had he upset her by his offer? He didn't even think that was possible. He thought he had just given her a chance at a jack pot, and yet she looked as if she had just been given bathroom cleanup duty, or something similarly offensive. His surprise only grew when she said she had purposely gotten the tattoos. Why on earth? Why would she want to mark herself so, want to get rid of any hope of seeing the world from another perspective besides her own?

And the answer to that question soon became clear. She apparently didn't want to keep 'pretending' to be someone else. She wanted to just be herself, and own up to that. That was admirable, sure. But Chase wasn't unhappy with himself. He was very satisfied with who he was, actually. He just didn't like how others saw him. So sometimes he decided to become more than just himself, he decided to live another life. He liked to see the world from the rich class's perspective. Chat with people about their lives, and even sometimes about how they liked or disliked the prince. It gave him ideas. Better methods for people pleasing. It was like having a personal spy, but getting the information immediately from the source. And not to mention it was just plain old fun.

This girl had obviously forgotten what fun was. And that was a problem, in Chase's mind. Everyone should know, and enjoy a little fun. It was part of being human, part of being young. You weren't better than a robot in Chase's mind, if you didn't goof off sometimes, or do something solely for the fun of it. Chase found it amusing that Ellis had not considered that you could accept who you were, and still strive to be something more. He wasn't running from anything. He was embracing, and exceeding. He leaned back against the bar counter, propped on his elbows as he smiled lightly at her. "I find it interesting that you think I am unhappy with who I am." He said, his tone even and honest. "On the contrary," his eyes turned playful. "I am quite content with myself." he shrugged, looking out at the bar then as he continued. "Sure, there are downfalls to being a prince. Doesn't mean I want to run away from the title or change it. I don't use my alias as a hiding place. I use it as a hobby." He raised an eyebrow. "Ever heard of them? People use activities for fun. To cool off or wind down. Dylan happens to be exceptionally good at poker." he winked. "Get's me a good amount of money when it amuses me. Though it does worry me that you think me uncomfortable." He tipped his head to the side. "Or was that just a guess on your part?"

…..

Lexi heard the footsteps long before they reached her cell. She rarely got real live human visitors, and it would seem that the prince had not found reason to bother with her quite yet, and so she was left pretty well alone. So footsteps were a rarity, and by the time they reached her cell, she had the gait memorized, and a good guess at the footwear of the visitor. She didn't sit up, or move at all, until she heard the startling noise of someone entering her cell. She could distinctly make out the beeping of a code being punched into the lock on her door.

Well then. The visiter was here for her. That could mean any number of bad things. An executioner come to murder her quietly. Maybe a knife to the ribs. Or possibly some guards, come to escort her to a beheading. Lexi swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Worse yet… one of the king's personal information extracting assistants… or torturers. She could be torn apart piece by piece for the whereabouts of the rebellion. She wouldn't tell, she knew that. But she might go insane before she died.

Apparently she forgot to guess the one good option, as that option had been so far in the back of her mind, regarded as impossible. She had told the General not to send anyone after her, after all, and she knew he would respect her wishes. She had forgotten one person, however, one person who provided a loophole in her instructions. The new recruit, Felix. And here he was, against all odds, standing in her cell and staring down at her like she was some puppy of his.

Lexi sighed, realizing then how pitiful she must look. She raked her hands through her hair, trying in vain to try and tame some of the mess. She gave up after a second and let her hands fall to the cot as she looked up at him. "So the General let you come. Did you volunteer, or did he have to bribe you?" She asked simply, knowing that both were strong possibilities. After all, she did want to know whether she had a willing rescuer, or a forced one. "I'm rather impressed you managed to get in here at all, let alone so quickly. I may just owe you my life." her lips quirked up in what might have been a smile, but it was lacking emotion. Her expressions were lacking anything, really, as she was exhausted. "Is it safe to come with you now?" She asked then, eager to get out of the cramped space and into the open again. "Do you have an escape route planned?"