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Drakonnas
07-14-2015, 04:44 AM
THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE


Drakonnas / NotWhoIWas






The sun shone down upon Anastasia's (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/7a/ea/49/7aea49979d724bfa6273ac171870ecec.jpg)face it peeked through the bright windows of her room. The warm tingling sensation of the vibrant sun, energetic and cheerful, woke the seventeen year old girl as it caressed her cheeks gently. The sound of birds chirping in the air could be heard outside, and a cool breeze wafted lazily though the windows, fluttering the curtains with a light flap. Anastasia opened her eyes slowly, but even as she opened them, everything remained dark as the blackest night, there was no light for her. Anastasia had been born blind, but that had not stopped the girl from growing up or being independent. No, she had other ways of seeing. Her eyes were a dazzling, brilliant blue, and her hair shone as of gold. Anastasia tossed the blanket off of herself, and carefully moved her legs off the side of her bed, to stand.

She had a mental map of her room in her mind, and knew precisely where everything was. Her room never changed, that was important. It was how she knew where all of her things were. She carefully disrobed, and placed her pajamas on the side table, and dressed in her usual attire; a sky blue skirt, and a white top. It was a fairly simple getup, but she didn't care much about appearances.

Her shirt had a logo on it, two swords crossed over a large sun. This was the symbol of the Paladins of Peace, a group of elite fighters, scholars, and scientists who helped keep peace throughout the galaxy. They were looked up to, revered, and praised. They wanted to keep peace through democracy, not intervening unless it was necessary for the safety of the populace. Through their help, the galaxy thrived. Through their help, many felt safe. Anastasia belonged to this group, thanks to her power of Aura.

Anastasia could "sense" objects and people around her. Every aura was different, unique. Each had its own special shade, and based on that shade, Anastasia could tell something about the characteristics of whoever gave off the aura. That was how she saw, how she was able to find her way around.

She had to get ready pretty quickly today. Her mentor, an older woman by the name of Master Esiri, would be waiting for her in the dining hall. They had a job that needed doing. Or rather, Anastasia had a job. Her first real, solo job. The young woman was excited to prove her ability to succeed, not only to her mentor, but to herself as well. Opening the door, Anastasia gently guided herself towards the dining hall. Taking a left, then a right, another left, down a fight of stairs, to the right, and finally the left again. Not many people were up yet. "Good morning, Master Esiri." She said happily, sitting down next to her mentor, who was already eating breakfast.

"Good morning, my dear. I trust you slept well?"

Ana shook her head. "No, Master. I didn't. I had my nightmare again." For the past few months, Anastasia had had a recurring nightmare. She couldn't make much sense of it. There was only fear, confusion, panic, and more fear. What it was, she didn't know. But it kept coming, and as much as she tried to make it go away, it kept coming back, kept bothering her. But it was just a dream... It was just a dream.




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Leon (http://i.imgur.com/HMgvQQD.jpg)was already awake in the early morning air. He had perched himself high in the side of a mountain after climbing several hundred feet of sheer rock cliff face. He stood on a little alcove adjacent to a small cave, and looked over the desolate plains. There wasn't much to see or do here. Not a lot lived here, and certainly not a lot was awake at this early morning hour. His sharp eyes scanned the horizon for any sign of movement, both hands clutching a large sniper rifle. He was here for one reason, and one reason alone. To eliminate a target that his client had wanted dead. And he was to do the dirty work, but make it look like a simple accident. It was quite the art, but one that Leon had mastered. No emotions ran though his mind as he scanned the horizons, no fret of worry marred his visage. He was entirely focused on the kill.

Just as his father had been before him, the twenty five year old man was a bounty hunter - one of the best, if not the best in the business. He had been raised, literally raised for this job. Everything he had ever lived through, from the countless hours of martial arts, to the endless time spent training with his weapons, Leon was trained to kill. At first, he had wondered about the ethics of killing, but as he had grown, he had learning to disregard any feelings of sympathy or emotion. Nothing but concentration. Anything else was a liability to his cause, a reason for him to fail. He would not do so. He never had done so. For Leon, this was nothing more than earning a fat paycheck. He was hired, he did the job, and he got paid. Nothing else mattered.

Soon, he saw the telltale dust rising up from the horizon. This meant that they were coming; and probably by vehicle. Just as he had suspected. Just as he had planned. In the center of the worn out road, he had scattered spikes to puncture the tires of any vehicle that drove over them. From there, the car would attempt to regain control of the now out of control tires, slide off the road, and from there, off the cliff into the bottomless chasm below. It was only a matter of time now. A small smile crept over Leon's face as he slowly caressed his rifle.

Notty
07-15-2015, 06:01 AM
Groaning as the sun shone in the window of his small room, Blane rolled over on his bed, his sheets peeling away slowly from his bare chest. Burying his head against his pillow, he reached out and pointed his hand towards the window. The curtains that had been blowing steadily in the morning breeze seemed to almost freeze. Almost.

A multiplier. That's what had drawn the Order to Blane. Able to multiply anything- from food, to money, even time. He first discovered it when he was younger. Able to multiply the dwindling food his family had, able to restock the chicken coop after a fox had raided it. His family wasn't rich, by any means- if anything, they were one of the poorer families around. So when it was discovered that Blane had a gift- well, word spread quickly.

An outsider for most of his life, Blane liked it that way. People had tried to use him for their own schemes, tried to use him to help themselves get ahead in life. It was easier not to trust anyone, not to let anyone get close. They'd just use him. The Order however, was different. They showed him that he could use his gift for good, that he could use it to keep peace.

Smiling to himself in the pillow, the curtain now barely moved in the breeze. All had seemed to stop around him. "Just another hour or so..." he mumbled to himself, his brown hair tousled against the white pillow.

Blane...that's abusing your powers. You know what the agreement was. You only use them to help others. It is foolishness and selfishness that corrupts...

Rolling his eyes inwardly as he heard the voice of one of the teachers, he reached out and motioned to the curtain, which immediately resumed its dance in the wind. Pushing himself up and swinging his feet out of bed, it wasn't long before he had tugged on a pair of dark brown linen pants and a cream colored tunic top. Preferring to remain barefoot, Blane padded silently down the hall towards the dining hall.

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Dark brown strands of hair blew through the wind, and Lena reached up and pushed them back, tucking them behind her ear. She preferred the early morning. There wasn't so much going on. There wasn't a struggle for attention and approval. Out here, it was just her.

Clad in tight fitting dark green pants, a white tunic style shirt, and a brown vest, Lena's hair was braided down her back, ending just at the small of her back. She sighed and shifted in her position, her legs dangling from a tree branch about 20 feet up in the air.

Since leveling a village at 19, Lena was picked up by the Order of the Shadow and brought to their training facility. They had great interest in people of her sort of demeanor. Having been taken as a child as the last survivor of a mass genocide, she was raised believing that she was a slave- and treated as one as well. When the truth came out that her entire city, along with her parents had been leveled by the very people who she thought were her only family- well, things didn't go well.

She left the city, on a rampage, willing and desiring to find anyone who could teach her skills that would prove useful to extracting revenge on those bastards. For 5 years she moved around, learning how to fight, hunt, kill and track. She returned at 19, with nothing but the clothes on her back, and a knife. That evening, she walked out of a smoldering ruins of a city, with nothing left but brick and ash.

Once picked up by the Order of the Shadow, she was granted access to their training facility, where she had every weapon that she could dream of, tutors that challenged her, and peers that kept her on her toes.

"This morning..." she breathed out, leaning back in the tree. "Is mine. No one can take it from me."

Drakonnas
07-15-2015, 02:27 PM
"Perhaps you should simply try to let these dreams of yours go." Master Esiri said gently, a small hand resting on her pupil's shoulder. "Perhaps it is simply a feeling of pent up anxiety. Look deep within yourself. Is there any reason that you might feel stress? Is there something that you are unhappy about, my dear? It is also possible that you are experiencing some kind of premonition. A warning of some kind. But until it becomes clearer, Ana, there is little we can do. I suggest you try to relax. Let go of your anxiety. I can sense it within you. Breathe deeply, loosen your muscles. Remember what you have been taught."

Anastasia wasn't sure how much she liked this advice, but she knew that it came from a place, a person, that only wished to help. And so, she nodded. "Yes, Master. I shall do so. No, I am quite content for the most part." It was a half truth, really. She was content, but the key words were "for the most part". But perhaps Master Esiri was right. Maybe it would be better if she simply tried to relax, and forget about her dream.

Someone else entered the hall. The aura Anastasia saw was almost a sparking texture, and it seemed to be almost a silvery blue. The texture signified that this person was peaceful, and did not wish harm. The color spoke of the personality. Every person had their own unique shade, and this one, Ana recognized to be a fellow student named Blane. She had always found his particular shade somewhat attractive, she liked his personality. But that did not influence her behavior towards him, or anyone, really. She treated all she met with kindness.

Anastasia slowly ate her breakfast, savoring the flavor, while not eating much. She did not have a very big appetite, but wanted to enjoy her meal as much as she could. Another person entered the hall, but this person was someone that Anastasia didn't recognize off the top of her head. She thought it was another male, the aura radiated a bit more intensely, though that wasn't always a sign of male versus female. It wasn't an exact art, everything did not have a precise meaning. They were more like guidelines.

"So... Master? What is my mission?" Ana asked, looking curious as to what it was that she needed to do. She was eager to accept her mission, and complete it to the best of her ability. She was eager to prove that she could, that the Paladins had made the correct decision to accept her into their ranks. She wanted to do good in the world, she wanted to help.

Master Esiri smiled gently. "I think you're really going to like this job, Ana. There is an orphanage out by the Thering Sea, near the Marina Mountain Range that needs some help. They say their school is haunted, they claim that there are strange goings on. I would like you to go there, and help them sort out this problem. I think it'll be a good mission for you, Ana, because the kids will love you. I also want you to play with them a little bit, they'll be excited to see a Paladin. You're optimistic, and good with people, Ana. I know you'll do a wonderful job with this."

Anastasia was excited. This sounded like a really fun mission. "I would be happy to do this, Master Esiri."

Master Esiri smiled. "You can take someone with you, if you want."





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Leon caressed his rifle, staring up at the smoke that rose from the wreckage of the vehicle that had tumbled off the cliff. His job here was done. Perfect. He would go collect his money, and then would move onto his next job. Simple as that. He didn't give a single thought about the people that now lay dead because of him. That didn't matter.

But before he could turn to go, he noticed someone beside him. Quick as a flash, he held a pistol to the... woman's head? Where did she come from? "You better have a good explanation for being here, woman, or I'll leave you with your brains splattered all over the rocks." He said simply.

"Simple. I've been watching, Leon. We are always watching. We would like to hire you for a job so big, that if you successfully complete it, you'll never have to work again." She said simply. I am here representing the Shadows. You should know us." She smiled seductively. "And we know you. Come work for us, and we'll make sure you leave the happiest and richest man."

Leon stared at her, and lowered his gun. "Tell me more."
\

Notty
07-16-2015, 01:20 AM
Blane glanced around the hall, his eyes scanning the nearly vacant room. At one end, sat Ana and Master Esiri. Not wishing to interrupt their conversations, he stuck to a table off to the right, settling down about halfway down the table. With his back to Ana and Master Esiri, Blane closed his eyes and let out a long breath. He hated mornings. No, that wasn't true. Mornings were probably his favorite time of the day. He hated mornings...with people.

Having found most people to be worthless cheats that have interests only in themselves and how they can get ahead in life, Blane had a blanket distrust over most people. Most. He had to admit, since joining the Paladins of Peace, he had come into quite a few- no, no, everyone he had met, seemed genuinely interested in him, not just what he could do for them.

Sipping at the cup of tea that was placed before him, Blane let his gaze wander to the window, his blue eyes seeking through the glass to the world beyond. The same breeze that blew his curtains, now blew the branches of the trees just outside the window. Smiling a bit to himself, he began eating, not taking notice of the others that slowly filed in the room, or the conversation going on just behind him.

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Hopping down from the tree in a single leap, Lena brushed herself off and stood, straightening her shoulders before she moved back towards the training base.

A small, glossy black building from the outside, once you got in the doors, the building seemed to quadruple in size, as the vast majority of it was underground. The automatic doors brushed open upon her pressing the medallion around her neck into a keyhole.

Inside it was fairly quiet, her shoes padding softly down the marbled halls. Slowly her eyes scanned the halls as she walked. Mistrusting of anyone, Lena was a loner, preferring the company of herself to the idiocies of others. Many of the other students here were incredibly proud and arrogant- two traits that Lena hated. In her experience, she found that a unassuming assassin was the best. No one suspected a small, innocent looking girl to level an entire village.

Smiling to herself as she breezed into the dining hall, Lena ignored several others whose eyes darted up, seeking hers and to engage in conversation. The morning is mine. The morning is mine. The morning is mine... she thought to herself as she snagged an apple from a bowl and lowered herself into a chair in the far corner. From there, she could watch everything and everyone. She preferred it that way.

Drakonnas
07-16-2015, 02:49 AM
Anastasia smiled at the thought of her upcoming mission. She wanted someone to come with her, sure. But who should she ask? Or rather, the proper question was, should she ask someone in the first place? This WAS her mission. Maybe she would be better off doing this alone. But the real reason she was hesitant to ask someone was that she didn't know if she would be bothering someone. Maybe they had their own mission that they were supposed to complete, or maybe they had other plans. She didn't want to risk offending anyone. But... really, she wouldn't, would she? It wasn't like there was anything to be afraid of. But maybe there was...

She picked at her food slowly, savoring the taste. When she had finished her meal after a few more minutes of silence, Ana stood up, and brought her dishes to the sink, rinsed them out, and returned them to the tray. Several more people had since entered the hall, but Ana knew that most of them were busy. It was important that she not distract herself with thoughts of her mission now, because she had to focus on what was going on around her, so she wouldn't bump into anyone. Seeing the auras of people required her to concentrate. She sat down next to Master Esiri again, and looked around. Her eyes kept traveling back to the silvery-blue aura, which belonged to Blane. But... she knew that he didn't particularly want to be bothered at the moment. His aura told her so.

"I'll be fine." Anastasia told Master Esiri, though her voice sounded unconvincing, as Esiri simply smiled, knowing where Ana's unseeing eyes were looking.

"If you say so." She smiled, but Ana wondered if Master Esiri was up to something...

Anastasia stood, brushed herself down in case she had spilled any crumbs, and made her way to the door, but she found it blocked by a glowing red aura. That frightened her, red usually signified anger, malice, and hate. Whoever it was, Ana decided she needed to get out of the way. But this person took no notice of the younger girl, and simply plowed right through her, muttering to herself angrily.

Anastasia had to brace herself against the doorway to prevent herself from falling. She didn't say anything though, and continued slowly out of the room, trying to make sure that there was no one else she would accidentally bump into.

Back in the dining hall, Master Esiri made her way over to Blane. Her wizened old face was kindly and warm as she sat down opposite him. "Good morning, Blane. I trust you slept well?" It was well known that Esiri would never take advantage of any student, and was always there for anyone who needed help. "I have a small request to make of you, if you have the opportunity, willingness, and capability to help. My student, Ana,
is going on her first mission alone this afternoon. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, would you mind, or enjoy going with her? I'm sure she would be grateful for your assistance, Blane. You are free to decline, I will not think any worse of you." She smiled.




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Leon followed the woman, whose name was Phoebe, to a small, black vehicle that he had not seen there before. He brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes as the wind blew it, and observed in silence. He was to follow this Phoebe back to their base on this planet. He frowned. It was usually a bad idea to get into someone else's vehicle, but Leon was prepared for the worst case scenario. Besides, he didn't think she was tricking him. They had a very important job for him. And besides, being his enemy was a very bad idea. Leon did not speak much, but observed. Many minor details were brought before his eyes as he looked around, trying to get a better grip on the situation.

"Our base isn't too far from here. At least, for us." Phoebe smiled mysteriously, and pressed a button on the dashboard. Leon saw the outsides vanish, as if they had just warped somewhere. He was quite shocked, but his eyes did not betray anything. Asking too many questions was a liability in his line of work, and so, Leon did not ask. He was curious to know what such a huge job could be, and if it was within his power to complete... He enjoyed a challenge, but this must seriously be difficult... But maybe that's why they hired him. Because he was the best. Only time would tell.

Many minutes later, the vehicle had apparently appeared elsewhere. Leon tried to get a good look around, but there wasn't really much to see. Phoebe got out of the car, motioned for him to follow her, and he did so. This definitely was not his home planet. How they had acquired such advanced technology was beyond him, but again, he did not question. The base did not look all that impressive, but when Phoebe opened the sliding doors, Leon understood. The base was mostly underground. A lot of marble made itself visible as they walked into the underground building. It certainly was different than what he was used to...

Notty
07-16-2015, 05:04 PM
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Blane took in a long draw of his tea before sitting the cup down and looking up, his eyes meeting Master Esiri's as she sat before him. Of all the teachers here, Master Esiri was probably the one that Blane liked best. She was kind, quiet, and never forced anything on anyone.

His eyes followed hers as she spoke. Ana...he thought to himself, then nodded, pushing a hand through his hair and leaning back in his chair. "A mission?" he echoed back, almost to himself, as Master Esiri nodded. She quickly recapped the basic idea of the mission, her eyes never leaving Blane's face.

"Is Ana okay with me going?" he asked, his brow furrowed slightly. "I don't want to step on her toes, so to say. Especially if this is her first mission..." The truth is, he had never been on a mission either, and was dying to go, but he didn't want to push his nose in where it didn't belong. It would be nice to get out of here and back out into the wild...a long walk, and Ana...she isn't bad. Doesn't seem as stuck up as the other around here....

Thinking for a moment longer, Blane nodded. "Yes, I'll go. Shall I approach her about it?" he asked, unsure of how to travel the territory of asking someone to tag along with them. Master Esiri smiled, "she just left a few moments ago, certainly you can catch up with her..." Glancing to the door, Blane nodded, smiling a bit. "Thank you, Master," he murmured, then turned and jogged out of the hall, heading for Ana.

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Eating her apple almost uninterestedly, Lena watched as people filed in and out of the dining hall, her eyes always moving, scanning, keeping track of those who entered and exited. She found a strange sense of joy in watching people, noticing their small, unmarked behaviors.

The boy at the first table, third from the end. New....unsure....likes the blonde, that's no surprise. Maybe...some Daddy..no...Mommy issues... she thought to herself as she chewed, smiling a bit. Rich, no siblings, used to getting what he wants....he won't last a day here...not when the true training begins...

Pushing up from her seat, Lena strolled over to the garbage and tossed in the apple core, then moved towards the door. She didn't want to have to answer questions. Questions always came when people felt like they knew you. And well, she didn't plan on sticking around long enough for anyone to get to know her. Moving out the doors from the dining hall, she headed back down the hall, towards the barracks.

Drakonnas
07-16-2015, 07:18 PM
Anastasia was thinking about her assignment. What kinds of things would she need to do? What might she come across? She had a feeling that she knew why she was being asked to investigate this, it was probably because she could sense auras. And if there was any paranormal activity going on, then she might be able to see it, whereas someone who could not sense auras might not be able to... She also loved working with kids, and got along very well with them. She often volunteered time helping the youngest Paladins with their training. This was a perfect job for her. The only problem would be finding the location in the first place... Since Ana was blind, she could not pilot vehicles, nor could she read maps or road signs. This meant that she couldn't go places by herself; self-driving vehicles were too expensive.

But soon, she sensed someone else approaching her. Was this person simply walking in the same direction that she was, or did they have an intention to talk with her? Anastasia focused on the aura, and found that it was Blane. What did he want? She bit her tongue, trying to decide if she should ask him to come with her. She didn't know what to do, but she was afraid. What she was afraid of though, she didn't understand. It didn't make sense to her. She didn't want to bother him...

"H...Hello?" She asked, irritated that she had stuttered. "How are you today? I hope you got a good night's rest." She stopped, waiting for his reply. She didn't think she had the strength to ask him to accompany her. What if he took it the wrong way? Would he think that she didn't think enough of herself? Or would he assume something else? Maybe he wouldn't assume anything, but she was, honestly, scared to try.



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"Lena." Phoebe said quickly and sharply before the small girl could get away. "I need a few moments of your time. Please follow me." Pheobe appeared to Leon to be someone who was pretty high up in the positions of power in this place to be issuing requests such as that, and clearly expect them to be followed. He remained silent, his arms at his sides, inches away from a pair of pistols.

Phoebe walked away towards another pathway, and then, into a large, circular room. There were seven chairs, all surrounding a large, round, stone table. Phoebe sat down at the head chair, and motioned for the other two to sit down, not checking to see if they were actually there or not. Leon sat down, without looking at the younger girl, and his piercing eyes gazed at Phoebe, wondering what this was all about.

Notty
07-17-2015, 02:49 AM
Blane stopped just a few feet short of Ana, giving her space, not wanting to crowd her or make her feel uncomfortable. "Hey..." he began, reaching up and pushing his hand through his hair. "I...Master Esiri said that you were going on a mission today..." he began, his eyes scanning hers.

"Well....I was wondering..." he murmured, inwardly cursing himself for not having rehearsed the conversation in his head before coming over here. "Do you want someone to go with you?" he asked, stepping a little closer, feeling his chest tighten in anxiety at her response.

Was I too forward in asking? Maybe she thinks that I'm poking my nose in other people's business....I don't even really know her that well....

"Only if you want...."

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At her name, Lena's head jarred to the left, glancing at Phoebe and the young man walking with her. "Ma'am?" Lena said in surprise, turning on her heel to follow Phoebe towards the large circular room.

Lena had never been in this room, but had many times walked by and glanced in. She wondered what it signified, why there were 7 chairs. The room was cool, metallic, old. It had an air of importance, but also a feeling of being old. Weighty.

Pulling a chair and sitting down, Lena glanced at the young man, her eyes quickly scanning him. Uninterested. Guns. A fighter... she thought to herself before turning her attention to Phoebe. "What is this all about?"

Drakonnas
07-17-2015, 03:53 AM
Anastasia was so shocked by what Blane was asking that she didn't know what to say for a few seconds. She tried to form some kind of comprehensible sentence, but it didn't work very well. "...I... yes. Yes please. That would... er, that would be very lovely? Er, not love... but... Oh no, I didn't mean it to sound like that..." She took a big sigh. "Leave it to me to screw this up... I'm sorry." Ana blushed a bright red. "Yes. I would be very glad to have you come with me. ...Thank you."

How could she have screwed that up? Now he probably thought she was a nervous wreck who couldn't even socialize properly. But... Now that she sensed his aura more closely, she could tell he was nervous too. Why would that be? Maybe he was as nervous about talking to her as she was about talking to him. That thought calmed her down, as strange as it sounded.

"Yeah, that would be very nice. I... can't drive. Due to obvious circumstances. And having the company would be really nice, I admit." Ana smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.


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Phoebe watched the two of them, her face expressionless. "I thank you for your time. Both of you. We, the Shadows, have a... very big goal we want to accomplish. And we need all the help we can get. We think that you two are the best for this job. You both know how to do what needs to be done. You both have the skills, the mentality... We cannot afford a huge army for this task, which is why we need the best. And you two are the best. I won't bother introducing you. You can do that later. I assure you. Both of you. If you successfully complete this job, you will walk away with more riches than you will know what to do with. It is a dangerous mission though, hence the reward. You are free to reject this mission, right now. But I can promise you fame, fortune, and anything else you want."

Leon looked at Phoebe, then back at the young girl beside him. She was considered one of the best? He couldn't have told that based on simply a look. "We want you two to destroy the Paladins of Peace. Kill every last one of them. Destroy their temple. Eliminate them. All of them but two, if you can get them alive. If you can take them both alive, then we will reward you even more. If not, it's not a terrible loss. We want their order wiped off the face of the galaxy. Got that?"

Leon's eyes were wide with astonishment. Destroy the entire Paladins of Peace order? Was this seriously a request? It was, indeed, far bigger than anything he could have imagined. It was very intimidating, but the prospects were insane as well. This was a mission that anyone would have died for. There was only one answer.

"I accept."

Notty
07-17-2015, 09:56 PM
Blane couldn't help but smile more as Ana seemed to stumble and trip over her words, and he noted the color rising in her cheeks as she spoke. "Great," he said with a warm smile, though felt a bit foolish, knowing that she couldn't see his face.

"Well...uh, I guess I'll head over to the hanger and see about getting us some transportation.." he murmured, pushing his hand through his hair. "Do you want to meet back here in an hour or so?" His eyes scanned her face, taking his time to move over her cheeks, her jawline, her lips. "The orphanage is just south of here, I believe. I don't think it'll be too difficult to find."

Idiot. She already said you could go with her. There's no reason to keep jabbering on, she's liable to change her mind..

Chuckling to himself, and rather awkwardly, Blane nodded, then smiled. Idiot! She can't see! Almost without thinking, he reached out and touched her arm, "alright, I'll see you in an hour." Then retracted his hand and started towards the hanger, trying to recover from the spectacle he just made of himself.

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"Whoa, whoa whoa...." Lena interrupted, her brow furrowing. "You want them gone? Completely off the map?" She asked, standing up from her seat and leaning over the table. Surely her ears were deceiving her. Had Phoebe come off her rocker? "How long have you been planning this, Phoebe? Why are we just now hearing about this?"

It was a mission. A 'once-in-a-lifetime' sort of mission, and she knew the Order wouldn't be stingy when it came to the rewards. She had heard stories. Do a job- a good job- for the Order of the Shadow, and you'd be set for life.

Pushing some none-existent hair from her face- an old habit, Lena sat back down, thinking for a moment. "Why do you want two to be left alive?" she asked, intrigued as to what Phoebe's motives were. "Certainly if we completely destroy them, what good are two survivors going to be?"

Drakonnas
07-17-2015, 11:34 PM
Anastasia was relieved to hear that she hadn't offended Blane, or caused him to act haughtily towards her. She smiled a little bit. "Yes, that would be wonderful. Thank you. I'll meet you in the hanger in an hour's time?" She asked, simply to confirm with him what he had suggested. "I've got a few things to get ready." She felt him touch her arm, almost hesitantly, and paused. What had that gesture meant? She honestly didn't know, and for once, she had a difficult time reading someone's motivations and intentions. It was almost as if his aura hid things from her. And that was very unusual. Ana had never encountered that before, even with him.

"Thanks, again." Ana said quickly wanting to make sure he knew that she appreciated this. Their shared awkward moment made Ana feel more at ease around him. Was that his purpose? She didn't know. But either way, things were looking good, and it was time to go pack her things. She wouldn't need a whole lot, but there were a few things that would be helpful. Ana didn't anticipate that they would be gone for long, but it might take a few days. She packed a small sack with an extra change of clothes, and personal hygiene materials, such as a toothbrush and a comb.

Anastasia sat down on her bed, thinking deeply about several things, and before she knew it, an hour had passed. It was time to go meet Blane in the transportation hall. Hopefully he didn't think she was dead weight, or unhelpful. She got up, and made her way there.

"Hey... Did we manage to find transportation?"




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Phoebe laughed at the responses the two in front of her had given. Leon spoke, his voice was quiet and calm, but nevertheless demanded total attention. "In my line of work, asking questions is a bad thing." He said, speaking to both Phoebe and this other girl. "But with all due respect, ma'am, I too, have some questions. In addition to the young woman's question, which is perfectly valid, who are the two you want alive? If we do not know their identity, how are we to get the ones you want?"

Phoebe smiled. "Yes, you are right. Questions are often a danger to the asker... But you are fine. I shall permit them. First, your question, Lena. Why leave two of them? Simple. Your first target is a young man named Blane. He has an ability to multiply things. If we can force him to work for us, and I can be very... ahem, persuasive, then we can rapidly acquire what we need to expand our control, and finally bring peace to many more planets that have eluded us. Your second target is a girl named Anastasia. She is blind, but has a powerful ability to use Aura. This gift is extremely rare, and I... crave... the desire to learn more about it. If my theory is correct, she could provide us the means to ultimately control anyone who crosses us. Again, this could lead to perfect peace..."

Leon's face did not change. But it was clear to him, just then, how deranged, and yet brilliant, this woman was. A slight trickle of fear seeped down his back. He knew that double crossing her would be an extremely stupid thing to do.

Notty
07-18-2015, 02:40 AM
Blane headed to the hanger, his boots thudding softly against the tile, then the dirt that covered the floor of the hanger. It was a large building, full of just about any kind of transportation you could want. Buses, trucks, cars, motorcycles, even a few helicopters and planes sat in the immediate hanger. Further off through a large open door, Blane could see several of the other aircraft- ones that could fly to space, ones that he had dreamed of flying. But learning to fly those cost money, and Blane didn't have any.

Contented to stay on the ground, Blane made arrangements for a terrain racer- a sporty, yet durable wheel-less car that floated a few feet above the ground. Equipped with solar panels, it didn't need gasoline as it drew its energy from the sun, and an even more exciting tidbit he wasn't aware of- lunar panels, collecting the moon's light as well.

Arrangements made, Blane glanced at a clock and noticed he had only 30 minutes before he was supposed to meet Ana back here. Jogging back to his quarters, he grabbed a backpack, filling it with another set of clothes, an emergency kit, and a bottle of water. Shouldering it, he jogged back to the hanger, smiling when he saw Ana.

"Hey, everything is all set, you ready to go?" He asked, reaching out his hand for her.

-----------------------------------------------

Lena could feel her cheeks heat in anger and almost embarrassment as the young man made his comment about asking questions. But she didn't fear him, and sneered briefly before looking back at Phoebe, focused on her and her reasoning behind the mission.

The power to multiply? What exactly can he multiply? And Aura....shit...Phoebe isn't messing around... Lena thought to herself as she sat in her chair, her eyes now darting back and forth slowly between Phoebe and the young man.

Nodding slowly, knowing that there really wasn't any choice when Phoebe asked you to do something, Lena stood. "I accept." she began, glancing towards the young man. "I assume that we have unlimited access to weapons, transportation and money..." Lena continued, looking to Phoebe.

If we are going to take them down, let's do it big. There are quite a few weapons I've seen that I've been dying to try out, and what a better chance than this....

Drakonnas
07-18-2015, 02:42 PM
Anastasia smiled as she nodded. "Good. I'm glad to hear that. You did well, finding transportation. So thank you." She felt him reach out his hand again, and she wondered why he did that. She could find her way around perfectly fine. Maybe he just felt the need to assist her? Ana wasn't sure how she felt about that. It was sweet, but she didn't want pity. She was perfectly capable of living an independent life, why would she need pity? She wasn't sure if her hesitation showed, she didn't want to alienate him. But... another part of her found she craved that attention. What was going on?

She took his hand, and let herself be led towards the vehicle that they would be taking. She had her pack on her back, and was ready to go now. She had already said good bye to Master Esiri. Somehow, this all felt unreal, as if a dream. She was actually going on a mission by herself now. She had longed for this for years now, had dreamed of it, and now it was finally coming true.

She felt around for the entrance to the vehicle. Her aura didn't work on metal, and she found this surprising. She couldn't sense anything within metal. Behind her, an aura simply vanished. She assumed they had gotten into a vehicle. Interesting. "...Can you help me get in?" She asked softly, not liking asking for help. She wanted to be as independent as possible, and not to be a burden on others.

As she got in the vehicle though, Ana began to freak out a little bit. As the metal door was closed after her, everything went black. She couldn't see anything, or sense anything. Something about the metal blocked her vision. For the first time, she truly was blind. And that was terrifying. She calmed down though when the other door opened, and Blane's aura appeared before her. At least she could still sense him...



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Leon noted that he had made the other girl uncomfortable, and made a mental note of that. Angering her was not a good way to start things off in their mutual business relationship. He was already formulating ideas in his mind about how to best go about this. The first thing they would need to do would be to get this Anastasia and this Blane person away from the main group. Then, they could either capture the two, or blow up the temple. Preferably both at the same time...

Phoebe's eyes narrowed a little bit. But she looked happy. "Yes. You have unlimited resources. I don't care what the losses are as long as this gets done. I want them gone. Do you understand me? I want. Them. Dead. Every last one of them." Her eyes were now angry and dangerous. "I'm not as villainous as to kill you for a failed job. I won't shoot you for giving my bad news." She said to them. "I'm not insane. This is your job. I expect you to do it. But if you need help or backup, just let me know." She said simply.

"I have faith in both of you."

- - - Updated - - -

Anastasia smiled as she nodded. "Good. I'm glad to hear that. You did well, finding transportation. So thank you." She felt him reach out his hand again, and she wondered why he did that. She could find her way around perfectly fine. Maybe he just felt the need to assist her? Ana wasn't sure how she felt about that. It was sweet, but she didn't want pity. She was perfectly capable of living an independent life, why would she need pity? She wasn't sure if her hesitation showed, she didn't want to alienate him. But... another part of her found she craved that attention. What was going on?

She took his hand, and let herself be led towards the vehicle that they would be taking. She had her pack on her back, and was ready to go now. She had already said good bye to Master Esiri. Somehow, this all felt unreal, as if a dream. She was actually going on a mission by herself now. She had longed for this for years now, had dreamed of it, and now it was finally coming true.

She felt around for the entrance to the vehicle. Her aura didn't work on metal, and she found this surprising. She couldn't sense anything within metal. Behind her, an aura simply vanished. She assumed they had gotten into a vehicle. Interesting. "...Can you help me get in?" She asked softly, not liking asking for help. She wanted to be as independent as possible, and not to be a burden on others.

As she got in the vehicle though, Ana began to freak out a little bit. As the metal door was closed after her, everything went black. She couldn't see anything, or sense anything. Something about the metal blocked her vision. For the first time, she truly was blind. And that was terrifying. She calmed down though when the other door opened, and Blane's aura appeared before her. At least she could still sense him...



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Leon noted that he had made the other girl uncomfortable, and made a mental note of that. Angering her was not a good way to start things off in their mutual business relationship. He was already formulating ideas in his mind about how to best go about this. The first thing they would need to do would be to get this Anastasia and this Blane person away from the main group. Then, they could either capture the two, or blow up the temple. Preferably both at the same time...

Phoebe's eyes narrowed a little bit. But she looked happy. "Yes. You have unlimited resources. I don't care what the losses are as long as this gets done. I want them gone. Do you understand me? I want. Them. Dead. Every last one of them." Her eyes were now angry and dangerous. "I'm not as villainous as to kill you for a failed job. I won't shoot you for giving my bad news." She said to them. "I'm not insane. This is your job. I expect you to do it. But if you need help or backup, just let me know." She said simply.

"I have faith in both of you."

Notty
07-18-2015, 04:39 PM
Gently leading her towards the vehicle, Blane stood nearby, helping her take off her backpack and then easing her inside, making sure she didn't hit her head. Smiling a bit, he closed the door and stepped to the back. Quickly loading her bag and his in the back, he double checked things. Emergency rations, weapons- I hope we don't need them- and a shelter kit. Great, everything.

Circling the vehicle, Blane opened the door and climbed in, smiling towards Ana, who looked a little perturbed. "Alright, shall we head off then?" Loading the coordinates of the orphanage in the GPS system, he glanced around to make sure that everything was in order. Pressing the engine button, the vehicle roared to life, then settled to a gentle hum. Blane couldn't help but smile- this was one of his favorite vehicles to drive.

Within seconds they were out of the hanger and on the road, the sun shining in through the front window. Every now and then Blane glanced over at Ana, not really sure if he should make small talk, or stick to just driving. He liked Ana well enough, of all the others at the Paladins of Peace, she was probably the one he got along with best.

"Are you excited?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena nodded, noting the venom dripping from Phoebe's voice, and decided not to push her any further. She could work out the details from here. With him. If she had to. Really, Lena would have preferred to work on her own. Besides, she had already leveled a town and killed all the occupants herself, why did she need a partner?

"Thank you, ma'am," Lena said, standing up. Immediately she turned and started out of the room, not even waiting for the young man. She didn't need him anyway. Her footsteps took her towards the library, knowing that she would need to know as much about the Paladins of Peace before she even started thinking about how to take them down. What better way to take down the enemy, than to know the enemy inside and out?

Drakonnas
07-18-2015, 10:16 PM
Ana braced herself as their vehicle began to move. She had never really gotten used to the feeling of riding somewhere. It was strange, and it automatically put her on edge, because she wasn't in control of where she was moving. In addition to the feeling of being locked down from using her aura sensing, she was quite tense.

It was a minute before Anastasia realized that Blane had asked her a question. "Yeah, I'm excited. Excited to get out of this vehicle." She said seriously. "I don't like this one bit... But as for the mission? Yeah. I do think I'm excited. I think it'll be fun, and I also think that it'll be a unique experience that will allow us to use our full potential. Besides, having my first mission is an exciting thing." She told him. "Have you ever had anything? And jobs?" She realized that she might be talking too much, and quickly shut her mouth, hoping she hadn't yapped his ear off.

Ana had no idea how long it would take to get to the orphanage, she'd just have to trust Blane to get them there. "...How did you join the Paladins?" She asked curiously, never having heard his story before. "I'd be interested in getting to know my partner a little bit more."


--------------------------------------------------------


Leon stood up, and followed Lena out of the room. "Lena." He said, his voice strong, but not overbearing. "I get the feeling that you prefer to work alone. Is that right? Well. We're both responsible for making sure this gets done. We'll have to decide how we want to do this. I'm generally more comfortable on my own as well. But this might be a job we need to work together on. If that's the case, we'll need to set aside our differences. But... I have a proposition for you." Leon said, crossing his arms. "We have two jobs. One, capture the two paladins. Two, kill the rest. What if we separate, and try to go about these things separately? Then, if we need, we can join forces. But I get the feeling you'd rather work alone."

Notty
07-18-2015, 10:59 PM
Blane chuckled softly as Ana admitted she was ready to get out of the vehicle, and he glanced at her for a moment, smiling even more. "Well, I'll try to get us there as safely and as quickly as possible," he said, hoping to ease her nerves. Shaking his head, Blane slowly turned the vehicle according to the directions, trying to make the movements as fluid as possible, so that Ana didn't get upset.

"No, no actually I haven't. This...this would be my first job too. Though, not really, since it's your job." He shifted a bit, suddenly feeling like maybe he was stealing her spotlight. "I'd like to have my own mission," he said, glancing over at her again. "Maybe someday soon I'll get one..."

Blane went quiet for a few moments. No one had actually asked him how he got here. Honestly, he hadn't gotten close enough to anyone for them to ask that question. Taking one hand off the steering wheel, he pushed his hand through his hair and took in a breath.

"They sort of found me..." he began, looking over at Ana. "At first, I didn't really know what was going on with me, my parents thought that the gods were simply blessing us. We'd be running low on milk, and the pitcher would refill itself, the chicken coop got attacked by a fox, and suddenly the next morning it was full again..." Shifting in his seat, Blane thought. "But it was when I discovered I was able to slow time...or multiply it, rather, that the Paladins came." He shook his head, furrowing his brow a little. "I'm not sure how they found out about me, but they showed up at the house one day. By then, I'd basically pulled away. I had a lot of people...try to use me, once they found out what I could do, so I kind of hid out..."

Letting his voice trail off, he took in a deep breath and then smiled a bit, looking over at Ana. "Anyways, enough about me. What about you?"

------------------------------------------------------------------

Stopping in her tracks, Lena turned around and looked at the young man. Her eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke, sizing him up, watching him carefully as he explained himself. Finally, she placed her hand up, silencing him.

"What is your name?" she asked rather coldly, a little irritated that he knew hers, but she hadn't picked up on his.

She did like the idea of working alone, though she knew it would be exponentially more dangerous. The Paladins were by no means unprotected. They couldn't just waltz in like she had and take them down. This would take planning, careful execution.

"I do prefer to work on my own," she began, "but before I make any plans, I'm going to do some research." Turning on her heel, she continued towards the library. "And I suggest you do some as well..."

Drakonnas
07-18-2015, 11:18 PM
Ana listened carefully as Blane spoke. She was grateful for his attempts to keep the vehicle running smoothly and gently for her. That showed he was quite the considerate person, and that was a good thing. She also listened to him speak about how he had come to join the order of the paladins of peace. She noted all the emotion in his voice, and thought she would try not to accidentally push any buttons. This was sensitive information to him, and Aba wanted to respect that.

It was only natural that he ask about her after she had inquired information about him. She was ready for the question as well. Ana didn't know how well he would like her answer, but she supposed it wouldn't matter. At least she had found out about why he was so aloof a lot of the time, he was afraid that someone else would simply try to use him for his gifts. She did not understand that, as no one else could really benefit from her gift.

"Well." Anastasia began. "My mother was a prostitute. She was... Probably seventeen at the time of conception? She ran away from home, and a pimp took her in. She, as isnt surprising in her line of work, became pregnant. Apparently, he was the father. He tried to beat me out of my mom, but she had me anyway. They told me that's why I am blind now. Anyway, my mom and I were living in poverty. I was born blind, and my mother could not afford to give me the medical attention I needed. I developed the ability to sense people. And then the paladins came for me. My mother was very happy to give me up. She didn't want me, and I only caused her stress. How was she to feed me? Clothe me? She worried that I would end up like her. Just trying desperately to survive. They took me, and brought me here."

Anastasia's face was impassive. It was difficult to read her expression. "So yeah. That's how I came to be here." She laughed, though it was mirthless.


--_----------------------------------------------------------


Leon stopped as the girl stopped him. She certainly had an aura of command. She was rather cold and rude, and Leon wasn't sure what to make of her. She was dangerous, that much he assumed. But simply by the situation they were in, that was a given.

"Obviously. Research and knowledge is they key to any great scheme." Leon said, rolling his eyes and following her. "My name is Leon. Use it if you wish.

- - - Updated - - -

Ana listened carefully as Blane spoke. She was grateful for his attempts to keep the vehicle running smoothly and gently for her. That showed he was quite the considerate person, and that was a good thing. She also listened to him speak about how he had come to join the order of the paladins of peace. She noted all the emotion in his voice, and thought she would try not to accidentally push any buttons. This was sensitive information to him, and Aba wanted to respect that.

It was only natural that he ask about her after she had inquired information about him. She was ready for the question as well. Ana didn't know how well he would like her answer, but she supposed it wouldn't matter. At least she had found out about why he was so aloof a lot of the time, he was afraid that someone else would simply try to use him for his gifts. She did not understand that, as no one else could really benefit from her gift.

"Well." Anastasia began. "My mother was a prostitute. She was... Probably seventeen at the time of conception? She ran away from home, and a pimp took her in. She, as isnt surprising in her line of work, became pregnant. Apparently, he was the father. He tried to beat me out of my mom, but she had me anyway. They told me that's why I am blind now. Anyway, my mom and I were living in poverty. I was born blind, and my mother could not afford to give me the medical attention I needed. I developed the ability to sense people. And then the paladins came for me. My mother was very happy to give me up. She didn't want me, and I only caused her stress. How was she to feed me? Clothe me? She worried that I would end up like her. Just trying desperately to survive. They took me, and brought me here."

Anastasia's face was impassive. It was difficult to read her expression. "So yeah. That's how I came to be here." She laughed, though it was mirthless.


--_----------------------------------------------------------


Leon stopped as the girl stopped him. She certainly had an aura of command. She was rather cold and rude, and Leon wasn't sure what to make of her. She was dangerous, that much he assumed. But simply by the situation they were in, that was a given.

"Obviously. Research and knowledge is they key to any great scheme." Leon said, rolling his eyes and following her. "My name is Leon. Use it if you wish.

- - - Updated - - -

Ana listened carefully as Blane spoke. She was grateful for his attempts to keep the vehicle running smoothly and gently for her. That showed he was quite the considerate person, and that was a good thing. She also listened to him speak about how he had come to join the order of the paladins of peace. She noted all the emotion in his voice, and thought she would try not to accidentally push any buttons. This was sensitive information to him, and Aba wanted to respect that.

It was only natural that he ask about her after she had inquired information about him. She was ready for the question as well. Ana didn't know how well he would like her answer, but she supposed it wouldn't matter. At least she had found out about why he was so aloof a lot of the time, he was afraid that someone else would simply try to use him for his gifts. She did not understand that, as no one else could really benefit from her gift.

"Well." Anastasia began. "My mother was a prostitute. She was... Probably seventeen at the time of conception? She ran away from home, and a pimp took her in. She, as isnt surprising in her line of work, became pregnant. Apparently, he was the father. He tried to beat me out of my mom, but she had me anyway. They told me that's why I am blind now. Anyway, my mom and I were living in poverty. I was born blind, and my mother could not afford to give me the medical attention I needed. I developed the ability to sense people. And then the paladins came for me. My mother was very happy to give me up. She didn't want me, and I only caused her stress. How was she to feed me? Clothe me? She worried that I would end up like her. Just trying desperately to survive. They took me, and brought me here."

Anastasia's face was impassive. It was difficult to read her expression. "So yeah. That's how I came to be here." She laughed, though it was mirthless.


--_----------------------------------------------------------


Leon stopped as the girl stopped him. She certainly had an aura of command. She was rather cold and rude, and Leon wasn't sure what to make of her. She was dangerous, that much he assumed. But simply by the situation they were in, that was a given.

"Obviously. Research and knowledge is they key to any great scheme." Leon said, rolling his eyes and following her. "My name is Leon. Use it if you wish.

Notty
07-18-2015, 11:31 PM
Smiling a bit as he glanced over at Ana, his smile began to fade as she began to tell him about her life. Blane was surprised to find that he was flooded with emotions as she spoke. First, surprise to find that her mother was a prostitute, then anger at the man who fathered her and tried to beat her out of her mother, then sadness at her mother's willingness to give her up.

Slowly he nodded, glancing over at Ana. Perhaps it was better that she was here. She had a better life. Forcing a weak smile, Blane nodded again, though she couldn't see it, as he struggled for words. How could he react to something like that? Finally, after what seemed like years, he spoke.

"I am glad you are here. And I'm glad, despite your beginnings, that you are safe and happy." Though the happiness, he could only assume. From her laugh, he thought that perhaps she had told the story many times, and had tired of its sadness. "I'm sorry...if I pushed too much," he said, hoping to mend anything that he had broken between them.

Blane swallowed a bit, shifting in his seat. Why did he feel the need to tell her more? To have conversations with her that he had dreamt of as he grew up in isolation? He felt comfortable with Ana, yet she kept him on his toes. It was a strange feeling, but Blane decided that he liked it.

---------------------------------------------------

Leon. Leon.... Lena let the name roll around inside her before she actually spoke it. "Leon," she began, though had no plan to continue the sentence with which his name started. She saw him roll her eyes, and had to bite her tongue to keep from lashing out at him. Making enemies with your partner wasn't the best of ways to start out a mission.

She continued down the hall, with him following- assumedly, before she spoke again. "I don't know your background, nor do I care to.." she began, her eyes straight ahead, focused on the doors of the library as they came closer and closer. "I can only assume you possess talents similar to mine." She stopped at the doors and put her hands on the handles. "You don't have to research, I understand if you just want to run in, guns blazing. This is how I do things. You do what you need to.."

With that, she pulled the doors open just enough to let her body slip through, and disappeared inside.

Drakonnas
07-19-2015, 01:22 AM
Ana noted the emotions within Blane. She could tell that he was feeling emotional, but why, she did not know. He was still difficult to read for some reason. Maybe that had to do with the fact that they were enclosed in metal? But no, that wasn't it. He was in there with her. That should have meant she could read him. Maybe it had to do with his power. She didn't know. She did know, though, that he was feeling emotional about her life tale, and she waited for him to speak.

"Well, thank you." Ana said simply. "I... am happy for the most part. There are things that I could be happier about, but no one has a perfect life. So, I am contest. Do not worry about pushing. It is perfectly fine. I do not mind talking about it. Painful though it was, like you said, I AM in a better place now. And this means that I do not have to think about it. While it is true that I do not have a blood family, the Paladins are my family now."

Had she said too much? The ever constant worry was eating at her again, gnawing, making her worry she was being a bother. But she had to trust herself. He had asked, and she had responded. There was no reason to feel ashamed. The conversation was not as uncomfortable as she had expected it to be. And to her, that was a good thing. She felt slightly closer to him now that they had shared secrets.



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Leon sighed inwardly as Lena slipped inside the library, her rude comments stinging. Or, they would have, if Leon had cared. Caring only meant escalating things, and that wasn't something he wanted to do. They were only assigned to the same job. That meant that until the job was completed, they would have to work together. If she was going to be rude and asinine to him... There wasn't much he could do about it. The money and prospect of riches was enough for him to put up with her shit.

Leon opened the library door, and entered after her, silent as a shadow. Wordlessly, he followed her.

Notty
07-19-2015, 01:35 AM
The woods died away to a vast plain, tall grasses on either side of them. The sun shone and the sky was flawlessly blue. Far beyond the plains, hills rose up to meet mountains, hazy and purple, the peaks covered in snow. Getting an idea, Blane glanced over at Ana. "Would you like me to tell you what it looks like outside?"

He studied the picture before him, then began speaking. "It is flat, as far as the eye can see, and then just at the very edge, small hills appear, leading up to massive mountains. They must be miles high. On top there's snow. All around us, it looks like a sea of tall grasses. Probably waist high, and they move in the wind..." Furrowing his brow, and trying to explain it to Ana, he reached over and stroked her forearm back and forth several times slowly, mimicking the way that the grass moved in the wind.

Retracting his hand, he gave a small smile and then took in a deep breath. "I never really had much of a family." His eyes remained on the road as he spoke. "My parents...they died a while back, sickness took them. The Paladins came not long after they passed. I never had any siblings, my mother always wanted more, but my father said I was too much of a burden. We were already so poor..." Shrugging a bit, he shifted in his seat. "I was a loner. It was easier that way, than to have people exploit me..."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Glancing back when she heard the door click behind her, Lena caught sight of Leon, and smiled a bit to herself. "Follow me..." she murmured, moving back towards the older part of the library.

She moved slowly, almost gracefully, her hips swaying slightly, but her step firm and true. Had she wanted to, Lena could have made an excellent dancer- her figure spot on for being one. Stopping and letting her fingers move over the spines of some of the books, she furrowed her brow, allowing her guard to come down.

This was one of the places that she felt most comfortable. This is where she spent most of her time. Having never really gone to school, Lena craved knowledge. Many days she would spend hours in here, pouring over books, learning anything and everything that she could.

But ignorance was a weakness, and she wasn't going to allow others to know about that weakness. Training to fight and destroy- that was easy. She could make her body do whatever she wanted to, but her mind...that was another story.

"Here..." she murmured softly, as if to an old friend. "Here, the books are here..."

Drakonnas
07-19-2015, 02:01 AM
Anastasia's mind focused on the words being fed to her. She drank them all up, as a man trapped in the desert would drink water. No one had ever bothered to describe to her the scenery before. No one had ever thought to do so. No, it had always been about what she could see; auras. The fact that Blane was describing to her the scenery around them, even if she had no idea what grass really looked like, or how mountains were seen, was a kindness that had her instantly hooked. She wanted this. She loved this. Her face turned towards Blane, hungry for more. Her eyes sparkled like brilliant sapphires in the sunlight. Her hair waved as the Amber grass did. She wanted more.

When Blane touched her, goosebumps ran up and down her body. She shivered at the light touch, but wasn't sure how she felt about it. It was a kind and caring touch, vastly different from the usual annoyed or pitying touches of someone who was trying g to guide her. This touch was a caring touch, and intimate one. That scared her a little bit, but it also excited her.

"I'm sure I'm picturing something completely different than what you see." She began. "But its one of the most beautiful gifts anyone has ever given me." Her voice caught in her throat as she tried to say something more. "I... Thank you. No one has ever tried to help describe things to me."

Ana shivered.



----------------------


Leon immediately noticed the attitude change. What had triggered that? Was it his refusal to fight with her? Was it something g to do with the scenery? What was causing this? Whatever it was, Leon knew he had a lot to learn about this girl if he wanted to work with her successfully. He guessed she had a troubled background. The fact that she didn't know how to socialize was proof of that.

He followed her into the library, and wordlessly picked out several books on the history of the Order, and read quietly. What he read impressed him, as much as it disgusted him. They were too idealistic. But he had to admit, they seemed like good people. Good people that had just been sentenced to death. And he was one of the two executioners. He smiled as he imagined another chapter about how the order was mysteriously felled by two assassins..

Notty
07-19-2015, 02:21 AM
Blane glanced over at Ana and smiled, his face brightening when he saw how eager she looked. He nodded, smiling even more, "really?" He said, honestly surprised that no one had ever described anything for her. "Here then..." He said, the vehicle slowing and finally stopping.

"Wait just a moment..." Blane said, then climbed out of the vehicle and shut the door. Moving around the vehicle, he opened Ana's door and reached in, "here..." Taking her hand, he helped her out. He couldn't help but smile at her as she stepped into the light, her hair mirroring the tall grass around her.

"It won't take long, just a couple minutes..." Keeping Ana's hand in his, he stepped away from the vehicle and off the graveled road. Almost immediately, they were swimming in thigh-high grass. "The grass.." He murmured, letting go of Ana's hand, letting her touch and feel the sea of grass around her. "It's not much..." He murmured, shrugging a bit, not sure if he had gone too far.

------------------------------------------

Lena picked several books herself, and settled down at a table, opening them up and beginning to read. She tried her best to ignore Leon. This was her place, this was her sanctuary, and she didn't like that he was here with her.

Shifting in her seat and tucking a leg beneath her, she flipped through hundreds of pages of information about the Paladins of Peace, learning of their origins, the beliefs, and those in authority. Suddenly, something caught her eye. "Here..." She murmured softly, pushing the book a little closer to Leon. "Here's a picture of their facility..." Furrowing her brow a bit, she thought for a moment. "I bet we can find blueprints, those have to be public information..."

Standing, without a word, Lena moved to another section of the library, searching, biting her lip as she pushed herself up on her toes to try and reach for it. "Almost...got it...."

Drakonnas
07-19-2015, 02:36 AM
Ana's face was confused as they stopped. "Are we there?" She asked curiously. But her question was answered at once as Blane helped her out, and helped guide her into the grass. She was confused. Why was he doing this? They had a job to do, wasn't this a distraction? She had to admit though, she would have gotten lost without his help. She could see the auras of the plants around her. They were much duller than animals, but alive nonetheless. But there were so many of them that she felt lost amidst a sea of gold. She carefully felt the grass, as if trying to memorize its features.

"Not much?" Anastasia asked, confused. "What do you mean, not much? This .means a lot to me. I can't see things with my eyes, so aura, and touch are how I learn about things. I mean, I can listen, smell and taste too, but... Touch is most effective." She moved through the golden grains, seemingly losing herself among them.

"How can there be such variety in the world, even only a short distance from home?" She wondered out loud, talking to herself more than Blane now. "What else in the world is there to know? Someday, when I can afford the medical procedure, I want to go around, and see the world for myself. Someday I will..." Ana remembered that Blane was there. She was very grateful towards him for showing this to her. But... We're they growing too close to quickly? Ana didn't know. Was this okay? Maybe he really just wanted to help. She was confused.

But she loved the idea. The idea that she could enjoy this, this companionship, this comfort. Could she?


--------------------------------------------------



Leon continued to read, not bothering Lena, but paying attention to what she had to say. Certainly, blueprints would be very valuable to their potential plan. He was onto something ad well...

When Lena struggled to get a book down, Leon, without looking, kicked the bookshelf, causing it to wiggle, which loosened the book just enough for it to fall straight into Lena's open arms. "You're welcome." He said simply. Good luck finding it. I've got a few things you might be interested to see."

Notty
07-19-2015, 02:54 AM
Blane couldn't help himself from smiling even wider as Ana's hands moved over the grass, letting her words flow freely as she murmured. At first, he wasn't sure if he should listen, he felt like he was listening to the words that dwelt within her heart. Pushing his hand through his hair, he let his eyes move over Ana more slowly. Truly...she was beautiful, he had always thought that, but now, even more so.

When she turned towards him, Blane smiled. "That sounds like a great plan," he said, his eyes scanning Ana's face. "Should we head back?" He asked, reaching his hand out to take Ana's. Slowly, probably more slowly than necessary, he led Ana back towards the vehicle and helped her in, before shutting her door and moving around to his side.

Once inside, he glanced over at Ana and started it back up. "Looks like we should be there in about an hour or so..." He said with a smile, turning the vehicle back onto the road and continued along, letting silence fall between them.

--------------------------------------------

Lena let out a soft cry of surprise when the book came tumbling down into her arms, and she turned, glancing back at Leon. She could feel her cheeks heat slightly, and she nodded a bit. "Thanks.." She murmured, taking the book and moving back towards the table.

"What did you find?" She asked, glancing over at him as she flipped open the book, scanning through it slowly. Every now and then, she glanced up at Leon, curious as to what he found.

She felt strange. Perhaps it was because she was working with someone. Working alone was easier. It was easier to hide that she didn't know things. With others there, it would be harder to hide her ignorance. Lena shifted in her seat, hoping that Leon wouldn't bring up something that she couldn't understand.

Drakonnas
07-19-2015, 03:39 AM
Ana let herself be led back to the vehicle. She didn't want to leave yet, but she knew that they were expected. She wanted to stay here for a lot longer, and just linger in the pastures, touching things, learning what they felt like, smelled like... She wanted to explore. She wanted to see for herself what the world was like. But they did have a job to do. She could do this at a later date. There was time. Her face was slightly worried and anxious as they got back into the vehicle. However, the break did her a lot of good. She sat back and tried to relax. There was silence between them, and Ana didn't want top break it. She didn't want to bother him, after he had been so thoughtful to her. Or maybe he did want her to bother him...

A good half an hour had passed between them. The silence was comfortable, not strenuous. Or, at least to Anastasia, it wasn't. As much as she could, she tried to enjoy the time. Many thoughts ran through her head. Was Blane someone with whom she would be happy? So far, he seemed to be just the kind of person that she had always imagined herself with. Calm. Quiet. Friendly. And thoughtful. He seemed to be the kind of person who wouldn't take advantage of her, but would try to hep her, and himself. Maybe she was thinking too far into things. Maybe it was unreasonable to be thinking so far ahead.

"Thank you for that." Ana finally said. "I... appreciated that. More than I think you'll ever know." She didn't know what else to say, and fell into silence again. She knew that that stop would have been unremarkable had she possessed her vision. But... strangely, she found she was glad. Glad that she could have spent that moment with him. Even if it did mean nothing later on, she knew she would remember that.

Finally, they arrived at the orphanage. Ana could hear, even from inside the vehicle, the sound of children playing and laughing. She couldn't help grinning. It was one of her favorite noises. She looked excited. "Come on! Let's go. They're waiting for us."

As the two of them stepped outside, Ana could hear the cheers and shouts coming from the playground.

"THEY'RE HERE!"

"Wow... real Paladins?"

"No way!"

"You're SO COOL!"

"Look at them! Real live Paladins!"

"Are you super heroes?"



============================================


Leon smirked a little bit, good naturedly, as Lena caught the book in surprise. She thanked him, and he acknowledged that thanks with a curt nod. As she came over to look to see what he had found, he pointed out a few articles to her.

The first article was an article talking about a scrapped defense mechanism of the Paladins. They had, at one time, plans to build a large security robot, a drone. "Maybe if we can find out what happened to this thing, we can use it to wipe out the Paladins." He said simply.

"The other thing that I wanted to show you... is this." He pointed to another article, that was printed about one hundred years ago. "I know it's outdated. But look at this. It was a research study on an element called Eridium. This element is said to be able to neutralize any organic powers of anyone around it. Know what that means? If we can get enough Eiridium into the temple,everyone will be helpless. We walk in, start shooting, or however you want to kill, and they'll be helpless to resist. It'll take more planining though, as we don't want to expose it too soon, and have them become aware of what we are trying to do..."

Notty
07-19-2015, 04:05 AM
As Ana spoke, Blane glanced over at her, having been lost in his own thoughts. He couldn't help but smile as she thanked him, and he simply nodded, his eyes moving over to scan her face. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'll... I'll try to explain things more, and we can stop more on the way back if you want to..." he said, honestly excited at the thought.

He had been thinking, of what it must be to live in darkness. What it would be to not know the color of the sky, how the world outside looks...even how he looked. But that was only part of what Blane had been thinking of. He had been thinking of a pair of eyes, that even though they possessed no physical sight, seemed to be able to see right through him. Of the happy smile as her fingers brushed against the grass, of how truly happy she looked.

Slowing the vehicle and then parking it, he couldn't help but chuckle as Ana squealed in excitement, the children immediately flocking to the vehicle. He glanced over, half tempted to make her wait as he explained everything, but he decided against it, seeing how excited she was. Climbing out of the car, and subsequently into several pairs of open arms that hugged his legs, Blane chuckled. "Hold on, hold on...."

He grinned down at the children, ruffling one's hair. "Give me just a second..." He said, closing the door and starting around to Ana's side.

"Well- ARE you?" A voice cried from behind him, and a young boy stood near, his eyes wide as he looked up at Blane. Confused for a moment, Blane suddenly smiled and shook his head. "No, no, I'm not the superhero, I'm just the sidekick..." he grinned, opening Ana's door. "She's the real superhero..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena furrowed her brow, her eyes scanning the plans for the drone as Leon explained it briefly. Damn it. I never spent too much time learning about mechanics.... But the other article he found caught her attention. Without thinking, she pulled the book from him, placing it before herself as she began to read.

Incredible power... she thought to herself. Truly, it was a great idea. The ability to be able to walk in and take them down without a fight.... That's when it hit her. She closed her eyes as flashes of the past burned before her eyes. That's how she had done it before. Walking in unexpected. The village had no defenses. It was a slaughter...

Swallowing hard, she opened her eyes and tossed her head a bit, as if trying to clear the fog. "But uh..." she began, hoping that Leon hadn't noticed her lapse. "Wouldn't it affect us? How would we be able to function?"

Drakonnas
07-19-2015, 12:52 PM
Anastasia was smiling widely as she got out of the car, and into the arms of the young children waiting for them. Their auras were so vibrant, so full of life, that Ana could hardly understand how they could be so. She loved them for it. She gently hugged each of the children who wanted one, and tried to look down at them. "I'm not a superhero." She teased gently. "I'm a normal person like you all. But if you want me to be a superhero, I'll see what I can do to be one for you." She grinned, and suddenly posed, flexing her arms. It was corny and silly, but the children loved it. They cheered, shouted in gladness at Ana, and at Blane.

"...You're gonna make the ghost go away, right?" Asked one boy, who had stayed a little bit back from the group, but had seemed to pluck up the courage to talk. He looked shy and uneasy, but hopeful at the same time. "You can make it leave?"

Anastasia stopped being a ham for the kids, and knelt before the young lad, touching his shoulders, and running her hands down to his arms, so she could clasp both of his hands in hers. "We're going to do out best to make this ghost leave." She promised him. "I hope so, yes. Can you tell us more about this ghost?"

The boy smiled shyly. "...Thank you." He looked nervous. "Well... this ghost steals our toys." He said. "It comes when we sleep and takes our things. We've never seen it, but..."

"YEAH!" A girl chimed in. "The ghost is a real meanie. It makes us mad. We don't have a lot of things, and it comes at takes them from us!"

Ana looked surprised. That didn't seem like the kind of thing a ghost would do. She looked over at Blane. "What do you think?" She asked him. She turned back to the children. "We'll see what we can do. Maybe we can even find your toys again." She really hoped that she could deliver, it was terrible for these orphans who had so little to lose even more.



================================================== ====


Leon looked up at Lena, wondering what might be causing the reaction in her face and eyes. Clearly she was remembering something, but what was it? Maybe it had to do with her secretive past? He didn't know, and honestly, didn't want to push it. He said nothing as he waited for her to respond. She didn't seem too enthusiastic on the idea of the robot, and he honestly like his Eridium discovery more. It sounded like such a perfect plan. Introduce Eridium into the temple somehow. Walk in and simply slaughter everyone without a fight. And that way, they could easily capture the two Paladins as well... This was perfect.

But Lena had a good point. "It probably would affect us." He said quietly, thinking. "But look. Down here, it says they were looking into possible counters for the stuff. It said that Lavender acted as a counter to the effects of the Eridium. If we... I don't know if ingesting lavender, or simply smelling like it would be best... It's a dangerous plan, especially if the Eridium impacts us. I suppose we could get some kind of robot to do it for us..." He didn't like that idea though, he wanted to make sure nothing could be screwed up.

"Either that, or we just wear protective suits, I guess."

Notty
07-20-2015, 01:33 AM
Blane couldn't help the smile that had overtaken his face as he watched Ana talk with the children. It seemed so easy, so natural, and the way she smiled...

His thoughts were interrupted when a small hand pushed into his, and he glanced down at the young girl standing beside him. "Hello," he smiled, kneeling down before her. "Are you really her sidekick?" she whispered, looking around as if she was asking him to divulge a national secret. Blane smiled and nodded, brushing some dirt from the girl's cheek. "Mmhmm, Ana there is amazing. I'm sure she'll be able to get rid of the ghost, and I will do my best to get your toys back, alright?" The girl smiled brightly and flung her arms around Blane's neck. He smiled and hugged her back tightly.

Hearing Ana's voice directed back towards him, he glanced up and met her eyes. He nodded, then spoke. "Yeah, yeah. We will do everything we can." It wouldn't be too difficult for him to multiply their toys, he could honestly even do it from here. Smiling, he stood and moved over to Ana's side. "Should we head inside and talk to them?"

------------------------------------------------------

Lena looked at Leon, her eyes scanning his as he talked about the possible ways to circumvent the Eridium's side effects. She furrowed her brow, tucking some hair behind her ear. "If it's just inhaled, we could pump it through the ventilation system..." she said, digging around and pulling up the blueprints. "Wait an hour or so for them to be knocked out..."

Honestly, she didn't want to go in and slaughter a bunch of people that were just lying there, helpless. As sweet as revenge had been, she couldn't shake the look people gave her when she entered that town and began killing. Fear. Horror. Panic. Terror. The looks haunted her. More often than not, she woke up, screaming from nightmares of them.

"Perhaps we could get some gas masks, then head in and plant some bombs? Just wipe the place out completely? We could stick around for a day or two, make sure there aren't any survivors and then..." Her voice trailed off, "why don't we just pump the place full of gas? Kill them all that way?" Her eyes scanned Leon's, unsure of what he would think of her plan. "Certainly that way, we would be able to find..." Her brow furrowed again, "that won't work. If the two we want are in there..."

Drakonnas
07-20-2015, 02:52 AM
Anastasia stood up. She loved how all the kids were huddled around them. It felt strange but good to be so looked up to. Being in a position to be able to help the kids was important, and she loved that. They led her to the main building, which was quite pretty for an orphanage. Whoever had built this place obviously had the best interests of the kids at heart.

"Oh, you're here." A fat, middle aged man was sitting on the front porch of the orphanage in a squeaky rocking chair. He looked amiable and good natured. "Thank you so much for coming. My name is Augustus. Augustus Bartholomew Jerome Leonard Huburt Gregory George VonScchidenburg the Seventh. My fathers, and aye, their fathers before them, ran this orphanage. We do our best to make the lives of our kids the best we possibly can. Though, as of late, something has been plaguing them, and we can't explain it. So that's why you're here. People say this place is haunted..." He said, leaning forward.

"Don't worry, Mister.. Augustus." Ana said simply. "We'll do what we can to get to the bottom of this. Do you have any idea on where we should start looking?"

------------------------=========================----------------------------------------

Leon frowned, and shook his head. "No, I don't wanna gas the place. That... No. That's not precise enough. It's a good idea though. I've done it before. But maybe... hmm. I think our first priority needs to be locating the two we want to catch. Once we find them, we can figure out how to take out the rest of them. Or maybe, if they're not there, we blow the place up, send out a distress signal, and wait for them to return." Leon liked that idea. It would send a clear message. Just blowing the temple off the face of the planet would be quite satisfying. Their trap would be well placed as well. Unsuspecting Paladins would come back at the distress signal, and then they would die.

"What do you think we should do?" Leon asked. It was difficult to ask her opinion, as he had his own way of doing things, and compromising two different styles would be a challenge at best. But the money was worth it. Very worth it.

Notty
07-20-2015, 03:09 AM
Blane followed Ana into the orphanage, staying close, his hand hovering near the small of her back, but never touching her. His eyes scanned the orphanage, the detailing in the woodwork, the colors. It was all that he could do to keep himself from taking Ana's hand, letting her feel it, telling her all about what he could see, in hopes that she could see it too.

Suppressing a smile at Augustus' name, he reached a hand out and shook his hand, "good to meet you, I'm Blane, and this is Ana," he smiled, his eyes scanning the man's face. "Can you take us to the place where it...where you are seeing, or experiencing the ghost the most?" he asked, eager to get started.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena nodded, her eyes scanning Leon's face as he spoke. "I think we need to locate the two that we need alive. Draw them out. Bomb the place..." She shifted a bit in her seat and frowned, biting her lip a little. She didn't know much about explosives, and she made a mental note to look up some books later after Leon left.

"The multiplier and the Aura..." she murmured to herself, trying to decide how they would search them out. "It's not as if we can just walk in and ask where they are..." Her eyes moved to Leon's, scanning his, hoping that she would find something in his eyes that would give her a clue as to what to do.

Drakonnas
07-20-2015, 11:58 AM
As Blane and Augustus spoke, Anastasia looked around at all the different auras. She noted one boy off in the distance, standing alone. She turned to face him, and walked towards him. But... something was odd. As she walked towards him, she ran into a pillar. "Ow..." She muttered, quickly hoping that no one had noticed that. Why was there an aura inside the pillar? But... was it inside the pillar? The next moment, the aura had moved, and was now intermingled with the other children. She looked around at it, trying to keep track of it. But it had vanished...

She made her was carefully back over to Blane and Augustus, confused as to what had just happened. It didn't make any sense, any sense at all. Why had..? And then an idea came to her. Maybe she had just seen this ghost. Augustus was currently speaking. "Well, we've been... not really seeing it, no one can see it. But people can feel the presence of... something... in the playground mostly, but it's been felt in other areas as well. There's no consistent time of day either..."

Anastasia nodded. "...Maybe we should just wait around a little bit, play with the kids, and see if this ghost wants to make himself known." She suggested. "I... I think I saw him. Just a minute ago. But I lost him in with the kids." This might have seemed a strange thing to say. How would someone lose someone else?

Augustus looked surprised at the comment. "How did you see him?" He demanded, standing up.

Ana smiled. "Sir, I'm blind. But I can see the auras of things. And I thought I sensed a presence." She smiled. Augustus recoiled, as if worried he might catch her blindness. "I... see..." He said, sounding uncomfortable. "Well.. go do what it is you need to, and leave me out of this, please. I don't like... the supernatural. Yeah."



================================================== =======



Leon nodded. "Yes. That sounds like the correct line to play." He admitted to her. "Find them. Capture them. And then we rid the place of the temple and the rest of the Paladins. Don't worry. I've got plenty of experience with explosives." He smiled, remembering some of his best jobs, which included blowing up a famous royal starship with royalty on board.

But as Lena made her next comment about walking in, Leon's eyes lit up, as she enkindled another idea inside him. "Why not?" He asked her, eyes narrowing intensely in thought. "Why not? We stage ourselves as reporters. We go in, make a couple of interviews. For good measure, talk to a few people inside as well. We ask questions about the two of them, talk to them if we can... Ask them to give us a tour of the place." He said smiling. "What do you think?"

Notty
07-21-2015, 01:14 AM
Blane stood talking with Augustus as Ana stepped away. The man, while his heart was in the right place, well, Blane wasn't sure this was the best fit for him. He seemed to shy away from the children at times as if they were dirty and carrying a vile plague that would wipe out the planet. But at the same time, he seemed to be genuinely concerned about them, and certainly knew them all by name.

He glanced back at Ana as she stood by him again, his brow furrowing as she mentioned that she thought she had seen the ghost. "Really?" he said, noting how Augustus moved back in disgust as Ana explained that she was blind. How dare he... Blane felt himself thinking, anger rising up in him. How dare he step back and look at her in disgust?! He couldn't explain why he suddenly felt so protective of her...

Glancing over to her, he smiled a bit, trying to forget the anger he had just felt. "Ana, let's go and check out some of the places he said the ghost might be..." He reached out for her hand, more out of protectiveness than anything, and began to lead her away, letting his anger cool.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena curled the end of her braid around her fingers as she looked over at Leon. "We....yeah, yeah, we could..." she said, the ideas growing in her mind. "Reporters..." her brow furrowed. "But how do we single out the two, without specifically asking about them, wouldn't that be suspicious?"

She shifted in her seat, then stood, stretching a bit. As she did, her shirt came up slightly, revealing long, sharp scars covering her sides, back and stomach. Quickly reaching down and covering herself, Lena sat back down. "Now, if we were to go in, as reporters..." she drummed her fingers on the table for a moment. "If one of us could get away, certainly there's some sort of system that keeps track of them. Like here, when you go out on a mission, or even out of the building, your emblem logs it in the system, so they know who is in and who is out."

"If we can do that, we can pinpoint our people...even..." she said, digging around in her bag, then pulling out a tablet. "I could sync it, well, rather clone the system, so that we could watch in real time as people enter and exit the facility..." her eyes darted up to Leon's, scanning them.

Notty
07-21-2015, 01:15 AM
Blane stood talking with Augustus as Ana stepped away. The man, while his heart was in the right place, well, Blane wasn't sure this was the best fit for him. He seemed to shy away from the children at times as if they were dirty and carrying a vile plague that would wipe out the planet. But at the same time, he seemed to be genuinely concerned about them, and certainly knew them all by name.

He glanced back at Ana as she stood by him again, his brow furrowing as she mentioned that she thought she had seen the ghost. "Really?" he said, noting how Augustus moved back in disgust as Ana explained that she was blind. How dare he... Blane felt himself thinking, anger rising up in him. How dare he step back and look at her in disgust?! He couldn't explain why he suddenly felt so protective of her...

Glancing over to her, he smiled a bit, trying to forget the anger he had just felt. "Ana, let's go and check out some of the places he said the ghost might be..." He reached out for her hand, more out of protectiveness than anything, and began to lead her away, letting his anger cool.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena curled the end of her braid around her fingers as she looked over at Leon. "We....yeah, yeah, we could..." she said, the ideas growing in her mind. "Reporters..." her brow furrowed. "But how do we single out the two, without specifically asking about them, wouldn't that be suspicious?"

She shifted in her seat, then stood, stretching a bit. As she did, her shirt came up slightly, revealing long, sharp scars covering her sides, back and stomach. Quickly reaching down and covering herself, Lena sat back down. "Now, if we were to go in, as reporters..." she drummed her fingers on the table for a moment. "If one of us could get away, certainly there's some sort of system that keeps track of them. Like here, when you go out on a mission, or even out of the building, your emblem logs it in the system, so they know who is in and who is out."

"If we can do that, we can pinpoint our people...even..." she said, digging around in her bag, then pulling out a tablet. "I could sync it, well, rather clone the system, so that we could watch in real time as people enter and exit the facility..." her eyes darted up to Leon's, scanning them.

Drakonnas
07-21-2015, 02:05 AM
Ana did not sense Augustus' disgust at her disability, she was focusing on the children, and looking for the aura that she had seen. Where had it gone? Had it vanished? It wouldn't have surprised her, because if it really was a spirit, it couldn't have been expected to behave as a normal person would, now, could it? She noted that Blane had taken her hand again, but he held her differently than he had before. There was anger in his grip, as well as another feeling that she wasn't quite sure of. Was it protectiveness? There was something else in his aura as well, something she had never encountered before. It was there, but it wasn't terribly strong, as it was unsure of itself. Did he harbor feelings for her? Anastasia didn't know how to handle that, and kept quiet.

"Well, there are a few places we can look." Ana suggested. "We could go to the playground, and look for clues there. Or we could go to the area where the kids keep their toys. Or we could look in the dorms." She suggested. "I... I think we should look around outside. I'm not sure why I think so, but... I just have a feeling." She looked around, still trying to get a glimpse of where that odd aura might have gone.

She paused, and looked up at Blane. What was he thinking? What did he think? What were his thoughts and feelings? A part of her wanted to know. But... she was a little bit scared of the answer as well. What if she was reading him wrong? What if she was reading him right? Was she prepared for this?



=======================================



Leon nodded, looking impressed. "Yes, yes, that makes sense. It's a good plan. Track them by bugging their information systems, and then we can ambush them. I like it." He smiled, actually impressed. "I like it. You've done well, Lena. However, I think we can improve on this plan just a little bit more. "What if we use the reporter idea, and used that as an excuse to gain access to their information systems? I can probably overload them, and make a copy of all the information that they possess. And then we can sell that back to the Shadows for a significant bargain." His smile was sly.

He had noticed all the scars as Lena had stretched, but he did not mention them. He might later, if she opened up to him. But honestly, it didn't matter. She was only a partner for this job. And caring about people was a liability. A weakness in a chain of strength. He couldn't allow himself to care. Not when it would endanger him, her, and their mission.

Drakonnas
07-21-2015, 02:06 AM
Ana did not sense Augustus' disgust at her disability, she was focusing on the children, and looking for the aura that she had seen. Where had it gone? Had it vanished? It wouldn't have surprised her, because if it really was a spirit, it couldn't have been expected to behave as a normal person would, now, could it? She noted that Blane had taken her hand again, but he held her differently than he had before. There was anger in his grip, as well as another feeling that she wasn't quite sure of. Was it protectiveness? There was something else in his aura as well, something she had never encountered before. It was there, but it wasn't terribly strong, as it was unsure of itself. Did he harbor feelings for her? Anastasia didn't know how to handle that, and kept quiet.

"Well, there are a few places we can look." Ana suggested. "We could go to the playground, and look for clues there. Or we could go to the area where the kids keep their toys. Or we could look in the dorms." She suggested. "I... I think we should look around outside. I'm not sure why I think so, but... I just have a feeling." She looked around, still trying to get a glimpse of where that odd aura might have gone.

She paused, and looked up at Blane. What was he thinking? What did he think? What were his thoughts and feelings? A part of her wanted to know. But... she was a little bit scared of the answer as well. What if she was reading him wrong? What if she was reading him right? Was she prepared for this?



=======================================



Leon nodded, looking impressed. "Yes, yes, that makes sense. It's a good plan. Track them by bugging their information systems, and then we can ambush them. I like it." He smiled, actually impressed. "I like it. You've done well, Lena. However, I think we can improve on this plan just a little bit more. "What if we use the reporter idea, and used that as an excuse to gain access to their information systems? I can probably overload them, and make a copy of all the information that they possess. And then we can sell that back to the Shadows for a significant bargain." His smile was sly.

He had noticed all the scars as Lena had stretched, but he did not mention them. He might later, if she opened up to him. But honestly, it didn't matter. She was only a partner for this job. And caring about people was a liability. A weakness in a chain of strength. He couldn't allow himself to care. Not when it would endanger him, her, and their mission.

Notty
07-21-2015, 03:22 AM
Blane had to consciously try and calm himself down. Why was he getting so upset about this? Ana hadn't seemed to notice that he had pulled away from her when she mentioned she was blind, so why was it bothering him so much? Did he have feelings for her? Was there something beyond just friendship, and a protectiveness of her as his partner?

Hearing her voice, he stopped, looking down at her with a smile. He could feel himself soften, his anger almost dissipating as she spoke to him. He nodded, his eyes scanning her face. "Yeah, yeah, we can head outside, you know best..." Smiling a bit, he took her hand again, this time placing it on the ornate carved staircase railing. "Here...." he whispered.

As they moved down the stairs, Blane described how the orphanage looked. He described the dark wood floors, the pale blues and greens of the walls, how the colors flowed and moved together, like the grass had outside. The tall windows, stained with purples and oranges, pale yellows and greens. He smiled, glancing over at Ana, his hand moving on top of hers, "feel..." he murmured, moving her fingers over the stair railing, and then across to the stained glass, dragging her fingers over the different textures of the glass.

He couldn't help but smile as he stayed close to her, his right arm around behind her, over her right arm and covering her hand as he directed her fingers. The more of the world he saw, the more he wanted Ana to see. He wanted to give her what her father had denied her. Sight.

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Lena's smile grew as Leon explained his plan, and she nodded. "Perfect," she chuckled, tucking some hair from behind her ear. "Shall we go ahead and begin preparing our alter-egos?" she asked, her eyes scanning his face. Lena shifted in the chair, growing restless of sitting.

Sighing, she finally stood. "I can't sit any longer, do you want to go down to the tech lab and check things out?" she asked, grabbing a couple books to read later. "I'll show you where it is, we've got full reign. Or we can go to weapons...its up to you, I don't mind either way."

- - - Updated - - -

Blane had to consciously try and calm himself down. Why was he getting so upset about this? Ana hadn't seemed to notice that he had pulled away from her when she mentioned she was blind, so why was it bothering him so much? Did he have feelings for her? Was there something beyond just friendship, and a protectiveness of her as his partner?

Hearing her voice, he stopped, looking down at her with a smile. He could feel himself soften, his anger almost dissipating as she spoke to him. He nodded, his eyes scanning her face. "Yeah, yeah, we can head outside, you know best..." Smiling a bit, he took her hand again, this time placing it on the ornate carved staircase railing. "Here...." he whispered.

As they moved down the stairs, Blane described how the orphanage looked. He described the dark wood floors, the pale blues and greens of the walls, how the colors flowed and moved together, like the grass had outside. The tall windows, stained with purples and oranges, pale yellows and greens. He smiled, glancing over at Ana, his hand moving on top of hers, "feel..." he murmured, moving her fingers over the stair railing, and then across to the stained glass, dragging her fingers over the different textures of the glass.

He couldn't help but smile as he stayed close to her, his right arm around behind her, over her right arm and covering her hand as he directed her fingers. The more of the world he saw, the more he wanted Ana to see. He wanted to give her what her father had denied her. Sight.

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Lena's smile grew as Leon explained his plan, and she nodded. "Perfect," she chuckled, tucking some hair from behind her ear. "Shall we go ahead and begin preparing our alter-egos?" she asked, her eyes scanning his face. Lena shifted in the chair, growing restless of sitting.

Sighing, she finally stood. "I can't sit any longer, do you want to go down to the tech lab and check things out?" she asked, grabbing a couple books to read later. "I'll show you where it is, we've got full reign. Or we can go to weapons...its up to you, I don't mind either way."

Drakonnas
07-21-2015, 04:01 AM
Anastaisa was having a difficult time. She was trying to focus on looking for this ghost, but her ears only heard Blane. He was speaking, telling her about what there was. She felt things, and tried to form a mental picture in her mind. It meant a lot to her, but never before had she been so self conscious about the fact that she couldn't see. She wanted to see things as he did now, and that was both a blessing and a curse. She drank his words, and the scenes appeared in her mind, almost as if he were painting them there.

Anastasia's confusion was overwhelming. Why was she feeling this way? They had only been together for a few hours now, and she already felt so strongly? But... Was it that? Was it simply her desire for her sight? Was it something else? She turned her attention back to the auras again, as the stained glass left her fingers. It was difficult to make the bigger picture connect, but she did her best.

They followed a path towards the playground, many of the kids were following them, eagerly. Ana didn't mind their company, she found it endearing. Some of the kids were running off to do their own thing again. She couldn't distinguish the ghost from the normal kids. "Blane... is there anything moving that shouldn't be?" She asked. "I can see the auras of the kids, but I can't tell the, apart..."


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Leon stood silently. "Yes. We should begin getting ready." His face showed nothing but determination. "I apologize if I seem cold. I've learned that the best way to succeed in a mission is to remove anything that could be a weakness, including emotions, and other people. It is unlike me to say this, but I see that our success depends on our co-operation. If I become too much of a dick, please feel free to let me know. If we are to succeed in this endeavor, then I do believe that we will need to overcome our... individual discomforts. I sense turmoil in you, Lena. But I will not ask, it is not my business." Leon shook his head. "I dunno what came over me. Let's get to the weapons department. I'd like to see the calibur of your explosives."

Notty
07-21-2015, 04:35 AM
Blane closed his eyes and took a deep breath as they stepped outside. You have to slow down, Blane.. he thought to himself. Just because she seems like the only person who isn't out to use you, doesn't mean you run full speed. Just slow down...she will be there. Take your time...

Laughing as the children ran alongside them, Blane took every opportunity to reach out and tousle their hair, or give them a high five as they moved past him. He slowed as they neared the playground, the majority of the children now playing beyond them.

His brow furrowed as he grazed the playground with his eyes, scanning, searching, for something that didn't seem right. Then he felt it. In the pit of his stomach. "There..." he murmured, then frowned. Reaching to Ana, he gently shifted her so she was standing right in front of him, then took her hand, reaching it out. "There, to the left are three children on the slide...." Still holding Ana's hand, hoping to help orient herself. "And there...." he shifted her hand slightly to the right. "The swing, it's moving, but no one is on it..."

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Lena glanced at Leon as he began speaking, then felt her cheeks heat a bit. "And I've only ever worked alone," she snipped, hoping to take off some of the edge of his stinging remarks. But what he said about turmoil in her, stung even worse.

Going silent, she moved a little faster down the hall, not wanting to think about Leon, or her past, or how he sensed it. Weapons. Technology. Weapons. Technology.... Her fingers clenched harder around the books in her hands until her knuckles were white.

"Here," she said, rather coldly. "Technology, weapons is just down the hall. If you'll excuse me..." Turning on her heel, Lena started down the hall, feeling her eyes brim with tears, nausea coming over her. Nearly to the bathroom, she starting running, shoving the door open and stumbling into a stall before she began to vomit.

Notty
07-21-2015, 04:35 AM
Blane closed his eyes and took a deep breath as they stepped outside. You have to slow down, Blane.. he thought to himself. Just because she seems like the only person who isn't out to use you, doesn't mean you run full speed. Just slow down...she will be there. Take your time...

Laughing as the children ran alongside them, Blane took every opportunity to reach out and tousle their hair, or give them a high five as they moved past him. He slowed as they neared the playground, the majority of the children now playing beyond them.

His brow furrowed as he grazed the playground with his eyes, scanning, searching, for something that didn't seem right. Then he felt it. In the pit of his stomach. "There..." he murmured, then frowned. Reaching to Ana, he gently shifted her so she was standing right in front of him, then took her hand, reaching it out. "There, to the left are three children on the slide...." Still holding Ana's hand, hoping to help orient herself. "And there...." he shifted her hand slightly to the right. "The swing, it's moving, but no one is on it..."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena glanced at Leon as he began speaking, then felt her cheeks heat a bit. "And I've only ever worked alone," she snipped, hoping to take off some of the edge of his stinging remarks. But what he said about turmoil in her, stung even worse.

Going silent, she moved a little faster down the hall, not wanting to think about Leon, or her past, or how he sensed it. Weapons. Technology. Weapons. Technology.... Her fingers clenched harder around the books in her hands until her knuckles were white.

"Here," she said, rather coldly. "Technology, weapons is just down the hall. If you'll excuse me..." Turning on her heel, Lena started down the hall, feeling her eyes brim with tears, nausea coming over her. Nearly to the bathroom, she starting running, shoving the door open and stumbling into a stall before she began to vomit.

Drakonnas
07-21-2015, 12:31 PM
Looking over at the swings, Anastasia noticed that there was indeed someone there. But if Blane said there wasn't anyone... She smiled. "Bingo. We got ourselves a little ghost." She stepped forward, slowly, making sure that Blane was still with her. She was nervous. Would the ghost be able to see her? Or hear her? Could she communicate with it somehow? The two of them stopped right before the swingset, which was still going in full motion. "...I can see you." Anastasia finally said, not really sure how to begin. The color of the aura in front of her changed colors rapidly, which startled her.

The ghost moved away suddenly, and Anastasia had to hurry to keep up with him. She worried about tripping over something she didn't know was there, and trusted Blane to help keep her safe. She was focusing more on where the ghost was going. It was moving too fast to keep up. "Wait for us!" She called out to it. "We're here to help you. We want to speak with you."

The ghost slowed down some, and Ana finally understood that it was trying to lead them somewhere. But where were they going? The path they were going down was becoming increasingly rough and less worn. "Blane... where are we going?" She asked worried as her foot caught on a tree root for the third time. She could feel more trees around them now, but it was strange. Hadn't this been a plain? Maybe it was only a bit of trees planted here specifically for the orphanage to enjoy. A little mini-forest. Yeah, that was probably it.

"I hear water." Anastasia said finally, hearing a rippling in the distance. "Do you hear it? Are we... still okay? Can you see where we're going? The ghost is just ahead here." They continued to walk for about five more minutes, until the ghost stopped moving. It seemed to want them to follow. Ana was about to step forward, unknowingly, into the river which was now in front of them... She could hear the water, but did not know where it was. "Where are you leading us?" She asked it, but there was no reply.


================================================== ==========



Leon stared at her, as her face turned colder. What in the world had he said to tick her off? He was only trying to tell her that he wasn't used to working with people, and that he might need a little bit of forgiveness if they were to truly succeed together. He decided immediately that the best course of action would be to go see what was wrong, and repair any damage before it had been too much to repair. He honestly didn't know what was wrong. The normal voice inside his head told him that this was a dangerous plan, that he should not try to build any kind of bond with her, even if it was for a mission, because she would become a liability in the end. Because their partnership would end, and then he would go back to being himself again. He was not used to emotion, so why would this be any different?

All the same, his instincts kicked in, and he followed Lena. He pushed open the door after her, and knelt on the floor, waiting for her to calm down some before he spoke. "Are you okay?" He asked after a minute, awkwardly. He didn't really know how to comfort anyone, he was only good for harming. So why was he here? "I apologize, I did not mean to offend." He stopped, again, not sure what else to say. He waited.

Drakonnas
07-21-2015, 12:31 PM
Looking over at the swings, Anastasia noticed that there was indeed someone there. But if Blane said there wasn't anyone... She smiled. "Bingo. We got ourselves a little ghost." She stepped forward, slowly, making sure that Blane was still with her. She was nervous. Would the ghost be able to see her? Or hear her? Could she communicate with it somehow? The two of them stopped right before the swingset, which was still going in full motion. "...I can see you." Anastasia finally said, not really sure how to begin. The color of the aura in front of her changed colors rapidly, which startled her.

The ghost moved away suddenly, and Anastasia had to hurry to keep up with him. She worried about tripping over something she didn't know was there, and trusted Blane to help keep her safe. She was focusing more on where the ghost was going. It was moving too fast to keep up. "Wait for us!" She called out to it. "We're here to help you. We want to speak with you."

The ghost slowed down some, and Ana finally understood that it was trying to lead them somewhere. But where were they going? The path they were going down was becoming increasingly rough and less worn. "Blane... where are we going?" She asked worried as her foot caught on a tree root for the third time. She could feel more trees around them now, but it was strange. Hadn't this been a plain? Maybe it was only a bit of trees planted here specifically for the orphanage to enjoy. A little mini-forest. Yeah, that was probably it.

"I hear water." Anastasia said finally, hearing a rippling in the distance. "Do you hear it? Are we... still okay? Can you see where we're going? The ghost is just ahead here." They continued to walk for about five more minutes, until the ghost stopped moving. It seemed to want them to follow. Ana was about to step forward, unknowingly, into the river which was now in front of them... She could hear the water, but did not know where it was. "Where are you leading us?" She asked it, but there was no reply.


================================================== ==========



Leon stared at her, as her face turned colder. What in the world had he said to tick her off? He was only trying to tell her that he wasn't used to working with people, and that he might need a little bit of forgiveness if they were to truly succeed together. He decided immediately that the best course of action would be to go see what was wrong, and repair any damage before it had been too much to repair. He honestly didn't know what was wrong. The normal voice inside his head told him that this was a dangerous plan, that he should not try to build any kind of bond with her, even if it was for a mission, because she would become a liability in the end. Because their partnership would end, and then he would go back to being himself again. He was not used to emotion, so why would this be any different?

All the same, his instincts kicked in, and he followed Lena. He pushed open the door after her, and knelt on the floor, waiting for her to calm down some before he spoke. "Are you okay?" He asked after a minute, awkwardly. He didn't really know how to comfort anyone, he was only good for harming. So why was he here? "I apologize, I did not mean to offend." He stopped, again, not sure what else to say. He waited.

Notty
07-21-2015, 12:56 PM
Blane watched, a little unsure of what exactly was going on, as he couldn't see anything before him. Suddenly, Ana took off, and he bolted forward, following her. It wasn't difficult to keep up with her- being significantly taller, his strides were longer than Ana's. But he found himself torn between trying to watch the ground in front of them so Ana wouldn't fall, watching Ana to see where she was going, and trying to keep a mental picture of where the hell they were going, so he could get them back.

His hand remained outstretched slightly, hovering near the small of her back as they moved forward. Several times he grabbed her gently and steered her around something, and several times he didn't catch it quick enough, and muttered a soft "sorry" as they continued along.

He watched as the plains around them filled with trees, a smallish forest he had seen on the way into the orphanage. His ears perked at the sound of water, and before too long, he could see a river flowing before them, and Ana was headed straight for it. "Ana, be careful..." he said as she trudged forward. It made him nervous- but was it because he could see what she couldn't, or that she could see what he couldn't?

"Ana..." he called out as she stepped out into the river, and he followed right in, tensing up a bit. He had no idea how deep the river was, how fast, or even if Ana could swim. His hand returned to hovering near the small of her back, and he widened his eyes a bit, blinking several times as if it would help him to see what he couldn't. "Is...is it still there?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena hadn't even noticed Leon follow her to the bathroom until after she had finished emptying the contents of her stomach. She leaned up, her face pale and ashen. Without saying a word, she shifted on the floor, leaning back against the metal wall of the stall, pushing her cheek against it, trying to cool herself down.

Closing her eyes, Lena took in a deep breath, able to feel her hands shaking. What had come over her? This had never happened to her before, so what suddenly had changed?

"No..." she murmured, her eyes still closed. "Sorry, just...breakfast didn't sit well." It was a flat out lie, but Leon didn't have to know that.

What about him made her so nervous, so tense? Was it because suddenly she had someone else to worry about? Was it because for the last 5 years she had essentially been alone, and she had no mindset of how to interact with someone else? Or was it because he reminded her of someone?

Leaning up again, Lena opened her eyes and looked at Leon, scanning his face. Part of her, the unused part, wanted to divulge everything then and there. Tell him her life story, everything that had happened to her, and that she had done. And the other half was scared. Scared that she would mess things up. That she wasn't the right person for the job. That she was, as she had been told all her life...

Broken.

Drakonnas
07-21-2015, 02:35 PM
Anastasia yelped as she stepped into the water. She flailed her arms hastily, jumping out of the water as quickly as she possibly could. Her breathing was rapid and terrified. She hated swimming, it brought back terrible memories of a time when she had almost drowned as a kid. She had never learned to swim, and had purposefully avoided as much water as she could. Even showering was difficult on her at times. She had heard the water, but hadn't expected it to be that close. She clung to Blane, almost as if a scared kitten. After a moment, she let go, embarrassed that she had clung onto him.

"Sorry..." She said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I'm terrified of water." She looked around, the ghost seemed to be laughing. "...he's still there... But he stopped. I think we're where he wanted to bring us." It was then that Ana noticed she was shaking. But why? Had the water really scared her that much, or was there something else that she wasn't aware of?

And then, the ghost spoke to her. Or, at least, it motioned to her. She looked down, it was... drawing something in the sand? She couldn't see what it was. "l-look down th-there." She said, still shivering. "what is it writing?"

Words had formed themselves in the ground.

"Can you help me?"


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Leon stared at Lena, as if he had never quite seen her clearly. There was something familiar about her, and in her vulnerable state, he recognized that there was something he knew about her. But... what was it? He couldn't quite put his finger on it. He sat down by her, waiting, wondering. She said that there was something about the breakfast that hadn't gone over well, but Leon didn't believe this. Something else was bothering her, and he didn't know what it was.

Leon wasn't sure how to treat her. It was uncomfortable being compassionate and caring, as it was very against his norm. But he had to try. They needed to get past this hostile bump in their relationship, in order to work better together. And that would only begin with trust. Leon did not trust easily. And he was sure the same was true for her. But they had to start somewhere.

Notty
07-21-2015, 05:00 PM
Without even thinking, Blane's arms went around Ana as she jumped from the water and clung to him. They easily wrapped around, her small frame, and he found in the moment, that he enjoyed how well she fit against him. He rubbed her back a little, his head tilted down to quiet and calm her. "I was right here..." he murmured, "I wouldn't have let anything happen to you.."

Blane could feel Ana tremble against him, and his brow furrowed, "are you cold?" He asked, curiously looking her over. She hadn't got that far into the water- maybe knee deep, but it had wetted the bottom of her skirt and her shoes. He shifted a bit to start and take off his jacket to give to her, but she spoke again.

His eyes turned away from her and to the ground. Widening, he couldn't believe what he saw. In the sand, words began to appear. "It...it says, can you help me?" He looked back up at Ana, still holding her to him as she shivered. Letting go of her for just a moment, he shrugged off his jacket and put it around her shoulders, then pulled his arm around her, letting her nestle against him if she wished. "What does it need help with?"

-------------------------------------------------------

The inward struggle made Lena feel sick, and she pressed her cheek against the cold metal of the stall wall once more, closing her eyes. Flashes of the village, the village she grew up in, passed through her mind. Days spent playing outside her home.

Him.

As if she had been suddenly burned by the metal, she leaned up, her eyes wide as she looked at Leon. No, no. It can't be.... Her eyes studied him carefully, looking him over as if she hadn't really taken the time before.

"I know..." she began, choosing her words carefully. "I know you don't pride yourself on being..intimate.." Lena's brow furrowed as she shifted on the ground, leaning her back against the stall, facing him. "And I've been alone for so long, I...I'm not sure I know how to be..."

Perhaps it was better to just give a brief overview of her life, what had happened. She had never told anyone. Even the Order didn't know. All they had picked up on was that she had single-handedly leveled a village. They saw her as an asset, a skill set. Never once questioning her background, simply praising her accomplishments.

"I...I grew up in a small village, lived there until I was 5. It was attacked, and I was taken as a prisoner..." She hesitated, not liking how it felt to open up, but something inside her urged her to. "I lived as a slave for almost 10 years," the scars on her body burning, as if she was feeling them being placed all over again. "I escaped, was alone for the next 5, learning how to fight and destroy, so that I could have revenge on the ones who took so much from me...that's how I got here. That's how the Order found me. That's...who I am."

Drakonnas
07-21-2015, 05:40 PM
Ana found comfort in Blane's arms. They were strong and calming. She felt safe there. "Well..." She felt him put his jacket over her, and she was touched again by his kindness towards her. She wasn't cold, but she felt the jacket to be comfortable. As he read the words that were written in the dirt, she looked back up at the ghost.

"Yes, we can help you." She said quietly. "But you have to tell us who you are, and what you need from us." Anastasia couldn't believe she was here, talking to some kind of ghost. It seemed like something straight out of a fairy tale. She listened, but didn't hear anything. "What happened to you? What's wrong? Why are you taking the other kids toys?"

The ghostly figure drew something out in the sand. It was weird, as if he was using the sand to show them a movie. There were two boys, one big one, one small one. The bigger of the two was mean to the smaller one, kicked him, and took his toy. The two of them ran to the river. Where the larger boy threw the toy into the river. The younger boy went into the river, and never came out. The sand stopped moving...

Ana didn't see any of this. "What's going on?" She asked Blane, hoping that he would be able to describe what was going on.


=≠=====================================


Leon looked up as Lena spoke. She spoke about having her village raided when she was five. Leon's eyes grew dark and dangerous as she spoke.

"I was six when my family was targeted for attacks by my father's enemies. He is a famous assassin as well, and we lived in a village called Tel'naer. They came in, and destroyed my entire village. My father took me and my mother in the dead of night, and we fled for our lives..."

There was something else on his mind. Something that bothered him a lot. "I lost my best friend that day. I tried to get my dad to come back and save her. I begged and pleaded. But he... He wouldn't do it. A part of me died that day. She meant everything to me. To lose her... And everything like that... It crushed me."

Notty
07-21-2015, 06:55 PM
Blane looked from Ana to the place where the words had been written in the sand, hesitating. His eyes widened when he saw the sand begin to move again, shaking his head in disbelief, though he was watching it happen just before him.

"It..." he began, still unable to believe what he was seeing. "There are two boys, one is small and one is big..." his voice trailed off, waiting for the next picture to be drawn. "The bigger boy, it...it looks like he kicked the smaller one and took his toy....they ran down to the river..." his voice dropped off, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"He...threw the toy in the river..." Swallowing hard, he watched as the sand stopped moving. The final picture of a quiet river, with the big boy standing beside it alone. "The small one went in after it.....and....that's it..."

His hand rubbed Ana's arm and he pulled her a little closer, more for his comfort than for hers. "Just the bigger boy, beside the water..." Without even thinking, Blane leaned down and pressed his lips to Ana's head, closing his eyes. It was strange, he felt as if the child was a part of him, as if he had experienced it himself. "We have to help..." he murmured against her hair.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That..." she began, but was unable to finish. A knot formed in her throat and she couldn't shake it.

Tel'naer. My village. My friend.

Without warning, her chin began to tremble, her eyes stinging with tears as they formed in her eyes. She shook her head, blinking several times in an attempt to stop the tears, but it only aided in pushing them down her cheeks. Lena dropped her head, inwardly cursing herself for letting her guard down, for letting Leon see her as weak.

Reaching out, she took his hand and turned it over so his palm was facing up. With her index finger, she began tracing lines, letters, pictures across his palm, as she had done with her friend when she was small. Before the soldiers came. Before he disappeared. Before she was alone.

Drakonnas
07-21-2015, 07:26 PM
Listening with her breath held, Anastasia envisioned the scenario. She saw the little boys playing, one bullying the other. She saw them chasing each other to the spot where they now stood... Ana felt Blane become more uncomfortable, and pull her closer to him. She heard the fear in his voice as he spoke. She knew what had happened. The little boy had drowned trying to get his toy back. A few tears wet her face before she realized that she was crying. She whispered back to the boy. "We'll get your toy for you."

She felt Blane resting his head on hers, and didn't think much more of it than that. She knew he needed the comfort, and she was glad to be able to provide that for him. She knew he was impacted by this just as much as she was. She agreed wholeheartedly. They had to help him. "Can you lead us to your toy?" She asked the boy, and he started across the river.

This presented a problem. Ana could not cross it. The ghost seemed confused by this. "Is there another place where we can cross the river and not get wet?" Anastasia asked, and the boy nodded. He floated back across the river, and led her, and through her Blane, several minutes more into the forest. They came to a large tree that had fallen. It was old and rotting, and had probably been there for many years. It was not safe. But it was the only other way across the river. Ana was terrified. "I don't know that I can do this..." She whispered to Blane. "I don't think I'm strong enough. I don't think I can do this..."



================================================== =====



Leon looked at Lena, and wondered what was going on in her mind. Why had she reacted thusly? It really didn't make much sense to him, and he wondered... It certainly wasn't possible. She couldn't be his friend. Not THAT Lena. It couldn't be. She had died. He was sure of it.

Leon certainly did not see her as weak. She reached out, and grabbed his hand. Leon's heart suddenly caught in his throat. What was she doing? No.. No, it couldn't be. This was just some cruel coincidence. His heart began to beat faster and faster as she turned over his hand, and began tracing pictures on his palm.

It was when she had drawn a heart on his palm that he broke down. All the pain he had felt over the years came bursting out now, overwhelming his considerable, formidable defenses. "...Lena..." He whispered, his eyes wet. "Lena, it's you..." He flung his arms around her tightly, and held her as close to him as he possibly could. He was silent, letting her cry. He shed tears as well.

"Oh my god Lena..." He finally said, loosening his arms just enough so that he could look at her face. It was like he was seeing her for the first time in forever. "Oh my god... I thought... all this time... I thought all this time that you were dead. I cried for you for years. I thought I was to blame for your death. If only..." He took a shaking finger, and wiped a tear from her eye, ever so gently. He had not used such care in anything in over fifteen years. Such gentle care.

"Look..." He reached into his shit, and pulled out a locket that she had given him for his fifth birthday. "You gave me this locket for my fifth birthday. Remember it?" He opened it, and inside, there was a picture of the two of them, holding hands on the beach, running from the waves. "I never took it off. Not once."

Notty
07-21-2015, 07:45 PM
Blane glanced down at Ana, and noted her wet cheeks. He reached up to brush the tears away, but before he could, she spoke again, her eyes moving out towards where he presumed the ghost would be standing. He watched as her face furrowed in fear, knowing she didn't want to cross the water.

Almost suddenly, she began moving forward, starting back through the forest. He quickly stepped ahead, remaining just beside her, in an attempt to make sure that she didn't trip or catch her foot on anything as they moved. Blane noted that they moved parallel with the river, and he assumed that the ghost would be taking them to a small bridge, or a place in the river where it wasn't as deep.

When he saw the tree that had fallen across the water, he stopped, grabbing Ana's arm and shaking his head. "There's a big tree that's fallen across the river...but...it doesn't look safe Ana.." He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing his options. "I can get it.." he said, looking at her. "I can swim, I can get it.." Moving them slowly towards the shore, Blane took a better look at the river. It wasn't as fast moving here, but it did look deep. And he had no idea what was under the water, or what he was even looking for.

----------------------------------------------------

Lena let out a soft cry when she heard Leon say her name, and she couldn't stop the tears now. He pulled her against his body, holding her close, and Lena found herself pulling her arms around his neck, burying her face there and crying against him. Her body shook weakly as she cried, letting out years and years of pain, hurt and fear.

"I..." she began, looking at him through tear-soaked lashes. Her chin trembled again and she felt the knot reform in her throat. Tears continued down her cheeks, but Leon reached up and brushed them away, and she let out a soft sob, smiling through her tears.

As her attention was drawn to the locket, she shook her head, swallowing hard, still not yet being able to form any words. And even if she could, what would she say? Suddenly, she felt as if she had so much to say. How she screamed, how she was found by the raiders, because she was looking for him- to make sure that he was safe? How she fought, sobbing as she watched his house being burnt to the ground.

Without a word, Lena leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, needing him, needing her best friend.

Notty
07-21-2015, 07:46 PM
Blane glanced down at Ana, and noted her wet cheeks. He reached up to brush the tears away, but before he could, she spoke again, her eyes moving out towards where he presumed the ghost would be standing. He watched as her face furrowed in fear, knowing she didn't want to cross the water.

Almost suddenly, she began moving forward, starting back through the forest. He quickly stepped ahead, remaining just beside her, in an attempt to make sure that she didn't trip or catch her foot on anything as they moved. Blane noted that they moved parallel with the river, and he assumed that the ghost would be taking them to a small bridge, or a place in the river where it wasn't as deep.

When he saw the tree that had fallen across the water, he stopped, grabbing Ana's arm and shaking his head. "There's a big tree that's fallen across the river...but...it doesn't look safe Ana.." He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing his options. "I can get it.." he said, looking at her. "I can swim, I can get it.." Moving them slowly towards the shore, Blane took a better look at the river. It wasn't as fast moving here, but it did look deep. And he had no idea what was under the water, or what he was even looking for.

----------------------------------------------------

Lena let out a soft cry when she heard Leon say her name, and she couldn't stop the tears now. He pulled her against his body, holding her close, and Lena found herself pulling her arms around his neck, burying her face there and crying against him. Her body shook weakly as she cried, letting out years and years of pain, hurt and fear.

"I..." she began, looking at him through tear-soaked lashes. Her chin trembled again and she felt the knot reform in her throat. Tears continued down her cheeks, but Leon reached up and brushed them away, and she let out a soft sob, smiling through her tears.

As her attention was drawn to the locket, she shook her head, swallowing hard, still not yet being able to form any words. And even if she could, what would she say? Suddenly, she felt as if she had so much to say. How she screamed, how she was found by the raiders, because she was looking for him- to make sure that he was safe? How she fought, sobbing as she watched his house being burnt to the ground.

Without a word, Lena leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, needing him, needing her best friend.

Drakonnas
07-21-2015, 08:12 PM
Anastasia nodded softly. "I... I'm sorry." She bowed her head, and closed her eyes, feeling defeated. She had come all this way to be defeated by a river. She could not help this ghost unless she successfully conquered her fear of water. And that was something she didn't believe she could do. She would... but would she? She thought about returning home, unsuccessful. But that's not what she wanted. She could see this disappointment in her Master's eyes, and that was even worse.

"Where is your toy? What does it look like?" Ana's voice shook as she spoke to the ghost some more. The ghost pointed at a deep pool in the end of the river. An eddy was swirling in the deep pool, signifying a strong current. A marker in the sand was drawn again. A whirlpool. The boy's toy was at the bottom of the eddy. "...I think... Blane? Could you use your multiplying skills to make a copy of his toy?"


===============================================


Leon was shocked as Lena kissed him. But he took it in stride, and wrapped his arms around her again, and kissed her. All the passion he had felt over the years returned to him in the moment of their kiss, which seemed to last an eternity, or more. Nothing could have made him happier at that moment. He was far happier than he ever had been. Nothing else mattered. It was just her. If anyone walked in at that moment, it would have looked very strange, but no one came in.

Leon never wanted it to end. He never wanted to break apart from her ever again. But... everything came to an end eventually. They separated, and he stared into her eyes. "I'm so sorry for everything that you must have gone through, Lena." He said, carefully. "I wanted to find you. But... when we came back, everything was burnt, and everyone was dead... I collapsed in the middle of the destroyed town and called for you. For what seemed like hours. I cried for you... I'm so glad to see you again."

He held her close to him again, so she could feel his strong arms, and feel safe and secure for one time in her life.

Notty
07-21-2015, 08:26 PM
Blane furrowed his brow as the shapes began to appear in the sand again, and he pushed his hand through his hair, letting out a slow sigh. His eyes darted to Ana, and he shook his head, taking in a deep breath. "I...I usually have to see it, or have seen it, to be able to multiply it..."

He shifted a bit, looking back out towards the whirlpool. Blane had seen the disappointment in Ana's eyes, how upset she looked. He could do it. He could do it for her. "I...I can try to swim out and find it.." he said. "It's probably not good now, but, if I could atleast look at it, then I could multiply it...."

It was dangerous, the water spinning and whirling rapidly, but he didn't tell Ana that. He didn't want her to be scared. "I can do it Ana..." Slowly he let go of her, his heart pounding in his chest. Blane did his best to push down his fear, he didn't want Ana to pick up on it and question as to why he was so afraid. Stripping out of his shirt, he tossed it on a bush nearby. "Ana," he said, reaching and taking her hand. "Just...stay here, okay? It'll just be a minute..." And with that, he let go, and began wading out into the water.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Lena whimpered softly against his lips, then shifted, pushing up onto her knees, lengthening the kiss for as long as she could. Her right hand moved up and cupped the back of his head, her fingers pushing into his hair. Him. That was all she thought about. For the first time, all seemed...peaceful. There wasn't a war waging on inside, there wasn't fear, or the insatiable need to keep busy for fear that her nightmares would catch up with her. Just him.

As he pulled back, Lena smiled gently, her eyes scanning his. She shook her head, her fingers trailing across his jaw, finding her voice as he spoke. "I...I was so scared that you had died. I...I watched them burn your house, I came looking for you, that's..." her voice broke and tears filled her eyes again. "That's how they found me...I was looking for you..."

Feeling Leon take her in his arms again, Lena pulled hers around his neck and scooted closer, almost curled up in his lap as he held her. She inhaled sharply, attempting to calm herself down, whilst burying her face against his neck. She felt safe, protected. A feeling she hadn't had in a long time.

Drakonnas
07-21-2015, 08:59 PM
Anastasia watched his aura go, sensing that he was afraid. What was there to be afraid of? If the young boy had died in the river, maybe that meant it wasn't safe. Maybe that meant that he was in danger. "Blane?" She asked. "Please... please be careful... I don't want anything to happen to you... Before you go, here." She reached into her bag, and pulled out a long rope. "Tie this around yourself." She tied the other end around a large tree. "I won't be losing you." She said. "This way, you'll have a lifeline if..." She stopped, and shook her head.

Ana forced herself to not look at his Aura. If he needed anything, he would shout, or call for her. She was too scared of losing him. Well, to be fair, she was scared of the water as well... Why did she have this crippling weakness? It irritated her. She had been beaten by something. Without Blane here, she definitely would not have succeeded. She wouldn't have even made it to the orphanage. She owed her success to him. He was the hero here, not her.

Ana trembled slightly, worrying about his safety. He WOULD be safe out there, wouldn't he? He wouldn't drown. He couldn't drown. He had his lifeline. And her. He would be safe. And with any luck at all, he would be back with a toy, or a replica of the toy very rapidly. Then they could finish, and help the ghost rest in peace. And get away from the dreaded water.



================================================== ==========



Leon listened to Lena speak, and felt his heart melt. "You're safe now." He cooed. "You're safe now, and I won't let anything bad happen to you again. Ever. We'll complete this mission, and we'll retire off in a peaceful place together. You won't have to be afraid, or be fearful again. I mean, if that's what you want." He was overwhelmed with feeling. She had never stopped looking for him. He had never stopped looking for her. And now, they were reunited in the most unlikely of places, in the most unlikely of circumstances.

Maybe the Order of Shadows wouldn't be done with them. But they would be done. Or at least, Leon wanted to be. His career had just started. Maybe he could stop, and not make enemies. Maybe he could live a peaceful life as his father had not. But... he had been in training all his life for this. He didn't know how to live a normal life. And it occurred to him that Lena didn't know how to live a normal life either. This posed a problem. But maybe they could learn. Maybe they could learn together.

They were, after all, two of the most powerful people in the world. "I love you, Lena. I always have."

Notty
07-21-2015, 09:21 PM
Blane stopped, turning to look at Ana. He smiled a bit as she pulled the rope from her bag, and he waded back to the shore. His fingers brushed hers as he took the rope and tied it around his waist. He glanced back at her, his eyes scanning her face. Was she worried about him? Or was it...something else? Smiling a bit, he reached out and tilted her chin up, his thumb brushing across her jaw. "I'll be right back, okay?"

Once more, he stepped out into the river. The water was chilly and ran faster than he expected. Shifting his weight, he slowly moved until the water was shoulder height. From where he stood, the whirlpool was about 10 feet away, and he could feel the power of it. Quickly he glanced back to the shore, and smiled a bit when he saw Ana there, watching.

"Bottom of it? In it?..." he murmured to himself as he pushed off his feet and began swimming feeling the bottom of the river drop out from beneath him. Suddenly, the current caught him and he felt himself being pulled into the whirlpool. He thrashed and failed, his arms working hard to try and pull himself free from it. It was all he could do not to panic, he didn't want Ana to worry. Struggling, he swam harder, only to be pulled further and further into the whirlpool, then, without a sound, he vanished.

----------------------------------------------------------

Lena leaned her head up again and looked at Leon, her eyes scanning his. It felt as though years of fear had just melted off her. She felt lighter. Reaching up, she stroked his jaw, her eyes scanning his as he mentioned them retiring somewhere peaceful. Peaceful. She wondered how they felt. Smiling more, she nodded, her eyes never leaving his. "I'd...I'd like that.." she whispered, resting her head back against his chest and closing her eyes.

But what he said next, surprised her, and she immediately brought her head back up, meeting his eyes once more. I love you. I always have. Love. That's what she felt. Love. Tilting her chin back up, Lena let her lips meet Leon's again, but this time, the kiss was different. It was rushed or out of the heat of the moment. It was gentle, tender, affectionate. She didn't allow it to last nearly as long as their first kiss, and when she pulled back, she spoke. "I love you," she whispered, her lips just a breath away from his. "I always have. I never stopped..."

She pulled her arms around him and held close, closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath. The mission was the last thing on her mind right now. She had so much to do. So much to tell Leon. But...no. The mission had to come first. Not because she wanted it to, but once it was done, they could be as well. Maybe with what they made, they would be able to find their own place. They could try and reestablish themselves. To reconnect. To fill in the blanks.

Drakonnas
07-21-2015, 10:50 PM
Anastasia screamed as she saw Blane start to panic. She jerked on the rope, but it wasn't budging. Her hands began to burn with the effort it took to pull on the rope. She was gaining ground, but slowly. Terror flew through her as scenarios flew through her mind. Would Blane drown? She had to focus everything on pulling him back out, his life now rested in her hands. Had it not been for her idea of rope, he definitely would have drowned. But... she wasn't strong enough. She couldn't pull him out. "No! No! No!" Tears streamed down her face now. She would be responsible for this man's death. For her friend's death. She tried to stop him. She tried to warn him. But it didn't do any good. She was going to lose him.

Her hands were burning worse than ever, and it was all she could do to simply hold the rope. Pain, fear, terror... Everything overwhelmed her. What could she possibly do?! How could she help him? She couldn't swim, and if he went under, she certainly would. Drowning was her worst fear, it paralyzed her. Her fear was preventing her from... Ana felt like she was breaking inside. She felt herself falling apart. The trauma was eating at her, tearing away her sanity. She was powerless to help. She couldn't hold the rope any longer. He was going to drown, just like that little boy.

But then, something strange happened. The little boy's aura ENTERED her. She felt him possess her, and he took over. He grabbed the rope, and bit by bit, began to pull on it. The combined power of the two of them was enough to start winning the war of attrition between them, and the raging whirlpool. Soon, very soon, Anastasia saw Blane's head poking up out of the water. They continued to pull, until Blane was fully on shore now. The boy, still possessing Ana's body ran forward, to check on Blane...

He was still breathing. Ana felt the spirit leave her, and she collapsed, nearly passed out, on top of him. The only thought in her mind was to make sure that he survived. Numb purpose filled her, and she couldn't think of anything else. The only thing she could do was hope. She didn't notice that her hands were bleeding. She didn't care that she was exhausted. She just had to save him.

"Blane... Blane..." She cried. "Wake up... please..."



================================================== ==========



Leon knew that they were going to be okay. He knew that even after all this, they were going to be fine. After all, they found each other after fifteen long years of longing. She mattered more to him than his mission, and that was a first. He wondered what his father would say... Would he approve? In his mind, he heard a no. But in his heart, he wondered if his father ever felt the same way about his mother.

"Then that'll be our goal." He whispered to her. "We'll finish our job, and we can restart life. Help each other heal from the wounds we have been inflicted." HE knew that this was what he wanted. Even as a kid, they had always pretended to play house together, and were always together. He had never minded, because it meant he got to be with her.

TO hear that she had never stopped loving him meant the world to Leon. He had never been more glad to hear someone speak. "You're okay. I'm here. We're gonna be fine."

Notty
07-21-2015, 11:22 PM
All around him was water. Ahead, behind, above and below. Blane couldn't tell which direction was up, and which was down. He thrashed and fought, his lungs burning with need for breath. Clawing, fighting, the rope tangled around him as he fought. Ana....I have to get back to Ana...I can't leave her alone... he thought.

But he wasn't strong enough. He couldn't. He thought he could, but he couldn't. Blane could feel his consciousness leaving him, the desire to inhale was so painful, he felt as though his chest would explode. As his arms thrashed, he felt something, and out of instinct, grabbed hold before all went black.

A heaving cough woke Blane, and his body convulsed slightly as he turned to the side, coughing up water. His lungs burned as he took in several sharp breaths, coughing. Slowly he blinked his eyes open, still burning from the water of the river. Everything ached, and a weight felt as though it had settled on his chest.

Upon opening his eyes and focusing them, he saw that it was Ana that laid against his chest. He smiled weakly, a hand reaching up and pushing into her hair, cupping her cheek. "Ana..." he whispered, his voice ragged.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena leaned her head against his shoulder, now curled up in his lap as he spoke, helping her to calm down, reassuring her that she was safe, and that he wouldn't leave her. She nodded, her hand pushing into his, and then bringing their hands to her chest.

"Shall we do it then?" she murmured, glancing up at him, her eyes scanning his face. "Head back to technology and weapons and do this?" As much as she didn't want to, Lena knew that she would have to let go of Leon to stand. And slowly she did, her legs having regained their strength, she stood, then chuckled softly as she looked down at Leon.

"What a reunion, hmm?" she murmured, pushing her hair back, that had since fallen from her braid. "In the bathroom stall after I threw up..." Her eyes scanned Leon's face and she laughed again, smiling brightly down at him. It was like a light had entered her, and she felt completely different. She felt like she could take on the world.

Stepping out of the stall, she went to the sink and splashed some water on her face, then ran her fingers through her hair before braiding it again. She looked at Leon through the mirror, smiling. "Come on.."

Drakonnas
07-22-2015, 02:10 AM
"Oh my god." Ana cried softly, trying to hold Blane, but letting go when the salty water seared her hands to the point beyond bearing. She cried for him. She cried in terror. She cried in pain. She cried because she didn't know what else to do. "Blane... You're back. Thank god." She wasn't very comprehensive in her shock, and even though she knew that she should try to take care of him more, she didn't know how, or what to do.

"Don't you dare scare me like that again, do you hear me?" She said, though her voice was muffled by sobs. "I almost lost you... You have no idea how badly you scared me." Her voice was small and petrified, but she tried to be there for him. "You almost died... I thought for sure I was going to lose you."

She looked around, the ghost was nowhere in sight. Where did he go? But that didn't matter right now. She was so tired, all she wanted to do was to get away from the river, collapse, and sleep. Her hands were hurting badly from the burns she had sustained. Her muscles ached. She just wanted to stop for a minute, and just not. She wanted to keep talking, but she didn't. She wanted to yell, but she didn't. She wanted to just move on.

She didn't care about the toy. All that mattered was getting out of here alive.




================================================== =========




Leon continued to hold Lena, to provide her that care and comfort that she desired. But eventually, she brought him back to reality. Oh yeah. The mission. He had forgotten about it in his care for Lena. In a way, his father was right. She was a distraction. But she was a distraction worth having.

"Yeah, let's go ahead and keep making preparations for our mission." He nodded, and stood up after her. "Yeah. I certainly never thought that I'd be reunited with you, thinking you hated my guts, seeing you puke into a toilet. No, I thought it'd be something romantic, like by the edge of the ocean, or in a field of flowers, or something like that. But not like this. And especially, I didn't think I'd meet you working on a mission. That was the last place I expected to meet you."

He followed Lena through the door, and into the weapons department. He was very impressed with what he saw. "Damn..." He whistled, looking at everything there was. "There's probably enough firepower here to eliminate half the life on this planet." He said, impressed. "Nice... nice."

Drakonnas
07-22-2015, 02:10 AM
"Oh my god." Ana cried softly, trying to hold Blane, but letting go when the salty water seared her hands to the point beyond bearing. She cried for him. She cried in terror. She cried in pain. She cried because she didn't know what else to do. "Blane... You're back. Thank god." She wasn't very comprehensive in her shock, and even though she knew that she should try to take care of him more, she didn't know how, or what to do.

"Don't you dare scare me like that again, do you hear me?" She said, though her voice was muffled by sobs. "I almost lost you... You have no idea how badly you scared me." Her voice was small and petrified, but she tried to be there for him. "You almost died... I thought for sure I was going to lose you."

She looked around, the ghost was nowhere in sight. Where did he go? But that didn't matter right now. She was so tired, all she wanted to do was to get away from the river, collapse, and sleep. Her hands were hurting badly from the burns she had sustained. Her muscles ached. She just wanted to stop for a minute, and just not. She wanted to keep talking, but she didn't. She wanted to yell, but she didn't. She wanted to just move on.

She didn't care about the toy. All that mattered was getting out of here alive.




================================================== =========




Leon continued to hold Lena, to provide her that care and comfort that she desired. But eventually, she brought him back to reality. Oh yeah. The mission. He had forgotten about it in his care for Lena. In a way, his father was right. She was a distraction. But she was a distraction worth having.

"Yeah, let's go ahead and keep making preparations for our mission." He nodded, and stood up after her. "Yeah. I certainly never thought that I'd be reunited with you, thinking you hated my guts, seeing you puke into a toilet. No, I thought it'd be something romantic, like by the edge of the ocean, or in a field of flowers, or something like that. But not like this. And especially, I didn't think I'd meet you working on a mission. That was the last place I expected to meet you."

He followed Lena through the door, and into the weapons department. He was very impressed with what he saw. "Damn..." He whistled, looking at everything there was. "There's probably enough firepower here to eliminate half the life on this planet." He said, impressed. "Nice... nice."

Notty
07-22-2015, 02:39 AM
Blane smiled weakly, his hands moving to Ana's sides, holding her gently as she cried and seemingly yelled at him. He shook his head, reaching up and gently brushing away her tears. As he sat up, his eyes widened when he saw her hands, the bloody prints they left on his chest.

"Ana...you're hurt..." He said, sitting up completely, Ana now half in his lap. He shifted a bit, gently setting her down beside him. He took her hands in his and looked them over. "I'm sorry.." He murmured, then pushed himself up to get his shirt, but let out a groan of pain. Glancing down, he saw several cuts and abrasions across his stomach and chest. He reached up and untied the rope around his waist, groaning. It had cut deeply into his side when Ana pulled him back out from the whirlpool.

He stood and groaned, grabbing his shirt and beginning to rip it into strips. "Hold out your hands..." He murmured gently, wrapping the strips around her hands and bandaging them as best he could. Every now and then his eyes darted up to her face, making sure he wasn't hurting her, unable to hold back a small smile. She was worried. She wanted him safe. "That'll have to do for now, at least until we get back to the vehicle and I can get the first aid kit..."

Blane shifted again, reaching out to help Ana out, and let out a soft cry. He picked up a small, soaked teddy bear. "Ana..." He murmured, unable to keep from chuckling. "I...I got the toy...here, feel it.." He said, gently taking her hand and placing it on the small bear. "We did it...Ana, we did it..."

----------------------------------------------

Lena smiled over at Leon, her eyes scanning his face as he glanced around. "What do you think?" She asked, moving around the weaponry room, her fingers trailing along the shelves that covered the walls. "I don't think we will need any weapons to go to the Paladins..."

Her brow furrowed a bit, and she shifted, "do you want to figure out the weapons, and I'll grab the tablets and such from the technology?" She felt...distracted. Maybe it was Leon here beside her, she needed to distance herself, just for a bit, to try and get her head back on her shoulders.

But how could she? She had finally found the boy she had always loved, the one she had fought for as hard as she could. The one she took beatings for, the one she leveled a village in attempts to seek revenge for losing him. She smiled a bit, her eyes meeting his for a moment. "Is that okay?" She murmured, unsure of what he would think.

Drakonnas
07-22-2015, 03:04 AM
Anastasia pulled away from him ever so slightly as he noticed she was hurt. She didn't want to worry him, or cause him any more pain or stress, not just now, after he had nearly been killed. "I'm okay..." She lied to him, but of course, he took her hands, and observed them. As he bandaged her hands, the salty water stung like crazy, and she tried her best not to cry out even more than she already was. They stung, and hurt rather badly. But she put up with it. She also noticed his injuries, and wanted to try and mend them. They'd have to get back to the orphanage to do so though, and from there, to the medical supply kit that they had.

Anastasia's face brightened only slightly when he told her that he had managed to grab the teddy bear. That was good news, as it meant they didn't have to ever come back here again. That was what she wanted to hear. "Let's go... Can you walk?" She asked, looking at the injuries that Blane had received, and after what had just transpired, she wouldn't have been surprised if his legs felt as jellylike as hers did. It was difficult to walk, and all she wanted was a nice long nap.

The two of them supported each other on the trek back to the orphanage. Except, they didn't go directly back. The ghost had appeared once more. "Blane... the ghost wants to lead us somewhere." She said. It looked much happier now that they had retrieved the little teddy bear. She followed him towards a small hill not too far off from the orphanage. A single tree stood at the top, little white flowers blossoming, giving off the smell of lilac. Anastasia sniffed it, and smiled. It reminded her of home. At the ground, lay a small tombstone, with several other toys laying there. The stolen toys.

"He wants us to set his teddy bear down here." Ana said, waiving around, not seeing the tombstone. "I guess this is his grave?"



================================================== ====



Leon didn't like the idea of splitting up again after reuniting with Lena. But if she needed some time to digest what had happened, he totally understood. He would give her the room she wanted, and wait for her to come back when she was ready. He even admitted that it was a lot to take in. Fifteen years of mourning was over. And he knew that she had things to think about. So did he.

"Yeah. That fine. I'm kinda... not excited about seeing you go right after we met again." He admitted to her. "But... at the same time, we do have work to do. And splitting up here might be the most efficient way to do that. Besides. We probably need a little bit of time to understand what just happened." He admitted. "If you want to talk though, just let me know. I'm here for you."

Notty
07-22-2015, 03:38 AM
Blane placed his hand around Ana's waist, helping her as much as he could. Already the cuts were starting to bruise around where the rope was wrapped around his waist, and it was all that Blane could do to walk without groaning. It was a long, slow trek back towards the orphanage, and when Ana told him to go a different direction, he couldn't help but inwardly sigh.

He glanced around, his eyes moving to a small hill with a tree at the top, and he had a feeling he knew what it was. Upon reaching the summit of the small hill, his suspicions were confirmed. Blane looked around, several toys piled up beneath the tree. He knelt down, this time unable to stifle his groan, as he placed the teddy bear in front of all the other toys. "Here you are..." he murmured.

Once more, he pulled his arm around Ana, leading her back down the small hill towards the orphanage slowly, taking care to watch their footing and making sure that Ana was okay. Her hands had looked bad, really bad, and he knew they must hurt. The journey back seemed to take forever, and Blane stopped Ana at the vehicle. "Let me take care of your hands properly.." he murmured, unwrapping them from the bandages.

From the first aid kit he pulled some water, rinsing off the wounds, his eyes darting up every now and then, apologizing as she winced. "Now this will hurt..." he murmured, quickly pouring an antiseptic over the wounds. "It will help them to heal and keep away infection," he said, beginning to wrap them again with clean bandages. "Probably a few days, you'll be good as new," he smiled.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Lena hesitated. Why was she doing this? Why was she running? That's what she had always done. Ran. When things got difficult, or hard, she ran. Now, standing before Leon, the man she loved, the one she loved for so long, why was she running. Her brow furrowed a bit, a new conflict beginning inside her.

Slowly reaching her hand out, Lena let her fingers brush Leon's, taking a step closer to him. She swallowed hard, "I... running." she said, inwardly cursing at her lack of ability to speak. "Running. That's what I do." Lena dropped her eyes, letting them stare at their fingers, intertwining slowly. "That's what I've always done, run. When..when things were scary, or I was mad or upset, I would run..."

Taking in a deep breath, Lena glanced up at Leon, "I want you to be my reason to stay."

Drakonnas
07-22-2015, 11:37 AM
As they walked back to their vehicle so that they could access the first aid supplies, Ana wondered about how they could have dome things differently. Was there any other way to have done this that didn't endanger one of them? But... the deed was done now, and there really wasn't any use crying over spilled milk. She tried to relax as Blane took off her bandages, and began to look over her wounds. "How bad are they?" Ana asked, worried. "Yeah, they hurt quite a bit..."

The water stung a little bit, but it wasn't terrible. The antiseptic though... That hurt a hell of a lot more. She had to bite down and lock her own jaw to prevent whimpering. It would be over quickly, and she knew he wasn't trying to hurt, but only to help. And that, that was the important thing. Finally, he wrapped her hands in clean bandages again. Her hands already felt better. Ana hoped they would heal quickly, as she needed her sense of touch and feel. Her hands were very important to her.

She looked nervous. "I... wish I could help you." She said. "I really wish I could help you with your wounds. But I can't see where they are, or how to best treat you... I can just sense that you're in pain. I hope you can forgive me. Maybe there's someone at the orphanage who can help..." She wished she could look into his eyes now. She felt impassive, almost uncaring, not being able to look at him. And that bothered her.

"Would you like to rest here, and have me go find someone? Or would you rather come with me?"




================================================== =========




Running. Lena said she always ran when things got tough, scary, or intimidating. She said she ran when she was uncomfortable. Leon understood that, at least partially. getting away from the thing that was scary was a perfectly valid method of coping, it just wasn't necessarily the best.

"I want you to be my reason to stay."

Leon opened his mouth to speak, but no sounds came out. He didn't know what to say. Nothing seemed adequate, and even if he had wanted to, he didn't think that he would be able to speak. Her last comment had struck him, hard. He meant so much to her?

"...Of course, Lena." He said, clasping her hands in his own. "If that is your wish, then I will certainly be that for you. The safest place in the world will be with me." He said, wrapping his arms around her again. "You'll never be safer anywhere else, but here. That, I promise."

Notty
07-22-2015, 12:49 PM
Blane smiled down at Ana, despite the pain. He didn't want her to worry, he didn't want her to become upset. The truth was, it probably looked worse than it felt. The cuts weren't terrible deep, but the rope had grazed and burned his skin, and bruises were already appearing.

His hands found her face and gently tilted it up, as if she was going to look in his eyes. "I'm okay..." he murmured, stifling a groan as he shifted. "I'm sorry, if I scared you." And he truly was. But how could he tell her that he had been just as scared, but his fear was of losing her? Smiling a little, he stroked her jaw and tucked some hair behind her ear.

"If you will just hold this..." he said, placing the bottle of antiseptic in her hands, "I think I can manage to clean myself up.."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena couldn't begin to describe how it felt to have Leon take her hands in his. It was like they were young again, and he was grabbing her hand as they ran along the beach. He felt safe. He felt like home.

As he pulled his arms around her, she closed her eyes and buried her face against his chest, feeling more vulnerable than she ever had, but also feeling safer than she ever had. Letting out a long sigh, she pushed her arms up and around his neck, hugging close to him.

"I'll stay," she whispered, opening her eyes and looking up at him. "We are a team, we work together, we make decisions together." Smiling a bit, she slowly pulled back from his grip. How was she to focus on weapons and technology, when the man she loved was before her? There was so much she had to tell him...

Drakonnas
07-22-2015, 01:11 PM
"Alright." Anastasia nodded, and held the bottle of antiseptic for Blane. She wasn't sure what he was thinking, her mind was oddly tired and blank. She hoped she would be able to rest soon. Sleep wasn't necessary, but she did want to rest. To not think for awhile, and relax. She was stressed, but by the same token, she was relaxed. They had done the job they had been asked to do. They had a choice now. They could go home, or they could stay here with the children for a little bit longer.

"Just... don't scare me like that again, okay?" she asked him, smiling slightly. "I... I was powerless to save you. I tried my best. But... I couldn't pull you up. I tried. I really did. But when I failed, something strange happened." She told him. She wasn't sure why she was saying this, or why her voice was so quiet. She didn't want to be overheard, admitting she failed wasn't something she was good at doing, or liked doing.

"The ghost... he, he entered me, possessed me. And somehow, he was able to add to my strength, and together, we pulled you out. He saved your life. I wasn't responsible for that. I just thought you should know." Her face fell slightly. "What would you like to do now, Blane? We can stay here for a little while, and play with the children. Or we can go back. What would you prefer to do?"


================================================


Leon nodded. "Good. I hoped you'd say that." He smiled at her. "Let's get started. We'll have plenty of time to talk, to be together once this is over." His determination was one of his best qualities. Once he started something, he didn't stop, not until he had succeeded. And that was true here, not only for his mission, but for his future with Lena as well.

He started writing up a list of things that they would need to do. "We need the explosives to plant. We need a blueprint of their temple, so we know where to place the explosives. And... I have a little something I invented that I'd like to show you." He said with a grin. "No one knows about this but I. And I think it'll help us greatly. We also need to figure out how we'll hack into their internal systems, and get the data we need. Once we do that, we should be just fine. We'll head over there, and get it over with. Grabbing the two paladins should be the easy part. I've done that kind of thing many times."

He looked at her, sure there was something on her mind. "Come, Lena. We'll have all the time in the world once this is over and done with."

Notty
07-22-2015, 03:26 PM
Blane's brow furrowed a bit as Ana began to explain what had happened when he went under. "It...it possessed you?" he asked, incredulously. His eyes scanned her face, as if trying to see if she was alright, as if perhaps the ghost had harmed her or changed her. Shaking his head, he chuckled a bit. "I can't believe that you pulled me out," he smiled more, "I'm glad you did though, I owe you my life."

'We can stay a little longer if you want to, I could go and multiply the toys for them, if they need more. Or we can just play with the children for a while.." his eyes met hers, though he knew she couldn't see him. "Neither of us are in shape to just be heading back as fast as possible, it wouldn't hurt to take some time and rest before we go back. Maybe they have an extra room or something, I'm sure you're exhausted."

Taking the antiseptic from Ana, Blane poured it over his wounds, growling and clenching his jaw as he tried not to cry out in pain. Once it had dried, he took a long bandage and began wrapping it around his stomach and chest until it was covered up. "Let me just grab another shirt, and we can head back to see the kids, okay?" he smiled, shuffling through his bag until he pulled one out. He let out a groan as he pulled it on, shifting a bit, then turned to Ana. "Alright, shall we?"

--------------------------------------------------------------

Lena nodded as he worked, looking over his shoulder slightly to read the list he wrote. "That looks good....we have some small firearms..." she began, walking over to a wall and pulling a small gun from its mounting. "Easily concealed, holds an incredible amount of ammunition...." she walked over and handed it to Leon, "in case we have unwanted survivors..."

Her eyes scanned his face for a moment, then she pushed back the feelings. Finish the job. It should take less than a week, if they were lucky. Then they had the rest of their lives together, to work things out.

"Here..." she said, nudging him gently and turning, walking through the automatic doors of the weapons room, and moving across the hall. "Technology..." The room was massive, and was full of any sort of technology you could want. The stainless steel walls were covered in shelves that held anything from tablets, to GPS locators, to night vision goggles. "We need a tablet, to connect to their system, maybe some ear pieces....oh, what about this..."

Moving across, she pointed to a piece of equipment. "You wear it, like a pin or a necklace, and as you move around, it plots where you've been, but also has the ability to see through walls and make a picture of rooms around you. Its...its kind of hard to explain. Think of it as like...it can make blueprints, by just you wearing it. Does that make sense?"

Drakonnas
07-22-2015, 05:44 PM
Ana was quiet as Blane spoke, and finished taking care of himself. She still hadn't gotten over the problems and trials they had just faced, and was a little bit pale. But she looked like she was trying to be attentive and cheerful, because she knew it would make him feel better about things. "Yeah. I'm okay. If you are, let's get going back to the orphanage, and we'll let them know what happened. Then we can relax a little bit and play with the kids. I'm sure they'd like that."

The walk back to the orphanage was much easier this time, the antiseptic had lessened Ana's pain quite considerably, and she could only assume it had done the same for Blane. She was still tired, but not too tired to interact, and have a good time with the kids. They saw the two approaching, and again, ran out to meet them.

"Did you find the ghost?" They asked. "Did you get rid of it?" "Did you find our toys?"

Anastasia nodded. "We most certainly did." She looked over to Blane. "We did find their toys, didn't we?" She smiled, waiting for him to do his magic. This was the moment she had been waiting for the entire trip, and she was giving the spotlight to Blane. They had both been crucial in the success of the mission, and neither one could have done it without the other.


================================================== =


"I'm very impressed with the tech you guys have." Leon said, eyes wide and pleased, looking over many of the different gadgets and gizmoes that were there on display. "I would have loved to have a cool place like this when I was training, and on some of my missions. These things look amazing, and would have made my job a hundred times easier."

He looked at everything that Lena showed him, with a polite, yet distant air. He wasn't distant towards her, not at all, but rather some of the equipment. "As awesome as all of this is, I think we should try to succeed on the minimum amount we need to get the job done. We don't want this to be super flashy. If I was doing it myself, then I might, but seeing as how I want us to be able to live in peace afterwords... I'd like to try to remain on the down low, if that makes sense. That being said..." He picked up a cloak, and tossed it around himself. and vanished.

"Invisibility. This might help."

Notty
07-22-2015, 06:41 PM
Blane walked with Ana back towards the orphanage, smiling as the children came running towards them, asking question after question. He chuckled, watching as some of them gently pulled Ana down to the ground, climbing up into her lap, curiously looking over her bandaged hands as they pelted her with questions.

When Ana looked up at Blane, her response leading into his abilities, he smiled. Crouching down a bit so he was eye-level with the majority of the kids, he grinned. "We did find the toys, and you know what?" he said. The children's eyes widened and they leaned in a bit, "what?" one cried out from the back, breathless. "We brought back what the ghost took, and then some!"

The children murmured amongst themselves, looking at each other and then at Blane. Closing his eyes for a moment, he reached his hand out. Suddenly, beneath a nearby tree, sprang up a dozen copies of each of the toys that had been taken. He opened his eyes and grinned. "Look!" he said, pointing to the tree, as if they had magically appeared. All of the children turned at once, and they squealed and screamed in delight, stumbling as if they couldn't run fast enough to get to them.

Blane laughed, smiling widely as he watched the children pick up the toys and begin to play with them. He reached over and pulled his arm around Ana's shoulders, holding her for a moment. He couldn't help but feel his chest ache as he wished that Ana could see how happy they were. "Listen to them, Ana. Can you hear how happy they are? That's because of us, we did it..."

--------------------------------------------------------

Lena smiled as Leon spoke about how helpful the technology would have been on his past missions, then furrowed her brow a bit as he looked on what she held in her hands. Slowly nodding as he explained his rationale, she placed it back on the shelf. "I suppose that does make sense. The more we carry, the likelier we are to get caught."

Her eyes met his and she smiled again. It was a strange feeling. She wasn't used to smiling, and her cheeks almost hurt from doing so much of it. "Just a table then? Do you think we will be able to get all of what we need with ti?" She asked, honestly not knowing too much about electronics, or hacking a system, and was still a little hesitant to tell Leon how little she knew.

Drakonnas
07-22-2015, 07:29 PM
The children's innocence was something that Ana cherished. They were so pure, and uncorrupted. Even the rougher kids were still kids, and were good at heart. And everyone was amazed to see the toys magically appear. Their shouts and cries of awe and amazement were music to her hears. And she could tell just how happy they were by the color of their auras.

"WOW! YOU'RE SOO COOL!" A young boy cried. "I'm gonna be a paladin just like you when I grow up!" Ana smiled, knowing that probably wouldn't be the case, but she didn't want to discriminate, or crush his hopes. "Thank you sooooo much." The boy ran off to go grab a toy to play with as well.

Ana looked over where she thought Blane was. "We did well... We did very well." She said, smiling. "Thank you. For making this possible, Blane. For coming with me. For everything. I appreciate your time and effort. I know I might not be the easiest person to talk to or be around, but I thank you for your help."


================================================== ====



"We'll obviously need to take the explosives with us." Leon said, nodding. "But I suggest we both take a cloak, and sneak in. We'll hack into their systems, I'm good at that. And then, we can set the explosives, blow the place off the face of the earth, capture our two fugitives, and then we'll be good." Leon said simply. "Then I can have you to myself." He smiled, and nuzzled her a little bit.

"Alright. You know what you need to do right? Here, take an earpiece, we can communicate with it. We'll be good to go. Now... we need a vehicle. Do you have one you want to use, or should we just find something?"

Notty
07-22-2015, 07:51 PM
Ana's voice turned Blane's gaze from the children, and he met her eyes, smiling himself. He nodded and pushed a hand through his hair. "We did do good, hmm?" he smiled, leaning back and sitting down beside Ana. Shaking his head, he put his hand on top of hers, gently quieting her. "No, no. No need to apologize or thank me. I enjoyed it. And I know I'm not the easiest to work with either, so it seems we worked out pretty well, hmm?"

The sun was beginning to sink low in the sky, and he took in a deep breath, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "When would you like to leave?" he asked, "I'm sure we could stick around here if you wanted, or we could head back, or we could start back, camp out for the night, and then return in the morning?" Opening his eyes he glanced over at Ana with a smile, "it's up to you, Miss Paladin of the Year," he teased good-naturedly.

---------------------------------------------------

Lena felt her legs give way a bit as Leon nuzzled into her, and she closed her eyes, eagerly nuzzling back against him. As she opened her eyes, she looked up at him, nodding. "Alright, ear pieces..." she said, hesitantly pulling away from him and crossing the room. "Check," she called, holding them out. "And a tablet...check..." Tucking it under her arm, she went back over to Leon. "And I'll take an invisibility cloak too..."

"I'll leave explosives up to you. And as far as a vehicle..." she thought for a moment, "I think I've got one that will work nicely..." Walking over to a screen, she scrolled through the icons until she reached vehicles. The screen pulled up a list of all the vehicles that the Order had. "It should be here..." she murmured, scrolling through them, "Aha!"

Clicking on what looked like a fairly ordinary Jeep, she glanced over at Leon. "Equipped with cloaking, its fair share of weapons, it also includes a fully functioning command center of sorts- we could plug the tablet in and download everything, keep tabs on our two Paladins..."

Drakonnas
07-23-2015, 03:00 AM
Ana felt good about their mission; for the most part, it had gone well. With the obvious exception, she was pleased with how they had performed. "Yeah. We've done well. I could get used to this." She said, smiling. "I'm glad, quite glad to have you here. I feel selfish for that though. Normally I've got to be very careful about where I walk, and not tripping over things, or bumping into things. And generally, I'm pretty good at that. I don't even need a cane, or one of those blind tapping sticks." She said happily, leaning into Blane slightly. "But I appreciate everything you've done for me today. So... thanks. I hope we can keep working together. We make a good team."

As Blane spoke, Ana's eyes lit up, almost like the way the kid's eyes lit up when they had gotten their toys back. "Oh, can we, Blane?" She asked, excitement picking up in her voice and face. "Can we camp out here? That's always been something I've wanted to do." She sighed, thinking back to the wishes and memories she had, of pretending to be camping. "I'd use to pretend to point out the constellations to myself at night, back in my room." She told him, reminiscing peacefully. "It both upset me, and made me curiously happy at the same time. Almost a forelorn, but hopeful feeling, that one day, I'd actually be able to see them. To just lay under the stars, and relax. If we could do that, that would make this trip nearly perfect." She couldn't help but grin.

Her face fell a moment later though. "We don't have tents though... How would we stay safe from the cold wind at night, and any potential animals?" She asked. "I mean, night has no impact on my ability to sense auras, I could keep watch..." She knew, however, that he probably wouldn't want her up all night, keeping watch. If she knew him, he wouldn't let her do that.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Leon had packed about ten different packages of explosives. These kind were special, they had no fuse, but rather a detonator that would explode only when the correct passcode was entered into a beacon. This meant that there was no danger of accidental explosions. If they placed a package at each point in the base of the temple, it would collapse under its own weight, and certainly kill anyone who was still inside. Leon's mind did not dwell on those who he was about to kill; for if he did, things would not go well for him. He had made this mistake when he was younger, but no longer. He had accepted it by now.

After grabbing the explosives, he turned to Lena, who had chosen a vehicle for them to ride in. It looked perfect for the job. He nodded, and gave her two thumbs up. He wasn't smiling anymore. Leon the lover, friend, and caregiver was not this Leon. This Leon was the assassin. The warrior. The killer. "Let's get this show on the road..." He muttered, taking Lena's arm, and holding the passenger door open for her so she could get in.

Leon seated himself in the driver's seat, and turned on the vehicle. It was time to go. They had a three hour drive ahead of them. It would be night when they arrived. Perhaps they wouldn't even need their reporter disguises...

Notty
07-23-2015, 03:20 AM
Blane smiled widely, nodding as Ana leaned against him. "Yeah, of course we can camp out," he smiled, his eyes scanning her face, enjoying how excited she was about the prospect. He chuckled, pushing his hand through his hair, "well I...I actually brought a tent. I didn't know if we would need it..." His eyes scanned her face.

"If you want to, we can leave now, find a good spot and camp out." He grinned, his eyes brightening at the prospect of camping out, and spending more time with Ana. "We can have a camp fire..." He laughed a bit, "I can't promise the food will be great, but we won't starve."

Pushing himself up from the ground, he reached down, grabbing Ana's arm further up, not wanting to grab ahold of her hand and hurt her further. He gently pulled her up onto her feet and he smiled. "Do you want to go back to the grass? Where we were earlier? Or should I find us another spot?"

--------------------------------------------

Lena was surprised at the change in Leon she saw when she looked up at him. He looked hard, cold, as if she had never told him how she felt, that he didn't even know who she was. But she knew why. He had to. And she had to, too. She had to harden herself. She couldn't let her emotions come into play now. She had a job to do, and that was it. Leon was her partner, nothing more.

Climbing in the car, Lena looked over at Leon, her heart pounding a little faster. It had been a long time since she had done a job this big, and she felt nervous. Nodding over at Leon, she shifted in the seat and buckled herself in, pulling out the tablet. "Let's go."

Drakonnas
07-23-2015, 03:38 AM
Anastasia looked surprised. "You thought this far ahead, to bring a tent? What were you planning?" She asked playfully, laughing lightly. "I jest, I jest. Good thinking, Blane. You really know how to prepare well." She looked happier than she had in a long while, getting out of the temple had done her a lot of good, even if it had nearly killed them both. She knew she was tired, but hoped that she would be able to stay awake with him, even for a little bit.

When he asked where she wanted to go, Ana smiled. "Surprise me." She said happily. "I trust you. Take me somewhere nice." If they needed to get back into their vehicle, Ana wouldn't mind. It probably wouldn't take too long to find a nice spot to camp. The young girl was excited for this.


================================================== ==========


The car ride was very comfortable. "You did a good job picking a car that suits our purpose, Lena." He told her. "It's comfortable, rides well, has weapons and cloaking, good tech..." He almost said something more along the personal nature, but no. He couldn't do that. Not now. That would interfere with his job. She was worth that, but... It wouldn't be too much longer.

Finally, after a good two and a half hours, Leon parked the car. The temple was only a few blocks away. They had turned on the cloaking device as to not be seen or heard. Leon silently opened the door. Not even a breeze blew. Everything was completely silent and deserted, as if it were some kind of ghost town. No lights were on anywhere, and all was quiet. Leon liked it that way. No one to see or hear them.

"Let's go." He whispered and motioned to Lena. "I'll go plant the bombs. You just need to hold this tablet, and stand near their main computer systems. It'll do the rest of the work for us. Then, I'd like you to get back to the truck, and keep an eye on things for me, okay? I'll finish planting the bombs. You find out where our captives are, and then we'll light up the sky. Sound good?"

Notty
07-23-2015, 03:55 AM
Blane laughed and gently nudged Ana as she stood beside him. "Hey! I was preparing for anything," he chuckled, smiling widely as he looked at her. "Surprise you? Hmmm..." He said, nodding a bit. "Alright, I think I saw a good spot on the way in, let's go.."

He walked close to her as they headed back towards the vehicle, and after several minutes of hugs and high fives by the children, Blane and Ana were in the vehicle and headed back towards the Paladins headquarters. He drove about 30 minutes and then pulled off. Glancing over at Ana, he smiled widely. "You ready?" He grinned.

Quickly Blane climbed out of the vehicle and opened Ana's door after grabbing his bag from the back, helping her out. "You ready?" He asked, his arm around her waist. "It's flat before us, the mountains miles ahead, a dark purple..." He reached to her hand and gently curled her fingers so she was pointing. With their hands, he used her fingers to trace the outline of the mountains. "There's some grass here, though not nearly as tall..." He gently led her forward, the grass just knee length, not nearly as rough as the grass he showed her previously. "But this..." Blamed grinned, "is what I wanted to show you."

Ana now stood in the middle of a huge field of wild flowers, their fragrance soft and gentle in the warm evening air. "You're standing in a sea of flowers," he smiled, "so many different kinds, pinks and yellows and oranges..." Once more he took her hand, leaning down a bit and letting her feel the flowers as they passed. Blane helped Ana sit down and stepped away for a few moments. "Here.." He said quietly, gently pressing a few different types of flowers into her hands. "Feel them, tell me which is your favorite," he smiled, starting to take the tent out and setting it up.

---------------------------

Lena had nodded off slightly as they drove, and leaned up when they stopped, smiling over at Leon. "I'm glad you approve..." She shifted in her seat and grabbed the invisibility cloak. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and her hands shook slightly. "Here.." She murmured; passing Leon his earpiece, and placing hers in her ear.

Stepping out of the car slowly, she wrapped the cloak around herself, but left her head uncovered. "Should we get a little closer?" she asked, moving around the car to stand near Leon. "I've got the mainframe, you've got the explosives.." Lena said, more for herself than for Leon.

"I'll check up on our two first, then hack into the mainframe, okay?" She said, shifting her shoulders, straightening up and tensing, clenching her fists, preparing for what was to come.

Drakonnas
07-23-2015, 04:22 AM
Anastasia chuckled. She knew he would take her to a nice spot, and she did not worry. It was weird to admit it, but she trusted him. She trusted him with her life. After all they had been though so far? It wasn't long, but it certainly felt like a lot. She knew he would never abuse her trust. She knew he couldn't do that.

Getting in the car still made Ana feel anxious and tense, but she was able to relax more now than she had before. She used the opportunity to rest, and recover from everything that had happened so far. They were going camping, and that was a major thing for her. She was most excited to "see" the stars, and to show Blane how she had pretended to make constellations from them.

As the vehicle came to a stop, Ana grabbed a few of their supplies, and stepped out. The place smelled immediately wonderful, she could smell so many vivid scents, and the auras around them were quite the work of art as well. She grinned enthusiastically as Blane led her over to the field, and began describing things to her. Again, she drank in his words, trying to understand what the scenery looked like. She treasured these moments, and would keep all of them locked away in her memory banks for good. The mountains were the most difficult for her to understand. She knew basically what a mountain was; they were like large hills, just way bigger.

The flowers though were her favorite part. She knelt down in a bunch of flowers, and smelled each one carefully, and felt each one, trying to get a good sense of what they were like. "Each one is beautiful in it's own way..." She said quietly, to Blane. "Each one of them is beautiful. But... I think this is my favorite." She held out a beautiful blue flower (https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3062/2557005722_473b077f43.jpg), with white edges and centers. It had a smell, a gentle, exotic smell, and its petal were as soft as velvet.

Ana stood up to go help Blane with the tent, until she realized she had no idea what to do. She knew better than to feel helpless, but she did want to assist him more than she currently was.


==============================


Leon took the earpiece from Lena, and put it in. Everything was working just as it should. "Good luck, Lena. Remember, safety is your number one priority. Be safe. Come back to me. I'll do the same for you. We have more reason now to be together. Remember that as you're doing your duty." Leon gave her a quick peck on the cheek, still marveling at how she had come back to him, how he had found her.

The temple was open without doors, this was the first flaw. They believed in an open setting, an gentle atmosphere. Apparently. He had to admire the architecture, it really was quite impressive. It was almost a shame that it wouldn't be standing for very much longer. Leon quickly located the access points, and jumped down, landing a floor below with a soft thud. His gps led him to the first, second, and third locations, there was no incident. No one was moving or up. It was the dead of night, they hadn't even needed their disguises. His channel was open for Lena;'s radio, he did not expect any kind of trouble...

Notty
07-23-2015, 04:59 AM
Blane glanced over his shoulder every now and then at Ana, watching her examine and feel each of the flowers. As she spoke, he moved from the nearly put up tent, and knelt beside her. Smiling, he nodded, leaning down and smelling it. "It's beautiful..." he murmured, then took the flower from her and tucked it behind her ear.

He turned back to the tent and noticed that Ana had stood as well. Thinking for a moment, he spoke. "Hey, will you hold this rod?" His hand gently grabbed hers and placed it on the rod that would be one of the supports for the tent. "I'm going to hammer down this other side, and my arms aren't quite that long," he chuckled.

Less than five minutes later, the tent was up. "There we are.." he smiled, stepping back a bit and looking rather satisfied with himself. "Now then, let me get a fire started, we will be losing light here in about an hour or so.." His bag produced several small started logs, and a quick search of the area yielded logs that would keep the fire burning long into the night. "Be careful," Blane warned as he set the logs in order and then lit them. They quickly caught fire and soon a merry campfire was going.

Settling down on the ground near Ana, he grabbed his bag and searched through it, pulling out several different meal options. "They aren't fancy or anything, basically military rations of sorts...there are some beans, some....meat...I've got some crackers and peanut butter..." he chuckled and looked to Ana. "What would you like for dinner?"

--------------------------------------------------------------

Lena nodded, feeling her cheek warm as Leon leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "I will, I'll come back." she smiled, then pulled the cloak hood over her head, and disappeared.

Her footfall was all but silent as she entered the building, marveling at its open feel and seeming lack of security. The halls were fairly empty, every now and then she would see people passing, but none ever took heed of her. She stopped and pushed herself against a corner and pulled out the tablet, opening it to the blueprints of the building. From where she was, it looked like two rights and a left to get to the mainframe.

Two rights, and a left... she murmured to herself as she stepped back out into the hall and started down. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she neared the location. At her last turn, the door came into view. You Paladins really are too trusting... she thought to herself, but when she came to the door, it wouldn't open. Shit...must be some sort of code...a pass...

Lena could feel her anxiety level rising. Leon was probably nearly done now, and the mission couldn't be completed until she had the information on the two they were looking for. Think think think think! she screamed at herself in her head, knowing that the minutes were ticking away as she stood frozen, not knowing what to do. And almost as if someone had heard her, the doors opened.

Her brow furrowed, not having seen anyone come in or go out. Tentatively she stepped in, glancing around. No one was there. Why had the doors opened? Each step she took felt as though her feet weighed a ton, and she was certain that her heartbeat could be heard from miles away. Slowly her eyes scanned the room, locating the main computer at the center of it. Something doesn't feel right...

Drakonnas
07-23-2015, 12:59 PM
Ana felt Blane place the flower in her hair, and she smiled. "Thanks." She couldn't help reaching up to feel it in her hair. It felt oddly good there, and she thought she would have to start wearing more flowers in her hair. Especially if Blane liked it there. As they got to making the tent, Ana did what she could to help him, which was surprisingly more than she thought she would be able to. Was he just trying to make her feel included? It was very sweet of him if he was...

Ana loved the smell of the flowers here. He certainly had done a good job in picking a place to stay. She wondered what other kinds of things there were to see, but for now, she was pretty happy just experiencing this. As Blane started the fire, Ana wasn't sure what to expect. Fire was dangerous, she knew that. But they had a way to control it. She worried a little bit about the fire spreading, but it sure felt warm and cozy, and the crackling it made was welcome as well.

As Blane asked her for what she wanted to eat, she stopped. What did she want? "Well... let's see... I'll take some crackers." They certainly weren't the most delicious thing in the world, but they were certainly better than nothing, and after a long day with nothing to eat but breakfast, it was a welcome meal. "It's not glamorous, but it's fine."

After she was done eating, Ana laid back down, on her back, and looked up into the night sky, wishing she could see. "So... when I was younger, I used to pretend I could look into the sky, and create my own constellations..." She told him. "There was one, a fox, that used to give me luck and happiness. Or so I told myself. I love foxes, they're my favorite animal. And I used to talk to him, like he would be there, and could hear me when no one else could. He was always there for me. There was another one. I made it up." She pointed out, to him, even if he couldn't see. "It kinda... was a snake? That's the really long animal that slithers, right? I thought the snake would one day make me beautiful. I was told a lot I wasn't pretty enough. So I hoped that the pretty serpent would help me someday. It was kind of childish of me, I know..." She giggled. "And then, and then there was just this large circle that I'd trace out. It was just kinda a fun one. I told it jokes." She giggled.

"What do you see up there?"



===================================


Leon placed the last bomb at the remaining structure, and wiped his brow. Everything was in place. He whispered into his earpiece. "Lena. Everything is in place. Are you doing okay up there? Do you have the information we needed to obtain? About our two fugitives, and the rest of the data?" He asked her, hoping that everything was back to normal. "I have everything I need. All the packages were delivered. How are things on your end?"

Notty
07-23-2015, 03:25 PM
Blane chuckled and handed Ana some crackers, eating a few himself. They talked and laughed as they ate, the sun sinking against the mountains and darkness falling over the valley. The fire burned all the brighter as darkness crept in, and Blane found himself sitting a little closer to Ana, thoroughly enjoying her company.

As she laid back, he laid back with her as well, looking up at the stars. He smiled brightly as she explained how she used to imagine the stars and constellations. Quietly he turned, looking at her, his eyes scanning her face. She was beautiful. He had always thought that she was attractive, but after spending the day with her, he thought she was even more beautiful than before.

"There are several constellations.." he smiled, sitting up a little. "Orion, the hunter..." he said, taking her hand and tracing the outline with her finger. He then opened her hand, and traced the outline on her palm, his finger moving slowly, his eyes fixed on her face. Suddenly, Blane was overwhelmed with emotion. It wasn't fair that Ana couldn't see. There was so much he wanted to show her, so much she deserved to see.

He cleared his throat, trying to clear the knot that had arisen. "Ana..." he began, gently pulling her up so she was sitting. "I...I want you to know what I look like." He swallowed hard again, taking her hands in his, and then placing them against his cheeks. "I want you to know, I want you to see..."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Lena moved closer, her heart pounding in her chest. This couldn't be this easy. It didn't make sense. But within minutes, she had cloned the mainframe of the Paladin's system, and downloaded it to the tablet. As she did, she glanced through the listings, her eyes searching for the Aura and the Multiplier.

Footsteps broke her concentration, and she turned, her face paling as she saw someone step in and head straight towards her. Its not finished....just...just 10 more seconds... The older woman moved closer and closer to Lena, her heart pounding. Come on, come on, come on.... She whispered to herself, silently urging the tablet on.

Master Esiri stood mere inches from Lena, typing some things into the system. "Where are Blane and Ana?" she said aloud to the computer. "Neither Blane nor Ana have reported back." the computer spat back, and the woman furrowed her brow. "They must have stayed longer. Report to me when they have returned." she said, then turned and headed out of the room.

Lena felt a weight fall from her shoulders and she quickly darted out of the room behind the woman, not wanting to get locked in there. The old woman had been so close, she could have reached out and touched her. Once she was out of the room and down the hall, she spoke to Leon.

"I've got it. On my way out now..."

Drakonnas
07-23-2015, 07:40 PM
Ana smiled as Blane helped her trace the constellation of Orion. What was Orion though? What was his story? That was just as interesting to her as the actual constellation was. But as he started tracing them on her palm, she winced a little bit. It wasn't nearly as bad as it had been before, but her wounds were still slightly sore. She noticed quite an emotional change in the man next to her, and wondered what that was all about. She didn't have to wait long to find out though.

Where had that come from? "I CAN see you." Ana said softly. "Maybe not physically, but I can see who you are. And you're a very good person." She told him. "I've always wanted to see. It's always been a dream of mine. But I've come to accept what I have, and who I am. It doesn't bother me now like it used to. Back when I was younger, I was angry at the world for not having something that everyone else took for granted. It was difficult, and on more than one occasion, I did something I wasn't proud of. But thanks to Master Esiri's tutoring, I learned to control myself, and love who I am, rather than despise myself for what I am not. I would still love to be able to see though."

Ana wasn't sure why she was suddenly uncomfortable. But at the same time, she was at peace. Her face was caring and kind, as she looked at Blane. "I see that you're a kindhearted person. And that's what matters most to me." All the same, she kept her hands still. It felt odd touching another person in a way that was not a normal, everyday kind of thing. What was he trying to say?


================================================== =


Leon nodded, and acknowledged her comment. "Very good. Now let's get the heck out of here, and watch the fireworks." He said, hurrying out of the temple, as silent as a bird's shadow sneaking across the ground. Finally, he was out. The bombs had been planted without a hitch, and according to Lena, she had all the data they needed.They were just a few paces away from ultimately succeeding in their attempts to finish their job. Everything had gone perfectly, just the way Leon had predicted it would. He was good at this, after all. And she was as well. All they had to to was wait for Lena to get back, and then blow the place to smithereens.

Notty
07-23-2015, 07:56 PM
Blane furrowed his brow a bit as she began to speak, and he took in a deep breath. Maybe he had made a mistake by doubt this, maybe he had offended her. He knew she could see auras. Perhaps he had offended her, he knew she was smart, that she had worked so hard with Master Esiri. Swallowing hard, he looked at Ana, his eyes scanning her face. "Ana, I'm...I'm sorry. I...I'm sorry if I offended you."

"I just.." His brow furrowed. "I guess, I thought seeing my way was best," he said, "but...perhaps you see things better than I do. You can see inside, what people are really like. You don't need to see what I look like on the outside, when you can already see the inside. I'm sorry, it was, it was rude of me, and I didn't mean to hurt or offend you..."

Feeling as though he was about 2 inches tall, Blane shifted back a bit, letting Ana's hands slide from his face as he settled back, looking into the fire. He had moved too fast. Pushed too hard. He didn't know what he was doing. He was so used to being alone, that he didn't know how to be with someone else. And it hurt.

--------------------------------

Lena continued towards the door, her heart pounding. The doors sliding open, she stepped out into the darkness and began running towards the vehicle. She was so ready to be out of here. She felt...well she didn't know how she felt. Terrified maybe? Scared. Things just didn't feel right. It was too easy, wasn't it?

"I'm here..." She said, speaking into the earpiece when she was close to where they had parked, hoping that Leon would uncloak long enough that she could climb in. She was eager to talk to Leon, to just be around him. He felt safe, and suddenly without him, she felt incredibly vulnerable.

Drakonnas
07-23-2015, 09:09 PM
Ana's eyes rose as Blane spoke. Had she offended him? "No, no, you didn't offend me at all." She cooed gently, pulling him back a little closer to her. "You weren't rude, or inconsiderate. I promise." She looked thoughtful, trying to choose her words carefully, so as to avoid causing more unintentional harm. "I'm not hurt. I was simply trying to let you know that yes, I do wish to see. I love it when you describe things to me, and let me feel things. It's really important, and I very much appreciate that. No one has ever been that thoughtful. I struggled in the past about feeling jealous of those who could see. I guess what I was trying to say is that I appreciate how you try to help me. And I just wanted to tell you that, while I may not know your physical appearance well, I do like who you are."

Ana felt badly, she hadn't meant to hurt him, or anything. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you or upset you. Really." She smiled, and leaned her head onto his shoulder. "You okay?" She asked softly. The fire was crackling happily nearby, and Ana felt safe and happy. "I'm okay, really."


================================================== ====


Leon reached their vehicle, and hopped in. He had gotten there before Lena did, and was waiting for her. He wondered when she would arrive, hoping she'd cue him in. Finally, after a few more minutes, her voice came into his earpiece. He quickly opened the door for her, so she could get in.

"There you are." He said, smiling in relief. "I'm glad you got back okay. Did everything go according to plan? Did you get all the information we need?" He asked her. "I got all of the bombs planted. Once we're sure we don't need anything else from the temple, we'll detonate the bombs, and see what happens next. Did you get any information about our two fugitives?" He asked her.

Notty
07-23-2015, 09:54 PM
Blane couldn't help but smile as Ana's head rested against his shoulder, and he shifted a bit, letting her snuggle against him.She likes who I am. She doesn't need to see me, she likes who I am. To say that Blane was happy, was an understatement. He felt as though his chest would burst.

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a long slow breath before he spoke, "Ana...." He began, turning his head. His heart pounded in his chest as he glanced down at her, her face turned upwards slightly. Gently Blane placed his hand on her cheek, stroking her jaw slowly, his eyes scanning hers, the fire causing shadows to dance across her skin. She looked as though she was glowing.

Closing the distance between them, Blane leaned down and gently pressed his lips against hers. The kiss lasted just a moment before he pulled back, his breath catching in his throat, suddenly embarrassed at his boldness. Had he crossed a line? "Ana, I'm...I'm sorry..."

---------------------------------------------------------

Lena climbed in the car and quickly pulled her arms around Leon, hugging him briefly and planting a kiss on her cheek. "I...someone came in. She stood so close to me, I swear she knew I was there..." Taking in a deep breath, Lena opened the tablet and started scanning through the files.

"Personnel..." she smiled, clicking the icon and scooting over a little closer to Leon. "I had started looking through this when the old woman came in..." she began, her eyes scanning the tablet. "She asked the system about two Paladins that were out, no telling if they are who we are looking for..."

Species. No. Birthdate. No. Name. No. Abilities. Bingo. Lena clicked the icon and continued scrolling, thankful for her years of self-studying and endless nights of reading that helped her to be able to read incredibly quickly.

Aura, Anastasia Petrovski.

"There's one of ours..." she murmured, glancing up at Leon. "Anastasia..." Her eyes moved back down to the screen, continuing to scan for a few more moments until she smiled.

Multiplier, Blane Kithrand.

"Perfect," Lena said, then quickly pulled up the files on them. "Wait...the old woman asked if Blane and Ana were still out," her smile grew even more. "Could it be that our two are actually out of the base?" She laughed a bit, shaking her head. "Couldn't this be any easier?"

Drakonnas
07-23-2015, 11:59 PM
Anastasia was relaxed, listening to the sounds of the fire, and of the insects around them. It was a peaceful night, and the girl was happy. Calm, as she hadn't been before. Content. Not much could have made this night better. She felt Blane up against her, and for some reason, the more that she felt, the more secure she was. It was then that she felt him move, and something press against her lips. Ana let out a gasp of surprise, as she felt Blane back up. But as the moment faded, and Blane apologized, stuttering, she understood that she wanted more. It was a very queer feeling, and she wasn't exactly sure how to process anything, her mind was suddenly buzzing, and thought became nearly impossible.

The color rushed to her cheeks, and she blushed a brilliant shade of red. She looked over at him, many different things caught at her lips. Surprise and pleasure was there first. Anxiety next, and disapproval third. She almost told him off, but realized that would have been the wrong thing to say.

Trying to speak, Ana found that it was quite difficult. "...Why?" She asked, having to lick her lips a little bit to continue. "I... didn't tell you to... I didn't tell you to stop..." Her head turned down, wondering if he didn't like it, if there was something wrong with her. The fire had been kindled now, and now it demanded attention.

After a moment, Ana reached up to Blane, felt his shoulders, and traveled up his neck until she had her hand behind his head, and pulled it closer to him so she could kiss him again. Except, she wasn't sure where his lips were, which made things awkward for her... Her heart was racing faster than it had been if she was running. Her mind was buzzing, and instinct drove her on.



================================================== ===


Leon smiled as Lena hugged him. "I'm glad to see you made it back safely. I guess its a good thing that we thought to pack our invisibility cloaks hmm?" He asked her with a bright smile. She was right. This had been far, far easier than they thought it would have been. All that remained now was to enter the password, blow the temple up, and capture the two Paladins, which was optional. All in all, they had this mission wrapped up. And then... then they could go live in peace together.

Lena told him about the old woman who had almost seen her, and he was glad that she hadn't. It made their job a whole lot easier if no one knew what was going on. So far, everything could not have been smoother. It was almost too easy. But Leon believed, thanks to their careful planning and technology, that things were fine. Capturing the two paladins was the only thing left to worry about...

He opened the password machine, but did not look at Lena. He was about to kill countless people. Destroy architecture that had been there for who knew how long. Change history. They were already invisible and outside of the city. He just hoped that no one would be able to chase them. And if anyone was able to, that they would be too afraid. He slowly began to type in the password.

"A...K...4...9...Z...T...L...0...3...G...G...1...Z. ..P."

"Password Accepted. Thank you. Please enter One to detonate."

Leon's finger hovered over the button. With the simple click of a button, he would kill so many people... More than he ever had before.

*Click*

Drakonnas
07-24-2015, 12:00 AM
Anastasia was relaxed, listening to the sounds of the fire, and of the insects around them. It was a peaceful night, and the girl was happy. Calm, as she hadn't been before. Content. Not much could have made this night better. She felt Blane up against her, and for some reason, the more that she felt, the more secure she was. It was then that she felt him move, and something press against her lips. Ana let out a gasp of surprise, as she felt Blane back up. But as the moment faded, and Blane apologized, stuttering, she understood that she wanted more. It was a very queer feeling, and she wasn't exactly sure how to process anything, her mind was suddenly buzzing, and thought became nearly impossible.

The color rushed to her cheeks, and she blushed a brilliant shade of red. She looked over at him, many different things caught at her lips. Surprise and pleasure was there first. Anxiety next, and disapproval third. She almost told him off, but realized that would have been the wrong thing to say.

Trying to speak, Ana found that it was quite difficult. "...Why?" She asked, having to lick her lips a little bit to continue. "I... didn't tell you to... I didn't tell you to stop..." Her head turned down, wondering if he didn't like it, if there was something wrong with her. The fire had been kindled now, and now it demanded attention.

After a moment, Ana reached up to Blane, felt his shoulders, and traveled up his neck until she had her hand behind his head, and pulled it closer to him so she could kiss him again. Except, she wasn't sure where his lips were, which made things awkward for her... Her heart was racing faster than it had been if she was running. Her mind was buzzing, and instinct drove her on.



================================================== ===


Leon smiled as Lena hugged him. "I'm glad to see you made it back safely. I guess its a good thing that we thought to pack our invisibility cloaks hmm?" He asked her with a bright smile. She was right. This had been far, far easier than they thought it would have been. All that remained now was to enter the password, blow the temple up, and capture the two Paladins, which was optional. All in all, they had this mission wrapped up. And then... then they could go live in peace together.

Lena told him about the old woman who had almost seen her, and he was glad that she hadn't. It made their job a whole lot easier if no one knew what was going on. So far, everything could not have been smoother. It was almost too easy. But Leon believed, thanks to their careful planning and technology, that things were fine. Capturing the two paladins was the only thing left to worry about...

He opened the password machine, but did not look at Lena. He was about to kill countless people. Destroy architecture that had been there for who knew how long. Change history. They were already invisible and outside of the city. He just hoped that no one would be able to chase them. And if anyone was able to, that they would be too afraid. He slowly began to type in the password.

"A...K...4...9...Z...T...L...0...3...G...G...1...Z. ..P."

"Password Accepted. Thank you. Please enter One to detonate."

Leon's finger hovered over the button. With the simple click of a button, he would kill so many people... More than he ever had before.

*Click*

Notty
07-24-2015, 12:56 AM
Blane looked down at Ana, his eyes scanning her face. He could see the color of her cheeks even in the darkness. He furrowed his brow a bit, surprised when she told him that she hadn't asked him to stop. Did she...did she like it too? he thought to himself, trying to process everything himself.

Feeling her hand move up his shoulder, then neck, and cradle his head, Blane's attention was drawn to the girl before him, the one he had just kissed, and who was now leaning up to kiss him again. "Ana..." he whispered, a small smile on his lips before he pressed them to Ana's again, kissing deeper, longer, and with more passion.

After several moments he pulled back, his hand having found the back of her head, his fingers intertwining in her hair as they had kissed. He smiled, his heart pounding in his chest before he leaned up and pressed his lips to Ana's forehead. There was so much to say....

A deafening sound shook the valley, and it felt as though an earthquake had struck. It caused Blane to lose his balance, and he fell forwards, landing right beside Ana. His brow furrowed as he let out a groan, leaning up. "What the..." he began, then went silence.

In the distance a huge cloud of smoke arose, and flames reflected off the cloud. He stared at it for a moment before tearing his eyes away. "Ana, are you alright?" he said, reaching down and helping her up. "I...something's happened..."

---------------------------------------------------------

Lena glanced over at Leon, her eyes scanning his profile in the near darkness of the car. She was glad that he was the one with the control unit. She wasn't entirely sure that she could have pressed that button. It didn't matter that she didn't really know any of the people that were going to die, it was the mere thought that she was responsible for it. No. She couldn't think about that. Push it aside.

The sound was so loud, Lena could feel the explosion in her chest, and her hand reached for Leon's, clinging tightly to his. The ground shook beneath them, and for a moment, she was scared that they were too close.

And then, everything was still. A massive cloud of smoke and dust billowed up from above where the Paladins of Peace had sat. Within moments flames were jumping and dancing. No doubt it would burn for days, the place was massive.

But it was done.

Peeling her eyes away from the scene, she looked over at Leon, her eyes searching for his, wanting his comfort.

Drakonnas
07-24-2015, 01:47 PM
Ana was grinning wildly as they pulled apart from their second kiss. It was a wild emotion that she didn't know how to handle, but it was a wonderful one that she wanted to keep. Her eyes had turned from curious and nervous to happy and playful. She was about to say something, when an enormous blast flung her sideways, away from Blane, and into the side of the tent. There was another loud crack, and the tent partially collapsed around them. Ana felt a sharp pain in her back, but it was only fleeting, as if she had hit something.

"Ow... Yeah, I'm okay." She said, shakily. "Are you?" She couldn't see anything but his aura. "What was that?" She asked, uncomfortable. "I... I don't think that was a good thing... Do you think we should go look?" Her eyes were itching with sleep, and she really hoped that they could wait until morning to find out what that blast had been. "I'm tired, Blane... Do you think we could sleep, at least until morning?"

She tried to hold back a yawn, but didn't succeed. Her face was worried though.


================================================== ====


Leon was shocked by the explosion. It was so much larger than he had expected. The blast shook him, and rattled him. He felt it, he heard, it, he saw the shockwave. His expression hardened, and inwardly, he wondered what he had just done. He looked over at Lena, looking for comfort. She was watching him as well, and he nodded at her. "Let's... let's get out of here." He said, his voice was rather smaller than it had been before. Why had this particular thing impacted him so? He didn't know. He hadn't been affected by his other jobs like this, but there was something now... Was it Lena's presence? He didn't know.

"...Well... I guess we look for our two guys now..." He looked bothered.

Notty
07-24-2015, 02:30 PM
Blane helped Ana up, his eyes scanning her face, making sure that she was okay. He nodded, gently pulling her towards his chest. "I..I don't know what that was..." He said, taking in a deep breath, his eyes still locked on the cloud of smoke and brightness of flames he could see from here.

"It was huge, whatever it was." Blane murmured. What he didn't tell Ana, was that it was from the direction they were headed. And he had a terrible feeling that something had happened to the Paladins. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, hugging her closer to his chest, despite the pain it caused. "Ana.." He whispered, holding her close. "I...I think...." He swallowed hard, struggling to decide whether or not he should tell her what he feared.

"I think we could sleep, we should be safe where we are. Let me fix the tent..."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena nodded, her hand finding Leon's and holding it tightly as they pulled away. The flames soon disappeared in the distance, but the smoke could be seen for miles. There was no denying what they had just done. Lena stayed quiet. What do you say after something like that?

Once they had driven for a solid thrifty minutes, Lena turned to Leon. "Leon?" She murmured, her eyes scanning his face. "Let's stop, let's get some sleep.." She said, hoping for nothing more than to be held by him and escape into her dreams.

Drakonnas
07-24-2015, 06:11 PM
Ana wondered what Blane was thinking. She could tell he was scared, but not more than that. She didn't think too much about it, because she was scared too. She thought it was simply the explosion that made things scary. Everything would calm down in a few moments, after the earthquake, or whatever it was, died away. She tried to stay out of the way as Blane fixed the tent.

Ana grew more comfortable once they had laid down, and were relaxed together. The explosion was soon forgotten in her closeness to Blane, and she closed her eyes, and was soon asleep. Her sleep was dreamless and peaceful. Her breathing was slow and gentle, and there was a gentle smile on her face. Unknowing of the dangers and trauma that lay ahead of them, Ana slept in comfort.



================================================== =======



Finally, after driving a ways, Leon stopped the car. They were in the middle of nowhere. The perfect spot to take a nap. He made sure there was no trail to follow before he turned the car off. It was still invisible. He tossed two large blankets in the back of the vehicle, there was enough room for the two of them to lie down together back there. He helped Lena into the back, where there were pillows and blankets waiting for them. It actually was very comfortable. He propped himself up against the side of the car, and beckoned for Lena to join him, to cuddle with him.

He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled a blanket up over the both of them. He looked into her eyes, and saw the worry and discomfort in them. "Shhhh...." He said gently. "We're together. Everything's going to be alright." Unsure what was driving him, Leon began to sing softly to her. He sang in a different tongue that he had leaned under his studies, as a way to try and get Lena to relax. His melodious voice was surprisingly gentle for one whose main job was killing or capturing people.

Notty
07-24-2015, 06:40 PM
Blane smiled, though forced, as they lay down in the tent, and pulled his arms around Ana, letting her rest against him, snuggled close. He listened as her breathing slowly changed, deep and rhythmic now, signaling she was asleep. But sleep didn't come as easily to Blane. He had seen the smoke, the reflection of the Flames. It wasn't just an earthquake, like Ana thought. It was something much bigger. Something much darker.

Before he had even realized it, Blane had fallen asleep; and remained that way for some time before a vision crept in and haunted his dreams.

The base. People milling around, dinner being served, plans being made, preparations for the next day. But something didn't feel right. It was as if a dark wind was sweeping through the building. Suddenly, metal and pipes and dirt and ash exploded, consuming the rooms with darkness. Blane could hear the screams of people as they stumbled in the darkness, but within moments, he watched as the entire roof collapsed. All was quiet now. Just a billow of smoke, with flames licking up through the debris. The Paladins were gone.

Blane woke with a start, panting, sweat covering his brow. No, no. That couldn't be...There's no way it could have happened. Master Esiri...everyone.... The thought of what it meant was sickening. It couldn't have happened. Pushing a hand through his hair, Blane discovered that his hands were shaking, and quite badly too. No. No. It wasn't true. Just a dream. Only a dream.

-----------------------------------------

Lena eagerly climbed into the back of the vehicle and into Leon's arms, her head resting on his chest. She shifted a bit, pulling her arm around his chest and hugging herself close to him. For a long time, she just sat there, listening to him sing, allowing herself to be consumed by the sound, blocking out the knowledge of what she had just done.

After nearly an hour, Lena leaned her head up, her eyes searching for Leon's. "Leon?" She whispered in the darkness, her fingers searching for his jaw, wanting to touch and feel him. She had, after all, been key in the destruction of so much that night. So much death. She wanted to feel something alive.

"Do you..do you ever fear that this is all you'll be capable of? Destruction? Death?" Her eye scanned his, taking in a deep breath. "I'm terrified that's all I can do, is destroy things. I fear I'll never make anything good..."

Drakonnas
07-24-2015, 11:54 PM
Anastasia woke as Blane did. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, and she wondered if it really was morning. It felt like she hadn't gotten a full night's sleep, but maybe that was just because it had been a long day. She didn't know, but she did know that Blane wasn't feeling very good. She yawned, and tried to sit up. "Blane...?" Her voice was tired and not fully awake. "...Are you okay?"

She tried not to drift off back to sleep again as she waited for his answer. She came to the conclusion that it was not morning, that he had simply woken up from a bad dream, or hadn't gone to sleep in the first place. Come to think of it, she didn't remember going to sleep either, had she even been asleep? She thought she had been... It was difficult to really say for sure though...




================================================== ===========




Leon looked down at Lena when she spoke to him. He was silent for a long time after she spoke, trying to think about how to answer her question. Finally, he spoke. "...Yes." He said finally. "I was literally trained, my entire life, for this kind of work. It bothered me a lot when I was younger, but as I kept training and growing, I kinda learned how to train my conscience to ignore what I was doing. I stopped caring about what was right or wrong. Otherwise, I'd have been driven insane. And I admit, until today, when I met you again Lena, I didn't care. It was all about the money, how much I was being paid. I saw it as a job. I've killed many people, Lena. I've destroyed a lot of lives."

He was quiet for another minute. "And... I guess that's one of the reasons I'm so hopeful that we can leave this behind us, and live a better life. You're my vision of hope for a better life. My symbol of freedom, of peace and prosperity. I'll do what I have to to earn a living, but after this job, we shouldn't need it." Leon looked at her, curious, and sad. "I hope that our life after this will be a peaceful one. Without violence and destruction. Maybe, in time, we can bring new life into this world, instead of ending lives." He shrugged.

Notty
07-25-2015, 12:13 AM
Blane closed his eyes and took in another deep breath, pushing his hand through his hair again, his heart pounding in his chest. When he heard Ana's voice, he turned and smiled at her in the darkness. "Shh..." he murmured, reaching down to find her face, brushing some hair from it. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he whispered, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

He shifted and laid back down, this time pulling Ana close to him, despite how it hurt to have her pressed against his chest. It reminded him that he was alive. He was alive, while he feared, others were not. For a long time he debated whether or not to tell Ana. He didn't want to worry her, he didn't want her to be upset. And, it wasn't as if it did happen. It was just a dream, right?

"Ana?" he began, unsure if she had fallen back asleep or not. "I...I had a dream," he said, continuing. If she was awake, then she would hear it, and if not, well at least he would be able to get it off his chest. "That I was back at the base. Well, sort of like I was there. More like I was just watching what was happening. It was a regular evening, people moving around, having dinner and such." Taking in a deep breath, Blane felt his voice waver as he continued. "Then, there was a huge...explosion. Everything went dark. Brick, metal, pipes, dust and dirt...then silence, just smoke billowing up and then fire..."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Lena's eyes scanned his face, and found that they were filling with tears, and starting to trickle down her cheeks. She nodded, her chin trembling. How had they become this? How had the children that had played on the beach, and pretended to play house, become assassins? One, trained to be. The other, seeking revenge for the life and loved ones that were taken away.

When Leon mentioned bringing a life into the world, her brow furrowed for a moment before she leaned up and kissed his lips. Lena whimpered softly against his lips, needing him, needing to be close to him. After a few moments, she pulled back, her hands gently cupping his face as she looked at him in the near darkness. "It stops with us," she whispered, her eyes scanning his. "The...the violence, and the destruction..." she pursed her lips. "Our children will know love, and peace..."

Drakonnas
07-25-2015, 12:53 AM
Ana struggled to stay awake, but the day's events were just too tiring for her, and she fell asleep, propped up against Blane. She looked happy, and did not hear him speak. She did not hear him talk about his dream, nor his worry that his dream was more than just a dream, but a reality. In her sleep, none of that mattered...


================================================== =


Leon watched the girl he loved carefully. Why was she crying? He thought he understood. From the picture of the two of them playing on the beach, like normal children... To who they were now. No one who saw the picture in Leon's locket would ever guess that the two of them were now some of the most dangerous people in the world. None of them would have guessed that the innocence in the picture would have been lost, shortly after it was snapped. No one would have guessed that the two would have been split apart for fifteen years, and still find each other, and still love one another. It really was terrible. Neither of them got to live a normal childhood. And that hurt Leon.

He listened to her speak again, after she kissed him. She was shaking slightly, and Leon's heart melted for her. "I would have it no other way, Lena. I would not raise a child how I have been raised. And I know the same is true for you. When we finish this job, we put everything behind us. We will start anew with a clean slate. And we will do good for the world instead of harm. I will turn my swords into plowshares, and work to benefit, instead of harm. And I will be there with you. That will not change. No matter how many months or years pass. I'll always be with you, and you with me. I would have it no other way."

Leon was pleased that Lena hadn't even blinked at the possibility of having children with him. After all this was over, they could truly live in peace. He would eventually ask her... Eventually. When the time and place was right...

Notty
07-25-2015, 01:09 AM
Blane sat in silence for a few moments, waiting for a response from Ana, but none came. He nodded and kissed her forehead, "sleep..." he whispered. Slowly and carefully he lowered himself back down, resting on his back, with Ana curled up against his chest. As he lay there, he let his hand rub her back slowly.

Are we it? Are we all that's left of the Paladins? he thought as he lay there, unable to sleep. If...if that truly was real, and...the smoke and fire makes me think it was...then who did this? Why did they do this? And do they know we aren't there?

The rest of the night passed slowly for Blane, who was never able to go back to sleep. He laid there, staring up at the ceiling of the tent, the fire all but dead by now, Ana laying against him. She was so small, so fragile. And now, he feared, she was all alone. He was all she had, and she was all he had. Blane hoped, as he had scarcely hoped before, that he was wrong.

-------------------------------------------------------

Leon's words calmed Lena as they always had. It was strange. How long she had dreamt about finding him again. Hoping that he would still remember, that he didn't have someone of his own. She nodded slightly, smiling through her tears as she looked up at him.

I love you.

The words reverberated in her chest, yet she wasn't able to speak them yet. Was it too soon? Did she even really love him, or was it the emotions of 15 years suddenly coming to a head? She wasn't sure. It had been so long since she had felt this way towards another person. It had to be love.

Laying her head back against his chest, Lena closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh, letting her body relax against his. "What happens now?" she whispered, meaning more about them than the mission, but she would take either answer. As she waited, she pushed her hand gently into Leon's, locking their fingers together and brushing over the top of his hand with her thumb. This was where she belonged.

Drakonnas
07-25-2015, 01:31 AM
When Ana woke next morning, she was in a far cheerier mood than she had been in a very long time. "Good morning!" She said in a quiet singsong voice as she opened her eyes. A bright smile lit her face, and she looked radiant in the morning sun, which was now shining through the tent. She winced a little bit as she began to stretch, she was a little bit sore from the hard ground, softened by the comfortable sleeping bags they had used. The events from last night were still very clear in her mind, and it was all she could to to hold in her laugh of happiness. She feared she would be thought insane if she let everything out at once.

"How are you this morning, Blane?" She asked, putting a gentle hand on his arm. "Did you sleep well last night? Or were up up thinking about something?" She giggled, meaning their shared kiss the night before. She saw that his mood was not the best, and her face fell a little bit. "...Is everything okay, Blane?" She asked him, wondering what was causing him worry on such a beautiful morning. "I'm here for you." She smiled brightly, and jumped playfully so that she was on his lap. "Come on, Blane! It's a new day! Full of joy and opportunity!" She pecked him quickly, and backed off, giggling. "I'll even make you breakfast if you tell me where the food is~"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leon closed his eyes and though about what Lena had asked him. What happens now? What did she mean by that? Was she asking about the mission, or was she asking about the two of them? He didn't know, and so he decided to answer both questions, just in case there was one in particular that she was wondering about. He played with her hand a little bit as she interlocked her fingers with his. He squeezed her hand gently, and smiled.

"Well, if you're asking about the mission..." He began, looking for signs of acknowledgement or correction. "The first thing we should do is contact Pheobe, and let her know what we've done. We ask her if she still wants the two paladins, or if she's okay without them. We collect out money if she's fine, and we let them know we plan to leave. There are no obligations to stay, after all." He said simply. "If she still wants us to find the two of them, we find them, capture them, and take them to the Shadows. Then we go about starting our life together."

Leon paused, and thought for a moment. "As for us..." He shrugged. "I would be perfectly content to ask you to be my girlfriend." He smiled at the thought. "I know it was kinda implied from the get go, but I just wanted to make sure there are no miscommunications, and having one of us assume one thing, while the other thinks another is cause for problem. So... with that being said, Lena, would you care to be my girlfriend? Sorry, I don't know how else to word it." He smiled, and ruffled her hair affectionately.

Notty
07-25-2015, 01:42 AM
Feeling Ana move on his chest, Blane opened his eyes, though he hadn't been sleeping. He couldn't help but smile slightly at Ana. She was so cheerful, so happy and beautiful. Her joy was contagious, though he felt his was tainted by the dream, and by the memory of the earthquake from the previous night.

As her lips pressed quickly to his, he kisses back and smiled slightly, his eyes taking her in. She was beautiful. And if he thought she was beautiful last night, she was even more so now. Her cheeks flushed slightly, her hair loose, and the sun streaming over her skin. She was perfect.

As she jumped onto his lap, his hands went to her hips, holding her slightly as she sat there, questioning what was wrong. He shook his head and smiled, rubbing her hips slightly. "I just didn't sleep well, probably just the pain and hard ground..." He said, hoping that Ana would buy the lie. He chuckle and slowly sat up, "well we've got crackers, beans and some sort of meat..." Blane said, looking to Ana. "But I'll show you where they are, if you want..."

Opening the flap of the tent, Blane stepped out. All seemed to be well. Then he turned, and his face fell. A huge column of black smoke still rose, drifting from the wind and was carried over the mountains. It was real.

----------------------------------------------------

Lena smiled, feeling her heart race a little bit faster at Leon's words. "Of course," she smiled, leaning up and kissing him gently several times. "Of course. I've already been your wife," she teased, thinking back to when they were kids. "Only makes sense the next step would be girlfriend, hmm?"

Despite what they had done, Lena was happy, and she laid her head against Leon's chest again and closed her eyes, listening to the beating of his heart. All around them was still and silent, and before she had realized it, Lena was sleeping soundly against Leon's chest.

Drakonnas
07-25-2015, 02:39 AM
Ana looked curiously at Blane, as if wondering if he was telling the truth or not. She didn't know if he was, but maybe it didn't matter. If he was lying, there was a good reason for it, and she would probably be better off not pushing her luck... So she smiled, and nodded. "Okay! I'll find something good." She said, grinning. "Today will be wonderful. I can totally tell." Ana went to grab the food. This was a lot more difficult than she had originally thought it would have been, constantly feeling around, trying to figure out what things were. However, she did manage to eventually pull out some crackers and meat. She opened the lid, and handed the can to Blane. "Here you go." She said, still ever cheerful.

She wasn't worried about anything right now, everything seemed perfect. What could possibly go wrong on a day like today? "So!" Ana said happily. "What is it that you want to do today, Blane? We could go back to the Temple... Or we could spend another day out here, exploring things, and spending time together. Personally, I like that idea a lot more. I'll send Master Esiri a note telling her that we helped out the orphanage, and are going to explore a little bit. If it's okay with you, I mean." She added the last but a little bit hastily, as if hoping that he would.

Ana didn't eat much of the crackers, she didn't feel that hungry. But she was thirst, and drank some of their water supply. The orphanage had refilled that for them yesterday before they had left, so they had plenty to spare. Plus, the vehicles came packed with emergency rations too. They had more than enough to be out for another day. Besides, it wasn't as if they were days from any city.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leon grinned. "Wonderful." He said happily. "Well, yes, you were my wife fifteen years ago. But I didn't know if, during the time we'd been apart, your feelings had changed." He was teasing her, he knew that she had loved him, and he loved her. They had been over that. "I just wanted to be careful, and not make assumptions." He grinned. "But I am hoping you'll be my wife one day too. But... forget I said that, I want you to be surprised when the time actually comes." He grinned at her.

Leon continued to hold the beautiful girl who leaned on him. He examined her features, and could not find a flaw anywhere. He knew she bore scars, but he didn't find them ugly, but as signs to how strong she was, and what she had suffered through in devotion to him. The thought sobered him. The fact that she had lost her childhood was his fault. His father's fault. She had been a slave, abused, because she had loved him. If that didn't say something about the strength of her feelings for him, then nothing would. He knew, and vowed right then and there, to make sure that she would never suffer like that again. And soon after, he too, fell asleep.

Notty
07-25-2015, 03:09 AM
Blane stood, staring at the column of smoke that rose up as Ana carried on cheerfully behind him. He didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do. It had to be real. What else could it be? The base was fairly secluded from other cities or towns. In fact, it was nearly a half hours drive in any direction to get to a town.

If it's okay with you, I mean. Ana's voice rang in his head and Blane turned around. Her face was bright and cheerful as she sat, holding out some crackers and meat for him. "Oh, thank you..." he murmured, taking it from Ana. He wasn't terribly hungry, but he knew he needed to eat. He needed his strength.

Settling down across from Ana, Blane studied her face. She looked so excited, so happy. How could he burden her with this news? And why would he want to worry her, if in fact, it was nothing more than a dream brought on by whatever it was that did really happen?

Blane pushed himself up from the ground and walked over to Ana, kissing her forehead. "I'll go send a message really quick, alright? You stay here and enjoy the flowers. It won't take me more than 5 minutes..." This would be the easiest way for Blane to know what had happened. If communications to the base were down, he would know that his fears were probably warranted. If the message got through, there was nothing to worry about.

The hike back to the vehicle felt like it took years, and quickly Blane opened the door and sat down, clicking the screen. "Master Esiri, this is Blane." he said into the communications device. Silence. He could feel his heart pounding harder. Pressing again. "Master Esiri, please answer." Silence. Blane clicked several more buttons. "Paladins of Peace, this is Blane, please respond." Silence.

No.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Lena woke the next morning as the sun came over the horizon and spilled into the vehicle. She shifted and sighed, her eyes slowly blinking open and glancing around before settling on Leon. Him. He's here. I am safe. He loves me... she thought as she slowly sat up, stretching a bit.

Immediately the huge tower of smoke that rose from the Paladins of Peace base caught her eye, and she felt her stomach lurch. The place was still burning, and would likely burn for several days. Without thinking, Lena laid her head back against Leon and buried her face against his chest, taking in a deep breath. She didn't want to be awake alone. She didn't want to face what they had done, alone.

"Leon?" she whispered against his shirt, glancing up at him, almost tentatively. Her hand reached up and she stroked his jaw, then gently pushed her fingers through his hair, admiring his jawbone, cheek bones. He was perfect. She couldn't have imagined that he would have been more handsome. Lena had dreamt of this. Of what it would be like waking up next to him. He was what had kept her going all those years, through all the pain and hardship. The hope of him. The hope of being his.

Drakonnas
07-25-2015, 03:37 AM
Anastasia looked a little bit concerned about Blane as he left. What had gotten into him? Was he really okay? Something didn't seem quite right, and Ana wasn't sure what it was. Was there something he wasn't telling her? Had he received some kind of note from Master Esiri that he didn't want to tell her? Was Master Esiri okay? Ana shook her head to calm herself. No, there was probably a perfectly logical explanation for all of this. She let it go, and tried to pack as many things as she could so they could get going sooner. She stepped outside into the flowers again, and sat down.

Ana carefully felt around for different flowers, seeing how many she remembered from the day before. There were so many different types, and each one felt similar. It was difficult to remember them all, but Ana was determined to try. Then, one day, when she could see, she could come back here, and remember. She was convinced that it would happen someday. She had been saving all of her money that she had for her operation. She had been saving for many years. It was in a piggy bank given to her by Master Esiri for her birthday one year...

================================================== ============

Leon woke up feeling well rested, Lena's hand on his cheekbone. He smiled as he looked at her. "Good morning." He said, trying not to sound as if he had just woken up. "Did you sleep well last night, hon?" He asked her. "You fell asleep with me, and it really was wonderful. You look so beautiful when you sleep." He couldn't help but smile at her. His girlfriend. His. His.

Notty
07-25-2015, 04:00 AM
Blane sat in the vehicle for a good 10 minutes trying to get in contact with Master Esiri, with anyone. But there was nothing. Just deafening silence. What was he to do now? Turning and letting his legs fall out the side of the vehicle, his attention was caught by Ana.

He watched as she sat in the midst of the flowers, looking around, her fingers feeling the different ones. She looked happy. Blane swallowed hard, feeling tears sting at his eyes. "Ana..." he whispered, his voice shaking. "How am I supposed to tell you what's just happened? How am I supposed to tell you that the life we had, is over? That we have nothing, but each other?"

Standing, Blane slowly walked back towards the field, and towards Ana. His hands clenched and unclenched as he walked towards her. Without a word, he knelt down in front of her, gently taking her hands and holding them in his. His eyes were watery and bloodshot, scanning hers- clear and bright. He opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a soft sob.

---------------------------------------------------------

Lena looked up at Leon and smiled, feeling her cheeks flush at his words. "You aren't too shabby yourself," she teased, leaning up and kissing him gently. Pulling away slowly, she stretched again, making sure to deliberately avoid the direction of the Paladin base. She didn't want to have to look at what she had done.

"Well then, what shall we do today?" she asked, shifting and sitting beside Leon in the back. "Hang on..." she murmured, leaning forward and into the front of the vehicle. Her shirt pulled up higher this time, and the scars there were ragged, old, criss-crossed and deep. As she sat back, she looked over at Leon, smiling with the tablet in her hands. "Shall we check up on our two agents?" she asked, snuggling against Leon.

Right now, all Lena wanted to do was finish the job. Finish the job. Collect the money. Leave. Then they could start a new life together. They'd never have to deal with this part of themselves ever again.

Drakonnas
07-25-2015, 04:18 AM
Anastasia saw Blane coming, and looked up, shocked at his aura, and how vastly different it looked. It seriously worried her. What was going on? She couldn't ignore this any longer. As he came up to her, and tried to talk to her, no sound came. She froze, becoming more fearful. What was going on? "There, there." she said calmly, trying not to let how scared she was come through her voice. "What's wrong, Blane? Did something happen?" She asked, wondering why he was so upset. Had something happened to Master Esiri? Surely she was okay? Nothing bad could ever happen to someone so kind.

Nothing could happen to Master Esiri. She was the only real family that Ana had. Or, rather, Blane was now among those she considered close. Maybe it had nothing to do with her. Maybe it had nothing to do with her at all. She tried to put on a caring expression of kindness and comfort. But what could she do?

"Come on, Blane. Talk to me. What's wrong?"


=================================================


Leon grinned. "Well, thanks, Lena. Give me a quick second, and I'll call Phoebe. See what she wants us to do." He took out a phone, and dialed a number. While he waited to be connected, he ran a hand through Lena's hair, twirling it gently. He loved how soft it was. Finally... "Hello? Miss Phoebe? This is Leon. I'm calling you about your contract. Yeah. It's done. Mmhm. Thank you. That is... most graciously kind of you. No, we haven't, not yet. Do you still want them? Alright. ...Wait, if you're doing that, are Lena and I free to go? Alright. Well, if that's what's you're offering... Very well. Yeah. I'll talk to her, and see what we can do. Yeah. Thanks. Alright. Peace with you."

Leon hung up the phone, and looked at Lena. "Well, my dear... Things are looking up for us." He said simply. "Phoebe has paid me 5,000,000 bira." He looked relatively shocked at the amount of money they had just made. That was more than most people had in their lifetime. "And... she's offering an additional 1,000,000 for each of the two fugitives." HE looked at Lena. "She said we're free to go if we want to, she's also sending other bounty hunters after the two of them. Whoever brings them in first gets the money." He shrugged, and looked at Lena. "It's your choice, dear. That extra money is a significant amount, that's enough to probably live a decade on, each..."

Leon looked a little uncomfortable. "She has certainly been generous so far. We have enough money to be comfortable for a long time now, Lena. But if you want, we can try for the extra 2,000,000 bira..."

Notty
07-25-2015, 04:31 AM
Blane took in a shaky breath, hearing Ana's voice, how scared she sounded. He knew she was trying not to, but the fear came through all the same. "I just...no." He began, knowing he had to go back further. "Last night, the earthquake?" He said, his eyes scanning Ana's face, reaching up and stroking her jaw, needing to feel her skin. "I...I saw a huge cloud of smoke, the reflection of flames afterwards..." He stopped, letting Ana take in what he had told her.

"And then, last night, I had a dream, it was like I was at the base. All was still and quiet, and then..." His voice wavered and he took in a sharp breath, steadying himself. "Rock, and dust, and metal. A deafening sound as all collapsed, then became consumed with fire. The whole base, and everyone in it..." Blane looked at Ana, his heart pounding in his chest.

"No one answered Ana. When I called just now. No one answered. I can see the smoke still rising..." He couldn't stop now, tears starting down his cheeks. "Ana, I fear...I fear the base, and...and everyone is gone..."

-------------------------------------------------------

Lena half listened to the conversation Leon was having with Phoebe as she scrolled through the information pages on Anastasia and Blane. Interesting. Both seem to be loners. Though Blane from a fairly normal home. Oh, Anastasia...you have had quite the history haven't you? And blind? We can certainly use that to our advantage...

She was preparing to check for any travel information when Leon got off the phone. Setting the tablet in her lap, she looked up at him, her cheeks flushed slightly as he curled his fingers in her hair. "What did she have to say?" Lena asked, then listened with wide eyes at the sum she had already paid them. "Wait, I thought it was our job, why is she suddenly sending out every bounty hunter there is?" She asked, a little put out that Phoebe would go back on her word.

"I did a little looking on our two..." Lena piped in, snuggling a little closer to Leon. "Anastasia..the Aura, she's blind." She said, looking to Leon. "So I'm guessing, we find Anastasia, we find Blane."

Drakonnas
07-25-2015, 04:49 AM
Ana listened patiently as Blane began to speak. He first spoke about the earthquake. Well, that was pretty bad, yes. seeing flames and smoke in the sky? That was pretty bad too. Ana's eyes began to grow worried at this point. She wondered if anything had happened to her friends back at the temple. She tried not to jump to any nasty conclusions at this point. There was no use worrying just yet. Things were going to be okay. Maybe it was something else.

Then, he spoke about the dream he had. "Well... It's... just a, just a dream right?" Ana asked, her heart was starting to race a little bit faster. "Maybe it's just your mind trying to rationalize the quake last night." She said simply. "I wouldn't get too worried about that." Her words and her tone said two completely separate things.

Finally, Blane spoke about the calls he tried to make. At this point, Ana was in denial. "No. No, it can't be. They're probably busy, or sleeping, or something. Maybe the power was just knocked out by the earthquake. Yeah. That's probably it. The power. They lost power..." Ana sounded like she was trying to reassure herself that things were okay. That she still had a home to go back to. This couldn't be true.

"No, I think things are going to be fine." Ana said, her voice was more firm now than before. "They have to be. Come on, we should get back and see if we can help."

===============================================

Leon shrugged. "I don't know, Lena. She wants them badly, that much is certain. I think she thinks we did our job, because we were paid. You don't get paid until the job is done. Still, I think it's a little bit shady of her. What can I expect? Shady? Shadows? Haha..." Leon laughed half heartedly at this joke.

"Interesting... She's blind, and yet she can see auras. This means the best way to capture her is drones, robots, non-living traps..." Already, plans were coming into mind. "If she is alone, she'll be a cinch to capture. Super easy. But if the other dude is with her, things will be more complex. Still, all we have to do is capture her to capture him too. Threaten harm to her, and he'll come willingly."

Notty
07-25-2015, 04:58 AM
Blane smiled weakly as Ana tried to rationalize what had happened. Though, he hadn't thought of that. Perhaps the explosion had knocked out their power systems. It's quite possible that he had nothing to worry about, that he was just making this all bigger in his head than it really was.

Nodding, he leaned his forehead against Ana's and took in a deep breath. "I'm...I'm sorry, I...I couldn't sleep after the dream, then seeing the smoke this morning and then not being able to get through to them..." He let out a soft sigh and pulled back slightly, his eyes scanning Ana's.

Sometimes, Blane was jealous of Ana's inability to see. She didn't have to see how scared he looked. Or the huge cloud of smoke that continued to rise. Instead, he closed his eyes, leaning his face forward and letting his lips find hers, kissing her over and over.

------------------------------------------------------

Lena furrowed her brow a bit, nodding as Leon listed off ways for them to catch the girl. "She will be easy enough I think, it's the boy we have to worry about." She shifted and pulled up Blane's profile on the tablet, scrolling through it with Leon.

"Ability to multiply. What do you think that means? Like just things?" She shook her head, "get him to multiply our earnings a couple times..." she teased, nudging Leon gently. "But...I could see why Phoebe would want him. Your army is nearly destroyed. Instantly replenished. Almost out of ammunition? Refilled..." She shook her head and sighed a bit, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Are you sure? I mean, she-Anastasia, may not even care for the guy. Maybe he's a jerk. Maybe he doesn't care for her. For all we know, we threaten to hurt her, and he doesn't care..."

Drakonnas
07-25-2015, 01:36 PM
Anastasia nodded. "I understand that you're scared." She told him. "But let's not get overzealous in guessing what the situation is until we know for sure. It won't do us much good, and there's always the possibility that things are better. If we jump to conclusions, we'll probably assume the worst. So... let's just calm down, okay?" There was a note of plea in her voice.

Blane kissed her a few times, but Ana wasn't really feeling it. She was worried about her home. But, she let him kiss her all the same, hoping that it would help ease the tremendous amount of anxiety that she was beginning to fell inside her. She pulled away from Blane after a little while, looking down at the ground. "I'm... sorry." She said quietly. "I can't focus on anything else right now... As much as I appreciate you, and your love, I need to find out what has happened."

She stood up, looking upset and nervous. She felt bad about stopping the kisses, hoping that Blane didn't take it the wrong way. She felt as if she was hanging off a cliff by a thread, unable to pull herself back up to safety. If anything had happened to Master Esiri, to her home, she wasn't sure how she would be able to continue on.

================================================== ===============

Leon looked thoughtful. "I don't know. Multiply... multiply... That could mean any number of things." He said. "He'll definitely be the harder one to catch. Regardless of if Blane cares for her or not, I think she should be our first target. If he does care for her, we capture her, he comes along with us effortlessly. If he doesn't care for her, we still secure an easy target, and an extra 1,000,000 bira."

"...Any idea where we start looking for these two?"

Notty
07-25-2015, 03:01 PM
Blane nodded as Ana pulled away, his cheeks heating. "I'm...I'm sorry Ana, I didn't mean to upset you..." But really, how could he expect her to want to kiss back after all that he had told her? His eyes scanned her face, watching as fear and anxiety set in.

Trying to bolster his spirits, Blane smiled a bit, "come on, let's go back. I'm sure it's just the communications knocked out by the earthquake.." Making quick work of the tent, Blane folded it up and shoved it back in the bag, then stomped out the fire, his eyes always darting between Ana and the column of smoke. He smiled a bit, then stepped away from Ana. "Here," he said quietly, gently pressing several of the blue flowers into Ana's hands. "For the road, to remember," he smiled.

Carefully helping Ana back towards the vehicle, Blane loaded their belongings in the back once Ana was inside. Climbing in the driver's side, Blane buckled himself in, then loaded the GPS coordinates of the Paladin base. He looked over at Ana, his eyes scanning her face. It has to be there. That's all we have. And she's scared. I can see it. I don't know if I'm strong enough for her. What if I'm not? What if I can't take care of us?

"Lets go home."

----------------------------------------------------------

Lena's eyes scanned Leon's face as he spoke, weighing their options. "Perhaps..." she murmured, tucking some hair behind her ear and laying against Leon's chest. It was hard to think that they were assassins, having just destroyed the entire Paladin base, and were now trying to determine how to pick up the last two remaining Paladins. Had things been differently, this could have been incredibly romantic.

Perking up a bit, Lena leaned up and grabbed the tablet again, scrolling through it. "I know I saw something here..." she murmured, biting her lip as she looked over the screen.

Faculty. Weapons. Vehicles. Completed Missions. Active Missions.

"There, active missions..." she said, clicking the icon. "It said they were both out, that they hadn't returned, perhaps they are out on a mission..." Lena mused, scrolling through the list of open missions, her eyes searching for their names.

A smile grew on her lips when she saw them. "Bingo, we've got them, babe."

Drakonnas
07-25-2015, 03:39 PM
Ana tried to smile. "Don't worry about it, Blane." She said. "I just want to make sure everything's okay." As they got back into the vehicle, the stress of the metal closing off her aura only added to her stress levels. She was rigid and tense, and did not speak. She was gripping the arms of her chair so tightly that her knuckles were white, and there were little beads of sweat beginning to form on her face. What were they going to find? Was everything going to be okay?

She had the flowers that Blane had given him on her lap, though the scent did nothing to ease her tension. She realized that she was very tense, and tried to relax as she had been taught. She didn't want to end up having another panic attack; it had been so long since her last one. She especially didn't want Blane seeing her like that. She knew it would hurt him a lot. With all of these stresses affecting her, she didn't hear Blane speak to her, if he did. It was only when the car stopped, and the engine fell silent that Ana became aware of her surroundings again.

Anastasia opened her door, and stepped out, assuming that they were home. They were. Ana began to tremble, worse now. "...Blane...?" She said, her voice shaking. "There's something wrong... I can't see anything, I can't feel any life... Maybe they're just inside, in the underground bunker." She began to walk towards the ruins of the temple, not knowing it had collapsed, or that there were fires there. "I'm going to check on Master Esiri."


==========================================


Leon watched as Lena grabbed the tablet, and looked through it. There was a lot of information there, and he saw, as she did, what was on the tablet. "How interesting..." He said, smiling. "This has gone very smoothly... Here's what I suggest we do. We go pay the Orphanage a visit, pretending to be two messengers from the the Paladins. We'll ask if they're there, and if so, we'll deliver the message, let them know what has happened to their home, stun them before they know what happens, and we're done. If they're not there, we thank the orphanage for their help, and keep looking."

Notty
07-25-2015, 03:49 PM
As he drove, Blane continued to glance over at Ana. She looked so worried, so nervous. At one point he reached over and put his hand on top of hers, brushing the top of her hand with his thumb. Several times he opened his mouth to speak, but promptly shut it, knowing that there was really nothing that he could say to make her feel better.

Even before he could see the base, Blane knew he was right. The smoke was thicker here, darker, angrier. He parked the vehicle a good 30 yards from the smoldering base. Before he could say anything, Ana had stepped out of the car, and he watched as her face fell, then filled with fear.

"Ana!" Blane said as she started off towards the base, jogging after her and wrapping an arm around her waist, holding her back. "Ana..." his voice trembled, holding her against him. "It's....Ana, it's gone..." he murmured, swallowing hard. "Even if, even if they are in there, we can't go in Ana, its still on fire. It's....it's just a jumble of metal and bricks and fire....We can't go in Ana, we would die too..."

----------------------------------------------------------

Lena grinned, then leaned her head up a bit and kissed Leon quickly. "You're so smart, my love," she smiled, shifting and sitting up, stretching once more. "It looks like....the orphanage is just about 2 hours from here. Perhaps the Paladins are still there, we can only hope."

They seemed so close that Lena could almost taste it, and she was eager to find the two Paladins, turn them in, and get on with her life. Leaning back to steal another kiss from Leon, she climbed back into the front seat and turned to look back at him. "Come on you, we are wasting time!" A grin covering her face, "besides, I'm eager to have you all to myself, without this job, or the Order hovering over us."

Drakonnas
07-25-2015, 04:10 PM
Ana didn't feel Blane there, nor did she hear him. All she could do was... nothing. Her entire being filled with despair. She heard Blane's words, but they did not make sense, as if someone was speaking another language to her. No, he was wrong. This was all a dream, a bad joke. Her home wasn't destroyed, and if she could just open her eyes, she would notice that everything back to normal, that she was safe, in bed, or in Blane's arms back in the tent, still sleeping. This couldn't be happening.

"No..." She whimpered. "No... This... no. This isn't. This can't be... Don't you see? I don't care if I get hurt, I have to help Master Esiri!" She cried, her voice getting louder, and more hysterical by the minute. "No! My home... Master Esiri... my operation money... my life... No, this can't be happening! Someone tell me this is a joke... I can't lose it all! I can't! I can't! I can't!" She was sobbing now. Her fists were clenched, and she didn't know what to do.

What was the point of life now? For the second time, her home and family had been taken away from her. And this was one that she loved more than anything. She was happy here. And that now had died and was burning amidst the ruins of what once had been the Temple of the Paladins.

She struggled to break free of Blane's grip, she didn't care what happened to her now, all she wanted was to save those who were trapped or hurt. To salvage anything she could. Her mind was not rational, not now. But Blane's grip on her was too strong, and she eventually gave up, and fell to the ground, she couldn't support her own weight in this agonizing despair. There was no way anyone could have survived.

All Ana felt was alone.




alone



=============================


As Lena praised him, Leon laughed. "Well, thank you,, sweetie. I just want this over and done with as fast as possible. Like you, I just want to move on with our lives, and leave this part of us behind. If we want to get started, I'll get back in the driver's seat, and we can head back up to the orphanage. Hopefully in a day's time, we'll be on our way to start our life and home together. For real this time. No pretending." He grinned. "I can't wait. Let's get this done, and we can sort out the rest of our lives, and figure out who we are, and what we want to be."

Leon began driving, he admired the scenes as they drove. Bountiful colors were everywhere, and the flora certainly was something to enjoy watching.

Notty
07-25-2015, 04:34 PM
Blane felt Ana falling apart, felt her struggle and fight against his arms, but he held her tightly to him, knowing that if he let go, she'd run headfirst into the pile to rubble and fire. His chest squeezed and tightened, physically having to hold back sobs as Ana began crying, weeping for what she had lost.

He let her lay there on the ground for a moment, finding that tears were streaming down his face too. Not so much for the base- he did love Master Esiri, and mourned for those who were lost. But for Ana. This was her life. This is what she had known, who she called family. Now she had nothing.

Blane leaned down and scooped Ana up in his arms, wincing at the pain, but at least it helped to remind him that he was still alive. He tried not to think of it. He couldn't. It hurt too much. He held Ana to his chest, one arm beneath her legs, the other around her back, and carried her back towards the car. Blane sat down on the trunk, still holding Ana.

What was he to do now? He was responsible for her. But he had nothing. All he had owned was inside the base. All they had was the car, and the few things that Blane had packed, along with Ana's things. There was nothing. Blane felt sick. Then angry.

Who had done this? Who would do this to them? To take away lives? To take away Ana's hope of seeing again?

Blane would see that they would rot in hell.

------------------------------------------------------------

Lena smiled and reached over, taking Leon's hand in hers as they drove. She glanced out the window, smiling as a massive valley full of flowers came into view, abruptly ended by the mountains in the distance. "I will have to say one thing, it is beautiful out here..." she mused aloud. It was nice to see the beauty in stark relation to what they had done.

Her mind drifted to what their life could be. Each other. A home. Children. It seemed too wonderful to be true, and yet, here it was, out for the taking. Granted, they could have it now if they wanted. They didn't have to find the other Paladins, they could just turn around, find a house and settle in. But the extra 2 million....it was an offer that was difficult to refuse.

Turning her attention to the tablet, Lena continued reading the files of Anastasia and Blane. She wanted to know all that she could about these two. What were their strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes? Even those seemingly small details could be the very thing that brought them down.

Drakonnas
07-25-2015, 04:54 PM
Ana wasn't aware of much. She knew that she was being taken away from her home, but she made no effort to resist. Everything she had known and loved was now gone. Her hopes of seeing had been destroyed with the destruction of her home. How could life be so cruel? She knew it was childish to cry, and yet she could not stop. This made her all the more aggravated. She was angry at herself for not being able to be more mature. She was angry at Blane for taking her away from her home. She was angry at life for screwing her so hard. None of her feelings were rational, and that made things even worse. She would have given anything for a release. To step outside of her life and just chill. She wanted to calm down, and be reasonable. She wanted to be mature about it. But right now, she couldn't be. And that was the worse part.

She leaned into Blane, hoping for some kind of comfort that would help fill the massive hole that had been punched in her. She wanted some way to undo what had happened. But what were they supposed to do now, with only the clothes on their backs? Maybe the townsfolk would help. Everyone had loved the paladins, and had benefited from their help one way or another. Maybe people would be able or willing to chip in a little bit.

Half an hour passed before Anastasia had calmed down enough to stop crying. She now lay in Blane's lap, staring blankly at the car's wall. She did not speak. What was there left to say?


===========================================


Leon thought for awhile. as Lena continued to look though her tablet, looking for any kind of information that would help lead to the capture of Anastasia and Blane. The road had become flat as they entered some kind of plain. The two of them passed the time in silence with occasional conversation. Leon often reached out to touch Lena, as if to remind her that he was there, or to mmake sure she was still with him. Every time he touched her, he smiled. Things were looking good. Things were looking quite good.

Then, finally...

"There. I think that's it. Just up there." He turned off the cloaking, and approached the orphanage. "Ready, Lena? do you have your phaser set to stun?" He asked her, smiling. "Be sure to have quick access to it in case we find our targets. But also, make sure it's hidden. We don't want them suspecting anything.

Leon steppped out of the car, and was met with the sound of children playing in the playground. It was a noise he was unfamilar with, and loved. "Listen to them..." He said, pointing. "Isn't that a beautiful sound?"

Notty
07-25-2015, 06:10 PM
Numb. That was the only word Blane could think of to describe how he felt. He hadn't really felt Ana squirming and hitting him, or her violent sobs, that had turned into soft whimpers, and now had quieted. He just held her. She was all he had left.

After she had quieted, Blane looked down at her, her eyes red from crying, just staring blankly ahead. "I'm sorry," he whispered, reaching down and pushing some hair from her face that had been plastered there from her tears. "We...we can stay a bit, if you'd like. To...to see if there's anyone we can help..." his voice was quiet, shaking every now and then with emotion. "But right now, it's too dangerous.."

As much as Blane wanted to go in and search for survivors, he knew they didn't have the medical capabilities to help survivors, let alone themselves should they get hurt in the process. He shifted a bit and held Ana a little closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead- more for him than her. "We can stay here," he whispered, "we can wait, if you want to." Blane was out of ideas. Out of hope.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena glanced up and smiled when she saw the orphanage appear on the horizon, and at Leon's urging, she reached into her jacket and pulled out her phaser, setting it to stun. "It's ready.." she smiled, securing it back along her side. As soon as the car stopped, Lena stepped out, and couldn't help the wide smile that covered her face.

She walked over to Leon, her eyes meeting his. "I love that sound, and soon..." she smiled, I hope there is a lot of that we hear..." She wanted to lean up and kiss him, to take his hand, but she knew it was too risky. If they were supposed to be Paladins, there should be some level of decorum, right?

A group of kids ran down to meet them. "Are you back?!" one shouted, still a ways off. "Are you going to give us more toys?" But the children stopped, curiously looking over Leon and Lena. "You aren't the same ones, and the ghost is gone." Another child added, stepping forward and taking Lena's hand. "Can you see ghosts, too?"

Drakonnas
07-25-2015, 06:37 PM
Anastasia eventually moved, and came to her senses. She looked up at Blane, and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I... acted like a child. And... and that makes it harder for you. I'll... I'll be strong." Her eyes were sad, and she didn't have much hope at all. But she knew that she needed to be strong for him. He couldn't take care of the both of them, and she needed to pull her weight as well.

"I think we need to stay, and watch. I can keep an eye out for any survivors, or any of the paladins that weren't here..." Her eyes suddenly widened. "Blane, that's it! Not all of the paladins were in there. What about those who were still out on missions? I know that Fleur, Isaac, Ramon, and Teri were all out doing their own thing... But..." She frowned. "We're not the only ones left. We need to do what we can. Maybe we can get some supplies from the town?" She asked. Her voice was still dull and monotonic, but she was at least trying to help.

Ana leaned back, and kissed Blane again. "Somehow... I hope we'll be okay." She didn't look like she meant it, but she wanted to reassure Blane. "I'm here. We'll do what we can, okay?"


===========================================


Leon grinned. "Yeah. I hope so too. But for now, let's work on finding our little friends." The children ran up to them, eager and excited. They spoke about ghosts, or something else that Leon didn't quite understand. But they seemed to know the other two, which was a very good sign. He smiled at the kids. "We're friends of theirs." He told them. "We have something we need to tell them. Are they here?"

A small girl shook her head. "No, they left last night. They went that way." She pointed.

Leon smiled, and thanked them. "Thanks, princess." The girl beamed at being called that. "We don't have a lot of time, but we might be able to take a few minutes to talk and play, if you want." He looked over at Lena. "Assuming that's okay?" He had a feeling that she would agree.

"Come play tag with us!"

Notty
07-25-2015, 07:08 PM
Blane glanced down at Ana as she stirred, and smiled weakly, trying his best to look positive, though that was the last thing he was feeling. He nodded, gently rubbing her back as she held herself against him, burying his face against her neck briefly before leaning back up.

At the mention of others that were out, Blane felt his spirit lift a bit, nodding more. "Yes, certainly they would come back at some point, right?" Then his brow furrowed. "But it would be no surprise that the news of this would soon reach the outside world." They might not come back if there's nothing to come back for...

Feeling Ana's lips against his, Blane kissed back, nodding slightly as she pulled away. "Yeah, we can go into town. We've...we've got a little. In my pack, there's some money, a few things that we could trade or sell..we could even sell the car if we had to...." He leaned back down and pressed his lips to hers again. "We aren't alone, we have each other."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena couldn't help but smile as they children gathered around them, glancing back in the direction that they pointed. She nodded and made a mental note of it, gently ruffling the little boy's hair. "I'd love to stay.." Lena smiled, picking up one of the girls and hugging her.

"Come play with our toys! We have so many of them now!" a child shouted as a group of them ran towards the playground. Lena laughed and held the little girl, running with her as she laughed towards the playground.

This is what she wanted. Leon. Children. Happiness. All was as it should be. Honestly, the moment Lena picked up the child, she forgot all about the mission, the destruction, even the money. She ran towards Leon and caught his eyes, smiling at him before taking off again, skidding to a stop at the swings. Leaning down she pressed a kiss to the girl's forehead before letting her down. "Here love, climb on and I'll push you."

Drakonnas
07-25-2015, 07:46 PM
Ana tried to push everything from her mind, and focus entirely on Blane. "You're right. We have each other." She smiled. "I think we need to keep the car though. I think it's really important to us. Shelter. A mode of transportation if something ever happens... We shouldn't sell it. I feel really strongly about that." She wished she could look into his eyes, but the best she could to was rest her head on his shoulders, and hold him.

She felt like she needed him now more than ever, and that she needed to be there for him as well. "Hey Blane? Let's go ahead try to get some more supplies... Then we can find a place to rest that isn't... near here." She wasn't sure how else to try and get a move on. She knew they needed to get busy, that was the best way to deal with a difficult situation like this one. "Come on." She said, trying to smile. "We'll make what we can with our lives. Alright?"

Ana got out of the car again, and looked at where there were auras. She took Blane's hand, waiting for him.


==================


Seeing Lena with the children was a sight that Leon would not want to forget. She was so pretty, so innocent. He wanted to keep her like that. Give her that gift. He knew she struggled with what she did sometimes, and understood that feeling. But... this was where she was happy. This was where she belonged With kids. Doing good, not evil or harm. And Leon was determined to give her that gift.

He went to play ball with some of the boys, while Lena continued to play with some of the other kids. Leon was shocked at how much fun he was having. He was laughing a lot, and realized just how stressed and depressed he had been before. He hadn't even realized it either. It was wonderful, and Leon couldn't wait until this was a permanent thing in their life.

Notty
07-25-2015, 08:03 PM
Blane looked down at Ana, his eyes searching her face as she spoke. He couldn't help but smile as she spoke, trying to cheer him up, and most certainly, herself. He nodded and leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose, smiling a bit more.

Slowly Blane let go of Ana and she stood, her face turned towards the ruins of the base. He stood and moved behind her, rubbing her arm before letting his hand move down to find hers. "Come on," he murmured gently. "Let's head to town, try to round up some supplies...the day will be over with before we know it, and we've got a lot to do..."

Once Ana was inside the car again, Blane climbed in and glanced over at her. Ana. She was all he had. And he hoped, that despite the fear and the destruction and the pain, that he could be all she wanted, all she needed. "Let's go shopping then, hmm?" he said with a small smile. He didn't have a lot, but what he did have, was hers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena laughed and giggled, squirming on the ground as several of the children tackled and wrestled with her. It was incredibly therapeutic, and she had easily lost track of time. "All right, all right, let me catch my breath..." she said, pushing herself to sitting up and taking in a deep breath, a grin pasted across her face.

Looking around, she caught Leon's eye and smiled again, her cheeks flushed from laughing so much. Gently she drew several children towards her and hugged tightly, kissing the tops of each of their heads, making them each laugh in turn.

"Guess what!" One of the children cried out, looking up at Lena with wide eyes. "Last night, there was the BIGGEST noise I've ever heard!" Lena's heart immediately dropped, and she swallowed hard, glancing to Leon. "Yeah! And it was so scary, and we all screamed and jumped out of our beds!" One of the older boys crossed his arms over his chest, "I didn't. I wasn't scared..."

Lena smiled weakly, still holding the children, though no words would come. What was she to say to that? How could she even face them, knowing she had been the source of their fear?

Drakonnas
07-25-2015, 08:41 PM
As Ana and Blane went around town, asking people if they could spare any kind of kindness, Anastasia was shocked at just how generous everyone was, without exception. Oftentimes, Ana felt as if she needed to turn down some of what they were offering because of just how much it was. Everyone offered their deepest condolences at their situation, and on more than one occasion, they were offered a place to live. Ana felt tears of gratitude on her face a few times, and was slowly reaching the conclusion that they shouldn't leave town. Not when everyone was so determined to help them. "Thank you... Thank you. You are so kind..." She said to the elderly man before them, who had handed them a large basket of non-perishable food.

"Don''t worry, lass." The man said gently. "You and your order have done so much for me, my family, and this town. This is the least I can do to help. If you ever need anything, anything at all, please come back. We would be delighted to assist in any way we can."

Ana looked up at Blane. "Blane..." She said, looking at everything they had been given. It was enough to live comfortably on for at least two months. If they ate sparingly, it would probably last three or four months.

============================

Leon relaxed a bit after playing with the kids. He was now over with Lena, when one of the kids mentioned the explosion. He sighed. This was not something that he wanted to have happened, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it now. He put an arm around Lena, and smiled. "Well, I'm sure you were really brave. It'll be a fun story to tell your friends, hmm?" He turned to Lena. "Well, my dear, shall we be on our way? Or would you prefer o stay here with the kids for a little bit longer? Don't worry. You're gonna be perfectly fine. You're okay."

Notty
07-25-2015, 09:00 PM
More than once, Blane had to return to the car to put away what they had been given. He too, was overwhelmed with gratitude. All of the people had heard and felt the explosion, though none had any idea what it was, and several mentioned the column of smoke, that had by now died down considerably.

After their last trip to the car, Blane took Ana's hands in his, searching her eyes, then letting go of one of her hands to cup her face. "What do you think, Ana?" he murmured, wanting to know what she thought they should do. The town was big enough, they could most certainly find work, and they had more than enough places offered to them to stay. It seemed like the perfect place to try and rebuild, or just to get back up on their feet.

"I....I think we should stay, if only for a little bit." His eyes scanned her face and he continued, "we have been so well received, I'm certain that we could find work, maybe even a place to live together.." At that, his voice dropped off, and his brow furrowed. Should they live together? They weren't married, and...well...weren't exactly dating, though they had kissed and slept next to each other. Ruffling a hand through his hair, Blane let himself get carried away in his thoughts, hoping that Ana could make some sense of the situation.

--------------------------------------------------------

Lena gladly welcomed Leon's arm around her, and she leaned against him, closing her eyes briefly. This is what I want. Leon's arm around me, with little ones in my lap... But when she opened her eyes, they were all still looking at her, some discussing the sound from the night before.

She nodded a little, looking to Leon. "Perhaps we should go." Pushing herself up from the ground, Lena stood and brushed herself off, taking in a shaky breath. The children began laughing and playing again, as if nothing had happened, and Lena grabbed Leon's hand, holding it gently.

"I'm sorry," she murmured as they began walking, unable to hide the smile the children brought to her face. "I'm just...let's just go. Let's get this over and done with. We know where they were headed. Maybe if we are lucky, we will run into them and it will be taken care of tonight." She smiled a bit more, feeling her cheeks warm. "Then, I'm all yours."

Drakonnas
07-25-2015, 09:49 PM
Blane spoke, suggesting that they stay in town for awhile. Ana slowly nodded. "Yes. Yes, I think we should." She said, nodding. "The people here have been so kind to us..." She was honestly feeling a lot better than she had been after finding out that her home was gone. She still mourned for her loss, of course, mourned for Master Esiri, and everything else as well. But their welcome had lifted her spirits greatly. She was able to smile again.

"Hey Blane?" She asked after a few minutes of silence passed between them. "I... was thinking. I'm really grateful for everything that you've done for me recently. And I was just thinking... without you here, I would probably have died in my grief, trying to help out, and rescue my friends. I would never have been able to pull myself out of my grief and despair. I'm a coward, Blane. I always have been. I'm not very strong. But you gave me the strength to go on. And..." Her voice kinda quit working for a minute, and she tried to keep talking.

"I'm kinda hoping... Maybe... you'd agree to... maybe... be mine? Like... really mine?" She laughed nervously, hoping that she wasn't doing something rash. "I know we just kinda met and interacted recently, but with everything that's happened, I feel like a special connection has been made. I don't wanna lose that."



=====================================



Leon saw his girlfriend, fiance, and future wife smile at his touch. This was good, it was exactly what he wanted. "Alright. We'll get going." They said goodbye to the children, and both got into the car. Leon realized that, as they started driving, the two fugitives were going back in the direction of the temple that they had blown up. He knew that this caused stress to Lena. But luckily, the pillar of smoke and lessened considerably. So hopefully, it wouldn't cause her too much stress.

"Alright. Looks like they're headed for town." He said, looking at the map. "We should be able to overtake them there, especially if they've stopped. We'll scout the place out once we arrive, invisible, of course. And from there, we'll see what we can see."

Notty
07-25-2015, 10:09 PM
Blane was happy that Ana agreed with him about staying in town. He could feel his spirits lifting, and he was hopeful that the next few days, things would get back to normal. Or, as normal as they could be. But what Ana said next puzzled him. He had never really seen her flustered like this, and he furrowed his brow, a smile curling his lips up curiously.

I'm kinda hoping... Maybe... you'd agree to... maybe... be mine? Like... really mine? Blane let out a soft laugh of happiness, feeling as though his chest would burst. Not even bothering to reply, he leaned down and kissed Ana gently, letting his fingers tangle in her hair as their lips pressed together.

"I'd love nothing more," he murmured having pulled away slightly, gently nudging her nose with his. "I'd love to be yours, as long as you're happy with being mine." Blane let out another happy chuckle, then picked Ana up in his arms, hugging her tightly to himself, and spinning around briefly before setting her back down. "I'm yours..."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena glanced over at Leon as they drove, nodding a bit, then furrowed her brow. "Leon?" she asked, turning a bit in the seat to look at him. "Do you think they went to the town? I mean, if they had finished at the orphanage, wouldn't you think they would have gone back to the Paladin base?"

She bit her lip and looked back at the tablet. Unfortunately, now that the base was destroyed, they'd have no new information about the two young Paladins, but she was hopeful. "I think Anastasia would go back. She basically lived there her entire life. It was her home..."

"They might have gone back..." she said again, "I think we should go to the base. And if they did go back, maybe we could find tracks, or some sort of clue as to where they did go, and if not, we can just continue heading towards the towns..."

Drakonnas
07-26-2015, 01:26 AM
Anastasia's face lit up with radiant joy as Blane agreed, and whatmore, said he would be delighted to. "You... You would?" She asked brightly, before being hugged tightly by Blane. She embraced him as well, and spun her around. It was exactly the response she had hoped for, and now that he had, she couldn't help but laugh. "Well, thank you, thank you so much!" She said, grinning from ear to ear. "I hope everything will work out." ,, she thought.

"So... now that we're officially together, what do you think we should do? I think... I think for now, we can take shelter in our car. It's big enough to sleep in, and we don't have to use the tent. I think that's probably the safest thing to do. Probably the most comfortable too. We can set up sleeping bags inside the back. And... It can be our little home until we can find a real one." She said, eager and excited.

"We've got food, and a place to stay... We can find work here, I'm sure there's lots that we could do. We can earn an income, and then have our own place!" She smiled. "We may not have much now..." Her face fell slightly. "But... that doesn't mean we can't work our way back up, right?"

Inside, Ana wasn't feeling confident, not at all. She was afraid, afraid of failure, of losing him, of the loss of her former life. She wouldn't get over that for a long time. But she was acting happy and eager and excited, trying to convince both herself and Blane that they COULD succeed.

==========================================

Leon looked over at Lena. "What do you mean, lovely?" He asked, questioning her. "The Temple is in the town that they're going to. Of course that's where they're going." He smiled. "So yes. I do think she'll go back to the temple. You were always the smart one." He chuckled a little bit, and shook his head.

He looked at her. "...Are you sure you want to go back? And see the wreckage?" Leon asked her. "I've noticed it's been bothering you. Are you sure you'll be able to handle it? It's okay if you can't. I won't blame you at all. I'm... only trying to think of your welfare." He smiled. "You're more important to me, Lena. You always will be. So. if you feel the need to not go, that's okay."

Notty
07-26-2015, 01:59 AM
Blane's face mirrored Ana's happiness, and he held her close to himself, kissing the top of her head again, rubbing her back gently. He nodded, gently stroking her jaw as she mentioned making the car their home until they could afford their own. He chuckled and pressed his lips to hers gently.

"That sounds perfect," he smiled, slowly releasing her. "For now, let's find a better place to park the car, right now it's sort of in the middle of everything, and if we are going to be sleeping in it, we will want somewhere quieter." He smiled, his eyes scanning her face again.

Taking her hand, Blane led Ana back to the car and helped her in, then climbed in himself, starting it up and pulling away. He drove for a while before stopping at a park, turning off the car. "We are at a park, what do you think about staying here? Do you think it's safe enough, or would you rather go somewhere else?" Blane wanted to do all he could to keep her safe, and he would. She was everything to him now.

----------------------------------------------

Lena nodded, glancing to Leon and smiling a little. "Oh, yeah, I...I hadn't realized that," she chuckled, smiling as her thumb brushed over the top of Leon's hand. She leaned down and kissed it, then held his hand to her cheek, closing her eyes. She loved his touch, and couldn't get enough of it.

"I love you."

Her eyes found his profile, still holding his hand to her cheek. "I love you, Leon. And I'll go anywhere with you. Anywhere."

Drakonnas
07-26-2015, 03:13 AM
About a week passed, during which Ana and Blane were asking around for potential jobs. Ana had things a little bit more difficult, because of her eyesight. She did not get discouraged though; her newfound relationship with Blane had turned out to be far better than she could have ever expected. He was such a wonderful, wonderful person, and he brought out the best in her. When she was around him, she felt braver. More secure. She felt like he completed a side of her that she had never felt before.

In the week that passed, Ana grew to love him even more, and she was happy. She had many fits where she had difficulty about losing her Paladin friends and life, but Blane was always there for her. He was always by her side, and that made Ana feel much better. She didn't know how she could get by without him now. She was also able to help him, and the feeling that she actually mattered to someone was so wonderful.

It was currently the middle of the day, and Ana and Blane were out together, talking over things. "So... I think Mr. Bernard has a job for me." She said, eager to tell him what she had learned that day. "He says he needs someone to help greet customers. And maybe, maybe I can do that." She looked eager and happy. "Oh Blane, things are looking up." She hugged him tightly, and gave him a quick smooch.

It was then that it happened. There was a quick bang, and Ana felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. She cried out, and put a hand to it. Her hand was now red with blood. Tears quickly welled up in her eyes as she whimpered. "Blane... I've been shot!"


===================================


In the week that followed, Leon and Lena stayed near the village, watching. Leon insisted that they take these precautionary measures. "I need to get a feel for who they are." He had told Lena one day. "Their habits, where they live... All of these things could prove to be a vital importance to us and how we plan our trap." Leon had said.

And so, for a week, they waited, and watched. Biding their time, learning their prey, and waiting for the most opportune time to strike. And in that week, Leon's love for Lena grew. He was constantly happy and cheerful, instead of moody and depressed. All this he attributed to their companionship.

It was a nice day outside. Leon was sitting up on a hillside overlooking the village, with Lena snuggled in his lap. He had his arms around her waist, clasping her hands together. He kissed the top of her head, and smiled. "Oh Lena. Have I told you how beautiful you are? How you make my heart sing as it hasn't done before? Every moment with with you is a treasure that I will not take for granted. You mean the world to me. I haven't felt this complete since we were kids. Thank you." He grinned, and rested his head on top of hers.

They sat there that way for a little while, until a gunshot rang out. Leon jumped a little. That was unusual. Who would be shooting? He stood up. "We've got trouble." He growled. "Somewhere, there's trouble."

Notty
07-26-2015, 03:47 AM
Blane honestly didn't think he had ever been happier in his life. The more time he spent with Ana, the more he loved her. He cherished the nights when they curled up in the car next to each other, talking for what seemed like hours until they fell asleep. He learned all about her hopes, dreams and fears, and he shared his as well. There was nothing that Blane didn't, or wouldn't share with Ana.

Blane had found some part time work at a lumber store, and he found it to be easy and rather mindless work. It wasn't ideal, but it helped bring in some money, and that's what they needed right now. Soon they'd be on their own feet, and be able to rent a house, and...well Blane just dreamed of the rest.

"Oh?" Blane said with a smile, his fingers interlacing with Ana's as they walked down the main city street. He grinned, leaning down and kissing Ana quickly. "That's fantastic!" he smiled, kissing her again. "That sounds exactly like something yo-" But his words were cut short by a shot ringing through the air, and Ana stumbled forward slightly.

When she brought her hand from her shoulder and Blane saw the blood, he panicked. He scooped Ana up and began running, heading for the shelter of the nearest building. "Hold on to me, Ana..." he said, his heart pounding in his chest. "We aren't far from the car..."

Ducking and darting through the side streets and holding as close to buildings as he could, Blane finally reached the stretch between them and their car. He glanced around, his heart pounding, and then took off running towards the car. When he reached it, he didn't even bother putting Ana in the passenger's side, he climbed in with her on his lap and started driving. "Hold on, Ana, hold on, love..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena was content staying in the village with Leon, she didn't mind it. It meant that she got to spend more time with him. She patiently waited, listening, taking notes and trying to come up with some sort of a schedule that these two kept, but as of yet, their movements were fairly erratic, save for the park that they would retreat to at night.

The vehicle made a perfect little nest for them, and Lena enjoyed their nights together, curled up. She loved him more than she thought she ever could, feeling as though her heart would burst with love. Leon was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. The one whose children she wanted to have.

"Hmm?" Lena smiled, leaning back against Leon's chest as they watched the village. She chuckled, her hair loose and blowing in the breeze. She had softened, significantly, since they had been together. No longer did she wear her hair in a tight braid, but rather let it flow loose around her shoulders. She was happier, healthier.

"The most beautiful, you say?" she laughed happily, leaning back and kissing his lips gently. "And have I ever told you that you are the most handsome, strong and intelligent man? There's no one I'd rather have but you..."

Lena jolted against Leon as the gunshot rang out, and she furrowed her brow, holding a little tighter to him before he stood. She looked up at him, her eyes clouded with worry. "Trouble? What sort of trouble?" she asked.

Drakonnas
07-26-2015, 11:52 AM
Ana had realized that her wound was just a flesh wound and nothing serious before long. It hurt, sure, but it wasn't anything that would be permanently damaging. She was, however, scared. Who had tried to shoot her? And more importantly, why? If she hadn't rushed forward to hug Blane... One of the two of them might be dead now. And that thought scared her more than the pain did. Blane rushed her to the car, both of them were terrified. What was going on? The more Ana thought, the more she believed that the bullet had originally been intended for Blane. Based on where she had been, he had been, and where the bullet had entered her shoulder, she concluded that it had been meant for Blane's heart... Her hug had literally saved his life.

"I'm... okay." She said, as Leon began to drive. "I... I'm okay. Really. It looks bad, and it hurts, but I can move my arm. I think it's just a flesh wound." She told him. "But... that bullet wasn't meant to for me. I think they were trying to shoot you. I somehow, unknowingly, saved you with a hug." She laughed, her voice was strained. It sure hurt a lot more than felt it should though.

She heard a few more shots being fired, but whoever was trying to shoot at them missed each time. She didn't know where they were going, all she knew was that they were both scared. Someone was trying to kill them, they didn't know who or why, and they had to find safety somehow.

================================================== =

Leon stood, and looked around. "Lena, you can stay here, or come with me, the choice is yours. I think we've got another bounty hunter who found the pair..." He swore under his breath. "And after all of our careful planning and observations, this douchebag comes in, and sends them scattering like cockroaches..." He looked at Lena, and looked a little guilty at his language. "I'm sorry." He apologized to her. "We need to go check on the situation."

Who would be so... so dumb as to try and shoot either Ana or Blane? They were worth so much more alive than dead. Even they were being shot at to be slowed down, they risked seriously hurting or killing the two of them. This meant they were dealing with a bounty hunter who didn't know how to actually do their job, and were simply in it for the money. Leon sighed. Things just got a lot more difficult for them. "Well... I guess it couldn't all be a piece of cake." He shrugged. "Still, this is Phoebe's fault. Had she let us do it..."

Now it was time to find them a bounty hunter...

Notty
07-26-2015, 02:38 PM
Blane begin to drive, not even really thinking about where he was going, all he knew was he had to get them to safety. He could feel anger boiling up inside him, one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding Ana against him. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he tried to calm himself. Ana needed him, she needed him to comfort her, not be on an angry rampage for revenge.

Once they had cleared out of town, and were driving open road, Blane glanced down at Ana, hearing her words. Had the bullet been meant for him? He furrowed his brow and leaned down, kissing Ana's temple. "I'm sorry.." He said, his voice breaking, "I'm sorry, We are going somewhere we will be safe..." Blane felt as though it was his fault. He should have known, he should have seen. Ana was able to, so it should have been his job to watch out for danger.

The car headed straight for the mountains. There'd be make places to hide there, and with no one around, it wouldn't be difficult to spot someone coming. Blane wasn't going to take risks this time.

He leaned down and kissed her temple again, "do you think you'll be okay until we stop?" He asked, not wanting to pull over, in case whoever shot Ana was pursuing them. He glanced down at her shoulder, her shirt stained with blood. More than anything, if it was a flesh wound, she seemed to be scared and in pain. "Tell me what you need, Ana, and I'll give it to you."

--------------------------------------------------

Lena stood as well, her eyes trying to follow the pair as they scattered, but they hung too quickly to building and side streets, and were soon lost. She frowned a bit and looked to Leon, shaking her head with a weak smile as she reached for his hand. "It's okay, I...it's upsetting." Lena sighed and leaned against Leon, her eyes now scanning for where the shot had come from.

"Yes, I want to go with you," she said, glancing up at him. "Of course I want to go with you," she smiled and hugged him quickly. "Besides, we can cover more ground with the two of us. I say we find this moron, stun him, then tie him up and leave him somewhere out of the way...maybe after we ask some questions..." She sighed, they had been so close. So close to being finished and together. Once more, she would have to wait.

Drakonnas
07-26-2015, 03:25 PM
Ana nodded. "Don't be sorry. It's not your fault, you couldn't have done anything." She said, really not wanting him to feel guilty. He had no control over the matter. "I'm glad I could have protected you. And... besides. I'm okay. I can wait until we're safe. Don't worry so much, Blane. I'm not going to die." Her shoulder was throbbing painfully, and she was very scared. But... she also was safe with Blane. She believed that. Of course they'd have to be careful, but... things were going to be okay. She was sure of that.

Ana actually felt more comfortable inside the car for once instead of more uncomfortable. The feeling that no one else was around, and the only one she could see was Blane made her feel safe and more secure. She was getting used to the prospect, and this time when she craved safety, it made her feel better.

She did not ask where they were headed, but would simply wait until they arrived. He would explain where they were going in due time. "What I need, Blane, is your comfort." She said to him, honestly. "Get us somewhere safe, and then take a look at my shoulder. We'll see what needs to be done from there."


=====================================


Leon's face glowed with happiness. "That's just the kind of answer I wanted to hear from you, Lena." He said, smiling. "I'm glad to hear that you're still with me. Let's go find this imbecile, and let him know what he did wrong, and how to... correct it." His voice sounded ominous, but his face and body features were pleasant. "You still have your radio headset, right?" He asked her. "We can split up when we get into town. Look for anyone who you haven't seen here before, they're the likely suspect."

The two of them went into town to look around for clues. "Good luck, Lena." Leon said, kissing her forehead. "Keep in radio contact. Tell me about anything suspicious you might see. Doesn't matter how small or insignificant. I'm going to go look at the tracks from their vehicle, and the place where they were shot at."

Notty
07-26-2015, 07:01 PM
Blane nodded, pressing another kiss to her temple as he continued to drive. The mountains drew nearer and nearer, the road spanning out straight before them. "The mountains..." he murmured, glancing down at Ana with a small smile. "We are going to the mountains."

It was a bit awkward driving with Ana on his lap, but Blane didn't complain. He wanted her close to him, and he felt as though he was helping a little when she pulled close to him for comfort.

"I'll look at it as soon as we get somewhere we can be shielded. Right now, we are driving through the wide open field, like the one we camped in. Up ahead is the forest and mountains, we will have more shelter there."

Blane drove for another hour until the sun began to filter through the trees that were springing up around them. Still driving on, he continued, weaving in and out of the trees, until he spied a thick grove surrounding the mount of a cave. It would be a perfect place to hide out, and the car could easily be hidden with the undergrowth nearby. Parking the car, he glanced down at Ana.

"I'm sorry..." he murmured, finally able to take a good look at her. Gently he pushed his fingers through her hair, his eyes scanning the wound. He frowned, angry that she had been hurt. He would have so much rather it been him. "There's a cave nearby, let's get inside there, we can make camp there. I'll get a fire started, and I'll take care of your shoulder, alright?"

------------------------------------------------------------

Lena's eyes scanned Leon's face and she nodded, heading back to the truck to get the earpieces. With hers in place and working properly, she walked with Leon down into the town.

It was quaint and small, which had probably been Blane and Ana's first mistake. Too easy to be spotted in a small town, they would have been better off going to a larger city.

She nodded and kissed Leon quickly, smiling. "Alright, I'll check around where I think the shooter was." Her hand went to her phaser inside her jacket, then glanced at Leon as he walked away.

Drakonnas
07-26-2015, 07:40 PM
Ana nodded, but didn't say much. What else was there to say? She was quiet, and focused on Blane instead of the fear of attack that had suddenly cropped up. Instead of the pain in her shoulder. She tried to keep her shirt on the wound to prevent a bloody mess. Her shoulder was still bleeding, and she was beginning to feel a little bit lightheaded. Ana closed her eyes, and began to nap. It was the best thing she could do for herself and for Blane at the moment.

When Anastasia woke, the car was coming to a stop. She blinked her eyes for a moment, and noted that the pain in her shoulder was lessened from when she had fallen asleep. It didn't look very good though; it looked a lot worse than it actually was. Blane had turned off the car, and opened the door. Immediately, Anastasia could smell the sweet aroma of trees. Were they in a forest? She certainly didn't mind that at all. Isolated here, it would be easy to tell if anyone was coming...

"Thanks, hon." Ana said, nodding. She got out of the car, and was in love with their surroundings. It had a sense of peace and tranquility to it; one that Ana found very calming and relaxing. They didn't need to unpack, because all of their things were safely stored in the car. Ana looked up at Blane, her face more pale than usual, which was saying something; she was normally very pale. She looked almost ghostly now. But she didn't look terrible. Her face was kindly and hopeful, rather than grimacing and sickly.


============================================


Leon hurried along the small town, and looked for the spot where he had seen Blane and Anastasia before they had been shot at. It was near a bakery... He just had to find it. Looking around, he saw a few bloodstains on the ground. "Okay. I've located the place where they were shot. Have you found anything?" He asked Lena.

"I've found a few things that could help..." Leon muttered more to himself than to Lena. "Looks like they were going towards their car. I can see the tire tracks. We could follow them if you want, or we can look for the other hunter." Leon asked her.

Notty
07-26-2015, 09:00 PM
Blane glanced up at Ana as she stood, and his brow furrowed. She looked terribly pale. "Here love..." he said, gently leading her to sit down in the car again. "You look weak, I don't think you should stand..." He reached down and took her hand, raising it to her wounded shoulder. "Press down against the wound, we have to get it to stop bleeding." As soon as her hand was firmly in place, he went around the back and opened the trunk, digging out the first aid kit.

Kneeling before her, Blane looked up at the girl he loved. Love. I love her... he thought to himself as he opened the bag and began rummaging through it. He pulled out antiseptic, a bottle of water, and some bandages and gauze. "Ana, I'm...you'll have to take your shirt off, okay?" He said, unsure of how she would feel about being without a shirt in front of him.

Gently, he lifted her shirt off of her body, keeping his eyes on her shoulders, though they wanted to wander, he assessed the wound. It dug deep into the top of her shoulder, cutting a long sort of trench, but the bullet wasn't lodged in. With the bottle of water, he rinsed it off, then quickly poured the antiseptic over it, letting Ana grip his free hand as he did so. Placing the gauze over the wound, he held it there, giving Ana the rest of the water to drink while he secured the gauze in place with the bandage.

"There," he smiled, "good as new." His eyes scanned her face, and he knew that she was weak and needed to get some food into her. Blane stood and went around back and found some bread and peanut butter, and made her a sandwich. "It isn't anything fancy, but you need to eat." he said, handing it to her. "I'll help you into the cave, and start a fire. You stay there while I unload everything and get us a bed set up, okay?" he murmured, cupping her cheeks before kissing her. I love you.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena traced back to where she assumed the shooter had been, her eyes to the ground, searching, scanning for anything that would give her a hint as to who it was, or where they had gone. "Ah!" she exclaimed softly, finding a shell on the ground. "I found where our shooter was holed up...." she murmured, finding several cigarette butts laying around as well.

"Looks like they were here a while, by the number of cigarettes they went through..." she pocketed the shell, hoping that Leon might know what type it was. It was small, but it might help. "Some footprints, but then they get mixed up with all the other foot traffic."

She hesitated, "lets go after them, with any luck, the shooter hasn't gotten to them first..besides, if there's one, there's certainly more out there. I"ll meet you at the car."

Drakonnas
07-27-2015, 12:35 AM
Anastasia realized that she was feeling rather weak as Blane pointed it out to her. She laughed, and tried to shake it off, but he certainly wasn't having any of it. He told her to apply pressure to the wound to try and get it to stop bleeding. She winced as he helped put her hand onto her shoulder, trying to keep it from bleeding more. She was getting used to the pain now, but even still, it stung when she applied pressure. Blane went to the first aid kit to try and find some kind of aid.

As Blane told her she'd have to take off her shirt, Ana looked surprised, and a little bit uncomfortable. She didn't know if she was ready for that. But... if it was the only way to treat her wound, she supposed it would be okay. She was nervous, of course, but she nodded. "Okay." Besides. It wasn't like he was a stranger or anything... He was her boyfriend, and Ana knew he wouldn't take advantage of her. Maybe it could be kinda fun as well. She blushed a little bit as he lifted her shirt. She made no attempt to hide anything though. It was a sign of trust.

Blane washed the wound, and Ana shivered as the water ran down her side. It was colder than she would have liked, but she tried not to complain. She couldn't act like a child. Not anymore, not when he depended on her, and she on him. They were in a mutual bond now, and had to rely on each other for strength. If she continued acting childish, then that would only drain on their strength. She had to be strong.

The antiseptic hurt like hell. She squeezed his hand tightly the entire time he used it. But again, as with what had happened after he had cleaned her hands, the medication also numbed her wound, and the pain shortly went away. Blane finished patching her up, and Ana smiled. "Thanks, love." She did not attempt to put her shirt back on.

As Blane brought her some food, she took it gratefully. It tasted better than she could have imagined, and she ate it slowly, savoring the flavor. Blane kissed her, and she kissed him back, adding some passion. She was still shaken at being shot, but she was thankful it was only a minor injury, and not something major.

"Okay. I'll be here, keeping this place warm for you." Anastasia told him, smiling. She watched his aura go, and waited, eager for some closeness once everything had been prepared. She needed his comfort, and thought he needed hers.



========================================



Leon listened to what Lena had found, and smiled. "Perfect. I think I know where we'll find our assassin then." He told her. "I've found the bullet, and I think I know what we're looking for. Meet me in front of the bakery. I think our man will have gone down to the pub for a smoke and a beer. That's exactly the kind of thing many bounty hunters like to do, they can often pick up side jobs at a pub..."

But Lena had suggested that they go after the bountees, instead of the hunters. "No, scratch that. You said we should go after the two instead, hmm? Well, okay. Meet me back at the car. We'll get things ready, and then head on out after them." He kept the radio in touch, in case she wanted to keep talking as they headed back to the car.

Once Leon had arrived, Lena had beaten him there, he scooped his arms around her, and gave her a big hug. "Alright, love. Let's get started. Their tracks head north." He helped her into the car, and then hopped into the driver's seat.

"So..." He said, as the two of them began driving. "If you had twins, a boy and a girl, what would you want to name them?" He asked her, a hint of a smile on his face. "I guess what I'm asking is, what kinds of names would you like?"

Notty
07-27-2015, 02:26 AM
Blane felt his cheeks and neck still hot from Ana's kiss. There was...more behind it. There was passion, almost...desire. He smiled a bit to himself as he grabbed and drug logs into the cave, starting a fire, and then exploring a bit, making sure there were no animals living inside. Once he was sure they would be alone in the cave, he headed back out and towards the car.

As he passed by, Blane leaned in and kissed Ana again, grinning at her with admiration and love. He grabbed the sleeping bags and blankets from the car, then carried them back to the cave, pushing them together to make a large bed. He swallowed hard, hoping that it would be okay with her. They had slept beside each other this entire week, so he didn't think it would be too bold.

"Alright, I've got things set up," he called as he jogged towards the car, and then scooped Ana up in his arms, smiling happily before kissing her gently. "Here, let's rest, okay?" he murmured lovingly as he carried her into the cave. It was large and cool, and he had set up their camp about 50 feet inside, enough so that the reflections of the campfire wouldn't be seen from outside.

Blane gently set Ana down on the bed and remained beside her, pushing some hair back from her face, his eyes scanning hers. As his hand retracted, he realized that he had been touching her bare skin of her back, and he smiled, his fingers trailing down her side before he pulled his hand away. "I'm here, I'll take care of you..." he whispered, leaning in and kissing her gently. "I'm yours."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena let out a happy squeal as Leon picked her up, and she tilted her head down and kissed him gently several times, cupping his face in her hands. "I love you," she whispered against his lips before he released her and helped her into the car. Once Leon was in, she immediately reached over and took his hand, holding it as they began to drive.

"What?" she asked with a smile, her eyes turning to him. She furrowed her brow a bit, thinking, a growing smile on her face. "You want twins?" she chuckled, leaning over and kissing his cheek. Lena shifted, thinking for a moment. "Well, honestly, I hadn't really thought about it." Her thumb brushed over the top of his hand as she thought silently.

"For a girl, maybe Olivia? Or Abigail? Or maybe even Amelia?" She chuckled and shrugged, "I don't know, love." Her cheeks warmed as she glanced over at him. "And for boys....maybe...Leon, after his Daddy," she chuckled, nudging him gently as she teased. "What about...Jackson? Or maybe Heath?" Her brow furrowed more as she looked at him, "What about you, what do you think?"

Drakonnas
07-27-2015, 12:30 PM
Ana grinned, watching Blane go. She wanted him to come back, she didn't want him to leave. She wanted, needed really, him here with her. She wanted to be held and comforted. She needed his warmth, his strength, and his compassion. She wanted him with her right now. But, she knew that what he was doing was important, and so she did not complain. "I don't sense any animals nearby." She informed him, focusing her aura sensing around them. "Not within the cave, anyway. There are animals outside, but mostly small animals... like birds."

When Blane was sure that they were safe, he brought the sleeping bags and blankets from the car, and laid them down so that the two of them could sleep side by side again. This was exactly what Ana wanted. She was most comfortable, most safe, when she was near him. And being able to hear his heart beating with her head on his chest was something that she enjoyed greatly.

"You've done well, love." Anastasia told him. "Thanks for taking care of me. I'll do the same for you." She told him, her voice was quiet now, and almost... seductive? But no, she was just trying to be kind to him. Let him know that she cared, and appreciated what he did for her. She would return the favor to him when she was able to.

Ana wanted him to touch her more. She leaned closer to him, and whispered in his ear. "I'll take care of you. Always. You're mine, and I take good care of my things." She smiled at him. Her shoulder wasn't paining her right now, and she rested her head on him, hoping he'd run a hand through her hair. "Love you, Blane."


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Leon chuckled as Lena spoke. "Well, I wasn't saying that, now was I?" He turned to look at her briefly. "To be honest, I'd be okay with whatever happens. I just wanted to ask you what kinds of names you liked. It's something to talk about." He looked thoughtful, and a shiver went down his spine as she brushed the top of his head. It felt good.

"I think that any name you like is a good one." He told her seriously. "I also like strong and wise names, like Henry, or William. Lena, after her mother, is always a good choice." He teased her back, bringing her hand up to his lips, and giving them a quick smooch. The road was turning upwards as they began to head into mountainous territory. The tracks became harder and harder to follow as well, and on a few different occasions, Leon had to stop the vehicle and ask Lena what she thought as well, and they followed the path they thought best.

Notty
07-27-2015, 02:40 PM
Blane felt Ana move nearer to him, and he pulled his arm around her, his fingers brushing the bare skin of her side and back. He smiled, his eyes scanning her face, then closing briefly as she whispered in his ear. God, she feels amazing... he thought as she spoke, her warm breath causing shivers to run down his body.

"I love you," he whispered back, kissing just below her jaw as she pulled away. His eyes scanned her face as she leaned against him, and Blane let his fingers trail through her hair as he looked down at her. He could feel that his heartbeat had quickened, and he shifted a bit, leaning down to kiss Ana again, this time with more passion, more desire.

I want her... he thought to himself, feeling his emotions and hormones start to rise. "Ana," he murmured against her lips, gently tangling her hair in his hand, kissing her again. "I love you.." he spoke between kisses, "I love you." And he did. She was everything to him. And he wanted to be everything for her.

He pulled back just enough that he could look at her, raising her hand to cup his cheek, he smiled, then took in a deep breath. He hesitated, not sure if he should ask. "Ana?" he murmured, turning his head and kissing her palm before looking back down at her. "Do you want me?" he whispered huskily.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Lena giggled happily as Leon kissed her hand and they talked about children's names, and future plans. It was perfect. It was exactly what Lena had wanted for so long. And now it was hers. She felt as though she would burst with happiness, and Lena was okay with that.

Each time they stopped, Lena felt a bit more uneasy, discouraged. The thick underbrush and grass made it difficult to track them, and several times they had to wander for a while in the woods before they found signs of the trail. She sighed and pulled her arms around Leon, kissing his jaw before resting her head on his chest. "I can't hear a car running, and in this silence, I would think that, even at a distance, we would be able to hear it. Perhaps they have found a place to hide out.." she murmured.

Lena tilted her head up and looked at Leon, her eyes full of love and adoration. "We could wait until dark. Certainly they would have to start a fire- it gets pretty cool up here in the mountains. A fire would be easier to see..." She shrugged a bit. "I think we've got maps of the mountains. We could just start searching it systematically..." Lena couldn't help but feel a sense of despair fall on her. They had been so close to their dream, and now, it seemed further away than before.

Drakonnas
07-27-2015, 09:28 PM
When morning came, and Anastasia awoke, her entire body ached from the events of the previous night. It wasn't bed, just a mild achyness. She didn't know if Blane was still asleep or not, so she didn't want to move. She realized that they were still stuck together from the night before, and that made her happy. She lay there for a few minutes, simply listening to Blane breathe. It was a very relaxing sound, and she found it almost hypnotic. Ana thought about going back to sleep, but as she closed her eyes again, she found that she wasn't tired. Her heart started beating a little bit faster as she smelled Blane, and the scent of their activity came back to her.

After about half an hour of laying like this, she decided to get up. It was a little bit awkward, considering the position she was in, but she finally managed to pull herself free from Blane, hopefully without waking him. She wished there was some way she could bathe, she felt dirty. But since there wasn't any good way to do that, she picked up her clothes, and slid them on as quietly as possible.

"Now what?" Anastasia thought to herself as she "looked" around the cave. There wasn't a whole lot to do... So, she stood up, and walked outside of the cave a little bit, just a few feet. She didn't go anywhere where she couldn't get back to Blane in a straight line. She couldn't tell how early or dark it was, but assumed it wasn't quite morning yet, as there were no birds chirping.

Ana knelt down, and plucked several vines from the ground. She sat down, and began to play with them, sort of knitting them together. She didn't really know what her hands were doing, she sat, thinking about the previous night, and about life in general. By the time she had finished her craft, birds were beginning to chirp, and Ana could slightly feel the sun on her neck.

She went back to the cave to wait for Blane to wake. When he did, she silently would hand him a heart, knitted from vines, blades of grass, and tree twigs. She didn't know how she had done it, she just had.


=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=



"Good morning, beautiful." Leon said, sliding a finger along Lena's cheek gently. "Sleep well last night, my morning dove?" He asked her, giving her plenty of time to wake, should she need it. He was lying next to her, and was caressing her face carefully. They had had a bit of a rough night last night, and had felt discouraged with the loss of the trail to follow. But today was a new dawn, bright and cheerful. Leon was feeling positive.

"I've made you breakfast." Leon told her. "It's not much, but I think you'll like it." The smell of scrambled eggs was barely smellable as he had cooked them outside. "There's no hurry to get up." He informed her. He hoped to cuddle just a little bit before they got up and back to business.

Leon had thought a lot about the best course of action. They knew that their prey could spend at least a month or two in hiding without running out of supplies... They could, in theory, wait it out, but there was no guarantee they'd ever find the two.

Notty
07-27-2015, 09:38 PM
Blane slept deeply, a more restful sleep than he had in a long time. And when Ana awoke, he shifted, his hands pulling around her, but gently sliding to the floor as she climbed off of him. Rolling over a bit, he continued sleeping as Ana crept from their bed.

Slowly his eyes blinked open, and he furrowed his brow. Ana wasn't against him, or beside him, and he quickly sat up, his eyes trying to become accustomed to the dimness of the cave. "Ana?" he called out, one hand groping for his pants- not entirely sure where they had gone to in the heat of the moment.

"Ana..." he smiled, seeing her in the dimness of the cave, somewhat disappointed that she had gotten dressed. How he had enjoyed her. He crawled over to her and kissed her lips gently, cupping her cheek. "My love..." he whispered, then kissed her forehead. "You have made me, the happiest man alive."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Mmmm?" Lena let out a soft groan as she felt Leon's finger stroke her cheek, and her eyes slowly fluttered open. She shifted and turned slightly, facing Leon fully now, a wide smile already starting across her face. "My love.." she whispered, then gently pulled herself close to him, nuzzling against his chest.

Nodding slightly, Lena closed her eyes again, letting her legs tangle with his and they lay in the back of the truck, snuggling together. She was completely his right now. She wouldn't let the disappointment of the previous day take that away from her.

"Breakfast sounds amazing," she smiled, leaning up and kissing his lips gently. "And after breakfast, I certainly hope you plan on laying back down with me for a while, I've missed your arms..." she grinned, leaning down and kissing his shoulders. "I've missed all of you, is that possible, to miss someone while you sleep?" Her eyes shone as she looked up at him, full of life and love.

Drakonnas
07-27-2015, 09:54 PM
Anastasia looked over at Blane after he had spoken her name. He kissed her, and told her how happy he was because of her. This made Ana extremely happy. "I'm very, very, very glad to hear that." She told him quietly. "I didn't even know that I could feel that way last night. It was indescribable." She told him. "I hope that we can do that again sometime..." She smiled slightly.

"I made you something." She told him, and she held out the little heart she had made for him that morning. "I woke up earlier, and felt the need to move around a little. So I went outside, and made this. My hands were busy working, and I'm not entirely sure how I made it... But here. It's for you."

She hoped he liked it, it hadn't been easy to do. "Shall we get some breakfast?" She asked him. It was rather funny to think, that because she had been shot by someone trying to kill Blane, that they were now out here. That they had been as one the previous night. Had she not been shot, none of that might have happened.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Leon grinned. "Good. I had hoped you'd say that, babe. Last night... wasn't easy. And I hoped that we could simply spend a little bit of time together. Maybe, you know... start looking for places we want to live when we're done here? Start planning for our life after this?" He couldn't help smiling. "I think that'd be a good way to spend our day, hmm? That, and a little bit of being together, of course. You can't get away from me." He teased.

Leon got up, and brought some breakfast to her. "There you go. You don't even have to get out of bed." He told her. His smile dropped a little. "Hey, Lena? I just wanted to thank you. For... melting my heart. I was an emotionless machine before you came along again. I still don't know how to handle my emotions very well. But... I have them now. And it's thanks to you."

Notty
07-27-2015, 10:03 PM
Blane smiled, his eyes moving to his hands and the small article that Ana pressed into it. He held it up slightly, viewing it in the dim lighting of the cave. Without a word, he pressed his lips to hers, clutching the small woven heart to his chest. "It's perfect," he smiled, pushing her hair from her face, "you're perfect, and I love you..."

Scooping Ana up into his arms, he stood, having tugged on his pants quickly. "Breakfast, my love?" he smiles, carrying her out into the now bright morning sun. "Ask, and I'll make you anything your heart desires!" he said, kissing her lips again, still holding Ana in his arms. "Well, anything as long as it is non-perishable." He chuckled and set her down on a fallen log and headed to the car.

He carried back some peanut butter, crackers and some dried fruit. "I was thinking..." he said, smearing some peanut butter on a cracker for Ana and handing it to her. "I thought I heard running water nearby, how would you feel about a bath?" He asked, his eyes scanning her face. He knew she was scared of water, but he hoped if he was there, and the water was slow and quiet, that she could trust him enough.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena giggled and sat up, curling her legs up underneath her as Leon stood and grabbed the food. She pushed up quickly and kissed his lips, then settled down, her brow furrowing a little. "Leon..." she murmured, reaching out and taking his hand, gently pulling so he would sit beside her.

"I have you to thank for so much..." she whispered, cupping his cheek. "For keeping me alive, all those years, for giving me something to hope for. For following me into that bathroom," she laughed, feeling her eyes fill with tears. "I'm glad you found me, you've made me better. We are better, because of each other."

Leaning in, she kissed him gently, lovingly. "I love you," she whispered, stroking his jaw for a moment, then kissing him again. "There's nothing I want more, than to spend the day with you, planning the rest of our lives."

Drakonnas
07-28-2015, 12:49 AM
Ana looked over at Blane as he said she was perfect. Ana laughed. "You're funny, Blane." She said, a sly smile on her face. "No, I'm not perfect. I'm far from it. Far from perfect. I've got tons of imperfections. But... thank you. If I can be perfect for you, then I must be doing something right." She felt good about that, and accepted her breakfast with a quick thank you. "Some dried fruit would be wonderful, actually." She said hopefully.

At the mention of water, Ana's face turned fearful. "Um... no, I... I think I'm okay." She said. She wanted to clean off, yes, but... She remembered only too clearly what happened the last time the two of them had an encounter with water. That was enough to prevent her from wanting to clean off. She would rather stay dirty than risk drowning... but... She knew she needed to clean herself off. Maybe there was another way...

"Running water means fast water." Ana said, shaking her head again. Her eyes were fearful. "And... that means... No. I'm sorry, Blane. I can't... I can't..." She sat down, tucked her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her knees, and rested her head on them. "Last time was... too traumatizing." She said, more to herself. "I... I can't do it..."

She hadn't even seen the water yet, and she was already scared. How would she be able to take care of herself at this rate? She felt like a coward...

----------------------------------------------------------

Leon sat down next to Lena, just as she wanted him to. He looked over at her, and smiled. "You had the strength to do that yourself, hon." He told her. "I may have provided you with a hope, or a dream... But what you did? You had the strength to do. I'm proud of you for surviving. We both may have done things we're not proud of. But we both lived, in situations that should have prevented us from doing so. You know?" He sighed.

Leon took her hands into her own, and stared her in the eyes. "Anyway. There's something you must remember. You're braver than you believe. Stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing to remember is... Even if we are apart, I will always be with you. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tRepZdoRmY)"

Notty
07-28-2015, 01:17 AM
Blane's face fell and he knelt down beside Ana, cupping her face in her hands gently before kissing her forehead. "I'm sorry love, id never put you in danger...." He felt foolish for forgetting; but after they had made love the previous night, there was little else he could think of.

Smiling a bit, he spoke again. "What if I found a bucket or something, we could fill with water and a sponge? Would that be easier to wash with? You wouldn't have to get in the water..." His smile grew and he kissed her gently, "and I could wash you, too...."

Gently Blane pulled his arms around Ana and hugged her to his chest. "I'd never let anything happen to you," he murmured before kissing the top of her hair. "You are everything to me, you're all I could have wanted...I love you."

----------------------------------------------

Lena looked up at Leon, her eyes wide, as if he was telling her some great secret, and she drank in his words of encouragement. Nodding gently, Lena leaned over and kissed Leon several times, holding close to him. She nuzzled against him for a long time, just laying there quietly with him.

Finally she spoke, "Leon?" She whispered, though they were the only ones there, she loved the intimacy of whispering. "I know...I know you asked me to be your girlfriend..." Her hand moved down, locking their fingers together before kissing the back of his hand. "But...you feel like so much more than that to me....you've always been more than a boyfriend, or a friend to me...."

Drakonnas
07-28-2015, 01:38 AM
Ana nodded. "I'm sorry, I'm acting childish again." She said, sadly. She was afraid. Being afraid was okay. Letting her fears conquer her though... That was something that Ana felt guilty about. "I try to be brave for you, Blane... I really do. Why is it so hard sometimes?" She asked him. "I don't want to be afraid of things. I don't want to be a coward... Cowards die many times before their deaths." She sighed. "Take me down to the river... I'll... I'll look at it. And... maybe... maybe I'll try going in there." She gulped. "But... bring a bucket, just in case, okay?"

Blane hugged her, and told her he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Anastasia wanted to believe that. She really did. The helpless panic she had been in back at the whirlpool, when she had been unable to help Blane... That had been reality. And she couldn't control the situation. And... when she had been shot, neither one of them had known it was going to happen. How could he protect her against the unknown?

She looked at Blane and nodded, not saying what was really on her mind. She didn't want to bring him down. "Okay." She got up, and looked nervous. "Well... if we're gonna go... I guess... I guess were better go." Ana was clearly terrified, but she looked determined. "I'm... I'm gonna overcome my fear somehow or another."



====================================



Leon looked at her curiously, as she spoke to him. "I feel the same way, Lena." He admitted. "I've always known you were more to me than that. But... I didn't want to move too fast, you know? I didn't want to scare you off, or something like that. I wanted to make sure that we were still going to be okay together. And... I guess I wanted to savor my time with you." He smiled, pecking her back. "What is it you're trying to say, Lena dear?"

Notty
07-28-2015, 02:11 AM
Blane furrowed his brow and shook his head, noting how nervous and anxious Ana still looked. He hesitated, pulling his arms around her and hugging her close to him once more. "Ana, I....I hope that you can always tell me anything.." He smiled a bit and lifted her chin, stroking her jaw before kissing her gently. "And I will do all in my power to help you, and protect you."

He rubbed her sides gently and smiled, "there's nothing to be ashamed of for having fears, but don't carry that burden alone, okay?" His eyes scanned her face lovingly. "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. Let me help you, you don't have to carry it alone..."

Lacing his fingers with hers, Blane started walking through the woods with Ana, listening to the soft babble of the water drawing ever closer. When it finally came into view, Blane smiled. A spring rose up from out of a cluster of rocks and created a pristine, clear pool, which slowly trickled down a small waterfall and ran into a creek. Taking Ana's hand, Blane began to explain what he saw.

"Right there," he said, pointing her hand towards the spring, "is a spring, water coming up from out of the rocks. Its formed a small, still pool. The water is clear and quiet." he trailed her hand down to where the small waterfall was. "And there, the overflow from the pool runs down a few more rocks, and creates a small stream. If you want, the pool is clear and still, I can see the bottom..." He kissed her cheek gently. "Its your decision, I'm right here beside you, whatever you choose."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena smiled, her eyes scanning Leon's face as he spoke and she giggled happily before kissing him once more. She shifted against him, almost nervously, her eyes meeting his.

Why am I suddenly so nervous? This is what I wanted all along. All my life, this is what I've wanted, yet... now...I'm nervous...

Swallowing hard, Lena's eyes dropped away from his, taking in a deep breath before looking back up at Leon. "I...I want to be yours, Leon. Only yours. Truly yours.." her brow furrowed a little. "I don't want to be just your girlfriend, I...I want to be so much more..."

Drakonnas
07-28-2015, 02:34 AM
Anastasia noted that Blane seemed to be concerned about her. He appeared to think that she was hiding something from him. She was. But... maybe she would actually tell him. He was right, she shouldn't be hiding things like that from him. She nodded as he spoke. "...Thanks." She said, and kissed him back. "I'll tell you." The two of them began their walk towards the water where they could bathe.

When they arrived at the pool, Blane began to describe to her what the scene looked like. Apparently the water was deep, but not deep enough so that the bottom wasn't visible. It was still and quiet as well. That was good. That was very good. Ana looked over at Blane. "...Remember that time, back at the whirlpool? When I said I wouldn't let anything happen to you? And you said the same for me? I was powerless to help you. I did everything in my power, and it still wasn't enough. And... when I was shot? Neither of us knew that was coming. How can you protect me, or I protect you, if there are things that can't be protected from?" She asked worriedly.

Ana took several deep, shaky breaths, and stepped forward, towards the water. She was terrified. But, she decided to place her trust in Blane over her fears. "I... I trust you... I trust you, I trust you..." She kept muttering to herself, almost like a mantra. She stepped into the water... and immediately recoiled, and pulled her foot out.

She clenched onto Blane tightly for a moment. "...I'm scared..." She whispered softly. She felt like an idiot. Afraid of a little pool of water. She began to repeat her mantra. "I trust you... I trust you..." And Ana stepped in again. And took another step. Her steps were slow, but she was doing it. Ever so slowly, she waded into the water, until it was just below her waist. "I trust you... I trust you..."

=========================================

Leon looked at Lena, and a small smile formed on his face. "Oh Lena..." He said quietly. "I know. I'm very much aware of that." He looked at her with kindness and compassion, and thought. He thought deep and hard. He had it... He could do it now. But... that wouldn't surprise her. No, he had to wait until she wasn't expecting it. He had to wait.

And so, he kissed her slowly. "I love you, Lena." He reminded her. "And... just relax, okay dear? I know." He couldn't say much more than that, and that pained him. He wanted to comfort her, and reassure her that yes, he was going to ask her. But... He couldn't give her any hints as to what he was going to do, or when. He had a plan though. He had a plan.

Notty
07-28-2015, 02:51 AM
Blane's forehead creased in worry as Ana explained how she felt, how scared she was of things she couldn't foresee, that he couldn't foresee. "Love..." he began, rubbing her back as he held her close to him. "There are lots of things that could happen that we could never foresee. I could get deathly ill, or you could trip and fall and hurt yourself..." He smiled a little and kissed her jaw. "We just take things one step at a time, do what we can to keep ourselves safe, and then...if something happens, we deal with it. There's no need to worry. Worry is payment on a debt that you might not owe..."

As Ana turned towards the water, Blane placed his arm around her waist, holding her close to him. "I've got you.." he smiled, still holding as she immediately recoiled at the touch of the water. Slowly, surely, they made their way deeper into the pool. Blane couldn't help but grin when Ana was waist deep in the water. "Here..." he said, turning her towards him and then lifting her up, "wrap your legs around my waist, I'll hold you.." he smiled, his arms around her back, holding her up.

He stepped a little further, going slowly so not to frighten Ana, until the water was nearly up to his chest. He stopped there, still holding Ana. "I love you.." he whispered, looking up at her. "You're so brave." Placing a kiss on her stomach through her shirt, Blane turned. "I'll take us to shallow waters, okay? And I'm right here, holding onto you, keeping you safe, the whole time..."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Lena found her chin wobbling, her eyes filling with tears as Leon acknowledged all that she felt. She nodded, taking in a shaky breath as a few tears slipped down her cheeks. "I don't want to lose you," she whispered, her throat thickening with emotion. "I don't want to lose you, before...before I have the chance. Before I have that chance... the chance to be yours. The chance to have a home with you, children with you..."

She pulled her arms around his neck and held herself close, crying softly. It was strange. Lena had been with Leon for an entire week now, and suddenly she was being overwhelmed with emotions. The fear she had felt, lying awake at night on a cold, hard floor, crying for her best friend, not knowing if he was alive or not. Being beaten for trying to escape. Being told terrible, awful things. You're nothing but filth. We saved you from the miserable lot the rest of that trash was subject to. Be grateful we didn't burn you up like all your little friends....

Lena sobbed now, her shoulders shaking as she clung tighter and tighter to Leon, gasping for breath. "Don't....let....me....go..." she sobbed. "Please...d-don't...leave me....alone..."

Drakonnas
07-28-2015, 03:17 AM
Ana's heart was beating rapidly, and she was starting to sweat a little bit. She kept focusing on Blane instead of how frightened she was. All was going to be okay. He picked her up, and together, they went deeper into the pool of water. The girl clung to him as he moved. She had to admit, the water felt good. If she wasn't so afraid of it, she would have really enjoyed it.

But maybe that's what it took. Focusing on the good instead of the bad. Blane offered to take her back to shore, after praising her bravery. "...No." Ana finally said after a little bit. She wanted to go back, she really wanted to. But that was why she said no. She wanted to conquer her fears.

"Blane..." She started to speak, but her voice caught in her throat again. "Put me down. Please." She was scared, worried she would drown. But no, Blane was right there with her. He would make sure she wouldn't. "...wait, no, don't..." She said again, her fear taking over. "Let's... go back to the shore." She said, shaking slightly again.

Ana was slightly disappointed in herself. But maybe she was being unreasonable. Maybe she wanted to get over her fear too quickly. She would bathe in the shallows, where there was just enough water. She would wait to get in deeper. They would be here awhile, after all.

"Would you help me bathe?" She asked him. She could do it herself, but she wanted the comfort of his hands.


============================================


Leon looked shocked, but said nothing right away. Instead, he picked the smaller girl up, and cradled her in his arms. "Shhhhh." He whispered, wiping the tears from her eyes. "There there, love. I'm here. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, I promise that." He told her gently. He ran one hand through her hair, and cooed softly to her. "You're the most beautiful girl in the world, Lena, and I wouldn't let anything happen to you, ever." He made up his mind.

Leon pulled out the tablet, and typed several things into it. The windows of the car turned black, so the only light were from the gentle lights inside. The car started to life, and began driving on its own, towards the destination that Leon had entered. He put away his tablet, and continued to talk to Lena.

"There there, my love. I won't leave you. I don't want to leave you."






"I will never leave you."

Notty
07-28-2015, 03:35 AM
Blane couldn't help but smile as Ana went back and forth about wanting to stay in the deep water, and he nodded, leaning up and kissing her gently several times. "We can work towards it, alright?" he said, moving back slowly, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her close.

He let her down in the waist deep water, his hands remaining at her sides, holding her gently. "I've got you..." he murmured, then pulled a hand up, gently starting to ease her shirt off. "Here, no sense in keeping your clothes on.." he smiled, "I'll set them on a rock and they can dry while we wash up, alright?"

Stepping away, but keeping a hand on her hip, Blane tugged off his pants and tossed them onto the shore, landing on a sunlight rock. His eyes moved to her body, taking her in. "You're beautiful.." he smiled, leaning down and kissing her again. Blane took Ana's hands in his, placing them on his chest, "I want you to feel me.." he whispered, smiling. "I want you to know exactly how I look, how I feel..."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena didn't even notice the windows darken or the car starting to move, she was too upset. She hiccuped slightly, turning her eyes upward, meeting his. Her chin trembled as he held her, and she took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"I...I was so scared, Leon..." she choked out, shifting in his lap and pulling herself up closer. "And they hurt me, and told me everyone died..." Lena buried her face against his neck and felt her shoulders shake as she cried. "Every day...and...and when I told them I didn't believe it...they'd...they'd beat me.." Her hand cupped the back of his neck as she buried her face, her tears soaking his shirt.

"I had to keep hoping..." she whispered, slowly lifting her head. "I had to..." Letting go of Leon with one hand, Lena reached up, her fingers trailing over his jaw, then up to his cheekbone, tracing the lines of his face, memorizing it, as she had as a child. "I love you..."

Drakonnas
07-28-2015, 04:00 AM
Anastasia nodded. "Yeah. We... we can get there... eventually." As she was let down into the shallower water, they began to disrobe once more. Extremely vivid memories of the night before came to her mind, and she couldn't help but smile. That thought distracted her from her anxiety, and she helped Blane with his outfit as well. They were both disrobed now. Ana's hands traveled all over his body, remembering it from last night.

"I remember you so well." She said, grinning happily. "I remember everything. I think... I think I know what you look like, Blane." She said happily. "I may need more time though." She added hastily, not wanted to take her hands off of him. She enjoyed washing him, even if she couldn't see what she was doing. If anything, this made her more thorough. She took her time, taking perhaps longer than she needed to, to clean every part of him. She was very careful to get it all.

Finally, when she was done, she looked up at him, a foxy smile on her face. "There you go, love." she said. "You're all clean now. Though, we may have to come back tomorrow morning, if you get my meaning." She grinned at him. "Your turn. Wash me." She laughed.


==========================================


Lena hadn't ever really spoken about her past to him, and Leon listened, with a clenched jaw. "I wish I could have helped you." He told her. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. You are an incredibly strong woman, you know that? You're so brave, so strong... You never gave up hope for me. You always believed in me. That is such a gift, I cannot thank you enough. You have not misplaced your heart, Lena. I will be yours, and I will treasure your heart forever."

He gently, ever so gently, began to caress Lena. His gentle hands moved over her, comforting her. He wanted to do so much for her. He wanted her to feel better. He wanted her to be his. It was a traumatizing time for her, and he knew and accepted that. He knew she might never get over it. And that was okay. He would always be there for her. To care for and protect her. He would always care for her. And in a little while, she would know that. After all, he had something extremely special for her.

Notty
07-28-2015, 04:14 AM
Blane shivered at Ana's touch, inhaling sharply, biting his lip as he watched as her hands move over his body. Every now and then he would lean down and kiss her quickly, or touch her shoulder or cheek, just feeling her, enjoying her in the daylight.

Here, now, like this. She was perfect. Her skin glowed in the sunlight, her hair falling over her shoulders and down her back. Her figure, slim, smooth, curvy, sensual. "Mmm..." Blane growled gently as Ana hinted at needing a bath tomorrow. "I certainly think we could work that out, my little fox..."

Blane's hands scooped up water and slowly let it pour over Ana, letting her stay close to him so she could feel that he was near. He enjoyed, he loved, washing her. In the dimness of the cave, Blane wasn't able to see anything, but now, there wasn't a part of her that he didn't enjoy, didn't touch, didn't clean. His hands moved slowly, lovingly over her, taking his time, pressing kisses against her skin as he washed her. He was in no hurry, there was nothing more important than Ana.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Lena's tears slowly stilled, and her soft sobs quieted as Leon held and caressed her. Eventually, she lay in his arms, holding onto him gently, her eyes on his face. She smiled a bit, her fingers tracing his face every now and again. "You know..." she began, "at night, as I tried to sleep, I would trace your face in the air, to help me remember you, to keep you close..."

She shifted in his arms and leaned up. Her green eyes now looking greener than ever, her lashes still laden with left over tears. Lena smiled at Leon, taking in a deep breath. "You." she began, her hands on either shoulder, then curling around and rubbing the back of his neck, toying with his hair. "You. I'll always choose you. I'll always hope for you. I'll always want you. I'll always wait for you."

"I love you, my best friend. And you were worth it all. This. Now. Us...it was worth it all..."

Drakonnas
07-28-2015, 04:36 AM
Ana smiled as Blane said that they could work something out. Her smiled broadened even more as he called her his little fox. She purred a little for him, and held her hands up like they were paws. "Yes. I'll be your fox. I'll certainly be your little fox." She told him, and playfully pounced at him, splashing him with water.

As she let him wash her, Ana focused on his hands touching her. They reminded her so much of the previous night, and she felt a little bit of desire now as well, but tried to push that away. She loved being held and handled, it meant to her that she was safe, loved, and secure. She loved having his hands on her. They were always gentle, always kind, and that meant a lot to her as well.

"You know, I worried about not finding anyone who would want me because of my blindness." She admitted to him. "I thought that no one would want to take this package. I'm pretty independent. But there are just things I can't do myself that I need help with. And... I worried people wouldn't want to help take care of me. So... Thanks. Thanks for proving me wrong." She said.

"I love you."

=========================================

Leon nodded gently. "And you, Lena, are worth everything I've done." His words had a double meaning, but they weren't something she would understand. Not just yet, anyway. He continued to hold her like this for about three hours as the car drove them to the destination that he wanted. Finally, the car came to a halt.

Leon smiled, and pressed a button. The back of the car opened up. They were at some kind of beach. He set Lena down, and invited her out. "Come on, Lena." He waited for her to get out of the car, and join him on the sand. He wondered if she would recognize where they were. They were at the beach that the two of them had played at, where the picture in the locket was taken.

He looked at her, with fondness in his eyes. "Come on, Lena." He said gently. "It's okay."

Notty
07-28-2015, 04:49 AM
Blane laughed happily as Ana played and teased, and he kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her against his chest. "My little fox," he grinned, then gently tugged her down, sitting down in the water with her. When he sat, it came to the middle of his chest, and he held Ana against his chest, letting her back rest against him.

His hands found hers and he pulled them around, her, kissing her shoulder as they relaxed in the water. Blane smiled and shook his head, "you know, when I first saw you, at the base, I knew you were different. And not...not because you're blind. I knew you..." he chuckled and kissed her cheek. "I just felt you were different, like I could trust you, not to use me like others had. That you weren't selfish..."

"I love you, too," he whispered, lacing their fingers together, Blane closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He could stay like this forever. Here, Ana leaning against him, comfortable, in love, happy. Releasing one of her hands, he brushed her hair from her shoulder and kissed her shoulder again. "Ana," he whispered against her skin, kissing once more. "Should we get dressed and head back?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Lena laid against Leon as they drove, enjoying his touch, letting it heal her. She smiled, snuggling against him, letting him hold her as close as he wanted as they rode.

Her brow furrowed a bit as he opened the back of the car and stepped out, his hands outstretched, urging her out. But the moment her foot hit the sand, she let out a soft gasp, her hand covering her mouth as she felt tears spring to her eyes.

Lena shook her head, feeling the tears spill down her cheeks, her free hand taking Leon's as she stepped further away from the car.

"You..." she choked out, staring down the beach, then turning to look at Leon. "Its our beach..." her voice wobbled with emotion as she looked at him. Lena couldn't even describe what was going on inside. She was overwhelmed. This was their place. This was the memory that she held dearest to her heart, and she had dreamt so many times of returning. Wanting to come back to this place. And now she was here, with the man she loved.

"Leon...." she choked out, looking up at him. "How..." she laughed softly through her tears, though they continued flowing down her cheeks.

Drakonnas
07-28-2015, 05:04 AM
Anastasia smiled as Blane told her that he knew she was different than the rest. "Oh yeah?" She asked him as they got out of the water, and began dressing again. She was very glad to get out of there, even if she did have fun with him. She was much more comfortable on dry land, and was able to relax more. She slid her clothes back on quickly, and looked back to Blane. "How'd you know?" She asked, genuinely curious. "What about me made you so sure I was different than the rest?"

Ana felt around for the bucket they had brought with them. She filled it with water, and the two of them began their trek back to the cave, and the car. Ana inhaled deeply. She now smelled quite wonderful, and enjoyed int immensely. "...What are we going to do now, Blane?" She asked him curiously. "I mean... we don't have much to do... We're stuck in this cave... When do we go back? How will we know if its safe or not?" She looked worriedly up at him.

==========================================

Leon grinned gently. "Yeah. It's our beach." He was quiet, and waited for her to take it all in. "No one knows of this place but us. It's completely ours." He told her. "I... I remembered this locket that you gave me. And the picture inside of it. I hoped that maybe returning here with you would be a good way to start..." He said simply. "Remember all the good times we had here? Running from the waves? Picking up sea shells? Seeing how many times we could get a rock to bounce on top of the water? Yeah. I remember it all. This place... with you... It is perfect. I thought you might like coming back here."

Everything still looked exactly the way it had when the two had been kids. Leon's smile brightened, and he reached up to dry her tears once again. "How?" He asked her gently. "I know you, Lena. I know what is important to you. I love you, remember? This is the first step. Part one." He told her. "But for now. Would you care to enjoy the beach with me?"

Notty
07-28-2015, 05:18 AM
Blane smiled as he tugged on his pants, glancing over at Ana as she dressed. He furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment. "How did I know?" he murmured, smiling a bit. "I...I don't know. You just seemed...safe. Does that make sense? Like...I know you can sense Auras, its like...a feeling you get, when you know someone is safe, is good, is comforting..."

He shrugged a bit and kissed the top of her head. "I knew you were different, and in a very good way. I knew you wouldn't hurt me..." The rest of their trip was left in a comfortable silence, Blane's hand gently guiding Ana every now and then as they walked.

Her question floored him, and honestly, he hadn't really thought of it. Setting the bucket down, he pushed a hand through his hair. "Well...we can stay here a while...maybe a week or two, hopefully the town will have quieted down. We could...we could always go somewhere else...another town..." His eyes scanned Ana's face, "Paladins are known everywhere, certainly...certainly word will have gotten out about what happened, certainly we will be able to find help if we need it." Stepping forward, Blane pulled his arms around Ana and hugged her. "We will be fine, I'll keep you safe..."

--------------------------------------------------------------

Lena let out a soft mixture of a sob and a laugh as Leon reached up and dried her tears, and she nodded eagerly, turning her head and kissing his palm. "Yes..." she smiled, "there's nothing I want more..."

Leaning down, Lena slipped off her shoes and socks, leaving them near the car, and then tugged off her jacket, smiling at Leon, her cheeks warming slightly, though she still felt tears near the surface.

How had he known? How...how had he brought her here? It was too much. Her heart swelled inside as she looked over at Leon. He had known, because he loved her. He brought her here because it was where the little bit of goodness inside her lived. He was helping her to start over. To begin again. With him.

Drakonnas
07-28-2015, 05:34 AM
Anastasia nodded as Blane tried to comfort her. "I'd like to stay here for a little while, at least." She told him. "It's peaceful here, and I like it. It's quiet... and after what happened, I want to be away from people for a little while. But I want you by my side the entire time, okay?" She poked him in the chest. "I want you to stay here with me." She flung her arms around him, and buried her head in his shoulders. She was feeling very overwhelmed with emotion right now, which was a little bit odd. She seemed to go from calm to emotional in the blink of an eye. She hoped she wasn't bothering him.

"So... now that we've got time, we should talk about things." She said simply. "Where do you want us to be in the future?" She asked him, as they got to the cave. "We should probably try to get the blood out of my shirt.." She said, almost as a second thought. "I don't want it looking awkward and gross." She chuckled a little bit.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Leon took off his socks and shoes, and placed them on the back of the car, neatly next to Lena's. He ran after her, chasing her as he did in the old days. It was amazing to get away from life for just a little bit even, and simply play with her. They played as they had when they were kids. In the water, out of the water... Leon even picked up a clam shell that was in the shape of a heart, and gave it to Lena.

They were there for almost two hours before Leon motioned for her. He lifted her up, one arm under her legs, the other supporting her back. "Come on, dear. We have other things to do and see before the day is up." He said. There was a mysterious smile on his face. "It won't take us long to get to our next destination."

He set his beloved girl in the car, and got in after her. He closed the door, and programmed the next destination into the gps unit...

Notty
07-28-2015, 05:46 AM
Blane grinned as Ana gently poked him in the chest, and he chuckled. "You aren't getting rid of me anytime soon, love," he smiled, kissing the top of her head and drawing her close as she pulled her arms around him. He noted her emotions, but didn't think much of it. It had been a pretty emotional week, and even more so for Ana, without the ability to see.

He nodded, holding her hand as they made their way back to the cave. "Yeah, we can see what we can do about getting the blood out.." he murmured, then smiled a little. "It isn't too bad, the water washed most of it out, but it's still there. How is your shoulder feeling?" he asked, gently tugging the neck of her shirt over, checking the bandage. "I should change the dressing, just to make sure it stays clean and doesn't get infected..."

Blane led her back to the log and gently lifted her shirt off, grabbing the first aid kit and beginning to work on her shoulder. As he did, he spoke, hoping that it would keep her focus on him, and not on the pain she might be feeling. "Us?" he smiled as he took off the dressing. "In the future, I'd like to see us emerging a hospital..." his eyes darting up, "after I've worked and saved...." He swallowed hard, surprised at the emotion behind his words. "And when I look at you, you see me...and...you see our children...the house we built...you see the flowers...you see me..."

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Lena laughed and chased Leon up and down the beach. She held his hand as they ran through the waves, kissed him as they crashed around their feet. The shell he found she clutched to her chest, then pocketed it, kissing him again, happier than she had been in a long time.

This felt right. This was exactly where she needed to be. This was where she would begin again. Where they would begin again.

Letting out a soft squeal, Lena pulled her arms around Leon's neck as he picked her up, laughing happily. "Other things to see and do?" she asked, her brow furrowing in curiosity. "Where else are we going?" she asked, settling in the car with him, resting her head on his chest and breathing in the familiar and comforting smell of the ocean.

Drakonnas
07-28-2015, 06:11 AM
Ana was secretly glad that Blane kept reassuring her that he wasn't going anywhere. She needed that assurance, and it was nice to hear as well. She kissed him, and smiled. "Good. I'm glad. I need you around. Really. You do so much for me, and I don't know how I can repay you, and... I love you." She kinda blushed a little bit.

As they got to the cave, and Blane helped take her shirt off again to wash it, Ana didn't complain. She was used to things by now, and it didn't bother her much, not having a shirt on in front of him. Not after they had made love to one another the previous night. Blane began to help change her bandage. It still looked pretty bad, but at least it wasn't bleeding super heavily, or getting infected. Those were both good things.

Blane mentioned something about a hospital, and then her being able to see. Ana froze. "...You're willing to help me save money for the operation that will restore my sight?" She asked him, surprised. Why was she surprised at this? It made sense. He loved her, and wanted to help her see. So, naturally he would wish to help her. "...thank you, Blane. I will see you with my eyes sometime before I pass on." She promised him. "I will see you someday..."

========================================

Leon's smile kept getting bigger as they got closer to the last destination. He looked at Lena with such love and excitement, he didn't know how she didn't guess what they were doing. "Come on, love." He said. "I'm going to ask you to wear this, just for a minute." He held up a blindfold, and gently put it over her eyes, so that she couldn't see. Once he had made sure that things were safe and secure, that Lena wouldn't accidentally get a glimpse of what was out there, he opened the door, and carried her out of the car.

Leon had driven up to a small, but beautiful village. He walked to the center of the village, where there was a large, victorian-esque home. He knew this house inside and out. He had helped build it, after all. He set Lena down in the center of the town, and removed her blindfold.

Lena was standing inside of a beautifully decorated village square. All the homes were victorian and very well decorated. Beautiful flowers and ornate designs were everywhere. Trees were common, and interspersed beautifully. There was a perfect blend of nature and human dwellings.

This was their childhood hometown, once burned to the ground. This was their childhood home, rebuilt, in a more beautiful way. This was their childhood hometown, reconstructed to be more beautiful than ever.

"Welcome home, Lena."

He pointed to the largest home in the center of town. "Welcome home. To YOUR home. Our home."

He paused for a few minutes to let everything sink in. "I begged my father and mother, back when I was still young, to help me rebuild our home." He whispered to her. "They agreed, because they loved me. Together, when we weren't busy... we rebuilt our home" He told her. "And... I built our home. Yours. Mine. Exactly how we played it when we played house as kids. Our house is now real." He told her gently. "I've been waiting to bring you here, Lena. I've been waiting for fifteen years to bring you home. and now I can do it."

Leon knelt down on one knee before her.


He reached into his pocket.


Leon pulled out a small box, and slowly raised it for her to see.

"Lena, my love... I have waited for twenty years for this moment." He said, looking her directly in the eye. "Ever since we were kids, we both knew this day would come. After the attack, we were separated. Not once did I stop thinking of you. And now... so many years later... We are here. I have worked my entire life to restore our home. Your home. Mine. I have built us our dream house. And now... There is only one thing left. I ask for your hand in marriage, my love. I ask you to marry me, Lena. Will you be my wife, in the town that I have rebuilt for us? Will you put your past aside, and join me in starting our life over again?"

Notty
07-28-2015, 06:35 AM
Blane smiled, and leaned up slightly to kiss Ana gently. "I will do all in my power, to make sure that you see." He smiled even more and rubbed her thighs gently, having finished bandaging her shoulder. "I'm all finished love," Blane said, standing up and helping Ana to put her shirt back on.

"How about I work on making the cave a little more secure, should someone come?" he said, looking to Ana. "Nothing fancy, I mean, I don't have the tools for that, but I could set up a small wall, far enough inside, that if someone wasn't watching and it was dark, they would trip over. I could leave an open space to one side so we can move in and out during the day.." He smiled and placed his hand on her cheek, stroking her skin with his thumb. "And as soon as you feel ready, we can try to go back to the town, okay?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena's brow furrowed as she watched Leon's smile grow, and she couldn't help but smile herself, though she wasn't entirely sure why. The trip seemed to take just minutes, and Lena tried to peer out the windows, but Leon had darkened them.

"A blindfold?" she murmured, looking at Leon, unable to keep from smiling. "Oh...okay..." she said, holding the fabric against her eyes as he gently tightened it behind her head, shutting out all light. Her hand immediately went to him, trying to grasp ahold of him for support.

Feeling Leon's arms around her, Lena pulled her arms around his neck and hugged tightly to him. She could feel the sunshine on her skin, and her head turned this way and that, searching for some clue, some sign that might point her to where she was. She felt as though she was trembling when he let her down, her heart in her throat, waiting, anxiously, to see where they were.

Home.

Once more Lena's chin quivered, and she pressed her hand to her mouth, stifling a sob.

"You...brought me home...." she softly choked out, her eyes still scanning the streets, the houses. It was more beautiful than she could have ever imagined.

But at the mention that the house before them was their house. Their house. Lena couldn't take it. She covered her face with both her hands, crying, weeping. It had been almost 15 years since she had been here. 15 years since she walked the streets with Leon, playing and singing. 15 years since she was happy. 15 years since she had watched it all burn to the ground as she was dragged away. So long she had wanted to return. So long she wanted to be here, to be with Leon.

"I...." she began, her eyes locked on the house. "I didn't know they rebuilt..." she murmured, pushing some tears from her cheeks. "Leon, I-"

The sight before her stopped her words once more, and she let out another sob.

Me. He wants me. Our house. Our home. Our life. He wants me, to be his wife.

Lena dropped to her knees in front of Leon and pulled her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as she cried. "Yes, yes...a thousand times, yes..." she cried against his neck, pulling back and pressing her lips to his.

Relief. Redemption. Love. New beginnings.

Leon had brought all of this to her. How had she deserved it? Lena didn't know, and honestly, she didn't care. She had Leon, and he had brought her home.

Drakonnas
07-28-2015, 12:46 PM
Ana flinched a little bit as Blane finished cleaning her wound, and put on new bandages. But when it was all done, she smiled. "Thanks, dear. I... really appreciate your help and willingness to assist me." She told him seriously. "I don't know what I would do without you. I've told you this before, but... you give me the strength to go on, even when I feel like a coward." She smiled sheepishly. "I can be brave because of you, Blane. Thank you for that gift."

Blane mentioned to her that he thought about building some kind of wall to help keep out intruders. She thought for a minute, and nodded. "Yes, that's okay. But... if you do that, would you please make sure that you make sure some vines are snaked around it so my aura can sense it?" She asked. "I don't want to be the one to accidentally trip over it either." She giggled. "Thanks, Blane. We can go back in a bit, but... I'd like to stay out here a while longer."


================================================== =====


Lena's reactions to everything were exactly as Leon had hoped they would be. She overwhelmed, stunned, emotional, grateful, and every other word that could attempt to describe the indescribable. She was crying, happy, and amazed. She was... She was beautiful. Leon watched her eyes. All of the thousands of hours he had poured into this town was now paying off. And it was worth every second.

As she accepted his proposal, Leon found that there were tears in his eyes as well. "Lena... my beautiful Lena... May you always and forever be mine." He whispered, and embraced her, not letting go for at least five minutes. As he finally let go, Leon took the beautiful ring from the case, and slowly slid it on her finger. "There." He said finally. "You look perfect." He couldn't have been happier.

"Shall we go on a tour of the town I built for you?" He asked her quietly. The town itself was part of his proposal. "First, let me go show you our house." He said, leading Lena slowly and gently towards their house. "I planned and built every part of our house. With help from my father of course, but... All of this was part of my plan to ask you to be my wife." He told her. "The entire town... I am the one responsible for bringing it to life. I had help, and lots of it. But... This is all for you. Was all for you. I've been working for years and years on this..." He hoped she would understand the full magnitude of how much he had worked for her. Because that would show how much he loved her, and more.

He led her to the beautiful porch of their home, which was complete with pillars and even a couch that rocked back and forth. A perfect size for the two of them to sit together in comfort. "Remember this?" He asked her. "Our house that we dreamed about as a kid? I took my memories of that, and turned them into reality." He smiled at her. "I even got the secret passages." He grinned. He had built many secret passages in their house.

He led her through their large home, showing her everything; every little detail. He was extremely proud of the work he had done, and wanted to show her everything. "What do you think, love? Will you be happy here with me?"

Notty
07-28-2015, 01:52 PM
Blane smiled and nodded, pressing a kiss to Ana's lips as he stood, "happily, I'll stay with you, go with you, wherever you want," he smiled. Taking her hand, he helped her down off the fallen log, then led her away a little. A small clearing in the woods afforded a warm patch of sunlight, and Blane sat down, gently urging Ana beside him.

He laid back, resting a hand under his head, "come curl up by me, let's enjoy the sunshine..." His hand rubbed her side and he took in a deep breath. Ana smelled like the forest- fresh, clean, new. A comfortable silence fell between them, and remained there for several minutes before Blane spoke again. "Where do you see us, in the future?" he asked, looking over at her, his eyes scanning her face. "What would you like us to be?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena cried against Leon's shoulder as they hugged, and then let out a happy squeal of delight as he gently pushed the ring on her finger. "I love you," she murmured before kissing him deeply, her heart welling with happiness.

She smiled, wider, bigger, brighter than she ever had before when he helped her to her feet and she clasped her hand in his, laughing happily, wiping away the tears on her cheeks. "Leon..." she began, letting out another laugh, leaning against him.

"I didn't know I could feel such happiness..." she laughed, hugging him again and pressing another kiss, feeling as though her words and actions weren't enough to show him how incredibly happy she was.

Lena followed him up the steps, her eyes wide, brimming with tears as she looked over the house. It was perfect. It was better than what she could have dreamed as a child- even what she could have dreamed of now. She settled into the swinging couch with Leon and leaned her head against his chest.

"You've given me everything," she whispered, looking up at him, her eyes meeting his. "I...I can't begin to tell you how..." her voice shook, and she took in a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "I don't understand how you did, and I wanted to come back...but before I knew you were safe...it hurt too much..."

Leaning up, Lena kissed his lips gently and then pulled back, cupping his face. "You made things right. You.... you redeemed me. That beach. This town." She smiled, leaning her forehead against his and taking a deep breath. "You saved me, and I love you..."

Drakonnas
07-28-2015, 02:56 PM
Anastasia looked up at Blane, and at all the life around them. As much as she missed her other life, she had to admit that this was a really beautiful place, she could spend a lot of time here. It was peaceful and serene. Blane was there with her, and that meant the world. The sun felt warm on her skin, and she enjoyed the sensation. She enjoyed it very much.

"Where do I see us?" She asked him, her head perked to the side slightly. "I see us happily living together. In a small house somewhere. Just the two of us. It's a small town, with really beautiful houses. Everything is peaceful and relaxed... And we're both employed, and happy. We've made friends there too." She said simply. "What would I like us to be? Together. And happy." She took his hand and held it close to her heart.

================================================== =============

Leon held Lena as she cried, there was too much emotion for her to take in right now, and that was okay. He was there for her, and would continue to be there for her as long as she needed. The most important thing was her, and he had made her the happiest girl in the world. That was what he wanted. She would remember this gift, this moment, for the rest of her life. She would remember how happy he had made her. And that, that was the most important thing.

"Shhhh." Leon said quietly. "Everything is going to be okay. I promise." Her words filled his heart with gladness, and he wasn't sure what else to say or do, other than keep holding her. Reassuring her that this was real, and that everything was okay.

"My entire life has led up to this moment." He whispered in her ear. "I've worked so hard for so long... And... this is the result. You. Me. Together. Here. In our paradise." He smiled. "I love you. This is all because I love you. I hope you never doubt that I do. I will never leave you."

Notty
07-28-2015, 04:57 PM
Blane smiled as Ana took his hand and pressed it to her heart, and he turned slightly, kissing her cheek. "I like the sound of that," he murmured, "its simple, but its enough," he added, then kissed her cheek again. The sound of the tree branches swaying in the breeze, and the warm sun on his skin was enough to make Blane's eyes feel heavy, and before he knew it, he had dozed off.

In his dream, he and Ana were together, her hair piled high on top of her head as she sat with a box between her legs, pulling dishes out of it and handing them to him as he put them away in a cabinet. The house was large, old, but intimate. It stood in a cozy neighborhood that had a pleasant balance of nature and humans. Ana leaned back, her belly slightly swollen with their first child, her eyes bright and clear, and a ring on both of their hands from when they promised to be together forever. It was perfect. It was all that Blane could have wanted, and more.

------------------------------------------------------------

Lena smiled and kissed Leon over and over and over. This was perfect. This was paradise. There was nothing, at this moment, that she wanted more. "You...you..." she laughed, her tears drying on her cheeks. "I don't even know how you pulled this off, Leon..." she shook her head, then looked down at her hand with the ring on it. "Its too much, my heart feels like it will explode!" she squealed, kissing him again.

Slowly she stood and held out her hand, "will you show me around our house?" Lena asked eagerly, her eyes full of hope, love, and admiration for the man who was before her.

When he stood, Lena pulled her arms around him, and tilted her head up, looking at him "Leon, you could have given me a promise, a hut on a mountainside, and a campfire beneath the stars and I would have been happy. But this....the...the beach, the house...the ring...you..." Her smile grew until she let out a happy laugh. "I love you, Leon, I love you. I can't wait to start our life together. I can't wait to start over again."

Drakonnas
07-29-2015, 12:43 AM
Anastasia had noted that Blane had fallen asleep. This surprised her a little bit. Had he not slept very well last night? Had their activities kept him up? She smiled a little bit at the thought, and tried to relax. She did not sleep, but rather entered a state of meditation, almost. She used the time to focus on the auras of the forest around her. She watched squirrels chasing one another as they went about their business. She saw a fox, curiously investigating a pile of leaves where a rat made his home. She saw various birds flying around the tops of the trees. She watched every one of them with awe, enjoying all of the new sights. She wasn't used to seeing all these animals, and focused her time on them.

An hour passed, and Blane was still sleeping gently. Ana was calm and relaxed, and enjoying every moment. She had been watching and observing the animals for so long that she had nearly forgotten where they were. What she was doing. When she noticed Blane's aura again, she couldn't help grinning. "Oh Blane..." She whispered. "You know how to make a girl happy."


==================================


Leon couldn't help laughing as Lean hugged him, and told him she was astounded at his gift to her. "My love for you was the reason behind all of this." He told her. "Other men may have painted a picture. Created an invention. Written a book. Nope. I built an entire town for you." He couldn't help being prideful of this little fact.

Lena asked him to show her the house. "Sure!" He said enthusiastically. "I'd be happy to show you our house." He got up, and gently took her hand. As he pulled open the door, they were greeted with a beautiful entryway. Stained glass could be seen above the doorway, which cast colored light into the house. Right in front of them was a flight of stairs leading to the second floor. To their right, a beautiful large room sat. It had a fireplace, three sofas, a television set, and a door that led to another porch. To their right sat a large dining table, with an ornate chandelier above it. It had cabinets, full of fancy dishes. he slowly took her through the dining room, and into the kitchen. It was a large kitchen with an island in the middle, and a counter on three sides. Plenty of room for preparing food. There was a large oven and a stove, and a walk in closet meant for storing food.

The kitchen led to another room, full of books and comfortable chairs. The bookshelves were full of books of all shapes and sizes, including several children's books. Leon led her from this room to another room that opened to two offices. He grinned. "So, what do you think so far? This is only the bottom floor! We have two more to go, and then the attic!"

Notty
07-29-2015, 02:06 AM
Hearing Ana say his name, Blane's eyes fluttered open and he blinked several times, smiling when she came into focus, still beside him, smiling happily. "Hey, you..." he murmured sleepily, pushing himself up slightly. "Sorry, I guess I dozed off there..." he chuckled, leaning over and pressing his lips to hers. "I hope I wasn't asleep too long..."

"Well what would you like to do?" he smiled, tucking some hair behind Ana's ear and then kissing her cheek. "We could go for a walk through the woods, see if we can maybe find some berry bushes or something. Or we could always try and reach out to the Paladins we know weren't at the base..." He shifted, suddenly regretting having brought up what had happened. Neither of them had really talked about it since then.

Blane smiled at Ana, his eyes scanning her face. "I love you Ana, and I...I know that we've had a rough time, but..I wouldn't change that we are together now." He settled onto his knees and took her hands. "Even though there was a lot of pain, I'm glad we are together. I couldn't have done this alone."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena grinned, teasing Leon, "you never could do things small, hmm? Couldn't do just a house, had to do an entire town..." She smiled and kissed him several times, "I love it."

Taking Leon's hand, Lena stepped into the house and let out a soft sob. It was perfect. The stained glass, the stairs. She had seen it for maybe 5 seconds, and she knew it was exactly what she wanted. Tears of overwhelming joy started down her cheeks as Leon slowly walked her through the house. Her fingers trailed over furniture, doorways, curtains. This was hers. This was her and Leon's home. They would be live here together. They would have children.

She shook her head, laughing as she wiped some tears away from her cheeks with the back of her hand. "My love, I'm....I'm speechless, I cannot even imagine what the rest of the house looks like..." Lena stepped closer and kissed him again, full of love, adoration, and admiration for this incredible man. He had given her so much. How could she ever repay him?

Drakonnas
07-29-2015, 02:30 AM
Anastasia looked over, not realizing that she had woken her special one. She whispered quietly to him. "Hey there, sleepyhead." She chuckled, and looked him up and down. "You've got some twigs in your hair." She said simply, and reached up with her hand to gently pick them out. "Have a nice nap, partner?" She asked him seriously. "You must be tired. Are you too tired to have another go tonight?" She poked him playfully.

But then, Blane brought up the Paladins. Ana's playful face fell, and she looked bothered. "Oh... Um..." She didn't know what to say. "I guess we can? If you want to?" In all honesty, she didn't want to look back at the life she had lost. It would only upset her, and she knew that she didn't want to dwell on what once was, she could never get that back, no matter how much she wanted it. "I mean, I'd rather just let it go, and try to move on with my life." She admitted, not sure if that was a good idea or not.

"I love you too, Blane." Ana wasn't sure why she seemed apologetic. "Don't worry, really. We're going through really tough times right now. But... we can't give up. And we found each other. If Master Esiri hadn't stepped in, you wouldn't have come with me... And I would have lost you." Ana realized. "...Master Esiri... She is the reason we're together now."


------------------------------------------------------------------------


Leon couldn't have been happier. Everything was so wonderful. Their life was really coming together now. Each little piece that Leon had meticulously planned out was perfectly coming together. All his hard work had paid off. Lena was now... She was now so happy that she was crying. This was wonderful. His work here was finally done. And now, he could begin his life. His life with her.

"Come on!" He said, pulling her upstairs eagerly. The first thing that Lena could see was a large, open room. On the far end, it had a balcony, fenced in, that looked over the room with the television and couches. It had a few beanbag chairs in it as well. Immediately to their right was another set of stairs leading to the third floor. Through a hallway, Leon led Lena to a closed off corridor with two doors on each side, and one at the very end. He opened the first door on the left.

It was a plain bedroom. The walls were white and un-decorated. There were five things in the room. A small crib with a star mobile above it; a bookshelf, an empty chest, a dresser, and a small writing desk and vanity. It was obviously a child's room; except that it had no toys. The first room on the left was the same. The second door on the right was the same as the other two, except it had a normal bed instead of a crib. The second door on the right held a room the same as the third.

The last door opened to a luxurious bathroom. It had a deep tub and shower, a toilet, and two sinks.

"Well?" He asked her. "The second floor also has our bedroom. But I'll show that to you last. It's special."

Notty
07-29-2015, 02:51 AM
Blane grinned and chuckled as Ana pulled the twigs from his hair, and then leaned forward and kissed her forehead, "thank you, my love." His grin only widened as she teased about tonight, and the potential for a repeat of the previous night's activities. "Well why do you think I took a nap, my little fox?" he teased, kissing her again. "I'll need the strength to keep up with your appetite."

If there was one thing that pained Blane the most, it was watching Ana's face fall. He closed his eyes and cursed himself inwardly. Why did he have to bring that up? It was stupid. He ruined it.

He shook his head and kissed Ana, "we can move on," he whispered, kissing her forehead again. "I think it's best to do that. Remember those we loved, but look forward to our love.." he smiled a bit, stroking Ana's cheek, hoping to get her to smile again as well.

"Come on," he said, standing and reaching down to help Ana up. "I saw some berry bushes on the way back from the water, and they looked delicious. Have you ever had fresh berries?" he said, his voice cheerful, hoping to shake the fog that had seemed to settle over them after he mentioned the Paladins. "You'll love them, and...." he grinned more, "it will make your kisses even sweeter."

--------------------------------------------------------------

Lena laughed happily as Leon eagerly pulled her up the up the stairs, and she felt like a child- like she couldn't see enough all at once. She laughed as she glanced this way and that, trying to take everything in at once, all the while kissing and hugging Leon. She was overwhelmed.

She stopped in front of the children's rooms and let go of Leon's hand. Swallowing hard, she stepped in and moved towards the crib with the star mobile above it. Her hand reached up and stroked one of the stars, feeling tears roll down her cheeks. "Where did you find this?" she whispered, turning to look at Leon.

Lily. My little sister. Her mobile.

Her arms went around his chest and she hugged him tightly, crying softly. "You...you found her mobile?" she cried, looking up at him. Lily had died that night, along with Lena's parents, when their family was raided. Lena and Leon had made the mobile together, and given it to Lily when she turned one. Now, it would hang over their baby's bed. She shook her head, laughing through her tears. "I love you, this....this is too much...it is too wonderful...."

Lena gently pressed her hand back into Leon's and smiled. "Show me our room."

Notty
07-29-2015, 02:51 AM
Blane grinned and chuckled as Ana pulled the twigs from his hair, and then leaned forward and kissed her forehead, "thank you, my love." His grin only widened as she teased about tonight, and the potential for a repeat of the previous night's activities. "Well why do you think I took a nap, my little fox?" he teased, kissing her again. "I'll need the strength to keep up with your appetite."

If there was one thing that pained Blane the most, it was watching Ana's face fall. He closed his eyes and cursed himself inwardly. Why did he have to bring that up? It was stupid. He ruined it.

He shook his head and kissed Ana, "we can move on," he whispered, kissing her forehead again. "I think it's best to do that. Remember those we loved, but look forward to our love.." he smiled a bit, stroking Ana's cheek, hoping to get her to smile again as well.

"Come on," he said, standing and reaching down to help Ana up. "I saw some berry bushes on the way back from the water, and they looked delicious. Have you ever had fresh berries?" he said, his voice cheerful, hoping to shake the fog that had seemed to settle over them after he mentioned the Paladins. "You'll love them, and...." he grinned more, "it will make your kisses even sweeter."

--------------------------------------------------------------

Lena laughed happily as Leon eagerly pulled her up the up the stairs, and she felt like a child- like she couldn't see enough all at once. She laughed as she glanced this way and that, trying to take everything in at once, all the while kissing and hugging Leon. She was overwhelmed.

She stopped in front of the children's rooms and let go of Leon's hand. Swallowing hard, she stepped in and moved towards the crib with the star mobile above it. Her hand reached up and stroked one of the stars, feeling tears roll down her cheeks. "Where did you find this?" she whispered, turning to look at Leon.

Lily. My little sister. Her mobile.

Her arms went around his chest and she hugged him tightly, crying softly. "You...you found her mobile?" she cried, looking up at him. Lily had died that night, along with Lena's parents, when their family was raided. Lena and Leon had made the mobile together, and given it to Lily when she turned one. Now, it would hang over their baby's bed. She shook her head, laughing through her tears. "I love you, this....this is too much...it is too wonderful...."

Lena gently pressed her hand back into Leon's and smiled. "Show me our room."

Drakonnas
07-29-2015, 03:25 AM
Ana perked up at the thought of having fresh berries. "No, I haven't!" She said, trying to sound eager and excited. "Are they safe to eat?" she asked curiously. "I know some wild berries are super good, but others contain dangerous toxins." She didn't mean to scare Blane, she just wondered if he knew what was safe to eat, and what wasn't.

She followed him eagerly thought the forest, trying not to trip on any tree roots. "So... when you were sleeping, i kinda went into an almost meditative stance." She told him, eager to share what she had experienced. "And... I just watched the forest life, Blane. There were so many animals!" She went on and on about everything she had seen, how beautiful it all was, and how she wanted to keep doing that. Listening to the forest. The animals. She was excited and happy.



==========================================


Leon looked over at Lena as she recognized the star mobile. "It... it was in the remains of your house." He admitted, looking down. "When I came back, I dig though the remains, hoping to find any trace of where you might have gone. I found Lily's mobile, and... I just kinda took it." He told her. The moment was more somber, more serious. But he looked into her eyes, and she was all he needed.

"You're gonna love our room." Leon said quietly. "I... I poured my heart and soul out into it. I made it as perfect as I possibly could." He opened the door to their room, and immediately, they felt as if they had opened a portal to another world. A forest met their eyes. The carpet was soft and velvety, like grass. Trees somehow stood around the perimeters of the room, making them feel as though they were enclosed in a forest. A little fountain ran in the corner of the room, producing a soft rippling noise that created a gentle ambiance.

The bed stood in the center of the large room. It was gorgeous. Four trees formed the pillars of the bed, and their branches formed the canopy. The mattress was a gentle green, and the sheets had small leaf prints. "Well?" He asked her gently. "What do you think?" It was a very peaceful place to get away and relax. That wwas what Leon had wanted.

Drakonnas
07-29-2015, 03:26 AM
Ana perked up at the thought of having fresh berries. "No, I haven't!" She said, trying to sound eager and excited. "Are they safe to eat?" she asked curiously. "I know some wild berries are super good, but others contain dangerous toxins." She didn't mean to scare Blane, she just wondered if he knew what was safe to eat, and what wasn't.

She followed him eagerly thought the forest, trying not to trip on any tree roots. "So... when you were sleeping, i kinda went into an almost meditative stance." She told him, eager to share what she had experienced. "And... I just watched the forest life, Blane. There were so many animals!" She went on and on about everything she had seen, how beautiful it all was, and how she wanted to keep doing that. Listening to the forest. The animals. She was excited and happy.



==========================================


Leon looked over at Lena as she recognized the star mobile. "It... it was in the remains of your house." He admitted, looking down. "When I came back, I dig though the remains, hoping to find any trace of where you might have gone. I found Lily's mobile, and... I just kinda took it." He told her. The moment was more somber, more serious. But he looked into her eyes, and she was all he needed.

"You're gonna love our room." Leon said quietly. "I... I poured my heart and soul out into it. I made it as perfect as I possibly could." He opened the door to their room, and immediately, they felt as if they had opened a portal to another world. A forest met their eyes. The carpet was soft and velvety, like grass. Trees somehow stood around the perimeters of the room, making them feel as though they were enclosed in a forest. A little fountain ran in the corner of the room, producing a soft rippling noise that created a gentle ambiance.

The bed stood in the center of the large room. It was gorgeous. Four trees formed the pillars of the bed, and their branches formed the canopy. The mattress was a gentle green, and the sheets had small leaf prints. "Well?" He asked her gently. "What do you think?" It was a very peaceful place to get away and relax. That wwas what Leon had wanted.

Notty
07-29-2015, 03:43 AM
Blane smiled and nodded, "where I grew up we had blackberry bushes," he explained as they walked, growing nearer to the place where he had spotted them. "I know what they look like, they're very delicious and sweet, I think you'll like them." He glanced back at Ana and smiled, then gently pulled her a little closer, "what all did you see, my love?" he asked, keeping his arm around her waist as they walked.

He slowed down and glanced around, then smiled when he saw the large bushes, laden with dark, plump berries. "Here..." he smiled, helping Ana to stand before the bushes. "Can you smell how sweet they are?" He stood behind her and covered her hands with his, guiding them to the bush. "Blackberries are my favorite, but you have to be careful..." he said, guiding Ana's hands to pluck a few off. "There are thorns on the branches, but they are small and don't hurt too badly..."

Letting the berries rest in her hand, Blane picked one up and pressed it to her lips. "Tell me how it tastes," he smiled, his other hand resting on her stomach, gently holding her against his body.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena felt her heart pounding in her chest as Leon led her to the door, and she nodded, taking in a deep breath as he opened the door to their room. Her eyes swept over the room, taking it in, taking in the beauty of what lay before her. Without a word, Lena pulled her arm around Leon and drew herself against his chest.

Our room. Our room. Not mine. Not his. Ours.

She took in a deep breath against his chest, then looked up at him, laughing a bit before she kissed him. "I...I don't have any words..." she laughed, kissing him again. Eagerly she took his hand and walked into the room with him. "This is our room..." she murmured, shaking her head, as if she didn't believe it. "This is our room..." Letting go of his hand, Lena walked slowly around the room, taking everything in.

But what she loved most, was the bed. She could remember, as a child, talking about having a bed surrounded by trees, and how magical she thought it would be. Leon had given that to her. Her fingers trailed over the fabric that covered the bed, smooth, silky and lavish.

Lena crossed the room and pulled Leon close to her. "This is our room, Leon. Our room." she laughed and shook her head. "We must be in some wonderful dream," she laughed, kissing his lips. "This cannot all be true. I...this cannot all be for me.."

Drakonnas
07-29-2015, 12:04 PM
Ana looked up at Blane, amused that he hadn't heard her talking about what she had seen. "Blane? Did you not hear me?" She teased him. "I just got done telling you everything I saw. I was talking for almost five minutes." She chuckled, and began to tell him over again what she had seen, and how it made her feel. "My favorite was the fox." She told him. "It had been investigating a pile of leaves that a rat was hiding in."

As Blane positioned her in front of the blackberry bushes, she sniffed, trying to smell the berries. They weren't very aromatic, but as soon as she tasted one, she loved it. "Wow, these are really, really good." She admitted, trying to reach out to pick some more. Blane warned her about the thorns, and she was a little bit less eager to get them.

Blane held her close, and as always, Anastasia appreciated that connection, feeling that he was there. She could still see him, but the feeling was better. One by one, Ana slowly ate the berries that he had picked for her. She purposefully let some of the berry juices drip onto her lips, and then, leaned forward, and kissed Blane. "There you go." She said grinning.


=======================================


Leon nodded, sitting down on their bed. "Yeah. That's right, dove. This is our room. I poured my heart out into this place. It is our sanctuary. Nothing bad will happen to us when we're here. This is your place of safety. When you're in here, you are safe. Secure. Loved. Needed. Wanted. Come here to relax. This is our place to be alone together." He told her. "You will grow to love it."

He let her sit with him, and take in everything. The bathroom was forest themed as well; the bathtub was literally a hole in the floor, almost like a miniature swimming pool, perfect for two people. The faucet was a tree, and the handles were branches. The toilet appeared to be a tree stump, with a little knot for a flush button. Everything was peaceful and relaxed. Leon had even managed to get some recordings of bird calls, which played periodically.

"I love you, Lena." He said happily. "I hope you're happy. That is what matters to me. You. All of this is for you. This is a dedication of my love for you. I've had this all planned out forever." He grinned at her. She was so overwhelmed that she was crying, and laughing, Leon would remember this forever.

Notty
07-29-2015, 03:17 PM
Blane blushed as Ana gently scolded him, chuckling a little. "I was uh....distracted..." he said, kissing her cheek quickly. "You're quite distracting, you know?" he grinned. "The fox, hmm?" he smiled, pulling his arm around her and kissing her cheek again. "Seems about right, since you're my little fox..."

He eagerly accepted Ana's berry sweetened kiss, and smiled, kissing the tip of her nose before taking another taste of her lips. "Perfect, and delicious.." he smiled, "just like you..."

The two stayed at the berry bush for quite some time, picking and eating to their heart's content, swapping sweet kisses, and laughing happily. Blane had brought a small bag with them, and they worked together to fill it up so they would have some berries to eat later that evening, or in the morning for breakfast. It certainly beat dried meat and beans.

Blane took Ana's hand and began walking with her back towards the cave. The sun had started to cloud over, and he could hear the distant rumbling of thunder. "Sounds like we've got a storm headed our way..." Blane said, kissing the top of Ana's hand. "Once we get back, I'll start a fire in the cave so we can stay warm."

By the time they had arrived at the cave, it just started sprinkling, and Blane helped Ana head in and settle down on the bed, then lit what little wood he had brought in earlier. "The fire is small for now, let me grab some more wood before it all gets soaked," he said, kissing Ana's lips quickly.

Within minutes, Blane had brought in two loads of wood, and the rain was starting to pick up. "Let me grab one more, then I'll be back, okay?" he smiled at Ana after having stoked the fire a bit more. He headed back out, and poked around under the small rock outcrop where he had stashed the wood. As the thunder rumbled, he reached down to grab the wood and immediately his hand recoiled, pain shooting through it. Two small dots of blood formed, and he watched as a snake retreated back, pushing itself against the rocks. "Shit..." Blane thought, feeling his heart pounding faster, burning pain searing up and through his arm. He stumbled forward, moving towards the campfire and where Ana was, but each step became more and more difficult and painful, and he felt lightheaded. "Ana..." he mumbled, then collapsed and remembered no more.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena shook her head as Leon continued showing her around the bedroom and bathroom. She couldn't wait to live here, to spend time here, to raise their children here. It was perfect, it was all she could have hoped and dreamed of. She laughed and kissed Leon again, hugging tightly to him.

"Can we stay here now? Can we just forget the Paladins and live here now? Let's find someone to marry us, and let's just start our life now..." she smiled, eagerly kissing Leon between her questions, bubbling with happiness and excitement at what Leon had done for her.

She had all but forgotten that there was still another floor, she was overwhelmed by what she had already seen. "I don't even know how you pulled this off. It's perfect, Leon, it's what we dreamed of as kids. Living in the woods, sleeping beneath the trees, the colors shining in our house...." Lena shook her head and smiled, "I love it Leon, I love it. And I love you..."

Drakonnas
07-29-2015, 04:01 PM
Anastasia was having the time of her life here. Sharing berries and kisses with Blane. She enjoyed every moment of this time with him. How was she so lucky to have someone like him? Someone so kind, caring, compassionate? Someone who would do anything for her? Granted, she felt the same way towards him, she would do anything for him. Even biting a bullet to save him. Like she already had.

They filled up a bag full of berries, but when it began to thunder, they decided to head back to their camp, so they wouldn't get soaked. "Yeah. I'm your fox." Ana said sweetly to him. "And I'll show you just how sly and cunning I can be." she giggled, swiping the bag of berries from him. "If you want them back, you'll have to do what I say~" She teased, dancing just out of arms reach.

When they got back to the cave, Blane lit a fire. Ana couldn't see it obviously, so she used the heat as a judge of distance. If it got too hot, she'd simply back up. Blane went out to get firewood, and she was there, relaxing by the fire, thinking of what fun they were going to have together.

He came back, and Ana looked up eagerly, hoping that he would be done, and that she could cuddle with him, and maybe more. But he said he wanted to go out one more time. Ana held his hand longingly, but let it slide from her hand as he left. He would be back before long.

Many moments passed, and Ana began to wonder what was taking so long. Maybe he found a large pile that he wanted to bring. Or maybe he had found more berries to bring back to her as a surprise. But...Whatever was going on, he was taking his sweet time.

After fifteen minutes passed, and Blane still hadn't returned, Ana was starting to get really worried. What was taking him so long? She wanted to get up and look for him, but if he came back to find her missing... He would panic and freak out. She forced herself to stay there, for him.

Fifteen more minutes passed, and Anastasia was near panic mode. Blane had not returned. She would have to go look for him. Fearing the worst, Ana got up, and extended her range of sensing, hoping to locate him. He wasn't nearby. She began to travel in a straight path, looking for her mate.

She had been walking for a few minutes, when she saw him. He wasn't conscious. A terrible scream was loosed from her mouth as she ran towards him, her foot got caught in a root, and she slammed, face first into the ground. She heard a ripping sound as she tried to get up, her shirt had been torn in a few places, and her knees had been bloodied. Her clothes were muddy and soaking now. She didn't care though, Blane was more important.

Booming thunder shook the sky, and terrified Ana. She pulled Blane up. He was still breathing. That was a very good thing. She cried over him a little bit. "Oh Blane... what happened?" She asked, though she knew he could not answer.

Ana pulled him to his feet, and tried to carry him. She could barely do it, but she did. Her arms and legs were aching by the time she got back to the cave. She lay Blane down near the fire as close as she could. He was cold, She removed his clothes, and laid a few blankets on top of him, and lay on top of them. She needed to keep him warm. Saving Blane was the only thing on her mind.



======================


Leon stood up. "I love you too, Lena dearest." What else was there to say? He beckoned to her. "Can we stay here, and forget about the rest of the mission?" He asked her, amused. "If that is what you want, then yes, we can do that. But first... Let me show you the last two floors." He grinned at her. "There are some pretty amazing things I have left to show you.

Leon led Lena out of their bedroom, and up the stairs. The third floor was all one large, circular room that spanned the entire house. It had another flight of stairs, leading to the attic. Everything on the third floor was open; it's purpose was not quite certain. "We can make this floor anything we want to, dear." He told her happily. "It could be a ballroom dance floor. We could host dance parties here. Or... it could be a playroom for our children. Or... it could be anything you want." He looked excited at the prospect. "I left it open in case you had anything you wanted."

He brought her to the stairs that let to the attic. "Come on up here." He led her the next flight of stairs. The attic was huge, and empty. "If we have anything we want to store, we can do it here. There's... one more thing I want to show you though. This is one of my favorite parts of the entire house." He pulled a trapdoor from the attic ceiling, and a set of stairs fell down.

"There's... one more room." He told her. "Come on up." He climbed the ladder-stairs, and they found themselves in what looked like a sun room. There was a great dome of clear glass all around them; it was almost like a bubble. There was a table in the center of the room, a hammock big enough for the two of them, and another fountain.

"Ever wanted to sleep under the stars for real?" He asked Lena. "We can do that here, in our hammock. Want to get a bird's eye view of the town? Come up here, and look around. Come with me, and you'll be, in a world of pure imagination." He told her, taking her hand, and spinning her around like they were dancing.

Notty
07-29-2015, 04:32 PM
Blane's body was limp as Ana dragged it inside and towards the fire, his clothes soaked from the rain. The place where the snake had bitten him was swollen and hot, a bruise seemingly coursing up his arm. His eyes fluttered back and forth under his eyelids, groaning weakly as Ana moved him.

His body felt as though it was on fire, and try as he might, Blane couldn't wake up. The longer the poison coursed through his body, the faster his heart pounded, the more he sweat. He groaned weakly, gasping for breath several times. He felt like he was dying. Blane fought, as hard as he could. He couldn't leave Ana. He couldn't.

I can't....leave her....I can't.... he thought in his state of weak consciousness. Fight....for....Ana....

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena grinned and took Leon's hand, following him up the stairs. She glanced around the large, open room and smiled, kissing Leon on the cheek. "I could paint up here, the kids could play, we could make it a huge library..." her mind raced with ideas of what she could do with this massive space, and she couldn't help but smile. Leon was giving her more than she could have ever imagined. How had she survived without him?

She glanced around the attic, smiling, pulling her arm around his waist. It was large, open, and there would be plenty of room for storage. She chuckled a bit, not quite understanding why he needed to show her the attic, but her brow furrowed slightly when he mentioned one more room.

"Another room?" she asked, then let out a soft yelp of surprise as Leon pulled down a secret flight of stairs and led her up into the room. Her eyes widened and she shook her head, smiling widely. "Leon..." she murmured, letting go of his hand and walking around the room. She laughed, turning to look at him. "This....this could be my favorite thing about this house..." she smiled, then turned and ran into his arms, hugging him tightly. Her lips pressed to his fiercely, passionate, deep kisses. She loved him. She loved him so much it hurt.

Drakonnas
07-29-2015, 07:12 PM
Ana was terrified. Blane wasn't waking up. It was all she could do just to keep him warm! She cursed her lack of sight, she needed to see his injuries, she didn't understand what had happened, nor how to help him. She prayed to whatever gods were out there, to any who would listen. She needed Blane to survive this. What had happened to him? She didn't know, and not knowing was very bad. He might die... Just as they had discovered true happiness together, he might leave her. No, he couldn't leave. He couldn't. She wouldn't let him.

Ana gently stroked his hair, and pressed a gentle hand to his forehead. He wasn't awake, but nor was he completely unconscious. She was terrified. How could she help if she didn't know what was wrong? Her aura couldn't help her with this...

There was nothing she could do. A few tears gently fell from her face onto the blanket that she had used to cover Blane with. He didn't have a fever, he did feel pretty cold. She hoped that the warmth would help him... Ana moved away for a few moments, blindly feeling around, looking for where the medical kit might be. She eventually found it, after a long and tedious search. She opened it, and tried to feel around for what there was inside. "Dammit!" She swore. There were a few bottles of pills, but she didn't know what they were. She couldn't give him anything to help if she didn't know what she was giving him! She didn't want to poison him, and if she gave him too high a dose, she would do just that.

Ana gave up, and lay her head back on top of Blane, cying a little bit. "Oh Blane... don't leave me, don't leave me now..."


===============================================


Leon grinned, picking Lena up as she kissed him with more passion than she ever had before. They plopped down onto the hammock together, and looked up at the sky, which was beginning to darken. Night was beginning to fall. "What do you say we lie here together, my dear, and watch the sunset?" He looked over at her. "Welcome to your new life, babe. I hope you like it."

The sunset came at the perfect time, and was a dazzling display of color, bright oranges, beautiful reds, rosy pinks... These colors eventually faded into blues and purples as the sun began to set over the horizon."Isn't it beautiful?" Leon asked his fiancé with a delighted look. "But guess what? You're more beautiful than the sunset."

Notty
07-29-2015, 07:34 PM
Blane didn't respond, his skin at first cold, was starting to heat up, sweat covering his brow. His body shook slightly, trembling as the poison traveled through his body. He felt like his entire body was on fire, and he began sweating more, panting in his unconscious state.

I can feel you Ana, I'm fighting. I won't...I can't....

Try as he might, Blane couldn't open his eyes, it hurt too much, he was too weak. He groaned weakly, his arm that had been bitten was hot, swollen almost twice it's size, and ached. Suddenly, Blane gasped out, his body convulsing before he turned his head slightly and threw up several times, then went quiet, having slipped back into darkness.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Lena giggled and snuggled with Leon in the hammock, her head resting on his chest, her eyes upwards, watching the sky as it swirled and shifted, the colors changing, warm and rosy in hue. She smiled and nuzzled against him, laying kisses all over his jaw and chest.

"You certainly know how to make a girl happy," she smiled, kissing his lips gently, She shifted, leaning up over Leon, her eyes meeting his. "I love you.." Lena whispered, leaning down and kissing him again, deeper this time, wanting. Lena could feel her heart start to pick up its pace, her breathing growing a little heavier. "Leon..." she whispered, kissing him again, needing him, wanting him, desiring him.

Drakonnas
07-29-2015, 11:39 PM
Morning came. Ana woke up, having a pretty large headache. She immediately looked towards Blane. She was really worried about him, he wasn't doing well. She was terrified, terrified that he wouldn't survive. He hadn't really responded at all to any kind of external stimulation. Halfway through the night, Blane had developed a fever. At this point, Ana had taken the blankets off of him, and used the water they had gathered from the pool to try and cool him off.

She kept waking up every few hours to check on her boyfriend. Ana's eyes were tired, and she wanted to go back to sleep, and go back to the time before she was worrying for Blane's life. She didn't know what to do, she was constantly wringing her hands. If he died... she probably would too. She had no idea how to get back to civilization. She couldn't drive, and she couldn't possibly walk. Maybe she could use the radio to signal for help if Blane died?

But no. Blane wasn't going to die. There was no possible way he would leave her. They had promised to spend forever together. He couldn't go back on his word now. He had to be strong. He had to be strong enough to live. Ana lowered herself over him, and kissed him as gently as she could, as if her love would help him survive, would help him overcome whatever it was he was battling.

"Come on... Blane, I need you..." she whispered softly.


=======================


Leon awoke the next morning, the sun was beginning to rise in the sky. Lena's body was still below him on the hammock, she was breathing peacefully. It wasn't too hot or too cold, everything was just perfect. Leon felt every curve of her body pressed against his, and he smiled. He loved her so much that his heart was nearly bursting. how could things get any better? He honestly wasn't sure.

His finger traced the lines on her face as Lena slept; She was so cute. She was so beautiful. Their love from the previous night was still tingling in his body... "Good morning, my angel." he said breathlessly. He kissed her quickly, and sat up. His eyes were a mix of tired and excited. What were they going to do today? Leon had some plans. He wanted to show her the town, and let her meet some folks.

Notty
07-30-2015, 01:33 AM
Come on....Blane...I need you.... The words echoed in his head, thundering, as if they were bouncing around inside. He groaned slightly, feeling as if he was trying to swim up out of the whirlpool again. Ugh. His head. It pounded and ached as he lay there.

Slowly, he shifted, his fingers twitching slowly at first, then his hand. Slowly his eyes opened, and he groaned, taking in a shaky breath. He blinked his eyes open and glanced around, groaning. "Ana...." He whispered weakly, not yet having the full strength to move. He felt as if he had been ran over by a truck several times. "Ana..."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena sighed softly as Leon's fingers trailed over her face and she smiled, her eyes opening slowly. There, just above her, beaming down at her, was the man whom she loved more than anything. Her fiancé, her lover. "My love..." She whispered, shifting underneath him and resting her hands on his sides, rubbing gently.

"How did you sleep?" She asked, taking in a deep breath and sighing contentedly. Lena felt incredible. She felt loved, content, and happier than she had ever been. She laughed and shook her head. "I don't know, what should we do today, my love?" She murmured, gently urging him to lean down and kiss her lips. "I love you..."

Drakonnas
07-30-2015, 02:26 AM
Anastasia gasped, and looked over. Blane had woken up, and had spoken her name. She rushed over to him, abd cupped his jaw with her hands gently. "Yes, my dear?" She asked, face full of concern. "I'm here. I'm here." She needed to let him know that she was there, that she would be there. "Oh... Oh Blane..." She kissed him gently, worry etched in her face. "I'm here for you... Do you need anything? Water? Food? Blankets?" She didn't know how to take care of him, but she did her best.

"I've been so worried about you..." She had thought about radioing for help; sending a distress signal out. Someone would come to their rescue. But she had also been worried about their attackers. It had been a few days since they had been assaulted and she had been shot. But somehow, Ana suspected that they weren't in the clear yet. She didn't want to alert their enemies to their location.


==========================


As Lena awoke, the man on top of her kissed her. He eyed her body again, and smiled. "I slept better than I have in a very long time." He told her. "And it's all thanks to you." He leaned in, and placed his forehead against hers, and kissed her again.


What do I want to do today?" He asked her, amused. "Why, I want to spend the day with my fiancé." He said, smiling happily. "I thought you'd like to see the town? I thought we could walk through town together, and I'd introduce you to people. If you'd be interested, that is."

Leon leaned down, and kissed Lena's chest, right about her cleavage. "Mmm..." He said softly. "You're so delicious." He chuckled. "How's about I make us some breakfast?"

Notty
07-30-2015, 02:45 AM
Blane smiled weakly, his eyes scanning Ana's face in the dim lighting of the cave. He groaned a bit, trying to push himself up with his hand, then winced and pulled it against his chest, as if shielding it. "I love you," he whispered, wanting to get those words out before anything else.

He shifted a bit, his arm moving around her and gently hugging her to him. "I...a snake...bit me..." he said, his arm still pulsing and hot from the venom. "I didn't see it at first, but the venom...it must have worked fast." he sighed and shifted, moving his hand over his poisoned arm. "It feels terrible.." he said, the skin tight and hot.

"Can you help me up?" he asked Ana, groaning as he sat up. "I need to look at it.." Blane said, moving a little closer to the fire and looking at his arm. Where he had been bitten was a fiery red, and it moved nearly all the way up his arm. He noticed that Ana had brought in the first aid kit, and he grabbed it, rummaging through it until he found the snake bite kit.

As he worked, his eyes darted up to Ana, and he smiled weakly. "I'm here, Ana. I heard you...I wouldn't leave you.." his hand reached up and cupped her cheek. "I love you."

-----------------------------------------------------------

Lena giggled as Leon's lips moved over her skin and kissed her, and she pulled her arms around him and hugged tightly, not wanting to let go. "I would love that..." she whispered, kissing his jaw and then his lips. "But first..." she murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. "I want to enjoy a little more time in bed with my fiance..."

Leon's weight against Lena's body was comforting, and she found that she was incredibly content, just like this. "I slept well too, " she smiled, rubbing his back, enjoying the feel of his bare skin against her fingertips. "Someone wore me out," Lena chuckled, her cheeks flushing as she thought of the activities of the previous night.

Her smile faded, and her eyes grew serious. "Leon?" she asked, then continued. "Do the people here, do they...do they know about me?" she asked, her eyes scanning his. "Do they know about us? About what this town was?"

Drakonnas
07-30-2015, 02:59 AM
Ana let out a little gasp. "Oh Blane... I love you too." She said quietly. She listened as he told her what had happened. A snake bite? That wasn't a good sign... But... if he was alive now, surely he was strong enough to live. She nodded at his request to help him sit up, and as gently as she could, Ana helped Blane sit up. "I... I've been trying to take care of you for almost twelve hours now." She said softly. "I've gotten a little bit of sleep, but you're more important." She hadn't told him how worried she had been. Though, he probably knew.

As Blane repeated that he wouldn't leave her, Ana's heart jumped a little bit. She smiled, her eyes watery with tears. "Good... I don't want you to ever leave me." She was being as sincere as she had ever been. "I... I tried to get you medical attention." She said, looking away from him. "But... it took me an hour to find the medical kit. And I had no idea what was inside of it. I didn't want to give you the wrong thing or the wrong dose. I wanted to do more for you. I really did." She looked bothered that she couldn't do more. "But... I did the best I could..."


=================================


"Of course we can spend a little bit more time in bed together." Leon said gently. "Truth be told, I don't want to get up yet. I want to stay here with you, our bodies touching this closely." He smiled a bit, her body pressing in on him gently. Leon closed his eyes, and massaged his fiancé for just a little while. This was such a perfect start to their morning.

"Yeah... Well, I'm not sorry." Leon chuckled, as Lena told him that he had worn her out. "I wouldn't do a thing differently. We had a great night, and even if we are both tired, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

He looked up, a little bit surprised at why Lena was asking. "Well, yeah. Everyone in town knows who you are. None of them KNOW you, but they all know that my love for you was the reason we rebuilt this town." He told her with a little bit of a smile on his face. "They all know of you. They know of our backstory, sure. But... not much more than that."

Notty
07-30-2015, 03:57 AM
With his snake bite taken care of, Blane wrapped his arm up after applying some salve and then pulled his other arm around Ana and hugged her towards him. "I love you," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "I'm sorry I scared you, I'm sorry you didn't know what to do..." He smiled a bit, releasing her with his arm and cupping her cheek with his hand. "You were perfect. You did all that you could, and that's all I could ask for."

He shifted again, groaning slightly, and leaning his head against Ana's. "I'm sorry love, I didn't mean to scare you." Blane sighed softly, turning and kissing her cheek. "I love you, I love you.." he murmured, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. "I'll never leave you, I'm so sorry I scared you..." His lips found her cheek again and he kissed her, pulling her close to him again. "You're my everything..."

Over the next three weeks, Blane's arm healed with no permanent damage. He and Ana still were hiding out in the cave, but had been working on finding a town in which they could settle down in, and they thought that they had found one, about 4 hours north. It would be a new start for them, and hopefully, far enough away from the Paladin base that whoever was trying to find them, wouldn't be able to. Blane fell more in love with Ana than he thought possible. They made love countless times, talked, discovered more about one another in those three weeks. He was overwhelmed with love, and knew that Ana was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena nodded, her eyes scanning his face, reaching up and stroking his jaw. "Alright," she whispered, smiling a bit before leaning up and kissing his lips. "I love you, and....this...you've done so much for me...given so much to me..." Lena swallowed hard, feeling her throat tighten with emotion and her eyes fill with tears. "I have nothing to give you, Leon..."

She swallowed hard again, taking in a deep breath. "I have nothing to give you..." she repeated, then smiled a little, "except for my love, my heart, my body, and my life..."

The two made love again that morning before getting up and making breakfast in their house. Lena hadn't been happier, and she seemed to glow as they walked around the town, Leon introducing her to people around. She cried as they walked through it, remembering the streets, the places they would go as children. It was like a walk down memory lane- one that had been so painful, but that Leon was redeeming for her.

The next three weeks were pure bliss for Lena. They had taken to living in the house now, and she felt like she was on top of the world. Everyday it seemed like there was some little surprise that she hadn't noticed about the house before, or another part of town that she was eager to see. Leon had done so much for her. She fell more in love with him everyday. There wasn't a day when they weren't together. Leon and Lena began working on finding the two Paladins about a week after he had proposed, they began using thermal heat scans from orbiting satellites to try and find the two, but it was proving to be difficult with all the wildlife in the area. They hadn't heard any word that they had been caught, so they remained hopeful that they still may be able to catch the two Paladins and turn them in for the cash bounty.

Drakonnas
07-30-2015, 04:30 AM
The next few weeks passed quickly for Ana. She was feeling a bit odd in these weeks as well, there was something a little bit strange. Her emotions seemed to be all over the place, and she didn't really understand why. One moment, she was perfectly calm and happy, and the next, she felt like crying into Blane's shoulder. One thing remained as unchanging as the sun - her love for Blane. No matter what mood she was in, she loved Blane, and she made sure he knew it.

One morning, Anastasia had woken up, Blane was still asleep. She felt a little bit ill, she was slightly dizzy, and had a little bit of nausea. It wasn't bad though, and went away after she got something to eat. Ana didn't think any more about it. Blane was still sleeping, and so Anastasia resorted to something that she had done a lot lately.

She extended her consciousness, and observed the auras of the creatures and animals around her. She had gained a significant understanding of how the ecosystem worked, about the kinds of animals they commonly found, and more. Now, she liked to listen and watch, just to observe. This meditation was something that she usually did when Blane was preoccupied by something like sleep.

Today, Ana was watching the animals go about their business as usual, when something unusual caught her eye and attention. There was... something different. Something she hadn't seen before. She didn't know what it was, but there was some kind of distortion in her aura today.

Curious, Ana decided to take a closer look to see what she could see. She focused on the new aura. It was very small, and not really developed yet. She wondered what it was... It really was precious, she thought as she observed the small aura. What was it? It was there sometimes, and othertimes, it wasn't.

Suddenly, Ana realized where it was. With a sudden shock like a bolt of lightning coursing through her, Ana realized something. She realized that she was pregnant. A multitude of feelings passed through her, and Anastasia wasn't sure what to think, how how to react. A pure, inexplicable joy radiated from her as she thought about the idea that she was now carrying a child. Blane's child. But there was also fear... Terror. What if she turned out to be a bad mother? What if she couldn't provide for her baby like she thought she should have?

Ana didn't know if she should tell Blane yet or not... He deserved to know...


==============================


The weeks that had passed were some of the best that Leon had ever known. Lena had been there by him the entire time, and he could not have asked for anything more. They had explored a lot of the town together, and every one of the townsfolk were kind and open to them. They had all helped build the town at Leon's request, and they all loved meeting the young woman who had inspired him to do something so big.

They had also started back on tracking, or attempting to track, the paladins. It wasn't easy, and many times, Leon wondered if they should just give up. All the same, they continued to search, with little success. Wherever they had gone when they had fled from the assassin, they had done a good job in hiding themselves.

This morning, Leon had prepared a special breakfast for Lena; bacon, eggs, orange juice, toast, and a few slices of apple. "Morning, dove." Leon said, and opened the door to their room; the foresty scene was as beautiful as always. "May the sleeping beauty rise now." He kissed her with passion as he set the breakfast tray aside.

Notty
07-30-2015, 04:59 AM
Blane shifted and sighed, rolling over, his arm reaching for Ana's body. He frowned a bit when he didn't feel her, and his eyes slowly opened, blinking around several times. "Ana?" he murmured, leaning up, looking around the cave. "Love?"

Not hearing her answer, Blane leaned up and stood, tugging on his pants. As he buckled them, he moved outside, glancing around. He couldn't help but smile when he saw her sitting outside, her head turning this way and that, tracking animals and sounds.

He slowly moved up behind her, "Ana.." he murmured, gently pulling his arms around her from behind, hugging her to his body and kissing her cheek. "How are you this morning, my beautiful little fox?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena sighed softly, her eyes opening slowly when she heard Leon's voice. She pushed herself up in bed and smiled, kissing Leon back, her hand gently cupping the back of his head as she kissed him.

"Good morning, my fiance," she smiled, gently pulling Leon down onto the bed with her. "Breakfast in bed?" she smiled, kissing Leon again, giggling happily. She sighed and laid her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes briefly as she snuggled against him.

"How did I get so lucky?" she asked, reaching across Leon to pull the tray onto the bed, pressing another kiss to his shoulder. Lena picked up a piece of apple and took a bite, then kissed Leon, smiling, letting him taste the sweetness of the fruit on her lips. "I love you..."

Drakonnas
07-30-2015, 12:43 PM
It took Anastasia a moment to realize that Blane was talking to her. She started just a little bit as he put his arms around her. She smiled, a smile bigger than normal. "Good morning, dear." She said, leaning her head to rest it on his. "How are you?" She asked, countering his question. She was feeling particularly feisty this morning, and took Blane's hands, and placed them on her stomach. "I was watching the auras around me this morning. Blane." She began. "When I noticed a small aura that I hadn't seen before. Can you guess what it was?"

She let him guess a few times, doubting that he would ever guess correctly. She decided to play it fun, and hint at it, little by little, until he guessed. "Well... apparently, this aura came from something new and not new to the world." She began, trying to think of how to hint more to him. She was frustrated, not being able to think of anything else. So, she decided simply to tell him. "Well, Blane... Let's just say that in a year? You're going to be a daddy." Her face broke out into a large grin as she waited for him to react. "I'm pregnant, Blane."


===============================================


Leon smiled as Lena kissed him. "Good, good." He said happily. "How did you get so lucky? Look at everything you overcame." He told her gently, holding her hand. "You were so strong, Lena dear. You survived even when everything was thrown against you, for so long... You've suffered enough, babe. I'm going to make sure that every fay from now until the end of time that you are happy, comfortable, and healthy." He told her seriously.

"I've spent my life when not training building this town for us. I will make you the happiest woman alive. you are my everything. My love. My heart. My soul. And... my fiance. You will be mine, and you will be happy. I don't want you to suffer any more. That is why. That is why you are here. Because I love you, and you are mine." He kissed her, and handed her her breakfast.

Lena kissed him, and Leon tasted the fruity sweetness of the apple on her lips. That was truly wonderful. "You're my beautiful girl." He told her. "And you always will be, no matter how old we get. I hope I will love another girl one day, and she will call you "mother". Leon said happily.

Notty
07-30-2015, 01:29 PM
Blane smiled as Ana held his hands, and his brow furrowed. "A new aura, hmm?" he grinned, kissing her neck. "Tell me about it..." He chuckled as she told him to guess, and he thought for a moment, kissing her cheek several times. "Is it...a bear? A fawn? That rascally snake that bit me?"

But what she said next, floored him. "You're...what?" He said, letting go of her and walking around in front so he could look at her face. "You're?..." He swallowed hard, feeling his throat tighten with emotion, before he let out a whoop of joy and hugged Ana tightly. "Ana! That's wonderful!" He smiled, kissing her gently several times before sinking down to his knees and placing his hands on her stomach. "It will be the most beautiful, and most loved baby there ever was...." He said, kissing her stomach. "I love you..."

----------------------------------------------------------

Lena couldn't be happier, and she felt her eyes most over with tears as Leon spoke. She smiled and pressed her lips to his again several times before leaning against his chest. "And the only other man I'll fall in love with, with call you 'daddy'" she smiled.

Carefully and lovingly, Lena shared her breakfast with Leon in bed, exchanging kisses and words of love. She was incredibly happy, and wasn't sure how she had ever got along without him. Once breakfast was finished, she stretched a bit and snuggled up to Leon. "What's on the agenda for today, my dear?"

She had been thinking about the Paladins. She wanted to find them. It was purely selfish- she wanted the money. She wanted the money so that her and Leon would never have to work again. She was ready for them to forget that part of their life, and to start on this new one. To start their life together.

Drakonnas
07-30-2015, 02:00 PM
Ana's face was shining with happiness. "Yes. I'm with child." She said, hugging him as he kissed her. But her face fell as her worries came forth. She held onto Blane, and didn't let him go. "Blane? What if I'm not a good mother?" She asked him, her eyes wide. "What if I'm not ready for this? How are we going to take care of our child if we're not sure we're safe ourselves? I'm really happy, truly I am. But... I'm also scared."

She looked at him, hoping for some kind of reassurance. "Blane, I just want to be a good mother. I want our child to be the happiest... the most loved. I know he or she will have an amazing father. I wouldn't want anyone else to be the father of my child." She smiled again, looking into Blane's eyes, or as best as she could without seeing. "I just hope I can be a good enough mother... Do you think we should head back to town?" She asked him. "To... take care of ourselves better, and hopefully have a good home to raise our child in?"

=======================================

Leon finished sharing breakfast with Lena, and sat on the edge of their bed, holding her hand. "Well..." Leon said carefully. "I'm not entirely sure. We've been looking for the two Paladins. We can continue our search there, or if you prefer, we can do something else. Maybe go back to the beach again?" He looked at his fiance, and couldn't help a grin. She was so amazingly beautiful...

"I was thinking... Maybe I should contact the Order Of Shadow again, and see if they have any leads." Leon suggested. "I'm not particularly keen to go back there, but this is a lot of money we're talking about. Maybe they'll have some more information."

Drakonnas
07-30-2015, 02:00 PM
Ana's face was shining with happiness. "Yes. I'm with child." She said, hugging him as he kissed her. But her face fell as her worries came forth. She held onto Blane, and didn't let him go. "Blane? What if I'm not a good mother?" She asked him, her eyes wide. "What if I'm not ready for this? How are we going to take care of our child if we're not sure we're safe ourselves? I'm really happy, truly I am. But... I'm also scared."

She looked at him, hoping for some kind of reassurance. "Blane, I just want to be a good mother. I want our child to be the happiest... the most loved. I know he or she will have an amazing father. I wouldn't want anyone else to be the father of my child." She smiled again, looking into Blane's eyes, or as best as she could without seeing. "I just hope I can be a good enough mother... Do you think we should head back to town?" She asked him. "To... take care of ourselves better, and hopefully have a good home to raise our child in?"

=======================================

Leon finished sharing breakfast with Lena, and sat on the edge of their bed, holding her hand. "Well..." Leon said carefully. "I'm not entirely sure. We've been looking for the two Paladins. We can continue our search there, or if you prefer, we can do something else. Maybe go back to the beach again?" He looked at his fiance, and couldn't help a grin. She was so amazingly beautiful...

"I was thinking... Maybe I should contact the Order Of Shadow again, and see if they have any leads." Leon suggested. "I'm not particularly keen to go back there, but this is a lot of money we're talking about. Maybe they'll have some more information."

Notty
07-30-2015, 02:44 PM
Blane hugged Ana tightly, but frowned a bit when she admitted her fears. He nodded, reaching up and cupping her cheek in his hand, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Ana, as long as you do all you can to make sure that our baby is healthy and loved, then you'll be the best mother there could be."

He pulled her against his chest again and took in a deep breath. To say he was nervous, was an understatement. Blane felt like he was barely able to provide for Ana, and now there was a baby on the way. He gently rubbed her back and kissed her cheek. "I think going back to town would be a good idea. We need to make sure you are close to a doctor, and I need to find a job and a home for us..." He pulled back slightly and looked at Ana. "Everything will be fine, and I love you. Both of you..."

---------------------------------------------

Lena smiled widely at the prospect of the beach, and pressed a kiss to Leon's lips. "The beach would be lovely..." She smiled, then sighed a bit, resting her forehead against his. "But I think we should finish what we started. With the Paladins, I mean." She said, looking up at Leon.

"I just want to finish the job, and then we can get on with our life..." She grinned and gently pushed him down on the bed, kissing him with a bit more ferocity. "And maybe working on bringing in a new life," she teased, her cheeks warming. "I want this house to be full of love, laughter and children..."

Drakonnas
07-30-2015, 03:22 PM
Ana nodded. "Well... as long as you're by my side, my love, then I will do everything I can and more for you, and for our child." She promised him. "I promise... I promise I'll do the very best I can." She hugged him, and didn't let go. She didn't let go for several minutes, needing to feel Blane's comfort and arms around her. "...Thank you for this gift." She said quietly. "It's the most important thing to me." She focused on the aura inside her again; it was too soon to tell what gender their baby was, and that was honestly something that she wanted to keep to herself.

"I love you too, Blane." Ana's heart felt like it was bursting with love. The amount of love she felt for her unborn child was indescribable - she knew, right then and there, that her child was more important to her than anything had ever been - save for Blane. She couldn't decide which of them she loved more, and honestly, she didn't want to choose. They were her family. Her family. It was something she feared she would never have. And now she had the most wonderful one she could imagine. And that meant more to her than anything else.

She worried a little bit about how they would get by, but Anastasia knew they would. She knew they would get by, and they would be a wonderful family. "Alright... Let's head back to town." She said, beginning to pack up what she could. "We'll find a place to live there. And... we'll get ready for our lives."


========================================


Leon nodded. "Very well. We'll focus our attention on finding these two who have eluded us so far." He said with a kiss. "I agree with you. I want to start our lives. I want to finish this job, and then leave it behind. I want to focus on you, and hopefully our children." Leon said, eyes wide. "You know, we also need to plan our marriage sometime." He grinned at her. "I'm sure you've got a lot of ideas for that, right hon?"

Leon stood. "Let's get started."

Notty
07-30-2015, 04:09 PM
Blane held Ana close to him for as long as she needed, honestly, needing her nearness as much as she needed his. He smiled, gently burying his face against her neck and taking in a deep breath. He loved her. He loved her so much it hurt. Blane laughed and picked up Ana in his arms, hugging her close to him. "My little fox..." he chuckled, kissing her lips. "I can't believe it..."

Lowering her down, he moved back to the cave with her and began helping her pack things up. But his work was slow, as Blane couldn't help but look over at Ana every chance he got, smiling wider, knowing that their child was growing inside her.

"I cannot focus on anything.." he laughed, sitting back on his knees. "How long have you known?" he asked, rolling up their bed, his eyes scanning her face.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena grinned wider at Leon's mention of the wedding, and she nodded, kissing his lips. "I was thinking..." she smiled, standing out of the bed and shivering, the cool air on her skin giving her goosebumps. "What about the beach?" she smiled, moving to the closet and tugging out some clothes, getting dressed as she looked over at Leon.

"Just a small ceremony, I don't have anyone to invite, and we can start our life together, in the place where you started my life again.." She smiled and pulled on her shirt, then crossed the room to hug Leon. "It doesn't have to be fancy, or big, or expensive. You're all that matters, Leon." Quickly, Lena kissed his chest and grinned. "When should we get married, love?"

Drakonnas
07-30-2015, 04:33 PM
Anastasia was having a hard time focusing as well. She was thinking nonstop about their child, about how best to take care of it. She really didn't know how to be a mother; there were things that were natural instinct, and things she knew based on just living and growing up, but there was a lot she didn't know as well. And that bugged her. She'd have to do some reading and learning.

Blane asked her a question, and she looked over at him. "Well..." She began to think. "I found out first this morning." She told him. "When I was looking at the auras. But... I've been wondering what's wrong for a few days now. Nothing's wrong... I've just been rather emotional, moreso than usual." She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

Within an hour, they were packed and ready to go. Ana get into the passenger's seat of the car with some help from Blane. She had forgotten how the metal seemed to negate her senses, and that bothered her. But she was there with Blane, and that was the important thing.

"Come on, let's go." She said, putting her hand on Blane's shoulder. "Back to town..." The trip back was with an excited and eager air. Ana was really hopeful that they could find a place that was nice and quiet, but close enough to things that she would be okay.

When the car finally rolled to a stop, Ana looked around. There were familiar auras here. "Are we there, Blane?"


=============================


Leon watched Lena get dressed, while they talked weddings. "Yes, the beach sounds like a wonderful place to get married." He said, smiling. "I don't really have many people I'd invite... My parents for one, and some of the people from town... But yeah. I'd like a small reception as well. Something meaningful. As for when... I think we should get married after all this Paladin stuff is taken care of. I think that our marriage should be the signal that we put the rest of this stuff behind us for good."

Notty
07-30-2015, 05:23 PM
Blane took Ana's hand as he climbed into the car, and squeezed it gently, smiling over at her. "Alright, my love, ready to start again?" he smiled, kissing the back of her hand. Slowly, he maneuvered his way through the forest, and found the road again, passing back through the valley that they had camped in, the night that the Paladin base was destroyed.

The trip didn't seem to take very long, and Blane was surprised when the town came into view, and he slowed, pulling in. He was a bit nervous, as this had been where Ana was shot, but it had been nearly a month. Certainly whoever was after them would have left, right?

He smiled and squeezed Ana's hand. "Alright love, we're here." he said, leaning over and kissing her. "I guess...I guess we talk to folks again, see if we can find somewhere to stay. We can't stay in the car, not with you pregnant, it isn't safe.." He smiled a bit, "we will find something.."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena smiled and nodded, braiding her hair in a loose braid over her shoulder, glancing at Leon in the mirror. "That sounds good, gives me even more reason to want to finish this," she smiled, then turned and kissed Leon gently. "Alright, did you want to go to the Order and see if they have any leads?" she asked.

"We could go back to the mountains, if you wanted. Or we could try and hack into some systems and put their pictures in, run facial recognition, see if we get any pings..." She shrugged and smiled, her thumb brushing over her engagement ring. "I'm just ready to find them, to be yours, forever."

Drakonnas
07-30-2015, 05:42 PM
Ana was ready to get back to civilization. She was tired of non perishable food. She wanted to be back with people, even as much as she had enjoyed the outdoors. But Blane did have a point; she was pregnant, and continuing to live out in the wilds would not be good for her, nor her unborn child. They got out of the car, and were greeted by the owner of the local grocery store, a man named Mr. Baldini. He was a fat balding Italian man with a thick moustache.

"Welcome-uh back, Blane and Ana." He said, smiling. "How are yous-a?" Ana grinned, and greeted him back, he had always been pleasant to her.

Ana looked happy to see him. "Thanks, Mr. Baldini." She said. "Blane and I are looking for a house to live in." She told him. "Do you know of any vacancies?"

He nodded. "Sure-ah. Follow me-ah."

--------------------------------

Leon looked thoughtful. "Yes, they all sound like a good idea. Let's begin by talking to the Order. Perhaps they will have new information for us. We can also look for them on databases, as you suggested. I think that we should start there."

Notty
07-30-2015, 06:06 PM
Blane smiled and pulled his arm around Ana's waist as they followed Mr. Baldini. "It's-a not much-a," he said, leading them out back of the grocery store and pointing across the way to a small house. "My-a nephew lived there while he a-worked for me," he said, adjusting his pants over his large belly. "But he has-a moved to the big city to go to college, there."

He led them out and unlocked the front door with a key. The house was small, but cozy. A small living room opened up into the dining room. Turning left, a small hall led to the bedroom, and bathroom, and straight ahead led to the kitchen. Blane smiled, slowly leading Ana through the house, explaining where everything was, and in what room she was in. "If you like it..." he whispered to Ana as they stood in the kitchen. "It's small, but for us just starting out..."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena smiled and followed Leon down the stairs and towards the car. She grabbed the tablet she had taken from the Paladins on their way out, moving back to the database of people and pulling up Anastasia and Blane's profiles. Climbing into the car, she buckled in and continued her work. "I'll just go ahead and put them in..." she murmured, her fingers working silently as she input the data into the tablet.

She glanced over at Leon, smiling. "We're going to find them," she said enthusiasm, "and then we can start our life." She looked back at the tablet, punching a few more things before setting it to the side. "Alright, it's begun its search of all the cameras within a 200 mile radius..I figure they are probably sticking around close. If we get nothing, I'll widen the search." Lena reached her hand and took Leon's, smiling more. "Do you want me to wear a gown?" she asked, her cheeks flushing with color as she looked eagerly at her soon-to-be husband.

Drakonnas
07-30-2015, 06:28 PM
Ana nodded, loving having Blane's arm around her. She followed Blane and Mr. Baldini as they took a tour of an open house. Bale described it to her, and to her, it sounded like a perfect place. To make things better, the hospital was only two blocks away.

"Yea... Yes, this place is wonderful." She told the two men. "I think this will be a perfect place for us. There are no tricky little stairs I won't see, or any other problems I can think of. What do we owe you?" She asked softly. Worried about the cost.

Mr. Baldini shook his head, and his large belly juggled as he laughed deeply. "For-a you? There is-a no charge." He smiled. "The paladins did-a a lot-a good for-a me, and I'm-a just paying it-a forward."


______________________________________


Leon started the car, and they began to drive towards the Shadow base once more... Leon didn't really know what to expect. Leba was busy searching up camera data, trying to find the two of them...

She asked him about her wedding attire. Leon looked over at her, interested. "I think you would look beautiful in a gown." He told her. "But that's. It really my jurisdiction nkw, is it? Aren't you supposed to surprise me with that?"

Notty
07-30-2015, 06:58 PM
Blane couldn't believe it. He just shook his head, smiling widely. Letting go of Ana briefly, he shook Mr. Baldini's hand, "Th-thank you, Mr. Baldini, I...I can't even begin to tell you how much this means to us..." The man chuckled and shook his head, "No, no, Blane. You and Ana, the Paladins, you've done so much good for us, it's the least I can do. Please, if there's anything you might need, let me know..."

The key in his hand, Blane stood in the living room of the house- their house- with Ana. He laughed as Mr. Baldini shut the door, and leaned down and kissed Ana gently several times. "We're home," he smiled, then picked her up and twirled her around several times. "This is our home, Ana. We're safe here..."

It just took two trips to unload all that they had in the car, and Blane set to work with Ana putting things away. There was a bed in the bedroom, and they made it, smiling and talking about how happy they were. "I can go back to the mill and see if I can get my job back, and you can talk to Mr. Baldini, see if he will let you work in the grocery store again..." Blane smiled and gently pulled Ana down on the bed with him. "I love you, Ana. Things are going to be just fine, you'll see...."

--------------------------------------------------------------

Lena laughed happily, looking over at Leon. "Well do you have any opinion? I mean, short, long, figure fitting, ball gown?" She smiled, kissing his hand as she held it. "I won't let you see it, of course, but you can always tell me what you think you'd like..."

She glanced back down at the tablet on her lap, frowning as so far, there were no leads on the two Paladins. She sighed and shifted in her seat, letting her attention go to the ring on her hand. Lena loved Leon more than she could have imagined. And now, maybe in just a few days, she would be marrying him. As soon as this mission was over, she was going to marry him.

Drakonnas
07-31-2015, 01:31 AM
Ana helped Blane unload the car. She wished she could do more, but she tried to be happy with what she could do. She was tired, but happy. The unexpected gift of the house was a big surprise, and Ana was caught off guard by it. They suddenly had a home. This was a good thing.

They spent the next hour or so getting things ready in their home. Ana wished she could see it, but she tried to be content with the description that Blane could give her.

At the diacussion, of jobs, Ana grinned. "Yes. That'd be fun. I hope that I can keep this job for awhile. I want to help bring in some money while I still can." Anastasia kissed him, and looked happier.

"Do you think I should get looked at at the hospital?" She asked curiously. "I can't remember the last time I was even in one... It might be a good idea..."


--------------------

Leon looked thoughtful as Lena asked him what kind of dress he would like her to wear. "Well..." He thought. "I think I'd like something flowing and elegant. I think you'd look really good in a ball gown." He said, grinning.

"Though, I will tell you that I will let you have a lot of control over our wedding. I want it to be as perfect as possible for my beautiful girl, and I'll enjoy it no matter what." He wanted her to have free reign, she could do what she wanted.

Notty
07-31-2015, 01:58 AM
Blane smiled as Ana kissed him and talked about the job with Mr. Baldini. "It might not be a bad idea, I know that I want this baby- and you- to be as healthy as possible," he smiled and placed his hands on her stomach. "What do you think it is? A boy, or a girl?" he grinned, kissing her lips once more.

His arms wrapped around her back and he held her closer to him, hugging tight for a brief moment. "I love you, Ana," he whispered against her neck, then kissed it and let her go. "When do you want to go to the hospital?" he asked, his eyes scanning her face, brushing back some hair. "We can go whenever you feel is best.."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena felt her cheeks flush as Leon mentioned what kind of dress he'd like to see her in, and she nodded, making a mental note to try on a ball gown, in hopes that she would find one that she thought he would like. She chuckled and leaned over, then kissed his cheek. "I shall do everything in my power to make sure that you are happy then, my love."

She sighed contentedly and leaned back in the seat, her hand moving to her stomach and resting there a moment. "Leon?" she murmured, glancing back at him. "Do you think we will find them?" she asked, her eyes glancing down at the tablet, which had still not yielded any results. "It's been nearly a month, they could be anywhere by now..."

Lena was starting to lose hope. And more than that, she wanted to begin her life with Leon, and forget about all of this. Everything that had to do with the Order of the Shadow. She had Leon now, that was all she needed.

Drakonnas
07-31-2015, 02:21 AM
Ana looked over at Blane, an amused look on her face. "I'm not gonna tell you what I think." She said, a teasing smile on her face. "I want it to be a surprise." She poked him playfully, her face had a big smile on it. "Why, would you prefer a son or a daughter?" She asked, kissing his cheek. She felt playful, and in a good mood. Blane was here, they had a house. What more did they need? They had food. A car. Things were suddenly looking a lot better for the two of them.

"I... I think we should go in today." She said honestly to Blane. "The sooner we know what I need to do to keep healthy, the sooner I can start being healthy for our baby. Besides... it's not like we have much else to do today, right?" She stood up, and looked at him. "I say we go now."

She half stood up, wondering if that was okay with Leon. "I mean, if you had something on your mind that you wanted to do, we can wait. But... if you're okay with it... We can walk there?" She suggested. "It's not too far away, and walking would do us good." She smiled.

-------------------------------

Leon smiled. He knew that Lena would do everything she could to make him happy, and he would do everything in his power to make her happy. There was not problem with that. He was pretty sure that she would do a wonderful job planning for their wedding. He would help her, of course, if she wanted it. But maybe she didn't want him to know about what was going to happen? Either way, Leon would be happy.

Lena spoke to him, seeming to be discouraged. Leon felt that was as well, but he just had a gut feeling that they were somewhere nearby. "I'm not exactly sure why I feel this way, but my senses usually are pretty good. I think we should look back in the town nearby the Paladin's homebase... I just get that sense. Lena, would you run a scan of some of the buildings there? I think there's a possibility that we might find them there."

Notty
07-31-2015, 02:36 AM
Blane smiled and then groaned dramatically. "I don't know," he chuckled, his hand resting on her stomach. "I'd love a son, but then, I'd love a little girl...that looks just like her Mama.." he smiled and kissed her lips gently several times. "Regardless, I want a healthy baby, and a healthy Mama."

Taking Ana's hand in his, Blane smiled, "yeah, we can head over there now," he smiled. "I'd like the walk," he led her out of the house and locked the door behind them, then started them towards the hospital.

His hand moved around her waist, gently holding her close to him as they walked. The sun shone down, and a gentle breeze blew through the air. It was perfect. And after such a warm welcome from Mr. Baldini, Blane was certain that things were going to go well for them. Every now and then Blane stole kisses from Ana as they walked, and within 10 minutes, they were stepping up to the hospital.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena nodded, her eyes scanning Leon's profile as he drove, and she took in a deep breath. "Yeah, yeah, I know love..." she murmured and closed her eyes briefly, leaning against him.

After a few moments, just resting against him, she leaned up and turned back to the tablet, punching in some numbers, narrowing the search to the town that they had been in before. The tablet began scanning cameras, Lena watched as the screen bounced around, the post office, the police station, the library.

"Bingo..." Lena smiled, glancing over at Leon. "We've got a match. The hospital..."

Drakonnas
07-31-2015, 03:04 AM
Blane locked the door behind them as Anastasia waited for him outside. She was happy and excited, ready to learn. "Are you excited?" She asked him, grinning. "I'm excited! Just think, darling, in a year's time, we'll have our own bouncing baby!" She grinned. "I've got so much to learn... But I'm so ready! Oh Blane, we're going to be parents!" Her voice rose with such enthusiasm that it was hard to keep from smiling.

When they got to the hospital, Ana explained what they were there for. The nurse grinned. "Congratulations!" She said, excited. "That's wonderful news! If you'll head to the third floor, we can find you someone to see." Ana looked over at Blane, hoping he could lead her.

"Hey Blane?" She asked, in a much quieter voice now. She fidgeted, not really sure how to bring up the subject without offending him. "Are... Are we going to... you know..." She looked worried. "Are... are we going to... Marry before I give birth to our child?" She asked him, eyes pointed at the floor. She didn't feel like seeing his aura when she asked that.

"I don't want to rush you or anything, and I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything... But... I would like to marry you before our child comes. I feel like I'm putting pressure on you, or otherwise making your life difficult, since normally you're the one to ask me to marry you..."

They took a seat, where the doctor would come to take a look at her once she was ready. It was about ten minutes before a young woman came out. "Miss Anastasia?" She asked kindly. "Come with me please. I'll get you ready for the doctor." She looked at Blane. "Sir, if you wouldn't mind staying out here? Thank you very kindly. We need you to fill out a little bit of paperwork for us so that we can best help Miss Ana here." She smiled, and patted his arm gently. "Don't worry, we'll take excellent care of her."


=========================================


Leon looked slightly surprised. "Really? They ARE there?" He let out a chuckle. "Well... I'll be. I thought there might be a chance, but I wasn't prepared to put my money where my mouth was." He grinned at her. "Perfect. We've got our targets now. All we need to do is get there now. It'll take us about two hours to get there. With any luck, we can get there before they leave the hospital. Keep an eye on them, would you?" He asked Lena. "I don't want to lose them again."

New light had come to their quest, Lena and he had found the troublesome duo. And this meant a lot. It meant that they could now commence another attack, figure out some way to capture the two of them... They'd get paid a fortune, and would go back to get married, and begin their lives. It was just the news they had needed.

Notty
07-31-2015, 03:23 AM
Blane smiled as the woman congratulated them, and put his arm around her, kissing the top of her head. Carefully, Blane led Ana up towards the third floor, his brow furrowing a little at her question. He stopped her, gently holding her arm and tilting her chin up to look at him.

"Anastasia," he said gently, never having used her full name, but wanting her complete attention. "I want nothing more than to marry you," he murmured, leaning down and kissing her lips tenderly. "And I promise you, we will be married before this baby comes," he grinned a bit before pecking her lips gently. "Besides don't ask too much, I'm terrible at keeping secrets," he chuckled.

Blane pushed himself up to follow Ana, but nodded as the nurse handed him a clipboard with some paperwork on it. "Oh yeah, sure," he said with a smile, looking to Ana. "I'll be out here, sweetheart," he said, slowly releasing her hand. "I love you." Settling back down in the chair, Blane got to work on the paperwork, filling it out and answering the questions as best he could.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Lena laughed happily and nodded, pressing a few buttons, and hacking into the hospital's security system. She sighed softly, her eyes scanning the tablet once more. "Alright, it looks like it refreshes the picture once every 3 seconds, not too bad..." she shifted in her seat, humming slightly.

"Alright, I'm tracking with them..." she said, watching as Ana and Blane seemed to move down the hall. Then sit in the waiting room. She watched as Ana stood and walked back, and Blane sat down with the paperwork.

"I wonder what they are in for..." she murmured to herself, shrugging a bit. "Well I know where they are, and I'll keep tabs on them..." she shifted the tablet on her lap and looked to Leon. "So, since I'm planning the wedding, are you planning the honeymoon?"

Drakonnas
07-31-2015, 04:00 AM
Anastasia hesitated a little bit when the nurse asked Blane to wait. She looked back at him. "I love you..." She said, and she was led away from Blane. The nurse walked with her, and was very kind. She knew that Ana was blind, and was most accommodating.

"So... what is it we can do for you today, Miss Ana?" The nurse asked with a quick glance at Ana as she measured her vitals, blood pressure, height, weight, and temperature. "You're an early expecting mother, is that right?" Ana nodded. "Good, good! That's wonderful. What is it you need from us, my dear?"

Ana smiled. "Well... I haven't seen a doctor in years. I guess I kinda wanted to know how my body is doing, if I'm healthy, and what kinds of things I need to know to take care of my child." she said, her face beaming with love. She would do anything for her child, that she knew already.

"Okay, so a general checkup, and advice." The nurse nodded, taking a note on her paper. "Okay. Please come this way, and take a seat in waiting room number fourteen. I'll go inform your boyfriend where you are, and what's going on. He'll stay out there for this visit."

Ana nodded. "Um, okay." She wanted him with her, but if it was the hospital's rule, there wasn't anything she could do about it. "Tell him I'm okay." She smiled. "I'll be brave."

The nurse walked out of the room, and back to the waiting room. "Hey, Mr. Blane? Ana wants me to tell you that she's okay, and she's going to be brave for you." The nurse said with a smile. "Have you finished with the paperwork?"

Meanwhile, Ana had sat down in the large chair in the center of the room. It was definitely an odd one, and one she had never felt before. A woman came in, she was tall and muscular, but she had a gentle look about her. "Miss Anastasia Petrovski?" She asked. Ana nodded. "Very good very good." She leaned forward, and injected Ana with some kind of syringe. Ana felt herself grow dizzy. She had a difficult time thinking or moving. Everything sounded as if were happening a very long ways away.

She had the strangest idea that she was being taken somewhere, but she was powerless to do or say anything. Nothing mattered, she was off in dreamland.



===================================




Leon nodded in satisfaction as Lena continued to keep tabs on their quarry. "Very good, Lena. Very good." He frowned. How were they going to take the two of them? He still thought that taking the girl would be the easiest way to secure them both. If they could capture her, then he would come along willingly to prevent any harm that would come to her.

Lena asked about their honeymoon, and wondered if he was going to plan it. "Of course I am, silly." He told her as the vehicle began to drive towards their destination... "I've got many ideas, but you won't be hearing about them." He laughed. "You'll have to wait and see, love."

Notty
07-31-2015, 04:11 AM
Blane shifted in the waiting room, having filled out the paperwork as best he could. There was a lot about Ana's medical history that he wasn't sure about, so he figured it was better to leave it blank. Certainly the doctor would ask her if there was reason for concern.

He glanced up when the nurse came out and nodded, smiling as he handed her the clipboard. He chuckled and bit, "wonderful, thank you so much," he said, settling back in the chair.

Minutes slipped by, and Blane sighed, standing and grabbing a magazine from the rack. Every now and then other patients would come sit down, and be called back. It wasn't until one came back out, that Blane got a little curious. He glanced at the clock. It had been nearly 45 minutes since Ana was called back.

There's probably some tests they have to do, make sure she's healthy, then make sure the baby is healthy, and any questions Ana has....goodness knows she has questions... he thought to himself, and turned his attention back to his magazine.

But when it was getting close to two hours, Blane was starting to get anxious. He stood and went over to the receptionist's desk. "Excuse me ma'am, but I was wondering, is Ana...Anastasia nearly finished? She's been back there nearly two hours...."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena nodded, groaning dramatically as Leon told her that the honeymoon was a surprise, but she couldn't help but laugh, leaning over and kissing his cheek. "Alright, well I'll keep the dress and such a secret, I guess you can keep the honeymoon a secret..."

Every now and then her eyes darted down to the tablet, and she watched Blane read a magazine, then stand up and pace a bit, then sit back down and read some more. Her brow furrowed, and she looked at Leon. "That girl has been gone almost two hours..." she thought aloud. "What on earth is going on at the doctor's that it takes two hours?"

She watched as Blane stood and moved towards the receptionists desk. "Looks like he's got the same idea..." Her attention turned to Leon. "What do you think? How close are we to them?"

Drakonnas
07-31-2015, 04:27 AM
The receptionist looked up as Blane came up to ask about Ana. "I don't know, I can go check for you, if you like." The lady behind the counter stood up. "It shouldn't take this long, unless they found some kind of complication..." She told him. "Either that, she just has a lot of questions, or the doctor was held up by another patient. If you'll give me one moment..." The lady walked back into the rooms, and didn't return. After ten minutes passed, the nurse returned, looking baffled.

"I... don't know what to tell you." She said quickly, worriedly. "Our nurse checked her into room fourteen two hours ago. The doctor hasn't been to see her yet. Unless she got up and wandered off, I don't know where she could have gone to. I'll notify the other departments, we'll keep an eye out for her. Meanwhile... I'm going to take a look at the security footage." She said, putting a hand on Blane's shoulder. "We'll find her."

She took out another tablet, and began to rewind the security footage. About an hour and forty five minutes ago, it showed a doctor, tall and strong, carting Ana off on a stretcher. The receptionist looked fearful, and pressed a button. A phone popped up. "Security, we have an amber alert! One of the doctors took a patient away on a stretcher, and no one knows where they went."

============================

Leon shook his head. "I dunno. We're nearly there, just about fifteen more minutes..." He told her, looking at the map. "Maybe there was some kind of difficulty or test they needed to..." But before he could say anything, Lena's tablet lit up. "Amber Alert - A doctor has kidnapped a patient, an Anastasia Petrovski. Anyone with information, or matching the description of this doctor, should be reported immediately."

Leon sighed. "Wonderful. Just fantastic. Someone beat us there."

Notty
07-31-2015, 04:37 AM
Blane nodded, but couldn't shake the sickening feeling that was beginning to settled in his stomach. He paced nervously, clenching and unclenching his hands, and turned, looking to the nurse eagerly as she came back. Blane shook his head, not understanding the nurse. "No...no...she wouldn't have just wandered off..." he said, taking in a shaky breath. "She's....she's blind...she wouldn't have...."

Moving around to where he could see, Blane stood beside the nurse, his eyes scanning the security footage. His stomach fell when he saw someone carrying Ana out on a stretcher. Ana. His Ana. His baby.

Without a word, he turned and bolted, running down the staircase, his mind racing, heart pounding. He had to find her. He pushed through the double doors, dodged doctors and patients until he got outside. He was in a panic, in autopilot. He couldn't think about what might be happening to Ana. All he could think about was getting her safe. He jogged down the side of the hospital, then around back, trying to see if he could find any signs of tire tracks, any clue as to where she might be.

I can't lose you. Not both of you. Not now...

----------------------------------------------------------------

Lena jumped slightly at the alarm that went off on the tablet, and her face fell. "What?" she said, shaking her head, sighing. "And he's gone..." she murmured, quickly trying to back out of the security system to keep a track on Blane. She shook her head, watching as the camera jumped between floors, through the lobby, and then shut off once he had stepped outside.

"No, no, no..." she muttered, frantically trying to re-establish connection. "I can't lose him..." Her heart pounded in her chest, and her eyes moved erratically over the screen until a blue box came around the face of a man moving down the side of the hospital, and then ducking down behind. "I think I've got him, looks like he's looking around the back of the hospital." Lena sighed and glanced over at Leon, "there's no way of knowing how long she was gone for...should we go and try to pick him up?"

Drakonnas
07-31-2015, 12:03 PM
Ana couldn't tell what was going on, she was fading in and out of consciousness, the drug that had been injected to her had seemed to paralyze her momentarily. She tried to move, but she just felt too tired. She could tell she was being taken somewhere, but where was that? Where was she now? Where had she been? Her mind wasn't working properly. She had the vaguest suspicion that something wasn't right. She didn't know what.

The bounty hunter had already loaded her into a hospital car, knocked out the driver, thrown him to the sidewalk, and had taken off in the vehicle. She grinned, and turned on the emergency sirens. People would now get out of her way. No one would assume anything. Everyone trusted an emergency vehicle like this, especially when speeding, with the lights and sirens blaring. It was the perfect getaway.

"You're gonna make me a pretty penny." She said, a big smirk on her face. "I'm taking you directly to the Order of Shadow." She sped up, they were travelling at nearly 90 miles per hour now, the roads were clear. They would be there shortly...

An hour and a half later, the car stopped. Ana's drug was slowly beginning to wear off, and she was slowly becoming more aware of her surroundings, even though she was still severely drugged... She was being taken into another building... There was a woman standing before her... Then she was placed in some kind of prison cell, with her hands bound to the wall above her head, the manacles cutting into her flesh slightly. Her feet were barely touching the ground, she felt as if she was hanging by her wrists. The drug hadn't worn off yet, and she was still a bit out of it...


================================================== =


Leon jerked the car a little bit, and they hurried as fast as they could towards the hospital. They were only a few minutes away now... They couldn't lose him. Not this time. They were so close. They were so close to their goal. It was just a matter of minutes now... "Find him." Leon said sharply. Moments later, Lena HAD found him again. He was at the back of the hospital. Good. That would be a perfect place for them to pick him up.

Leon pulled around to the back of the hospital, and sure enough, the man they were looking for was right there. "Play sympathetic." He told her. "He'll be in a panic, and do anything to find her again. Look at him." Leon knew that look. He knew what Blane must be feeling; that terrified expression, with a determined look. "He loves her and will do anything to get her back. All we have to do is convince him we're on his side, and we'll help him find her. He'll get in. He'll be ours then."

Leon parked the car quickly, and jumped out. "Blane!" He called. "We heard the alarms, and are here to help you find Ana." He called. "Hurry, we think we know who took her, and why. Come with us!" He called, his voice sounding desperate and urgent. "We have to go now, before it's too late!"

Notty
07-31-2015, 02:00 PM
Blane's heart was pounding as he frantically searched around the back of the hospital. He jogged towards a stretcher that lay on the ground, and cursed, kicking at it when it was empty. He stopped, taking in a sharp breath and covered his face with his hands, then pushed them through his hair.

I have to find her. I swore I'd keep her safe. I swore I'd keep them safe...

He felt like a failure. Like it was him now, who was blind. He couldn't see anything that pointed a clue towards where Ana could be. This must be what it felt like, for Ana. Helpless, like everything is out of your control. Blane growled and kicked at the air.

The sound of a car screeching into the back of the hospital caught Blane's attention, and his head jerked up. His brow furrowed slightly as a man jumped out. "You know where she is?" He called out, stepping forward eagerly, his face twisted with fear and desperation. Without even thinking if he could trust this man, he headed towards the car, "please, we have to find her...."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena's eyes widened a bit as Leon pulled around back and there stood Blane. He was right there. Their million bira stood right before them. Leon jumped out of the car, and called to the man, but Lena had her doubts. Then, to her surprise, Blane started towards the car. She pushed the door open and scrambled to the back and Blane climbed in, smiling a bit to herself.

"Hello Blane," she said, smiling, and trying to sound as sympathetic as she could. "We heard the alert, and we think we might have an idea who did this..." Lena glanced over at Leon, her eyes scanning his face as he climbed into the car as well. "I'm sorry this has happened, but we will do everything we can to get you to where she is..."

Especially because where she is, is exactly where we are planning on taking you...

Drakonnas
07-31-2015, 02:33 PM
Leon looked up, surprised that Blane was actually following them. He was too trusting in his worry for Anastasia. As he climbed in their car, Leon chuckled to himself. It was that easy, He didn't even put up a fight. Blane had willingly come into their car, completely willing. He had given himself up.

As they got started, Leon quickly slapped a pair of handcuffs around Blane's wrists so quickly that Blane might not have a chance to react. "Do we know where Ana is?" He asked slowly. "We think so. And we're going to do everything we can to reunite the two of you." He said. His words, like Lena's, were perfectly true. They had captured him, and were now going to deliver him to Phoebe, and get another million bira. "Those handcuffs are to keep you safe. Don't worry too much. You'll need them to get to Ana."

Leon smiled. They were one million bira richer now. It wasn't quite the two million that they had hoped for, but it certainly was a lot of money...He looked over at Lena, and smiled. He could almost taste freedom...

--------------------------------------

Ana slowly began to come to. The medicine was wearing off now, and it felt as if she was waking from a thousand year sleep. Her wrists were hurting, that gentle pain was the first sensation she became aware of. Slowly, she realized that she was tied to a cold stone wall somewhere. There was no one around. What the hell had happened? She had been in to see the doctor, had blanked out, and now was here?

A few tears slowly began to fall from her eyes. She wanted Blane. She had no idea where she was, where Blane was. And that scared her. That scared her more than she wanted to admit. She hung there for what must have been an hour. She called out for someone, anyone, but no one answered. There were no auras to be seen or heard...

Then, finally, she heard footsteps. Who was it?

Drakonnas
07-31-2015, 02:34 PM
Leon looked up, surprised that Blane was actually following them. He was too trusting in his worry for Anastasia. As he climbed in their car, Leon chuckled to himself. It was that easy, He didn't even put up a fight. Blane had willingly come into their car, completely willing. He had given himself up.

As they got started, Leon quickly slapped a pair of handcuffs around Blane's wrists so quickly that Blane might not have a chance to react. "Do we know where Ana is?" He asked slowly. "We think so. And we're going to do everything we can to reunite the two of you." He said. His words, like Lena's, were perfectly true. They had captured him, and were now going to deliver him to Phoebe, and get another million bira. "Those handcuffs are to keep you safe. Don't worry too much. You'll need them to get to Ana."

Leon smiled. They were one million bira richer now. It wasn't quite the two million that they had hoped for, but it certainly was a lot of money...He looked over at Lena, and smiled. He could almost taste freedom...

--------------------------------------

Ana slowly began to come to. The medicine was wearing off now, and it felt as if she was waking from a thousand year sleep. Her wrists were hurting, that gentle pain was the first sensation she became aware of. Slowly, she realized that she was tied to a cold stone wall somewhere. There was no one around. What the hell had happened? She had been in to see the doctor, had blanked out, and now was here?

A few tears slowly began to fall from her eyes. She wanted Blane. She had no idea where she was, where Blane was. And that scared her. That scared her more than she wanted to admit. She hung there for what must have been an hour. She called out for someone, anyone, but no one answered. There were no auras to be seen or heard...

Then, finally, she heard footsteps. Who was it?

Notty
07-31-2015, 03:31 PM
Blane's hands recoiled, but not in time that he had missed the handcuffs being slapped on his wrists. He tugged and pulled at them, but it was no use. "What the hell?" he growled, looking over at Leon, and then back at Lena. "What is this all about?!" Lena reached forward and touched Blane's shoulder. "We think Ana has been taken prisoner, to get you in, and to her, we need to have a prisoner as well..."

It was true, again. But what Lena had failed to mention, was that she and Leon would be walking out alone, Blane would be locked away with Ana.

Lena shifted in the back and grabbed the tablet, punching in a few numbers and letters before looking up at Leon, "if you want to head back to the base..." she murmured, glancing over at Blane. She watched him carefully, his jaw muscles tensing and untensing, his arms flexing, pulling slightly at the restraints.

"She's there? You know where she is?" Blane said, his voice low, obviously distressed. He would do whatever it took to get Ana out, and that is exactly what Lena wanted.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Phoebe chuckled as she watched Ana from the security footage in her cell. The poor dear. She watched as Ana tugged helplessly on the manacles, squirming and pulling, trying to get free. But it was no use. And even if she did, her cell was locked, and besides- she was blind. She'd never find her way out. Not without help.

After a good hour, Phoebe stood and started down towards Ana's cell, her footsteps echoing. She could hear the soft whimpers and sobs of Ana as she drew nearer, and then stopped, standing right outside the cell, smiling cruelly.

"Anastasia, I've been looking for you, for a long time..."

Drakonnas
07-31-2015, 05:07 PM
Anastasia's breath caught in her mouth as she heard someone approach, and speak to her. "...what... What do you want?" Ana asked, her voice sounding more upset than she wanted it to be.

She struggled a little bit more, but every attempt was in vain, the manacles didn't so much as budge. They were nice, tight, and secure.

Ana was painfully aware if her position now. It wasn't a good one. Whoever this person was, was mocking. Cruel. But why? "Why have you been looking for me?" She asked quickly, trying to learn more. "Why imprison me here?"


-------------------------------

Leon smiled. Lena was doing a superb job at her trickery. She was a natural, and Leon could only imagine how she had learned how to do that. He hoped that he would never be on her bad side, she would certainly be a dangerous foe... But they were going to stop that; after this. Their life would take a turn for the better...

Leon began the drive to the Shadow base; an eager anticipation on his heart. He wanted this done so he and Leba could be free...

"Yes, we do."

Notty
07-31-2015, 05:30 PM
Phoebe grinned, watching as the girl squirmed helpless in the chains. She sounded scared. Good. Exactly how she wanted her.

Unlocking the cell, she stepped in without a word, shutting the door behind her, and moved close to Ana, her eyes scanning her face, her smile turning upward the closer she got. Phoebe reached forward and stroked her finger across Ana's cheek.

"Shhh...my pet..." she whispered icily, "no reason to use up all your strength, I can assure you, you won't get out of those, and you'll only manage to hurt your pretty wrists." Her voice darkened, grew harder. "You aren't going anywhere, so get comfortable."

"Why?" Phoebe chuckled, her laugh was dark and disturbing, and she stepped closer to Ana, gripping her chin in her hands. "Because you stand for all that I hate," she growled. "And now that I've managed to take care of the pests..." she took in a deep breath, "I'm going to play with my spoils..." Phoebe grinned, looking at Ana, letting go of her face and pushing her fingers through her hair. "I look forward to learning what all you're capable of..."

----------------------------------------------------------------

Blane furrowed his brow, but didn't argue. If being handcuffed was what it took to get Ana back, so be it. He shifted in his seat, his eyes scanning the horizon as they drove, then his brow furrowed, and he looked over at Leon, then back at Lena. "How did you know my name?"

Crap.... Lena thought quickly, "we live in town," she said, smiling a little. "Well, sort of. We just got engaged, see?" she said, holding her hand out to show Blane the ring. "We've been coming back and forth for a couple weeks now, it's a charming little town, and we are hoping to settle down there after we're married..." I hope he buys it...

Blane nodded, honestly, his mind was too busy and focused on Ana, that he really hadn't comprehended much of Lena's story. "Yeah, okay.." he murmured, then looked at her again. "So what's the plan? How are we getting her out? You said that I'm going to act and be the prisoner, yeah, that's fine, but what happens next?"

Drakonnas
07-31-2015, 06:00 PM
Ana was terrified of that icy voice. What had she meant when she said that Ana was all that she hated? What had that meant? And... Was she the one responsible for destroying her home?

Despair and anger welled up inside Ana, but she tried to suppress it, it would not do her any good, and she needed to calm down. If she was going to get through this, she would need to relax.

Blane would need her, she could not give up. She knew that he would be looking for her. He would find her. He wouldn't let her be kept prisoner here. Her job was to survive whatever this woman had in store for her, until Blane could find her...

"I will be strong." She said. "I will be okay..."


------------------------


Blane seemed to believe their story, but it was half truths, and he was distraught. Leon tried not to think about it, and focus on getting them to their destination.

"If I know where she is, and I think I do, we will take you as a prisoner. This gives us the right to gain access to the dungeons. We will sneak up there, and from there, we will figure out how to get back out. I have a few ideas."

Notty
07-31-2015, 06:52 PM
Phoebe laughed as Ana said that she would be okay and be strong. "Oh yes, yes, I can promise you that you will be okay, strong though..." she sucked in some breath between her teeth and pursed her lips. "I can't promise how strong you'll be..."

Gently she slapped Ana's cheek, then gripped her face again. "You see, I know you can't see me.." she smiled, "you cant anticipate what I'll do next, if I'll feed you, if I'll hurt you..." her eyes scanned Ana's noting the fear in them. "But there is something you possess that I want, most desperately..."

"And you, are going to do whatever I say," Phoebe continued, seemingly from the other side of the room. "Or I'll find your friend, the boy..." she chuckled, "I don't need him in too good of shape, we've got some lovely new instruments I could try out on him," she laughed again, "I could even blind him, wouldn't you be sweet together?" Her boots clicked against the floor and her breath was hot against Ana's cheek as she spoke. "So you'll cooperate, right?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blane nodded slowly, and turned his attention to the road. The truth was, if he wanted, he could escape right now. Multiply his strength, multiply time. He'd be out of the car and 10 miles away, before time caught up and the two realized what had happened.

We just got engaged? See? The words rang in Blane's ear. That's what Ana wanted. She wanted to be engaged. She wanted to be married. And now, he wasn't sure he'd be able to give it to her. What if something happened to her? He couldn't live with himself....

Lena kept glancing forward at Blane, watching him, studying him as they drove. "How much further?" she murmured quietly to Leon, eager to get to their spot. "Did you tell Ph- did you tell her we were coming?"

To be honest, he conscience itched a bit about telling Blane that they would help him find Ana. He seemed like he cared for her... She shook her head a little. No, I can't let myself get emotionally involved...

Drakonnas
07-31-2015, 07:25 PM
Ana looked up, scared. As Phoebe slapped her, her face began to sting, a red mark on her cheek where her attacked had hit her. She looked up, eyes wide and surprised.

What did she want? What did Ana possess that Phoebe wa sso desperate to have? Was it her aura? What was so special about that? She used it to help her survive. Without it, Ana didn't know how she would cope.

But when the woman threatened Blane, Ana cried out. "No! You can't! Do whatever you want to me, just... Don't harm him." She said, tears starting to fall again as shuddering sobs started to come. "I'll do whatever you want, just don't let Blane get hurt. Please."

----------------

Leon nodded. "I sent her a message. She knows we are coming." He told Lena. They had Blane there, but for how long, he didn't know. "We'll be there in about an hour."

The car was quiet as Leon drove, holding hands with Lena. He continued to reassure Blane that he was going to be reunited with his Ana, and that seemed to keep him quiet and content.

Notty
07-31-2015, 08:08 PM
Just like that. She's mine.

Phoebe chuckled, returning to Ana and stroking her red cheek. "Good, I'm glad to hear it..." she smiled, her eyes scanning Ana's face.

"Tell me about your gift.." she began, letting go of Ana and stepping back, pulling out a device from her belt, pointing it towards Ana, beginning to scan her. "I want to know everything, what you can see, what you can't see, anything that prevents you from using it. And if you lie, or leave anything out, I'll hurt Blane, and then...maybe, I'll hurt you..."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena nodded and sat back in the backseat, her eyes remaining on Blane, her hand in Leon's. She continued scanning the tablet, wanting to learn as much as possible about Blane and Anastasia. She shifted a little, "how long have you and Anastasia been working together?" she asked nonchalantly, "anything you can tell us about her will help us to get her out of there safely..."

Blane glanced back at Lena, his eyes cold, almost icy. They had taken Ana from him, and he was going to get her back. But at her question about how long they had been together, his thoughts immediately went to the baby. He couldn't hurt her. He couldn't let the baby be injured, or Ana...

He shifted in his seat, "about a month, I guess, we were sent out on a mission together, then the...the whole place blew....Ana got shot, we hid out for a long time...." His voice was quiet, almost nonsensical as he spoke in fragments, obviously distracted.

Drakonnas
07-31-2015, 09:33 PM
Ana tried to shy away from the other woman's touch, but she was too tightly bound. Why was this woman so interested in her Aura? It really wasn't that special of an ability. It didn't grant her any supernatural powers, she didn't have super strength, extreme wisdom, psychic abilities, or anything of the sort. She just saw colors and effects that helped her identify different people. What about that was so special?

Ána heard the woman take out some kind of instrument, and she felt electricity jolting through her. It wasn't a comfortable experience, but it certainly wasn't bad. She shifted uneasily as the device scanned her. What it was, Ana had no idea. "I... I don't know." She said. "I've... had it as long as I can remember... I just see color where someone is... that's all. I just see a person's aura... everyone is unique. That's how I see." She shook, hoping that the woman would keep her end of the deal.

"...And... metal. Metal blocks my ability to see." Ana thought, she was scared, and that fear blocked her senses. "I...I can't see anything that isn't alive. More intelligent beings, bigger things, are brighter, easier to see... I don't have anything else to add." Ana couldn't think of anything else. She hoped that her description would be enough information. She prayed that Blane wouldn't get hurt. She was protecting him as best she could...

----------------------------------------

Leon nodded. "Lena and I have been together for about a month as well." He told Blane. He wasn't sure why he was saying this. "We've known each other since we were kids. Our home was destroyed when we were six and five, respectively, and we finally found each other again after all this time."

He didn't care if Blane knew that. What good would he get out of that, anyway? Nothing. "Anyone hungry? There's food in the back." Leon was focusing on driving now, they were in mountainous territory, and he needed to focus on the road so they didn't plummet off the side of a cliff like Wile E Coyote (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d8ROhH3_vs),

Notty
07-31-2015, 09:47 PM
Phoebe nodded, a cruel smile creeping up her face as she pocked the instrument and then stepped forward to Ana. "Are you sure that is all?" she whispered, placing her hand on Ana's stomach, "nothing else you need to tell me?"

A child born from an Aura...it was so tempting, so wonderful. Then Phoebe's face turned cruel as a thought passed through her head. Pregnant...no, I couldn't be that lucky. Was she pregnant with the multiplier's child? Ooohh...this is too good to be true. A child born of two gifted people... Phoebe couldn't even begin to imagine the abilities that child would have.

"So tell me," Phoebe said, her hand still on Ana's stomach for a moment longer, deciding that the touch enough was telling Ana that she knew. "What do I look like?" she asked, her eyes scanning Ana's face. "What can you tell about me, be honest dear, I can take criticism.."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blane shook his head, taking in a deep breath. "No...I...I can't eat, I'm not even hungry..." His heart pounded, and he cursed beneath his breath. "Can't this thing go any faster?" He growled softly, looking over at Leon. "If Ana gets hurt..." He clenched his fists, then closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. It's not going to help anyone if you lose control in here...

Opening his eyes, he looked at the speedometer of the car, and suddenly the car jerked forward, moving faster down the mountain roads. It moved along with incredible precision, its safety and agility having been multiplied along with its speed.

Lena let out a soft yelp as the car lurched forward, and she glanced at the controls, then to Blane, her eyes widening. I see why Phoebe wants him...the man can multiply just about anything...

She held Leon's hand tighter as they sped through the mountains, going nearly twice as fast as they had been. "Leon..." she murmured, looking at Blane as she spoke. "We could have a problem..."

If he's this emotional, and unstable with his abilities just thinking about Ana....what could he be capable of when he sees her?

Drakonnas
07-31-2015, 10:01 PM
Ana nodded, scared. "T...that's everything..." She said quietly. "I... have nothing else to add. Honestly." She shivered, scared. What was all this about? A small gasp left Ana's mouth involuntarily as the woman before her touched a hand to her stomach. What did that mean? Did she know, or guess? Ana shifted uncomfortably, there were small drops of blood that were now gently dripping from her arms. She thought she might be losing circulation in them.

Ana hesitated. She didn't particularly want to insult the woman before her. But if she lied... Blane would be hurt. Ana had no way of knowing if they actually had captured her boyfriend, or if the woman was bluffing. But it was better safe than sorry. Ana would do anything to prevent Blane from suffering.

"You... you are a toxic green." Ana said, shivering. "Your color is vile, and you have a sludgy look... That... that usually means the person is evil, or power hungry... They don't care about hurting others to get what they... what they want." Ana said, gulping. "Green... also is a sign of a strong and healthy body... You're not suffering from sickness... And you seem to be flexible when it comes to getting what you want..."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leon's eyes widened suddenly as the car jerked forward. What was going on here? He wasn't controlling that... What that BLANE'S doing? He suddenly looked a little bit scared. If Blane could do that, was there anything he couldn't do? He could be the most powerful man on earth with that kind of ability... No dungeon could hold him. No weapon could harm him. He could do anything he wanted to do, and no one could stop him... But now, they had one thing up on him. And that thing was Anastasia.

Notty
07-31-2015, 10:10 PM
Phoebe nodded, smiling as she slowly released her hand from Ana's stomach, chuckling slightly. "A pretty good reading, actually." She glanced up at Ana's wrists and sighed. "I told you not to squirm," she scolded, moving beside Ana and pushing a button, lowering the chains so that Ana had some slack and could stand, but kept her arms above her head.

Starting to pace before her, Phoebe remained silent, mulling over her options. I've got to keep her healthy, that much is true, I need the child. More than I need her....

"What if I told you..." she began, looking up at Ana. "That I could make you richer than you had ever imagined? That I could give you endless opportunities to help make the world a better place? Authorities and groups have tried, and in vain, to rid the universe of the injustice that we are facing, but my dear..." she chuckled softly. "What has become of them?"

"The Galactins were destroyed years ago, from within, corruption. The Heralds," she scoffed, "they never had a chance. And now...the Paladins..." Phoebe quieted for a moment, watching Ana's face. "An unfortunate accident, I'm sure..." her voice like sour milk. "But the Order of the Shadow...Ana, we can give you anything you want..."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Blane, of all of them in the car, seemed the most calm, though he felt like a hurricane was happening inside his chest. He glanced over at Leon, "you'll need to tell me when we get close..." he murmured.

Lena couldn't believe what was happening and she shifted in the back, sitting as close to Leon as she could. She cleared her throat and glanced back down at the tablet, a message sound pinging. "Message from her..." she murmured softly, though there really was no use in whispering. Blane would be able to hear.

"The asset is there, and she looks forward to the other."

Drakonnas
07-31-2015, 11:09 PM
Ana looked shocked, and a look of anger crossed her face. "You!" She said, her voice accusatory. "You were the one that blew up my home! Destroyed and murdered my family and friends! You!" She shrieked, and something strange happened, something that Ana had never felt happen before in her life. A sparkling purple aura surrounded her, and shot towards Phoebe, lifting her up, and throwing her against the bars of the cell.

It felt as if her rage was out of control. She had found the one who was responsible for the murders of her family. Ana's eyes glowed purple, as the aura appeared to take over. A bright, silver star began to shine on her chest, even through her clothing. Ana was no longer in control of herself. It felt as though some other force was controlling her. She reached out through the cloud of aura that was now visible to Pheobe, and picked her up by her throat, trying to squeeze the life from her. Ana's hands were still shackled to the wall, but the uncontrollable aura had a mind of its own. The shackles burst apart, and Ana floated there in midair, the sparkling purple aura thrashing about angrily.

One of the guards came rushing in at the sound, and stared, horrorstruck, at Phoebe, who was being choked, held in midair, by the purple aura. He sounded an alarm before the aura controlling Ana saw him as well, and began choking him as well. The alarm blaring brought in twenty or so guards, all with guns of some kind. They aimed at Ana, who was thrashing around, destroying much of the prison cell, and shot. Stunning blasts fired at her, but the aura seemed somehow invincible. Each of the guards was also picked up...

Ana's furious eyes were glowing even more strongly. Malice and hatred were radiating from her eyes. She was going to kill them. Each and every one of them. They had threatened her, her baby, Blane, and had killed her family. They were going to suffer the same fate, realizing their doom, powerless to do anything about it...

But at the thought of Blane, Ana's rationale, returned, and the aura faded, dropping everyone. Chokes and gasps could be heard all around the prison cell, and Ana fell to the floor, unconscious. "....Blane...help me... I'm... a monster..." was her last thought.


=============================================


Leon sighed. "I hate how she talks about people as if they are things." He said. "I despise that woman." He looked at the map, they were approaching the base very rapidly, and would be there in a matter of minutes. Finally, the car jumped to a halt as Leon slammed on the brakes. "Woah! Stop the car!" He called, letting Blane know he could stop using his power.

"Come on, it's time to get inside. The plan is simple. We get you in there under a pretense that you're our prisoner. We rescue your friend, and get out of there. Questions?" He looked at Blane. He knew Lena, and trusted her. She would understand what was going on.

Notty
07-31-2015, 11:57 PM
Phoebe chuckled, nodding as Ana realized that she was the one who had ordered the attack on the Paladins, but her smile soon fell when something strange began to happen with Ana. Her eyes widened as she watched an Aura come out from beyond Ana, and before she could let out a scream, it was gripping her throat.

Immediately her hands went to her neck, but there was nothing to grasp except for her own neck. She could see the aura that held her, but couldn't touch it. She watched as guards rushed in and began trying to take Ana down, but they too, in turn were taken by Ana's hold.

Losing consciousness before the ordeal was over, Phoebe was dropped to the floor along with all the guards.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips as her eyes opened. "Oh...hell..." she mumbled, leaning up slowly. "My head..." Glancing around, the entire cell was demolished, and Ana lay crumpled on the ground nearby. Phoebe shook her head, trying to remember what had happened. She looked and saw that several guards were beginning to awake. "Get her," she croaked out weakly. "Take her to another cell, I'll be in. And gag her..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blane jumped slightly, as if Leon slamming on the brakes effected his body. He glanced over, his eyes scanning the area that they were in. He nodded, then furrowed his brow. The building they were approaching was abuzz with activitiy, though seemingly small from the outside.

Lena leaned up in her seat, her brow furrowed as well. "Leon?" she murmured, seeing all the guards moving around. Something wasn't right, something had happened. But they couldn't let Blane know that. We've almost made it. Just keep it up a little longer- an hour, tops, and we can start our life back over again...

Lena nodded and smiled a bit at Leon, "I've got it." Blane nodded, looking at the two, then back at the building. "It's fine, just take me to Ana.."

Drakonnas
08-01-2015, 12:15 AM
Ana slowly came to. Where was she? What had happened? Memories of recent events began to come back to her, and she remembered losing control, and having some weird aura control her. That... That had scared her, probably as much as it had scared the ones who she was attacking. As Anastasia came to, she realized that she couldn't move. Her arms were pinned down by metal bands, her legs were pinned down, there was a metal band around her neck, preventing her from moving her head, there was a gag in her mouth, preventing her from speaking... She began to immediately panic. She couldn't move, not even an inch, and that scared her more than anything else had so far.

She could tell there were people around, but she couldn't tell much more than that. Silent tears dripped down her face. She was tied down to a board that was at about a sixty degree angle. What was going on here? Why was she here? Was she going to be punished for something she hadn't even been in control of? She tried to apologize, but the gag worked too well, no sound came at all... somehow, she didn't think she was going to be forgiven...

===============================

Leon sighed. "Well... let's go." He wasn't looking forward to this. But their job was almost over. Soon, so very soon, they would be away from here forever. Leon led the way. The door slid open, and they were greeted at the front desk. "We have the other prisoner." He said. The guard seemed to expect this.

"Take him to the dungeon. Phoebe is... having her way with the other one. She was asked to not be disturbed. I sure feel sorry for anyone who feels her wrath... They usually never come out the same way again." He chuckled. "Toss him in the cell, Phoebe will give your your payment. Good job."

Leon nodded, but didn't say anything else. He led Blane down to the dungeons. It was quiet in this particular cell block. Leon looked shocked as he looked around, there was destruction everywhere. What had happened here? One cell in particular was destroyed. And in it, lay a ripped part of Ana's dress...

Notty
08-01-2015, 12:37 AM
Phoebe stood in the corner of the room, her eyes narrowed, watching Ana. Around her throat, a bruise was already beginning, and she touched it, wincing a bit at the pain. When she saw that Ana's eyes had opened and she squirmed, mumbling in vain at the gag, she stepped forward.

"My, my, quite the temper tantrum..." she clucked, smiling a bit and stroking Ana's cheek. "Don't bother trying to speak, I can't trust you yet to do that..." Her eyes scanned Ana's face and she chuckled. "You didn't tell me you could do that my dear, now you...." her hand moving to Ana's stomach again, "are priceless. You'll be the jewel of my collection."

"But..." she murmured, leaning down, whispering in Ana's ear. "You lied me to. Didn't I tell you not to?" She slapped Ana's cheek and shook her head, sighing. A short ping rang through the room, and Phoebe looked up at a screen, then let out a soft laugh. "Oh, just in time..." she grinned.

"Now then, there must be punishment for you being untruthful, and luckily for you, I've found someone to take your place..." Phoebe pushed a button on the wall, and an intercom buzzed. "He's here, ma'am."

---------------------------------------------------------

Blane's brow furrowed, but he didn't fight or make a scene. He just had to get in, and they would take him to Ana, then help them escape. Ana was here, he was close, and he was going to find her and take care of her.

"This way..." Lena said, leading them down several hallways towards the cells. Her brow furrowed and she glanced back at Leon when they saw the destruction up ahead- one cell looked like a bomb had gone off inside. She looked in as they passed, and she shook her head. "What the hell?...."

"No!" Blane shouted out, lunging towards the room. The handcuffs broke like string around his wrists and he pushed inside the room. "No! You told me she would be here! You told me she'd be safe!" he shouted, shaking a small piece of blue cloth at Leon and Lena, as if it were a damning piece of evidence.

Inside, Blane was a disaster, and he felt himself beginning to lose control. Where was Ana? What had happened here? And why was there a torn piece of fabric from her dress here?

"Where is she?!" He yelled, his voice echoing down the hall.

Lena's heart raced and she stepped back towards Leon, watching as Blane easily broke through the cuffs. "Leon..." she murmured, looking up at him. "What happened? Where would she be?" Their plan wouldn't work if Blane wouldn't cooperate with them, and he wouldn't be peaceful if he didn't think that they were there to help him, and right now, he looked like a bomb ready to go off.

Drakonnas
08-01-2015, 01:01 AM
Ana tried to speak. She tried to say that she didn't know she could do that, that she had no idea what was going on... She tried to apologize, but no sound came out. She couldn't even scream. The gag absorbed all the sound she tried to make. It was useless. She could not move. She could not make noise. She was completely helpless. She winced as she felt her cheek slapped a few more times.

As Phoebe said that she was going to hurt someone else, Ana screamed, tried to move, but nothing worked. She was as still and as silent as she had been a minute ago. Panic overwhelmed her, and she had to fight to keep control of herself again. She needed... something. What was it?

Blane... Blane, no. It wasn't possible. He couldn't have been caught too, he was too strong. Too wise. Too smart, too powerful. How would he let himself be captured? ...For her safety. Ana was to blame. She was the reason he was going to be hurt. She was the reason that he was going to suffer. And that broke Ana. Her tears fell more now. Hurting Blane was worse than any torture that Phoebe could have ever thought up.


==========================================


Leon looked shocked as he saw the dungeon. "What the hell happened here...?" He asked, stunned. "I..." He looked at Blane. "I'm so sorry... I have no idea what has happened. Really." Leon looked at Lena, his eyes were wide, and surprised. "I... We need to find her. Now." He was serious. If they couldn't find Ana, Blane was a real threat. If they couldn't find Ana... she was the key to all this.

Leon looked over at Blane. "Forgive me." He said, quickly injecting Blane with a tiny dose of tranquilizer. "This will prevent you from using your powers." Leon opened one of the cell doors, and shoved Blane inside. "Don't try to use your powers. You won't be able to." He turned to Lena. "Problem solved." He said simply.

"Now we go report to Phoebe. We'll get our money, and we can go start our life together." He nuzzled Lena gently. "I love you, babe."

Notty
08-01-2015, 01:15 AM
Phoebe looked at Ana, smiling, shaking her head. "Don't even try sweetheart, lovely thing, sound absorbing gag." She clucked her tongue, "though I do enjoy the occasional scream and whimpering." Laughing to herself, Phoebe leaned back against the wall.

"Looks like Daddy is on his way..." she smiled, her eyes locked on the screen, showing Lena and Leon bringing Blane in. "I know," she smiled, moving back over to Ana, rubbing Ana's stomach almost protectively. "I know you're expecting, and I expect..." she smiled, "that when you give birth, I'll make a wonderful mother."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blane let out a soft groan as Leon pressed something to his neck, and immediately felt a warm tingle spread through his body. With surprising ease, Leon pushed him back into the cell and slammed the door shut. Leaving him there to blink several times, trying to comprehend what just happened.

Lena smiled and nuzzled against Leon, kissing him gently. "Let's go, I'm ready to marry you," she whispered, then turned and started walking away down the hall.

Pushing himself up from the ground, Blane slammed himself against the bars of the cell, only to find that it hurt. The cells hadn't even budged. He growled and pulled and tugged at them, but they didn't move. Leon was right. His powers were gone. He couldn't save Ana. He couldn't stop her from whatever hurt was being inflicted upon her.

"Please!" Blane called out, pressing himself against the cell bars and reaching out towards Leon. "Please, please, you can't leave me here." He felt his throat tighten in emotion as he thought about Ana. About the baby.

"I love her." he said, his voice breaking, "please you have to understand that..." his eyes scanned Leon's, pleading desperately. "Look at her," he said, glancing down the hall to where Lena stood, looking back at Leon. "What would you do if she was locked up, maybe hurt, and you couldn't get to her? What if she was carrying your child?" Blane took in a sharp, shaky breath. "Please, she's all I have. They're all I have..."

Drakonnas
08-01-2015, 01:34 AM
If there was anything that Phoebe could have done to destroy Ana, it was that. Despair, agony, and depression filled Ana's eyes. She lost the will to live just then. Blane, her beloved boyfriend, and hopeful husband, father of her child, was locked away in a cell. She feared for his life. She feared for him. But... the worst part was the last thing that Phoebe spoke.

Anastasia sobbed. Losing her beloved child to that witch... It was beyond words. It was unspeakable. Unforgivable. It was the ultimate way to break her, slowly, bit by bit. Phoebe had destroyed Ana without so much as laying a hand on her. She didn't need physical violence, or any of the torture devices strewn about the room... She didn't need to lay a finger on her prisoner to break her. She had done perfectly well with her words.

Ana thrashed against her bonds, uttered the foulest of curses, but nothing she did was any good. She begged and pleaded for that power to come back to her, but she had no idea how to control it, or summon it. She tried, but nothing happened. She was simply too tightly tied down. The metal was cutting into her skin the more she thrashed, bruises began to form where she was restrained, and drops of blood began to appear on her neck, legs, and arms.

Ana almost hoped her child would be stilborn, so that its life couldn't be ruined by the she-devil in front of her... There was nothing she could do. She was powerless. Once again, she was powerless before an obstacle that she could not overcome. This one... This one was too much. It destroyed her.


===========================


Leon stopped when Blane began to talk. He closed his eyes, and felt Lena's closeness. He tried to put himself in Blane's shoes. He was locked up, helpless in a cell, while an unknown evil tortured Lena. His eyes hardened. They had been searching for a month for these two. Now they had finally been caught, and turned in. And now... Now, he was going to help break them out.

"Lena..." He said, his voice was hoarse and cracked. "We are going to help him. If you were in Ana's place... I would do anything to keep you safe..." He placed a hand on Lena's stomach, where he wondered if she was beginning to grow a child as well...

"And... I would do all the same, and more, for our baby yet unborn." He looked at her. There was no disagreeing with him. "Yes. It is betrayal... But we are going to correct the wrongs we have done." He said. "I could never live with myself if..." He gulped.

"Lena. I'm going to need you. Blane... I'm going to need your help as well. We're going to get you two out of here. That, I promise..."

Notty
08-01-2015, 01:50 AM
Phoebe smiled, patted Ana on the cheek and headed out of the room, closing the door behind her. Her boots pounded down the hall, disappearing down another corridor and to her office. She had broken Ana. Now she could do whatever she wanted to her.

She sat down at her desk and sighed, leaning back a bit. She pushed an intercom, and spoke into it. "Make sure the girl gets fed, weekly check ups by the doctor. I want to make sure she stays healthy. She's a bigger asset than I originally imagined she would be. I'll be down in a bit to check on the boy.."

Satisfied with herself and her accomplishments, she leaned back in her chair and let out a soft laugh, echoing through the metallic walls of her office.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Lena's brow furrowed as Blane's eased. "What?" she said, not understanding, looking down at her stomach where Leon held his hand.

She's pregnant....

Lena's eyes closed and she felt like she was going to be sick. They had to get her away from Phoebe, away from this place. This wouldn't end well, for anyone.

"Thank you..." Blane said, his eyes filling with tears. "Thank you, thank you...I'll do anything, anything, please, we have to get her out of here.."

Lena nodded and looked at Leon, her eyes scanning his. "What do you want to do?" she asked, her mind now running a thousand miles an hour. Getting them in here was easy, yes, but getting them out....that would be another story. "How long does the drug last?"

Drakonnas
08-01-2015, 02:17 AM
Ana watched Phoebe leave, tears still streaking down her face. "...Oh Blane..." She thought, trying to fight back more tears. "Oh Blane... I tried... I tried so hard, but I'm broken now... I need you... I need you now more than ever before... Please Blane... Please don't leave me." She continued on in this way for quite some time, begging for someone, anyone, to come and help her.

No one did.

No one could hear her.

No one could see her.

No one could sense her.

She was alone.


================================================== ==


Leon's mind worked fast, trying to come up with some kind of plan, any kind of plan at all. Quickly, he assembled multiple different strategies, but disregarded them all. Finally, he found a plan that he thought would work...

"Okay. Here's what we do..." Leon said. "Blane, your medication will wear out in about an hour. That's the time when you'll be fed, the food has more drug in it. You eat, you lose your powers. You don't eat, you're too weak to fight. Anyway... Here's the plan. Phoebe will come in to check on you. We get paid the two million bira for capturing you. We knock her out, and make sure she never harms another soul again. With their leader gone, chaos will break out. We use that opportunity to escape."

Another plan was forming inside Leon's mind. "...Lena..." he whispered. "What do you think about letting them stay in our village?"

Notty
08-01-2015, 02:23 AM
Phoebe sighed, pushing her hand through her hair as she went over her plans with Ana, and then her plans with Blane. She had Ana exactly where she wanted her, now...she just had to convince him to see the way Ana did. It should be easy. With a baby to bargain with, and the fear of harm coming to Ana or the child.

She chuckled as she thought about her plan. It was all working out so perfectly. "Any time now, I'll see Lena and Leon," she murmured, "I'll have to thank them for their work..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blane shifted, continuing to push and press against the bars as he listened to Leon's plan, hoping that maybe, somehow, his abilities would come back. But they didn't. He nodded, trying not to think about the danger that Ana was in, but rather focus on what he would need to do to get her out.

Lena looked over at Leon, her eyes scanning his face as he spoke. It was a risky plan...but they could probably pull it off. With Phoebe busy talking to Blane- and Lena knew she would be- it would be easy for them to sneak up behind her and take her down without a problem.

"Our village?" she murmured in surprise, looking over at Leon. She wasn't opposed to the idea, not at all. It surprised her, to be honest. Why would he ask them to be in their village? Those were questions that would have to wait until later.

"I'll do what I need to," Blane said simply. "I just want Ana safe."

Drakonnas
08-01-2015, 02:57 AM
Anastaisa was really starting to hurt now. She didn't know how long she had been strapped to this board. But she did know that she was continually panicking, she had to get out and move. Being strapped here, not even able to move an inch was inducing trauma bit by bit... She wouldn't survive two more months of this, let alone eight... That she was certain.

She tried to sleep. Sleeping would ease her pain, and would provide a release from the world that was hurting her so much. But sleep did not come to her. She had no idea how much time had passed. Time was no longer a thing that mattered. She was alone. Completely alone. She could not move. Her senses were depraved. This was a fate worse than death.


============================================


Leon knew he must sound crazy to Lena, but that didn't matter right now. "Lena, I need you to hack into the systems, and find Ana's location." He told her. "She could be in one of a few different places.. And we need to know exactly where she is. Now... all we need to do is wait for Phoebe. She'll be about half an hour or so..."

Leon sat down on one of the guard chairs, and stared at Blane with a mask of coldness. It was a ruse, just in case Phoebe came in early. He needed to act as convincing as possible. That meant being cold and uncaring.

For Ana, for Lena, he would do this. For them.

Notty
08-01-2015, 03:44 AM
Phoebe sighed and then stood, eager to see her new toy. She pushed up and out of her office, smiling coldly as she started down the hall. Her eyes brightened a bit when she saw Lena pass. "Well hello, I hear you've brought me a present.." Lena nodded and motioned back towards the dungeon. "Leon's sitting with him until you got there, he was a bit of a struggle, but he's all yours..."

Phoebe chuckled and nodded, "good, good. As soon as I'm done with him, I'll see to it that you are paid...." Then gave a quick nod, as if dismissing her, and headed down the hall.

A smile crossed her lips when she saw Leon sitting outside. "I just saw Lena. It's good to see you two. I see that you've brought me a present..." She murmured, stepping forward and looking at Blane. "A handsome one at that, I can see why Ana's carrying your child...."

-----------------------------------------------

Lena's heart pounded as she walked away from Phoebe. Glancing back and seeing that she had disappeared down the hall, Lena immediately turned and headed towards the security system. She stepped in and smiled a bit, "what the hell happened down in the cells?" She asked, glancing at one of the guards.

"Eh, some blind chick went crazy on Phoebe, and about 20 of the other guards. She destroyed the cell, she's back in the pit right now..." He said nonchalantly, sipping his coffee. Lena nodded, her stomach feeling as though it had fallen to the ground. She had heard stories of the pit, and knew where it was, but had never actually gone down there.

"Well it looks like you guys will have your hands full for a while," she chuckled. The guy shrugged, "eh, Phoebe does what she wants. We just do what we are told and get paid." Nodding and giving a smile, Lena darted out and back towards Leon. She knew where she was.

Drakonnas
08-01-2015, 03:56 AM
Leon looked around as Phoebe entered the room. "Yes ma'am, it is good to see you as well. We got the job done, just as you promised. I'll expect my pay in the usual manner." He saluted, and turned back around, seeming to leave. He ran into Lena, who had hurried back. "You know where she is?" He said by looking at her, and the look he saw her give indicated that yes, they did know. "Then it's time." The two of them went back inside to where Phoebe was verbally abusing Blane.

Leon looked at Lena, and signaled to her. They would attack on the count of three. Phoebe would never see it coming. One.. Two... Three! The bounty hunter lunged forward, smashing Phoebe's skull with a powerful uppercut. She never stood a chance. The cruel woman keeled over, dead from the combined attacks of Lena and Leon. "Okay..." Leon said quickly. "We don't have much time." He unlocked the cell, and let Blane out.

"We know where Ana is being held." Leon said firmly. "Hurry with us. You probably don't have your power back yet, but you will soon. We will probably have need of it to get away. But first... we need to take care of the body." Leon dragged her over to the trash chute, and tossed the body down. "There. Where it belongs."

"Now... Lena... How do we find Ana?"

Notty
08-01-2015, 04:26 AM
Lena nodded slightly when she saw Leon, and stepped closer. Her heart pounded in her chest, anticipating the moment. Almost as if in sync with Leon, she struck, punching both of her kidneys, enough to injure; but Leon had taken care of her, and Phoebe slumped to the floor.

Blane stepped out of the cell quickly, over Phoebe as if she would reach up and grab his leg, but her eyes were blank, glassy and lifeless. "Thank you," he said, taking in a deep breath. "Where is she?"

Lena looked at Leon, her eyes scanning his. "She's in the pit, follow me..." Immediately Lena started down the hall, then turned sharply to the left, in a corridor that could easily be missed if you weren't looking for it. A set of stairs took them lower, at least 4 stories below the ground, Lena had stopped counting. Here, there was utter silence. No light of any kind came in, save the flickering excuse of light bulbs.

The place was terrifying, and was meant to be so. A short, dirt packed floor met them at the bottom of the stairs, and halted at another door. "This...this is as far as I've ever been..." Lena said, looking to Leon.

Drakonnas
08-01-2015, 04:46 AM
Anastasia had given up on any rescue. She believed she was doomed to be trapped here forever, until her dying day. She believed that she was going to die here. She believed that she would never see Blane again. She believed she would lose her child. Her precious child... No more tears fell from her face. There were no more tears to cry. Little streams of blood ran from the shackles, and where they cut into her body. She didn't care anymore. Every last hope she had held onto was extinguished now.

There was nothing left. How could someone who believed so firmly in the power of positive thinking be this hurt? How could someone who could inspire such love, and felt such love herself lose that power? How could something like this happen? Ana didn't know. But it was happening to her. Trapped down in this prison, alone, afraid, injured... There was nothing she could do. Every so often, a new bout of panic would sink in, and she'd thrash, yell, and scream.

But the room remained as silent and still as if she was simply a picture on the wall.

---------------------------------------

Leon, Lena, and Blane hurried along the corridor, luckily they didn't run into anyone. He wondered how long it would take people to notice that Phoebe was not responding. He wondered how much time they'd have. He hoped Blane's powers would return, he hoped that they wouldn't need to fight to escape. If they could slip away, things would be all the better...

They hurried down several flights of stairs, and even Leon shuddered at the atmosphere here. It was terrifying, and even he was scared of what awaited them down below. He worried it might be too late. He worried that they wouldn't have come in time... But based on how he heard Phoebe speaking, she would try to keep Ana alive...

Leon took a deep breath, not sure what they were about to find. He slowly turned the handle, and pushed open the door. There were five candles lit in the room which barely illuminated the room. And in the center... In the center, was Ana. She was strapped to a large board, heavy bands securing her arms, legs, and neck in place. There was blood dripping down her. She was gagged, and looked utterly defeated.


================================


Anastaisa heard the door open. She did not care. It was simply Phoebe and some more guards come to torture her more. She didn't even bother to use her aura to see them. She didn't want to. She didn't want to know what they were going to do to her this time; she didn't want to know what kinds of things they had done to Blane. She just wanted out. She wanted to be done. This was too much.


====================================


Leon gasped at what he saw. Ana looked horrible. Such a beautiful figure, marred by such situations... His Lena was prettier, of course, He didn't know what to do. He stood back, and let Blane through. He would undoubtedly want to get to Ana first.

Notty
08-01-2015, 04:56 AM
Blane's heart pounded as Leon pushed the door open, and he stepped in behind them, letting out a soft cry. He immediately rushed over, his hands moving to Ana's face. "Ana, it's me, I'm here..." He said, tears starting down his cheeks as he looked her over.

He pulled the bindings off her as if they were nothing more than thread, and quickly ungagged her, pulling her small frame to his body and hugging her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Ana, I'm sorry..." He cried, burying his face against her as he held her head to his chest. "I came as fast I could...."

In the moment, Blane hadn't even noticed his abilities return, or how Lena stood, clutching Leon, tears rolling down her cheeks as she watched the reunion. She glanced up at Leon, and smiled a little. They had done what was right. It's what she would have wanted them to do, had Leon been the one trapped.

Blane held Ana tightly against him, then slowly pulled back, his eyes scanning her face, smoothing back her hair that had matted to her cheeks from her tears. "You're okay love," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "You're okay, my little fox..." He rested his forehead against hers and took in a deep breath. "You're safe now, I've got you, and I'm not going to let go."

Drakonnas
08-01-2015, 05:16 AM
Anastasia wasn't very responsive, even when Blane ripped the bindings apart, tore out her gag, and cradled her in his arms. She was too much in a state of shock. Her eyes were blank and unseeing, and her breathing was ragged. She didn't really say anything when Blane picked her up, and cradled her. "...Blane..." She said, her voice was weak and very hoarse. "...forgive... me..."

Leon looked worriedly over at the girl; she didn't seem to be responding much to Blane. That was very worrysome. Perhaps she was just sleeping, or... He didn't know. But what he did know is that they needed to get out of the Order of Shadows base as quickly as possible. He held Lena, almost subconsciously, as if he could protect her from that kind of pain as well.

"We need to get out of here. You can care for her on in the car, now let's hurry! Blane, can you multiply our speed, or how how slow time goes, or something?" He asked. "We have to get out of here before it is no longer possible."

Ana looked up at Blane, her eyes were full of hurt, and she was trying to figure out what was going on. "...How... did you... get out?" She asked, barely talking in a whisper. "...are you real? Or... am I going insane, and imagining you? Either way... either way, I guess it's okay... if I am going insane, it is better than reality... If this is real... Blane, I missed you so much... They said... they said they were going to hurt you... and take my child..." She closed her eyes.

Notty
08-01-2015, 02:16 PM
Blane gently brushed the hair from Ana's face, smiling down at her through his tear filled eyes. "I love you, and this is real, my love..." He murmured, kissing her forehead again. "I've got you, you're safe now..."

He looked over at Leon, and nodded, holding Ana a little tighter to him. "I can do that, I'll slow it down, just be careful where you move..." Blane took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. Suddenly, all around them things slowed down. The flames of the candles almost seemed to stand stand, and the water that had been dropping steadily, could now be watched, like a piece of dust floating through the air.

Lena couldn't believe what she was seeing, but she nodded, looking back to Leon. "Let's go," she said, turning and heading for the door, eager to leave this place once and for all. The stairs seemed to drag on forever, but there was no one around, and when they got to the main level, people seemed almost frozen in time.

"Almost there, almost there..." She murmured to herself, still holding Leon's hand tightly, glancing back at Blane who was carrying Ana. They were going to make it.

Drakonnas
08-01-2015, 06:02 PM
Leon was surprised at how effective the time thing was as well. If Blane truly could manipulate time like that, then he was, indeed, one of, if not the most, powerful people in the world. If he wanted to, he probably could have conquered the world singlehandedly. Leon suddenly realized that, had they met as enemies, he would not have stood a chance against this man. Neither Leon nor Lena, nor their combined power, could hope to outmatch him.

"Come on..." He said quickly. "Lena, you and Blane get Ana to the car. There's one more thing I have to do. It won't take long at all, I promise. I'm going to get our money." He split apart from the other group, and entered Phoebe's room. Sure enough, on the desk, was the two million bira paycheck that he had been promised. He slipped it into his pocket, and hurried outside, where he hoped that the others would be waiting for him.ow

Anastasia didn't say much else, but simply held onto Blane, as if she thought if she let go, he would disappear forever. She was trying to cope with everything that had happened, it was a lot to do though; and she wasn't sure how to cope. "Blane?" She looked up at her boyfriend, and thought about what she should say. It was difficult, but she knew she had to address one thing, or it would keep bothering her.

"...Back in there... When they were trying to hurt me, and you... I felt a rage inside of me that I've never felt before... An aura of some kind came out of me. I couldn't control it... I had no idea what was going on, but it tried to kill everyone there... There's some kind of monster hidden inside of me, and I'm scared... I'm scared of everything that happened... I... Oh Blane... I need you."

Notty
08-01-2015, 07:14 PM
Blane nodded and continued out with Lena, holding Ana to his chest, dodging the guards that seemed to be frozen in time. His heart pounded in his chest, but it felt so good to have Ana against him. Even though it had been a few hours, he had missed her. And their baby.

"This way!" Lena called out, starting out the front doors of the building and jogging towards their car. She opened the back, and Blane climbed in, still holding Ana against his chest. As he settled in, he kissed the top of Ana's head, smoothing her hair back and looking at her. Lena glanced over at the two, smiling a little, then shut the door, walking around and climbing in the passenger side.

Blane's brow furrowed as Ana told him what had happened, and he shook his head, kissing her forehead over and over, gently trying to calm her. "Ana, there's nothing to apologize for, my love..." He tested his forehead against Ana's and took in a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"They threatened me, they threatened you, and they threatened our baby, you did what any mother would do- you protected yourself and your baby." He nuzzled against her, then pulled back, lifting her chin up.

"Ana, I want you. Forever. Be my wife?"

Drakonnas
08-01-2015, 07:46 PM
Everything in the car seemed to stop as Blane uttered those words. Anastasia looked up, eyes wide. She seemed to forget everything that had happened in the past several hours for a brief moment. She stared at Blane for a moment, and threw her arms around him, even though it hurt to do so. "I've been waiting for you to ask me that." She said quickly. "I've been longing for that... Of course... Of course I will be your wife." She said, smiling.

Ana didn't want to talk about her experience, it was painful, she wanted to forget and move on. She looked up at Blane, her eyes wide, but she knew she was safe now. "...How did you find me?" She asked him. "I saw them lock you up... How did you escape? I... I had given up hope when I saw you being locked up..." That was what Ana really wanted to know. "And... who are you?" Ana asked, looking up at Leon and Lena.

Leon smiled. He was happy seeing another couple happy together. He was happy that they were reunited, and now engaged. He was happy that he and Lena had saved them. It was a good feeling, one that he was proud of. It was a continuation of their new start. Now... Now he and Lena could marry. Now they could start over again.

It was also a little bit odd. Lena and he knew so much about the two Paladins, but they knew nothing of Lena or himself. It was also a little bit ironic that to capture Leon, they had told him they would reunite him with his girlfriend. That had been a lie. But in the end, that's exactly what they had done, and their true intentions had not come true. Well, they kinda did.

"Congrats, you two." Leon said, as he drove the car quickly from the Order of Shadows, heading back towards his home...

Notty
08-02-2015, 02:41 AM
Blane laughed happily, then leaned down and kissed Ana deeply, pulling her towards him and holding her. When he finally let go, there were tears in his eyes. He smiled, brushing Ana's cheek with his fingers, stroking lovingly, kissing her again. "I love you..."

Taking in a sharp breath, Blane looked to Leon and Lena, chuckling a bit. "They actually found me when I discovered you were gone..." He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "They helped me, brought me to this place, I had to pretend like I was a prisoner..." His face fell a bit, "well, sort of pretend..." His eyes moved to Lena and Leon.

Lena couldn't help but feel a bit guilty as Blane told the story, and as his voice faded, she spoke up. "We are, well, we were- bounty hunters sort of..." Her eyes scanned Ana's face. "I'm Lena, this is Leon, my finance," she grinned at the word, her cheeks warming.

"We were hired to find both of you, but when we discovered you were gone already, we hatched a plan to get Blane..." She swallowed hard, looking at Blane. "I'm- I'm sorry we weren't truthful with you at first..." Reaching over she took Leon's hand and smiled.

"But, Blane...he told Leon about you two, well..." She smiled, "you three. We couldn't let Phoebe- that woman- keep you, so we knew we had to break you out." Lena sighed and rubbed Leon's arm. "And now, now we go home..."

Drakonnas
08-02-2015, 03:13 AM
Ana felt a few tears come to her face as she held Blane. She was actually going to be marrying him... It all seemed like it had happened quickly, but they had been through so much together in such a short span of time that it felt like they had been together for so much longer... She was his fiance now. She didn't have a ring, or anything like that. It wasn't how she had imagined being proposed to, but in light of what had just happened, it was more than enough. Just the promise of his love, forevermore, was enough for Ana.

She listened to Lena speak, surprised at the unlikely tale. She rubbed her bruises as they began to itch a little bit... So, Blane had been captured by these two... Ana looked at them, slightly startled. But... they had helped her escape, had helped Blane rescue her. And for that, she could not fault them.

"I... I thank you." Ana said, to Lena and Leon. Their auras were a bit mixed up and confused. "You saved my life. Blane's life. And for that... I don't know how I can repay you. You saved my child's life... Our child's life." She looked over at Blane, lovingly.

Leon couldn't help but laugh. "Well... I never thought this would be how things turned out." He looked back at Blane and Ana. "We were paid to capture you. Instead, we rescue you, break you out, and take the money anyway." He laughed. "We were supposed to capture you. But instead... We free you."

He paused a moment. "We're done with that part of our lives." He said simply. "Neither of us want to continue the violence. We want to leave that part of our lives behind. I promised Lena I would marry her when this job was completed. We're going to settle down in our house together. And... We're ultimately going to raise a family."

His grin grew, and Ana knew instantly he was telling the truth. "Well... I wish you luck." Anastasia said, smiling. She didn't care where they were going. All she cared about was being in Blane's arms.

Notty
08-02-2015, 03:35 AM
Blane glanced down as Ana rubbed at the bruises on her wrists, and he took her hands in his, and gently kissed her wrists, rubbing them gently. "I've got you..." he whispered with a smile, then gently pulled Ana back so she was leaning back against him, and he rested his hands on her stomach, protecting her and their unborn child.

He looked at Leon as he spoke of starting their own life, of getting married, raising a family and having a home of their own. Blane couldn't help but feel a bit inadequate. He couldn't provide those things for Ana. Right now, all they had was hours away at a small house behind Mr. Baldini's grocery store.

Lena continued glancing back and forth from Blane to Leon as Leon spoke, and she couldn't help but notice the almost sad look in Blane's eyes. She shifted a bit in her seat, reaching over and taking Leon's hand. "If you want, you can rest. We will let you know when we get there...."

Blane nodded and leaned his head back, closing his eyes as he held Ana and their child. He was exhausted, and found that he quickly fell asleep, trusting Leon and Lena.

Lena stayed quiet for a while, then turned to Leon when she thought Blane and Ana would be asleep. "What....what would you think of us...helping them out?" she whispered quietly, "they've lost everything, and we have more than enough..."

Drakonnas
08-02-2015, 03:54 AM
Ana quickly fell asleep as Blane held her. It was a sign of just how much she trusted him. After everything she had just experienced, to willingly sleep in his arms was a big signal of trust. Granted, that was to be expected; he was her fiancé now. Ana's sleep, thankfully, was dreamless. She was comfortable in Blane's hands, and she knew she would be okay now. Nothing else would happen to them. Nothing else would happen. She was safe now.

Leon looked over at his fiancé as she spoke. His eyes turned to look at the two, now sleeping, and back at Lena. He nodded, liking the idea very much. "Yes... I think we should. We should help them out. Besides... I think they could be good friends in the future." He said, taking Lena's hand, and holding it in his own.

"Besides... you're right. We have more than enough for us, and our kids. I think it's only right that we help them out... I have a few ideas..." He grinned, and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "What if we offer to pay for Ana's operation? Give her the gift of sight again?" He couldn't help grinning at the idea. "She'll be able to see. For the first time in her life... I think that's a good wedding gift, what do you think?" He kissed Lena.

"That being said, Lena dear, we need to get started planning our wedding. I plan to make you mine as soon as possible. You are my beloved, my everything. I couldn't ask for anything else. You are my life. You have my heart and soul. And our children will be proof of that. I will care for them as much as I for you."

Drakonnas
08-02-2015, 03:54 AM
Ana quickly fell asleep as Blane held her. It was a sign of just how much she trusted him. After everything she had just experienced, to willingly sleep in his arms was a big signal of trust. Granted, that was to be expected; he was her fiancé now. Ana's sleep, thankfully, was dreamless. She was comfortable in Blane's hands, and she knew she would be okay now. Nothing else would happen to them. Nothing else would happen. She was safe now.

Leon looked over at his fiancé as she spoke. His eyes turned to look at the two, now sleeping, and back at Lena. He nodded, liking the idea very much. "Yes... I think we should. We should help them out. Besides... I think they could be good friends in the future." He said, taking Lena's hand, and holding it in his own.

"Besides... you're right. We have more than enough for us, and our kids. I think it's only right that we help them out... I have a few ideas..." He grinned, and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "What if we offer to pay for Ana's operation? Give her the gift of sight again?" He couldn't help grinning at the idea. "She'll be able to see. For the first time in her life... I think that's a good wedding gift, what do you think?" He kissed Lena.

"That being said, Lena dear, we need to get started planning our wedding. I plan to make you mine as soon as possible. You are my beloved, my everything. I couldn't ask for anything else. You are my life. You have my heart and soul. And our children will be proof of that. I will care for them as much as I for you."

Notty
08-02-2015, 04:07 AM
Blane held Ana as they rode towards their as of yet, unknown location. He slept soundly, both of his arms around Ana, one on her stomach, the other holding her hand, keeping them close. He loved her, and now, she was his. He didn't care if they got married the moment they stopped, in the clothes they were in. He loved her, and that was all that mattered.

Lena's eyes widened, and she leaned over and kissed Leon's cheek. "I...I think that's the greatest gift you could give them..." She smiled and stroked Leon's face, her eyes scanning his profile. "I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't see you..." Her grin widened and she couldn't help but laugh a bit. "It's perfect Leon, it's perfect, she will be ecstatic!"

Blane shifted a bit, and then pulled Ana closer to him, his lips finding her forehead even in sleep. She was his. No one would take her from him again.

Lena smiled as she looked back at them, then looked to Leon. "You're a good man, you..you did the right thing. Helping them," resting her head on his shoulder, she let out a contented sigh. "and I think you're right, we might find good friends in them..."

Notty
08-02-2015, 04:07 AM
Blane held Ana as they rode towards their as of yet, unknown location. He slept soundly, both of his arms around Ana, one on her stomach, the other holding her hand, keeping them close. He loved her, and now, she was his. He didn't care if they got married the moment they stopped, in the clothes they were in. He loved her, and that was all that mattered.

Lena's eyes widened, and she leaned over and kissed Leon's cheek. "I...I think that's the greatest gift you could give them..." She smiled and stroked Leon's face, her eyes scanning his profile. "I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't see you..." Her grin widened and she couldn't help but laugh a bit. "It's perfect Leon, it's perfect, she will be ecstatic!"

Blane shifted a bit, and then pulled Ana closer to him, his lips finding her forehead even in sleep. She was his. No one would take her from him again.

Lena smiled as she looked back at them, then looked to Leon. "You're a good man, you..you did the right thing. Helping them," resting her head on his shoulder, she let out a contented sigh. "and I think you're right, we might find good friends in them..."

Lena chuckled and nodded, "as soon as we get home, love, I'll get started on plans, all right? Maybe Ana and I can work together, since they are engaged now too," she smiled, glancing back at the couple. "Maybe you can help Blane find a place to live?"

Drakonnas
08-02-2015, 04:39 AM
Leon grinned, pleased with Lena's compliments. He knew this was the right thing to do, and he knew that it would mean a lot to Ana and Blane. Because of him, they had nothing left. He could sense that in their eyes. They worried about it. Well... Leon thought to himself, that they wouldn't have to worry nearly as much after he was done. He was determined to right the wrongs that had been done. He was going to be okay. They were going to be okay.

"Yes... Yes, she will be. I can't wait to see the look on her face..." Leon smiled hesitantly. "I... I feel like it's almost righting the wrongs, in some way, that I've done." He sighed. "But... we're going to live our lives, happy, healthy, and free. I will do everything in my power to provide for you, and for our kids." He smiled, and placed a hand on Lena's stomach, wondering if she was with child or not.

"You helped and encouraged me, Lena." Leon said quietly. "You have your own role to play in this as well. You have helped me far more than you know." He smiled. "And yes. Yes, I will help Blane figure out where they can live. And you can help Ana out, hmm? That sounds like a good plan." Leon kissed her hand gently. They still had a little ways to go before they got to their destination...

Notty
08-02-2015, 04:46 AM
Lena smiled as Leon placed his hand on her stomach, taking in a deep breath. Was she pregnant? It was certainly possible. Her heart pounded a little harder, and she looked at Leon, her eyes scanning his face. Did he want children already? Her cheeks flushed at the thought, and she placed her hand on top of his on her stomach. Only time would tell. It wouldn't be long now, she'd know.

"I think that's a perfect idea," she smiled, kissing his shoulder and then resting her head against him. "There's a lot of wrongs that I want to right, things that I want to do to try and give back for all I took..." She sighed and closed her eyes, keeping their hands on her belly.

Blane's eyes slowly opened, and he glanced around, first to Leon and Lena, who were talking softly to each other, his hand on her belly, and then to Ana, his lover, best friend and mother of his child. He smiled and kissed the top of her head, tucking some hair behind her ear.

He could feel his heart swell with love for Ana, and he knew that he would do anything for her. He would protect her, care for her, provide for her. It might be tough, and they'd have hard times, but he would do everything he could. With no idea where Leon was taking them, Blane knew that regardless, he'd be there for Ana. If it meant she got what she needed, Blane could go without.

Notty
08-02-2015, 04:46 AM
Lena smiled as Leon placed his hand on her stomach, taking in a deep breath. Was she pregnant? It was certainly possible. Her heart pounded a little harder, and she looked at Leon, her eyes scanning his face. Did he want children already? Her cheeks flushed at the thought, and she placed her hand on top of his on her stomach. Only time would tell. It wouldn't be long now, she'd know.

"I think that's a perfect idea," she smiled, kissing his shoulder and then resting her head against him. "There's a lot of wrongs that I want to right, things that I want to do to try and give back for all I took..." She sighed and closed her eyes, keeping their hands on her belly.

Blane's eyes slowly opened, and he glanced around, first to Leon and Lena, who were talking softly to each other, his hand on her belly, and then to Ana, his lover, best friend and mother of his child. He smiled and kissed the top of her head, tucking some hair behind her ear.

He could feel his heart swell with love for Ana, and he knew that he would do anything for her. He would protect her, care for her, provide for her. It might be tough, and they'd have hard times, but he would do everything he could. With no idea where Leon was taking them, Blane knew that regardless, he'd be there for Ana. If it meant she got what she needed, Blane could go without.

Drakonnas
08-02-2015, 05:46 AM
As the car rolled to a stop, Leon stretched. They had finally gotten home. Night was beginning to fall, they would need somewhere to sleep. He looked back at Blane and Ana, who were still... no, Blane was awake. Ana though, was still asleep. He didn't want to wake the girl, and so he spoke in a softer whisper. "We're home, Lena." He said smiling, and kissing her hand. "If you like, you can go inside... I'll help get these two settled. Or you can come help, that's okay too."

He turned to Blane. "Blane... I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I hope you can forgive us. You are free to sleep in here tonight if you wish it, that way you don't have to wake Ana. I can bring you more pillows and blankets if you need them... Then tomorrow, we can get you a home." He smiled. "You just have to let me know what it is you need, and we'll do what we can to help you."

Notty
08-02-2015, 01:51 PM
Lena nodded and smiled, leaning over and kissing Leon gently several times. "Alright, I love you," she whispered, then slipped out of the car and headed into the house. Their house. It had felt like it had been ages since they had been there, but really it had just been one long, tiring, and emotional day.

But Blane and Ana were safe, despite them having completely different plans for them initially. She was hopeful that they could strike up a friendship, and couldn't wait to wedding plan with Ana, and hoped that she would be receptive to her friendship. Stripping down and pulling on a plain white nightgown, Lena laid down, waiting for Leon.

Blane looked at Leon and smiled, nodding a bit. "That would be great, thanks," he said, glancing down at the sleeping form in his arms. She looked exhausted, and worse for wear. Dried blood covered her wrists, ankles and neck, and she had a slight bruise on her cheek from where Phoebe had struck her repeatedly. But Blane didn't care. She was still the most beautiful woman to him.

When Leon returned with the pillows and blankets, Blane released one hand from his hold on Ana, and shifted them, moving them so they could lay comfortably on the pillows and blankets. He closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh, pulling Ana towards him. "We are safe," he whispered to her sleeping form. "And I love you."