Death threat or a warning of what's to come?

[Nexeus]

For him it was finally a day to relax, a day where Zane can finally take a breather of the past three weeks of events that was causing him much frustration. Everyone goes through these, yet it felt like he was stepping on nothing but mine feilds of personal issues that circled around him and a few select others.

Finally a day to spend with his brothers and sisters of Vitae Covente as Kyrros was DJing, complaining of a horrible night. The thing was that for Zane the night would only get worse. A man came up to him, pleased to meet him, to talk to him. At first Zane thought he was being hit on until he said it.

"So who would ever want to Kill you?" Nashka told him as he quickly began monorting his com, pressing a button with very little notice so that he could begin recording the events.

22:16: Tharkael: Ahhh now we come to the meat of things.
22:16: Nashka: Meat... Yes
22:16: Tharkael: I guess someone doesn't like me a lot.
22:16: Nashka: Indeed Mr. Conmy Dude
22:16: Nashka looks around.
22:17: Nashka: Ive been looking forward to meeting you
22:17: Tharkael: Well at least yer being civil about it.
22:17: Nashka: Well, Theres no harm in it /me winks again
22:17: Tharkael: But the question is who would want to kill me.
22:17: Nashka sighs
22:18: Nashka: See Thats the bit Id like to say.
22:18: Nashka: But She is a strange lady.
22:18: Nashka puts the guns away slowly
22:18: Tharkael: She... eh?
22:19: Tharkael: Maybe you want to have this conversation in a less con****uius space?
22:19: Tharkael motions to the other VC members in the room.
22:19: Nashka: Women eh heh *me smiles to Thark*
22:19: Tharkael: Don't want to stir up a commotion.
22:19: Arthenas: Whats up?
22:19: Tharkael: Nothing Arth.
22:20: Arthenas: alright then, I'll go back to dancing
22:20: Nashka: Just a discussion
22:20: Tharkael: That it is.
22:20: Tharkael: Hummm Xtronica Entertainment.
22:20: Nashka: Entertainment
22:20: Nashka: Thats right
22:20: Tharkael: That is Sensuality's organization right?
22:21: Nashka: But not right in the sence of what you think
22:21: Nashka: But regardless
22:21: Nashka: You seem like a good man.
22:21: Tharkael: Well...
22:21: Tharkael: Let me say this...
22:21: Tharkael: If you really want to find out... do you trust your president.
22:21: Nashka listens
22:22: Tharkael: Ask her about me.
22:22: Nashka: Trust is a word
22:22: Tharkael: If you trust what she says, you'll answer the question.
22:22: Nashka: Like Love
22:22: Nashka: You Love right
22:22: Nashka winks
22:23: Nashka: Course its fickle
22:23: Nashka: *fickle
22:23: Tharkael: I love many things, like my life, my family, myself.
22:23: Tharkael: Because without love, then i would not be able to live.
22:23: Nashka: Yea, so do I need a bullet? Do you trust loive? do I trust my President?
22:24: Tharkael: Are these questions I'm supposed to answer aloud or rhetorical.
22:24: Tharkael: ((Join the club))
22:25: Tharkael looks left and right.
22:26: Tharkael flips a few com switches.
22:27: Nashka: Thing is Thark...
22:27: Tharkael: Please call me Zane
22:27: Nashka looks down to the floor.
22:27: Tharkael: Everyone else does.
22:27: Nashka smiles fakely again
22:28: Nashka: OK Zane, call me Stefen
22:28: Tharkael: Sure Stefen.
22:28: Nashka: Like I was sayin
22:28: Nashka: Theres a actually few that want you gone
22:28: Nashka: Youd be surprised.
22:29: Nashka: And maybe the image of your face will show it
22:29: Nashka: ?
22:29: Nashka: But I read your bio
22:29: Tharkael: Humm... nice request... but regardless... I'm not surprized that a few people would like me dead.
22:30: Nashka: I think if you look into your own bio, the mind
22:30: Nashka: maybe I wont see that expression when your finally leaving in a hurry
22:30: Nashka: ?
22:31: Nashka: Well Put it this way, I dont want you dead in particular dude
22:31: Nashka: I just gotta pay the bills, feed the Leet ya know.
22:31: Nashka looks around again
22:31: Tharkael: Yeah I know... no one ever wants to do the job, they just want to carry it out.
22:31: Tharkael: To survive.
22:32: Nashka: Funny, here you can live forever *raises arms
22:32: Nashka: And yet
22:32: Nashka: he *smiles to himself.
22:33: Nashka: Death is more of a commoddity
22:33: Nashka: The one who rules... *looks serious all of a sudden*
22:34: Tharkael keeps an eye on Nashka, his facial expressions not changing.
22:35: Nashka: Is the one who you least expect Zane
22:35: Tharkael raises a brow.
22:36: Nashka: I seen what you- *sighs* Look, do yourself a favour, hide for a while, from everyone
22:36: Nashka: Cuz...
22:36: Nashka smiles cheekily
22:36: Tharkael: You didn't have to say as much, but you'll do your job eh?
22:37: Nashka: I need the Leet food
22:37: Nashka: Yup Dude, I have to do my job
22:37: Tharkael: Well then the game is afoot eh?
22:37: Tharkael: But can I ask a question or two?
22:38: Nashka: We all gotta do what we have to do
22:38: Tharkael: Well I understand that, completely.
22:39: Tharkael: But... first... how much?
22:39: Nashka: You make it hard.
22:39: Nashka: Tell her, tell her soon, and revel in it. Before I have to do what I have to
22:40: Nashka sighs
22:40: Nashka: Prez I gotta go *looks a bit morose*
22:40: Nashka: Prez... Its bad

After it was all said and done, he could only think of a few people who would want him killed. So, it was time for him to begin his search... and find people who could give him answers.

[SinisterCake]

A WEEK EARLIER… PART 1.

The man was OK, Vashka bent his atrox frame over the man he had just knocked down to the cold stone floor, confirming a pulse. He looked up to his ‘brother’ who watched on with folded arms and a lithe Solitus frame, Nashka was still red with anger from what the man had now done to him. Vashka smiled to try to cheer up his foster brother.

"Hey, The Botos Bros. kick Butt right?" He patted Nashka on the back, then straightened out his designer long coat and cleaned his baton with a disposable wet wipe, pretending to be focused completely with the task, but keeping his brother in sight. Through his peripheral vision he noticed the way Nash had not moved a muscle during the near minute of time that passed.

Nashka’s eyes were wide open, blurry-eyed with the salty clear liquid he was practically a stranger to. The tears rolled down his cheeks but still he did not move a muscle, he just carried on staring at the man lying unconscious before him.

The man was in rags, looked like some stim junky from the streets of the Sewer areas in Omni Entertainment sector. Vashka noticed the tears, and frowned - he’d never really seen Nashka cry, except from when they were younger, and he used to bully him, or ‘muck about’ as he liked to call it. If it were not for that fact he would have thought his brother as mad, to react like he did to what the man said. He was never too at ease with physical contact. He put the baton away and stood by Nashka’s side, joining him in the staring of the man, he extended his arm and simply rested a hand on his brothers shoulder.

To Nashka those words were said as if Years ago, in fact it had only been a few minutes since they both walked past the man who was sat leaning against a wall, and staring at the brothers, brief smile and then…

"Oi, Stefan! You remember that time, when it was your 8th birthday? Err… When you were out at night by yourself, you were scared and cold but curious at that noise you heard, that growling type noise? Erm.. And then that scream of that baby Leet coming from behind you, the one you killed? Then when you turned around, it was dead, rotting flesh-maggot, err, yea maggot coming out the eye… You woke up in the night and wet the bed" The man laughed as Nashka froze in his tracks, a look of shock, fear, confusion all dancing about his pale face, eyes piercing into this raggedy younger sewage smelling man’s own.

"Wha- What?"

"And you even managed to wash the sheets and remake your bed, without waking up neither your parents or your brother?"

"How the Hell you-"

The man coughed and giggled obviously finding this amusing, a kind of revenge against the better off man before him. "Heh, you never told anyone that, or that time when you, err… oh yea this ones a real clincher hehe"

Vashka looked to Nashka, then to the rag man, then back again, "Nash? He’s just a nut." Vashka went to grab Nashka to signal they continue their journey.

"Wait!" Nashka flung his arm away from his brother, who was beginning to look confused at Nashka’s actions to what this filthy and badly dressed man was saying.

"-Err she was called Lubby, and well, you spied on her undressing from the hallway…. Dirty, dirty boy hehe. And then when she was in the shower you sneaked in and stole her panties she took off. You remember that one? She got so worried that she was being stalked or, there was a ghost in the apartments that she reported it to the School police? You felt so bad then eh?"

"Hey! Shut up trash! Here…" Vashka threw some cold stones to the floor next to the man, "Now we go Nashka, OK?" He was getting really worried and slightly peeved; did this tramp really know what no one should ever know about another?

"You- you can’t know this… It’s Impossible!?" Nashka suddenly shouted out with such force that he spat them out.

The tramp was getting up, picked up the cold stones. "Remember the tim-" There was a blur of fast motion, the man said no more before he even hit the floor.

They were both staring at the mans unconscious body for about a minute or two. "I think you need time to yourself, now is not the time to talk about it… I’ll be able to carry on the job by myself OK?" Vashka said without looking at his brother. There was no reply, "Call me when and if you want to talk." Nashka blinked his teary eyes in acknowledgement. Vashka nodded and smiled slightly and walked away, Nashka still stood there a few minutes, finally he wiped his red eyes, and searched the man. Inside the only pocket without a hole in it, he found a picture of himself and Vashka, there was also some folded up paper with printed words, it was as if a script for the man to act out. Except for the final memory that this tramp was supposed to say next were these words, 'Stefan Botos, be at Rompa’s third table on your right tomorrow, 18:00, and find out how far the knowledge goes'.

"So, your just the messenger eh ya F***er?" He whispered, putting the picture and the script in his pocket, rage he had never felt before was beginning to spill over, that much he was feeling. He walked away a few steps, then stopped and walked a few steps back, pulled out his two pistols and span around. As he pulled gently on the trigger’s of the guns, he felt his own soul pulling at a trigger killing who he was, peppering the wall of his morality and virtues - and it even felt ‘good’. "Oopps, I shot the messenger" He said with a glazed look at the bleeding corpse.

Vashka didn’t hear the gunshots, he was too far away wondering if he should have dragged Nashka away in case he might on the off chance beat the man up some, which in truth probably wouldn't happen, so he hoped anyway. He didn’t even want to think about what the encounter meant or could mean, so he didn’t.

[SinisterCake]

(( Follow up coming soon, Been busy ))

[Nexeus]

They couldn’t have had chosen a better time to call for a hit, but he should have expected it. Always attack when your enemy is at their weakest, a rule that his mother taought him long ago. Now, resting in his apartment, Zane can only sit back and wonder about what has happened and what will happen. It’s been a while since he was able to keep to himself and have his thoughts to himself, expecting the past half an hour of starting blankly at the ceiling as thoughts ran though his head; he expected his com to ring or for something to happen that would disturb his peace, but it didn’t. His thoughts now became his priority, his worries and concerns over keeping the organization afloat, keeping people close to him, and still kept as a part of the family. Like most families though, fractures happen, issues arise, people argue and leave. Although he hated it, the departures, both good and bad were an eventual mental rest, the resolution of the storm that had passed. Now, all he had was his thoughts, and himself.
“How long has it been since I’ve actually rested,” he asks himself quietly looking into the darkness in front of him, “a month, two. It feels longer… like a year…”
He knew his comment was not true, he hadn’t moved to TIR a year ago, he was still a part of his community in the forests. He reached lazily for his club Colombo xxx beer that stood on the floor by his side. It’s been sitting by his side for the past half an hour, just opened and slightly tasted before he let his mind unravel from all of the thoughts and issues that had happened.
“And just to add to the mix, there’s a price on my head… damn…” he said to himself aloud, changing the topic in his own mind. The fact that someone wanted to kill him surprised him. Someone wanted to get at him and he wanted to know whom, he wanted to know why. Though, after talking to the person that was going to perform the hit, he felt that he was reluctant. Another sigh, and another sip, the third, but it seemed that Zane became aware of what was around him aside from staring idle into blank space, waiting for someone to break up his first moment of peace in some time. It was his first chance to be with himself before life on Rubi-Ka became complicated.
Although he was a country boy, his mother trained him like a special operations operative, something he would later come to learn that she was apart of in Omni-Tek. Even though his brother seemed the most receptive of them, he was the most, carefully studying tactics and attack formations, all things she taught him. Yet, he applied them all to nature, and the forests that he lived in, knowing that he would have to use them to protect his land some day or the other, he just didn’t know when. When it did happen, sooner than he had expected it, he did put them to full use, but promised he would never use them the way he did… no one should be that cunning, that heartless he felt. But now was one of those times he would have to come back to them.
After the threat was made aware to him in Reets, he panicked and shielded himself around a few friends. It was too much for him, too much to handle. After a moment of getting is bearings together he turned into a leet, and hid amongst the shadows not to be detected by those watching and quite possibly following him. He eventually made it back to The Cup, one of the safest places he knows, and hid for a while. He observed as shortly after an Omni-Tek employee did a sweep of the area, and all he could do was remain quiet. Another moment passed as quite easily, Zane began using his com with expertise, his little leet hands pressing buttons, turning dials, his nose assisting with some of the hard to reach commands that hovered in front of him and on the several com pads on his body.
The first was to Betji, sending the com the day of, he was able to sit with her about five days later, the issues in Vitae Covente was a lot more important than the opportunity he would go into reclaim. They sat and talked, along with another, an adventurer from Valor Eternal, she was cute though but he regretted how suddenly she was caught into all of this. Regardless, Betji gave him a few instructions and said she’ll find out more information, but also was disturbed by the hitman, he made a note of having to ask her why later.
The second would be to Lizor, but he knew that she would find out regardless and he knew that Relle would have already told her. Granted Lizor should hear it from his mouth. He only signed filling out his daily General report.
Lastly he would have to go to the source, to where Nersia was a part of, to the leader of Xtrophic. Granted, he didn’t hate Sensuality, and her departure from Vitae Covente was not by any means a soft one, but he knew he would have to talk to her. Wednesday night he did. What made it worse was their history, the pain, some of that damage un-repairable.
“You have my word and honor Zane. I would not call a hit on you, I don’t even know about it.” She said in response to him com message on Wednesday night. He felt that he could trust her and her words about not calling the hit, he didn’t think that she was the type of person to stoop to a low like this. Regardless he believed her, and it was a conversation he had to have with her, no one else. He wanted to hear it.
“So who was it?” She became adamant about it and he refused to tell her.
“Sorry I can’t,” he said to her, “trust me, it isn’t that I don’t trust you, I just want to see if I can find out as much information about this before any source leaves. If I tell you, way too many people would know, you’ll find out, just not now.” He as well wasn’t secure about the com, or even about anything anymore. Who knew, if she really did care then telling her would only cause reparations onto the person that was going to do the hit, and that would only cause some major issues because then those who ordered it would know.
Zane just sighed and sat back thinking to himself “what next”. Yet the thought only disappeared again as he looked over at the gridsite forums realizing he still had an organization to help, and they needed his attention a bit more.

[SinisterCake]

PART 2

He was sweating, but the rain that fell down and his lack of an umbrella hid that fact, his long hair secured him in some way. He hadn’t thought too much about the Rag man he murdered the night before. Hadn’t slept last night, maybe you could call it shock, maybe avoidance? He didn’t think, just looked upwards at the drops of rain that fell, ‘tears of God’.

His in built chrono timer flashed up in his vision the time, a few minutes till he’d meet whoever it was that knew he would get hold of the note; maybe that rag man was going to hand it to him after he had his fun of splicing up Nashka’s memories, as if he were a side street theatre act?

A couple of Yalm’s hovered by the bridge to Roompa’s looking for, or waiting for landing clearance on one of the buildings around it. Nashka walked up the ramp and through the huge doors that opened up enough for him to enter. The Bouncers let him through but one of them noticed the grim look and body language, but nodded his clearance anyway, Nashka was after all one of the Entertainment employees, if somewhat new.

Nashka entered the bar Room hoping it to be relatively quiet, thankfully it was one of those nights so far where there were hardly any one around. His hazel eyes whipped to the table he was to go to and saw no one there. He sighed, and felt watched, as if the person was here already and watching him.

He was there at the table and sat down, a few cleaner bots fluttered about, one was on the table and prodded Nashka with a small vacuum appendage. Nash almost jumped out of his skin, and watched as the Small round Ashtray type bot dropped a small PDA type device then scuttled off to the next table. Nash looked around with his eyes only not moving his head, and smiled cynically at show of ‘weakness’ and anxiety.

He looked to the bot that dropped it, ‘transmitter or a camera in there watching me?’, he walked to where it was doing its job and grabbed it. It whirred its disapproval of the interruption with a series of beeps, which went ignored. Nashka rotated the contraption to see any surface detail that looked untoward but he noticed none, so began to prize open the bottom panel.

There was a hiss, acrid smelling smoke started to flow from the bot that was getting physically too hot to hold. He dropped the machine onto the floor and cursed, as he watched it literally melt away into junk. "Damn it" he muttered again and looked around, the bar staff had thankfully not noticed.

He then brought his attention to the PDA device, as soon as he did so text appeared on it, "Nice of you to make it, although I was wondering about that poor man that was employed, he never showed up for his meagre fee? I do not suppose you remember where you saw him last Stefan?

Again nothing seemed untoward with the PDA device except its only function seemed to be text base communication via the screen and digital pen. Nashka started to write. "Please cut the BS, what do you want from me?"

"Who says I want anything?"

"Everybody wants something, specially when going through all this trouble."

"Who said it was any trouble?"

"Look, whoever you are, I just want to know one thing… How?" He felt the heat of anger rising slowly, it surprised him.

"Ah… questions, only one I can see, but the most valuable isn’t it?"

"Please don’t play games with me, its clearly not about money, its obviously to do with your deranged mind though, god damn freak."

"Ouch, that hurt kiddo. If were to work together I suggest we try to at least be civil and cordial yes?"

"This is the part where I ask, ‘what do you mean’ right?"

"Well, there are some certain bad elements that exists; I think we both must show the righteous path to them, since death is no longer permanent, what does it do to the mind, or even the soul?"

"Bad elements. OK Look I asked you before, and I will walk if you don’t tell me how you know what you do."

"Well I did say valuable, but sure I’ll give your simple mind a clue… What we can do these days with biology, simply fascinating." Nashka could imagine the man smiling behind the screen, all smug.

"Oh and not to burst your bubble too much, I don’t have a third leg - you men, honestly. The nickname is Tharkael, lets see how good you are, find him, I’ll be in touch. Our secret kiddo." There was a pause and before Nash could respond. "Oh and don’t burn your fingers again."

The PDA device hissed and knowing what was coming he dropped the device onto the table, as surly enough it melted away to almost nothing.

Nashka slowly turned to sit down on a stool and just stared at the wall for a few seconds, then collapsed his head into his hands, ‘at least in the dark she can’t see’ was the only consoling thought.

‘Tharkael, I will find him… and I will get to the bottom of this… I must.’