Art & Erotica by Libitina Lucus

Reconciliation

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Even now, three months past Ketna's escape from the very close attempt on her life, the rumor of her death persisted. It wasn't headliner news, her existence wasn't wide spread to the public, but niche news and info groups spread the word that Zephyra, the only name her identity was known by, was dead. Either she had truly, successfully convinced her enemies that the decoy she left behind was her dead body or they knew she was alive and had their own reasons for allowing this rumor to persist. But for all Munin could find on his own, most of the not-so-public talk pointed to it being largely believed that she was dead.

Ketna was not at her best when she made the decision to go back to work. There were still lingering effects from the poison, nausea, occasional tremors, and slightly slowed healing and stamina, but by this time the major injuries she had sustained had finally healed and that was enough for her. Wanting to capitalize on the lax security measures following her death and because she hated not having work to do, she eased herself back into her usual tasks. She started with small things, like stealing her mask back from Xerxes, to more important matters. Venturing back to territories she had not investigated for a while left her with plenty of small odds and ends to work on. Infiltration was easier in some places, as they had laxed with the expectation that they wouldn't need to guard against a visit from her. In a way it was almost a blessing, the rumor of death had almost set things back to the way they were when she first started, before everyone noticed her presence and began to share information to guard against her.

However, it also resulted in agencies becoming bolder, acting without fear of retaliation. While she had intended to ignore proceedings going on Xerxes' general area, in her downtime there was an uptick in missing persons cases that only continued to escalate the longer she had remained out of the picture and it bothered her to the point she could no longer wait for the poison to run its course.

Keeping up with the cases virtually allowed her to follow trails and narrow down the location to an underground robotics fabrication facility they had used before. Since they thought she was dead, there was no reason for them to move or obscure the facilities. A warehouse entrance where final units were assembled and shipped with a guarded elevator that led to the R & D facilities down below that utilized less than above board techniques. Rescue operations for underground facilities were always more complicated than a sabotage run but familiarity with the facility meant she also knew the best escape route to use for a group. And while she had to be more careful due to her remaining compromises, if she got in quietly and did things surgically it shouldn't be a problem. In through the main elevator and out through the transport tunnels before anyone would be able to mobilize.

She timed her approach at an interval which she knew the facility would be stretched thinner than typical, their security hires accompanying the rounds of robotics and cyberware shipments. It wasn't significant but less security was still less security. But when she arrived at the facility in question, what she was met with was far less activity than even she had anticipated, almost too good to be true. It wasn't until she crossed her first dead guard, then another, and another, that it became clear why she had not seen the usual amount making their rounds. Either someone else also had the same idea of infiltrating the facility on this day or some experiment was on the loose killing people.

Ketna kept her movements quiet, her senses tracking any sound or indication of movement around her in the expectation that whatever had been killing the guards was just as likely to kill her. Even with the reduced detail, she kept her approach to one of the side entrances, snagging an ID card off the closest guard in preparation to open the door only to find she didn't need it, a body had kept it propped open. A cautionary sweep of the room, and a thermal overlay for good measure indicated any remaining bodies that would have been in the room were on the ground, unmoving. The walls beyond were well insulated so no hints as to how much may be left would be available to her from here. Luckily for her, she caught the sound of movement just outside the room, far enough away to not be in immediate danger providing her more than ample time to get into position.

Moving swift but carefully, she positioned herself against the wall to the open archway that fed into a large hall. There were heavy footsteps down the hall, approaching her position indicated either a mech or someone heavily armored. She dared not peer around the corner, as she would have easily been made by something that close and instead had to prepare for whatever it could be. Listening out for the movement she waited at the edge of the wall, just out of sight and quiet. The moment the step was right where needed it, she flung herself around the corner at the unsuspecting target.

Her target, though not prepared for her attack, was fast and retaliated quickly to her leap. Swift movements, each party prepared to overcome or subdue the other. Her hand caught his own to delay the readying of his firearm, his hand redirected her knife, and then froze. She moved faster than her visual input could register, but the flash of color shifting purple was unmistakable. The voice identified him just as clearly. She had an answer for the cause of the dead guards, now.

"Ketna?!" His voice was a mix of shock, and oddly enough to her, what sounded like relief.

His guard was down immediately, permitting Ketna to pin him down in the momentum. They tumbled to the ground with a heavy thud of Xerxes' back hitting the floor, Ketna perched on his chest.

"Xerxes." Ketna did not sound nearly as relieved, latent feelings of anger and betrayal could be heard in her pragmatic reply.

The hand that grasped his pistol no longer fought against his assailant, but the grip Xerxes held on Ketna's arm that wielded the knife tightened with desperate insistence.

"You're not dead!" Xerxes' exclamation was one of elation, not disappointment.

"Yeaahh sorry to disappoint you, should have checked the body more thoroughly before you started celebrating." Ire laced her words, while more pressure was placed into the arm that held the knife.

Xerxes glanced at the knife then back to Ketna.

"Thought y'couldnt kill me cus-a some chain reaction r'some shit like that."

"I'm currently weighing my options about that."

The answer was only partially true. While she was deliberating, she was struck by the delayed notion that he called her by her name. Not by her hero title or his usual list of nicknames, derogatory or otherwise, but by the only name he knew her by.

"Yah, look, before y'do that, I gotta proposition for yah-" Xerxes was quick to get his words in, and sounded as though he knew those reconsideration weren't anything to be worried about. "Dunno what it is you're doin' here 'xactly, but seeing' as we both gotta problem with the guy running' the place, figure we could work together, help each other out."

"I think it's obvious what I'm doing here, but what the fuck are you doing here?"

"Ever since he thought he had a hand in killing' ya, he's been gettin' greedy with his arrangements. Been takin' up more territory than he's earned, cuttin' into my business. Here t'teach him a fuckin' lesson." Xerxes answered with a certain disgust to his voice that indicated his truthfulness on the issue.

Ketna mulled over her options. She wasn't in top form by any stretch of the imagination, she would still be fighting side effects that could cause problems. Of all the times to get a partner to help her out, this was definitely one of them. Even if he did agree to work with her, she didn't trust him enough to watch her back, but at the very least she could count on him to draw fire. He was there for his own gain and that was about the only thing she could trust. Were it not for the ailments she was struggling with, she would have rejected the offer outright. She withdrew the knife from Xerxes' neck.

"Fine, but, what I say, goes, understand?" Ketna was aggressive in her words.

"Heh, whatever y'say, Princess."

With as good a confirmation as she was going to get, Ketna released her hold on Xerxes' arm and slid herself off his chest. She didn't bother sticking around to help him up.

"How much of the security have you dealt with?" Ketna went straight to business.

"Most of 'em, was doin' a sweep back when you ran into me." Xerxes answered while hoisting himself up from the floor. "Wanted t'make sure no one was around t'tattle."

"No one's heard yet?"

"Y'see anyone here?" Xerxes gestured with the hand that held the pistol.

Now that Ketna paid attention to it, she noticed it was silenced. "Don't take you for the kind of person that does stealth operations."

"Wouldn't call it stealth but I ain't a fuckn' idiot. Be stupid t'give 'em warning. Long as they don't call for help, don't matter what I do."

Ketna nodded to concede the pragmatism of his statement, and moved on. "How far in did you make it?"

"Bout up t'where the security was for the warehouse entrance." Xerxes motioned down the hall.

"No sense in wasting daylight, then." Ketna confirmed and took off toward the entrance. She wanted to be done with this as soon as possible.

On the walk over to the doors, Xerxes broke the silence. "So- that was you that stole the mask?"

"I took back what was mine, yes." Ketna responded curtly.

"Guess y'met Capone then."

"Yeah, was surprised you took in one of the cats." Her tone was particularly hostile, irritated at the oddly cordial topic of conversation after what had transpired between them not long ago. "Are you even capable of taking care of something else other than yourself?"

Xerxes prickled at the unexpected hostility. "Hey I take care'a my people just fine."

"You take care of them for as long as they're useful to you." Ketna accused with scathing insistence.

"What, like you're any different, sweetheart?" Xerxes sped up his steps to catch up and head off Ketna blocking her path to ensure she couldn't escape the points he had to make. "Who ya help, that still gets ya somethin'. Fame, praise, fans, that's all somethin' y'can use. Y'seriously mean t'tell me ya'd still be helpin 'em out if ya got nothin out of it."

"Yes, I do." Ketna shoved herself past Xerxes, walking back to face him as she continued to make her point. "Believe it or not, I don't make decisions about what I do or who I help solely based on how it might benefit me personally in the end. And this isn't about fame and glory. In fact, most of my vigilante decisions aren't about myself and what I want, they're about relieving the collective stress of the whole." She twisted back around on a heel, to inspect the double doors and their security measures.

Xerxes wasn't done making his point, following close to her, voice raised louder than before. "Bullshit. Y'Can't tell me you're doin' this cus y'don't want somethin' out of it. Just cus y'make your targets anyone you think is in the wrong, you're still just doin' this cus you want things t'go your way. Y'can justify it all y'want about 'the good of th'people' er whatever the fuck but that's just a fancy way of dressin' up the fact you're just as self-servin as anyone else. Bet that pretty face-a-yours got a life somewhere that's making real good offa' this action here."

Ketna pushed away from the panel to turn around and face Xerxes again. "You think that's why I do this? I don't have a public philanthropist persona for people to fawn over or receive accolades. I'm not some politician, secret business tycoon or entrepreneur. I don't even have a-"

The door opened, a guard on the other side looked on in momentary shock at the two that stood before them.

"Shit." Ketna resigned herself to the unfortunate turn of events.

Xerxes took the guard out before they could react. "Y'got a gun on yah or is all y'carry a knife?"

Ketna reached down, yanking an assault rifle off a nearby dead guard. "I'll make do."

Both took cover behind the open doors, listening out for movement in the warehouse, waiting for the fire that would soon follow.

Ketna tapped on her helmet leaning around the door frame to announce to the warehouse.

"You have five minutes to surrender, if you put down your weapon we will let you leave. Anyone that stays to fight you will die." The helmet's speakers enhanced the sound of her voice, allowing it to echo around the warehouse.

Spattered forms of laughter could be heard among the sound of movement.

"Why bother, they know what they signed up for." Xerxes commented idly while removing the silencer from his pistol.

Ketna reduced the volume before she answered him. "Because they're still people. And you know as well as I do some people took the risks out of desperation, not because they enjoy it. There's always that chance that someone wants to walk away and I think it's important to allow them that opportunity."

"Yeah, like they wouldn't be shot in th'back by their own team." Xerxes grumbled, peeking around the corner.

"That's why you give them cover fire." Ketna delivered the reply in a singsong, patronizing way, while holding up the gun in her hands.

"Fuckin' bitch." Xerxes muttered under his breath.

Not bothering to deal with Xerxes' reply, Ketna glanced back over the door frame. She was disappointed, but not surprised, to see none had looked to be backing down. At least the labor staff seemed to be running for cover.

"Shoot only the guards, let the labor leave, and anyone else that looks unarmed." Ketna ordered.

"That's an easy way of gettin' yourself shot in th'back." Xerxes had taken the time to start scrounging off a dead body on his side of the door.

"I said let them leave, not put your guard down. Or are you incapable of multitasking." Ketna's tone drifted to something more incredulous than before.

"I can fuckin' multitask, just stupid t'take a risk I don't gotta. A dead body ain't gonna shoot you in the back."

"Well technically-"

"Yeah, yeah smartass, I know about death reflexes and automated cybernetics." Xerxes cut her off with a huff then readied his gun. "This a normal five minutes or a whatever your guilt feels like tellin' ya is five minutes."

Ketna leaned over in the corner enough to fire a few shots, catching one of the guards that was still mobilizing. "There, happy?"

"Fuckin' ecstatic." Xerxes smirked, glancing over his side and taking a few good shots; guards dropped with each one.

The loss of life made the scrambling in the warehouse beyond more erratic.

"Not a bad spot to be in," Xerxes took a few more shots the moment it was clear to do so. "maybe if they're stupid we can funnel 'em all here and kill them under cover."

"For now, maybe. But if they lock down the elevator we're going to have a problem." Ketna peeked out in the direction of the industrial elevator, taking more shots at enemies as they were made visible.

"And who's fault is that?"

Ketna held her hand out in disbelief at the question like it was obvious what the answer was, before she sputtered out an answer. "Both of ours."

"You started it." Xerxes rebutted.

Ketna dropped her head back on the wall behind her. "Kuat ma teo, you are such a fucking child." Ketna muttered.

"What?"

"I said you're a fucking child." She raised her head and voice to answer him.

"No, no, before that," Xerxes pried, pausing only to take more shots between the bullets that flew past them. "What, that fuckin Russian r'somethin?"

Ketna ignored the question, scanning the warehouse beyond them again when she noticed something in the back lining up sights with their holdout. "RPG!"

"That ain-" Xerxes froze, processing exactly what she meant a split second before his arm was yanked.

Ketna took hold of Xerxes, launching the both of them out of their small hallway and into the open warehouse itself. She had coordinated the direction of their leap to the closest place of cover, which was unfortunately occupied by guards that had inched their way in to get a closer shot. A few seconds later, a rocket flew past them and down into the hall where they had been camped.

Between the explosion behind them and the guards close by, the next few seconds went by like a blur. Xerxes yanked the guard on the other side of the crate, tossing them with one hand down into the halfway they had just vacated. The throw was appropriately timed, as the body entered the entrance of the hall just as the rocket whizzed by. Xerxes could not have been more satisfied with the execution, exclaiming a self-satisfied HAH! that was muffled by the explosion of the blast.

Ketna had rolled off further away, finding herself next to a parked hydraulic lift. A guard that camped themselves on the other side of the lift raised their gun around for what was supposed to be an easy blind shot but Ketna caught the gun yanking it forward. The guard was smart enough to release the weapon so as not to be pulled in too close to Ketna's reach, but the blast behind them threw them both off their feet. Both made a scuffle to subdue the other, but Ketna was not nearly as shaken by the blast as the guard had been. There was a knife through their throat before they had a chance to ready the pistol they had on standby.

Between the blast and the tumbling before it, a sharp reminder that she was still not well, manifested in the form of dizziness and nausea that made her head swim. Ketna did what she could to find cover and keep an eye out while she waited for her equilibrium to return. Xerxes was already back in the firefight, shouting taunts and obscenities at the guards Ketna could only barely make out in her current state. She put her focus into retrieving ammunition and goods from the guard she had just felled in time to clear up just enough to catch movement above them.

Guards had taken to the catwalks to shoot down on them. A volley of bullets from the assault rifle she shouldered brought some down, and kept more at bay. Head mostly cleared again, she could afford more mental bandwidth to begin multitasking. Shots to the catwalk to keep them on their toes, shots to the side to keep them from being flanked, and an eye kept on the guard that still had that RPG. They had to be more careful about their next shot but it posed a significant threat if they let one loose, again.

"HEY." Xerxes shouted, catching Ketna's attention, then tossed something at her the moment her helmet turned toward him. "You toss, I'll cover."

Ketna caught the object instinctively, grateful her co-ordination was back to do so. She suspected from context clues what it might have been, and with it in her hands she clearly identified it as a grenade. She needed no more instruction, raising enough to survey the grounds and find where best to aim. True to his word, Xerxes suppressed any would be-attackers from picking her off in the brief moment she raised her body to toss the grenade. Pulling the pin and holding it just a few seconds before tossing it to its intended destination. All the while her thoughts lingered on why he had her do it, when he was just as capable of taking the shot himself.

The grenade sailed true to its intended trajectory, not intercepted by bullet spray, much to their luck. Not many were caught in the blast but the guard carrying the RPG was not able to dodge in time, eliminating one of the more dangerous combatants. The real damage was caused by the munitions the guard carried being ignited by the grenade's blast. A play that caused a chain reaction of damage that disrupted the fight for everyone.

The cascade of exploding rockets took out everyone within a twenty foot radius, and injured at a range double that. The blast did indescribable amounts of damage to the surrounding territory. A mechanical arm, assorted metal frames and scaffolding, tools and resources launched across the warehouse. Xerxes and Ketna, while distanced from the blast, were caught in the force of the blastwave caused by the munitions. Neither were directly injured, their choices in cover managed to guard them just enough, but they were tossed several feet back.

Xerxes seemed no worse for wear, laughing boisterously at the final result of that single toss. Ketna, while physically intact, was not in a state to celebrate. Being tossed and jostled so violently caused a far worse spell than the one she had just weathered. Eyes closed, feeling for the ground, ignoring how much it felt like she was going to fall over she attempted to at least get back to her knees.

While one half of the warehouse in front of them scrambled to recuperate from the damage, the other half behind them grew in force to compensate. Ketna could hear the movement but her reaction to anything was poor. At the very least, she managed to roll to cover that could account for fire from the new angle. Slow, deep breaths beat back the nausea giving her some hold on her state.

In the midst of her recovery, a shot nearby rang out, taking a guard out from behind Ketna's right side that she had only barely registered.

Xerxes called out from his spot, hopping over it. "Y'Survive a deathtrap by yourself and y'can't even watch your back in a firefight?"

The mere act of calling to attention the deathtrap Xerxes himself had a hand in setting up brought all that rage and anguish back into Ketna's throat.

"Do you have any idea what- Oh wait, of course you do." Ketna stopped in her tracks recalling the camera she had to destroy to get out of the jam she was in.

He probably knew exactly what happened, if he wasn't told he must have had access to whatever was recorded or was informed of what they had planned to do.

"The fuck that's supposed t'mean??" Xerxes vaulted over the lift, calling out while he closed the gap between them. All the while he took calculated shots at the surrounding guards.

Not wanting to have this conversation in the middle of a fire fight while she was already compromised, Ketna didn't respond to the question. Anger didn't make her focus any better, but it did make the nausea easier to ignore. Xerxes' efforts were undone by Ketna venturing off on her own, unsteady but determined, she didn't look behind her to see Xerxes wordlessly gesturing his annoyance at her as she left.

The dash to her next option for cover was unsuccessfully interrupted by a large guard that thought they could take her out personally, he only served as a means for Ketna to take out her anger on. Guns were practical tools for dealing with range and numbers, but they were so distant, inconsistent. Close range combat was personal, visceral, accurate, final. It was her deep natural instinct, and getting right into the fold helped her work past her symptoms. In a flash of blade they were on the ground, another and they were no longer living.

Standing up to accomplish this left her little cover, a shot hit her chest armor and she knew she had to keep moving. Blade to knee, then chest, on to the next. Right to the neck, armor was thin and easy to separate, moving in time for the body she had stabbed to take the brunt of the next blow. Another body in close was pulled in closer by hand, the blade was out of one body and sank into the next. Tossing dead weight to the side exhumed the blade once again and brought the larger soldier to a stagger, just second shaved off their reaction to permit her unfettered access to the next two victims, in seconds one was down by blade, the other by a bullet from an ally.

A glance back to Xerxes' location to check his status, and by the look of it he seemed to have stopped paying attention to her, taking care of the guards that remained on the upper levels. Fine by her, if he kept those above them occupied, she could easily clear out the ground level. A second to look, a second to move, she felt the motion near her without seeing it, innate instincts that kept her aware of what was around her even when momentarily distracted. She didn't know why they had chosen to get in close, maybe they were out of ammunition, maybe they assumed whatever mods they had would give them an advantage, but all it did was give her a very clear opening. Knee to the midsection, blade to the back of the neck, and it was all done.

There weren't many more on the ground, by the look of it, no new bodies had shown up, indicating whatever remained of the ground level forces were either remaining in that room, or had fled. One by one the remaining opposition in her sight were brought down, she could hear crossfire slowing down, the remainder of what was above them would also not be there for long.

As she yanked her blade out from the neck of her last victim, she gave the room another visual sweep. The moment her head was facing Xerxes' direction, he spread his arms wide to emphasize what he was about to say.

"The fuck was that?" Xerxes gestured to the whole of the room while he shouted over to Ketna.

"Going to have to be more specific." Ketna didn't look up, rummaging through dead bodies for anything that was useful. She spotted a raid shield further away that could be useful later, with the benefit that it was further away from Xerxes.

"You've missed half your shots, nearly got sideswiped by some schmuck, took five fuckin mintues to get back on your feet." Xerxes took slow steps toward her as he elaborated. "I've seen Ketna fight, thinkin' maybe you're not the person you're claiming to be." Xerxes' voice held the tone of a threat, shifts in his stance gave the impression he was prepared to ready his gun at any moment.

"Oh is that what this is about?" Ketna rose from her position to emphasize her next point. "How about 'Thanks for tearing out my back the night before you attempted to kill me.' Was that even a real fugue state or was that all just an act to take advantage of me? Or were you mad I didn't pound your pussy hard enough."

The look on Xerxes face indicated he no longer was suspect of who she was, all while walking the line between relief and rage. Ketna continued before he could muster any response.

"Yeah. It's me. I'm not exactly in peak performance right now because I absorbed enough sodium fluoroacetate to kill a rhino ten times over. Thanks for that too, by the way." She rounded off her sentence to be even more scathing than she started out with, turning her attention back to the raid shield, yanking it off the ground and moving to the next one she spotted.

"What the fuck I got to do with that, s'not like I'm the one that chose the fuckin poison." Xerxes raised his voice and the hand holding his gun, in his defense.

"You are the entire fucking reason they knew to saturate a poison to that degree in the first place!" Ketna shouted back, while internally she questioned why she thought working with him would be a good idea.

"And whose fuckin fault was that?!" Xerxes' own irritation rising along with Ketna's.

"Okay you know what, fuck-it, fine, you got me. Let's just get this over with."

Objectively Ketna had to concede his retaliation, while irritating, wasn't entirely wrong. They had never made any promises to one another to keep what went on between them a secret. It was like telling a fox the location of the henhouse and expecting it not to raid the coop. She should have known better than to have so flagrantly displayed her tolerance for substances in front of a person that had no problem bragging about his conquests.

An oddly uncomfortable silence lingered in the warehouse as the two continued to rummage for ammunition and other usable goods. It was broken by Xerxes' voice.

"How close you get to dyin' anyway?" His tone had dropped from the elevated state they were both in before.

Ketna froze in her tracks, dropping the goods she had gathered to the ground. Her disbelief in the question presented to her had her laughing audibly, growing louder until she doubled over in anguished laughter. Abruptly she stopped, raising herself and staring squarely at Xerxes, arms out as she spoke.

"Are you fucking serious?!" She gestured angrily to him and then herself. "Sure, how about I give you the exact statistics of how close I was to dying. How about an itemized list of what was effective and ineffective, the time tables it takes for any substance to take effect, so you can try that again." Elevated in both voice and speed of speech translated the extent of her anger, punctuated by sharp hand motions as she gestured back and to herself. "You really think I'm tha-"

Ketna's words were cut short by a shot that rang out, catching her precariously in the throat. There was a faint cough and sputter, muffled by her helmet, and after a momentary stagger she stood in place very much alive. She was not in any danger of dying from the shot at that moment, but she was not going to be capable of speaking any time soon. Her head snapped in the direction of the shot, identifying the perpetrator immediately and set off to take care of them.

The shooter was up on a metal catwalk, they took more shots at Ketna who weaved without taking a hit. Though their face could not be seen, their body language read tense, possibly nervous. Expecting her to climb the ladder to get to their position they ran in the opposite direction, gun waiting for an opportunity that would not arrive. Leaping up and climbing the wall was not what they had expected at all, nor did they expect Ketna to take hold of one of the supports and yank the whole catwalk down as though it were made of floral wire.

The force and speed at which the catwalk fell gave the shooter no time to react and they fell in a pained pile to the ground. Still pissed that she was cut off from her rant, Ketna set aside her usual courtesy of warning, going straight for the assailant's throat. They were already too winded and injured to put up much of a fight, there was little they could do when Ketna's hands grasped around their throat. In seconds, a swift execution of a put an end to their suffering. A snapped neck was practically considerate, when followed by hands and boot that crushed the chest and tore it open, splitting all she could grab hold of in different directions and tossing it to the side in an expression of her wrath. Only then did it subside enough to tend to the wound that was bleeding out.

While applying special nanites solutions from her pack to her neck to cauterize the wound, she heard shuffling then a voice from across the way.

"Anyone ever tell ya you're hot when you're pissed?" Xerxes shouted across the way, before walking toward Ketna's location.

Ketna responded the only way she could now, with her limited options: By flipping him off where she stood. It didn't matter if he could see it or not.

While waiting for the sealing to finish, Ketna removed the face of her helmet for a brief moment to spit out the blood that had pooled in her mouth from the shot and took a few seconds to wipe out what had been coughed up inside, or was almost like coughing. Eating and drinking wouldn't happen in the current state she was in, but she could breath and that was enough to make it through this. The panel was snapped back on before Xerxes got close.

"I've seen your face before, don't gotta be so quick to hide it." He spoke with a sort of smug pride at this fact, then was immediately distracted by the remnants of the body Ketna had tore into.

Ketna's head briefly faced Xerxes then turned away, incapable of informing him that there could be more eyes at any moment. But it wasn't her responsibility to explain something that should have been obvious. Without any further attempt to communicate, Ketna made her way back to where she had dropped the supplies, then off towards the industrial service elevator that would get them to the facilities below.

Xerxes was about to comment on the body Ketna had left behind when he noticed she had already put some distance between the two of them.

"Givin' me th' silent treatment, now?" He called out after her while catching up in long strides.

Bitterly, Ketna considered maybe she should be giving him some silent treatment, as all the arguing and shouting they had done since she got there had not resolved anything up until this point. Instead she pointed to her neck and hoped he would pick it up from there.

"Yeah? Y'got shot in the neck. Woulda taken care of him but seems y'got him good." Xerxes' looked back at where the body lay with an oddly prideful look.

Ketna hung her head dramatically at the response. Fed up already with her inability to communicate the obvious to him, and knowing he likely did not know Sign Language, Ketna searched for a solution. From one of her storage compartments she fished out her phone, opening a simple text field to input.

'For fucks sake, that shot severed my vocal cords, I can't talk.' She held up the phone to Xerxes behind her and continued walking.

"How am I supposed to read it like that when you're walkin'." Xerxes motioned to the phone, squinting at it.

Ketna's body emoted the sigh she couldn't vocalize. After she flipped through settings she increased the text's size and presented it to him once more, pointing to her neck at the same time.

"How's I supposed to know that?" Xerxes protested as soon as he read the message.

Ketna cleared the phone and replaced it with a new message.

'Maybe the fact that I got shot through the neck and haven't uttered a single word immediately after?!' The screen of the phone read. Ketna dramatically emphasized the feeling of 'well duh' with her body language as she showed the phone to him.

"Fine, alright, I get it." Xerxes finally conceded.

Ketna pulled back the phone with an exhale of relief that small detail was over, and put her attention back into scouting ahead. They walked ahead in casual silence when she heard Xerxes speak up, again.

"So, uh, you're good, right?"

The helmet hid the confusion that immediately crossed Ketna's face at the question. She looked back and Xerxes elaborated.

"Saw ya do somethin'-" Xerxes tapped his own neck. "Not gonna bleed out?"

Ketna brought out the phone again to answer.

'Wound has been cauterized, I'm at no risk of bleeding out or tearing the wound. So yes, I'm good, but I'm not going to be able to speak for a few weeks.'

"Good, that's good." Xerxes repeated, somewhat awkwardly with a quick follow up. "Wouldn't want ya passin' out on the job, heh." Xerxes capped off what he said in a way that was almost awkward.

Ketna didn't bother with any response, didn't feel a need to, she had already turned her attention to her surroundings. No new guards had arrived since that last one that appeared, but they may have been around since the start. If there were no new reinforcements by now, they likely had all bunkered down below, waiting for them. The longer they waited, the worst any blockade below was going to get, and all their bickering had wasted enough time.

Xerxes followed her lead as Ketna wordlessly headed for the elevator, on the way the issues she had been dealing with flared up again, a wave of nausea making her stomach ache and head spin. She held out her hand, a single pointer finger up, hoping it was clear enough to indicate 'one minute' and steadied herself leaning down against her own knees to wait for it to pass.

"Somethin' wrong?"

This was the second time Xerxes had asked about her well being, after everything that had happened the concern seemed uncharacteristic and she wanted to confront that in the next message she typed out.

'What does it matter to you?' Displayed on the screen that she showed to Xerxes behind her.

"If we're doin' this together I need t'know what I'm working with, here." Xerxes stated after taking the time to read the screen, motioning to Ketna as he did. "Y'said something about poison makin' you sluggish?"

Ketna breathed out and pulled her phone back in. He was right that it was practical to know what her handicap was if they were working together. Maybe this was all just pragmatic questioning, not concern. This time when she held the phone out to him again, it read.

'Yes, the poison from the attempt is still in my system. I get waves of nausea at times, sometimes muscle tremors. When the explosion knocked me back, my symptoms flared up. That's why I couldn't get on my feet right away. I just need a few seconds and I'll get over it, I'm not going to be out any time soon.'

Xerxes cocked his head when he finished reading.

"That's the thing I don't get. Thought you processed that stuff fast but that was months ago, how's it you're still dealing with it, now, anyway?" There was a hint of disbelief in his voice.

Ketna was already composing a response before Xerxes even finished.

'The mere fact that I'm alive at all after that is because I process substances quickly. But this stuff attacks my metabolism and there's no antidote to help it along so I'm stuck waiting it out till it's run its course.' She didn't want to elaborate too much on the mechanics of why it was lingering, not that he needed to know.

The look that crossed Xerxes face as he read the words was one of somber reflection, a look Ketna had rarely seen on him. She withdrew the phone and typed out a follow up which she presented to Xerxes.

'Congratulations, you managed to pick one of the worst possible poisons for me to deal with.'

Xerxes' posture became immediately alert and defensive as he read the text. Ketna pulled back the phone then turned her attention to walking in the direction of the elevator.

"Hey, I said I wasn't the one that arranged that." Xerxes blurted out first, sharp and defensive.

Ketna glanced over her shoulder enough to be noticed, returning her attention to the phone to compose her next reply.

"If I really wanted t'give ya up I woulda just told them then who ya were." Xerxes continued to explain himself. "Been braggin' about fuckin ya for weeks, woulda been suspicious if I said I knew nothin'."

Ketna paused in the middle of what she was composing, erasing what was there since the new information changed what she had intended to retort about. Rather than attempt a new response, she waited in silence for Xerxes to elaborate on his own.

"Thought they were gonna send someone or a team of someone's to take you out, hire an assassin, something like that. I thought hey, that's fuckin' nothing, you can take care'a that. And then the plans came in and they started construction over this. S'not like I coulda stopped it."

Ketna's response was composed quickly before Xerxes finished, a matter that gnawed at her since it happened.

'And you chose a pity fuck over giving me any hint about what was going' on.' Her anger had diffused slightly but not enough to prevent her from biting back.

"That-" Xerxes huffed. "Thought you woulda' found out on your own. You do it all the fuckin' time." His tone suddenly switched from indignant to thoughtful. "But they'd been playing it smart the whole time, keepin' contact off-net, if I were t'spill anything about it, they woulda known someone leaked the day it happened if y'seemed too prepared."

Again, what Xerxes said gave her pause. As much as she hated to admit it, Ketna had to concede how much sense that made given the circumstances. If any of them suspected Xerxes of feeding her intel, it would have panned out poorly for both of them. But her threshold for generosity waned when Xerxes had to open his mouth again.

"But why'r y'gettin pissed at me about it. You put yourself in this position, y'knew th'risks."

She tapped out on her phone the sentiment she carried with her the whole time.

'Yes, precisely the reason why I do not plan to socialize with you, any further.'

"Not socializin'? So fuckin' still on th'table?" By his tone it was easy to tell he was being deliberately cheeky.

'No. It's not.'

Xerxes chuffed when reading the screen, an indication he didn't quite believe the rejection would stick.

In spite of the distracting banter, the two of them did arrive at their intended destination. The large industrial service elevator was the only easy entrance to the facility they needed to get to. Testing just in case, she placed a few of the security cards she had on her person on the reader and none gave her access to the controls. As she thought it was already locked down. It would be possible to break through if that were the case but it would take time to root around with the security.

Kneeling down in front of the panel, Ketna withdrew her equipment. The model and make of the panel was the familiar one, so the process of removing access points and plugging her hack box into the ports was all very automatic. Afterward she fished a phone she had lifted off a dead body that had access to the local wifi, setting it up with a remote access that Munin could get to, to use to root around whatever that wifi connection could access. With the commotion settled and tools in place, Ketna began to compose a summary of what was going on, to catch Munin up on the rather dramatic turn of events and seek his aid with the security.

Xerxes peered over her shoulder, waiting expectantly to see if she had something to say to him. Ketna tilted the phone out of the way, when she caught him snooping, switching back to the note application she had been using to communicate with him.

'Don't read over my shoulder. Not every message is for you, I have other people I need to talk to. I'm getting assistance with the security so that we can use the elevator. With any luck even a report on the type of security we might be dealing with below.'

She presented the screen to him. His expression ran from annoyed then relaxed.

"That, that guy I hear y'talkin' to sometimes. Y'fuck him too?"

Ketna pulled her phone back with a huff but didn't bother typing out any more for Xerxes, returning to the panel and the previous activity she was working on before Xerxes required her attention. They'd lost enough time as it was, she didn't need to waste more due to his needling.

When Ketna didn't validate him with a response Xerxes began to pace. "Y'Pissed about that? It was a joke alright?"

Ketna's head turned only briefly in his direction, then back to the new message received from Munin. This needed her attention, but ignoring Xerxes was also a deliberate choice to force him to stew in the silence. The steps of him pacing back and forth quickened with each pass, increasing in distance until he couldn't stand whatever was going on in his own head and spoke out again.

"Aight fine, look I get it, y'don't trust me but if we're gonna work together I gotta know more about what you're doin' and if you're talking to someone that's a part of this, y'gotta let me in on that."

That was enough to get Ketna's attention, she turned her head enough that it was clear even with the helmet on that she was listening. This seemed to be enough to make Xerxes remain still and continue his appeal.

"How's about this, from here on out, if we're gonna kill each other, we do it one on one, no involvin' anybody else if we can help it. Truce?" Xerxes held out his hand to shake.

Ketna stared at it a moment, then turned and rose to her feet. Phone clearly in front of her so he could see her preparing to respond. It didn't take long, and when it was done, she presented it to Xerxes with her other hand under it for emphasis.

'You expect me to believe that?' The screen read.

"I don't go handin' promises to just anyone. 'Sides, the thought of anyone else but me killing ya, pisses me off."

Again, he held out his hand.

While Ketna didn't really believe his promises, Xerxes' pride in needing to be the only one to kill her was quite possibly the one element she could rely on to be honest. Ketna took Xerxes' hand and shook on it. The shake was a bit comical with her hand being only about a third the size of his own. She put pressure into as much of the hand she could, he responded in kind, a gesture she hoped reflected how seriously they regarded the pact. She withdrew her hand from the grasp that seemed to last just a bit too long to compose a reply.

'What exactly do you plan on doing if they press you for more intel about me?'

"Just tell 'em that was it, all I got. After that attempt y'were too much of a pissy bitch to let me fuck ya anymore." Xerxes made a clear direct dig at Ketna's earlier claim.

Ketna gave a weezed huff in place of a laugh, composing another concern.

'You think they'll buy that, even though they might clearly see us working together on this?'

"Eh, wouldn't be the the first time I worked together with someone I don't fuck anymore."

'And they won't see that as a betrayal?'

Xerxes huffed. "Like any of us haven't undercut one another before, that's business, they know that. Anyone one-a-them would do what I've done. They had their chance, they fucked up, I'm just takin' the opportunity as I see it presented to me." Xerxes glanced up, Ketna thought maybe he caught sight of someone new but no one was there.

"Wouldn't even be here if he hadn't a moved in On My FUCKIN' TERRITORY!" Xerxes' voice raised into shouting the further on he spoke, looking up and shouting out at one one in particular as though the owner of the facility would hear him if he just shouted enough at it.

Kenta didn't compose anything more to say to Xerxes, turning away from him to indicate the end of that thought. Checking her messages, Munin had made a breakthrough on what they needed in the time that conversation took place. The elevator's panel lit and the door opened to their entry.

Ketna quickly typed out the next set of instructions for Xerxes before he went ahead of her.

'Elevator is ours but we're not going down just yet, waiting for more intel on what we're dealing with below.'

"So, you got a team or something?" Xerxes gestured to the phone, trying to pick back up where he had been snubbed on previously.

Even after shaking on the promise to not kill each other, Ketna couldn't help but be wary of the idea of providing him any information on Munin. She held the phone in her hand for a while, mulling on how to approach it, while Xerxes kept careful eye on her, eventually making a gesture like 'well?'. He settled when Ketna finally began to type.

'No, not a team, just one person. A friend that keeps track of the net and data side of things while I'm out in the field. And no, we don't fuck, never have.'

"So, what, it's just you and this guy?" Xerxes gestured to the phone after reading it.

'More or less' the answer was mostly true.

"So what's the More?"

'More than you need to know for this specific operation.'

Xerxes' read it with a 'Tch, before speaking up with a question. "And what's this Operation about anyway, haven't even told me what you're doing here."

Ketna held up a pointed finger to indicate 'One Moment', turning away so she could check the progress on the Elevator and read the string of new intel Munin was sending her. He had limited access to their security, not enough to get to the cameras, but communications informed him that they were indeed running a barricade below. With a better picture of what they were dealing with, Ketna began drafting up the very long response that would answer his question and establish what to expect going forward.

'I'm here to rescue all the people they coerced or kidnapped for testing. I'll release them and provide them safe passage out. My plan was originally going to be to make my way in without detection, get to the holding chambers, take out any necessary guards and move them for as far as I could without alarm. But that's been disrupted somewhat. I don't think they know I'm here for the abductees but there will be a lot more security to fight through, regardless.

Since there's no way I'd be able to use the service elevator to get back out, even if I was able to carry out the plan I had initially, I'll need to escort the group to the loading docs they use for machine transport, commandeer one or more of the vehicles large enough to transport the group and use their own tunnels to brute-force my way out. Their large shipment transports are out but they should still have some vans available.'

For a brief instance, Ketna felt something around her, like something looming over her, she turned her head to catch sight of what she felt, but by the time she had Xerxes in her periphery she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Thinking nothing of it, she went back to composing.

'We won't know till we go down just how bad it is. But once we get an idea of what we're dealing with and the kind of security they have, we'll need to split up. I'll need you to keep the opposition busy, so that I can be clear to take care of the victims. If you're serious about working with me, then I'll need you to help me.'

Once completed, Ketna held up the phone. Upon noticing there was much more text than usual, Xerxes walked up closer to get a better read of the screen and scroll through it. The subtle muscles that made up what could be considered a brow furrowed, then relaxed as he read the entirety of the message.

"So clear th' way out while you escort a bunch of cripples?"

She nodded.

"How you plannin' on keepin' in touch seeing' as y'can't use your voice?"

'Text. My contact will keep in touch with you, he'll be able to send updates about either of our situations while we're unable to communicate.'

As Ketna composed her response, Munin sent in more information about the facility and its operations. When Xerxes finished reading what she presented to him, Ketna motioned for Xerxes to follow her onto the elevator while she wrote out the details of what they were going to be dealing with and the plan she was formulating. Absent-mindedly she handed him her phone to read it once she finished, while she gathered her tools and went to retrieve the two raid shields she had made the effort to drag over, earlier.

'My contact will be sending you details about the layout and what to expect. The maps will have the points of interest clearly marked, where they're keeping the abductees, where we'll need to be transferring them to, guard locations, weapons storage, and other useful tips. He'll keep you up to date on the movement in the facility and any changes in their security as well as my own status if necessary.

As I feared they've already got a blockade around the entrance where this elevator lets out. But apart from that, they haven't fortified much else. I don't think they've figured out what either of us are here for which means if you can keep them distracted I should be able to get the abductees to the transport without too much interference. Word on their communications has it that they've called back one of their robotics transports for backup, they confirmed with a forty five minute ETA, all the more reason to get this over with as soon as possible.

The shields I got will give us some cover but I don't think I need to explain to you that we need to get out of that hallway ASAP. We can cook a couple grenades before the doors open to give us some cover and move after that. I'll go in fast and close to draw their fire, that should prevent them from firing rockets like before. When you're in a good spot, I'll slip away in the middle of the fight and find the abductees and get them ready for transport.'

As she completed her task, Ketna was hit with the awareness that she had handed Xerxes her whole phone with no restrictions and was quick to take it back.

"Wasn't snoopin' sheesh." Xerxes relinquished it back to her without a fight.

From what she could tell, he was honest about that, nothing about the phone's apps appeared to have changed. With her phone back in hand and both of them stocked up as much as they could be, she slammed the button down on the elevator to start their descent.

"So you were plannin' on doing this on your own. How were you 'spose to do all this if you're impaired?" While he waited for Ketna to compose her response, he checked his own phone to see what had been sent to him.

'The plan was to get in quiet, unnoticed. I wouldn't have had to deal with all of this if I was by myself. I'd have ample time to deal with my symptoms because no one would know I was there to take advantage of it. I'd be in and on my way out before they even knew what happened, would even have time to override any automated security if needed. Everyone still thinks I'm dead so they wouldn't have been prepared for it.'

Xerxes' subtle brows raised followed by a shrug of acceptance, looking back to his own phone.

"'Spose that'd work." His' voice trailed off, glancing over what he had received. The subtle dent of brow furrowed then raised, while he continued to read through the new information. "You work with this level of intel normally or this just a fluke?"

'About that much, sometimes more.' Ketna answered.

"That 'splains a lot..." Xerxes muttered before putting his phone back in exchange for grenades.

They had mere seconds before the elevator settled, both of them stayed clear of the center of the elevator as it settled into place, raid shields at the ready while the doors parted to the ambush in front of them.

Bullets rang out the moment the doors started to part, suppressive fire to attempt to get a lucky shot in and reduce their choices. Along with it, the wind up whirring sound of a mobile automated turret could be heard mixed with the fire. The raid shields provided the temporary cover they needed while out in the open with no cover, but they had only mere seconds to act with the opening doors and change the tide of their predicament.

Xerxes was the first to move, tossing the hand grenades he had let cook as soon as the doors parted enough to facilitate his toss. Guards dashed from their cover, but many did not get far before the two blasts went off. When the explosives were no longer a problem for her, Ketna made her move. Some guards in the back took shots at her but between her movement speed and their disorientation from the blasts, no hit landed.

Out in the open, Ketna didn't have much time to act before the group recovered from the grenades. But she didn't need much time. Going for the highest priority to ensure Xerxes would be able to move, Ketna made a dash for the mobile turret that had been planted further down the hall. By the time the gunner had been able to react to her presence, it was already too late.

Tossing the raid shield expertly to deal with a nearby support Ketna leapt over the turret, landing deliberately on the gunner. Feet around her head she twisted and yanked, snapping the gunner's neck on the spot. This left her hands free to drive her knife into the first guard that came to her aid. A kick sent another one flying before Ketna stepped onto the ground. Fending off anyone else that attempted to stop her, Ketna kicked the mobile turret around. Guards scattered and regrouped to avoid the turret's new targets.

While Ketna was busy with this, Xerxes had already made his move. Taking out the automated turret in the ceiling was fast and easy, taken care of while Ketna had first moved out. When she took care of the mobile turret, he ditched the riot shield so he could make full use of the assault rifles he had carried with him from the last encounter. As Ketna used the turret as suppressive fire, Xerxes picked off anyone that got too close from the sides she didn't have covered. In seconds they had gone from cornered, to forcing the guards back to cover.

Xerxes regrouped with Ketna, taking a quick look at their surroundings before he spoke.

"You got those cripples to get right? I got this."

Ketna nodded, quickly leaping from the gunner's seat to slip away and retrieve what it was she came there for.

Some part of her felt guilty leaving Xerxes behind to take care of the bulk of the blockade on his own. It wasn't so much that she was worried about him, it was her underlying sense of responsibility that tugged at her. But he knew exactly what he was getting into and seemed to be enjoying himself. Objectively he had the easier task, she was the one that was going to have to convince a bunch of scared, potentially injured, scared, or tortured people to leave in an organized fashion.

Ketna made her way quickly through the halls, avoiding camera detection so as not to alert the guard to her location. Non-combatants were either making b-lines for the few known exits or bunkering down in the rooms that provided reinforced doors, but the halls leading to the medical wing were lacking in any security. Exactly the result she was hoping for. It was good she was no longer engaged in the fight, as she felt the flare up of her latent symptoms cause a haze, but an easy one to deal with, with no combatants.

The doors to the medical wing were sealed when Ketna reached them at last, but the one of the cards she swiped off the fallen security earlier took care of that. Most of the staff that would have been there seemed to have made a run for it already, as there was no one cowering or running when she opened the door. Quick area analysis told her there were bodies further in but they were all clustered and reclined in a way that indicated they were all likely patients. All the medical staff had left the patients alone and unattended in the wake of an invasion. Whatever stage of test they were in, they had likely been deemed unimportant enough to be expendable.

Suspecting the patients were scared and on edge from the commotion, Ketna made her entry into the room slow, not too sudden. The moment the door opened there were sounds of startled jumps and whispering between one another. When her frame finally stepped into view a few screamed, some already held up their hands or began to plead, but Ketna held up both her own hands high in the air. Once they noticed she had no weapon pointed at them the tension began to fall.

When the group began to quiet enough to know they may be in a space to communicate, Ketna cautiously dropped her hands to her sign so that she could sign an inquiry to the group.

'Anyone know ASL?'

A confused hush washed over the room, those that were still scared were confused but the change was enough to get them to drop their guard. There was a pause before one in the group looked around a subtle expression that hinted to anxiety before they sheepishly began to sign back their understanding.

Kenta was relieved that at least one person knew, using a phone took up so much time and with a group it would be both difficult and potentially dangerous given the lack of time they had.

'I can hear, I just can't talk.' Ketna tapped at the rather visible injury on her neck.

"O-oh-" The volunteer still appeared very uncertain.

'I need your help to translate for the others'

"So you need me to.. Talk to everyone for you?"

Ketna nodded visibly. She sensed some anxiety from the one person that understood her but she hoped the urgency of the situation would motivate them to continue assisting.

'I'm here to escort all of you out of here.'

"They-.. They say they're here to get us out?" The interpreter's voice inflected shock as they spoke the announcement.

The patients in the room all spoke in a range of scared and excited acknowledgement that they were meant to be broken out of this place.

"How the fuck are we supposed to get out, the moment we leave the wing this'll fry us." One of them pointed to the collar around their neck, which all the other patients clearly had as well.

Ketna signed her intent to remove the collars.

"They say they'll be able to deactivate them." As the interpreter perked up with the news.

"You can do that, you're sure." One asked again just to be certain.

Ketna nodded.

That seemed to be enough to comfort the group, as they all seemed to exhale or exchange looks and hopeful mutterings.

"Wait, so that announcement about an invasion, that's you? That's to get us out?"

Ketna nodded again then signed an elaboration.

'I know that this is terrifying but I am here to get you out and I will keep you safe. Work with me and each other, and we will get through this.'

"They say they know that we're scared, but they promise to keep us safe. And that we need to work together to get through this."

"That's a relief," Another spoke up. "Here I thought this was just a show."

Ignoring the sarcasm, Ketna continued with her purpose for being there.

'Who here can't walk?' Ketna signed, the unprepared interpreter spoke up a bit more quickly than last time.

One was quick to raise their hand, the same that had been snide earlier. "Fucked up their spinal graft. Ain't movin' less you move me."

A few others offered up their ailments.
"I can physically walk but I get really dizzy."
"I can't get very far without pain."
"I might be able to if I get some crutches."

Before Ketna had a chance to form her next inquiry, others of the group chimed in.

"I can walk with you."
"Yeah I can help someone walk, too."

The helmet hid the brief smile that crossed Ketna's face. In times of crisis, people are more willing to help than not. It was the light she looked for in any bleak setting.

'Good, I will be the one to carry you.' Ketna signed and pointed to the difficult woman on the bed.

The patient with the spinal issue scoffed after being pointed at.

"They said they'll carry you." The translator relayed.

"Yeah- I got that." She snapped back.

'Don't worry about it, you're doing good. Not your fault she's being a shit.' Ketna signed as soon as their translator's face was in her direction.

The reluctant translator gave a slight laugh.

"There's some wheelchairs around here, wouldn't that be easier?" A voice offered.

Ketna turned to the patient, she was about to ask when they spoke up on their own.

"I don't know exactly where they're kept but I remember seeing empty ones being moved down that way." They pointed toward a door on the opposite side of the room.

Ketna nodded in acknowledgement of that information, but any investigation she could do was interrupted by another inquiry.

"What happens after?" One of the patients piped up.

Ketna turned her head in the direction of the new voice, and He continued when he had her attention. "What are we supposed to do after we get out? Go to a hospital? With what money? I don't know about everyone else but I can't afford that."

"I was thinking the same thing, too." Another patient confessed.

Ketna signed a simple response for their concerns.

"They… have a plan?" The interpreter's own voice slipped from concerned to hopeful.

Ketna nodded, some of the group looked relieved, some were not so moved.

"That's it, you have a plan." The financially concerned one piped up again.

Ketna nodded once more, but before she could elaborate further, banging on the door caught her attention. Muffled yelling from outside the door didn't sound much like the demands of a guard but Ketna went to investigate with a measure of caution. The rest of the patients hid behind what they could in a hurry, just before Ketna slowly opened the door.

"Don't shoot! I'm here to help!"

The new arrival immediately called out, hands up and cowering slightly. He was unarmed by the look of it, and had no protective gear to speak of. Sensing no immediate danger, Ketna grabbed him firmly by the shoulder and pulled him inside, locking the door behind him.

"I'm just one of the maintenance guys," He elaborated, talking quickly, likely further frightened by Ketna's silence. "After the warnings went out some of the other non-combatants bailed, and I thought, 'there's a whole bunch of people that can't defend themselves what's going to happen to them' so- here I am." He shrugged a bit sheepishly.

Ketna stepped back from the man upon hearing his explanation for his presence.

"I mean, if you need help that is-" He hesitated nervously at the lack of affirmation. "unless I was completely off in how I read this situation." He muttered to himself.

"They can't talk." The interpreter piped up.

Ketna nodded and tapped on her neck.

"Oh OH, for a minute there I was sure you were determining how to kill me." He stood up straighter in his relief.

Ketna stepped away, positioning herself so that her interpreter could see her arm movements.

"They uh- they say you would have already been dead if they wanted to kill you."

"Goodtoknowgoodtoknow- so uh-" He glanced around the room still looking a bit frazzled. "You're, getting everyone out of here?"

Ketna nodded.

"Do you need help with that? I'm not a fighter by any means but-" He paused when he noticed Ketna's arms were moving, then looked to the interpreter for the translation.

"They.. Need help moving the people that can't walk on their own."

"Oh yeah I can do that- actually you know there are wheelchairs in the storage, right? I can get that." He pointed in the same direction the other patient had pointed and went off to do just that.

"What were you saying about a plan?" One of the patients piped up, seemingly annoyed the topic had been previously interrupted.

Ketna nodded to the patient to let them know she heard them, then presented her response to her interpreter.

"Yes," The interpreter stated, their face falling into slight bewilderment at what they were witnessing. "They have… already arranged a facility to take us. They say we don't have to worry about the costs." The interpreter's voice ended with an inflection almost of that of a question.

There were murmurs of surprise and relief among the group.

"How do we know that's true." The patient with a spinal issue piped up.

Ketna signed her answer.

"They say you'll just have to trust them- and that anyone is welcome to stay."

"I'll take my chances with the psycho that broke into the underground secret facility." One patient piped up rather quickly, she seemed the most ready to leave of the group.

Her framing motivated others to move as well.

In the time Ketna had spent on her explanation, the volunteer had already brought in two wheelchairs and patients were already assisting one another into them. There was another crucial component she needed to look into before they could leave. Signaling to her interpreter her intentions, Ketna left the general infirmary area to find a computer that would give her access to what she needed. She may have had hospital arrangements set aside but little good that would do without more details on what happened to them while they were being held here. And there was also the little matter of the shock collars.

Munin was limited by what access he could get on wifi on the phone, using a computer with a direct line connection was necessary both for access to anything that was secured. Doing it from the medical computers had the added bonus that patient files were accessed regularly, making it much faster to locate them. It was also likely the most direct means of disabling the collars. Hooking up her hackbox to the computer, she returned to her phone to check in on what new information she might have missed in the time she was 'talking' to the abductees. There was a lot to catch up on, as Munin had been providing regular updates on Xerxes' movements through the facility, from what he could keep track of via the communications he had access to.

There was a sense of relief that washed over her, in knowing Xerxes hadn't been backed into a corner in that time she was unavailable, followed by a confliction at that very experience. She could tell herself the relief was about her back being covered and she could safely focus on the abductees, but she knew that would be a lie. But now was not the time to dwell on that.

It did not take long after giving Munin the instruction for him to find the necessary information. While those files were being collected, Ketna checked in on the patients.

The moment she was within his sight, the Volunteer flagged Ketna down while wheeling in a couple more wheelchairs.

"Hey so, how are we getting out of here anyway?" He asked.

Ketna held up a finger, hoping it would be enough to indicate 'One moment', while she got in view of her interpreter to answer.

'We're going to the loading dock and stealing a van or two.' Ketna answered and her interpreter relayed it as is.

"Oh yeah Machine transport is out but there should be plenty of other vehicles." He glanced over the group, eyes and head bobbing to each one in the rather obvious indication he was counting. "Definitely two, minimum."

Ketna gave a thumbs up just to indicate what she had heard before checking in with Munin. As she left their view there were sounds of gasps and relief.

"Holy shit, it's off." One abductee exclaimed. Followed by the sounds of many solid objects clattering to the ground as they all wasted no time in getting the restriction off their necks.

Munin always worked fast, and having connection with a landline gave him access to anything that was left closed circuit. They had what they needed and what software he needed to continue his remote access was left behind. Retrieving her hackbox from the computer she was ready to make everyone move.

Emerging from the corner of the room she signaled to her interpreter to be loud.

'If everyone is ready to move, we're leaving, now.'

While the timid interpreter did their best to announce to the group, Ketna informed Munin that she was moving the group and the number she would be transporting on her way to the door. Unlocking the door she checked down the hall and so far the conflict had not reached that wing of the building. Xerxes had been doing a very good job keeping them preoccupied. Hopefully he had enough time to check his phone for instructions to move in direction of the loading docks. She was confident the opposition would be easy to deal with, but what she was not confident about was the returning transport and whatever it might be that they would bring.

Before she opened the doors to everyone, Ketna had one more thing to do. From a pouch on her side, Ketna withdrew cards with information she had arranged specifically for the abductees; the plan she had vaguely referred to. They contained references to specific doctors to talk to, and a code meant to be scanned by the recipient, likely the doctor or staff in question. One by one she handed them to each of the patients that waited, ready to go.

'When you reach the hospital, ask for one of the doctors on that card and provide that. They'll know what to do from there.'

Ketna signed to her Interpreter, who relayed what she said.

"And this will work?" One of them asked.

'I've done this before, yes, it will.'

When the Interpreter finished relaying the assurance, Ketna leaned outside once more before ushering the group to follow her.

Though the halls near them were empty, sounds of conflict could be heard from down the halls as they progressed closer to the docks. Opening a set of double doors to the next junction, the conflict was considerably loud, loud enough that it was likely going on around the corner not far from them. Ketna kept herself between the group and the slowly approaching conflict, ready to meet whatever arrived to impede them or harm her group.

A flash of purple leaping back into view from the corner of the far hall provided Ketna a wave of relief for a tension she had not acknowledged she had been carrying till then. Xerxes looked no worse for wear, scuffed enough to have taken some hits, but nothing that appeared life threatening. He appeared in high spirits, brandishing a mini gun he had likely lifted from someone else in the fight. Ketna signaled for the group to hang back while she caught up with Xerxes, keeping an eye on the only other direction new units could pile in from.

Xerxes caught her movement before Ketna tried to find some means of grabbing his attention.

"That alla them?" He shouted out at her before picking off unseen targets hidden by the corner of the hall.

Ketna was waiting for Xerxes to turn his attention back to her, when one of the patients spoke up with a loud "Yes!" before following the rest of the group.

When Xerxes' head whipped around to follow the unknown voice Ketna nodded her confirmation as intended. Firing a few more shots down the hall, Xerxes dashed down the hall. The abductees muttered scattered statements of nervousness as he drew closer to them.

"That friend a'yours got the turrets and mechs on our side, was fuckin great." Xerxes grinned broadly, paying a cautionary glance back behind him. "Some fucker bout shit himself when the mech next to him decked him into the wall."

Not wanting to waste time with a phone, Ketna pointed to the mini gun and followed with a thumbs up.

"Yeah, y'like?" He grinned at his prize. "Relieved some exosuit of his toy, he wasn't makin' good use of it."

Ketna couldn't help but smile to herself beneath the helmet, but he would never know that. She made a motion with her head to follow them to the large set of doors down the next hall that fed into the loading dock. The group had been waiting nervously by the doors, not wanting to venture further without their escort. Catching sight of Xerxes behind Ketna as they approached, did not particularly help with their unease. A few of them had the look that they might recognize exactly who he was.

Ketna was the first to check the doors, propping it open enough to see if there were any armed guards nearby. Xerxes hung back, watching to see if the remaining guards were behind them, when he caught some of the abductees were very obviously nervous around him. He made a mocking intimidation lunge at the group, testing to see who would flinch or yelp, and chuckling lightly at the few that did. Ketna heard the shuffle behind her, pulling her head back in to barely catch the aftermath of Xerxes harassing the group.

Ketna placed a firm hand on Xerxes' arm, hoping that would be enough to indicate 'stop it'. He glanced at her hand, there was a brief look of confusion, before glancing at the group and looking back at Ketna's expressionless helmet staring at him. He gave a brief eyeroll, then motioned his head to the bay doors.

"We good to go or what?"

Ketna released her hold on his arm and returned to the doors. The loading bay was mostly empty save for a few people, a few guards likely there to assist with the return vehicles, and no laborers that she could see. She rushed out first to take care of the guards. Despite killing dozens earlier, she pulled her punches with those that remained, trying to prevent what deaths she could, if she could. She couldn't warn them by voice so the only option she had was to incapacitate them, and that wasn't particularly difficult. They were on the ground before the Volunteer poked his head in to see what was up. Ketna motioned for the group to follow her inside, on the other side of the doors.

From the other side, the sound of exchanging fire could easily be heard, making it clear why the group was eager to move. What forces that remained inside had finally dealt with the automated defenses that occupied them and were already mobilizing down the hallway. The volunteer broke off from the group, dashing toward some far-off cabinet where he fumbled with his own keys.

Whatever he was doing, Ketna had the sense as though he knew what he was looking for. Leaving them to it, Ketna dashed back up to the hall to provide support for Xerxes. His fire was metered and deliberate, not a senseless bullet spray, Ketna had a suspicion why before he spoke.

"Got half a drum-" Xerxes announced as Ketna came into his periphery, confirming her suspicions. "Wouldn't complain if you wanted to get in there and thin them out."

Ketna needed no other suggestion, dashing ahead on the other side of the hall to meet the group head on. Blind fire around the corner glanced off armor, a couple caught in her suit but none enough to be a deterrent. Rounding the counter she got a good view of the remaining forces they would be dealing with. Between Xerxes and their own automated defenses turning on them, there was not much left of them. And what was left, appeared to be the most skilled.

Her first kill was easy, unprepared, the knife found their neck before they could block. The next was not so quick to go, alerted by the death next to them, they managed to delay their own execution by a few seconds though it did not save them for long. The closest guard attempted to take advantage of Ketna in the moments she focused on the other, but she sensed her movements leaning enough to catch her off balance. Those seconds of miscalculation was all it took to give Ketna the opening she needed. A few more, back and forth, the occasional parry, a toss to get one out of the way, but each target she went after fell before long. Occasionally around the corner, one of the guards would slip just enough into Xerxes line of sight to take a round or two.

Quickly, the rest of the pack began to wise up to Ketna's movements, understanding the significance of the threat they were dealing with. One guard with significant cybernetic work got in close to keep Ketna busy while the rest moved to surround her. The one that took her head on was clearly more skilled than the rest she had encountered, inhuman speed kept up with her. It became a dance of contending with the combatant that tried to keep her close combat attention while the rest attempted to take their shots at her. She was conscious enough of her surroundings that this did not cause her too much hindrance, but it did change her approach. Moving quickly, making it difficult for anyone to get a shot on her without hitting their ally, leaping out when it was least expected to take out one of the guards that thought they could stay out of dodge off to the sidelines. And the guard next to them that attempted to intervene, was caught by the arm and flung over the shoulder into the line of fire.

When the familiar sound of mini gun fire did not occur, Ketna suspected Xerxes would turn to a different firearm when he depleted the rounds of the mini gun, only to see him dash around the corner and slam the nearest body into the wall. After the one he pinned sputtered, he grasped his victim by the head and slammed it back into the wall until her head was no longer a human shape. Satisfied his first victim was no longer moving he leapt to the nearest target, a panicked flurry of bullets weren't enough deter Xerxes, as he reached in to grab his next victim by the arm and hoist them like a flail down on the closest guard in range.

Whatever they had planned to deal with Ketna was completely undone by Xerxes' decision to go close combat. They couldn't decide who was the priority target, scattering to find cover from what was looming. Ketna now could give all her focus on the combatant that attempted to take her head-on before. They were skilled but without the advantage of cover fire as before, the lack of experience they had in comparison to Ketna, showed. A fast but miscalculated dodge was met with a knife to the hip that took out any chance they had to avoid its next resting place.

Both Xerxes and Ketna engaged in close combat together highlighted the different way they did things, though terrifying for their own reasons. Where Ketna's kills were fast and efficient, Xerxes lingered on his executions just long enough to savor his acts of brutality. While they were distracted or shocked by Xerxes' grandiose actions, Ketna was in fast and close, surgical stabs of her knife in just the right places before they noticed her presence next to them. One by one, the remaining forces that chose to press on were killed.

Letting the last body fall, Ketna did a sweep of the fallen bodies, to see if anyone was left to shoot them in the back, then made way to return to the group she had left in the loading docks. Xerxes followed not far behind grinning at the results of his involvement in what was left behind.

Following behind her through the doors, Xerxes took to cleaning off anything that had been caught on his claws that had been irritating him. Shaking the remnants of viscera off his hands, had him recall something.
"Why you even bother with a knife when I know you can tear people apart with your hands?"

Having gotten used to signing to the group earlier, Ketna instinctively answered by signing that 'it's faster than using my hands'.

Xerxes stared blankly at her, hand on the door, before responding with a casual wank and toss motion. Ketna hung her head and turned her attention back to the abductees. It appeared the Volunteer had found the keys to the Vans in question, and the group was already in the process of being loaded. Most of the ones unable to walk had been settled inside. Ketna went to go for her phone to communicate with Xerxes what she meant, when the sound of engines could be heard down the tunnel.

The loud roar meant they didn't have much time left, and someone would need to occupy the tanks to ensure the group could get away, which meant her plan to drive them was now no longer viable. Xerxes had caught the sound too, lifting his head to look at the tunnel. Devising a plan of action, Ketna grabbed one of the cards and a pen from a pack, using it to quickly write down an address. Dashing over to the loading vans, she handed it to the volunteer, pointing to the address on it as she did, followed by resting a finger on his chest, and then to the van.

"Drive here?" He asked, noticing the address, then looked to the van and back again. "I drive?"

Ketna nodded aggressively to ensure he could tell her confirmation. The moment he got that, he awkwardly ran up to the driver's seat of the nearest van.

Ketna signed to the rest of the group. 'Who else can drive.'

The interpreter who had lingered back just in case, did their best to raise their voice to the group, just as the semi heard down the tunnel was visible. It sped in fast, the whole thing lurching in a sharp turn that nearly lifted one side off the ground. The large automaton that was covered on the truck bed could be heard moving before its bonds snapped. The tarp that covered it slid with the lack of nylon straps keeping it in place, revealing the mobile tank hidden beneath it.

"ME!" One of the patients dashed up to the driver's seat of the other van, seemingly all too eager to take the wheel.

One more note was made of the location they needed to get to, she passed along one of the phones she swiped to give the driver something to look up the location.

While the remaining patients scrambled to get in, Ketna stood on guard, waiting to protect them in the event the drivers or tank attempted to take shots at any of them. What she was not expecting was the sound of the minigun firing back up again, taking slow careful shots at the tank as it moved. Whatever rounds he had left, Xerxes was using to draw the attention of the mech. It worked and was just enough to ensure the two vans could move out unhindered by the mech that was now completely free of its binds.

Ketna shut the door as the last patient got in, then beat on the back of the van next to her to signal it to go. Both vans spun their wheels, moving into gear to get out as fast as either of them could manage. Any gates that lay ahead in the tunnels, Munin could take care of them. Now Ketna was free to stay behind and ensure that Mech couldn't incapacitate either of the vehicles before they picked up enough speed.

When the driver of the semi saw the vans peeling out towards the access tunnel, the large vehicle began to move to cut off the Vans in their advance. This was quickly thwarted by a few rounds from Xerxes' gun, a few high power rounds in the engine and it wasn't moving any further. Xerxes shout of triumph were cut short by the Tank warming up its top mounted laser, a flash of light and sweep up cut through the ground up to where Xerxes had stationed himself on the dock.

Ketna shouted Xerxes' name reactively at seeing him fall, laser slicing through where he stood, but no sound accompanied it. When the debris settled from the swipe of the laser, Xerxes was still moving, very much alive from the attack but presently lacking one of his legs. Not wanting the tank to take advantage of Xerxes' lack of mobility she lept into action to force its attention on her.

Rushing in she threw her weight on one of the legs at its side, it was only enough to make it creek but she had its attention. Giving it clear notice that she was there, she hopped up the leg, scaling up its side to get to the top. Now that it was aware that it had an unwanted passenger, its attention finally moved from Xerxes, to get rid of the new pest, pitching and turning to make the climb more difficult. It only managed to cause her to misplace a footing or two but she scaled it without issue.

Once on top she bolted for the large plasma laser that had done the damage to Xerxes' leg. She had been holding back the extent of her strength from the fight before, but this time she held nothing back. Bracing her feet at the base, she lifted under the canon pulling it upward from the base. Metal whine and strain could be heard from her efforts. Underneath her the tank tried to shake her, speeding up back and forth across the ground.

When the maneuvers did not result in getting rid of its pest, the tank attempted to fire up the cannon she was in the process of ripping from it. The sound was loud in her ear, the cannon's barrel heated up to an unbearable degree. Even with the protective gear, it was beginning to warp the fabric of her gloves. To keep her hands or anything else from burning, Ketna had to let go of it seconds before it fired off, slicing through parts of the ceiling and wall of the underground loading dock. The base of the cannon was safe to lock her legs around, keeping her on-board even as the tank attempted to throw her again.

With the cannon cooled down just enough, Ketna went back to work. This time the metal gave, anchors snapped, wires pulled along with it, power supply to the cannon sparking dangerously as the cannon was ripped from its base. Robbed of its biggest threat, she let the canon fall useless and heavy to the ground.

"HEY, CATCH." Xerxes' voice shouted from across the dock.

From his spot, Xerxes had hoisted himself to a leaning position on the rails on the dock, using it to support himself as he tossed a somewhat familiar object in Ketna's direction, echoing the act from earlier.

The tank lurched once more to knock her off. Kenta had to navigate the moving platform while she made for the object Xerxes had tossed in her direction. It caught the tips of her fingers, she fumbled at it, back and forth precariously before she had her hand snuggly wrapped around it. Getting a good look at it, it was a grenade like she suspected but not just a frag grenade, Xerxes had gotten his hands on a Plasma grenade at some point. Good thing there was now a gaping hole where the cannon she had ripped out once sat. Arming the grenade, she lodged it snug within the cavity of the tank and slid off the top of the tank and booked it for the docks.

Hitting the ground hard made her head spin, tremors ran through her arms as her efforts caused them to flare up, but that wasn't enough to throw her off. Miniguns that were mounted on the lower sides of the mobile tank followed her movement but none made contact. In a swift, unbroken motion, she leapt to the top of the dock platform, scooping up Xerxes' by his waist, lifting him off the ground and running for the door, back to the hall for cover. Bullets followed her path the whole way, the doors she slammed behind her prevented any of them from catching her. Shortly thereafter, the grenade she had left in the tank went off. Between the force of the plasma grenade and the power supply of the tank itself, the damage turned into a cascading explosion, one thing igniting another bringing down the tank in chunks.

Shrapnel from the explosion coated the docks, large pieces wrecking any remaining vehicles. The blast was enough to reach the doors of the dock, knocking back Ketna and Xerxes in tow. They were jostled but the distance and doors had protected them from the bulk of the heat and projectiles of the explosion. However, the force of it all had brought the nausea back in full force. Ketna rolled onto her back, covering her helmet with her hands to block light as she waited for it to pass.

"You uh- sick?" Xerxes asked, recalling what she said before.

She nodded, switching from hands on her helmet to an arm draped over it.

While waiting for the nausea to pass, Ketna could both hear and feel Xerxes move. Claws scraping against the wall he was using to support himself while he hopped on one foot back to the doors, if there was anything left of them.

"Shit." Xerxes' muttered in the distance.

Ketna forced herself into a sitting position, then slowly to her feet, the disorientation beginning to ebb as she caught up to Xerxes on the dock to see what it was that brought on that utterance.

When he caught her movement, Xerxes' head motioned in the direction where the remaining vehicles were kept. All of them had been set ablaze or were crushed by pieces of metal. What wasn't set on fire by the initial explosion, had been caught up in a secondary explosion caused by the fuel station getting set on fire.

"Not getting out of here by any wheels, that's for sure."

Ketna fished the phone out from its protective case to continue her communication.

'Looks like we're going to have to walk.'

Before Xerxes could ask, Ketna slipped herself under his arm on the side his leg had been shorn off.

"'Spose that'd work." He looked up to the tunnel down past the loading dock. "If we make it up there I can get a ride out."

'That's what I had in mind.' Ketna tapped out on her phone, before walking the two of them off the ramp and onto the asphalt.

It wasn't an especially long walk, they just had to get past the entrance, but it was a quiet walk with no other distractions, in very close proximity to one another, that made it particularly awkward for Ketna. She tapped out something to pass the time while they made their way up the incline.

'You okay, apart from the leg?'

Xerxes looked briefly confused at the question, like he wasn't expecting it, before returning to his usual expression.

"Yeah, yeah. Just got the leg, melted." He smirked and continued. "The goods are fine if you're worried about that."

'For fucks sake. I wasn't asking about that.' Ketna huffed, and focused on getting them up that tunnel as quickly as possible.

Xerxes didn't let the awkward topic linger, shifting right into another course of discussion.

"Made a good team. Should do this again some time."

'Oh? You planning on leaving the crime boss life and joining me as a vigilante?'

Xerxes barked a laugh before he spoke. "Fuck no! I'm thinkin', you help me with my competition. I get more territory, you get rid of the business you don't like. Then we can keep playing cat and mouse till one of us offs the other."

'Yeah, no thanks, I'm not handing you more territory.'

"You just fuckin' did, sweetheart, or did you forget." Xerxes motion ahead and back, indicating the base they were still in the process of leading. "I think you know I run things better than most these fucks."

Ketna shook her head while she tapped out her reply.
'You can believe what you like, it doesn't make it true.'

Xerxes scoffed but smirked when reading the screen. He looked off into nothing in particular while processing what he was about to pick at next.

"This just cus you're feeling guilty about all the people you had t'kill back there? Bet that's the biggest body count you've had to deal with in one day."

Ketna stared at the screen of the phone in her hand, she considered how much she wanted to admit in this conversation, then composed her response tilting it out of Xerxes way, not presenting it to him until he was finished.

'I am no stranger to taking life, not even of that amount. I assure you, my kill count far exceeds your own.' the screen read.

"T'ch, highly doubt that's possible, unless.." Xerxes paused in thought, recalling something. "Ex-military, Marine or somethin', Black Ops?"

It didn't take Ketna as long to tap out a response. 'You're getting warm.'

Xerxes looked particularly chuffed. "Now I see it. Lemme guess, y'joined the military cus you thought change the world or defend the people or some shit like that, and you're service shattered all your fuckin wide-eyed ideals 'bout makin' a better world cus y'finally realized the government don't give a shit 'bout anybody. So y'thought ya'd take matters into your own hands."

Her next response was about as fast. 'Very, Very Cold.'

Xerxes huffed at the screen but still appeared self-assured. "Sure, y'ain't lyin' to keep up this benevolent hero act?"

Ketna's next response took her more time than the last. 'If you genuinely did manage to guess my origin story, I'd be so impressed I'd concede it on the spot.'

"Guess I better keep digging."

Silence lingered between them, the sound of the footsteps were more obvious than they were before. Xerxes might have been preoccupied with trying to figure out her past, but Ketna's thoughts drifted to something else. Being in such close proximity to him like this, his occasionally gripping at her waist or hip with each hop, made her mind drift to more intimate things, and the last time they were together.

The more she thought about it the more her perception had softened over what happened during their last hookup. Regardless of the surrounding conditions, she was partially to blame for Xerxes' lashing out. Sure, he should have been more forth-coming about whatever it was that made him respond like that, but she also should have walked away after he goaded her on like that. As the dom in that setting, she had a certain responsibility to not let things cross a line, and in that much she was culpable for her actions. She mulled over the thought in her head before tapping out something on her phone. She kept the screen tilted away while she tried to form her words, which only made Xerxes more curious about what she was doing. When fully composed, she presented the screen in Xerxes' direction.

'I don't know if you remember, but I wanted to apologize more directly for yanking the collar you were wearing that night. I acted out of frustration, I shouldn't have done that, not in that situation, and I'm sorry.'

Xerxes' eyes darted over the words. The expression on his face seemed confused, but it didn't last when he finally responded.

"What- 'ch- naw, wasn't any problem with it." There was a strain in Xerxes' voice, but he tried to play it off smooth.

Anger welled up in Ketna immediately when Xerxes deflected the apology, her body shook with fury as she attempted to type out what she could not shout.

'So when youbclawed out my back and attemtotrs to choke me thay was intentional???????!!!?!!?!?!?'She was too angry to ensure the composition was accurate, leaving errors in. She all but avoided thrusting it in Xerxes' face, wanting to ensure he could read it.

Xerxes' expression was strained, but he attempted to play it cool in his response. "I mean- it wasn't like I really-"

Xerxes had hardly got a few words out before Ketna weaved out from under his arm and dropped him heavily on the ground, tense anger in her posture indicated the scream she could not release. She had given the violence a pass with the understanding he was likely in a fugue state, but if it was all deliberate and intentional, it changed everything about that night.

"Look! Okay- Maybe-" Xerxes reached in Ketna's direction as he called out. "Maybe I was kinda... Upset about th'whole collar thing." He glanced off, a hand that was gesturing out to Ketna now found its way behind his neck. "Might not've exactly been thinkin' straight. And a- maybe I said some things I didn't, 'xactly intend to."

Ketna stopped, it was the first time he sounded like he may have had some remorse over what he had done. She turned her head in his direction, waiting cautiously for Xerxes to continue his awkward explanation.

"Fuck, okay, you were right, didn't want that fuckin' collar. Didn't wanna admit I didn't want it." He paused while he was preoccupied with getting back on his feet. But being far away from the wall as he was, and still on an incline, he didn't have much success.

Ketna turned around, providing her full attention. With Xerxes on the ground, still not able to quite get back on his remaining leg, it was almost as though he was groveling.

"Don't like wearing 'em, sure as fuck don't like getting yanked around by 'em, reminds me of things I don't wanna think about.." His words trailed off with the sense that he might have spoken too much. His head snapped back up.

"But if I hear you goin' around tellin' anyone that, I will gut you and it won't be a fuckin' mistake." His voice was low with a very genuine ire in it.

It wasn't an out-right apology but it was a show of humility she didn't often see him take. Ketna took a kneeling squat on the ground in front of Xerxes and displayed the response she had been working on.

'Unlike you, I don't go bragging about my conquests to people that have no business hearing it.'

In one hand she held the phone with the message, the other hand she offered for Xerxes. Taking what time he needed to read it, Xerxes grasped hold of her hand, the two of them working to hoist him back up off the ground. Ketna slipped herself back under his arm when he was steady.

"So we're square, then?" Xerxes asked before he was even settled.

'Oh we are very far from square. I am only barely entertaining the concept of a chance.'

Sympathetic as she was, she wasn't stupid enough to let him off the hook for his lukewarm admission.

A few more steps in silence, Xerxes glanced about the dull tunnel, with a look on his face that conflicted, before he spoke again.

"Y'know I uh-"

Ketna looked up at Xerxes, waiting for him to continue.

Xerxes glanced down in hesitation, but continued. "Didn't really, hate that uh. Soft stuff. You know, if you felt like doing that again."

'What makes you think I'm going to fuck you, again?'

"Wouldn't be the first time you came back to me after making a grand statement about it being over."

Ketna stewed on his words. He certainly wasn't wrong about that, she could have left the first time and never looked back. But she came back, and even now she was thinking about going back, again.

"How 'bouta do-over." Xerxes made another proposition to break the silence, just as they finally hit the top of the incline, the asphalt leveling out beneath them.

'A do-over of what.'

"Y'know-a, th'last time I had ya over. Could pick that up again like it didn't happen."

'But it did happen.'

Xerxes huffed.

"Come'on y'can pin me down n' fuck me, that's gotta count for somethin'." Xerxes insisted on selling the idea of his being the sub as something that would be enticing or make up for what happened.

He really had no idea what her motivation was for domming him and why she even agreed to it, but now was not the time to unpack that specific element. She mulled over the offer. Every time she had dommed him, not counting the corrective action, it had been for his sake, not for her own. She wasn't keen at the idea of servicing him after everything, but she was deliberating instead on using that framing as a form of asserting control over the activities and how far it went. Going back to him at all with her in a submissive position felt more unsafe than her playing the dominant. She went on to try to form the words on the last concern that her decision hinged on.

'Will you be honest with me when I ask you if something upsets you? For that matter, can you be honest with yourself?'

Xerxes grew quiet while his eyes crossed the screen, far longer than it would have taken to read the text. His face looked briefly bewildered, like it wasn't a question he was expecting to be asked. He stiffened back up when he was prepared to respond.

"Yeah- Yeah, not a problem. 'Course I can do that." His voice wavered from uncertain to awkwardly confident as though he was working himself up.

The helmet masked the mildly suspicious glance , but worked on her response.

'I'll think about it. I'll contact you if I feel up to it.'

Xerxes smirked, he didn't have to say anything, he was certain that was as good as a yes.

The gate to the tunnel entrance had been left wide open, Xerxes took a look around at their location, making note of the roads and buildings. He brought out his phone to cross reference his location.

"So that's where this lets out." He spoke his thoughts out loud. Then proceed to type out his own messages.

'You said you could get yourself a ride?' Ketna held out her phone when he had a moment to look around.

"Yeah got that covered."

Ketna walked the two of them over to the nearest fixture Xerxes could sit on and eased him down. She was about to find her way back to her bike when Xerxes grabbed her by the hand, yanking her back to him to the point her helmet nearly touched his head.

"Remember what I said, and I meant it. Ain't no one gonna kill you, but me. I'll make sure of that." Xerxes voice held as much threat as it did promise.

He held her like that for just a second too long, forcing Ketna to yank her hand back out of his grip. Righting herself, she kept her body language steady and assured, but her face flushed under her helmet. She turned away as though it was nothing and left for her own means of transportation without paying Xerxes a second glance. On her way, she could hear Xerxes on the phone in the distance, talking to the recipient on the other end.

"Hey, get the guys ready. Got a whole mech fabrication facility to take over, sent the location already."

There was a pause, as he listed to whatever they were saying.

"Yeah yeah. Went fuckin' great. Pretty much cleared the whole thing out, whatever's left should be easy."

It was the last she could make out before she was out of earshot.