18th Exploit: Slight of Sight Zaine 1

A Chapter by Jeffrey J Dotson

Antonio has had it with Clark's games. After Sarah's kidnapping, Tony is determined to make Clark learn regret. However there's an obstruction between him and his enemy; an old peer.

18th Exploit: Slight of Sight Zaine Pt. 1

Roughly a minute passes as Antonio and co speak over the note and what their plans are pertaining to it. The directions to Sait Avenue, which Clarice readily knows having lived in the general area most of her life, aren't too hard to follow, but the stipulation of only Antonio going under threat of Sarah's life is a bit of a wrench. Its definitely a trap, but it can't be too intricate given if Sarah was nabbed Clark would only have little time to set things up between the apprehension and now, and that's even if she was captured in the first place. It was immediately decided to handle this as if she were however; she works for Tai Corp so it would be no issue for Clark to find her, especially since they'd been trailed for some time.

***

Jason nods his head as Clarice finishes repeating the directions to Sait Ave for a third time. Jace is hiding behind her backside, not taking anymore chances with anymore rocks.

"...and remember, there's-"

"There's a lot of overgrowth, got it." Antonio rubs his knuckle on the side of his head and grunts angrily. "I'm not a moron, you know."

"True but you for sure don't know the area. I'm just clarifying because you don't want to get lost, and we can't risk going as a group." She turns her eyes to the billboard, and thinks 'yet'.

"Actually the more I think about it, using the overgrown weeds as a mark might confuse him." Jason scratches his horn. "If I recall correctly there was a really nasty accident in Sait Ave that essentially turned it into a ghost town. It might be better to look for an area with a creepy abandoned atmosphere in general." Jason shudders. "Certainly no one would ever want to live there after 'that' happened."

Antonio sighs and begins tapping his foot. "Yeah well I'm not interested in old news, I just want to wring that sense of entitlement out of that stinking Clarks body."

"Just don't bull rush into it completely recklessly." Jason points to himself then Clarice with his thumb and speaks quietly. "We'll be behind you after we deal with the snooper. We don't know who Clark might have with him and Sarah."

"We'll be arriving via the backstreets." Clarice nods her head. "The Tai Corp, under any circumstance including one like this, are more dangerous then your average bandit or thief. Its likely Clark will have a mercenary or two at hand and maybe even some mechanical weaponry." Clarice looks toward Antonio. "They'll likely be of a higher grade then the home defense model you dealt with."

"I don't give a damn." Antonio balls his fist. "He can wall himself behind an army, I'll still get to him." Antonio looks down at Jace and smiles uneasily. "Hate to leave you behind like this but-"

"It's fine." Jace cracks his knuckles and gives a surprisingly cold smirk. "I wish I could help save Sarah in some way but I'll be satisfied with her just being safe."

Clarice drops her house keys onto Jaces head. "In the meantime make yourself at home. If anyone suspicious should follow you have my permission to utilize my collection for self defense." Jace takes the keys off his head and looks at Clarice.

"Collection?" Clarice thumbs the hilt of her blade and gives Jace an awkward smile before turning her attention back to Tony. "Oh."

"Sait Ave isn't far at all from here, maybe three minutes distance. So if we don't take too long with Clark's informer then we'll be there swiftly." Clarice starts to speak with a hint of sarcasm. "Do you remember the instructions?"

"Oh how in the hell could I forget? Its been hammered in." Jason keeps a laugh to himself. "I'll be on my way now. Jace, you stay safe."

"Of course!" Tony gives Jace a high five before running off. He makes a sharp left at the billboard where the rock and note was tossed from and in no time is out of sight.

"I guess we wait now." Jason winks at Clarice, but begins to speak a slight bit uneasily. "Are you sure you want a part of this though? I honestly have nothing to lose, and obviously Antonio is directly involved. You-"

"I have no issues making enemies of Tai Corp." Clarice looks stern. "They are greed incarnate, undercutting any competitor no matter how insignificant. The very emblem itself churns my stomach every time I see it on one of the many products they manufacture." A very slight smile forms on Clarice's face as she rubs her thumb on her sword hilt. "Just the thought of cutting at their pride and arrogance even a little brings a rise of anticipation to me."

Jason gives Clarice a concerned look and laughs nervously. Both of them look toward the billboard. The black vehicle comes to life and drives up a third of the way, before parking between them and where Antonio turned.

"Well, you might just get a chance to cut away here in a minute." The door opens. Bo steps out and slams the door behind him. Even from their current distance Jason recognizes him as the guy who was 'injured' by Dante back at Rose Mali Park. "Hey, wait him?!"

"Him?"

"He was one of the TC associates helping keep the calm at Rose Mali Park. If he threw that rock then I must question how he even got hurt by that girl."

Clarice's eyes gleam with intensity. "I can tell he's crafty. Jace, go ahead and head toward my home." Jace scratches his head and nods nervously. "At the very least he's not going to make us find him."

---

Bo eyes the three through his sunglasses, readily aware that leaving himself open like this will almost certainly lead to a conflict especially after he decided to aim for the weakest a little while ago. He reaches his hand into his pocket and pulls out his phone, calling Zaine. Bo has a pinch of denigration in his tone when he speaks.

"Mercenary." Zaine stands next to an abandoned pink tinted apartment, which is covered in vines growing up it and has its grass overgrown. Even some of the weeds growing out of the cracks in the pavement stand two feet tall. "The target is heading in your direction right now. I hope I can assume that you're ready to fulfill your part."

Zain tsks. "Of course!" Zaine growls aggravated. "Ive got the 'back ups' ready just in case I have problems. I won't, but he insisted. Also its not 'mercenary' its Zai-" Bo ends the call. Zaine's eye twitches. He slams the side of his fist into the side of the apartment. "Stuck up prick!" Zaine grits his teeth and looks toward the street. From his view point the area is void of life, save for a couple of birds flying about and a wild cat resting in what looks like a leveled gas station. "Hurry your a*s up 'schoolmate'."

---

Jason continues to eye Bo from a distance. Jace is making his way toward Clarice's home, a;ready a decent distance away from Clarice and Jason, and those two are contemplating their first move.

"That b*****d." Jason smiles. Clarice doesn't know what to make of Jason's sudden statement.

"What's wrong?"

"Like I said before, he was 'injured' by a psychopath at the park. He's definitely the same guy." Jason removes his shades and lowers his head, still keeping his eyes on Bo. "Standing from here you might say he definitely gives off a different presence, or maybe-" Jason raises his head. "Its focus. He looks driven, like one of TC's more competent, capable soldiers."

Clarice taps her hilt. "Perhaps, but is he capable enough to stop two people?"

"No-" Jason stops himself. He begins to walk briskly toward Bo's direction, sliding his shades back onto his face. "Perhaps." Clarice walks with Jason. Bo holds his position and shifts into an at ease stance, as if waiting for them. "He wouldn't be capable of actually beating either of us I think, but he'll make it difficult no matter how we approach it."

"Its his confidence." Jason nods as Clarice speaks. "Certainly he knows victory isn't likely, that's not on his mind."

"Keeping us from helping out Tony is."

---

Antonio looks over the haunting landscape of Sait Ave. On his left is the abandoned ruins of a gas station. A wild cat chases off one of the birds that tries to land on a piece of rubble. There are a few houses behind it, the two Tony can see are heavily dilapidated. On the right is an abandoned convenience store, undoubtedly the gas station's competition in a previous life. A sign advertising Spall Fall smoke sticks lays across the parking lot of the store, having a long since forgotten car crushed under it.

There are several houses in a line next to this store, none of which would be considered habitable by a sane man. Straight down the road is a pink tinted apartment, probably the building in the best condition within eyesight of Tony but still nothing worth saving. Antonio grits his teeth and begins to step hard toward the building, immediately assuming that's where Sarah is being held, and hopefully the unforgivable Clark as well.

Antonio stops and cups his hands over his mouth. He inhales deep before leaning forward and yelling as loud as he can. "CLAAARRRK!!!" Antonio removes his hands from his face and glares toward the building. "Where you hiding?! It's-"

"IT'S FOOLISH!!"

Antonio takes a step back and furls his brow. He vaguely recognizes the voice but has no clue to whose face he should attach it to. It's certainly not the voice of Mr. Rweise. The owner of that vocal steps out from behind the side of the apartment and grins wide. Antonio's brow raises in intrigue as he stares into the angry eyes of Zaine Kanue for the first time in three years. Zaine walks between Antonio and the moldy wooden doors of the apartment. Antonio balls his fists.

"Still as bright as a broken light-bulb, eh Tonio? Why in all the Seven Nations would one of Tai Corps most essential members risk his a*s to show himself in front of a violent boar like you?!" Zaine aims his thumb at his face and grins. "He sent a debt collector for this, Tonio, and I'm more then happy to collect in interest!"

Antonio is irritated, but not surprised, that Clark would send someone in his place. Tony smirks and looks at Zaine in a way that clearky shows he doesn't take his peer seriously. "So, you've become a TC grunt too, eh Zed?"

"Grunt?! You've got it wrong! I'm the kinda guy TC uses when they need something a little more dirty dealt with, a mercenary that works under the table!" Zaine aims his palms at the ground and grits his teeth. "And its NOT Zed, its Zaine!"

"Oh indeed? Well-" Thick dark clouds shoots from out of Zains palms and hides him from Tony's sight. "What the-"

Before Antonio can say another word the cloud propels itself toward Antonio. As it reaches three feet from Antonio Zaine bursts out of it and tries to strike Tony in the jaw with a right hook. Antonio is able to just barely read the sudden assault and blocks with his forearm. They both have their fighting spirit around them.

"And I'll make damn sure you remember it right!"

Zaine opens his palm and blasts Antonio in the face with the same cloudy substance. Its harmless but it disorientates Antonio's sense of sight. Tony tries to slam his fist into Zaine's gut but Zaine has already taken a few steps back. Antonio is absolutely confused and can't make out what the hell Zaine is doing.

"What in the hell is this s**t?! Ki can't do this!"

"You're right! This darkness-" Zaine speaks with an air of arrogance as the clouds dissipate as though they were never there. "-is NOT a byproduct of my fighting spirit!"

---

Jason and Bo stand six feet from each other. Clarice stands three feet behind Jason. She is keeping an eye out for any potential other adversary in the vicinity.

"So-" Jason speaks. "-I take it you've been tailing us since the park?" Bo seems to ignore Jason's attempt at a conversation. "Maybe even before that, and I'm guessing you're here now to make sure we don't follow Antonio and ruin your bosses schemes-"

"For the record-" Jason is slightly taken aback by Bo's sudden interruption. "This is just a matter of business, and not business I particularly approve of. I'd sooner be a part of president Delaurance's escort then playing a hand in Clarks immature tantrums."

"Oh?" Jason scratches the side of his face curiously. "Well if that's the casethen why not half-a*s a bit? Let us pass and just say we decided to hang out at her house back there? It'd be good spite for Clark, no?"

Bo almost looks offended. "That isn't going to happen." Bo releases the grip on the back of his hand and breaks his at ease stance. "If you''re going to do a job then you best do it well, no matter how low that job is." A small smile creeps on Bo's face. "Just the thought of 'half-assing' my directives is unacceptable."

Jason sighs and smirks through his scarf. "That's pretty respectable, but-" Jason throws his left hand forward at Bo, attempting to jam his index and middle fingers into his shoulder, but Bo steps softly to the right and avoids it with ease. Sparks sizzle around Jason's fingers. His other hand slides into his back pocket. "-we need to get through regardless."

"As long as I stand neither you nor her will make it past this street."

---

"So, this crap is definitely not ki." Antonio tilts his head and sighs confused. "Then how the hell are you doing this?"

"Put it simply, its literally a part of me!" Antonio raises both his eyebrows, even more confused then ever. "The things scientists can do with DNA now and days is amazing Tonio, too bad you won't live long enough to find out about it!"

Before Antonio can respond a blast of dark clouds juts out from Zaine's left hand. Antonio immediately recognizes something different about it; a thin layer of fighting ki surrounding it. Tony prepares for Zaine to charge him but utterly caught off guard when the ki around the cloud molds it into six fists and start rapidly swinging at him*. The hits barely register as damage to him but they're enough to Tony off his game. The cloud's evaporate as Zaine leaps up and drills Antonio in the cheek with a heavily ki enveloped fist while falling past him**.

Tony doesn't fall, but that one definitely hurt. Its the first time since his training and more importantly since his contest with Maxine that he's been hit with the full brunt of Fighting Aura. Zaine quickly surrounds himself with clouds the second he lands. Antonio brings his heel down where Zaine landed but he's already moved and Tony hits nothing but pavement.

"HAH! Guess you didn't just do nothing for those three years! That punch almost always knocks my opponents off their feet!" Antonio spits blood out of his mouth and smirks.

"That weak punch? Guess you did just do nothing for three years, Zed." Antonio grins as Zaine grows infuriated.

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