21st Exploit: Slight of Sight Zaine 4

A Chapter by Jeffrey J Dotson

Zaine has seemingly been defeated, however Sarah is still of top concern. Tony sets his sights on the abandoned apartment, unaware the only thing to find here is danger!

21st Exploit: Slight of Sight Zaine Pt. 4

Antonio brushes dried blood off the side of his lips and jumps through the hole Zaine made in the side of the apartment. Tony looks down on his old peer and shakes his head, seeming rather disappointed. He raises his head and looks around the mold infested interior of the apartment. He can tell rather quickly that it has indeed recently been occupied, noting the prints upon the thick layer of dust resting on the floor. Two sets are too oddly shaped to be of a humans, and the third is barefoot. Most likely Zaines.

"Is this where you jerks are keeping her, Zed?" Tony sneers at the unconscious Zaine. "Bet it is, and also bet she ain't by herself."

Zaine obviously is in no condition to answer any bet this time. Antonio looks toward the set going up the stairs and clenches his fist. Not too fare from the base of the stairs, among a stack of boxes and just behind a recently moved bookshelf, is a indescribable shade with a subtle red light shining on what looks like its eye. Behind that eye is a camera, and behind the view is Clark Rweise.

"Good help just isn't easy to find cheap now and days, is it?" Clark shakes his head while twirling a pen among his fingers, but maintains his smirk. "Glad I prepared just in case he was all bluster." Clark looks past his laptop. "Always, ALWAYS have a contingency plan, Zorn."

Across the room, standing next to the unconscious sitting body of Sarah Leone, is a rather large and well built fellow. His TC uniform is ripped at the biceps, showing off well toned arms. The left arm has a nasty scar running from the top of his fist to the end of his forearm. He has a goatee curled forward and sharp piercing green eyes. His skin is heavily tanned. He wears the mess of his hair mostly to the right. This is Zorn Jou'ee.

"Absolutely." Zorn says as he winks. Clark looks back down at his laptop.

"Heeee!" Clark claps his hands together and rubs them." You just keep climbing those stairs you green haired cheapskate dumbass!"

Back in the apartment Antonio reaches the top of the stairs. There's a door in front of him, as well as a corridor going in two directions. The one on the left looks like it could be sneezed at to collapse. The right is heavily shrouded. Tony looks down for prints and smirks as he sees that they've stopped at the door.

"Well-" Tony speaks in a condescending tone "-guess ya'll were too scared to hide any further." Antonio reaches toward the doorknob. He stops when he hears the sound of 'vrring' behind the door. "Huh-"

Antonio immediately throws his arms in a cross over his chest as the door before him bursts to splinters. A mechanical fist launches forward and smashes into his ki imbued forearms. The door rips off the frail hinges and goes down, taking Tony with it. Tony thuds hard on the steps but tries to compose himself. The jagged edge of one of the door chunks catches him on the forehead and he rolls indignantly down the remaining steps, slightly breaking through the wood floor as he lands on his back left shoulder. Tony sits up and rubs the slight cut the door had given him. He looks up at the cyborg, a much more refined model then the last one he had seen way back in Inizioville. The cyborg, a sleek dark blue model that stands about 6'5 height and has a good few shift-able bits and pieces on its arms and legs, stands at the edge of the stairs and looks as though its ready to jump down.

"Guess that a*****e really didn't trust Zed to get the job done."

"A LOW GRADE CHEAP MERC LIKE HIM?!?" Antonio's eyes widen in surprise and he turns around just in time to catch a left metallic fist to the neck. Antonio grits his teeth and manages to hold stern his footing, but skids back several feet from the second machine. Its the same make and model as the one upstairs. Antonio coughs and rubs his neck, which starts to just slightly bruise. "I only gave him the benefit of the doubt because he said he said he knew you growing up, but I can't fully trust someone who makes himself useful with easy work all the time, now can I?"

"Damned snake." Antonio faces completely toward the cyborg with Clarks voice coming from it and quakes in anger. "Where are you hiding?! Where the hell is Sarah!?!"

"HAHAHAH YOU IDIOT! Neither I nor that b***h friend of yours is anywhere near this s**t heap!"

"What-" A groan breaks Antonios train of thought. Zaine begins to stir. Zaine sits up and rubs the back of his head.

"Aaagh damn it!" Zaine glassy eyed glares at Antonio, who gives him a crooked look back. "He got me..." Antonio shifts his glare back at the cyborg.

"So its a set up. Chalk up another reason for me to bust your teeth and make you swallow em." Antonio smirks. "You'll never see a crumb of buci leave my hands for you, as a matter of fact I'm about to cost you a hell of a lot more and junk these aluminum trash cans right now!"

"Good luck! These were made specifically to deal with meat-headed idiots like you that won't cough up the debt they own! They're a much more refined model then the mover model you destroyed before!" Antonio wastes no more time and charges at the cyborg on the ground, but hes cut off by a dark wall of cloud.

"Our business ain't settled Tonio!" Zaine has a lit chunk of rotten wood gripped in a cloud hand brushes it against several highly dry areas in the apartment, including the entrance way. The fires are quick to spread. "If nothing else I'll take you down with me!"

"As long as his wallet is intact I don't give a damn!!!"

The cyborg at the top of the steps leaps down and tries to crush Antonio with the same rocket propelled punch it had used before, this time with the added element of gravity to aid it. This time Tony side steps and smashes a ki imbued foot into what could be called its sternum before it can land. The cyborg is sent hurtling toward the long abandoned lobby desk. The corridor above it collapses on it. The other cyborgs arm shifts into a drill that spins rapidly and it rushes through Zaines cloud. It drives its arm forward toward Tony's head. Tony quickly grabs the wrist, which stops the spin and makes the arm violently shake and vibrate, smoke oozing from its joints. Tony whips his head over to Zaine, who is already airborne and falling toward him. His left fist is balled and has fighting spirit around it and its 'spiked glove' cloud, which of course is being formed from his other hand.

"TRY SHRUGGING OFF MY BRUTAL VARIETY DIVE BOMB TONIO!!!"

---

Bo lays on the ground, silent and hiding whatever emotions he might be feeling. He pats his pocket and find his phone is missing. He lets his head fall left and immediately finds the phone, or at least whats left of it. His face remains unchanged.

"This... this is more trouble then its worth." Bo finally sits up and brushes the rubble off his shoulder. He adjusts his sunglasses. One of the lenses falls out. "Far too much trouble." Bo stands up and grumbles. "Maybe I should retire." Bo opens the door to his car and bites his lower lip. "Not yet... I'm not quitting this assignment so easily!" Bo slams the door behind him and immediately goes to the ignition. To his dismay the steering wheel is missing and in its place a note. Bo starts to show signs of frustration. Bo grabs the note and reads it out loud. "You've Lost. ~ Clarice." Bo turns his head to the passenger seat and sees the steering wheel sitting there, itself cut in half. Bo sighs and crumbles the note. "Way beyond more trouble then its worth."

---

Clark is eyeing his laptop intently right now. It's mere moments before he uttered 'as long as his wallets intact I don't give a damn'. Sarah begins to stir. Zorn notices and tries to get Clarks attention.

"Yo, boss?"

"Does it look like I'm NOT f*****g busy right now!?!"

"But-" Clark slams his hands on the desk top and glares at his right hand man.

"WHAT-" Clarks eyes meet Sarahs. She has a confused look of suspicious aimed toward Clark. "Oh... Uh, Sarah dear..." Sarah's suspicion grows. "Good afternoon. Hope you slept it off." Sarah rubs her eyes, even more confused now.

"Slept what off?! What in the world is going on, sir?" Clark carefully turns the volume down on his laptop to mute just as Antonio's voice roars a 'HUH?' from it. Sarah immediately recognizes the voice and stands up. Zorn doesn't make a move but its obvious he is ready to if he has to. "That sounded like someone I know! Mr. Rweise what in the hell is all this about?! Why am I here and what-"

"Calm down. Clark tries to smile warmly but he comes off as amazingly smug. "Some thug assaulted you, but luckily there was another TC associate that witnessed the attack and saved you. You were brought here to recover!" Sarah looks at Clark in disbelief. "And that voice? Well I'm just watching a drama movie my dear. Finally got Bitter Serenade on Mini Disk! If the actor sounded like you're friend it must be coincidence." Sarah believes absolutely nothing Clark is telling her.

"Sir?" Clark smirks. "With all due respect, I find this whole scenario just unbelievable. Headquarters has an infirmary. Why was I not sent there, or at the very least Mr. Geist's office. I work directly under him, not you." Clarks smirk slowly turns to a frown. "And that voice definitely belonged to Antonio. I don't know what's happening but-"

"Shut up shut up shut UUUUP!" Clark draws his favorite gun and points it at Sarah. "You're clearly still delirious from earlier, so you really ought to sit the f**k down! Now! Right Zorn?!" Zorn pops his neck and smiles.

"Dead on sir." Sarah now has concern on her face. She slowly sits down. Clark holsters his gun.

"You're both b******s. Whatever's going on you won't get away with it."

"Yheah." Clark laughs and speaks arrogantly as he opens the laptop. " Nothin's going on you just relax..." Clark turns his eyes to the screen and they widen. He grits his teeth and reels back in agonized surprise. "What the hell!?!"

---

Jason and Clarice stand on the cross road, facing the abandoned apartment at the end of Sait Ave. They both slowly begin to walk toward the inflamed building.

"Two guesses as to where they are." Jason says sarcastically.

"Only need one." Clarice draws her blade and points it toward the apartment. "Should we charge in?"

"Well, if the note is legit and we show ourselves that might jeopardize Sarah. She might not even be in there you know."

"I doubt she is." Clarice lowers her blade. "Clark, for all the tantrums hes known for, isn't some fool. If he's holding her hostage he'd be near, and I'm 99% sure hes not anywhere near here."

"So then what? If we bust in and take out everyone there then Clark might not find out our involvement, granted the a*****e isn't watching through some camera."

Clarice sheaths her sword and closes her eyes. A loose wave of aura radiates from her. She exhales as the aura rises to her head. "Not counting insects-" Clarice says as she opens her eyes. "-I feel two breathing bodies within the apartment, but I also sense movement from something else." Jason looks at Clarice impressed.

"Woah, you can feel life with your fighting spirit? Hell, I can't do that."

"It becomes easy if you practice." Clarice once again begins to walk toward the apartment. "They're coming out now."

As if on que Zaine flies backward out of the window. Antonio's foot is embedded into his gut, as he too is flying out of the building. Tony is also holding the now ripped off arm of the cyborg that he had grabbed. Flames follow the two out and dance around them.

"YAAAAAAAAH!!!"

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