Description: Her meeting with Tiistai having filled her with doubt, Luise throws herself into working to help the people of Thailand. However, one fateful meeting with a particular individual confirms things she prayed were false...
Night or day, the country of Thailand is one that is currently not given in to any sense of reprieve. Even as the night descends heavily upon the cities and villages of Thailand, chaos and activity still run rampant, from the heavy sound of tanks cruising across the plains, to gunfire -- even to the panicked evacuation of villagers from their threatened homes. War never ceases. There are only brief moments of time when those controlling this highly unorganized game of chess can sit back and decide the best way to maneuver their pieces.
One such time is this; even in night such as today, when the moon and the stars are blotted out by thick inky strands of rainclouds threatening storms on the horizon, there is activity. The place is a simple village in Thailand occupied by what could be considered the 'invaders' of this war. Settled in deep into Shadaloo territory, this village is, nonetheless, /not/ occupied by Shadaloo forces. One of a small handful of locations scattered throughout Vega's territories, this place bears an entirely different flag. A brilliantly royal blue flag sways in the warm breeze, emblazoned with a white cross encircled by a series of three white circles. Certainly not Shadaloo. Then who? To those in the know, they might recognize that flag...
... The brilliant colors of the NESTS Cartel.
The forces that occupy this village are limited, but it doesn't seem that they're exactly necessary, either. The villagers who occupy this place seem oddly compliant, as if their new occupants have won them over with their outstanding charisma -- or, more likely, as if they have been simply mind-wiped into submission. Psychics NESTS might not have yet, but the art of brainwashing is not especially hard to discover and utilize; it's something they learned long, long ago.
At the center of this village has been erected a simple camp. One might consider it the central headquarters for whoever is in control of this particular village. Emblazoned with NESTS' insignia across it's top much like the flag that flies here, it is rather nondescript. The man who leaves it, however, is not: a tall man wearing a three-piece, black business suit instead of typical military regalia, he seems more suited towards a business meeting than participating in a war. Yet, from the cold look in his steel gray eyes, to the way the guards salute him as he exits, he is a man of significant importance -- though who he is, and why he's here, are things only a scant few truly know. He pauses outside of the camp, taking a slow look towards the sky. He doesn't have much time to waste.
Zero prefers, after all, that things be run on as strict a schedule as possible.
Despite Tiistai's injunction to head to Peru, Luise hasn't been able to pull herself from Thailand. As much as she wants so badly to find her father -- especially now, when she has a solid clue, the first in ages -- she realizes that the welfare of innocents comes first. It's not even her upbringing... it may even be a reaction to Vega's dark power, a looming mental presence that suffuses the very terrain. Her power is different... it's the power of stars, the power of hope in the night.
It also is a power that makes her uniquely suited to evacuation of women and children from the war zone, a task Luise has dedicated herself to with abandon. Speed, the ability to read and cloud the minds of simple soliders, even short range teleportation... all of these are in Luise's arsenal, and no FOXHOUND agent ever had so much stealth as she when she is determined to use it. More to the point, when the time comes to defend herself... she is able to, distasteful as she finds combat with men who use violence such as these.
A pale sliver of silver and luminescent blue in the otherwise inky darkness, Luise slips between the shadows of buildings. She had heard that there was... something here. Perhaps people who needed to be rescued, and the mere hint of that was enough to motivate her. But oddly, this village is quiet, even serene... but it's a serenity of the grave, of final repose. Something is Wrong. She can feel it in the air. A gust of wind causes the NESTS flag to rustle high above her, and the Dancing Butterfly stares at for a moment, unfamiliar with the crest.
Turning her gaze back to the ground, she is about to move again when she spies the tall, elegantly-dressed man emerge from the camp, and freezes. He is not like the others; he has an 'aura', and more to the point his is a sharp, protected mind... infinitely more closed to her than those around him, a darkened spot on her radar. That alone bears investigation, and Luise aims to duck into another nearby shadow for a closer look... perhaps this anomaly has the answers to the strange feeling she has in this place.
Power, much like war, brings with it a wealth of opportunities. It's this that composes a bulk of the reason that NESTS has even deigned to assist Shadaloo in any measure whatsoever; within this organization lies the key to finally, fully understand and grasping a hold of that one thing that its leader wields with a natural ease -- Psycho Power. There is little more that Zero and Igniz seek from this relationship than that dark power that seeps out through the whole of Thailand and threatens to throw everythign into a permanant state of chaos and turmoil. To harness that, well...
... it brings them one step closer to being Gods.
It's a fact that is only known to the highest echelons of the cartel. Like the man that steps out of the main compound of this encamped village. There is little to signify such a level of importance beyond the way the soldiers address him, but the way he carries himself, the unusual air which permeates around him like a constant chilling sensation -- these are all clues as to his true nature. Zero says nothing to the guards as he leaves, adjusting his suit with practiced ease. He does not reside in such a meager place like this; but business must be tended to, and their ranks must know that the greatest amongst them are keeping an ever watchful eye. In the end, it keeps 'morale' high.
His work here is done, however, and as such Zero takes a sharp turn on his heel, moving with a cold, fluid grace towards the entrance to the village. If he is aware of eyes upon him from the shadows, he makes no mention of it; gray eyes keep leveled forward as his right hand smoothly slips into his right pocket. His intention is to leave towards the south entrance of the village -- presumeably to receive transport back to wherever it is that he actually finds himself stationed. As he walks, though, it becomes abundantly clear as he reaches the outer boundaries of the village and the presence of guards slowly dwindle until there are none left -- there is no transport for him here. He comes to a stop, eyes thoughtful. Perhaps waiting for his ride to arrive? Regardless, as he reaches the edge of the village, Zero comes to a dead stop, his stance coldly composed and gaze hauntingly lifeless as he looks around him. Waiting, certainly for something -- but what?
The easy analogy is a shark. It's certainly somewhat applicable to the situation. Zero's body, his carriage, everything suggests that he is a predator, slicing through the space between people, between buildings, even through the barely-lit darkness. If one is watching in the slightly altered, psychic frame of vision, he is a streak of silver, a knifeblade; waves part as he passes. Zero is singular, and as she continues to track his presence, Luise finds this was a smart thing to do.
One doesn't need to be psychic to know he's in charge, or that he's waiting for something. But what? Who is represented by the cross-emblem flag she has seen flying, when she knows full well the winged skull of Shadaloo should be waving gently in the breeze. Could it be a resistance organization? But it seems as if someone with such resources certainly would be under attack right now if they were working against Shadaloo... but to Luise, poor moral Luise, it's inconceivable that any organization or individual would work WITH a psychopath like Vega.
Bereft of guards, outside the walls, Luise sees her chance and, swallowing once to push fear and anxiety from her bearing, she steps out of the shadows.
"Good evening." She'd like to think she has the element of surprise, but that's too much to hope for. After all, if her experience with Tiistai is any indicator, this man may have known she was there the whole time. "How unexpected to find a man in so well-tailored a suit in a small village in the jungle, waiting for... something?" She glances at Zero, waiting for his response.
A predator in the truest sense of the word. There are scant few occupying this village who do not respect and even fear Zero, and for good reason; the man might as well be dead for how much emotion he gives off. There are some, less trained and less experienced guards that shudder as he walks by. He fails to notice -- after all, they are ultimately beneath him and not worth the minute time it would take to look their way. Instead, he has a single path, and thus, his gaze focuses on that path...
... Until the NESTS Vice President finds himself towards the edge of the village his organization now controls. He waits, patiently, not even making a glance to see the time. Whatever he is waiting for, it will be there in short order -- all who work for Zero know well his value of being expressly on time. But --
--that doesn't mean that unforseen variables might impede upon Zero's schedule.
If he is surprised to hear the voice, it does not register in his eyes or in his expression. That cold gaze does not even shift towards Luise as she makes herself known, instead continuing to stare straight forward. There is silence for some time after she speaks, to an unsettling degree -- perhaps he didn't hear her, or even see her--
"How unexpected," Zero's voice cuts smoothly through the darkness as his hand slips out from his pocket, "to find a woman with so strange a bearing in a place she does not belong." Only then does his gaze move to the woman, devoid of any feeling or emotion and only offering that unnervingly cold sensation.
"One would wonder what a person such as /you/ is doing in a place like this... Luise Meyrink."
"You have me at an advantage," Luise says conversationally. It's probably for the best there's no 'lesser' people here; the raw, chilly sang-froid both of these individuals are showing is enough to freeze the blood of a lesser person solid. But as much as Zero's easy confidence gives him poise, Luise's intense belief in the rightness of her cause -- and the fullness of her destiny -- allows her the same. It's not a surprise that he should know her name, anyway... it's not as if she hasn't lived a very public life the past few years.
Luise keeps her distance for the time being; her black and silver outfit, her milk-pale skin, and the blonde hair so bright it borders on white make her stand out from the dark shadows, in a way that might make one wonder how it is she wasn't noticed before now. Her arms fold across her stomach as she observes Zero carefully, taking his measure. There is an aura of 'power', though it's not an aura unique to fighters. Indeed, men of confidence and success all seem to have it, martial skill or no. But it can't hurt to be somewhat cautious.
"If you know my name, then my purpose here should be obvious," the Dancing Butterfly response in a cool tone. "The welfare of the people of Thailand is my first priority, and I won't suffer harming innocent citizens in Lord Vega's quest for ephemeral power." Barely noticeable, but discernible if one looks for it, is the... not necessarily disgust, but *tightness* in Luise's expression as she speaks of Vega, as if even saying the name causes some sort of synaptic spark of pain through her body, a wince restrained. "I have my hopes that you represent some sort of resistance faction, but... my intuition says otherwise..."
"It is easy to guess why you are here, but there are more reasons than one." Quite noticeably, Zero does not pose this as a question; it is spoken as a clear and concise statement, as if debating it would be debating commonly accepted fact. He does not expound upon it; at least, not a first. Zero is not one for unnecessary words. The fact that he is aware of her purpose here, both the obvious and the less-than apparent, is enough for him now.
His expression does not shift as Luise speaks. Instead, he takes this moment to observe in quiet contemplation rather than offer retort. Based upon the evidence of her public fighting, and based upon what the information of the NESTS Cartel could provide, Luise Meyrink is likely here for a specific reason... and has, in his mind, marginally hazardous fighting capacities. That means her being here, to him... is something of an inconvenience. Most days, at least. Most times. Today?
It is an unexpected opportunity.
"You are here in order to suppress Vega of Shadaloo's advancement throughout Thailand and eliminate him before he can cause any more problems. This is counter-productive to my organization's agenda." They have vested /interest/ in seeing to it that Vega succeeds. "However... you yourself pose a minimal threat to Shadaloo, fighting ability aside." There is a pause here, as Zero continues to consider her. Normally, he'd allow the option of her to simply leave. Needless bloodshed is not something Zero finds pleasure in partaking in. However...
"While your threat is minimal to Shadaloo... your continued existence is something of a loose end," he begins his words in a way that should be easy to interpret their meaning. As he speaks, Zero makes a simple shift in posture, his left hand pressing against the small of his back as his right remains loosely at his side. "A loose end that, if not tied up now, may potentially be hazardous to our goals. That is the other reason you are here after all." Again, he does not put the next words into question. They are a simple statement.
"You are looking for your father. And that is something of a nuisance."
Ominous words indeed. Luise appears to have run into yet another individual who Knows Things; they are so very few and far between, and none seem particularly inclined to share what they know in any meaningful way. Riddles, signs and portents... nothing concrete, nothing USEFUL. And it is, of course, presumptuous to assume that anyone would divulge what they know if they have a reason to hide it... and whoever kidnapped Detlev Meyrink certainly has a reason to hide it.
What eventually escapes Luise's lips is a sigh. Not a bored sigh, but perhaps a frustrated sigh... she had envisioned this going so much better than it has, and she is not any more inclined to random bloodshed than Zero is; indeed, much less. But he has something she wants, and so she must resort to the bloody laws set forth by a culture she knows precious little about. "I had hoped we might negotiate, do this in a civilized way... but lately, events are making me think that's not possible anymore."
Ducking back a step, Luise takes her stance... an unusual stance, as her feet actually leave the ground, her toes pointed at the mere inches that she floats by. A power almost unique to her alone, rare even among other users of Psycho Power. A blue glow suffuses her body for a moment as she does this, her expression becoming carefully neutral. "I am no mere nuisance. And I will find and free my father; that is certain. You can save yourself much trouble by telling me what you know, but..."
With a sweep of the arm, Luise hurls a bright sphere of blue light at Zero; within the glow, the shape of a butterfly, wings flapping as it speeds across the distance, is clearly visible. "...I sadly know in my heart you won't choose to do so."
COMBATSYS: Luise has started a fight here.
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Luise 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Zero has joined the fight here.
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Luise 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Zero
COMBATSYS: Zero blocks Luise's Sharp Quartet.
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Luise 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Zero
It's a simple measure of pros and cons that bring Zero to this ultimate conclusion. A far cry from Igniz, the NESTS Vice-President instead opts to think in the most extreme of objective fashions. There is nothing artistically divine or devilishly taunting about his words and his actions, and the lack of information he provides; indeed, he seems to display a complete lack of interest in seeing the poor Luise suffer. It's simply a matter of fact. Luise discovering where her father is, reconnecting with him, 'saving' him... would put a severe damper into their plans. And thus it is that no information.
Even further, thus is is that things resort to this. Zero makes no motion to stop or otherwise convince Luise from an alternate path than the one she chooses. It is after all, the path that he himself was going to take. She simply preempts it. "There is no matter of civilized or uncivilized here. You are simply too hazardous to be kept alive, and as such..." Luise floats. It's an ability of particular interest to Zero, something only those truly skilled can perform whether through psychic powers or otherwise. But even so, it does not deter him or distract him. As that brilliant sphere of power sweeps downward, Zero is there to counter it...
With the swing of a single fist. "... You must be eliminated."
With that forward /thrust/, Zero plows through the butterfly of power. It burns, but differently from chi. A way that is distinct to a particular type of energy. "... hm," the musing sound escapes Zero even as he moves /forward./ Despite the sudden surge of power, the NESTS executives' response is simple: his right hand thrusts forward in a single, fast body-blow aimed for Luise's solar plexus, driving behind it incredible speed and strength.
COMBATSYS: Zero successfully hits Luise with Jagai Kusetsu.
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Luise 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Zero
She is unprepared for it.
The speed and ferocity of Zero's counterattack -- never mind his effective death sentence -- catch her entirely by surprise. The Dancing Butterfly throws up both arms, crossed, to try and at least interpose something, knock down Zero's force a bit. It doesn't work; she's not in time, and the blow actually sends Luise sailing, landing in a crouch a few feet away, grimacing in pain. So, not only can Zero fight, he can fight well.
Damned inconvenient.
Determined not to show weakness, however, Luise does not let this cow her; she stands, collecting herself, and gives Zero a hard expression. It's not difficult to summon. She's incensed. "My life, nor my father's, are not your playthings. You can save such grandiose proclamations for when you've defeated me!" And with that she spins, hoping to catch the NESTS VP by surprise, snapping out a hand to grab his arm and simply drive him into the ground with a quick shoulder throw.
COMBATSYS: Zero counters Quick Throw from Luise with Forcefield.
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Luise 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Zero
My life, nor my fathers, are not your playthings, she proclaims. Zero's expression is a deadpan upon hearing this, allowing himself to simply shift backwards and prepare.
"You have yet to make a good case as to otherwise."
Zero's fist withdraws fluidly as Luise goes flying; the maneuver was unbelievably fast even through the haze of Psycho Power, and his recovery time combined with Luise's fall gives Zero more than enough time to prepare for what comes next. As Luise spins, as her hand snaps out, mere inches from Zero's arm she might find...
... she's been prematurely stopped by a crackling wall of force.
The moment that Luise snaps forward and strikes that strange, invisible wall of power, waves of royal violet ripple outward from where she strikes, as if she had just disturbed the serenity of a lake's surface. Only moments afterwards, that forcefield's artificially produced chi is channeled /outwards/ in the form of electrical-like currents of amethyst power, seeking to overrun Luise and send a powerful jolt throughout her entire body.
"Your father serves a more grand scheme now. Your continued perseverence in this matter... is simply an annoyance at best."
The blow is mercifully less on her more... metaphysical defenses, but that by no means makes it weak. Crying out in shock, Luise recoils from the blast, her hand slipping behind her as she recoils from the sudden, painful blast of energy that coruscates through her body, violet-purple and midnight blue clashing as she instinctively channels her own energy to fight it off. Zero's calm collection is frustrating, but definitely warranted.
Courage or not, Luise needs to rethink this, and thus she hangs back, observing the man in front of her. He knows things, and she is not a fool; he's not with Shadaloo. Tiistai's statement that she needs to look in Peru bubbles up in her thoughts, and she narrows her dark blue gaze at Zero. "And what scheme would that be? Genius though he is, there are others beyond Detlev Meyrink who can do the things he can do... so why him?" Could it be Luise herself is ignorant of her father's true research? Perhaps...
COMBATSYS: Luise focuses on her next action.
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Luise 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Zero
In the aftermath of that conjured defensive measure, violet chi cracks and fades away from around Zero, diminishing into nothing just as it had been brought forth. His gaze is cold and lifeless as he advances forward, gait calm and collected -- as if he were simply talking a casual stride forward through the village. With such a stance, with such clothes, one would hardly think him to be a fighter of any measure. But as Luise is quickly discovering... there is something 'off' with such a theory.
"Information not for the likes of you." Twofold: it is no use divulging information to those branded for dead... and if she survives, it could become problematic. "But I would think Meyrink's own daughter would know something of what we plan for him. Did he not tell you of his area of research? Curious." Zero does not let his mind linger for long; instead, just as he grows close enough, his body lurches /forward./ In his next motion, he is snapping /up/ into the air in a simple blurringly fast /whirl/ of motion, spinning around to plant the heel of his recently polished dress-shoe into the side of Luise's face with a simple grunt of effort. So, Meyrink keeps secret from his daughter? That makes her slightly /less/ of an annoyance, if it's the case...
COMBATSYS: Luise fails to counter Light Kick from Zero with New Moon Nocturne.
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Luise 1/----===/=======|=====--\-------\0 Zero
Outclassed.
It's not a pretty word, but it's certainly applicable in this situation. Luise's reluctance to move forward was, in part, a ploy to get Zero to come to her... after all, her own fighting style has its share of reversal techniques as well, using her psycho powered intuition to guide her exactly where she needs to be. But there are two factors working against Luise, in this case: Zero's overpowering speed and precision... and her own growing unease. Psycho Power depends on concentration but it also depends on *confidence*.
Right now, Luise is lacking that.
When Zero's foot comes for her face, she attempts to snap it into her hand, to hurl him away. All she succeeds in doing is spraining her wrist, the kick painfully twisting her arm rather than striking her face, and sending her skidding backwards 'across' the air... an interesting sight, to be sure. "Neuroscience," Luise bites out. "Cybernetic limb replacement, working with machine and neural interfaces." She has no problem saying this. The whole world knows it, if they know the name Detlev Meyrink... his breakthroughs in cybernetic interfaces are so advanced as to be ahead of their time. "But you hardly seem to need any of that."
"So you really don't understand the truth?" Luise speaks of facts which are well known, but she doesn't pin down the truly important aspect of Meyrink's research. The one that he was most needed for. "So in the end he did not trust his daughter with that information. Interesting." The way Zero says this, he might find it to be pitiable...
... if he were a creature capable of such things.
As it stands, he isn't, and his goal here is simple and not one that needs be broadened into witty banter. He finds himself a step closer along the way when Luise is struck down with that ungodly might of his. And as soon as she comes to a stop, he twists to regard her, gripping onto the edge of his business coat. To anyone who's fought Zero before, they would know what this is a prelude to. A pity that Luise, then, likely hasn't the slightest clue.
"The NESTS Cartel does not require Dr. Meyrink for ideas we have long since mastered and surpassed. You are looking towards the wrong area, and you are asking the wrong questions. There is only one realm of the body that we have not mastered yet. With your father's help, we are well on our way to making such a claim the past." His explanation is over; the time for words is done. He offers a clue, but to him, it is not one that endangers them in the slightest -- especially with such a limited knowledge of the cartel readily available... and especially when Luise is not longer for this world.
With one, simple motion, Zero flings the edges of his coattails forward with the snap of his wrist. It would seem he's trying to literally attack Luise /with/ his coat, an idea that would be absurd to think about; the material is too flimsy, and even if not the distance is too great to cross. Yet, as that coat flings outward, something happens. An unnerving sensation washes over, invisible power rippling across that coat, melting it into sometyhing else. Into long, strong black fabric that begins to extend to lengths far longer than it should. And at the hem of this fabric? A long row of sharp metal 'teeth' intent on sawing through Luise from hip to hip, apparently to carve through sadly vulnerable skin and -- if she doesn't maneuver herself out of the way -- to spill her precious blood and life all across the ground between them.
In the aftermath, for Luise to see, is Zero -- dressed now in his markledly unique battlesuit.
COMBATSYS: Zero successfully hits Luise with Satsuma.
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Luise 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0 Zero
NESTS.
It's the second name that Seth revealed to her, the second group that would want Detlev Meyrink for their own purposes... and the second group interested in what the informant would only call 'that resource': Psycho Power. The discovery hits Luise like a slap to the face. She had assumed it was EITHER Shadaloo OR NESTS that had her father. She had hoped she could at least eliminate one option. But now she has, at least in her mind, proof that perhaps they have colluded.
But then she hears Seth's voice in her head: 'the first group... specializes in maintaining a monopoly over the resource that we just discussed... the most comprehensive understanding of that resource in the entire world'.
She is frozen in what can only be called terror as Zero's battle suit scythes through her like she was made of tissue paper. The floating stops, but oddly Luise does not cry out. Instead, in a swirl of blue, black, and blood red, she collapses to the ground in a heap. For a while she does not appear to move... though it's unclear exactly if this is from physical or mental trauma. The answer is a little of both. But eventually, she does rise, and the young woman's beautiful face, besides being scarred by spatters of her own blood, is marred by something else... something totally foreign to her.
Rage.
"NO!" she shouts, her power growing in response to her heightened emotions... something Psycho Power is quite good at. Her floating resumes, and in fact a pair of blue butterfly wings -- fragile as gossamer, made of blue light -- extend from her back as she turns her attention on Zero. The blue glow around her body intensifies, becoming pure white... and then unleashing itself at the NESTS VP in a massive burst of starlight, all of Luise's power in one ragged, last ditch blast. "NO! NO! NO!"
When the light clears, regardless of what happens, she is gone. Only the mournful, fury-filled echo of her denial rings through the empty air.
COMBATSYS: Luise can no longer fight.
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Zero 0/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Zero fails to reflect Overture to Farewell from Luise with Ouga.
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Zero 1/-------/=======|
Such an intense emotional response seems to be expected from Zero. The man has put forth a bare minimum of effort here today, and that much should be obvious; even though that single strike fells Luise so soundly, it is still evident the strength behind it isn't quite the maximum the man could achieve if he truly wished to. But it's enough. With that single movement, he is ready to end things. Brutally. Swiftly. And without an ounce of remorse in that lifeless expression.
He advances. His left hand still presses firmly against his back as his right extends. From all around him, a chilling sensation of chi floods over the area; it's almost otherworldly in its feel, like an inky, clinging sensation that speaks of nothing but a cold void. Yet as he tenses in preparation, something else happens. A sudden burst of power issues forth from Luise. It might be beautiful, if Zero could appreciate such things. Instead, it is seen as a nuisance and a potential problem. The sudden surge of Psycho Power is reacted to quickly, but not quickly enough; gripping his skirt, it seems Zero is intent to once more fling the edges of his cape right /at/ that oncoming surge... but he's a second too late. The burst of starlight strikes clean and sends Zero flinging through the air, flipping once, twice... before he reorients himself, landing on his feet as his body smokes. His gray eyes stare dispassionately towards the source of the burst...
... but Luise Meyrink is gone.
By this time guards, having heard the commotion, advance upon Zero. Seeing only blood, and their commander, they give a rigid salute. "The intruder was a woman named Luise Meyrink. Utilizes Psycho Power. Send a message through the Cartel... anyone who finds this woman is to eliminate her immediately." "Meyrink? Isn't that--" "Go."
They need no other words. The men are off in a scatter, just as Zero's transportation arrives, a black, sleek van coming to a halt just before the entrance. Slowly, he turns to leave, his battlesuit once more melting away into those unassumingly elegant clothes.
"Luise Meyrink. Interesting."
COMBATSYS: Zero has ended the fight here.
Log created on 16:03:08 06/21/2007 by Luise, and last modified on 17:19:41 06/22/2007.