Chapter 9: The God that Failed

[Alexei Nacharade]

Alexei begins to flip his balisong aimlessly, looking at the ceiling.

"That sounds about right." He says.

He sits up, but continues flicking his butterfly knife through his fingers, around and around.

"I guess, then, we need to think of a good place to lead him. Any ideas?"

[Tuesday DeCastro]

Tuesday shook her head. "Honestly, I don't know if its a good idea to follow this guy." She stated.

Usually she's all for going after the bad guy, but after everything shes been through with this guy, she doesn't want anything to do with him. "I mean, hes obviously after me, if we try to lead him somewhere what if he just swoops down on me and kills me or something."

[Maeve Cullen]

Maeve shrugs. "It's your choice. But are you willing to give up your journalist job? I wouldn't be willing to give up my love 'cos some ass decided to cut me up some." She says, probably seeming a bit cold. She had a hard time understanding that some people didn't grow up in the circumstances she did.

[Tuesday DeCastro]

Tuesday scowled a little, still laying down with her eyes closed. "I'm not going to give up my journalist job. I never said I would."

She crosses one leg over the other, and feels very comfortable. "I'm just going to avoid him at all costs, so hmph." She sticks out her tongue and pouts a little, before realizing that she's being immature.

Tuesday sighs, a little aggravated with this whole situation. "Actually, its probobly for the best to reel him in." She crosses her arms. "But you guys are gonna keep me safe, right?" She asks, hoping for some kind of assurance.

[Alexei Nacharade]

Alexei glances at Maeve then at Tuesday. He didn't feel an overwhelming need to keep her safe. He liked Tuesday and all, but he'd yet to meet many people he would go out of his way to protect.

"Of course we'll keep you safe." He said, smiling.

Alexei yawned and shut his eyes for a bit. He figured for now they were going to rest for a bit, which certainly sounded good to him. He took out a small portable music player the SOTA company devlops. A portable stereo, more or less. He liked to listen to music, and it was something that got harder to do. He switched it on and one of his favorite songs starts playing. He wasn't sure of Tuesday or Maeve would care for it, but he didn't concern himself terribly with it.

It's a blindfold kickback type of a game called the kansas city shuffle...

Alexei chuckled and hummed along with the music. His eyes closed as the gnawing question of why he was helping these two scratched at the back of his mind, but he pushed it away. He needed something to do in between hits. The business was moving just fine without him.

Besides, maybe helping these two out would be beneficial in the long run.

Its a shakedown switch arrive in town
Type of Kansas City Shuffle
Gotta' make both sides and let it ride
On the Kansas City Shuffle...

Who knows?

[Maeve Cullen]

Maeve glances at Alexei laying back, reminding her how tired she was. It'd been a long day. She looks back to Maeve and smirks, winking. "I'd gladly get another battle scar for you." She stands, moving to the couch and laying down. "But I think right now the best thing is to iron this plan out while we lick our wounds. Well, your wounds, at any rate."

[Tuesday DeCastro]

Tuesday feels much safer knowing that at least Maeve and Alexei are going to look out for her, she smiles a little, and rolls onto her side, settiling into the couch. "Thanks guys. I dunno what I'd do with out you." Actually, without them, gas mask man would've gotten her back at Genetech, and she'd be captured with Malak.

Malak. Tuesday was still worried about him. She hoped he was alright, and that someone would be able to find him. Maybe if they did manage to catch the man with the gas mask he'd be able to tell them where Malak was, then they could go rescue him.

She hadn't slept much the night before, and shes feeling rather tired. She yawns a little, and listens to the music Alexei had put on. She liked it. Soon enough her breathing was heavy and rhythmic, Tuesday had fallen asleep.

[Alexei Nacharade]

Alexei rolled his balisong along his fingers. He looked thoughtful, then stared at the ceiling, not even paying attention to the knife he flipped over and over.

"I wonder what's the biggest difference between The Blessed and The Cursed." He says almost randomly, somewhat to himself. He seemed to consider this for quite a while, then glanced to his two companions, as if they could provide an answer.

[Maeve Cullen]

Maeve remained on the couch opposite of Tuesday, watching her sleep for a moment before stretching. She lays quietly for a few moments after Alexei's thoughtful statement. She eventually shrugs and closes her eyes. "Willing to fetch the sticks and bare their bellies."

[Alexei Nacharade]

Alexei chuckles and nodded as he closes his knife but kept it in his hand. He would be able to open it on a moments notice.

"I guess that just makes the Cursed bad dogs." he notes, yawning as he starts to drift off himself.

Strangely enough, he thought of the last man he'd killed, and the family who'd lost him. He thought of his family. What was keft, anyway. Alexei had been the youngest of four brothers and two sisters. All his brothers were dead, in prison, or died in prison. He thought of his mother, how she drifted away with each son she lost to crime.

She'd left when Alexei was only twelve, but that wasn't the last time he saw her. He'd gotten out of prison a year ago, and he'd been in the backseat of an associate's car. They'd stopped to pick up some ladies when he saw her, standing with the other prostitutes on the sidewalk. She looked right at him, and didn't even recognize his face. It was simply a vacant, zombie-like look in her eyes. Those eyes haunted Alexei to this day.

He tried his hardest to sleep. The eyes still bothered him.

[Maeve Cullen]

Maeve didn't reply, leaving it at that as she drifted off to sleep also. She dreamed of the last time she had seen Julie. Julie had seemed stressed lately, but wouldn't tell her anything. She was beautiful as always, though. Considered one of the Blessed... but she wasn't like the other blessed. That woman was beautiful inside and out...

[Kizu Sensou & Hex]

Kizu was back in her lab she had looked at her pocket once more and pulled out the piece of paper that Alexei had written the number on. SHe had not known what to say to that. She had never had someone give her a number before. Obviously Hex had not been happy. He had watched them walk away and held out his hand for the paper when they left.

She had walked back to her lab and sat down infront of her computer staring at the screen until now.

"Hex I know how you feel. But these people are not what they seem. We may need them sometime and it may be unwise to get rid of the only means of getting in touch with them. Perhaps we might even offer them our own services...Maybe they could help us in the long run."

She began entering the number into her history of her phone. WHo did this Alexei work for and how could he benifit her. She wonders if she should have told them she supported Lady Violette.

[Tuesday DeCastro]

Tuesday slept soundly...well she slept as soundly as one could on the couch. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes, and yawning. Crossing her legs under her, she stretched her arms over her head, making a tight moaning sound as she did so. "Mmmmnn!"

She thought about what they had talked about the night before. She was frightened about going after gas mask man, but it was even scarier not to go after him. Then he'd still be out there, doing god knows what. Hell, he could be sitting outside her widow stalking her at this very moment for all she knew...just in case he was, she went and checked that the window was locked, finding that it was, she resumed her place on the couch.

[Alexei Nacharade]

Alexei woke up with a groan. He rubbed his face and stood up, then walked off to the bathroom. He stripped and stepped into the shower, washing himself off.

After finally getting clean he stepped out and wrapped himself in a towel. He took a razor and laid a line of cocaine on the sink, snorting it. He walked out of the bathroom, stretching and shaking his head a bit.

[Tuesday DeCastro]

Tuesday had dozed off for a moment, as she hadn't noticed when Alexei woke up. She rubbed her right eye a bit, and smiled lightly at him.

"Good morning. Sleep alright?"