Meet Shane (Open)

(A little mood music for the post.)

The sun hung high in the sky as it beat down upon the earth as the world went about is messy problems of recovery after the war. One of the recovery sites was stationed in the slums where a massive building was to be erected to house upwards of a thousand families of a lower income. The building was to sport decent accommodations and come fully furnished while reaming cheap enough that those people of the slums would be able to afford them and get a taste of a better life to some degree. The whole thing was being paid for by the Moral Americans Future Investment in America or as the people who actually worked for them would call them...the Mafia. They came up with a fake organization name that would pass through with the government when items such as the building needed to be erected for the purposes of easy money gain and such.

They had gotten the permits and even thrown a ball in celebration of the event all in the name of keeping up the image of the fake organization that they used for these deals. The idea of another building in the slums to provided low income housing was an idea that was well received as it would help get people off the streets and maybe bring a bit more respect to the neighborhood. What went unsaid was that the people who moved into the building would all be members of the respected families and that it would be a front for numbers running and drug distribution as well as provide safe houses for those who needed to get away from the public eye for awhile.

Once the building was erected they would implement a team of contractors to come in and build all kinds of hidden passages and secret rooms in which these people could hide should the law come knocking on the door. The whole thing was to be a giant base of operations in which the Mafia could get a stronger foothold in the city itself while remaining more deeply rooted in an area riddled with crime. It would help mask the activities that went on in and around the building as the slums were already notorious for that kind of reputation. It was in all honesty the perfect place to erect this kind of building and they made it so the government and ruling bodies were none the wiser.

At the moment however the building was nothing more then beams and heavy machinery with men littered all over the place working to get the whole thing set up. The issue today however was that the foreman was pitching a fit about the pay he was receiving from his boss and this guy was low level mafia himself. One of the other guys had heard him talking about it and how he was going to slow down production just to stick it to the guy because he was being treated unfairly and that did not sit right with the men who ran things. They needed someone to handle the issue for them but they wanted it to be an outside contractor who the guy would not know. They were not about to risk sending in one of they're own who could get ratted on.

The rumbling of a massive engine in the distance caused the workers to look up from the break table and the lunches that they ate as they wondered if one of the machines was still on. They rumble only grew louder until they saw a black shine that reflected the light of the sun into a glare as the 1970 Chevy Chevelle came into view. The 454 LS6 engine roared loudly as the car came to a stop and was rev'd up once to announce it presence to the crew before finally being shut off. The guys simply stared at the black beauty wondering who it belonged to and what a beautiful piece of machine like it was doing sitting in the construction site at that very moment.

The door opened and a black boot hit the ground causing dust to kick up under the force and a hand reached up to the hard top as Shane pulled himself from the vehicle and shut the door behind him. He stood in a black shirt and leather jacket which matched the black jeans that covered his legs as he stared back at them from under his sunglasses. They are stared blankly at him and the area was silent as it almost seemed like an odd mexican standoff was being had right then and there as to who would break the silence. "Oi, keep your hands off the car awright?" The men nodded in unison once the silence was broken and Shane moved to the giant white trailer that served as the office for the foreman. Pulling the door opened he stepped inside and removed his sunglasses as the cool air blasted from the AC hit his flesh and he turned to the right to see the man he was looking for sitting in a chair with his feet up on the desk and taking a nap.

Walking over he looked the man over a moment before reaching under his legs and lifting them high into the air which caused the mans upper body to lean back and tilt the chair till they both went crashing to the floor. The man scrambled to his feet and caught his first glimpse of the 6'4" monster before him and again it was Shane who spoke first. "Do I have your attention now sunshine?" His thick British accent caused the mans face to look at him in confusion for a moment before his face slowly screwed up in anger. "Do you have any fuckin idea who I am?!" The foreman was irate and it seemed as though steam was about to shoot from his ears as his face began to flush red in anger. Shane stood there unimpressed and pointed to the chair as a clear indication that the guy needed to take a seat.

"I know who you are Charlie and I know who you work for.What you need to know is that I now work for your boss as well and the ol' geezer has sent me down here cause he heard that you were makin a fuss over the amount of brass your gettin. Now what happens when someone gets the bottle to try and make a stink is they call in a guy like me to handle it. The look on the foreman's face suggested that he was putting the pieces together as the anger began to subside but was still somewhat clinging to his features as Shane pressed on. "Now I don't want to have to scuff you up son but if you don't straighten your shit out then im gonna have to come back here and set things proper which makes me angry. Now if I get angry and have to come back then im going to do damage and in that case you are gonna be the one who catches the fag end of that situation."

The threat was all it took for the man to start screaming his head off at Shane as he strung together all kinds of obscenities and insults. Shane nodded his head before reaching across the table and bashing the mans head into the desk as hard as he could manage. It was enough to cause him to become dizzy and disoriented to the point that Shane was then able to grab the front of his shirt and lift him over the desk. He dragged the groaning foreman out the front door and down the stairs as he made his way to the car that was parked in the construction lot. The men jumped up from the table and took a giant step back as they watched him carry the boss to the back of the car and open the trunk as he seemed to root around for something. He pulled out a baseball bat and shut the trunk as he then proceeded to Barry Bonds the fuck out of the foreman in plain sight of the men who were on cellphones calling the police.

After a good three minutes and a very bloody foreman Shane tossed the baseball bat away and looked over at the other men standing around. "You say a fucking word to anyone and im coming back for the fucking lot of ya!" They stared as he got into the car and the engine roared to life once more. Putting it in reverse he slammed the gas and the car jumped back and over a speed bump which happened to be the foreman's legs. Shane cut the wheel as the car did a 180 and then burned out as he took off down the street. He pulled into a parking garage a block or so away and parked the car before walking to a diner across the street and taking a spot near the window in the back. He stared across the street at the construction site and waited to see who would sing when the cops came.

The fifteenth, at eleven. You got it?

Sure sure, whatever. You're payin' me right? the asshole asked as he and his possey stared over at her. Like they were getting some sort of physical payment for this little venture.

Deal's a deal, boys. You get to take whatever you want from the lab. Then we never talk about it. Ever. That's how it rolls. You can sell all that shit for pocket change or whatever if you want. I don't care. I just don't want to see you again.

Aww Red, that hurts.

Thought you'd be used to rejection by now, Dude.

A finger found it's way into her face, and the redheaded woman looked down at it before her eyes flashed up to Sawyer's. Listen here you little bitch.

She grabbed his finger, moved, quickly, twisted, and the man yelled out in pain, as she twisted with her entire body and in seconds there was a sharp crack. His finger hung at an odd angle.

Lets keep the name calling to those that can afford to lose a finger, okay Chief? Now, The fifteenth, at eleven. You don't want to know what Im going to break if you don't show, so you and your boys, best be there.

Evyn turned on her heel. She didn't look like the kind of girl that could break a finger with a twist of her hand. But, she had been trained in many things when she was raised in the Aurora Project. Evyn had ideas though, ideas of grandure, and she was going to make sure it happened. Aurora would be starting her little project without knowing it, and that was allll that she needed. Except the help to get what she needed out of the lab. Thus, she was hiring the boys with the promise that they could take everything else from the lab if they wanted, she just needed a couple things for herself.

They had agreed.

She could sense the fear behind her. All animals could, and since she was an avian, she could definitely feel it. Not that anyone could tell. She wore a pair of ripped jeans and a sweatshirt five sizes too big. Her slight frame was a little willowy and a bit on the tall side and her red hair was tarnished with dirt and grease from having not been washed in some time. Evyn didn't let that stop her though, she had plans, and this 'skin' was only temporary.

There was a diner to her left as she came out of the alley mouth where she had been having a discussion with Sawyer and his boys. She could hear them cursing at her from under their breaths but she didn't care. The point had been made, and anything they said now was in fear. That was all that mattered, they wouldn't let her down, they were too afraid to. She had broken a finger, because she could, what could she break if she really wanted to.

She had pick-pocketed some old hat this morning, and had exactly twelve dollars to her name. A feast was in order. Plans were falling into place, and besides that, her future was on the horizon. So, she was going to treat herself. The bell over the door to the diner dinged as she stepped in, and looked around at the building. Because of her alterations due to the StarDust. She actually needed food to survive where as Avians generally didn't. They could get all their sustenance from the sun. She could not. She needed both.

Two egg platter, orange juice, chocolate milk, and a chocolate chip muffin. she told the waitress at the counter before she moved to find a seat next to some dude that was brooding out the window.

The waitress set down a mug of hot coffee before Shane as he had ordered it which was black and fresh. He picked the mug up and drew the liquid from the cup into his mouth and down his throat with a hard gulp before he set it back down and looked out the window just as the sirens blared and the cops began to pull up with an ambulance not to far behind. The cops began to run questions and most of the guys shook heads as if they didn't know anything but two of them went off to the side and seemed to be drawing them a picture of exactly what went on. Shane made a mental note of who they were and what they looked like before his attention was drawn from the window to the front door as the bell rang out.

A street rat seemed to make her way into the diner and made her way to the counter to place her order. She was dirty and disheveled which was how he had picked her out as someone who had a knack for playing in the street and making money any way that she could. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a money clip and then pulled a hundred dollar bill from it and palmed it. The girl sat down next to him at the window and he was waiting for the questions to be asked about what went on across the street. He tossed the hundred onto the counter between the two of them and left it there as a way to pay for her meal and his coffee.

Most people didn't understand the way Shane worked because those who knew him only saw a large man who had a striking ability to get the job done and retrieve the things they needed. He was a career criminal to be sure but he was also deeply invested in the balance of all things and because of this he was a bit of an oddball. He had just beaten a man nearly to death and was planning on paying a visit to the song birds but he was also about to pay for the girls lunch whom he barley knew and then let her keep the change as well. He had committed an act that was purely wrong and because of that he was now committing an act of goodwill for a random stranger. Balance.

He lifted the mug to his lips again and took a long sip from it before setting it down once more and turning to get a better look at the woman who sat next to him. He shrugged and looked back across the street where the foreman was being lifted into the ambulance by the EMT's while strapped to a backboard. they were still questioning people as two of the cops pointed to the diner and then nodded before making way in its direction. Shane didn't budge and didn't seem panicked in the least but he did reach behind himself and checked that both of his guns were tucked away within his jeans before bringing both hands back to the counter.

They couldn't have a description of him just yet right? If they did and they spotted him then he would be adding to more bodies to his list today and have to make a fast getaway which meant that he would be shifting into his forsaken form to save his own ass. He could only hope that they would come in and order what they wanted without spotting him and then leave and in such a case he would be making a fast exit himself. He looked at the girl next to him once more and shook his head as he knew he would have to get her out of the way should the bullets start to fly.

Food.. food food food... food foooooooooood.

A little ditty by yours truly. No, she wasn't nuts. Okay, there were days that she balanced on the edge of the knife on that one, but there were days like today where she was fairly lucid. Plus... food!

She could smell the eggs, the bacon, and the muffins. She could smell the coffee of the man who was sitting next to her at the window side bar. She didn't pay much attention to the cash he dropped on the counter. He was either propositioning her for a little bit of back alley, dumpster dance, or he was trying to show how much cashola he ran around with. Neither interested her much. You didn't pick pocket people that would miss the cash, you started picking pockets of assholes that had a wad and you were sure to get caught. It as easier to get the guys that shoved a few ones, or an extra five into their five day old jeans as they left the music store too engrossed in their new music purchase to think about the girl shadowing them and slipping their five from them.

She wouldn't be stupid enough to try to pick the pocket of Sarge here.

Orange juice, water, and coffee were dropped off in front of her. A buffet of drinks. She didn't change or add anything to her coffee. But she downed the orange juice first. Chugging it like a frat boy on beer seven. She didn't care what it looked like, her body could use the sugar and the calories. With the empty glass now on the table put down like a shot glass at a seedy bar in a back alley, she sipped at her coffee like she had seriously not just chugged eight ounces of tasty orange.

Across the street there were cops, an ambulance, and a whole slew of Self Important assholes. She took a bite of her eggs the second the woman put them down. So eager to eat she almost stabbed the poor woman in the hand, but she made sure to aim just far enough away that her tasty cooking digits were okay.

So Sarge, you see what went on over there. Or are you one of those people that don't stick your nose where it don't belong? she asked in between shoveling mouthfuls of food into her mouth. She hadn't eaten in too long. Occassionally she would save up enough money to gorge herself on something like this. But it was rare, mostly she lived on garbage, rotten food, and things stolen from outside markets when the people were distracted. She got by well enough , but nothing beat eating breakfast and knowing that you could eat your fill no matter what!

She could see two Badges making their way to the diner. She hoped that they hadn't heard about her Alleyway deal, she doubted it, but she had broke a dude's finger. That was assault, she supposed... but you know.. 'self defense' and all that.

The woman next to him asked him about the situation across the street and if he had seen anything. He hid the smirk that tugged on the right corner of his mouth and nodded his head. "Saw the whole bloody thing. This aint the place to talk about it though so if you want to hear more then be ready to breeze out of here when I make my move." Shane was always on edge when it came to cops but for some reason he always hung around to watch them work and that of course invited encounters like the one that was about to be had. He watched them cross the street and the grip on his coffee mug grew a bit tighter. the rounded the corner and the bell atop the door rang to signal them entering the establishment. He set his coffee cup down and turned slightly to get a gaze at them over his shoulder. They were asking the waitress at the counter some questions and pointing to the site across the street.

He cursed his look and stood up slowly as if to leave and then looked to Evyn once more before he slowly walked for the door. He seemed as though he would breeze right out of the place when one of the cops called out. "Sir would you mind hanging around for a bit. We have some questions to ask you and the lady at the window." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes a moment as both of the cops looked at him and he looked at the door. "I don't have time boys. I am already late for work and I got here after it all went on so I am going to have to refuse that request." He was trying to be as polite as he could with them but he knew that when you said no to a cop most of them suddenly went on a power trip and the fat one who was talking with the waitress was no different.

"You want us to take you in for obstruction and ask you the questions downtown? Sit down and wait till we get to you and I don't wanna hear any lip." That was all it took for Shane to lose his calm composer and it would be seen in his face as he turned around and seemed to be making his way back in the direction of his chair. He sat down next to them however and they both looked at him with a bit of confusion. [color=green]["You wanted my attention and now you got it. So ask what you need to ask now or I walk out those doors awright? If you think idle threats are gonna work then your fucking with the wrong geezer on this one and I will gladly stick my lawyer so far up your arse that your career will know what its like to be prison raped and left for dead." /color]

They both looked at him as if he was nuts but the slim one pulled out his pad and began to ask question after question. Shane answered them all rapidly in an attempt to walk out as fast as he could and it seemed to work as the whole thing only took about five minutes. He made his way to the door once more when the slim one pointed to Evyn and seemed to pick her out next. "She don't know anything either. She is with me and just managed to arrive after because she was paying the meter for my car. Come on sweetheart lets get to work." He was trying to spare her the questioning but in the end it was her choice and he didn't have long to wait. So he walked out of the door and waited outside for about three minutes. That was how long he was going to wait before he left her in the diner.

Evyn rose her brow. The man knew something, that much she was certain of, so she finished devouring her food and stuck the money he had put on the counter in her pocket. She wasn't sure if she would give it back to him, or if she would use it. She could certainly try to use it, it would definitely help her out. Of that she was certain. But even still, she figured that there was no way she was letting this dude go for no reason. She was curious and it wasn't like she had anything else to do.

She was almost done with her plate when the cops strode into the place. The man next to her got up and she watched as he tried to exit. She was up and out of her chair before he got to the door. But, the cops stopped him. She waited, hands in her pockets as she watched the situation.

But, the cops were jerks, of course, they were doing their job but they were assholes about it. not that the guy beside her wasn't. But, then, she liked that about him. She liked the fact that he had enough brass between his legs he was willing to tell the men just what he thought of them.

She leaned against the counter as the boy answered the questions and she was silent. She didn't need to interject and he was doing all the work anyway. That was the way that she liked it. When he was done, he told them she had gotten here after he did, and didn't know anymore and she nodded. She didn't feel like talking to them anyway. Cops were always suspcious of homeless people. She knew that from experience and wasn't interested in his crap.

Later.

She gave a quick wave and followed the man she had known for about three minutes out to his car. She took his arm as they reached the car together to make it look like they were really together. She didn't even think twice about getting in the car with him. It was a show, and it was vastly important that it looked like they were really together otherwise, they were going to raise suspiscions.

Once in the car she buckled up and locked the door letting him drive away. Finally, her silver and blue eyes looked over at him, and she gave a little grin.

I'm Evyn by the way. And, somehow, I think you had something to do with that whole situation. I don't much care though. I think it's pretty awesome, actually. I think I could use someone like you. she said outright. Though she wasn't sure if he was interested in being used. Not that it mattered that much.

The car stopped at a red light and shook from the sheer power of the engine that powered it and as it did he looked over to the woman in the passenger seat. She could use someone like him? He had heard that a few times and a price tag was always what determined if someone was going to actually get him to do what they needed. He felt that he needed to explain that to her but she seemed a bit smarter then the average bear and so she may already understand that much. She was homeless it seemed so he was not sure how much money she had to her name and that caused him to chuckle slightly. She also had no idea what kind of monster she was dealing with and that was something else she would need to understand before the conversation went foreword. The light turned green and as he drove he decided that telling her wouldn't exactly hurt him as she had left with him and she couldn't rat on him if she wanted to.

"Oi, you need to understand a few things before this conversation goes any further. That situation that you think I was a part of was not something I played a part in and that's because I was the situation. The man who ran that place was flapping his gums like some kind of daft div and I had to go right that for some powerful people with deep pockets. I make a lot of money in my line of work and if your looking for someone like me then you best have your bees and honey right before you ask for me doll. If you still feel that you have what it takes then please continue with what you have in mind otherwise let me know where to pull over so you can jog off."

He was direct as usual and he wanted to make sure she understood exactly what this was all about before she got herself wrapped up in it. She understood the code of the street and she may have gotten into some bad shit but dealing with him would mean that she would be going into territory that she most likely had not been in before. Shane was hired by some of the most powerful men in the city to do the dirty work they needed done and he was not about to give it all up for the pipe dream of a gutter rat that was for damn sure. He turned the car right down and alley and parked in the center. He had another mark today but he had some time before he needed to handle that one and it would give her time to explain what it was she was on about.

She grinned as he explained. She saw a bit of something interesting on the floor and ducked down. Retrieving it she flicked it open and found that it was a nice pocket knife. No blood on it, probably just used for small things. But it would suit her well enough. As he drove she didn't even have her eyes on the road, she was cleaning out her nails with the pocket knife as he drove the car explaining to her what was going on. What he was, who he was, and what he thought. All 'before they went forward'.

She waited til he was done. Polite like that sometimes. But, the truth of the matter was, she didn't care what he thought of himself. But, she let him have his piece, he needed it, and she wanted to be sure that he felt like he was an equal partner in this.

Nope, that pretty much is exactly the kind of guy I thought you were. So my thoughts were proven true and then some. Excellent.

He pulled them off into an alleyway and he parked in the middle. She closed the pocket knife after a moment and held it in her hand. She wasn't going to use it for anything, she just wanted to hold it and besides the weight of the sucker felt good in the palm of her hand. She looked over at him, and then she began to talk.

I know I don't look like much. And, I know that you probably are thinking I'm this poor orphan that wants a Mommy or a male figure that is going to fill the role of the father she never had. But, I'm not about that shit. My parents sold me off and that's just fine with me. What I need YOU for is a proposition. If you're interested. The problem is, I can't pay you. And with that, you'll probably tell me to take my ratty sneakers and head off. Which is fine with me, but I think you're the right man for the job.

You see Evyn had been planning. Planning and stewing since Aurora had turned her out. She knew what she wanted to do, had ideas of what could make her money and screw with Aurora at the same time. What she could do to change this world into her own little paradise.

I want to change .. the streets. I .. have a plan. That will infiltrate the entire city. And for that, I need select individuals. individuals like you. Interested?

She had no money, a plan that she was not explaining, some shady thoughts, and she was looking to change the streets almost over night. The girl seemed like a fucking idiot at that point but before Shane could bark at her to get the fuck out of his car the wheels in his head began to turn. Other people had made those kinds of things happen and they were in worse spots then she was at the moment. All it took was a good idea and someone to back that person and before you knew it you were looking at one of the most powerful and wealthy people in the world. Shane knew that the chances of this girl being one of those people was slim but then again what if she was that person and he was the one who could elevate her. He would need to hear the plan and he would have to set some ground rules before anything was established but for now he would hear more.

"You think that you have a master plan to change the game forever when it comes to the streets eh? Well ill give you a listen and see what might turn up but I aint making any promises until I hear more." He turned to regard her and listen to what she had to say. He could help her get off the streets and with the amount of money he had stored under his mattress and the connection he had he could most likely fund any idea that she came up with but he would need to see something in it that made him want to help. As it stood she was just another orphan gutter rat that needed to wish in one hand and shit in the other to see where dreams would get you. It was up to her now to change his mind and get him on board with whatever she had going on.

If he bank rolled this or even helped her to get started and she decided that it was not worth it or didn't manage to hit him back with interest then he could always kill her. It was not anything against her but you had to make examples of people who did you wrong or everyone would walk all over you from that day foreword. It was also part of the job to assume the worst and simply be prepared for it because in his line of work you did not get to meet anyone you could trust. Even the people who paid him were not trust worthy and she was not paying him so she was at the bottom rung on people he would take a vouch on.Still he looked her square in the eyes and waited for the plan to unfold so he could determine where they would go from here.

Evyn grinned.

At least the man was willing to give her a chance to explain. If he didn't want to have anything to do with her after that, then that was fine. She didn't much care one way or another. She didn't want him just because she thought he was badass, she was certain that he would be the kind of man that could do what she told him. Even if it broke the laws, or morals. She felt like he was of the sort that didn't have much in the way of morals.

Okay, here's the deal. She twisted in the seat. Her back resting against the door and the window of the car, while she looked over at him. Flipping the knife over and over in the palm of her hand. I don't know if you've ever heard of the Auroran Project. It was a group of people that harvested the mana power that came from the Aurora Borealis when it showed up in the Northern sky. They used that, pulling it through a machine to make a serum. A serum which they injected into children that they bought or stole from various families and races.

She paused to make sure he was on board.

When the Project was shut down, their facilities were closed down and the stuff left behind. Because of the Treaty you're not supposed to be making biological weapons or altering physiology. Now, that's all well and good, especially for us. Because I intend to steal that machine. And, with it, I'm going to harness the Earth's natural mana pools. In fact, through some contacts, and a great amount of research, I've found a fantastic place to start.

She grinned, as she stopped playing with the knife and her eyes shot up into his. Because, this was the most important part.

Imagine what would happen, if people injected, pure mana... she grinned her eyes lighting up as if she had found some sort of secret. And in a way, she had. No one had ever thought about.. or at least had the power to harness natural mana into a form that could be injested. But, she knew that she could, and that.. that was most definitely something she was interested in doing. A drug. A drug that would change the world of the streets and then some.

She was on about some project that changed the biology of people and he jumped to the conclusion that she wanted to start doing that herself and the idea of a street rat turning everyday people into mutants was something that had him ready to laugh his ass off. However she was still going and it seemed like she was talking about something on a whole different level. He listened to what she had to say about it and when she looked him in the eyes and hit him with the idea of mana being harnassed into an inject-able form he seemed to falter as his jaw almost hit the floor. She was going to take mana and turn it into a drug that people could use which of course was pure genius but they had no way of knowing if it was going to work or if it was even possible. She also just told a man who could snap her like a twig about this grand plot in an alley in which no one else was and he shook his head.

The next few minutes were met with silence as he seemed tot urn it all over in his mind and think about the idea. "I aint saying that I plan to help you with this but it might be a good idea if you don't go around spouting off about this idea to those that will lesson like some kind of daft bird awright?" He went back to thinking a moment and ran a hand through his hair as he let the whole thing soak in for a moment and nodded. "Awright now if I help you with this and you fuck me then you need to know that ill but iron in your brain without thinking twice about it. You have no money and no way to get this off the ground at the moment so I assume thats where I come in and if I am right then we play by my rules. You up for that?" He was taking a big risk here but in life you had to take risk to get rewards and making a drug empire was a lot easier then running around and beating the shit out of people for a few grand only to then piss it away at the bar.

He would have to balance the drug operation with his normal life for awhile as he was sure it would take time to figure the whole thing out and he also had to have a few questions answered. "Lets say we get this machine and the stuff you are going to need and we move it to the location you found. How do you know its going to work? If it does work then how do we know the mana will actually do anything to the people injecting it? Can we turn it into a powder form if it does since a lot of people are scared of needles? If we do all that then who do we get to push it? Lots of things we need to work out here before anything even gets started sweetheart. Plans go a far way when it comes to war and make no mistake about it because thats exactly what this is. We have all kinds of drugs on the streets and lots of people supplying and pushing them. If this thing breaks out as huge as I think it can then we may get some of them coming to us looking to join up but a lot of others are going to be mad and come calling for your head. When you hit a drug dealer in the pockets it becomes nothing short of a bloodbath."

He was right, she was taking a massive chance telling him her plan. But, she needed to make sure he knew what she was getting into. Most of the people, she just told what she wanted and needed and she got things done because they were either afraid of her or she could do something for them. The thing was, that she wanted someone like Shane because he would be able to really help her. She hadn't really thought about him being a financial backer but she knew that she needed one and if he was willing to help her, she would pay him back immensely when she started to earn money from her ideas.

You're right. I'm taking a massive chance, telling you this.

He had a lot of questions, and she could understand why. It wasn't easy to say you were going to change the world. Or rather, it was easy to say that but it wasn't easy to do that. She knew that her idea was .. just an idea. But she was fairly certain it would work. The fact that Aurora could take the same stuff and alter genetics with it gave her hope. That meant that pure mana had power, and that was something she wanted to harness.

Of course, it's going to take time. Thought. And people. We'll need people willing to test it out. we'll need people willing to sell it. We're going to need a Brute force to keep people from going nuts that are working with it, and we're going to need people that can think through the formulas. What can we do with the harnessed mana. I've thought about trying to find one of the old Auroran Scientists. They won't be busy either. Aurora turned us out with no identities, and no way to really make a living ourselves. Their loss, our gain.

She shrugged.

I would appreciate any help that I could get. I want this to work. And I can't guarantee that it will work. I can't guarantee that it will really make all the money. What I can guarantee is that I"m ready to put my life into this. If it doesn't work, then I'll expect you to put that lead in m brain, understand? I'm not playing around. I don't want to play house, and have dollies, and babies, and whatever. I"m here to make an impact. I'm here. To change the way that things are done, and I'm hoping that you'll be the guy that can help me with that. Something in my gut, says you can.

She looked out the front windshield and then back over at him.

So what do you say? Ready to take a chance on me?

She was willing to put her life on the line for the project and he was sure that with his connections he could get her what she needed for a fairly cheap price. If the whole thing didn't work out then he could always sell all of it off for a marked up price and make his money back without taking much of a hit. He sighed and nodded his head after a moment. "Alright you got yourself a partner. What I need to know is where this stuff is and where we are moving it to because as soon as-" He stopped speaking as someone stepped out into the alley and seemed to be walking in the opposite direction of the car. Shane stepped out of the car without a word and headed in the direction of the young man and when he caught up to him he placed a hand on his shoulder and the young man turned around.

A right hook sent him to the ground and Shane pulled out his gun then pistol whipped the guy in the face rather heavily eight or nine times. When that was done with he grabbed the younger male by the hair and pulled his head up before sticking the barrel in his face and shouting something a few times. He wiped the gun off on the guys shirt and tucked it back in his pants before getting back into the car and looking to Evyn. "as soon as we get it you are going to start working on this miracle drug. I don't like being out of money for long and I want to make it back as fast as we can. He simply carried the conversation on as if nothing had happened and in his mind nothing actually did. Beating people was as normal to him as seeing a bird fly across the sky and it showed in that moment.

He looked at his fist which was covered in blood and reached behind him to a towel which he used to wipe it all off. It was all just a days work for him and he nodded to Evyn with a smile. "If this does what your thinking its going to then I see us making a hefty amount of money. I can get us the people to test it on as well as the people to sell it but no one is going to guard you for free. You are gonna need muscle and your gonna need more then just me because while I am number one around here you have no idea the kind of monsters money can bring in."

Evyn almost sighed in relief. But she didn't. She only grinned confidently. As if she had known all along that he would jump on board. It wasn't important what he thought of her. Not now. Because they were partners it had been agreed upon and she was more than eager to make sure that it was going to happen. This would be one of the turning points for the city and soon she would make sure that it went beyond the city. All ready her mind was twirling and twisting with the ideas of what the drug could do and what she would be able to alter it into.

He broke of midsentence and got out of the car. Her silver blue eyes followed him as she watched him get the guys attention. Beat him bloody. Scream things at him. And then walk away. She grinned, it was almost a sick sadistic grin. She was sorry she hadn't gotten to be in on that, but she knew that her time as queen would come. This was the first step to her throne and she was going to let Shane come with her.

When Shane returned he finished his thoughts. Wanting to make money as fast as possible, because he didn't like to be without money. She could understand that and nodded her affirmation of the fact.

As fast as I can, you'll be paid back. The supplies are in an underground laboratory, out in the Wastelands. I can take you there. I know the location, like I would know my own home. furthermore, I have the ideal location for our stuff to go. I also have a crew ready to help us get all the supplies. And, so we really just need a semi truck. One of my boys has levitation, so we'll use him to get the supplies out of Aurora and INTO our new location.

She wasn't going to tell him the location of the Project headquarters, he was going to have to find that out when they went. And she wasn't going to tell him the place she had found through a great deal of research on her own. Thankfully, old libraries were still around and thankfully she was able to stay there as long as business hours were in session because it was free and public. So there were days that she spent a ton of time just researching. Using their computers, the internet, and other modes of intelligence to grab the knowledge that she needed to further her ideas, her plots, and her aspirations.

I don't have any way to contact you, or rather for you to contact me. If you give me your number, I'll call you from a pay phone when we get everything all set up. My plan though, is to drive out of the city in three days time. It'll take a day or so to get out there, and then to the location of our new place. Are you free?