Out And About

Jack smiles one of his award winning smiles at the two "Ah! Welcome you two!" he says as he gets up and walks over "How are you adjusting to the super hero life so far?" he asks Kobe.

He takes a data pad off his desk and hands it to Natomi "I have scouted out potential recruit. She's a gifted young woman, but there are some problems..." he says, giving them time to look over the file.

"As you both can see, she Farian, like you Natomi, but she believes that she's Human and knows nothing about Noreal, being born here on Earth." he explains "That makes her pretty dangerous to others as well as herself, which is why I scouted her out. I would like your help in training her to safely use her abilities ,wen she joins up." he says.

* *

It really didn't take Marcen long to get to Osiris' shop. He was dealing with some customers when the ninja walks in. So Marcen decided to brows his wares. Not that he had any use for them, not having anyone special in his life. But that was his choice. Other people only complicated life.

"I've been doing all right. Working as part of a team or a bigger group is nothing new to me so it didn't take me too long to adjust. It seems the the group has been experiencing a sudden rise of recruits compared to before." Kobe saw it was a good thing, as long as they screened and such properly.

"Mhm. Pretty good, I'd say." Natomi let the older man speak his piece before saying anything else. "Kinda surprisng, but not really. I wonder if she was adopted or her parents didn't tell her for whatever reason. I'd be happy to help though."

Jack smiles "Outstanding! She said she would contact me in three days to let me know, but I could already see it in her face. She's gonna join up." he says. That was one down and one more to go.

* *

It wasn't long before the shop was empty and Marcen walk over to Osiris "I need information on Heartless." he says.

Osiris frowns, thinking for a bit "They're very rare and most of the time, they want to steal hearts. Plus they're Very hard to kill if you don't have the right weapon." he says.

Marcen nods slowly, jotting down what he was told "Let me rephrase that, I need information on Human Heartless."he says.

Osiris nods again "Even more rare than normal Heartless and many times stronger. It's rumored that they are created when a strong willed individual looses their heart to a Heartless." he says, thinking "There's a woman who is an expert on Heartless, let me see if I can find her number..."

"There is something important I wanted to discuss with the group we discovered when Sam visited Will." Natomi started. "I wanted to wait until he came back, but if he's not within an hour we can call a group meeting." He had been gone for a bit, but he should be fine.

Jack nods "Is it something you can fill me in on before the meeting or no?" he asks. He knew it had to be important if it came from Will

* *

After some checking, Osiris holds out a number "Here it is. Her name is Rachel, I believe, and she's working for Paragon Corp, last I checked." he says.

That confused Marcen a bit. Why would a Heartless expert work for a technology company? He would have to o some more research on this matter.

He nods to Osiris and tosses out a couple hundred dollars "Until next time." he says as he heads out.

Natomi shook her head. "No, I can tell you. It just would of been easier. Basically.." She gave both Jack and Kobe a basic run down of what she had been told from earlier.

Kobe frowned at this. "It's not making any sense to me. The Hidden Villages normally keep to themselves from the outside world to begin with, save a few exceptions. What exactly are they doing that gets us into conflict? I can only see a few reasons as to why but I hope I'm wrong."

"I don't know, neither does Will. Maybe Marcen can shed some light on things, even if he's been out the loop.." Natomi kinda worried about his family as well.
* *

Cadmus decided to start his search, he had a Basic idea of what he was going for, but not as much.

Jack was silent for a bit, thinking "This is quite disturbing..." he says "If this came from Will, I know it's legit. I'll have to talk with Marcen and Mondo about a few things, but I think, we should bring the Hunters in on this as well." he says "Thank you for bringing this to my attention." he says.

Natomi's link chirps. He was Buddy letting her know that Sam was back. The A.I. figured i was etter to let her know this way, than announcing it through out the entire base. 

* *

Marcen was standing outside Paragon Corp. He was deciding on if he wanted to head in and talk to this 'Rachel' in person, if she was still there that was, or if he wanted to call her first. If the number was still active.

Kobe was still heavily thinking, which was why he was silent so Natomi let him do what he did best; besides she wanted to see how Sam's trip went.

*  *

Cadmus decided visiting Rachel was an decent bet, since she might know where Alice was at. However, when he got there he saw what he was Pretty sure was one of the people fighting along side Alice during that leaked broadcast.

It couldn't hurt. If not, he'd go with his original plan.

"Sorry to bother you, but I was hoping you ran into someone. I'm looking for someone named Alice Ward, I'm Cadmus, an old friend of theirs. I saw you with them briefly on T.V.."

Sam was walking out of the hanger. He didn't have his normal cheerful look at first, but a smile appeared when he seen Natomi "Ah! This is exactly how I wanted to be greeted when I returned." he says as he greets Natomi with open arms "So what did  miss out on?" he asks.

* *

Marcen's very first reaction was to say no. Since Alice Never talked about her past, it was hard to tell if this 'Cadmus' was who he said he was or if he was one of the people after Alice.

Either way... "Sorry. You have the wrong person. I'm here for a job interview." he says as he heads towards the front. As he starts out, he taps his link "alice, this is marcen, do you now a man named cadmus?" he whispers into his link.

There was a pause on the other end and Marcen thought she might be asleep "Where are you?" she asks.

Marcen looks back to see if Cadmus was following him "i'm in front of paragon corp..." he says.

The com goes dead and a second later, a dark portal opens in front of the building and Alice steps out. She was fully armed for battle and has her icy stare focused directly at her fellow Heartless.

Natomi shook her head. "Not much really. How did your trip go?"

*  *

Cadmus frowned a bit at this at Alice's hostile reaction.

"I would say its nice to see you again but seems its not the same on your end." Cadmus mumbled. "Look, I just came to see how you were doing and needed my help after you left. If you don't want me around, I'll leave; there isn't an need for all that."

Sam shrugs "Not as fruitful as I would have liked, but that is neither here nor there." he says "Still, it is good to be back." he says with a smile.

* *

Alice seems to ignore his words as she marches right up to him until she was almost face to face. Still not saying anything, she suddenly pulls her hand back and lets it fly right at his face!

It didn't matter if it connected or not "Where have you Been?!" she asks in a strained tone "I needed you and you were Nowhere to be found!" she says, tears springing into her eyes.

"You are my Sire and I'm your Scion! I'm Your responsibility and you abandoned me in my time of need!" she accuses him as she takes another, blind, swing at him "Where Were you?!" she asks again, tears streaming down her face.

Natomi was glad he was back safe and sound, he could more then take of himself but he had died before so made her a bit more paranoid then normal on that front. "By the way, I told Jack already a gist of what happened with Will but I wanted to wait until everyone came back before we had that group meeting. I wanted everyone to be there so we could plan and brain storm. Marcen and in particular."

* *

Something metaphorically hit him then, and it had nothing to do with a upset Alice trying to hit him.

He wasn't stupid enough to see why Alice wouldn't be upset, he had vanished seemingly without a trace but it hadn't been his fault. It was expected, as he at the time would be useful for certain things. However, what he didn't account for and what he had missed due to his self loathing was someone actually caring he had vanished and being upset he wasn't around.

It was something Larry got upset about him, that while he did help others and make sure they were okay, he didn't care about himself personally. And that in turn made him lose sight of certain things that were important. He missed Alice more then he realized.

Larry is right, I am an idiot sometimes.

Still he wasn't completely inept and had the sense. He avoided Alice blows easily, and instead surprisingly or not pulled them into a  hug to calm the hysterical young woman down and talk to them "Shh..I'm sorry Alice, I didn't leave your side because I wanted to, I didn't have a choice."

He sighed slightly. "When I left to get us something to eat, I got ambushed by Baal and during that fight he used one of his strange devices on me. It sent me to gods know where and messed up my portal powers for a bit which is why I couldn't instantly go home or never returned your phone calls."

"Baal is dead though, at least that's one thing." He said, gently stroking her hair. to help calm Alice down. "By the time I managed to find a way back, it had been years on this end. I've only been here for less then an year and had no idea where to even find you until that lucky break with T.V. I actually still have my old cell. But when I used it, it said it was no longer in service so I had to try to find you the hard way."

"I'm sorry for vanishing and worrying you, even if I had no control over it. I can't do anything for that, but I promise to be by your side from here on out."

Sam nods "That is good thinking. The more Jack knows, the sooner he can come up with a plan to help stop the Templars and if they are as good as I had hard, we will be needing all the help we can get." he says "I am, however, concerned for Marcen's family. From what he has said of them, they seem ike decent people." he mumbles.

* *

While this was going on, Marcen, who was silently observing, pulls out a different notebook. It has the words 'Heartless Observation Journal' on it and he starts writing in it.

"Day 45. Subject: Alice Ward. After beging reunited with the person who apparently changed her into a Heartless in the first place, Alice had a strong emotional reaction, thus proving what Jason had originally said about them, more to the point Alice, being empty shells, as false. Will continue to observe and record." he closes the small book and puts it away.

He figured it was time to interject and steps forward, clearing his throat "We need to get going. Alice isn't safe out in the open like this." he says "Cadmus, since you said you wouldn't leave Alice again, I ask that you come with us for the time being. For Alice's sake, if nothing else." he says, keeping an eye out for Lexica.

Natomi frowned. "I am too. I'm still wrapping my brain of why this is even happening. I'm thinking a few things, but I want to wait until the group is gathered. Though as an rough shot, why would any country invade another? I think that's the angle that needs to be looked at, at least one of them."

* *

Cadmus kept Alice close, but let her go a bit, though if she felt a bit clingy at the given time he didn't mind. "All right. I'll come along. I can go about anywhere but I don't know where your place is and its probably cut off from teleportation anyway." At least, if the group was smart and had the resources considering. Alice was his primary concern at the moment.

Sam shakes his head "To my knowledge, the Templars have been trying to find the Pieces of Eden for centuries. It is only now, when technology has finally cought up, that they Actually have a chance of finding them. he says "And...I feel that there are, certain, alliances, that we must make, if we are to prevent them from getting all of them." he mumbles.

* *

Marcen nods "Indeed, it is." he says "Alice, if you would take us to the shop?" he asks "If you're feeling up to it. No hurries." he says, not wanting to cause her any more emotional stress, should she laps into a Standstill.

Alice, for her part, was, indeed, feeing clingy and was holding onto Cadmus' coat, so he couldn't get away again. She waves a hand and a darkness portal appears.

Marcen nods to Cadmus "Guests first." he says, knowing that Alice needed to go last. He would stay behind to cover her and make his way back on foot.

"That's one part, and I agree. I meant as far hidden Villages, we'll one of them getting involved. What's in it for them and what their end game?" Natomi shook her head. "Guess there's no point theory crafting right now."

* *

Cadmus went in after he was instructed to, but he had a feeling Alice would be hovering over him at least for a bit. He really wished he hadn't missed all that time, but there was nothing for it now. It wasn't his fault Baal had lost it at all his work and plans falling apart. If his work was going down in flames, then he wasn't going to let his exendbale created puppet be happy, at least in his words. It didn't make sense to normal people, but it did to them at the time.

Sam shakes his head "On this, I can not say." he says "That is something you will have to ask Marcen about. But as for why the Templars are doing what they're doing, that is easy. The wish to control all of Humanity and rid the Earth of those who aren't pure Humans." he says simply.

* *

After Alice comes through,the portal closes behind her.Leaving Marcen back at Paragon Corp. Alice and Cadmus were in front of a store "We're going to wait for Marcen." she says, grabbing onto Cadmus' coat again.

"We'll just have to make sure they don't succeed, but I'm sure we can do it." Natomi wondered if Zoanthropes were considered 'pure' enough or they didn't count to them, but it didn't matter to her what that crazy group thought.

She did decide on something else though. "Say..when things finally settle down and get a breather, would you like go on a proper date?"

* *

While Cadmus did wonder what exactly Marcen meant by Alice not being safe he decided it could wait; he just wanted to spend time with Alice and catch up without the negative there. Regardless of who or what was after her, he'd do his best to protect them.

"That's fine. We have a lot of catching up to do, some of it probably not as happy but right now I just want to spend time with you. Before I forget.."

He reached into his pockets pulling out some few cards, they were a bit worn but they were the exact same ones Alice gave him. "Just wanted to let you know I never forgot. You did say you'd teach me and a promise is a promise." He felt it was more important of the sigfance behind it then the actual teaching. He was going to do what he could make up for lost time.

Cadmus truthfully didn't mind Alice hanging onto his jacket, it was kind of cute. It was just he wasn't used to this sort of thing, either.

Sam smiles "That would please me greatly." he says. What he doesn't say, is that there was a good chance that one of, or both, of them Might not survive to see the end of this impending conflict.

* *

Alice looks at the cards. They were the Exodia set that she had given him many years ago. If she had one, it would touch her heart that he kept them.

She nods "I'm sure we can work something out." she says. She never would tell him, but she always thought Cadmus was kinda cute.

"You two look like older bother and little sister, standing there like that." Marcen says. He was hanging upside down from a light pole "Alice, you know it's not safe to stand out in the open like this." he points out as he jumps down.

Alice nods, solemnly, as she heads towards the shop in front of them, dragging Cadmus along.

Natomi knew this of course, for all they knew the whole team could die tomorrow by some freak one in a million accident. Life came with no guarntee's but to some extent in dangerous ones like these, you had to assume on some level but prepare for the worse.

"I'm glad." She was a bit over the moon about that. "Anyway, I need to find and talk to Marcen about what's going on. I'll leave the actual group meeting to Jack when he gets his ducks in a row." She knew he was planning and going over some things after the news.

She did wonder if Sam was making the right decision by declining Will's offer but she was going to trust it. Despite her normal personality she was more..cynical to these types of things.

* *

Cadmus did find Alice attractive, but he knew better to assume anything which is why he'd keep an open mind and see how things went. "So, where would I be staying? Is there open rooms?" He was still a bit surprised Alice joined a super hero thing, it didn't seem like something that would interest her, since she seemed to want to live a normal life. As well as 'normal' as they could both get anyway.

Marcen waves his hand "We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Jack might not even want you to stay on site, though I doubt that'll be the case." he says.

Alice looks over to Marcen "Good. Because if Cadmus can't stay here, than neither will I and I don't care if Lexica is still out there." she states.

Marcen nods slowly "Noted." he says, ten looks to Cadmus, as he leads him through the shop to the back "Lexica is Alice's Nobody and she's got it in her mind that in order for her to be 'complete', she needs to kill Alice." he explains.

Marcen opens the outer door to the base, which looked like a normal storage closet, and it leads into the outer airlock, which Marcen gets a visitor's pass and hands it to Cadmus "Keep tis on at all times outside of your room, of the base's computer will see you as an intruder." he says.

"That's only until Jack says it's okay for you to be here. Alice points out. Cadmus wouldn't be the first non team member to visit the base.

Cadmus really didn't like that idea, but at the least he knew who exactly was after Alice which he was going to ask anyway. "I'll keep it with me for now, at least until and if things get sorted out. Anything else I need to know?" One thing he didn't want Alice to do was leave this group for him and possibly endager herself. He was touched, but the last he wanted was to put them at risk.

'It's not just your choice anymore dumbass.'

His inner voice was starting to sound like Larry. Wonderful.

Marcen shakes his head "Not at this time. If Jack lets you into the fold, then maybe at that time." he says ashe opens the inner hatch, that lead into the main entrance of the base "Buddy, this is Cadmus. He's a guest of Alice's." he says to no one.

"So...no drones. Gottcha." says a voice from seemingly nowhere "By the way, Jack wants to see you when you have the time and Natomi is also looking for you." Buddy says.

Marcen sighs slightly and turns to Alice "It seems I'm in high demand at the moment. Would you show Cadmus to his room? I'm sure he must be tired." he says, the nods to Cadmus and heads off.

Cadmus could safely say joining such a group was the last thing on his mind, he didn't think he had the right mind set and such for it. What he did do, though, was get his hands dirty so people like Alice didn't have to if the time called for it.

"We'll I'm not too tired, but I wouldn't mind seeing where I'll be staying so lead the way."

Alice nods and starts down one of the many corridors. There was a young woman walking from one of the briefing rooms with a data pad. She was heading in the same direction as Marcen.

Alice watches her pass them with a nod and the young woman turns and looks at Cadmus, before continuing off. The young Heartless know that Hitomi was checking Cadmus out. Probably a ninja thing.

She stops at a room and uses her identa-card to open the door "You'll be staying here while you're on base." she says. The room she lead Cadmus to, was hers. It seems sh meant what she said when she didn't want to want him get away again.