Fourth floor, lethargy sinking into his limbs, his heart pounding since he’d stepped off the elevator, the world still tilted, new flashes of pain from what he prayed wasn’t a broken rib, and his burned palm held fast to the rails, he and his new companion thundered down the stairs. Half way there he told himself. Down they went, Sid checked his companion as he swiveled at each bend of the stairs. He could find no hint of her own energy flagging. Her movement mechanical, practiced, efficient, lacking grace by any measure, She wasn’t pressing him to speed up though.

Rounding the second floor, almost there he told himself, he didn’t hear a new set of footfalls, no shouting, maybe the plan with the elevator had worked, but just welding it shouldn’t have been enough. He let his mind pour over his contacts, who could he call. He wasn’t worried about heat, as he should be anonymous, if he could get away clean, still though. Some one who could move him about with as few eyes would rest his mind.

Slowing to a halt at the ground floor stairs, sliding next to the door to the lobby, skipping the fire door outside, between possible blockage, fire alarms, and lack of vision, he favored stealing peek at the lobby. Empty, at least it appeared to be. Taking a longer draw, he let his eyes cast across every nook and cranny this angle would grant, and still he couldn’t find anything.

‘We get lucky?’ Cavalier whispered into his ear, ‘Maybe my good fortune will work for both of us.’ He could hear her smiling.

‘Maybe.’ He slowly tested the door handle ‘At least, if not they’re very good, and we weren’t going to any way.’ He slipped out of the stairwell and was greeted by quite the sight. A disheveled young woman, certainly homeless, her eyes boring into an old phone, chirping to notify, just as Cavalier followed him out of the stairs. She was jamming repeatedly on the old alarm button, and it occurred to him. That would have stopped the elevator, trapping whoever inside.

The dirty mussy figure, began messing with her device not looking up, her face alight with some kind of reverence, which inspired Sid to take hold of his tail, and pull her out the main door, stopping only to throw up a hood and throw a hat on her before they tore across the street disappearing the labyrinthine alleys.

‘You’re just going to leave her back there?’

‘Buys us an extra couple minutes’ he spoke between gasping breaths ‘sides she might get a good head start.’ He didn’t exactly believe what he was saying, but he wasn’t going to tell her hat he really thought. ‘Not like they’re looking for her. Last not the same people looking for us.’ running until his legs were aching he turned into a small alley, that had an overhang up above, looking like it was for a restaurant line, the store yet unopened. ‘Probably.’ he coughed out at last, as soon as he’d got his breath, something that Sid was almost annoyed to find that Cavalier hadn’t lost.

‘I hope you’re right.’ she had a far off look, one of calculation and focus, like she was looking at a complicated machine she’d never seen before, and was trying to puzzle it out. ‘Maybe she’ll also get lucky.’ her attention focusing on a bent over Sid. Patting him on the back she said something that surprised him. ‘Or maybe it was the will of the divine? I bet there’s a plan for you Mr. Vicious’ Sid rolled his eyes as his sole response. ‘But, where to next?’

‘Someplace quiet, where you and I can have a good solid talk, and from there I can...get you a safe ride somewhere. Or something. I just’ pausing for a while. His breath caught up but, he was sure his own face had taken that far off look. ‘I just need a break. Its been a long week this morning.’

‘That joke work any more? Like at all? It’s kinda bad. Real real bad.’ her half smile matching her teasing tone.

He responded by taking out his phone, and taking it apart, Remove the battery, pulling out the antenna. ‘You got one of these?’ wordlessly she handed it over, and he gave hers the same treatment, before handing her the pieces back. ‘We’re gonna go see a friend of mine. An old friend, but I have to get a few things first. We should have an old cache near here. Hopefully they didn’t pull me out of the system.’ his tone growing a bit more caustic ‘Probably set up a betting pool.’

‘You sound… just happy as a clam. Take it this wasn’t the dream.’

‘Not sure I could afford one of those.’ Cavalier seemed to pick up his souring mood and erred on giving it space. The pair made their way, through twists and turns, the rain giving cover, ensuring the passer-byes sharing their hurry. Cavalier began to wonder just how long they’d be traveling, her own clothes soaked through, before Sid finally turned into a store.

An old dry cleaners, old tiled floor cracked, though free of dirt, wallpaper, a peeling artifact, an aged Korean man sitting behind the counter, which he kept pristine, not pausing to look up with the bell on the door giving a soft chime, instead reading over something scribbled in Hangul. When he did look up his visage hectically dropped through a few emotions, first upon seeing Sid, turned to a mirthful grin, as he noticed his company however, it changed, growing stony, and business like, his eyes darting to check what Cavalier’s own were doing.

‘I’m here to pick up an order for Zachary Faust’ This caused the old mans brow to show a hint of confusion. He slid back and opened an lower drawer on his side, pulling out a lock box bearing the barest kisses of rust, its handle long missing, deftly spinning the dials it popped open, its hinges squawked in protest.

Digging through the old receipts, pausing to look up ‘Your ticket? It was white or blue? Do you remember?’

‘She’s clean’ Sid said, before squinting and adding ‘Ish’

‘Is he always this generous with his endorsements?’ She said as she elbowed, this question buying a shrug from the shopkeeper

‘Pretty sure the Faust order isn’t the one you’ll want.’ the man replied, what little tension he was bearing seeped out as his shoulders went slack. ‘I thought it was a dinner dress and a suit, which weather permitting will be ruined before you get any where. We don’t keep shoes either’ he jabbed at Sid with a long bony finger.

‘Yeah, was going to figure that out. We were going to run by the Hyugin’s place.’

‘Ah.’ the expression was knowing, and Cavalier didn’t like the hint of concern.

‘Camouflage. At least a little.’

‘Got a ride?’

Sid tilting his head back ‘I know, I know O, you forget who I am?’

‘Did you?’ the old man, leaning over the counter now ‘Heard you were gone.’

‘And I was, basking in the sun, if only for a minute.’ Sid scratching the back of his head. ‘Trying not to dig the hole too deep just yet.’

‘For an old friend.’ he smiled, Sid returning a frown

‘For a friend is just the kind of hole I’m trying to stay out of.’

‘Then Hyugin is one you should avoid. Though this is one is probably forgotten any way, so we’ll call it house. might be able to scrounge up a proper drive get up if you get wheels to match.’

‘The tiger up to his tricks?’

‘Times is hard.’ a minor head tilt, and a click of the tongue.

‘Mazu.’ a deep chortle was the response.

‘I think you did forget who you are.’

‘Look. I appreciate the friendly banter as much as anyone’ Cavalier butted in, ‘But we’re chewing daylight here, I’ll make sure he comes back to shoot the breeze here Mr. O, if I can keep him alive long enough.

‘She definitely doesn’t know you. I’ll hold you to that Miss.’ Winking back she gave him her best smile.

‘Side question? Can we get these dried and you have any lost items you’d pass along?’ Sid cut back in. The old hat pulled a box from below the counter, and thumbed them toward the bathrooms. Sid locked the door behind them, and pushed her into the stall. ‘Hopefully there’s something.’

‘Sure, there’s a few things, you Guessing you’ll want me to ditch my gear?’

‘Not like there’s anything in it any way, O can hold it with the rest of this.’

He found a leather jacket that was worn enough he see why they just left it, and a pair of slacks, that just did not work, but it was the only thing even reasonably close to fitting, no shirt to be found he wrung what water he could out into the sink. Cavalier eventually emerged in some baggy black leather pants, a navy blue knit sweater, her shoes didn’t match but it would have to do. ‘You’d almost be cute, if you ever shut your mouth.’ she pantomimed shock as best she could, covering her mouth with her hand, opening her eyes wide, Sid found himself smiling, if only just.

‘You’re a right ornery creature Mr. Vicious. I see why you got the name.’

‘Real barrel of monkeys yeah.’Emerging from the bathroom, he handed the box back to the waiting arms of the dry cleaner. ‘We’ll be back in an hour, hopefully. If I can get those wheels. If not it will be two, and fuck if I know what that’s gonna look like.’ A nod and a thoughtful dropping of the brows as he waved them out the door.

The walk this time was shorter, and the rain letting up, already in the seedier parts of town, a few figures huddling and avoiding their looks, their dress drew some eyes instead, nice enough, and his outfit to eclectic enough to pull in prying eyes. They found themselves in a mechanic shop the sign saying closed, but the door unlocked, to them at least.

The entryway was empty, and Sid lead the way back behind the counter, toward the floor, a voice booming from inside audible before he’d even made it to the door. ‘The Sinista’ Sid himself, finding his way to my little shop.’

‘Hey Boomer. Need some legs.’

‘Well, we got em ‘ere. Nothing cheap enough for you doh. But, who knows, pay day musta been real good to have you crowlin’ back.’ Entering into the main floor of the shop there were a number of cars, being worked on, on lifts, and he could hear the screech of metal from their darker activities in the back. A large man, in stained coveralls, his hands bulky from harsh use, his hair a greasy mop, flanked by two young, bulky bouncer types.

‘White was a little glaring.’ The question did have him pause, to ask the question himself. He’d done the job, and the scrabbler should have ensured the pay day, but he hadn’t stopped to check. The coin would be scorching, but any trap is a sword if you spring it on your time.

‘Ah, you always was a spook, but you got yu’self a little girly-fren so not all bad. Or she a tag?’

‘She’s the first shoe, and I’m waiting for the other.’

‘Lancelot.’ she said, giving a small nod. ‘Slick here owes me, and I’m keen to get it.’ her voice shifted just a bit, Sid was thinking she had the same read.

A belly laugh, and one hand slapped the desk ‘Already? So! So! Sinister onta business. You need some legs, and I tells ya-’

‘Bare metal. Inside can be a wreck, I’m just trying to see some one, three days tops.’

‘Now dat, is da kinda ting you might be able to afford. Wa’ms dis ol’ heart to see the white didn’t blind yas.’

‘So, you got what I’m looking for?’

‘Kinda. Least da boyz can trow it ta-getha. Half ‘owa’

‘Workable. I’ll be blunt. I’ve got the coin, fifty abyss straight up, but, its molten. Burn this whole place down.’ This caused the fat man to do some figures, his right hand, making some flicking motions on an invisible abacus.

‘You, da Sinista’ come’s asking, and last I peeked, he was squwa’ so’s I do you the favor and take you at ya word. Itta run you extra.’

‘Thats fine, what’s the damage?’

‘Tree days? We’ll call it tree quwata’s ‘ard black.’

‘Done. Reasonable man as always Boomer.’

‘Take care uh da customa, takes care a you.’ We got the waiting room. Nice and quiet.’ and he nodded back to the office. With that the pair took their leave. Sid collapsed onto a bench, one spring sticking through the ancient, cracked seat. Cavalier sat in a chair, opposite, but didn’t interrupt the quiet moment.’

Elsewhere, in that fraying universe…

‘Sir, we’ve got an issue.’ A drone pilot, bearing an embroidered, artistic V on his shirt, the logo of Veyber Technica,

‘What is it?’

‘Looks like the targets split up. Or there’s something else going on.’

‘They see you?’

‘I don’t think so sir, the weather should have made that exceptionally difficult.’ The pilot rewound the feed a few scarce moments, fast forwarding the display. ‘See, they enter here, and are in there for approximately a quarter hour, before, one figure darts out the back and down that alley, I wanted to see if the second followed. Then these two, depart out the front.’ The pilot gesturing to two figures who hurried down into no-mans-land. ‘Chose not to follow, as its more than likely the drone would just get snatched by a roof jammer.

‘I’ll inform the pit boss, let him up channel that. Excellent work.’