Not far off, an assassin clad in chameleon military armor-currently camouflaged black-peered through a sniper rifle scope at Vecto from one of the dilapidated buildings.

The killer was positioned on one knee. The sniper's right eye, a mechanical one, scanned Vecto in the dark.

"That's him, all right," Axe whispered. The orb in his chest gave it away, plus his Blaster 3,000 gun, despite the new body of his he must have built. The mercenary steadied the sniper rifle through the broken glass and lined it with his Flummox Capacitor orb visible from a slit in his chest.

* * *

"Anyway, I tried for the SS6 but couldn't get in that, either," Chais said.

Vecto kept silent.

"So I ain't got no choice but to work through the black market," Chais continued, flipping a coin-sized disc in his hand. "Not that I like it, but the cost of livin' is pretty high around here."

Vecto snatched the white disc in the air and looked over it. "This is no toy," he said. He reattached the disc to his gun, wondering how Chais had managed to take it without him knowing.

Chais shrugged and continued walking. An awkward silence followed.

Vecto had wondered if Chais were lying about Zendora, but he analyzed the chances of meeting someone from Zendora, and they were surprisingly in his favor. If Chais had left that planet, as he claimed, he was likely banned. The planet most likely to be traveled to was Acaterra due to its perceived opportunities, but without identification, the chances were high that he would resort to stealing to survive. Weapons had the highest price on the black market due to a planet-wide ban for unauthorized citizens, and the most likely place to find them was at the capital, where policeman and soldiers were stationed. Plus, Streamline would have been a prime target, and it was at the right time of day for theft since work shifts were changing. Vecto concluded that Chais likely lived in this abandoned factory because of his familiarity with the area. He decided not to confirm this. He didn't want to insult the thief's pride.

"So," Vecto cautiously said. "What do you want to do in life?" It was a question he had asked himself many times but didn't have an answer for.

It caught Chais off guard. He stopped and looked up at the sky. "I dunno . . . I just gotta keep trainin'. Gotta work harder. And I'll be something one day." Chais rambled on, determined to prove himself to others. "And you know what? I-"

The sound of a gunshot stopped the conversation. A bullet had struck Vecto's shield at his chest. It blew up, spewing a burst of flame, causing Vecto to stumble. Chais jumped back and drew his sword.

"Don't worry, it's just a gnat," Vecto said, raising his gun. He zoomed in to target the sharpshooter. The sniper was on the forth floor of a building 98 yards away. With a single burst, Vecto fired a charged zero point energy blast at his target.

* * *

Axe quickly retracted the rifle and sped down the hall as the blast shot through the glass. The sniper slid to a stop and spun behind a pillar as the ball exploded, shattering glass from the building. Removing a mask from a pouch, Axe slid it on and activated a heat signature masking device. The explosion calmed as dust and small flakes from the roof sprinkled overhead. The sniper looked back to see that section of the building destroyed.

So his shield is activated, Axe thought, flipping open a case and removing a long nozzle. Axe spun the nozzle on the rifle, grabbed a magazine of different bullets and snapped them into place. Rushing to a broken window, the assassin once again readied the sniper gun at Vecto.