Corvayne waded through ankle deep water into the shadow of the titanic launch ramp. Above and around him was a mish-mash grid of red pipes and orange girders and lights and machines and walkways with ladders and little huts for things and yellow danger lines and pipes hissing clouds that either boiled rainwater or left patches of dry ice on surfaces near where they billowed. He was following Wick in it's shadow, the little concrete stream guided him and his five companions along the outside of the spaceport's tangle of concrete runways and launch ramps. The actual spaceport building was gradually getting closer but was still hazy in the rain and fog. The entire place reeked of either fuel or some other chemical residue from the launches.

Corvayne felt like he was tasting the air, but poor Hari had it worst. She was covering her nose and looked like she was going to be sick. Mosh on the other hand swapped from being annoyed at the water he was sloshing through to sniffing the air like it was dinner.

“Isn't it odd we haven't had to disable any security yet?” Nyx said as they passed under the second huge launch ramp, a tangle of pipework all around them. Corvayne at some would have to explain to everyone in the group the whole concept of not saying aloud the one exact thing you didn't want to happen, but that would have to wait as he saw a man wearing a raincoat turning around a pipe running and spotting them.

He had his radio out but couldn't start his call before Corvayne took three tremendous steps to get to him and put his hands on his neck. [Nerve Pinch] almost instantly caused the man to crumple unconscious. He was glad he was swift as Nyxion or LBC might have just killed the man. Corvayne dragged the man to sit him against a beam out of direct sight.

Corvayne gave Nyxion an annoyed look after the aristocrat started golf clapping. The noble didn't seem to care. “Very fast! I see why she keeps you around.”

“Oh, do you now?” He delivered flatly.

Wick coughed. “Come on, we are on a timer. Security is light because they probably pulled a bunch of officers off the airport to go kill us at home.” She cocked an ear as Corvayne heard it too. Helicopters were flying somewhere nearby. Given the rain and fog, it seemed like a bad idea.

“Wait, so then are we fighting the government? Or are the guards at the spaceport mercenarys? Who's trying to kill us?” Corvayne asked.

“Corvayne that's a fantastic question and if I had five hours I could get into the 100 different organizations and where they fit on the government slash goon grid. I could also get into how Nyxion's money spending habits are almost certainly what FUCKED us.”

The noble cringed a little then tilted his chin up and said calmly. “If you spent money to make money, we'd have a private ship taking off from the bay right now and we could be giving this place the finger while tipping our wine glasses.”

Lady Blood Claw put a hand between them. “We haven't been spotted yet. If this guy has a cart, let's steal it, and drive over to the ship we chartered.

Corvayne looted keys, the guard's hat, his poncho, and his radio and gun. Why not? Around the side of the pillar was a little cart that had a flat back that Wick made everyone but her and Corvayne get into, then covered them with a tarp. Wick put on the cap and poncho. Corvane had his cloak match her colors with a few twists.

He flipped the cart on. “I'm going to miss this place.” He said to her, looking at the rain, listening to helicopters flying unseen above them.

Wick looked around. “Me too. A little. Hey, Corvayne this is my fault. I got carried away.”

Corvayne eased the gas and started the cart towards the spaceport. “It's fine. I fully expected to be homeless for years.”

“Oh well, I have good news then.” She laughed. Then looked over at him. “Hey, we might die here. If they have someone talented at the star port, we are doomed. I guess if we get ambushed here and make it out, we break for Cascadia park to the north and try to get into that tower.”

“We'll get to your ship.” Corvayne looked around. “I'm confident in that.”

“You'll make it. The rest of us are not bullet proof.” Wick lamented.

He was not bullet proof. They hurt like crazy. “Just point me to the ship we're going to and as long as I don't hit another cart, we are out of here.”

Wick squinted, pushed her glasses up, then pointed him to a clunky looking ship ahead and to the left, shaped sort of like a squat hacksaw where the blade was taken off and turned into circular wings on the back. Hari poked Wick's back.

“What?” Wick replied.

“What's the buzzing?” Hari asked.

Wick leaned back so Hari could hear her better. “Black Helicopters. I bet you a hundred gold coins they are unmarked and looking for us.”

“Flying car, right?” The elf added.

“Close enough. These ones always show up after something unexplained happens. My theory is that they are used to intimidate people. The big mystery is always how they have a perfect time table for an unexplained event. It's like an hour before a UFO shows up, they'd have to jump in fuel up and roll out with a pilot who's ready. It's why they're built into the government being in cahoots with aliens and all that.”

Corvayne heard Hari sigh. “Corvayne explain?”

“She says they might be ghosts.” Corvayne said while not letting himself smile.

“Oh that makes sense.” Hari pulled the tarp back down.

Wick hit Corvayne in the shoulder. “Corvayne stop talking out of your ass! I'm going to have to sit you down and give you a proper... well actually books of unified cryptid theory means you might be right...”

He heard the tarp flap again and Nyxion started talking behind Corvayne. “Now's not the time for your pet theories. What's our plan for signaling this guy and getting on board?”

Corvayne was about a thousand feet away from the ship when the rattattat of the helicopters faded and he felt something was very wrong. A flare of hostile intent, so bad he had nearly animal panic in response to it.

Corvayne jerked the cart to the side, nearly tipping it as he changed directions. There were surprised cries from the back followed by a solid thumping sound and a sharp crack behind them.

Nyx lifted the tarp. “What the HELL are you doing you idiot!?”

Corvayne looked back. There was a house sized cloud of gray expanding where they had been just driving. “We are under attack.”

The next moment, a man was in front of the cart, swinging a black staff at the front of it.

Corvayne felt a jolt like he had hit a wall and was flung out of the vehicle and he felt himself rolling, pain blazing down his arms and legs as he scraped himself badly. Only his training got him to his feet and had him drawing his spear as fast he he could roll back upright. He was still confused, eyes looking for an enemy. Everyone was scattered across the ground, with a crumpled cart rolling backwards. Hari looked like she had badly landed on her arm and was crying. He heard rain, and the sound of the crumpled cart screeching to a stop. It felt like everything else had gone silent. Standing in the middle of the group was a man wearing dark blue robes. He had a bald head and wooden prayer beads strung across his chest. Corvayne met his steely gaze and was reminded of how a veteran Watcher looked.

Corvayne was afraid of this man. The same instincts that had kept him alive so many times were trying to get him to turn and run.

Nyxion stood next, shield shimmering as he dusted himself off. “Well, who's this little shit looking for a fight?”

The monk turned his head and shoulders. Something about the way that he moved was too smooth. He didn't feel like a human. Nyxion already had his hands pointing out, but the monk suddenly was behind Nyxion.

“Neat trick but-”

The monk did something, and there was a shattering sound as Nyxion's hand repulsors and shield belt fell apart, the shield itself fading with a pathetic whimper. In the next moment, the Monk's staff seemed to just appear, sticking halfway out of Nyxion's chest. The black hexagon slid back as Nyxion crumpled.

Corvayne saw blood pooling and was shocked when he realized he just watched the man die.

Lady Blood Claw screamed in fury and charged the Monk, blade trailing steam. Corvayne lined himself up to flank with her but the Monk once more moved without moving. He could see her sword crumble out of her hands, falling away in a shower of rust. She stumbled off balance and turned to face the monk bare-handed, skin blazing red. Mosh saw this and started running. Corvayne stepped back and grabbed Wick and pulled her up.

“Wick you need to RUN. NOW!”

Lady Blood Claw had but a moment before the monk charged her and swung his staff into her side. There was a terrible crack.

Corvayne saw the hit twist the woman out of shape while sending her flying and didn't bother to try to see if she was alive. The sound of it hitting was more vivid to him then Nyx's blood.

He started to move to Hari, as the elf was stumbling backwards holding her arm. He felt his blood run cold, watching her staggering. No. Please. No no no no. Something urged him to dive and so he dove to the ground in a roll, seeing one moment the sky behind him, the next the monk appearing just where he was. Corvayne found his feet and spun, spear lashing out. The monk stepped back and turned.

Corvayne saw the monk there one moment, then there was suddenly a gap in the air and the monk stood over Mosh. Mosh, to his credit, tried to fling salt at the man's face. It didn't matter. A moment later the steel rod swung down on his head and Corvayne's heart twisted as the little goblin fell over dead.

Rage filled him. [Storm Thurst] pushed him forward, his spear aiming for the man's neck. The monk just vanished and he suddenly was flying through the air. Searing pain lanced out of his chest where his armor had stopped the stave from simply running through him. He tried to breath and it felt like dragging hot coals into his chest. He forced himself to stand and tried to [Flow-Like-Water] to get by Hari. He never felt slower. He had totally clarity as he saw Hari dodge the Monk's next attack as she shadow-stepped behind him. He felt a surge of hope as she brought her staff around to attack.

The monk shrugged as he vanished again, staff passing through nothing. Corvayne saw the monk's robes flutter behind Hari's back. Corvanye met her eyes as Hari jerked a little and mouthed something, blood leaking from her mouth before she collapsed into a pile on the rain soaked tarmac.

Wick fired a bolt at the monk, screaming something, but the man simply batted it away with his staff.

Corvayne felt a mantle of calm surrounding him. This was it. This was where he failed everyone.

“Wick...” Corvanye wheezed. “Run.”

He met her eyes. She was crying. For everyone, for him too. She turned to follow his last request and he pulled his pistol. The monk appeared right where he expected, near Wick with stave held like a pool que. Corvayne used [Cross Skill: Limbtaker]. His agony spiked as the gun glowed then the pistol kicked his hand like a horse, nearly hitting him in the face. Part of the monk's jaw exploded. A little hope spread in Corvayne's chest as their attacker started to stumble. It didn't matter how strong the monk was, or how they moved around. As long as he could land a hit on the man's neck, he could kill him.

His enemy however, didn't appear near him or Wick, throwing Corvayne's aim off. Instead, the monk popped away from the fight, stuffed part of his robe into the hole in his face, then waved his blood soaked hand. Corvayne's pistol cracked then fall apart into rapidly rusting components, as did the force shield on his arm. No toys then. He drew his spear, chest laced with agony. He could taste blood in his mouth. The monk sneered at him, then as soon as he vanished, Corvayne activated [Juxtapose] behind himself, then slid back and around something. The monk swung at empty air, and Corvayne lined his spear up, then poured the last of his strength into [Cross Skill: Backstab].

He shot forward, and his blade sunk into the monk's back, catching on a rib. He drew blood but the Monk's robes were armored. Maybe enchanted as well. Whatever small satisfaction he got from hearing [Backstab] go off was drowned out by the monk vanishing again, and then Corvayne felt something hit his back and suddenly he was on the ground, unable to move, his arms mangled, his feet not responding. He felt cold creeping up his neck, and sleep calling him. He forced his eyes open. Wick was near the ship, almost there, when the monk appeared behind her and...

Nothingness.