Not This Time [Tokyo, Japan]

[Nox]

Target: Unknown Woman - Tokyo Japan [dossier attached]  [[real name: Ishihara Satomi]]

***

Time was relative.  It all burred together after London.  Trains, busses, ferries, boats, walking, biking, travel and the shit that came with it.  This had been his life for so long that he'd never really understood what it meant to have roots.

And now?  Now, he had roots.  His time in Moscow had changed him in so many ways.  So many... Not all for the better.  Not all bad either.

Nox wanted a home.  Wanted a family.  Wanted to let his world revolve around something other than monsters.  It all started with amnesia -- forgetting everything that made him him.  And then reforging himself in the pits of hell.  It wasn't all hell.  There was Aria.  And Raffe.  Most of all there was Raffe.

Raffe wanted to find himself.  Told Nox to do the same in not as many words.  Their break up though Nox didn't remember it fondly might have solidified one thing -- Nox didn't want to live this life anymore.

Hunting monsters was all he could do.  All he thought he could do.  How was he going to get out from under the Atharim? or even the Ascendancy. They either hunted him, or he hunted for them.  There was no way around it.  Unless there was.  Hayden wasn't Atharim -- yet knew knew enough to be in the game.  Nox suspected he was more in the game than Nox really knew.  He didn't care that he was planted to spy on him.

To be used against him should it be needed.  Nox expected the Atharim to have him followed. If the Ascendancy had him followed he'd never seen them. But they likely employed more people like Sage than the Atharim.

Catching the green eyes watching him became a game Hayden didn't know he was playing.  Wherever Nox went Hayden was always there. But Nox didn't let him in on that secret.  It was better to know your devil than not.  But it was tempting to find the man, seek him out when shit got rough.  But Nox didn't.  He saught other means -- other solutions.  Sex with a stranger.  A rare steak.  A call to Thalia.  A text to Raffe with a picture of whatever scene he saw.  Letting the other man know he was still alive if only so he didn't worry.  The lingering message still a plague on his mind.

Sage kept him company.  And in the flurry of weeks he was gone Sage was always there -- maybe not a bird on his shoulder, but Nox could count on him.

Always count on The Wicked Truth. 

  I want to stay in Moscow.  Find me an apartment to buy. 

The conversation went on for several days.  What Nox was looking for, where.  How many bedrooms?  What could he afford.  Sage always told Nox to let him handle the finances.  But Nox delved into his own accounts.  He wasn't going to let Sage do something shady. 

It was an eye opening encounter.  His bank accounts were more than well padded.  He didn't spend money.  At least not anything out of the necessities.  He expected there would be room -- maybe for a down payment of equitable size between his and Aurora's stash.

But there was way more than that.  Sage enlightened Nox to the deals he'd been making -- the bonds he owned.  The companies he had a share in.  All the shit Sage did in his name -- legally of course.  But none of it was legal, Nox had no clue -- it wasn't bad.  He was grateful for Sage and his ambition -- his help -- his love for his sister.

Nox let Sage handle it all.  Let him buy the apartment, renovate and whatever else the hacker felt was necessary.  He was capable of taking care of whatever Nox needed.  Nox trusted in that.  Trusted that the Wicked Truth had his back.

Nox sent his report to the Ascendancy.  Though he wasn't sure what to expect afterwards. 

  Target eliminated 

[Nox]

The horde felt different as of late. The herbs that grew in the earthen ware terrarium helped him steady his cravings. Sex with a random guy here and there satiated the beasts in side. A rare steak every night. But they scratched at his head. Scratched harder, faster. Pulled and tugged at his dreams harder than usual. Something was different.

Between practicing inverting weaves and researching his marks, Nox was left with time to look back in on Moscow. Scour the feeds. He didn't know what he was looking for. He didn't understand the horde's change. It felt stronger.

Felt real. Not ethereal like it had. Could there be more?

Check in on Vaia Plus. I think the horde is back

The text went out to both The Wicked Truth and Dorian Vega. If worse came to worse he'd send the Ascendancy a message. But he had to get back -- and Nox felt that it was imperative that he do it now.

Nox threw off another text to his contact.

Need to go back to Moscow. Last mark

Nox didn't care if Jacob got pissed off. Didn't care that he was 'obligated.' What were they going to do? Kill him? Good luck trying that. Which is why he was where he was. Jacob thought he could kill him. Jacob didn't know what Nox could do! Though he was pretty certain he might know a lot more than he knew at first.

[Nox]

Nox doubled down on finding his mark. A girl bank robber. No record. No photos -- no identity. A ghost for all intents and purposes.

But no one was a ghost -- even Nox wasn't a ghost as much as he drifted through the last few months without a face -- a name or a home. Everyone left a trail -- no matter how good they were. You just had to find it.

It took a bit, but Nox found her. Sae Taketou, age 15 -- ultimately homeless. According to the last record in her orphanage file she ran away. Police hadn't caught her because they weren't looking in the right places. They expected her to live in the shit holes.

Nox found her living large in one of the corporate funded housing projects with the rich and famous. She'd persuaded the door man to let her in as the daughter of a person who kept an apartment there, but rarely visited.

She was a channeler. The tentative tingle of a woman channeling is what ultimately drew Nox to finding her after he lost her in the crowd after a successful heist. Kid had a posse. She was taking care of them.

Nox sent his final message to the Atharim.

Just a Kid. No fucking way! Do it yourself.

He hoped it was the last one.

[Nox]

Nox waited outside the building for the girl to leave. It wasn't soon. And it left him time to practice inverting weaves, and to contact Sage. He needed a ride home soon, for two -- if things went according to plan. Nox wasn't going to leave this girl to the Atharim -- she was just a kid after all. And he had contacts, connections. Try one, then the other. The Ascendancy would love to have a female to train -- or at least one who knew what the fuck she was doing to some degree. There were only a handful -- but that was last resort. If Ori wouldn't take her, or Juls. But mostly Ori -- Juls would help but it was Oriena and Carmen who'd have the last say in the matter.

One shit life for another. But at least this one came with a roof over your head. And he'd help -- he was amassing a few kids under his wings -- too bad he couldn't help any of them really -- he could barely take care of himself.

Nox followed Sae through the streets and into a club. The music pounded and Nox felt the rush of music and power and could have got lost in it. But he wanted to get back home. The pull was strong -- and now he understood just a little bit more about why. Had something to do with the horde on top of his wants. The two continuing to interplay with one another. Nox was learning... not controlling but learning. Another key to survival perhaps.

Sae grabbed a drink and stayed at the bar. Nox moved in next to her and leaned in to whisper like some skeevy slag hitting on a younger girl. "I know what you are. I know what you've been doing. You've a mark on your name. I won't kill you, but someone will." He reached his arm around her shoulder and flicked his fingers, from the tips jumped a blue flame. "Don't try anything, all I gotta do is tug, and your head will roll." Nox tugged a little on the cord of razer sharp air wrapped around her neck. "Come with me." He said and let the weaves drop and left the building.

Sae didn't follow. Obviously. Nox waited for her to leave out the back. He stood in the rain as it fell from the sky and she stared at him. "You don't give up."

"Not when little girl's lives are on the line. Look, people are following me. They are now following you because of me. He'll find a way to take you down, because I won't. And I'd rather not have that hanging on my head. I can take you someplace safe. May not be the greatest thing in the world. But it's better than robbing banks and way better than dying."

She stammered. "I can't leave my friends."

"You can. And you will if you want to keep them safe. The people after you want you dead. Not exactly sure why they sent me, if they really wanted you dead. I thought they knew me better than that. A test -- I dunno. But either way. You'll do what's best for them."

Nox handed her a note with time and place "Meet me here and I'll make sure you get there safe. You wanna try your own luck, then by all means stay. No skin off my nose. I tried." He wasn't taking chances Hayden might follow him. Go a way they didn't expect and not through the Atharim.

She'd do the right thing. He thought to himself as he walked away.

[Nox]

Nox paced in the terminal. He didn't want to fly. Didn't fucking want to be here. But it was a no layover flight from Tokyo to Moscow. He could do this! He told himself over and over again. He'd done it since crashing twice. He could do it one more time -- then never, ever have to do it again.

He had no intentions of leaving Moscow again. At least not anywhere he needed an airplane for. Half the trip was the journey right?

Nox was certain Hayden hadn't followed him. But there was no guarantee. This would work.

Everything he owned was in one little pack. One pack that would tuck in the top of an airplane carryon-stow -- that included the earthern ware terrarium that held his growing plants. They almost pushed their glass lid from the seal -- almost. It was time to prune them. Or give them to Raffe and start over. It was almost Christmas time...

Fuck! Nox hadn't realized how much time had passed how his usual turkey dinner with Aurora was missed. It had just been after Halloween when he left. He missed his favorite holiday because he was too busy brooding -- over what? a lost love. Or was it more than that. He lost himself.

Well consider himself found. Even if Raffe weren't part of it -- not that he would stop trying. He made a promise and he'd keep it to the best of his ability. He'd talk to Raffe when he got home. He owed him a dinner anyway. Maybe they could talk. Maybe not. But Nox would reach out, offer a hand. Raffe's call. It always felt like Raffe's call. When did he get what he wanted?

The terminal started loading the plane. He was the first in line for his section. He was in and seated and trying not to panic before anyone else. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! The seat next to him remained empty.

[Nox]

"Hold the doors!" reverberated through the airplane as a small waif of a girl in a black leather jacket, wisps of blue hair fluttering after her rushed into the aisle and plopped down next to Nox.

She carried only the plane ticket in her hand. "I wanted to live."

Nox smiled. "Me too. It'll be okay, I promise." He said it for both of them. Everything would be okay.