Last Stop

[Nox]

Dane missed Moscow. He wondered why? He knew why he missed it. There were far greater things to hunt in the underground and he didn't have to drive anywhere to kill beasties. It was perfect. He loved it there, and Aria was there. The last vestige of his family.

Nox chuckled at Dane's issue with the lesser creatures. As they moved towards the water Nox called upon his power yet again. He felt the earth beneath his feet and saw the brown lights form without a second though as he formed a horizontal rock wall on the ground. He played with the form until it didn't look completely out of form. The earth solidified and Nox climbed up on top of the newly fashioned rock. "Free of critters."


Nox stared off into the water as Dane asked more about his jobs, the particulars like killing humans and monsters in human bodies. Dane already met a perfectly formed monster in a human body. Nox formed a fireball and idly flicked it towards the water to watch the steam rise from the blue water again. "I love my job. I get to hunt monsters, live free. The only downside is the so-called reborn gods, wolfkin, and sentient that we are supposed to kill too."


Nox smirked. "You see one of our human monsters everyday in the mirror. So do I. So does Aria. In the time I've known Aria she has killed three human beings. And I met her after your dalliances."
He didn't want to think about the actual carnal acts they preformed. But they skirted his mind anyway and Nox had to push them away. "Only one of them was a righteous kill by Atharim standards but her own father."


Nox sighed. "The others were human. One a monster like none other, preying on human girls, strangling them and raping them. The other was just a job - someone Aria was hired to kill with her ability to make it look like an accident."


Nox threw another fireball at the water. "So you've already seen a monster living in human skin. Granted I love Aria like a sister, she is what she is."


"But there is no greater joy than killing a beast that is stronger and bigger than you. Something that can eat you alive. The danger of the hunt. "
He longed for the hunt. Nox had been gone too long. "And Moscow is full of monsters to hunt. I can't wait to get back."

[Dane Gregory]

With Nox describing Aria as a killer, Dane hungered to see her again. He left her innocent and naïve, but she'd transformed into something beautiful and mature in his absence. Watching her kill something - someone - he flushed with fresh desire for her.

But what Nox described was also alluring. "Will you take me on one of those hunts?" He reached for Nox's arm but stopped short of touching him. "You know I would be able to help. Think of what we could accomplish together!" His eyes were lit with anticipation just as Nox's were dimmed with boredom.

"Tomorrow. We could be in Moscow tomorrow. As soon as that. I'll even buy your ticket if you promise to take me along."

[Nox]

Nox didn't need Aria's gift to see the excitement running through his new friend. And Nox couldn't really blame him. Though Nox chuckled. "You think you can handle a little dirt and grime? Where we'd go isn't pretty. It's dark and dirty and can smell. I can take you through some of the better parts, but in all honesty it's all a piece of crap."


Nox nodded. "I will take you. But I need a day to finish why I came to Mexico City in the first place. Cleaning out old memories - since I don't intend to return to this side of the planet anytime soon."
Too many old memories to make him feel sad and bad about his life. And he wasn't going to do that - not anymore.

The thought of taking another godling with him was appealing. That day with Bas and Pytor was awesome. Though they had gotten into a little bit of hot water. Nox knew better now. Maybe they could find an Oni? Really prove the whole bigger is better theory.

Nox stood up and jumped off his rock and grinned up at Dane. "If we leave now the sooner we can hunt."

[Dane Gregory]

When Nox agreed, Dane's mouth split into a wide smile like a boy being given a puppy.

"I may prefer tidiness but I can tolerate filth when the cause outweighs my disgust."

Their trip would be delayed an extra day. Dane wasn't sure he liked that. He preferred to leave Mexico without discovery by Damien. If he went to the mansion for his suitcases, he was certain to be seen. Perhaps he could leave tonight. Take only one bag and stay in a hotel. If Damien wanted to track him down he would have to come himself. Henchmen certainly cowered before Dane.

"I will meet you at the airport then." Dane said. For security reasons he couldn't buy a ticket in another mans name. Speaking of, he still didn't know it. But he didn't care enough right then to ask. He was likely to forget it anyway.

He was going back to see Moscow again.

And Aria.

[Nox]

They returned to Mexico City and it was late. Their day trip had ended and Nox sat in the safe house room working out the fastest route to collect the two caches his father had stashed around the city. The maps were easy enough to plot out, but it was still a mystery to Nox whether or not they were still intact. It didn't really matter. He supposed he could give the locations to Enrique and let him deal with it.

Dane might be happier then, but he really didn't have any means of contacting the other man other than meeting him at the airport. Nox glanced at his message and sighed. He'd been putting of calling Aria. He didn't want to know what trouble she'd gotten into. So he sent her a text. I'll be home in two days. I know about Ascendancy. Aria be careful. When we get back we need to talk about something too.

Nox's wallet beeped with a new message. "That was fast."
But when he read the message it wasn't from Aria. Just another hunter looking into the underground.

He looked her up in the database and found her record and started reading it, she had a cute picture and grinned as he sent his reply. Flirting came naturally, and it usually yielded better results not that he was looking for anything.

Nox went back to work and started nodding off when the next message came in. She was flirting right back. Nox sat up straight and returned a witty reply with information.

He flirted with her for several more replies and as she put it 'eager' to see her next comment. He hadn't flirted this much with a girl in a while. And she was flirting back just as eagerly. It was fun. And nice. He read Elyse's reports from her first few hunts with her parents to her solo missions. Everything the Atharim had on this girl he was reading. And he wondered if she thought to do the same about him, granted he wasn't nearly as cataloged as she was - being new to the Atharim as a whole and American at that.

Nox had hit send to his last comment and a stab of uncertainty welled in his gut, had he just made a date? Said he'd cook. Fuck! Maybe she'd take it as it was - a flirting conversation.

Nox's heart started to race as the conversation continued on. Personal information slipped from his fingers and he could have let it slide but he wanted her to know he wasn't all just some muscle guy wanting to kill things so he told her about his mom and dancing. She seemed to enjoy that and said she could sing.

Nox sighed as he looked at the time. He had to get up early if he wanted to get shit done before meeting Dane at the airport.

Slipping off into the bed that was rather comfortable for being in a basement safe house. Nox's thoughts drifted to the girl he now had a dinner and dancing date with after a hunt. What the fuck am I doing? I don't date.

Nox sent Aria another text. I'm so fucking screwed. See you soon. Nox wasn't sure how Aria would feel about Dane's return. Nox wasn't sure how he felt about it. The combination of those two in the came city much less the same timezone scared the crap out of him, but the temptation to wield his power unabashed with another godling as too strong.

As predicted Nox started awake from his nightmares a few hours later and started his morning routine.

The first cache was long gone, the dust on the locker floor hadn't been disturbed in a long time, there was even a dead carcass of a rat lying in one corner. It had been mostly guns, now stolen he could report them but really not a bother, this was Mexico.

The second however seemed to have accumulated gear. Nox took only the few pieces that were nostalgic to him. A high powered rifle his dad would use with a laser scope and a few other things he really had no idea how to use nor did he need now. But this was his dad's it was sentimental. The rest he left for whoever had commandeered the cache. It was all theirs.

Nox found the cheapest shipping company in Mexico and had all the gear properly stored and tagged. It was a three hour process and his Spanish sucked thankfully their english was far better. But his stuff would arrive at Aria's old apartment in three weeks.

The last thing Nox had to do before heading to the airport was to sign over the Jeep. Nox took the title out of the glove box and signed it over. He left it and the keys on the table in the safe room. Enrique would find it eventually.

Nox hefted his duffle bag over his shoulder and took a cab to the airport. He was so not looking forward to this flight. And he didn't really need Dane to pay for his ticket but he wasn't going to complain.

He waited in the lounge chairs facing the entrance to the airport. The warmth from the inside seeping out through the doors, but the cool breeze felt good against his damp skin. He was not looking forward to flying again, but he prayed this was the last one.

[Dane Gregory]

Dane was dropped by taxicab at ticketing. Last minute international flights were outrageously expensive and he gaffawed over the fees. Damien had compensated him for his work, so Dane wasn't dipping into his family's allowance for funding, luckily. Such an expensive would have risen red flags and his brother, Declan, paid well to make sure Dane stayed far away, but he didn't pay that well.

He found Nox and hailed him over. Ticketing was when he finally learned Nox's name. Not that he's noticed being ignorant of it this whole time. Merely, he's not cared enough to ask until now. The ticket agent smiled fondly for Dane as he handed her his passport and CCD credentials.

"Are you English?" She asked while waiting for the paperwork to process. Dane's smile grew gentlemanly as he dipped his head.
"Indeed madam," he made sure to accentuate his refined accent and tug on the lapels of his sport coat for added effect. "My family is an ancient, noble family favored by the kings of England in the past."
She pursed her lips, impressed. Dane winked at Nox when she turned her attention to the screen station.

As they proceeded toward security, Dane's self amused smile remained. "As you can see, I have no shortage of women at my fingertips." It was in poor taste to boast, but this was an obvious rift between him and Nox, who surely needed to rely on power and tricks to charm a woman into his arms.



((Move us along as far as you want. Or all the way to Moscow. Whatever is good. ))

[Nox]

Nox saw Dane and followed him to ticketing. His hands were sweaty as he pushed his password and credentials across the counter reciting his name with a faked smile. Dane did the talking and the flirting. Which would have bothered him if it were not for the fact he was fighting back the bile rising in his throat out with his fear of flying.

Nox's comment struck a cord inside of him and not in a good way. It sounded like a challenge yet Nox knew things that Dane liked to do with his women and he wondered if Dane would rather have his girls at the point of a knife or gripped in between his fingers. It wasn't fear for his life that coursed through his body but fear for what he was bringing back to Moscow and to Aria.

He took a deep breathe and smiled at the comment despite his fear. He could hide behind the smile. "I'm sure the ladies love the accent and the impressive lineage. I ain't got nuttin on you with that. But I have no problem getting girls into my bed. Or rather into theirs."


Nox laughed behind the same smile. "Maybe when we get back to Moscow we can go out and see who's better, at the very least have a good time showing each other up."


Talk of girls was distracting until the moment they were called to board. Then Nox's fear ran wild he tried to hide it behind the smile but he was sure he was failing.

During the very long flight Nox did his best to distract himself with conversation with Dane, the flight attendants and sleep, but sleep always resulted in nightmares - one of which was falling out of a fucking plane, so that didn't help matters at all.

Seeing the familiar lights of Moscow from above was awe inspiring and fear inducing but Nox didn't do more than squeeze his arm rests but he was sure he was white as a ghost by the time they stepped off the plane and into the terminal.

Now what?

(( Will start another thread but see PM ))