Chapter Three: Ignition

[Leo]

“The sun is sitting over Manhattan on the Southside, you sure you want to head down there sir?” said the cabbie.

“It’s where my ship is parked. Of course I do.” The man replied simply.

“You may want to reconsider si-“

“If I paid you to be my advisor, you would be getting much more than just a cab fare.”

The driver quieted down and continued to drive towards the Southside but stopped just before entering.

“This is as far as I go. I’m not suicidal.”

Disgusted the man threw the cabbie his fare and climbed out of the cab. No sooner than he closed the door that the driver of the cab roared the hover car to life and took off faster than someone who had stolen money from a bank. The man swore and started to talk through the districts towards a shabby looking bar just a block away. He opened the door and it instantly grew quiet inside.

“I’m looking for a man named Leo.” He said. A woman in the back of the bar shifted uncomfortably. “Never mind, I found someone more interesting.”

“Don’t be causing no problems in my bar stranger, I’ve had enough problems with being in the area I’m in, especially after sundown.”

He smiled when he said “stranger” but kept his composure.

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” the man said smiling.

He walked over to the woman sitting at the booth and she stiffened up.

“Sarah.” He said nodding towards her.

“What do you want.” She said simply.

“Leo.”

“You know you can’t capture him, we’ve tried for almost a month to do it, and each time he evades our grasp.”

“How unlikely that he couldn’t get captured, even with the great ‘Sarah’ at the helm.” He said with sarcasm dripping off the words. Sarah looked away, tears welling up in her eyes. “You really think she hasn’t noticed that you’ve been sheltering him from her view?”

“I know she hasn’t, she’s going crazy. She’s done two unsuccessful wipes on herself already. I’m having a feeling she’s losing her mind. If she hasn’t noticed what we’ve done already, then there isn’t any harm in what we’re trying to do even later on.”

“What? Use Takashi to take down Allecto? That’s crazy talk.”

“He says he’s up for it, and willing to take it out.”

“That’s what he said Sarah, but we both know that’s a one way mission.”

She grew quiet and looked around, playing with her hair.

“I know.”

The man rose and stared at Sarah once more before turning to leave, at the door he stopped and stared back at her one more time.

“If you don’t know where Leo is, I’ll just have to find Takashi, won’t I?”

With that he closed the bar door, letting it swing shut loudly, leaving Sarah to her thoughts.”

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You fear oblivion. Yet you forget. The universe remembers every atom of your being. Even dust hums your name in the dark.
Starlight Research Consortium | The Banished Legion | Astral