Fortune favors the wicked.

[Wesker]

Barrier Gate Station A, 14JAN828 A.S. 2000 CST

---

Anna followed up on Ezio's request voluntarily, figuring it would put any sense of confusion or hesitation on the matter to rest. Maybe this was the opportunity she'd been waiting for, or maybe not. A bit of her conscience rang as she threw the survival suit & helmet on; the engines of the Odin revving so loud the hangar shook. Perhaps the most reminiscent moment of it all, the moment that really reminded her of the Hessian she was - was the old weapon systems being reused. The STORMBREAKERs were put to rest for a long time, done so on the premise that they were - like her past life - cruel and unusual.

But cruel and unusual were what these monsters deserved, and this time she had no obstacles between her and revenge - or so it seemed.


Ezio waited and waited for his new partner to arrive in the hangar bay, standing still with the same creepy charisma that shook Anna when they first "met". Some of the flight mechs muttered to each other about him, but no one dared approach him to ask or say anything. Outcasts were as common as anyone else in that part of Sirius, his demeanor was all that separated him from the collective.

*Sniff* Ezio stood up, stretching a bit the moment Anna's fighter pulled into the Hangar bay. The flight mechs scurried out of the Hangar like mice, thinking the Outcast had some quarrel with the new guest. Little did they know the reality was quite the opposite for the time being. "That ship looks like it's been places, maybe there's some merit to the stories I've heard." Ezio aloud said as Anna approached him. "What's our next move?" Anna said, dodging the conversation. "Over a drink, si?" Ezio responded as he turned around, putting his helmet back on. "Si." Anna replied.

The bar was in its usual state, a whole series of pilots, outlaws, and "good people" living polar in the same room for a few moments or a few hours.

Ezio and Anna walked in, side by side still fully suited in gear. Their presence paused a few heads and turned others, the S.O.A logo embedded on a survival suit next to the Sicario icon on another - the whole room felt the two's presence within seconds. Ezio and Anna reacted the same, scanning the room with their eyes from side to side before walking towards their seat at the end of the bar. "You want something?" Ezio said as they took off their helmets. "Water's fine, they don't make good rum here."

Ezio returned after a few moments, the bar seemed to get over the two's presence. A few eyes kept poking in their direction here and there, but it wasn't enough to bother Ezio at least. "Why do you want to talk here and not underway?" Anna asked. "Needed to make sure you were really on board to help me." He said as he took a sip from his drink. "We also want anyone else looking for you to be on our tail, away from your home. Si?" Ezio finished after putting his drink down. *Sniff* He laid back against the wall, flicking the bail on his holster up and down. Anna didn't seem to care in that case, no reason to dawn whatever he was trying to do if it would take care of itself. "Well, are you going to lay out the plan then?" Anna asked. Ezio and Anna exchanged facial expressions, mostly Anna mocking the curiosity in his expressions. Finally, after a few moments of silence between the two Ezio spoke up. "Every time I look at you, I look for the woman they told me about. The mass murderer, ruthless leader, reckless fighter; but all I see is the face of someone like my daughter. What happened to you?" Ezio said. Anna avoided eye contact and gazed into her glass. Her story wasn't his to know at all, and his sidetracking just made her more suspicious of his intentions.

"Look." Anna said still focused on the glass of water. "You came across the stars to look for me. You took this contract and you made the choice to do whatever this is. I agreed to help you, I could've very well flown off to somewhere where you wouldn't be able to walk into my house. Why? I want to kill them." She said, now making eye contact with him before she continued. "I didn't agree to share my life secrets with you, and I won't. So you can either help me get revenge or leave empty-handed. I know they want me alive, and I know why. You don't hold as many cards in this situation as you think." Anna's tone didn't change at all, but her words still made him focus enough to stop flicking his bail up and down. *Sniff* He started fiddling with the bail again.

"What do you know about TESLA weapons?" Ezio asked.