so you feel entitled to a sense of control

[tagential]

Edwon hadn't been given many details in preparation for this mission. He never was. That information wasn't necessary, supposedly. A name, a location, that was it, with the clear instruction to extract that person. And it was true that he didn't strictly need to know more, but he wasn't an agent because a lack of information satisfied him.

He'd done some digging, and realized that Zareeth had the recipe for a neurotoxin that the Empire wanted their hands on. Stealing the recipe wouldn't be sufficient, of course, since the Empire tended to prefer any knowledge to be exclusively theirs. He'd considered going against direct orders and negotiating a deal with Zareeth and his group, instead, just to show his bosses that brute force was still the boring solution... But sadly, there was no time for that. He wasn't the only one after the neurotixin.

Which was why he was now appearing out of thin air in front of Zareeth, blaster pointed directly at him as he switched off his Stealth Field Generator. "I'm afraid you have to come with me," he said, almost sounding sorry, too, even though he wasn't. "And we're in a bit of a rush. You'll have to excuse the methods."

Comments

[blooddrunk]

Without knowing the specific group this stranger was working for it was impossible to know for sure whether he would keep his word about anything "safe". For all Zeereth knew he could be an agent of the other cult sent to torture him as payback for last time, and he knew especially in their case mercy would be the last thing on their minds. But at the same time... Would he really be able to get far enough by running now?

He bit his lower lip as his mind worked overtime trying to weigh the options before in the end coming to the conclusion that he shouldn't act rashly. His best chance was to just pretend to be complacent for now and figure out who Edwon was working for as quickly as possible before he was delivered. Then he could try to make an escape.

"... Very well."

[tagential]

That was surprising, but it did make his job a lot easier. It also made it all the more frustrating, because if this man was a reasonable one, the Empire could have easily struck a deal. But that chance had likely passed, and they were in a bit of a rush. Edwon inclined his head gratefully, though he didn't relax, keeping his blaster pointed at the man still.

"This way," he said, gesturing with a hand. "Walk in front, but if we're attacked, fall behind. If you try to run, I'll find you again, but if you stay with me, I'll keep you safe."

And he meant that, too. He'd been completely sincere so far. Their next stop would be a safe one, even if the one after that wouldn't be, unless Zeereth cooperated. He had, after all, also meant it when he called himself the lesser of many evils. There was no point in pretending otherwise, was there?

[blooddrunk]

Many words could describe Zeereth, but "reasonable" was not one. The same reason why he had managed to live so long was the same reason that often got him into trouble; his survival instinct. Even if this man didn't harm him himself- if for no other reason than to make sure he was paid- he knew that whoever he was taking him to was likely far less kind. They always were.

But for now his best option was to simply wait for an opening, or at the very least figure out some sort of weak point. At least his cloak fulfilled its purpose of hiding what he did beneath it, making it easy to keep a hand near his materials even as he pretended to be obedient and walked in front of Edwon. What he lacked in strength he more than made up for with speed and dexterity, so all he needed was a moment...

[tagential]

And he'd get his chance soon enough. They'd only walked for a few minutes when Edwon stopped him, pulling Zeereth back by an arm before he could turn a corner. There were enemies there, not enough to make a threat, but enough to be a problem, though thankfully they hadn't been noticed yet. And now Edwon had a choice to make: Fight, and risk Zeereth getting away, or sneak past them, and risk Zeereth getting caught in the middle if they did end up discovered.

After a split second, Edwon chose to fight. If anything, it would send a message. "I will find you if you try to run," he warned, quietly, and then he was around the corner, already firing at the enemies there. One went down, two, he seemed to disappear from view, then reappeared to stab another in the back. There was no hesitation - in a few minutes they'd all be dead - but for now, his attention was off Zeereth.

[blooddrunk]

Zeereth didn't even pause to second-guess his decision or dwell on the warning. The moment that Edwon was out from around the corner he pulled one of the vials off from his belt and flicked off the top to reveal a short needle. With practiced precision he pushed the small syringe into the side of his neck and injected the contents, the effects only taking seconds to kick in as the familiar rush of adrenaline hit him.

Almost in the blink of an eye he was gone, securing his mask with one hand as the other grabbed one of his swords while he ran. Unfortunately it didn't take long for him to notice more people dressed in similar attire to those from moments ago, but the rush of chemicals made him less wary. Barely giving them time to react he moved behind one to impale him through the stomach before turning to the other, clenching one hand into a fist. For a moment the man froze before blood began to bubble up from his mouth and he sunk to the ground.

[tagential]

Edwon couldn't say that he was surprised when he noticed Zeereth missing. He couldn't say that he blamed him, either. That didn't make it any less frustrating, though, and he'd been frustrated already, annoyed with this whole mission before it had even started. He'd have to find him.

He went invisible again, started backtracking, wondering idly if this would take a while, if he'd made a mistake in not using the slave collar he'd been given. It had definitely been a risk. But then he heard the unmistakable sounds of fighting - there, a body hitting the ground, blaster fire, a scream...

Zeereth seemed to be doing alright. Edwon let him finish off those enemies, waiting for the last man to hit the ground before switching off stealth, appearing right in front of him.

"Not bad. How long can you keep fighting like that?"

[blooddrunk]

Zeereth yanked his sword out of the first enemy, spinning only to come face-to-face with Edwon. Taking a step back he raised the blade again to point at him, free hand hovering near his second weapon although he also considered just taking another dose to give himself an extra edge. After all, he didn't know the full range of this man's capabilities and he'd always found that it was better to resort to what some might consider "overkill".

"As if I would tell you that."

[tagential]

"You don't have to."

Edwon makes sure his disappointment is audible, just for a second, and then he throws the flash bang right at Zeereth's feet. Incapacitate, but don't hurt, and do this quickly, before more enemies show up... He's faced worse challenges. He makes sure the slave collar is ready at his belt, and darts forward to follow up with a punch to his gut.

[blooddrunk]

Despite recognizing the flash bang and trying to react he was just a split second too late, the tinted glass of his mask still not being enough to fully shield his sensitive eyes. The brightness disoriented him and he cursed, wincing. Even so that didn't stop him from reacting based on the sound of the other's movements, slicing at him just before the punch to his gut made him double over.

"Nn-!"

[tagential]

He was too close to dodge that blade completely, and he winced as it cut his arm. He ignored it, though - he'd patch it up later, he didn't have time to worry about that now. He pulled Zeereth's hood out of the way, and quickly snapped the collar shut around his neck, before stepping back giving him some space. He hadn't really wanted to do that either, but there was actually some satisfaction in it, by this point.

"Come with me." He'd have to choice now, but Edwon still kept his tone light, like it was a normal conversation. "Before we're attacked again."

[blooddrunk]

The alchemist cursed when he felt the collar clamped shut around his neck, yanking back as a hand went to his throat and he tried to remove it even though he knew it was futile to bother. While he could feel the effects of his mutagen beginning to wear off he still felt the lingering bits of defiance even though didn't try to lash out and attack again. Instead he just frowned, staring Edwon down warily.

"Why? Because whoever wants me this time is paying you more if I'm in good condition?"

[tagential]

"Well, if they wanted you dead, there'd be no need for me to go to all this effort." Actually, he might have anyway, because he really wasn't very good at following orders. But in Zeereth's case... Well, maybe he would have let him get himself killed by their many attackers.

He started walking. The slave collar would force him to follow. "I could let you fight these people until you exhaust yourself, and then carry you with me. If you prefer, of course."

[blooddrunk]

He gritted his teeth even as he felt the effects of the mutagen beginning to weaken a little, the rush of adrenaline and speed it had given him fading as he was forced to follow Edwon. The loss made him feel empty and drained, a sensation that definitely wasn't helped by the bitterness of being recaptured. Clearly this man had either been given knowledge on him beforehand or was just much more well-prepared than others had been in the past. Unless he was overwhelmed by numbers he generally didn't have too much trouble evading someone or just killing them if it came to it, so this was... Far from ideal.

"... I would prefer fighting, but not being carried," he mumbled, mostly to himself.

[tagential]

"I could have you dragged." Not by himself, of course. He was stronger than he looked, but still a small man, and he wouldn't be able to both drag Zeereth as well as fight off their attackers. Thankfully he could call for help if he decided he needed it.

But this was an easier solution. He had secured a safe house nearby, and the plan was to get Zeereth there, and then plan for how to get him safely off planet. This time, he did decide to switch his stealth tech on, turning the two of them invisible. Personally, he wasn't in the mood to fight.

And it would only take them about five minutes of walking to get to the safe house.

[blooddrunk]

Zeereth just snorted softly but didn't bother to retort, instead just falling silent as he was forced to follow along after his captor. He wasn't talkative under the best of circumstance and obviously the situation made him even less so, so he reluctantly went to the safe house without another word.

While some part of him was itching to try another escape attempt the rest of him knew better than to bother, especially after getting a glimpse into Edwon's resourcefulness. At this point his best bet would be to try and barter some way or hope for a longer diversion.