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 Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:37 am
The look on Sophia's face seemed calm as listened to his claim and remained just as calm as in response. Tucking her pistols away she walked unarmed towards the man with a soft but graceful gait till she came to a close enough distance where Moran could she the blue of her eyes easily in the dark as if they had their own luminosity.
" Oh is that so? What you say sounds so probable, but you see I'm not as naive as you say. If you wanted me to come willing into the embrace of the Blackguard's open arms why would you cause all of this unnecessary violence that ended up in you boys severely wounding my friend? Not a very welcoming greeting if I should say so myself and why bring so many guns? Not a very warm and welcoming visit. . ."
Sophia said as she came closer and paced around him slowly as she spoke but keeping an watchful eye just in case he tried anything
" Could it be possible the blackguards have other plans regarding this visit? After all why put so much energy and manpower into such a low key visit when you know pretty well with being what I am and the fact that if I really despised being with the humans I could have easily used my power to get away on my own, without your help, so why rescue me if I was that capable? You lot obviously want me by force."
She said smiling softly as she ran her hand down his exposed arm in a way that seemed almost seductive till she withdrew her hand and stopped in front of him.
" That's true isn't it? Why would someone touch something as dangerous as fire unless they had a good use for it?"
And in that split second she threw a rather strong kick at the man's stomach that it would send him flying off his feet and onto his back as Sophia made a rush to get far enough away from him so he couldn't respond back. And when she got close enough to the open doorway she raised her hand and a jet of flame shot from it till it began engulfing the room with a aggressive blaze. This showed that Sophia still had a bit of magic since her exposure to the grenade was only for a little bit.
" Let your higher ups know I am not interested and I will never be !!"
Sophia shouted over the roar of the flames before she took off out of the room and almost ran straight into Margaret and the others if she hadn't stopped herself.
" Lets get the hell out of here before we have more unwanted guests at this community barbecue, Hurry !!!"
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Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 4:52 pm
Waive wasn't expecting Sophia to set the place ablaze. But then again, he tried not to assume much when it came to her, since she was just about always a mystery. "I only hope we're not too late for that," he said. Unfortunately enough, when they made it to the back door, they found that to be exactly the case. More Blackguards were already starting to bust in through the front doors. Each one seemed more heavily armed than the last and unafraid to open fire at the four humans.
"Damn it!" Micheal cursed.
"We need to get her out of here," Waive said. Margaret understood exactly what he meant and guided Sophia out of the building and to the hovercraft. Micheal hesitated.
"What are you planning on doing, captain?"
"Buying you some time. Get the Hell out of here." Micheal tossed Waive his rifle before he accepted the inevitable. This was where he'd have to make his stand.
Waive dove behind the same bar he'd taken cover with earlier. The pain in his leg was nearly unbearable, but he had to push through. Keeping Sophia alive and well was a lot more important than his own wellbeing. He was just a small cog in the machine that was working to thwart the dastardly agenda of the blackguard scoundrels. If he died, it would be easy to find a replacement. Hell, it would probably even be someone he knew. Tyro, Micheal. Maybe even Margaret if she learned a little bit of self control. Gunfire rang out again. Whatever they shot at, it seemed to turn off the thumping noise that people considered music in this trashed club.
In the middle of reloading his pistol, Waive dropped the thing and had to grab at the jolts of pain shooting through his bleeding leg. He tore off a piece of the fabric from his jacket, wrapped and tied it around his leg just above the wound so it would slow the bleeding some. And then he peered over the bar table with his rifle and opened fire. He managed to hit one of the guards, but he didn't go down. It didn't help that his seven other friends were firing their own weapons back at him, either. Waive slid back down for cover. There had to be something else he could do. Then an idea hatched in his mind. Moran was still in that room that Sophia set on fire. Those blackguards wouldn't just idly sit by and let one of their councilmen burn alive, would they?
Waive reached his arm over the bar table and fired a few rounds from his pistol, blindly. "Hey, boys," he shouted. "Now that I've got your attention, you might want to listen up. Your boss, Moran, he's in a little bit of trouble. And that witch you're looking for is gone. So if I were you, I'd stop wasting your bullets on a poor old man and go help your boss out before he's burned to a crisp." A piece of the ceiling crumbled down and hit the floor with a thud. The fire was spreading and it was taking quite a toll on the already trashed building.
"Don't waste your breath, captain," Moran shouted back. It seemed he'd already made a recovery. "Today is your lucky day. It seems you get to escape here alive--oh wait, I'm sorry. I guess that was a lie. I hope you enjoy the heat."
An ear blasting explosion caused Waive to fall to the floor and cover his ears. When he lifted his head again, he noticed that the ceiling above the back door had collapsed, which left debris piling high enough to block the exit. Another explosion sounded. Waive pushed himself up and leaned on the bar table to see that all of the Blackguards had left through the way they came--but they also sealed that exit as well. He was trapped in an oven. His mind was boggling. There was so much happening. The pain. The exhaustion. The thinning oxygen. It was too much. Waive draped himself over the bar and laid there. For a moment, he considered just letting the fires engulf him and take his pain away from him. His eyes fell on the hole that Margaret made earlier with the explosives.
"That'll do," he murmured. Waive pulled himself over and flopped off the side of the counter and hit the floor with a thud. He wailed. With no windows on this floor, his only option was to get upstairs. And since the only stairwell was now up in flames passed the karaoke room, his only option was that hole in the ceiling. He dragged himself across the floor, wheezed, and continued. It wasn't until another piece of ceiling collapsed that he stopped. It was close to him, this time. Before he continued crawling again, however, another piece fell and landed on his wounded leg. He cried out in pain. He was pinned. Before he gave up and passed out, he could have sworn that the pile of debris at the front exit was... dispersing.
Margaret guided Sophia outside the back door. They found themselves standing in an alley that was all but empty aside from the hovercraft that Micheal nestled in between the two adjacent buildings. Nothing was said about leaving Waive behind. He was the captain and he gave the orders. So Margaret simply opened the craft and shooed Sophia and Micheal inside. She followed behind them and exchanged a quick glance at the wounded assassin to make sure she hadn't tried anything while they were busy, then took the pilot's seat. She started up the craft and pulled up. Soon they were in the air and cloaked.
Margaret didn't speak. Nor did Micheal. No one wanted to bring up anything about what happened back there. The hope that Waive was alive went unsaid, because everyone already knew that's what the other wished. There was no arguing. ... Nothing. Margaret just kept on course for Lev's casino.
But it would figure that the naive would break the silence. "Where's the old man?" groaned the assassin.
Margaret turned and drew her pistol on the woman. "You'd best shut up or take a bullet between the eyes."
She did. The assassin was in no condition to argue with such terms.
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Chronographus Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 5:28 pm
Sophia was grabbed by her comrades and dragged along like a child under protection. She could barely react as she was lead to the hovercraft, her eyes focused on the drama happening before her, she struggled a few times intent on trying to go and help Waive even if it meant getting into the line of fire but Margaret had firm grip on her so she couldn't move.
"Waive noo- . . .!!"
Her voice was broken off by a sudden explosion before she had lost view a minute passed of being dragged through the battlefield till she found herself sitting inside of the hovercraft. Once inside she sat in silence realizing the reality of what just happened, Waive could be dead, why because they were too busy trying to keep her safe when she was perhaps the most powerful here.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:31 am
Margaret slowed to a stop on the roof of the Lavish Casino. She shut the craft off, stood up, and grabbed the assassin. She pulled her up and dragged her outside.
"Hey, let me go!" she protested. Margaret tugged on her harder. She was just so angry at everything right now. And it was all this b***h's fault! She's the one who they were after! If it wasn't for her, Waive and Riley would still be alive. Margaret shoved her to the ground, cocked her pistol and aimed it at her head.
"Give me a reason not to blow your head off right here!"
Micheal grabbed her arm. "Margaret, don't. This isn't going to help Waive. We should get her wounds looked at and send her off to Kasimir. He'll decide what to do with her. And then we can figure out what to do from there."
Margaret sighed and shoved him away. "God damn it!" She stormed off into the stairwell and slammed the door behind her. Even with the door shut, Micheal could hear her shouts of distress. It was, indeed, hard to listen to. He turned to Sophia. He met with her eyes and his mind went blank. What could he possibly say to her now? After he willingly left behind one of the greatest men he'd ever met?
"I'm sorry," was all he thought of. And it was all he did say, since afterward he picked up the assassin and carried her into the building. He would then venture farther until he reached the lab of their resident biological/genetic scientist/doctor.
"Oh, Micheal!" shouted the awkward looking, short, French man. "What is this you've brought to me?"
Micheal laid the assassin on her back in one of the medical beds. "She's an assassin. She shot Kasimir's son in attempt to kill him, but she failed and now she's in our custody. Put her to sleep and treat her wounds. Wouldn't want her to lash out at you, doctor."
"Oh, very good! I shall do that!" The doctor hovered over the purple haired killer. "My name is Ravaillac. And yours?" He smiled at her.
The assassin groaned. "Get out of my face, you creep."
"Feisty!" Ravaillac wrapped a mask around her face. She struggled for a few seconds, but then she was out. Micheal gave Ravaillac a nod before he turned and left. He was intent on sorting everything out. And to do that, he'd need to speak to Lev. He's the only one who'd know what to do now.
There was a knock at the door. Lev waved his fingers at Seamus, who then opened the doors; allowing Micheal to step in. He was covered in a layer of dust and dirt. It was disgusting and it was getting all over his recently cleaned carpet. But whatever he had to say seemed of vital importance, so he'd ignore this unpleasantly dirty interruption and listen. "What's the matter, Micheal?"
Micheal's gaze fell to the floor. Lev knew that meant whatever news it was, it wasn't good news. "I don't really know how to say this," he began. Lev raised his brow in suspense. "Something may have happened to Waive. He told us to leave with Sophia to keep her safe while he held a group of Blackguards at bay. We had no other choice but to listen to him. He was wounded, and he would have slowed us down too much--" Micheal cut himself off as if he just realized what he was saying.
The room fell silent. Lev could see the shock on Seamus's face, but Micheal was still intent on looking towards the floor. Lev cleared his throat and removed his glasses. He tossed them on his desk and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his eyes. "Seamus, give us a minute." He nodded and left the room.
"And the others?" asked Lev.
"Margaret and Sophia arrived with me. We also brought the assassin that shot Kasimir's son--"
"Yes, I heard about that."
"She's who we were after when the Blackguards attacked. And during our chase, Riley and Stross... well, they crashed. We have no information on their condition either."
"Danny and Tyro?"
"Everyone else was with Kasimir and the others at Cornell. They should be fine," confirmed Micheal. Lev groaned as he placed his glasses back onto his face. He clicked a small button on the rim of the left lens and a projection of a desktop screen appeared on the glass. By moving his eyes and thinking, he was able to perform the necessary commands to navigate through this advanced technology. He brought up hospital data and emergency alerts. Lev was determined to find out as much as he could about his fallen comrades. The first thing he found was about two victims of a hovercraft crash. One was reported to have died during the crash and the other badly injured but now in stable condition at the nearest hospital. Lev downsized his screen and looked at Micheal.
"Head to my shuttle and tell the pilot to set course for Saint Vincent Medical center. Riley or Stross appears to have survived the crash."
"Or?" Micheal looked up.
"According to this report," Lev began, but found a knot form in his throat. He swallowed hard before continuing. "One of them perished during the crash."
Micheal's face drooped. Lev felt terrible. He knew, when Waive dragged him into this, that things would eventually end up this way. Losing friends was a part of war, but had he just refused to help Waive, he wouldn't have had to feel this way. And even worse, he didn't know if Waive was still alive! There were no relevant reports regarding anything from Micheal's tale that he could find. Lev felt so much anger at Waive right now--but at the same time, he couldn't help but indulge in this seemingly bottomless pit of worry.
"Is there anything about Waive?"
Lev sighed and left the room silent. He swiveled in his chair and stopped in front of the window that looked out at the impressive New York skyline. "No. But if he was taken to a hospital, it would be that one. You were in Time Square, no?"
"We were."
"Then check for him there. It's the closest one. Leave now before the situation gets any worse."
Micheal left without a word. He seemed to be just as concerned as Lev--which in hindsight was odd, because Micheal was, more often than not, totally calm and collected. It was good to know he had a heart. Lev tapped another button on the rim of his glasses. They beeped. "Seamus," he said. "Tell Desmond to get Sophia and take her to my shuttle. We're going to take a trip."
He drifted in and out of consciousness as he was rushed through the halls on the gurney. Weaving; halting suddenly; sharp turns. He wasn't sure what exactly was happening, because at one point, he could have sworn that he was being spun in circles. Waive peered up at the eyes of masked figures who seemed to be shouting unintelligible things through the haze. But he only caught few brief phrases or certain words, like "stay with us" or "breathe". He felt them finally halt to a stop completely. Then he was lifted and moved to another bed.
"We're going to have to take it," exclaimed one of the masked figures. Their voice was muffled, but it sounded feminine. Waive wondered what she was talking about. His head tossed from side to side and his eyes darted all around. They strapped some sort of breathing mask over his head, but he protested. Mumbles and groans escaped his lips before he was out once again.
When he awoke, he was alone. He found himself laying in a hospital bed with aches all over his body. But especially in his leg. Whatever the doctors did, they seemed to neglect treating him for pain relief. A jolt of distress shot down the leg he was shot in and Waive grabbed at it. But what he found was... nothing. His leg was gone--or at least severed just below the knee. The doctors had taken his leg! He sat up with haste and ignored the pains that grieved him when he did. He gawked at the bandaged stub where his leg used to be and felt the confusion well over him. For some reason, he didn't feel whole anymore. As if some part of his spirit was taken with that part of his limb. He fell back and let his head sink into the soft and full pillow and just stared up at the white ceiling that reflected the emptiness Waive was feeling now. As he embraced this sorrowful moment, he allowed himself to drift into a not so satisfying slumber.
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Chronographus Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:17 pm
Sophia felt as if everything was happening so fast even though she was only sitting alone outside on the roof of the building submerged in guilt and shock. She was brought back to some sense of time when Desmond touched her on the shoulder which made her stir and stare up at him when he mentioned the news she had a surprised look in hers but then it was only followed by a depressed one as she agreed to come with him after being requested to board Lev's shuttle. There Sophia, Lev, Desmond,Micheal, And Sarah boarded and took rather short but quiet and awkward trip over to Saint Vincent Medical Center where they made a hurried but precise landing outside of the Hospital. Everyone seemed in a hurry to exit the shuttle as they rushed towards the opening of the hospital and then they were quickly escorted by one of the Hospital's staff members to the emergency room where the surviving victim was located as they came to a stop at the door it seemed many were too nervous to proceed inside and see which of the two victims was sitting in that bed so Sophia made the first movement inside, pushing the button so that the doors slid open and she came walking into the white and clean room her eyes falling on the medical bed before her.
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2012 4:20 pm
Lev watched as Sophia barged into the room. Observing from the outside, he could see the tufts of the orange hair that stuck out from under a few bandages. Scrapes and cuts and casts and slings. Riley seemed to have suffered quite a few injuries from that crash. It was just a shame Stross couldn't have survived as well. Lev waited as Micheal and Sarah also entered the room behind Sophia. Desmond stopped beside Lev.
"It's good to see Riley's okay."
"It is. Why don't you go in and say something to him?"
Desmond looked toward the floor. "Uhh, I think I'll pass on that, boss. I should go check with the nurses about Waive."
He nodded faintly and Desmond trotted off. Lev leaned in the doorway. He put his weight on his left leg and crossed his right over it as he held his hand over his chin. He looked at Riley--who was barely conscious--and then at the faces of the others. Joy, relief, sorrow. It was as if they couldn't decide which one to settle with. Lev just kept a solemn look on his face, but he really felt relieved that the boy was all right. In all honesty, he felt that he was more relieved than he'd be if it was Stross lying in that bed there. Perhaps it was because he knew Riley better. Perhaps it was because he even liked him a little more than Stross.
Riley tried to speak, but it amounted to as much of a gurgle. Then he cleared his throat and tried again. "Hey--" he coughed. "guys." Lev smiled.
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Chronographus Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2012 4:35 pm
Sophia walked briskly over to Riley's side and put her hand over the unbandaged part of his forehead and smiled.
" I thought you died, it'd be a shame losing you after I just met you not so long ago, And don't push yourself too much, you need to rest."
She said giving him a slight kiss on the forehead as a get well gesture. Sophia said as she sighed and sat herself down in the chair next to his bed." I just hope we have another miracle after this one . . ."
She said taking his hand and running hers over it in a similar way she had done before.
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2012 5:17 pm
Lev grinned and chuckled after Sophia pecked Riley on the forehead, which caused his face to flush burn a bright red and the words he tried to get out turn into gibberish. After this awkward moment, Lev turned and walked out of the room. Desmond was back and his face seemed puzzling. He couldn't tell whether the news he had was good or bad. But his questions were soon answered when he began speaking.
"It seems Waive is here, but I don't know whether or not to tell the others yet. I think we should go alone for now. His condition isn't well and it's probably best if we don't overwhelm him," Desmond explained.
Lev nodded. "Right. Take me to him then." They ventured further into the hospital than Lev had expected. He figured that Waive would need more attention than Riley, but apparently he had already been patched up and discharged into his own room. That was lucky. It meant that he might be able to get out of here before the authorities showed up and started asking questions—or the more likely outcome of them placing the captain under arrest. Simply put, they all needed to get back to the casino soon.
When they finally reached the room, Lev knocked out of courtesy but entered anyway when no one answered. Upon seeing his old friend alive and looking relatively well, he couldn't help but smile wide. Waive looked at Lev with a lack of interest and let out a hoarse groan. "Lev?"
"Waive. It's good to see you alive." At first, Lev assumed something was wrong with Waive's head. Maybe a concussion or amnesia. Had he taken a hard hit? But as he looked into his eyes, he realized that it wasn't just confusion he saw. It was pain and regret. There was definitely something wrong. Lev scanned his friend's body that was draped with two thin white sheets. There wasn't anything that jumped out at him. He didn't even see any bandages on his arms, chest, or head. But when his eyes fell onto where Waive's legs would have been, he found that there was something missing there. Like his right leg had been crossed under his left so it made it seem like it wasn't there. But Lev knew that wasn't it. His leg was gone. Whatever happened back at that night club, it did enough damage to force the surgeons here to take his leg away. Lev bit his lip. He exactly have experience with bedside manner, but he was about as kindly and enigmatic as one could be. Not to mention he was one of Waive's oldest friends. So he felt if anyone could get Waive through this, it had to be him.
"Waive... I'm sorry." He took a seat on the edge of the bed and looked at the captain. "You know I still find you beautiful." This managed to get Waive to smirk and choke back a laugh. Lev smiled at him. "Have you tried to move yet?"
"No. Not since after the surgery," said Waive.
"Well, you know—"
"I know, Lev. The authorities should be here any minute. So help me up, will you?" Again, they read each others' minds. It wasn't uncommon for them, since they always seemed to be on the same wavelength. ... Even in times of distress, like this. Desmond brought around a wheel chair and slid it next to the bed. Lev stood and gripped Waive's forearm and pulled him up into a sitting position. He grunted and then shifted to the edge of the bed. Lev pulled him up again and Waive hopped—and nearly fell—into the chair. He wheezed for air. This simple task had managed to completely exhaust him of energy. Lev turned to Desmond.
"Des, hurry back to the others. Tell them to get Riley ready and get back to the hovercraft." Desmond jogged out after he nodded and Waive craned his neck to look at Lev.
"Riley?"
"Yes, he survived the crash—" Lev cut himself off as he realized that Waive didn't know about Stross yet. He sighed and figured he had to tell him sooner or later. "Unfortunately, Stross didn't make it. But it was because of him that Riley made it out alive."
Waive dropped his gaze to the floor. Or maybe it was his missing leg. Or his last leg. But whatever it was, it kept his attention. He didn't speak during the trip back to Riley's room. When they arrived there, Riley was on his feet and dressed, but he still looked a little unstable. So Micheal slid under his arm and held him upright. It wasn't until Micheal noticed Waive that his expression, and the expression of the others, turn from relief into shock and awe. It seemed that no one was expecting to see their captain this way. But it was as it was, so no one had the gall to say anything. They simply gave their two cents on how they were glad to see him alive. "Okay. Let's get out of here quickly," said Lev.
Lev turned into the hall and stopped when he saw them. Two officers questioning the receptionist at the end of the hall. "s**t," he exclaimed.
Desmond burst into action ahead of his boss. "I got this. You get the others back to the craft." Lev waited to see what he meant when he said he had this. But he regretted sticking around when he witnessed the scrappy Irish man hook one of the officers in the jaw and knocked him off his feet. He tackled the second one and jumped to his feet. He sprinted down the opposite end of the hall and disappeared around the corner. The officers frantically trailed after him and shouted livid commands at him. Lev shook his head.
"Let's not let that go to waste. Come on." He wheeled Waive through the halls and back to where they parked the craft. He wanted to wait a few minutes for Desmond, but he doubted he'd make it. That didn't reassure him though. He wasn't about to leave another friend behind. He began to imagine how the hell he'd be able to get him out of prison, but he figured if he was granted bail, he could pay it. So Lev turned and sat in the craft. After Waive and everyone else was loaded and ready, they took off. Lev told the pilot to change his course. His response after the pilot asked where to was simply, "to Kasimir's."
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Chronographus Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:42 am
Sophia wasn't sure where they were going but she knew it was pretty far, it took one and half days to get to their destination and most of what she saw outside of the window next to her chair was waves upon waves. During that time she barely slept and even at night when things were quiet she kept awake staying alert not only just because their might be trouble but she had to make sure the wounded wouldn't be in need of care. In the chair next to she had Riley seated the ginger snoring away the bandage on his forehead drooping a bit as he slept, after a while of just sitting Sophia finally passed out and awoke once again with the jerk of the hovercraft landing. She could see it was rather bright and sunny outside, sunnier then she has ever seen it in any place in the United States so she came to the conclusion that wherever this headquarters was located it was someplace foreign and pretty exotic.
The hovercraft came to park on landing pad perched near a sand dune.When the hatch open Sophia was one of the first to rush outside to get some fresh air and to be grateful that were back on solid ground. The sand dunes behind her slightly blocked the view of a shining and busy metropolis off in the distance but as she turned her view back to the sight in front of her she was amazed to find a large building that sat in a lush but beautiful oasis of a garden. She could make out a path leading up to the building in the grassy ground before here and once she took a couple steps across the pavement she was caught off guard by the black flash of something coming flying out of the bushes nearby and nearly landing her in the face till she made a swift grab with her hand to keep it from hitting her. Thats when she realized it was a rubber snake.
"Really a rubber snake? Couldn't afford the real kind eh?"
Sophia commented sarcastically and threw the snake aside chuckling. She was about to continue walking when a voice got her attention off in the distance. Outside of the building there was a large blue lagoon where a lengthy woman lay on lawn chair under a umbrella wearing a sunhat and sunglasses. Her hair was a strange aqua blue color.Sophia stopped herself from going any further when she could spot a few men off on the edges on the lagoon carrying loaded rifles.
" Its not that we can't afford the real kind, its just we don't want every one of our guests having the chance of suffering from a venomous bite wound. The plastic snake is just there to scare off outsiders who come snooping in on private property."
The woman commented while smiling as she stood up, wearing orange bikini top and matching sarong tied neatly around her hips, she removed her sunglasses so she could have a better look at the incoming guests. Sophia seemed a little intimated by the height of the woman who had to be close to six feet tall.
"Looks like Croix wasn't the only one who had sustained quite an injury, what the hell happened to those two-...."
The woman was cut off when she noticed Waive's missing leg, she then quickly signaled one of the armed men nearby to do a favor for her and he rushed inside quickly.
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