Welcome to Gaia! ::

As he began to leave the auditorium, Hiro thought he could see something out of the corner of his eye. Switching on his cybernetic body's attack mode, his vision sharpened into focus.

Accuracy mode activated.

"Damned cybernetic voice..." He thought.

"They said the new technology was still becoming growing within my body, but I'll never get used to that voice in my head..." The young leader thought, his vision focusing in on the cybernetic girl crouching behind one of the auditorium seats, currently being surrounded by a group of AIA shock troopers.

"Hmmm, is that a cyborg? What would one of those be doing here? The three of us didn't issue any of those for protection, and I definately don't recognize it. Either way, it looks like it's in a tight situation... Looks like I'll have to step in..." He thought as he left through the auditorium back door, and after looking around himself, dissappeared into the alleyway using his intricate knowledge of the AIA's positioning.

"Need some help?" Asked a young, hardened voice from behind the group. Six shots rang out...

Tab didn't look up, crouched under the chair and rocking back and forth slightly.

"I'm not going back. I'm not going back. I'm not going back..." She murmered to herself, untill she noticed a bright red river trailing it's way towards where she hid. In one swift motion, she rose and caught the chair as it flew upward, and tossed it across the auditorium. A little more force than needed, but it was mostly her fear that had sent it hurtling into the wall on the far side of the building. In actuality it was more than fear for Tab, she was completely petrified.

Backing away from the man who had just fired the shots slowly, she crouched slightly, signaling she was about to make a run for it. Unfortunately, before she could even reach the door in her mechanical sprint, an AIA soldier caught her by the hair. Thrashing wildly, Tab cried out when the soildier pulled out a small device and thrust it into her left shoulderblade. After than, every limb went slack except for her head, which still shook wildly.

"She's one of ours." Reported the soldier into his headpiece, still grasping the helpless girl by the hair.

.. And with a resounding crunch, the man flew across the room, letting his grip loose as he falls to the ground. With this, the strange man stood up straight with his back to the young cyborg, his entire form still shrouded in mystery.

"Follow me if you want to get out of here..." He stated point blank, looking over his shoulder to the cybernetic girl behind him.

"Hmm, an escapee? Oh well, Clint will probably have something to fix that trick of theirs."

With barely a word, the man led her to a back door, leading into the massive labyrinth that is the alleys of new york. As he led her through the complicated, twisting paths of the alleyways, walls shot up nearly five hundred feet on all sides at all times. After a long trek through the ancient and long forgotten new york paths, with the occasional detours to avoid AIA government patrols, they finally reached the back of a run down bar, a modest fixture in the complex metropolis of New York.

With his head low, he entered through a back door hidden among the boards, into what seems to function as both a kitchen and a storage room. With another glance over his shoulder, he looked back at the young cyborg.

"Wait here, I'll be back in a moment..." He said flatly as he walked further into the bar, and came across one of the young female patrons.

"Go tell Clint I've gotten him a visitor..." As soon as the words left his mouth, the girl was off.

With a thud from the door as it shut behind him, the strange, cloaked man walked back into the room, a surprisingly carefree look in his eyes.

"That was an interesting trick they used on you back there... I assume you're an escapee?"

"Ah, I see..." He said, looking off into space, as he nodded appreciatively.

"I have heard of this program, but the board had never told me they were so young.. I suppose there was more to this than they were telling me. I'll bet she wasn't even drafted in willingly... Those bastards."

Suddenly, he looked back at the girl, and his eyes brightened up as if he just realized where he was. With a smile, though obviously hidden behind his muffler, he spoke again.

"Anyway, my name's Arson, or Arkei if you prefer. And you?"

As rolled over his own thoughts in his head, with a chuckle, he crouched down, perched like a cat sitting only on his heels. As if by the passing wind, his eyes suddenly took on a serious tone.

"To be honest, I don't expect anything. In any case, I couldn't have just left you there in the hands of those AIA agents. I don't know much about how your body came to be this way, but I've had my own fair share of run in's with the AIA. Look."

Resolutely, he held out his arm and rolled up his sleeve, revealing an intricately desgned metal arm. It's various curves, made to imitate human muscles, glinted against the light of the room, various apparatuses implanted in the back of his hand.

"They can indeed be cruel... Those men." He muttered thoughtfully, before withdrawing the arm back under his sleeve, as if brushing an ancient memory away from his mind. Resolutely, his thoughts returned to the conversation.

"So, I still didn't catch your name." He asked, his lighthearted and friendly tone returning to his eyes once again.

"Alright, Tab, huh?" He said as he extended his arm for a handshake, internally smiling at the fact that he had unintentionally extended the one made of metal.

"Nice to meet you."