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Nine lives he had; -- No sooner had the whistle cut through that palpable silence that another sound echoed it; the arrival of the elevator onto the floor signaling Aiden's arrival. No sooner had that transpired that his hired guns came into view from their tactical vantages throughout the floor to converge on the area. Breathing a very noticeable sigh of relief; he had helped save Aiden as much as she had helped save him in those tense moments, since each had arrived rather unexpectedly to the den of thieves - as he would now refer to it. That great exhale of air bent him forward, half from exhaustion and half from relief before he straightened again, only to make short work of the distance between himself and his petite savior.

Breathing was still slightly laborer as he listened to her, the need for a good rest and a real meal showing in those moments - that veil of invincibility he put on dropping now that he was among his own. "You know me.. Always on the move." Chance offered a half smile before digesting the rest of what she'd said, head turning back from where he'd come from and then to the empty elevator. "Friend is a strong word.. And uh.. Sorry for disappearing on you like that and leaving you with that little she-devil." He gave no explaination as to the why he had done so, but straightened visibly with the pride of another successful escape.

A quick head count was given and with so few in his entourage it was plain to see that one was missing, and upon looking to the captain of the lot he was assured of the loss by a simple shake of the head. Chance had no outward appearance of being affected, that rat-like twitch of his survival instinct still prevalent beforw turning back to Aiden. "Well.. Now's as good a time as any to exchange notes. Your place or mine?" Once again that gallows humor of his used to deflect the severity of the situation, boyish smile further veiling his true emotions as he awaited an answer. With the floor segmented into four lavished rooms, falling back to one of the miniature homes would offer better protection and quiet place to talk.

As Aiden made up her mind, his left arm rose from his side to gesture toward her room; also parting the small crowd of his deminished entourage. When she had passed, Chance turned to follow, stopping only to offer a solemn nod and a reassuring pat on the shoulder of the captain of his guard. Slow strides carried him down the lengthy corridor of the luxurious floor, but he seemed as a ghost, unaware of his surroundings. It seemed the life of a politician, however short had dulled his sense of where he had come from, and being thrown into the crucible so unexpectedly was one hell of a wake up call.

He offered Aiden space to reach her room by passing close to his own, nudging the door open with his foot while dismantling the upper portion of his attire. That primal fury of his youth was swelling in his body, coarsing through his veins, and he wished dearly to strike out at anything - everything, but he contained it with the help of the cooling sensation of being free of the stuffy clothes; baring his still reddened flesh from the heat of the fire, as well as a plethora of tattoos.

Weapon was laid on the nearby dresser before he whipped those clothes to the ground and freed his feet from those shoes. Chance could almost feel the waves of lingering heat rolling off his exposed flesh as it touched the cool air. A brief glance at the bed had his body being pulled like gravity toward it, but he shook the sensation and exited his room and just down the hall to the open door of Aiden's room. Instead of barge in to a room that was rightfully hers, he reached out to knock on the already open door, managing a humorous peek around the door frame. "Hellooo?"

Chance gave a startled blink at the sudden exclamation from Aiden, and stumbled to make a smooth transition from the hallway into the room; bobbing back and forth in the tug of war of his shaken mind. Eventually he managed it, dawning that exposed flesh with scar tattered tattoos, coming as quite the contrast to the surroundings. Foot managed to nudge the door gently enough to close it quietly as he entered, making a b-line for the luxury chair just across from her; plopping down heavily - head falling with the action.

After a moment he stretched his large frame out to enjoy the simple pleasure of sitting after such a hectic night. Eyes leveled on hers with a rather non-descript look on his face from the question, as if contemplating it alone in the room. Then his arms rose from the padded rests of the chair before falling soundly back to them; smile now prevalent across his features. "Well.. We had a helluva fist date.. So.. Should I slip in for the goodnight kiss and chance rejection?" He feigned as if that's what were truly on his mind at the moment before he was betrayed by a sly grin which boiled over into a chuckle. "Don't feel pressure to discuss things you don't want to about tonight.. But you have to admit there's plenty to talk about. Like who masterminded this and why. This was no two-bit job.. Something big is at play here, and you know me - I won't be happy until I'm in on the action."

( Feels like we're playing post tag. Lol. Even if it says I'm not on I'm usually checking this page. Unless you're just busy, which I understand. Speaking of checking this page.. I have no idea what's going on in the other parts of the RP.. Which is actually pretty badass. Since if we meet up again I won't have to feign like I don't know things.. Epic. )

(Also, if you didn't already know, Skype is where most of the people in the rp get together and brainstorm. I know you post with your phone, so consider downloading the app.)

Chance, though tired, now maintained that cool demeanor of a business man, politician and cold blooded creature of instinct now that he was in the relative safety of the hotel and surrounded by his men. "That makes two of us not knowing one another. Maybe we should start if we can get around our unwilling nature to get close to others.. Especially people so.. Similar?" A ponderous look crossed his eyes as they shifted toward the ceiling as if wondering if he'd used the right word. Gaze lowered in time to see that smile playing on her lips disappear behind the mug she was sipping on.

As she approached him he maintained a rather plain look, until noting that intentional lack of eye contact with a subtle smirk, casting his own eyes down respectfully as she plucked the remote from the nearby table. Stare rose in time to see her getting the television prepared, but upon hearing her comment about Vossler his gaze dropped momentarily before giving an inward smile. Then attention was centered on Aiden and her take on the night's events, with special note given to the unfamiliar name. The rest of it filled in the gaps he had missed by being away from the party; one detail in particular ringing a bell.

"I think I saw your witch queen in the alley with her impeccably dressed boys.. But.. Uhm.." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, straightening himself a bit before settling back in before asking. "So you were burned.. Are you.. Alright?" Chance was obviously uncomfortable with the question, but he was trying to break down those ancient walls of self preservation in the hopes of making a friend, as opposed to an ally of convenience. No sooner had he asked however that he was questioned about some new murder, and he craned his neck to better view the television. "I try to keep my murdering of important people to one a night." His tone was a serious one, he just had a strange way of answering questions; deflecting the harsh reality of things. "But you gotta admit: it's soon to be a seller's market for plenty of things with tensions past boiling."

Chance eased into the grand chair like a weary king sitting atop his throne as he heard Aiden speakthose first words; she was still being cryptic.. A defense he knew well from himself - but in the nature of being mysterious there could be good.. Or bad. As she turned to face the horrific scenes from around the globe, he lowered his head and dimmed his eyes as if to converse with the fates about the swirling events. He was straddling a very thin line between politics and business, each of which could make him a leviathan in either - that was if he devoted his resources totally to one or the other.

About the time his head was spinning he heard the lithe frame of Aiden bounce onto the bed, breaking him from the insanity swamping his mind. Hazel eyes opened to the sight of her sprawled out on the pristine white sheets, the momentary unfocus giving the scene an angel haze before he refocused. Left hand rose to his chest, digits scratching idly at a spot just beneath one of his more meaningful tattoos; a crown just above his right pectoral while he listened contentedly to her answer. It seemed she had escaped the blaze without too much damage, and Chance was glad of it, but the smile creeping back to his lips came from her later comments of Thesaurum and the scare. "So-.." Word was cut off by a sudden hoarseness in his voice; subdued cough given to clear his voice before trying again.

"Heh.. Sorry about that. If it makes you feel any better I was just as close to shitting my pants." Eyes were drawn as if by some magnetism to her raised hand, remaining there until she lowered it. "Well.. I didn't see much with the bullets whizzing past my head.. But.." Head turned toward the closed door before raising his voice to one of his men outside. "Victor. Bring on the cognac and a fine cigar." Though this sounded the farthest from thing from help, he was trying to draw the captain of his guard to the room for a little talk.
It wasn't long before the man he'd patted on the shoulder earlier entered with a snifter and elegant container of the dark liquor; large cigar in tow. Chance gestured to close the door and soon the three were alone in the room - the bossman now with some fine things where the television remote used to be, and things to be discussed. "Alright, Vee. Tonight's fireworks kinda threw us under the political bus. So.. I need you to get word to everybody. I want all our contacts questioned about any new buzz, any whispered rumors - I want it all, and a bonus to any man who brings me something solid. I also want some expendables sent to the four corners reaching out to everything else - enemies, government agencies: everything. Secondly, this stirred up s**t storm is gonna raise our sales through the roof on everything. I need everyone from our lowest hustlers to our to our highest sellers, our pettiest thiefs to our best smugglers to kick it into high gear."

Chance paused after the long winded speech to turn to his luxury items, pouring the liquor into the snifter and lifting the cigar to his mouth to n** the tip of it before spatting it away. "I want all the information run through me and this beautiful young lady." He gestured with his cigar to Aiden, purposely leaving her name out to further insolate things. "And all the business reports run through me. Since I think such things would bore her." Turning his head back to Aiden with a sly smirk partially hidden behind the cigar now held between his teeth. Wooden matches were withdrawn from his pants pocket before being struck and tending the growing ember at the end of the far stick of tobacco. "Use our private contacts here to send the words and then you and the boys take the night off." Smoke poured from his mouth as he spoke, and soon Victor was away and the door closed again. There was a moment of silence in the room as he hoisted the small snifter to sip at it and ponder his decision. On a snap shot he had decided to split his bet and go for both, and as if to answer himself aloud he said. "Nothing ventured. Nothing gained, right?" Chance spoke of his political and business life, as well as his friendship with Aiden. Whethet it bloomed or wilted would only be shown in time. As for that moment though he felt at ease - good as he smoked and drank in preparation for what would be a comatose style sleep after Aiden kicked him out of her room.

She'd been wondering about Layla although Aiden rather cruelly had decided the girl had most likely played a victim that night. On top of that wonderful bed, which there was little distraction that would prevent her to enter into the depth of that dark pitt that was the livelihood of thoughts that in honesty were uncertain, Aiden had sunk. She turned away from Victor upon the man's passing the perimeter of the room. Rather, she stared out of the window, unfixing and fixing onto the Lucidus sky possessed by night surveillance and city at the moment and probably in the long future.

She turned again, rolling on her side and propping her head in her palm and then blindly observed Chance and Victor as if all her ability to cohere was gone. She spun the remote on the bed with her index. She stared at the brandy. A slight smile and a roll of the eyes was her response to Chance's little regard in her direction. Victor had stepped out and Aiden watched the door click behind.

What else was on her mind, and maybe more particularily was her little trip westward. Vossler, her sponser was dead and her trunk and it's very important contents had become an even trickier reach. That was that. She was ********.

"Right." She said. "Exactly right.... nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Then there was a knock on the door.

"Five bucks if that's your buddy out there. Come in."

The door swung open and Chance stood there cigar in hand and she could smell cigarettes.

"What do you think mother hen? Are we 'buddies'?" He asked.

Ceron rolled her eyes at the nickname. He gave it to her years ago for her efficiency to babysit clients. It wasn't her favorite but considering her abilities it was a compliment, her young demeanor years back had allowed her to be her client's shadow. But she was ready for a new line of work.

"Not if you keep giving me babysitting and eye candy jobs." Ceron retorted as she walked into the room.

The real Aiden was lounging on her bed and the arm chair Chance had just recently vacated still bore his imprint. Ceron took the other arm chair and sat herself in it, resting her arms on the arm rests. Ceron looked at Aiden a moment before speaking.

"I see you don't need babysitting," she said to her as Chance took his seat in the armchair opposite her.

"We are still awaiting word on the details of the death of the General and Prime Minister of Armatus and will update as more information comes to light." came the reporter's voice on the television.

Ceron whipped around in her chair and stared at the screen.

"Oh s**t."