Finally, his body found its rest. He had been pushing himself for the past week; taking the night watch shifts and hardly eating. Despite Varun being immortal, Nieko knew the guy was quick to tire and even harder to awaken when he fell into his comatose state. Arvin, the one with the medical condition, had to get extra care too. That left Nieko to pick up the pieces and really carry the weight. Arvin and Varun would never ask Nieko, nor did they need to. He knew his place. When Rroy wasn't around, he became Arvin's right hand man and did what the green haired male forgot about. He would hunt and he would keep a wary eye open at night. Now, a week and a few days later, he could finally let his tired body find peace.

His slumber was dreamless for his body was too withered to even create canvases to explore. It was probably a good thing for his sleep was sound and without any movement. He looked like a pencil as he lay there lifeless in that cot.

When the sun started to move to hide behind the horizon, Nieko's face showed signs of waking. First, his brows knit together before his lips pursed. Then, flutter by flutter, his lashes parted to reveal those jade colored orbs.

He moaned. Hand instinctively moving to his head, he traced over the tender spot. Although completely healed, it still pained him. It was now a dull ache rather than a sharp stab. The rest of his body felt decent. Sure, he had bruises but it was nothing serious. He had no broken ribs or bones, which was good. The bruises would heal in time. No, with energy.

Hands snaking back to his shoulders, he propped himself up. His chest was tight, it felt as if he had swallowed a pool full of water. A dry, raspy cough erupted from his lips before he flopped back against the cot.

"Oi," he draped his hand on his forehead, "I better not be getting a chill." He felt clammy. He needed warmth. Heat. A fire! Anything to warm his core and give him back the energy he needed to fight off whatever plagued him.

Again, he positioned his hands to prop himself up. This time, he was successful in propping himself up.

Confusion caused his brows to furrow. Just where the hell was he? He blinked at the cot he rested upon. The walls around him were dark, stony. Had he gone back to the Middle Ages? This hardly seemed civilized. Kyna boasted of high-tech hospitals. This was hardly high-tech. It looked rudimentary at best.

As his gaze flickered over everything, absorbing it all like a sponge, they finally jerked back to something he had missed before.

It was her! The woman on the rock. The one by the water!

But why? He twisted his head to the side. Did she save him? Was this her home? But what happened to the cut on his head? Did she tend to it?

Rather than playing twenty questions in his mind, he decided it was time to get some answers. Wincing, he pried himself from the cot. It took every ounce of strength within him not to drop to the floor. With concentration on the forefront of his face, he took steady steps to the woman who slept with her rump on the floor and back propped against the floor.

As he walked to her, he grabbed a pillow and then a blanket. "Silly woman," he whispered while gritting his teeth, "you shouldn't sleep as such." His butt slid down the wall so he now sat beside her. Gingerly, he pulled her head forward to slip the pillow behind her brown locks. Then, once her head was on something softer, he tugged the blanket over her body.

A small smile played on his face as he sat there beside her. He wasn't holding her; just sitting there right beside her. Their light contact was enough for him to pull heat from her. The energy he needed to wake up and get that fire within roaring.

"Beautiful girl, on top of the world. Don't fall down. Because an angel should never touch ground." His voice was soft, like a lullaby as he sung to her. "It's got to be a memory that feels so real but just beyond me. Mesmerized in you, I find what I had was unrealized... but emptiness settles in as I awake."

After Lydia had finished taking care of the visible wounds on the man, she left, dispersing the crowd with her. Eleanor had instructed others various tasks before she sat against the wall opposite the man's cot; not knowing what he would do once again, she had taken watch over the person she brought in. Nyx had brought a cup of water for her before wandering off again.

Shadows danced along the walls and cots in the room from the fire burning down the hall, though the heat didn't permeate through the walls to heat this particular room. We'll have to get a fire going in here once we know what this guy is up to, she told herself as she crossed her arms under her chest. She didn't want to risk this guy catching their makeshift infirmary on fire.

Eleanor hadn't even been aware that she had fallen asleep until she heard someone singing next to her, the back of her head no longer sore from the rock wall it rested on. Her breathing remained steady and even, trying to figure out what was going on in the room before she opened her eyes. The smell of ash filled her nose, along with a few other things, like salt and something else she couldn't quite place.

Her eyes slowly opened, dull olive eyes falling on the male. There was no look of surprise on her face, nothing that seemed to give away that she hadn't expected him to move; not that she had. "You should be in bed resting," she said in a flat tone as she pushed herself on the floor. Grabbing the pillow and blanket that she had started using at some point, she made her way towards an empty cot, returning them to their spot. "Get back in bed and I'll call Lydia to look you over again."

Without another word, she rested on the arch of the crudely dug out doorway. There was someone sitting just outside for their shadow could be seen wandering off to go get the person that the brunette spoke.

As she waited for the blonde to join them, she leaned against the wall, arms and legs crossed as she watched the male for a few moments. "So what were you doing this far in the woods?" She asked him, her tone not picking up from that same flat one she had given him earlier.

"Fine, fine," he grunted stiffly. Rising from the floor, he wobbled toward the cot he was previously assigned. Sitting on it, his eyes fell back on the woman who seemed unphased by his kind gestures. She seemed more interested on learning his story.

"It's funny," there was a wry smile on his face, "a week ago there was this huge explosion. And the papers? They never covered it. Not once. I looked everywhere for info on what happened but... nada. There are rumors that it was an abandoned facility but I know it a lie. I didn't travel here for nothing."

His hand hovered over his chest as he continued on. "I'm an explorer. I travel far and wide to see things no one else has. I've gone to the ends of the earth to behold the most magnificent performance of lights. I've traveled to arid deserts to learn what it's like to thirst for water. And I've also been to places so tropical I feel like I'm drowning. I've seen birds so bright you would think them fake. And I've run with wolves over the mountains as if I were a part of their pack!"

Nieko's arms fell to his side as he shrugged. "Guess you could call me an adventurer. I do all this because," he bashfully looked away, "I-I-I... I've always wanted to be an author. So I figured, if I explore places most others dare not go, I can get some interesting story started. I'll use my real experiences to create a tale unlike anything else."

A blush still clung to his cheek. "I, uh," he glanced at the floor, "I have a knack for finding the unusual. I decided I had to learn more about this explosion. You could call me a mystery lover. I have more detective novels than I do spices. So, I thought why not give it a try--the whole detective thing that is. I went to the facility but saw something shiny up on the mountain side." His brows furrowed. "Totally forgot about it and ended up checking out this cavern. It looked like someone was living there but I couldn't figure out who. I know why they left though. Looks like they were attacked." His face became grim. "I... I hope whoever they were made it out okay."

Thus far, everything he said came out genuine and sincere. He certainly seemed like he was telling the truth. And, in fact, he was. Only he left out some key things like traveling the galaxy and being an L5 Spectre. But this lady didn't need to know that. She was from a region that likely didn't know about Kyna and the UGF.

Rubbing his neck, he finally pulled his green orbs to her. "I was," he began to chuckle, "you'll like this. I was sleeping in there when a landslide happened. It's how I got all busted up. Next thing I know, I'm in some sewer and running for my life. I guess I lost track of time as... well, the next thing I remember was seeing you." He gave her a pleasant smile.

Hopping from the bed, he extended his hand to her. "My friends call me Hawk." Pulling his hand back, he twirled a strand of hair around it. His face flushed as his eyes flickered back to Eleanor's gaze. "I, uh, I think I owe you. You... you saved my life."

Hand falling from his hair, he bowed before the woman. "Whatever can I do to repay you for your hospitality?"

The man seemed more than willing to talk once he was back on the cot. Fortunately for Eleanor, her ability to mask her emotions was far greater than just about everyone else there, Nyx came to mind, she was horrible at hiding what she felt. This guy though, he somehow seemed to know about the explosion at the Facility, but why did he care about it?

Her eyes watched him as he spoke, undaunted and seemingly uncaring yet in her head, Eleanor was trying to run plan after plan depending on what this guy had to say. He was an explorer? Then what would he want with their little part of the world? As far as they knew, the Facility kept everything about what they were doing hush, hush. Which made sense, seeing as people were shocked to see some of those that had been tested on come out. She watched the man carefully, moistening her lower lip with her tongue before rolling her upper lip over it to moisten that one as well.

She rose a brow as the guy went on about why he traveled and did what he did. All to follow a dream. Eleanor let out a slow breath; a hint of envy and pity for the man was held in it. She peered out to the main room to see if Lydia was on her way back as the man continued.

How much did this guy know? If he had been to the warehouse, how much did he see? There couldn't have been much left anyway, between the police and the Facility there shouldn't have been much left. She pursed her lips slightly before saying, "A cavern? Near some facility? Seems odd for a city to have any of those things." As Lydia entered, Eleanor pushed herself off the wall and moved towards the man with her.

"This place isn't the greatest, if anyone died in this cavern, it was probably a better fate for them than what else they had waiting for them." Just saying those words stabbed the woman; if he was talking about inside the actual Facility, she would have done everything in her power to save those that really needed saving. She couldn't though, she knew that and knew it was foolish to even think she could have changed the outcome. Rather, she had to lead this man to think there was nothing special going on out there and get him to leave quickly.

Eleanor's eyes slowly closed as the guy talked about being in the warehouse when it went down. She was mentally cursing herself; she hadn't expected innocents to be there when the Diggers took it down. A sick feeling hit her gut at the thought of it; she wanted to ask if anyone else was there with him, but couldn't bring herself to do so. As he ended with saying the last thing he recalled was seeing her, she nodded, her eyes opening, locking on the male once again. "You should consider yourself lucky we were at the creek when you got there."

Lydia went to catch the male as he bounded up, but he was around her before she could grab him. Eleanor stared at the man's hand as he introduced himself; he didn't leave it extended for long before pulling it back and bowing, asking how he could repay their hospitality.

Eleanor watched the male before nodding to Lydia to move him back to the cot. "Let Lydia know what's wrong, she'll try to help patch you up," she said as she shot the woman a warning look. "Once you're healed, you can be on your way. If you want to avoid this happening again, you're better off getting as far away from this city as you can." She then slowly shook her head, "No story is worth risking your life for."

Nyx was walking through the corridor when she peeked into the room Eleanor had been in the last few hours; the man they had saved was awake and had a flushed look on his face as he played with his hair. Other than the fact the behavior seemed to be like a girl in front of her crush, Nyx was about to wave the man off as weird when her eyes landed on a solid mark that went across his face. There was no doubt that Eleanor probably thought it was something from whatever led him there.

The white haired woman nearly tripped midstep before catching herself. Noah was nearby and seemed to be trying to get over to her and once she was close enough, the woman grabbed her arm. "Noah, I need you to come outside with me," she hissed. A look of concern crossed the other's face as she said, "Why? What's wrong?"

The two started to get other people staring at them so Nyx quickly held her stomach, her brows furrowed together as she said, "I'm not feeling well, I just need some fresh air."

Noah leaned back, seeing Lydia she said, "Lydia's right there we can just-- Oof!" She was cut off by a quick elbow to her stomach and the look in Nyx's eye told her that wasn't why they were really going out there. "Right, fresh air," she said as she wrapped an arm around her friend's waist and led her outside.

Once out, they told the person watching the door that they would only be a few minutes, that Nyx wasn't feeling well and just needed some air. They didn't seem to question it.

As they made it further out, the two girls pulled away. "Fritz," Nyx whisper-spoke to no one in particular, repeating the name a few times.

"Nyx, I don't think he's going to hear you," Noah said, eyeing her friend. "And it hasn't been that long since you saw him, he should be fine."

Nyx shook her head saying, "No, that's not it. I have to tell him something important."

"No story is worth risking my life for?" He caught his laughter in his throat. "Uh, you do realize I'm a hopeless romantic at heart. Only the best of stories are worth dying for and, my dear, if this city is as... risky... as you say it is, then I think I found the perfect beginning for my story. I will figure out the truth and I'll make this novel of my expose whatever secrets this miserable place has to hide." His eyes locked with hers, holding a semi-taunting, teasing gaze in them. "Besides," his gaze fell and became softer, "didn't I tell you I ran with wolves? And was in a desert. You do know there are a ton of poisonous creatures out there. And I nearly froze to death in the north but I did it. So," he flicked his hands across his left shoulder, "I would like to think I don't scare to easily." His brows knit together. "Either that or I'm stubborn as fuck."

Poking his tongue out, his attention moved to the woman who would tend to his wounds. Slapping on a silly grin, he wasted no time in peeling his shirt off. Sure enough, beneath that black attire was a body like one would see in a Calvin Klein ad. Absolutely beautiful. Perhaps a bit shinier than usual but still rippling with muscles. His color, a lovely creamy-tan, looked good against the black that he wore so proudly.

Leaning to the side, he waved his hand at Lydia. "Yes, yes, I have nice abs but I'm afraid they aren't in need of attention. I have bruises all over my arms. I got pinned beneath a sheet of metal and some rocks. My arms took the brunt of the force. I figured my arms weren't as important as my head or legs. Need a head to think and legs to run. Arms," he wiggled them as if they were made of paper, "they're pretty much useless noodles."

Closing his eyes, he smiled up at at the nice woman. "And it seems you already took care of the head wound. Though I still have a wicked headache. Don't suppose you have Tylenol or something to take the edge off." He sneered. "Alcohol works fine too." He held a finger up as if he suspected Lydia would interrupt him. "Tck, tck, tck, I'm older than I look. I'm thirty one."

---

---

After the incident with the twins, Melik and Fritz spent more time on high alert. Granted, they were pretty much confined to the facility for they were still awaiting Nieko.

"You know," Melik looked over to Fritz, "maybe the twins saw the guy that mysterious dude killed?"

"Maybe?" His brows fell. "If that's the case, then perhaps Nieko's not coming."

"No, you're right in guessing he'll be coming. It's been over a week. He's got to show up sooner or later. Unless he had to drag Varun and Arvin. But I doubt that. They have to be near. Maybe we just need to expand our circle. I mean, maybe Nieko wouldn't come to the obvious place? He wouldn't want people to see him snooping?"

Fritz shrugged. The kid at a point.

That's when Melik slammed his fist into his palm. "I bet he went to the warehouse! Or," he pondered a second longer, "or maybe he's in the village. We never thought to interrogate the townsfolk. Nieko's pretty good at doing that so maybe he's trying to collect information."

He snapped his fingers. "Fritz, are you even lis--" A finger silenced his motor mouth.

"Shhh," Fritz's eyes narrowed as he turned his ear to the wind.

For perhaps a minute Melik waited in silence. Finally bored, he growled. "Okay so anyway, as I was sa--"

"I have to go," the teal haired man spun around. "Something up. Nyx is calling me. Wait here. I'll be back." Before Melik could argue, the taller male left.

"Oh sure, put me back on baby sitting duty. You know, watching his facility is getting old. I'm not going to wait around forever. You need to start bringing something to the table or I'm getting a divorce." He chuckled. "A divorce. Heh, I argue like a cranky woman." Turning, he dusted off the floor. "Well, if I'm the princess, I suppose I ought to clean while I wait."

His eyes moved to the exit. "Or maybe I should get dinner. It'll be food time soon!"

---

A weight suddenly pressed down on Nyx's shoulder. Although nothing was there, she definitely wasn't making things up. Then, with the swirling of the wind, came the face behind that downward force. Fritz's elbow was propped neatly on her shoulder as his eyes looked down at hers defiantly.

"And here I thought you were in trouble." Taking his arm off her shoulder, he stepped away from her so his back was pressed against the rocks. He was trying to hide as best he could in dusk's fading light. "Better not become the girl who cried wolf," he teased lightly before gracing her with one of his smiles.

It had been just over a week since he had last seen her. It was nice to know she still knew his name, though he wasn't sure why he was concerned with something as frivolous as that. Still, a part of him wanted to rush forward and sweep her up into his arms. Since Eleanor made it clear he wasn't allowed to visit--and Nyx was never alone anymore--he found it hard to sneak in visits. Not that he had done so before. He wanted to but the timing was always wrong.

Before she could speak, his finger poked her square in the nose. "Why don't you start by telling me how you are?" Pulling his finger away, he slipped on a shy smile. "I might have been semi worried about the state of things here and with Eleanor's new law, I'm afraid I can't sneak into this territory as freely as I would like."

If anyone lingered in the area or dared to follow Nyx, they would only see Nyx and Noah standing outside. Unbeknownst to the girls, Fritz was creating a field around himself that would keep him hidden from unwanted stalkers. This wouldn't last long but he knew the risk Nyx was taking calling him here.

Eleanor's eyes hardened as soon as the man, Hawk, started to push back against her telling him to leave. She wasn't lost to the look in his eyes, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he was pushing it with her, not yet, not after the show that went down a week prior and what happened the night before.

Lydia was silent during all this, feeling the heat of the woman's gaze on her back was enough to keep any sort of word from coming out as the man peeled off his shirt to show off a great deal of bruises that littered his skin.

Eleanor's eyes didn't even so much as flinch to the male's now exposed torso as she fought to warn him off again. "Wolves and desert creatures are probably a bit safer than what you'll find out here," she said, her tone coming out almost like a hiss at this point. She crossed her arms under her chest once again, her weight shifting to one side. Her eyes flicked to Lydia instead as she said, "Once your tended, go chase your story, but you won't find shelter here."

Lydia stood sharply, her face a bright red, her blue eyes showing off an irritated look at the man's waving to her and telling her where the bruises were. As he spoke of wanting Tylenol or Alcohol, she muttered something about needing to gather some supplies before she made her way out of the room again.

Once the blonde was gone, Eleanor hooked a cot with her foot and pulled it so she could sit in front of the male. "You certainly ask a lot for a person bumming off a bunch of runaways," she said bluntly as she said down, her legs crossed. "We can't afford to take on another mouth long term. Story or not, you leave once you're healed."

Though, even Eleanor knew that it would take a little while for the man to be fully healed. They couldn't have Lydia simply whip the man back into tip top shape, that would only encourage him to stay longer. They would have to be more discrete about it, which unfortunately prolonged his stay.

---

Just as Noah was getting ready to call their little 'breath of fresh air' off, Nyx froze, her gaze turning to the side though no one was there. Her brows knit together for a moment before the teal haired man revealed himself. As he stepped away from her, telling her not to be the girl that cried wolf, whatever that meant, the white haired woman threw herself at the man, wrapping her arms around him as much as she could. "Mmm, I missed you," she said into his chest.

She smiled at him as he asked about how she was doing and about how he might have been worried. "We're doing good," she said, her voice brimming with excitement. "Well, I guess ok. After the twins got attacked, no one is allowed out alone and patrol groups are bigger and there's more of them out at a time."

Her fingers gripped the hem of the man's shirt as she just stared up at him for a few moments before asking, "How have you and Melik been doing?"

Noah just smirked, rolling her eyes at the two. "Didn't you say you had something important to tell Fritz?" She asked before the man could say how they had been.

As if having totally forgotten about the situation, Nyx's eyes widened as she slapped herself on the cheeks with both hands. "Right, that's right focus on the mission Nyx, not on the hot guy."

As her eyes returned to the man, they seemed kinda worried. "It's your friend," she said, not sure just how she should take his sudden appearance. "He won't hurt anyone, right?" Slowly realizing he probably had no idea what she was saying the woman drew a line over her face as she said, "The one with the black mark you were telling me about. He collapsed on Eleanor yesterday when she went with me to get water."

She rubbed the back of her neck nervously as she paced slightly. "I remember you said he could be bad." Looking back at Fritz she added, "I don't want him to hurt anyone." Her gaze slowly trailed through the trees as though she were recalling something; brows knitting slightly she said, "Well, he was with Eleanor, but he was blushing and playing with his hair though. That was a little weird for someone that could kill everyone."

"I get it," his face looked sad, "you don't trust me. I won't trust me either. I'm a stranger from another country who's looking to make a name for himself. But I can assure you, I can do more than hike and write. I'm really good at building fires. I'm quite handy too. I couldn't help but notice your structures are a bit jagged. Give me a hammer and brush and I could polish these walls down so they're as smooth as the sand on a beach."

He sucked in a breath of air and held it for a bit. "But, if rules are rules, I can follow them. I don't want to deplete your supplies. But please," he moved off his cot to join Eleanor. He took her hands into his own, even as reluctant as they were. "Let me help. I don't want you putting your resources into me without some form of payment. I, I have money. I could go into the town and buy some supplies for you. Medicine, herbs, spices--you name it." There was a hopeful spark in those lush green orbs. He really wanted to help that much was obvious.

"Please," his eyes began to quiver, growing larger and more puppy-like with each passing second. "I'll do anything for your approval and love. Mainly your hand in marriage."

When did he start nuzzling her hand? He wasn't sure be he liked the feel of it against his cheek.

Cheek?!

Zipping back to his cot, he whistled awkwardly while trying to avoid eye contact with the woman. "So, uh," he stumbled over his words, "does your boy-- are you... uh."

A long, heavy breath pulled his lips apart.

Get it together, Nieko. She's just a woman. A glorious, beautiful, perfect, attractive, I need to kiss her now woman.

He was staring. Oh was he staring. He felt his eye twitch, which caused him to jerk his attention off her lips and onto the... the cot! Yes, he would look at the c...her legs were nice.

"You're gorgeous," blurted from his mouth. "Uh, I mean you have a... nice... hips. Er, posture?"

Beads of sweat began to grown beneath his hairline. Oh that was smooth.

---

"I missed you too."

WHOA! A siren was going off in his mind. Why the devil would he say something like that. Oh would that just feed the fire that grew within Nyx's heart. Any second now, she would be getting down on one knee and asking him to marry her.

I would probably say yes, he thought to himself. Blinking, his brows furrowed. Wait, did I really just think that.

That's when he shook his head lightly to listen to what the woman was saying. "Yeah, I figured. Makes sense." Keep cool, he told himself. If a week apart from her was causing him to ask like this, he feared what a lifetime apart would do.

Thankfully, Noah's face moved into his view and completely erased the romantic thoughts from his mind. He tilted his head to the side. So there was a reason they had called him here.

Eyes slipping to Nyx, he waited and listened. The hot guy. Who was she talking about. Me? He felt his cheeks burn. She was definitely referring to him again.

"Which friend?" He didn't have to ask for she covered that in the next second. "Oh, Nieko?" Upon hearing that Nieko collapsed, the taller individual's expression changed. He seemed worried.

"What happened to him?" No, now wasn't the time to ask about Nieko. He had to calm Nyx's nerves. She seemed apprehensive. No, fearful? She was a swirl of emotions. He was a swirl of emotions too.

Placing his hands on her shoulders, he jerked the woman back into his embrace.

"Stop worrying," he whispered gently to her. "If he wanted to kill you all, you would already be dead. Nieko's the cautious type. He'll look over all the angles. He probably already knows your secrets. He's not the right hand man of the boss without a reason. He's good at doing his job. Let things play out. And feel free to let him know you're onto his secret. He'll deny it. He's a master when it comes to deep covers. He'll be hard to crack."

Releasing her, he turned his gaze to Noah. "He's weak to water. Fire is what makes him strong. If you can convince Eleanor to let him stay, nothing will ever get into that cave. It'll also be a lot warmer. Heh, probably cleaner too. Nieko's... different." His cyan gaze moved to Nyx, who he went back to holding at some point. When though, he wasn't sure.

"But he's a good guy. The fact that he found you and didn't cross our paths means he was following a clue. Unfortunately, if he was following breadcrumbs, that means the hunters could follow them too. I'll see if I can double back and hide any tracks. If you found him by the water, I'm guessing he came the same way I did."

This time, he actually let go of Nyx before turned and walking away from the girls. "I can't stay much longer. Afraid it's hard to keep a force around me and think straight. I'll try to come back in the early morning. See if you two can duck out for a few minutes. I'll be curious to know his situation and how his cover is going."

His body start to fade. "Oh, he probably won't use his full name. Call him Black Hawk. It's his code name. Let him know Cool Breeze and Sandman are still scoping out the facility." Flicking a two figure salute off his head, he vanished into the wind.

"Sweet dreams," he cooed before the breeze carried his scent away.

Good, Eleanor thought. At least he was getting how much of a strain he put on the group. Though, that didn't stop the man from trying to be of use while he was still there at least. While she had people that could make fires, if he did it instead, it would probably be a bit easier than trying to keep everyone under wraps, though more than likely Sabine had spread to keep everything low key and stay hidden for the most part.

"The walls are fine," Eleanor said smoothly as she watched the man. "It's a natural structure, it's not like we have the capability to do anything in here anyway. But fires could be helpful, give those that know how to start them a break from tending them."

It was his next offer that jarred the woman though. Her eyes broke from the begging orbs that locked onto hers as he spoke about going into the city to buy supplies. She had to take in a slow, deep breath to keep herself from simply accepting under those terms. Yeah, they had food, they had meat stored in the deeper cave rooms, nicely frozen over, they also had fruit but they had left most of their cots, blankets, spare clothing and everything else in the warehouse. Granted, they had gotten a good amount back, found in the woods somehow, but even then, it was foolish to turn away supplies.

The begging of the word 'please', rang out to the woman, clear as a bell. Her eyes locked on the male and she had to practically glare at the male to keep her from falling for the begging; he was like one of the twins and the woman had a hard enough time telling them 'no'. Granted, his next couple sentences took the forced glare and made it a reality.

He wanted what? The next thing she knew, the man was rubbing his cheek against her hand. She quickly pulled it back, a scowl on her face as the man returned to his own cot. It was then he wouldn't look at her anymore, which was good because if looks could kill, she would have shot him a glare that would have stopped his heart as soon as he caught it.

Tired of hearing what he had to say, Eleanor stood ubruptly, the cot scrapping angrily against the cave floor. She shook her head, "Clearly you live in a world of fantasy if you think romance is a real thing." She then moved towards the door as Lydia was making her way in with a wood cup filled with water and various herbs.

Though she could feel the tension in the room, she ignored it as she held the cup out towards the man; she didn't want to encourage whatever was going on.

---

"Romance is real," he chided with a pout. As Eleanor exited, Lydia returned. "Is she always like this?" He took the tea and nodded to Lydia. He didn't even wait for it to cool; drinking it in its boiling state. It was flawless and just what his body needed. With a pleased 'ah,' he smiled.

"Thank you, that was delicious."

Setting the cup down, his brows knit together. "Seriously, though. What's her issue. She has a pole up her ass. I'm just trying to help. You're helping me, why can't I return the favor? And so what if I tried to get her to marry me without actually learning her name. It just kind of happened. I meant nothing by it. Oh who am I kidding!" He took Lydia's hands in his own. "She's perfection. I need to learn everything I can about her. She will be mine. One day, I will marry her and we will have children. They'll have her soft lips and my hair." He leaned into Lydia. "I do have nicer hair. I use only the finest of conditioners. I also groom myself three times a day."

Pulling away, he happily grinned at the woman. "So what can you tell me about the boss lady. Is she seeing anyone. Does she have a boyfriend? A..." his face went pale. "A... a girlfriend?" He snaked his hands down his still nude torso. "I kinda look girly if I wear blush and do my eyes and lips. But I'm afraid there are just somethings I can't part with." He glanced at his crotch before smirking.

Off the cot he went and this time to fetch his shirt. Pulling it on, he moved back to Lydia before letting out a sigh. "Do I even stand a chance with her? Like I'm sure she has her hands full but she needs to take some time doing things she likes. Does she like going on walks? I know she won't want to leave here, but a visit to the town to get supplies would be nice. Or maybe I could follow her around when she does row call and then we could have some tea. Does she like tea? I make a mean green tea! It'll knock her socks off." His brows wrinkled. "Does she even wear socks. Do you need more clothing? I could go get some at the nearby village. I have quite a bit of money. It's the least I could do. I could just do some modeling and earn it all back. With looks like mine, people practically throw money at me."

Rising, he moved to the door and peered out it.

"Hello," he waved to the people sitting in the area. He saw someone attempting to sew and noted the angle of the needle was all wrong. "Oi, that's not going to work." Regardless of whatever warnings he received from Lydia, he moved to the woman's side. "May I?" He took the needle and in no time made quick work of the hole in the pants. "Good as new," he proclaimed.

Another, a child across the way, bashfully looked away. Noting her wiggling toes, Nieko turned to the woman at his side. "Might of I borrow that?" Taking from the pile of scraps, he feverishly sewed a pair of socks out of the mismatched material. "For you, princess." He bowed before presenting the girl with the socks.

Stepping away, he rubbed his neck while gazing over everyone's face. They looked so broken. Like they hadn't had fun in ages.

"We should play a game," he retorted. "Ever play Simon Says? It's really easy. Whenever I say, 'Simon Says,' you do whatever I say. But if you move when I don't say it, then you lose. It's easy. Anyone can play too!"

As his arms wrapped around her, Nyx felt everything just settle and calm all on its own. As he told her to stop worrying, she could just feel the emotion slowly fade away the more the man's voice rumbled against her. She was surprised to think that Nieko already knew about them, from what she had seen so far, he didn't seem to have a clue; one minute he was passed out and the next time she saw him he looked like a blushing girl. She only hoped that he was right when he said if he meant to do harm, he would have already. The warmth that wrapped around her slowly fell away as he kept talking.

Noah nodded at what Fritz was telling her then teasingly said, "So, he gets out of control, will just throw Nyx at him." She rolled her eyes slightly, wanting to laugh at the two as the man was holding said woman once again. Seriously, Eleanor wanted this guy dead more than likely, yet here he was making passes at her right hand person. It was almost laughable, they were fools, but clearly they were fools that were meant to be together if they were willing to risk it that much.

The idea of more hunters following Nieko worried Nyx. "Eleanor won't like it if that's the case, she'll kick him out too, if she hasn't done so already," she said looking up at him. She hoped that wasn't the case though, if he was nearby, at least it would keep them safer and both girls liked the idea of keeping at least one of these guys around.

As he started leaving, Noah nodded, trying to figure out how they could manage to sneak out again; maybe try to take an early shift or something. She shot a look to the white haired woman when he started talking about names, she would leave that up to her, she was the one they would least likely question when it came to this sort of thing.

Once Fritz was fully gone Nyx complained into the vast emptiness, "I didn't get a good bye kiss!"

---

Lydia slowly watched the man as he took the cup from her. He was definitely an interesting one; she had nearly burned her hand on the cup bringing it over so the fact he wasn't in any pain after drinking it like that was truly something.

She collected the cup after he set it down, her cool eyes resting on him as he spoke about the brunette. "Eleanor keeps to herself," she said, her tone quiet, though not quite a whisper. "It's best to not joke around with her." As he took her hands in his, the cup neatly tucked under her arm, she rose a brow at the guy. She shook her head slowly at what she heard next. "You're better off trying to whoo someone else, you're not going to get anywhere with her, regards to how nice of hair you have."

When he started asking questions about Eleanor, the woman let out a short bark of a laugh. "Eleanor, seeing someone?" She rolled her eyes before her tone came out short and serious, "We don't have time to worry about relationships out here. We aren't free to do whatever we please. Eleanor knows this most of all and sacrifices more than anyone else here to make sure everyone is safe."

As he went to get his shirt, the woman returned the cup to her hand, moving a bit closer to the door. "You don't want to get your heart broken, give up on her. That's the advice you're going to get from me." The woman then paused, as though she were thinking more into what he was asking. If this guy was willing to do just about anything to win their leader over, perhaps she could take advantage of that. She looked from the cup back to the male before saying, "Eleanor won't turn down supplies, ever. It's hard to say if she would personally go into town, but if you managed to get someone to side with you, it could help." Her eyes narrowed at the man, clearly she was thinking of something. "You help me make sure she gets enough rest and I'll make sure she goes into town for supplies with you."

Then, like that the man wandered away. She was quick on his tail, but when she saw what she was doing found no real reason to chase after him. She settled toward the outer ring of logs that had been brought in to sit on near the fire and just watched.

Just as he was offering up a game, a voice came yelling down the tunnel. "Wait, wait! Nyx needs to borrow!" The white haired woman announced as she looped her arm around the brunette's, pulling him back into the room.

That. That was who this guy reminded Lydia of. With an exhausted sigh, the made her way back to where the water was kept to clean and return the cup.

Once back in the room where Nieko just was, Nyx pushed him back a bit, her hands panted on her knees, a finger held up towards him. "Why. Why run?" She questioned herself as she shook her lowered head, falling silent for a few moments. The room seemed to become densely humid for a few moments, the feeling fading as soon as the woman regained her composure.

"Niek-," she started to say, but stopping herself short and pained look on her face. Searching her memory banks she started mumbling, "What did he say to call him again?" But she soon came up with nothing, so instead she confidently planted her hand on her hips before saying, "Cool Man and Sand Breeze are scoping out the Facility!" Her eyes drifted off, her face showing the confusion that seemed to plague her.

"Nooo, that's not right either," she muttered, resting her chin on her hand. "Was it Cool Sand and Man Breeze?"

Giving up she then pointed a finger at the brunette saying, "I'm on to you mister."

Just as he was about to start the game, he was getting dragged back into the room he had just left. He managed to give the woman a disapproving glare before she made a comment about him leaving. Cocking a brow, he looked around the room. Uh, last he checked, he wasn't running anywhere. She brought him in here, he wasn't about to up and leave without at least learning what was so important.

Niek, he definitely caught that but his poker face was impossible to crack. Even with the mix-up of the names, Nieko didn't smirk. Why, he didn't even flinch. Instead, he just blinked at the woman.

"Cool Man?" He tapped his lip. "Do you mean the Kool Aid Man? And it's Sea Breeze. Not sand breeze. It's a theme park in New York State." He shrugged his shoulders. "Why bring that up? We're no where near that area. And why would the Kool Aid Man be looking at a facility? Last I heard, he wasn't getting enough air time on tv."

Inwardly, he was grinning. It was nice to know that Man Breeze and Cool Sand were okay. And it was even better that they were at the facility. He never had a chance to check it out so at least someone was getting in there. Granted, he hoped they had already been frequenting there back a week ago. If they weren't, odds were most of the evidence would be long gone and that just wouldn't do.

Shaking his head, Nieko rubbed his nose before laughing. "You're cute." Her finger pointed at him, accusing him of something. "You should be on to me." His hand slipped down his chest. "And by on to me, I mean I should be on you."

A coy grin slipped onto his face. Then, without warning, he reversed the roles. Nyx's back was pinned up against the wall and he was towering over her. Slowly, oh so slowly, he brought those dangerous lips to hers.

"Mind if I..." his voice was a purr, "kiss you?"

Going in for the kill, his lips brushed past hers and nipped lightly at her ears. "When you see him next, let him know that the IBI was compromised. There was a mole within. Arvin and Varun have all the case files. I'm doing the ground work."

His lips collided with her cheek. "No?" He flitted his lashes. "That's okay," he snapped his hands to his face and looked over them as if he were going to file them down. "I'm interested in Eleanor. Wouldn't want to waste my time on you." His fingers walked across her collar bone. "I see someone--Man Breeze--has you wrapped around his pinkie. Wouldn't want to interfere with that."

Twirling around, Nieko winked at the girl from over his shoulder. "If you want to know more about Cool Breeze, just let me know. We'll keep this our little secret."

Stepping back to her, he looped an arm around her neck. "In fact, you'll be my secret agent. I'll pass you messages to give to you-know-who and then you'll tell me whatever he offers back." His finger danced before his lips. Another wink followed. "It'll be our little game. And," he jerked Nyx closer, "to make sure I don't get found out, we're going to call me Hawk. Got it." Nieko was certain to make sure everything he shared with Nyx was something only her ears to hear. For the most part, everything he had just said was hardly above a whisper.

Before he left the room, he smacked Nyx lightly on the butt. Flicking a hand through his hair, he moved back into the main room.

"So my dear friend," he slid his eyes to Nyx, "Nyx, told me it's been a while since everyone's done something fun. Now Simon Says is fun but it's not really something everyone will enjoy. So, how about we have a little bonfire and with silly stories and laughter all around." He wiggled his finger at Nyx, calling her out. "We'll decorate this area and after dinner we'll all come together to celebrate."

Based on the way everyone gawked at him, Nieko realized these people needed some motivating. When was the last time they really had fun?

"Eleanor tells me you're not free. You want to know why? Because you don't let your hearts sing! Merriment is the key to happiness. So tonight, we'll sing, dance, and love life to the fullest. We've all got our demons and secrets. Don't let them hold you back. Embrace your differences and find joy in them. The dark is only dark when you refuse to open your eyes to find the light."

Clasping his hands together, he flashed everyone a very cheeky grin. "So shoo, shoo. Miss Nyx and I have some work to do. Why doesn't you all tidy up the beds and make a list of supplies we need. In exchange for your hospitality, I promised Eleanor I would go to the village and get more supplies. Why, I'll even get some cakes! And more fabric," he shook his head, "because princesses need to be in frills and fancy dresses--not jumpsuits with numbers. How are you supposed to be free if you still cling to what was given to you after all else was lost?"

Turning to Nyx, he nodded firmly. "We'll take care of everything. You'll see. Everything will be okay. Just you need to believe!"

As the man started trying to correct the names she gave to him, she shook her head. "No, that's not it either," she said tapping her foot on the ground. She then groaned, pointing at him, "Oooh, don't you dare try to distract me." Though the threat was far from intimidating.

As he started making comments about her, the woman's face fell; she eyed the man up and down in a 'you're not really coming on to me' manner. Before she could respond to what he was saying, her back was against the wall. "What?" She questioned, trying to push against the male. "Ew no," was all she managed to get out before he moved again.

Her breath was held as he spoke to her again, she could feel a knot welling up in her throat. She could feel the tears pressing against her water line, falling but catching mid air. She shot the man a glare, which given the woman's usual nature, it was actually pretty dark. As she let the breath out, it was shaking, a swirl of emotions ran through her as she stared those heat filled eyes at the brunette.

She lowered her chin, not saying anything as she willed herself to calm down. He was Rroy's right hand though; there was no way someone that close to someone so mean looking could be a good person. Her chin quivered as he told her she was going to help him. No. Not after what he did. She didn't get how Fritz thought he was such a good person; from his words he knew what she thought of him. She didn't know how, but he did and yet he did that anyway.

She jumped as he smacked her butt, leaving to return to what he was doing. As soon as he was out of the room, the humidity in the air started to thicken again and if anyone were watching the water in the barrels, they would see they were emptying rather quickly.

He seemed so adamant on her helping him, the glare on her face not deterring him in the least. He talked about everyone having fun, singing and dancing. While any other day, Nyx would readily agree, not with this man, not when hunters could be on them any time. Everyone seemed to like the idea of a break though and were soon scurrying about as the man's simple gesture.

As his attention returned to her, saying they'll take care of everything, she smiled, though it wasn't her usual overly happy smile. "Will it?" She asked as she pointed to the cave ceiling above the male. "Because, I think you have a leak to take care of first." On that command a shower of water started falling on the male and she walked up to him.

Looking up at him she hissed, "An eye for an eye. I'll make sure you never end up with Eleanor, Nieko." She then eyed the water that just seemed to continue to fall, a puddle not even forming around his feet though the rock below him was wet. "Hmm, looks serious. I hear water is bad for you. You might want to fix that soon."

She then walked around him, Noah quick to her side as they vanished off towards where the tunnel to the warehouse used to be. Noah's eyes were wide as she looked at the other woman. "What happened?" She asked petting her friend's hair as the two sat on the ground. "Fritz said he was going to help us." Nyx shook her head, the tears coming back once again as she cried onto her friend's shoulder.

"He doesn't care," she cried, her voice thick from the tears. "He doesn't care about us at all. He'll go after everyone here and yet say he wants Eleanor. He doesn't care what we think or how we feel."

Noah's hair had gone a deep blue and if Eleanor hadn't gone to take the door shift, more than likely would have found them, the stream of water in the main hall giving away who did it. "What'd he do?" The woman cooed, pulling the woman closer.

The water woman sniffled, trying to calm enough to say, "He-he-he kissed me and bit my ear." There was a pause as a sob ripped through the woman's throat. "He hit my butt too. How am I supposed to face Fritz after he did that?"

Letting out a slow sigh, the woman had nothing she could combat that with. She didn't really have the right for up until she was caught she was not only trying to find the boy that gave her some silly plastic ring, but was doing all she could to make sure he was the 'first in a long line of firsts'. It was silly how things like that ripped at a girl's heart so much, but she couldn't tell her friend it was silly or stupid.

He returned to Melik at the same the redhead had returned with food. His scorn eyes slid to the bubbly redhead. "I thought I told you to stay put."

"I did and then I got bored. I thought I could get us some food. Don't worry," he shooed the man into their shelter and followed on in after him, "no one saw me. Also noticed that Nieko wasn't anywhere to be found. Do you think he'll come by here?" He didn't need to question further for Fritz was shaking his head no. "Ah, so your girlfriend wanted to let you know that Nieko arrived." He smirked. "I'm beginning to like this girlfriend of yours. I think we can trust her. I just hope she doesn't blow Nieko's cover."

Fritz tried not to blush but failed miserably. "Sh-sh-e-she's no--"

"Not your girlfriend. Yeah, you can spew that nonsense all you want. I see the way you get when she summons you. You also get all mopey when I run into her." He took Fritz's lithe form between his hands. "You'll learn to not run from this feeling. It's about damn time you found someone." A frown crawled on to his face. "Well, since we all lost Aleu." He rolled his eyes up to meet Fritz's cyan pair. "But just think, you don't have to worry about Rroy stealing the girl this time. I hope!" He winked before nudging him slightly. "So cheer up. It's not that bad a thing. Just takes time. You'll get used to it and realize you're been missing out on one of life's most precious things."

The curved brow above Fritz's eyes caused Melik to giggle. "Love, silly." Taking a seat on the floor, he handed a bowl of berries to Fritz. Mixed in them were nuts and herbs. It wasn't Fritz's favorite meal--hell, even Melik hated it--but they just didn't have time to hunt meat. "I'll see if I can get us some eggs tomorrow." He offered his partner a reassuring smile. "So why don't you tell me what happened?"

"There's not much to tell. Nyx said that Nieko arrived. She was worried about him, but it sounds like the guy's smitten."

"Smitten? Nieko, ha! Sounds just like him. Lemme guess, Eleanor?"

"Sounds that way."

"Yup, he's got a type. He's always going after the moody leader. First Rroy and now Eleanor. Oi, Eleanor's going to have her hands full. But at least Nieko can help them out. We might have been ousted but Nieko's great at being undercover. I bet they won't even know he's one of us."

"Noah and Nyx know. Just hope they can keep it a secret."

"You told your girlfriend... she's like the queen of accidentally sharing secrets."

"I think my girlfriend knows this is important. If she wants to be safe, she'll keep her lips zipped.

"You said girlfriend."

"You said it first." Fritz looked smug as hell, and this pleased Melik. "What?" He rolled his eyes before rolling a lip at the meal before him.

"You'll come to appreciate what you found. That's all. Now let's eat. We've got our work cut out for us tomorrow. If Nieko made it to them without getting detected, who else could slip by. We really don't want the real hunters to get there."

"Or worse, the aliens."

---

---

With the crowd dispersing happily, Nieko's grin widened. And then it took a sharp turn down. There was so much water. How was there this much water? It didn't make sense. Unless!

"You're the Duine?" His eyes were wide with disbelief. He had hoped he would happen upon them but he had no idea that Eleanor and this rag-tag team were indeed the Duine he sought. "Oh bless the council!" He dropped to his knees and splashed lightly in the water. Though his skin rejected it, the happiness within his chest kept him energized and unphased by the water. "I feared you were the Ver--" She had wandered off.

Blinking, he shoved his pinkie into his ear. "I think I'm missing something," he said when he pulled it out. With a heavy sigh, his jade orbs fell on the ceaseless water that was definitely beginning to cause some alarm.

"Eye for an eye," he recited aloud. Why was she telling him that? He blinked a few more times before deciding to follow the girls. With his back pressed against the wall, he overheard everything. Instantly, regret flooded him.

"Uh," he rounded the corner, "Nyx." His crestfallen expression spoke where his words failed. His gaze shifted to the floor. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't realize," he rubbed his neck.

Flopping down to the floor, he rolled his sorrowful gaze to the woman. "Listen, I know you like Fritz. I wouldn't do anything to complicate your already complex situation." He tilted his head out and looked at Noah. "He's asexual so that alone is going to be an obstacle to tackle." His attention fell back on Nyx. "But hey, if anyone can make him accept love, it would be you, little miss."

Crossing his legs beneath him, he plopped his chin on his palm. "Truth is, I didn't care. I wasn't here to save you. I came here with orders of revenge. But, after learning that the I-B-I was involved and compromised, things have changed. I'm a Spectre. It's my sworn oath to discover the truth and prevent unnecessary losses. So yeah, at first, I didn't care. But after learning about what happened--how you were wrongly experimented on, I had to change gears. Avenging Aleu isn't going to bring her back. But freeing you and giving you hope, that will. I swear to you, to all of you, that we'll fix this. This isn't a burden you have to bear alone. You have friends. We're here to help."

Rising, he moved toward the doorway. "You just have to accept it. Until then, we'll do what we can. But we'll never move forward if someone keeps lingering in the lonely past."

He stepped back out into the main room. It was still wet in there and he could feel his nose getting runny. A sneeze soon echoed about the enclosed area.

"Okay," he sniffed, "fresh air first. Then I'll decorate."

Moving toward the exit, he was pleased to find Eleanor propped up against a wall. "Oh," he bashfully pulled his gaze away, "will you be joining us tonight? I couldn't help but notice the ghosts in your friend's eyes. I suggested we have a little party. Nothing too fancy, but something to get their spirits up. You'll find it's easy to win back your freedom when everyone's happy."

Taking in a deep breath of dry air, he offered Eleanor one of his smirks. "Well, if you don't want to join us, I'll be sure to save at least one dance for you, my lady. You deserve a break from time to time too."

If she had nothing to say, he would wander back into the main room and begin decorating. Of course, he would look for a mask first.

Noah sat there, rocking back and forth slightly as Nyx's torrent of tears slow stopped. Fortunately for the blonde, those tears were gone as soon as they appeared. When she saw the drenched brunette round the corner, she shot him an alarmed look, trying to shake her head, to tell him to go away, but clearly he wasn't catching the hint.

Of course, the sound of her name snapped the white haired woman from her torment and she was quick to shoot a glare at the man. Though it wasn't intended, the woman pulled the water that beaded across the male's skin and soaked his shirt and she cursed herself for not being able to control when her body needed more water.

"Well, thanks to you, that might not happen," she growled at him. "Usually it's better to think before you act, something Eleanor prefers. Fortunately for me, it looks like you'll be the demise of a relationship you'll never get off the ground."

The man seemed to not care all too much to what she was saying, which also had to do with the fact that it came out muffled as Noah tightened her grip on the woman's head causing her to speak more into her shirt than anything. The blonde woman lowered her head though before saying, "You best not say any of that near Eleanor. It was that very thing that got Fritz and Melik kicked out." She shook her head slowly, wanting to say more but knowing the woman outside wouldn't want it. Lifting her head as the man started talking again, she watched as he started walking out.

After a few more minutes, until Noah knew Nyx had calmed down she sighed and released her friend. "Got stop your water stream," she said, though from the giggles in the main room, some of the kids were enjoying the surprise. "Eleanor will be furious if she finds out about this."

Begrudgingly, the woman nodded before going into the main hall to stop it. When it did, not only was it met with the sound of the disappointed kids but the water returned to the woman's body. While the re-hydration was nice, she knew she was going to have to get more water the next day.

---

The sudden voice beside her caused Eleanor to roll her eyes to the side to see the brunette male. "You have sharper eyes than most," she commented knowing that asking about why Lydia wasn't seeing to him would have been pointless.

As he talked about the party, the woman rose a brow. Seemed to not be the brightest thing to do. "You asked to help and a party isn't going to do it," she told him flatly. There was far too much at risk to have so many distracted at this point. Anyone could waltz right in if they weren't careful and Eleanor had the daunting feeling that this one was definitely not one they wanted in their door. The thing that triggered that was what he said next, though he seemed to follow up with saving a dance for her if she didn't want to join them.

"Win back our freedom?" She questioned, rolling onto one shoulder, her arms crossed. "Please, do tell me what you mean by that." The look in her eyes spelling out all the distrust she had for this man as was needed at that point.

He was absolutely flattered at her comment. She thought he had sharper eyes. He wanted to ask if that meant he had pretty eyes too, but her next string of words cut him from such thought.

He opened his mouth to protest her protesting, but she was already onto the next comment. And from the way her eyes bore into him, he seemed to accidentally cross a line he shouldn't of. But, as he was a master of facial expressions, the male's face hide whatever fear that blotted in the back of his mind.

"Lydia said, you don't have time to worry about relationships and the whatnot because you're not free to do what you please. She said you're constantly sacrifices for the sake of the others." He casually rolled his shoulders. "You're, no offense, in a cave. You're people are wearing scraps of clothing that haven't been washed in what looks like years. Everyone's eyes have lost their glow. People are malnourished and I can't help but notice the lack of proper hygiene." Nieko dramatically tilted his head to the side to lock his gaze with hers. Although is words rolled off his tongue with a purr, it was obvious that he was taking this matter seriously. The stern look in his eyes overruled that twisted tongue of his.

Then came that sly, expected smirk. A smug look danced in his eyes. She had to see this coming. "As you so kindly pointed out, I have sharp eyes. And like I told you earlier, I like my mystery novels. I wouldn't be a very good writer if I couldn't put two and two together, my darling."

Nieko's back now rested against the wall as he kept his eyes set on Eleanor. He almost seemed bored. How many times would he have to keep saying the same thing? As many as it took until it stuck, he figured.

"And stop worrying. No wonder your people are all on edge. You need to relax some. You can be firm and disconnected, but you don't have to evoke fear." He knew she would argue but he would have none of it. His lips were already moving, and if she spoke, he would eventually drown her words out with his own.

"I told you, I've traveled the planet. I've seen how different leaders work. You need to start thinking long term. If you suck the fun from everything, you'll lose those you care the most for. Hide behind that cold olive glare all you want. I know what I see. You're just as scared as the rest. You're worried you'll end up alone. That you'll let them all down. Stop thinking like that. Let others in. I-I can help you. All you need to do is accept it. Not everyone has a hidden motive. You can hate me all you want, reject me, kick me out, whatever. But I will not bend nor break." His tossed his thumb back to point at himself. "I'm probably as stubborn as you, only I have a fire within that burns with a passion that your icy cold clutch can't extinguish. So in the end, I'll still be here. Against all the odds you throw at me too. I know a good story when I see one. And you, my fair Eleanor, are going to be the star of my series."

Not willing to waste his breath on a pointless conversation, he moved back into the cave. He had a party to prepare for--with or without her permission. If she didn't learn to accept his unusual antics, she might soon discover her loyal comrades turning to the starry eyed stranger. Although he hadn't proven his strength, he certainly was a breath of fresh air. And he talked a big game. If he were allowed to stay a bit longer--thankfully his bruises and that gash on his head were still there--he might just be able to twist the odds in his favor. Not that he would take Eleanor's pack away! No, he would just secure his role as a permanent member and give Eleanor (perhaps Nyx too) a run for her money.

Lydia talks too much sometimes, Eleanor thought to herself as she turned to rest both shoulders on the cave wall again. She couldn't argue that they were in a cave, but that didn't stop the twins from being attacked just a couple of days earlier. There were times that she wished people just understood what was really going on; then the fact that they were short on clothing, had barefly anytime to clean what they had and the fact that everyone seemed dismal would make more sense.

She broke her gaze with the male. Of course people would think poorly of their situation and of them, that was of no surprise so she didn't let his comments get to her. It was when he told her to relax and that she didn't have to envoke fear that her placid look changed slightly. Brows raised, she rolled her eyes to look at the male. Fear? He thought they feared her. The thought of it was laughable. He kept talking though, leaving her no time to interject and that was fine with her; the less she said, the less interested he would be and the sooner he would leave them to cleaning up the mess they had been shoved into.

She shook her head as he tried to 'read' what he saw behind her eyes. She just had to wait until Lydia's tea kicked in and he was healed, then he was gone. Until then, she would ignore his useless words and try to fix whatever he damaged. If he became too much of a threat to their safety, she would force him out sooner than she had said.

Once he was gone, the woman rolled her eyes before saying, "You seem to enjoy talking like you know everything, Story Teller." Being outside and on watch kept Eleanor focused on what was around them, helping her keep her cool when the man talked; it was fortunate for her because this guy seemed to like to try and get under her skin.

As the brunette made his was back in, Lydia watched him, a confused look on his face. She hadn't been aware that he had gotten out, but was quick to make a beeline to see just what he was doing outside. Once out, a calm voice asked, "What's going on inside?"

Lydia froze and looked both ways before moving closer to the shadows where the voice came from to see Eleanor, her gaze not on the blonde woman. Letting out a slow sigh she said, "People are getting excited about something." She shrugged, not really knowing more as to what was going on than that.

"How long will it take for his injuries to be healed?" The brunette then asked. Thinking for a few moments, the silence settled around them before the blonde replied, "Two days at the earliest, five days at most." It was then that the woman rolled her eyes to look at the healer. Throwing her hands up she said, "My hands-off healing isn't that great, you know this Eleanor."

Lydia could see Eleanor's chest rise, then fall slowly as she sighed. "Bring me the hunting parties that are inside. I'm not letting this fool pull our resources and leaving us in danger."

Nodding, the blonde parted from the other and made her way back in. She was quick to see the man causing the commotion and darted around people to get up to him. "Smooth move," she whispered to him, cool blue eyes rolling up at him. She rubbed her forehead before saying, "If you want to win her over, this probably isn't the best idea."

With another shake of her head and a sigh, the woman moved off towards the sleeping quarters and within a few minutes, there was a group of people heading out in front of her. Once they were making their way down the tunnel, Lydia stopped as she watched people bustling about. The energy was good, that was true, but she also understood the concern that was laced in Eleanor's words.

---

Once the rest of the hunting parties got outside, they instantly spotted Eleanor in the darkness. Pushing herself from the wall she moved towards them. "I know you were all resting from watching last night," she said as she eyed each one. "But we currently have a visitor who is set on having some party." The groups looked amongst themselves, not giving away what they were really feeling about this, though the woman knew they were probably talking amongst each other in the silence.

"I'm not going to tell you that you can't attend." The groups seemed almost surprised by this as they looked back at her. "But I do not want this to effect patrols. We can't let our guard down. We don't know anything about this man other than he says he's collecting stories." The groups nodded at her as she nodded back to the forest behind her. "Tell the others, I don't want them to walk into a surprise, especially if they're tired."

Without another word, the hunting parties vanished into the trees beyond to spread the message.

Catching the last words that rolled of her tongue caused Nieko to smirked. If only you knew, my lady. I know far more than I'm letting on. when you come to trust me, perhaps I'll reveal that hand. Until then, I'll just be the bumbling fool. I'll trip over every word and do all I can to make these people feel at peace. You've suffered enough. You need not suffer any longer. I will set things straight. You shall indeed be free.

He missed the first of Lydia's comments before laughing. "Are you sure? I thought to win her over, I would need to win the hearts of those she protects. Besides, like I've said for probably the millionth time, I owe you guys my life. I'll do whatever necessary to help."

---

Although Nyx didn't help him, Nieko made quick work of the area. In no time, he had little lanterns setup around the edges of the walls (there was no way Eleanor could lean against a wall and refuse to participate). In the center, was an inviting fire that danced peacefully in the middle of the stones that surrounded it. The sweet scents of cinnamon and apples filled the air as off to the side of the fire were little apple cups with oat clusters of syrup and cinnamon. He prepared simple desserts that would warm the soul. He would have done marshmallows but there were none to be found.

There were some decorations of gold and red hung up around the room too. They weren't anything fancy, but they certainly made the room look less gloomy. The eyes would be distracted by all the flickering lights and bright colors and pay not attention to the fact that they were in a cave.

"Music," he mused to himself. Scurrying into the back warehouse, he pilfered through a bunch of items until he found something that would work. There, tucked away in the corner, were some coiled wires. Not too far to the left was a long, flat bored. "Just need a base." He spied a box. It would have to do.

His handiness was particularly useful. After constructing a make-shift guitar, he made a crown and then a tiara. They weren't super fancy, but he didn't care. It was the thought that counted. He would crown someone prince and princess of tonight's ceremony. Do something that everyone could giggle and laugh at for the next few weeks to come. He wanted nothing more than to fill their hearts with light for he knew darkness would eventually come knocking at their sandy door.

Swifty, he moved back into the main room. Everyone was just finishing up their meals when they joined him in the main hall.

"Welcome, willkommen, fáilte, bienvenido~!" He welcomed everyone in and kindly escorted them to their seats around the fire. Although there were probably only eleven that showed, it was still better than nothing. He was impressed this many turned up. Then, three more came running in. One looked to be about 10 and the other two were probably fifteen and sixteen.

"We think your party idea is stupid. Eleanor hates it. The pack thinks it's dumb. You're going to get us all killed." The one huffed, before crossing her arms bitterly over her chest.

"You fear death?" Nieko's voice was rich and velvety. He shifted to a knee so he could look the youngest in the eyes. "Or do you fear being alone?"

"Alone," the younger one spit out bashfully. "But death is scary too."

"Death isn't scary. It's only scary if you think it's scary. Everything dies at some point. It's certain. It's not a mystery. Why fear something that we have no control over? Why, I would be more scared of catching a cold than death! You only die once. But you can catch a cold so many more times."

The snottier of the three rolled her eyes. "Oh please, you're scared to die too."

"I am."

His words caused the girl to flinch.

"But unlike you, I don't let it consume me. I know I'll die so I make the most of every day. I live each day as if I could die. If I were to die right now, I want to make sure I have no regrets. I want to make sure I did everything I wanted."

"Do... do you have regrets?" Her hand twirled around a lock of her fine auburn hair.

A small smile grew on his face. "Well, I would be awfully sad if you didn't sit next to me." He winked and she blushed. "And I would be sad if everyone didn't have fun. I didn't make this guitar for nothing."

Popping on his rear, he leaned back to seize the make-shift instrument. Strumming it lightly, the ten-year-old giddily clasped her hands together. "Are you going to sing for us?!"

"Duh," he said in his usual mocking tone. "Maybe I'll even get you to dance with me."

"Hey," the auburn haired girl pouted. "I thought you were going to dance with me."

"Why can't I dance with both?"

The third girl marched straight up to him and jabbed Nieko in the nose. "I get a dance too." Her scowl soon became a toothy grin.

"Ha," his eyes moved over to Noah to gauge how he was doing before moving back to the other girl with the messy curls. "I'll dance with you too."

"What if we don't know how to dance?" An older woman, likely in her twenties, asked. From the frown on her face, it was easy to tell that she wanted to participate but was fearful of being laughed at.

"That's fine! I can teach you. Besides," he stood up, "dancing doesn't have any rules." He wiggled his butt two and fro. "See, this is dancing."

"But you're just shaking your butt," the ten year old squealed.

"Yeah, so?" He puffed his chest out. "Are you telling me that's not dancing? Dancing is whatever I want it to be." He flapped his arms like he were a bird. Then he started marching in place while wildly flailing his arms.

"No, no, no," she giggled bashfully. "That's not dancing."

"It is soooooo dancing." He scooped to loop his arm around the auburn haired girl's arm. He began to spin in a circle while clapping his hands. "This is dancing too. You can dance alone or with friends!"

The ten year old wiggled her butt before jumping forward grab Nieko's free hand. No longer able to clap, the other girl took up that role. She smiled happily while doing it.

"C'mon, Nyx, Noah, Sabine, Kelly, and Igna!" The ten year old couldn't control her glee. "You have to dance too!"

It was difficult for Lydia to really figure out just what this guy was after. Win over the hearts of the others? She looked over the people in the room; that was indeed a good idea as Eleanor tended to put all her focus into them. Would that really be enough? She was closed off even to those that were closest to her, though perhaps that was part of the problem. She could very well have viewed everyone there as someone that she needed to watch over and protect; they all had gone through the same thing so it made sense. Yet, she couldn't fully understand why she did keep so many away, especially Nyx. For as much as the woman got on her nerves, Lydia had been certain that she would have been the one to worm her way to the woman's heart. Granted, the twins did too, but they were too young to really care about what plagued the woman rather then simply vying for her attention. If she had to put her money on it, Lydia would say the twins were closest to Eleanor as it seemed like she made sure to keep Nyx at an arms length.

She watched as one of the hunter groups approached the male, they clearly didn't seem too happy about him. That wasn't surprising though; the packs seemed to view Eleanor as their Alpha, wanting the woman's approval and attention as much as the twins. If she had to think about it, just about everyone was like that though. She wasn't sure why either; it was like to disappoint Eleanor was the worst fate one could have. She never really punished people though, if they messed up she may scold them, but that was it. The blonde shook her head, that wasn't something she really needed to worry about.

A small smile crept over the woman's face as she watched the pack warm up to the man, soon others joining around them. Getting everyone to like him certain wasn't a bad approach. The little ones seemed to warm up to the man and festivities much quicker than the others; they didn't really need to be told to join, they just did. It was always very much like them though, the kids seemed to not worry about everything going on which made Lydia feel, that while they may not be in the best situation, that at least Eleanor was doing her best to provide an environment for kids to freely be kids without having to pull the fun out of them.

Around the room a bit, Lydia's eyes fell on those that were indeed closest to the woman: Nyx, Noah and Sabine. A confused look crossed the woman's face as her gaze landed on a usually boistrous white haired woman. Nyx seemed less than pleased at that point, it almost looked like the three were discussing something.

"I still don't trust him," Nyx muttered under her breath as she watched the kids happily swing and dance around the man, some of the adults slowly joining in.

A sharp laugh came from next to her as Sabine's red eyes fell to the woman. "That's something, coming from the person who drug a conscious man here just last week."

Shooting the Siren a sharp look Nyx hissed, "Fritz isn't a bad person. This guy's more dangerous."

Rolling her eyes, Sabine said, "Oh yeah, so dangerous that even the kids are terrified of him. Get over it Nyx, the guy you brought in was bad news and Eleanor saw that."

Noah slowly shook her head as she said, "Guys, please. This isn't really the time. He's helping, isn't he? I mean, look at the kids? They're playing and having fun with something other than rocks. I don't see this as a bad thing."

As one of the pack kids ran up to her, asking to dance. Kneeling, Noah ran her hand through the child's hair. "Maybe a little later," she told them, her eyes warm, the tips of her hair growing to a vibrant pink with some purple laced through it. "We're making sure no one causes any trouble for our new friend for now. Be sure to save me a dance though, ok?"

The child bobbed it's head happily before scampering off to the rest of the group once again.

The trio froze as they heard a yawn come from down the hall, that yawn was soon followed by a voice. "What's that noise?" One asked before a couple of small forms could be seen coming from the darkness. "Oh no," Noah said as the others seemed to hold their breath. Nyx moved around them, trying to make her way towards the two children that stood out more than all the others; she had to get to them before--

Their red orbs locked on the new man and as wide smiles grew on their faces, they took off running for him. They plucked clumsily at the strings of the guitar. "Wow, what's this?" They asked in unison, their smiles beaming up at the stranger.

Nyx froze, though was a large shadow moved by, she wasn't sure if she was more worried about what this guy saw and Eleanor's reaction or what this guy was going to have to put up with next. No, that wasn't right; she was more concerned about Eleanor hearing about this.

The large man stopped just on the outer ring of the longs; at nearly 7 feet tall, he towered over the brunette. "Zoe. Zorion," his deep bass voice rumbled. The twins turned slowly before saying a drawn out, "Soooorrryyyy." The moved behind the massive man who put his arms protectively in front of the twins as his two sets of eyes blinked down at the male, a scowl on his face as though he were daring him to say something. Granted, Big Brother probably wasn't the best thing for a stranger to see either, most of the pack members weren't; with his red and black pairs of eyes, webbed, membrane ears higher on his head than human ones and the large bushy tail that swung behind him, he stood out as much as the two children he was protecting.

Sabine leaned closer to Noah and whispered, "I'm going to get Eleanor. Keep an eye on them."

The other blonde simply nodded, her eyes glued on the group before her as the other woman snuck off down the tunnel.

The tunnel was empty, which made navigating it much easier than if the parties were switching out. Once outside, Sabine slid into the shadow, though she already felt those olive orbs on her.

"Eleanor, we need you back inside," she said, trying to keep her tone cool, the alarm in it hidden.

The woman's eyes returned to the dark forest before them, not saying anything which was the queue for the woman to continue. "The Twins," was all she was able to get out before the brunette pushed off the wall.

"Keep watch out here," she said as she made her way back inside. A million different thoughts and emotions ran through the woman's mind as she made her way through the snake-like tunnel. She couldn't understand why someone wasn't watching the twins, nor why they weren't prepared for this. The woman couldn't be wholly upset though, she knew which packs had been out on patrol when she called the rest out so the fact that Big Brother and the Twins weren't there should have told her to find them and at least notify the man.

As soon as she reached the bottom of the tunnel, she stopped. Most of the group didn't seem to notice anything going on, though she could see the protectiveness from Big Brother as well as how there were those frozen around the edge of the room. With a slow blink, the woman's eyes fell onto the brunette.

Delight filled the room as the children were the first to truly join in the festive antics. Soon, a few of the others jumped in and found themselves dancing, twirling, and giggling. Nieko was teaching them to dance, but also doing a fine job keeping the little ones entertained. He would puff out his cheeks before playfully tossing them into the air. He always caught them and gave them a tender pat when he was done. The kids loved every second of it for it was the first time they got to behave as kids and not little soldiers. Even the young adults seemed pleased with the direction the evening had taken. They were no longer tasked with keeping an eye on the kids for the kids were more worried about getting to dance with Nieko.

He was a strange man but his warming smile and soft green gaze seemed to win everyone over. He looked human and acted human. And perhaps the best part? He never once called them freaks. Never said a rude comment nor did anything that would cause offense, sans the Nyx issues. He was on his best behavior, attempting to shower the women with adoration and the children with affection.

All seemed to be going well. Then suddenly a darkness blew into the room. Eyes, red eyes, were on him. Twins. Immediately Nieko could sense one was female and the other male. Though his attention quickly shifted from them to the larger-than-normal male. As he towered over the brunette, some might have bet money on the fact that he would run. Or worse, call them out on being horrific monsters.

"Awww," Nieko's hands clasped together while he did a little happy dance in place. "They are so cute!" He rolled his head back to gaze into Big Brother's eyes. "Can't they stay and play? I promise I'll keep an eye on them."

That's when his cheeky smile grew on his face. "Well that's only if you don't want to say and play too." Adverting his gaze, he laughed.

How was he going to explain his lack of fear. Red eyes weren't normal. Being that tall wasn't normal. He knew none of them were normal!

"Also," his lower lip quivered, "why didn't anyone tell me we had costumes. I so would have dressed up for the occasion. You're all looking fancy in your paint and tails." Turning his nose up, he huffed. "Someone should have told me. Crashing my party without my consent is not cool." Although his words seemed serious, the calm look in his eyes suggested otherwise.

Sneaking around behind Big Brother, he flashed the twins a grin. "But you're cute so I suppose I can't stay mad. In fact," he bent forward with his hands behind his back. Whirling around, he addressed the main crowd he was dancing with. "I think we should change our party up! We should all make masks and silly hats. We have a ton of scraps and odds and ends in that back room. We can turn them into something cool. Those that come up with the best designs shall be crowned Prince and Princess of this wacky affair!"

Nieko looked over his shoulder to see if the twins were on board with this new idea. "Ugly, cute, or cool! It doesn't matter. The most creative idea wins. So if you're positively groggy and gross, you still could win. I'll be the judge as I've seen some really wacky things in my travels. I saw a pink lion before! Mind you, he took a bath in paint but that's besides the point!"

He honestly hadn't noticed Eleanor had shown up until he felt a pair of eyes on him. Glancing quickly over his shoulder, he caught her stare. "Care to join us?" The kids that tugged at him flashed her their 'please, please, please' eyes.

Stepping away, he picked up the guitar and strummed it lightly. "I'll play some music while everyone works." He jerked his head to the side, trying to coax the twins out. "I'll teach you how to play since you've already made your cool costumes."

The four eyes on the larger male seemed to narrow on the smaller brunette as he watched his reaction about the twins. The two gripped the man's fingers, looking up at him, their expression clearly hopefully. It almost felt like a growl rumbled through the man's throat before he pulled his hands from the twins. Placing them on his back, he pushed the two towards the man, nodding slowly, which only brought a squeal of giggles to the two.

The twins threw their arms up into the air, a slew of approving words to this man's idea pouring from their mouth, at least until he talked about a pink lion. "Pink?!" The one said as the other one clung to the man. "Can we be pink too?!" The other asked, the glee shining in their eyes.

When the man looked behind them, their gaze followed, landing on the brunette standing in the doorway. "Eleanor!" They shouted, leaving the man and running over to the woman, their hands grabbing at her open vest, trying to pull her along with them. "Come with us! Come with us!" The shouted, tugging her closer to the ground.

A look of endearment seemed to fill the woman's eyes as she pet the tops of the twins' heads. Kneeling down, she grabbed their hands in hers, her eyes clocked on their crimson orbs as she looked between the two. "I'll come," she said to them and though a smile didn't cross her face, the only real caring feeling seeming to show for the twins through those olive orbs, the twins squealed in delight before tugging the woman along with them back towards the male.

As she neared the male though, that gaze went from something that almost seemed affectionate to harden. She was clearly there for the children, not whatever this guy was trying to get out of all this.

It worked! It actually worked. He had to contain his glee for he didn't want to let his disguise slip. The twins made that impossible though for they were soon bounding up and down at his side. With a soft sigh, he ran his hair through their sleek, black hair. Before he could answer their question about a pink lion, they were running off to attack their next victim.

Hands folding over his chest, his head dropped slightly to the right. A small smile playing on his lips as his green eyes watched their every move. Only once did he pull them away and it was to send Nyx a cold glare. She really needed to stop whispering such rude comments. Had he know she would get her panties in this kind of knot, he never would have let her know who he was. Instead, he would have just laughed it all off and called her crazy. But no, he had to give her the benefit of the doubt and now he was seriously questioning himself. No, Fritz's judgement. How on earth could he even think about liking this woman?

Eyes snapping back to Eleanor, he caught that gentle look in her eyes. So this is why they follow you. You're secretly a big softie underneath the stone-cold glare. As soon at the thought crossed his mind, those once enduring orbs solidified. The ice caked back over them and she made it perfectly clear she was here for the kids, not him.

"Awww," he wore a frown on his face. "Not fair. Looks like Eleanor loves you more than me." Dropping his head to the side, he let out a deep, antagonized sigh. "Though I can't blame you two." His tone regained its composure. "She is quite amazing." As he spoke, he let his jade orbs met hers. "You are quite lucky to have someone such as she to watch over you."

Holding out his hand, he waited for one of the twins to grab it. "If we're going to paint you pink, I'm going to need some dyes and water." His head swiveled toward Nyx. She was the one that made it wet in here. She could certainly get some water. "Nyx, would you mind getting Zoe and Zorion some water? I don't want to stain their skin so I'm going to delute the dye with water."

That's when he looked over at Eleanor. "Or maybe you should do it. It's not difficult." He had been wearing a pouch on his hip. Untying it, he pulled out a few colorful bags. Each of the bags had a crushed powder in it. Tossing the pink one at Eleanor, he smirked. "Just add a bit to the water and it'll turn pink." Although the powder looked harmless, its true purpose was far from friendly. Those various colorful powders, if mixed with Nieko's flames, would become a smoke screen. The various colors had different effects. The green, a poison. Red, burning. Yellow, mustard gas. Blue, a neurotoxin that paralyzed the mind. Granted, with water, they would be just dyes. It was one of the reasons he wanted Eleanor to be in charge of them. If he accidentally created a spark... well, things wouldn't end well.

The ten year old ran over to him. "Can you cut this into a star for me?" She handed him a dulled blade and a leaf. "I want to be a unicorn fairy princess."

"Oh! That does sound perfect for you. Sure," he purred. Only, instead of taking the blade, he moved his hand behind his ears. There, tucked beneath the brown locks of hair, was a single, curved blade. It was no more than two-inches long and easily cupped nicely around his ear.

As he broke it free from whatever held it in place, his eyes moved to Eleanor. "What?" that smug grin plain as day on his face. "It's not my fault you didn't do a thorough inspection." He winked. "I would be happy to let you frisk me. Though I do think we should do it alone." Playfully, he stuck his tongue out at her before the ten year old snorted. "Right, right. A star."

"Teach me how to fight, I'll show you how to win. You're my mortal flaw and I'm your fatal sin. Let me feel the sting, the pain, the burn under my skin. Put me to the test, I'll prove that I'm strong. Won't let myself believe that what we feel is wrong. I finally see what you knew was inside me all along. That behind this soft exterior... lies a warrior." He sang lightly while cutting out a flawless star. Despite having a leaf, his skills with a blade, let alone a small curved blade were impressive.

The twins stuck their tongues out at the man at the same time, though it wasn't hostile, just playing as they said, "Of course Eleanor loves us more." As the man said that the brunette was amazing they gripped onto her legs, Zorion being the one to speak, "Eleanor is mine." There was almost a fierce look behind those child-like eyes as he clung to the woman.

As the man offered a hand down, Zoe was quick to cling to it, her brother taking her hand while keeping a firm grip on Eleanor's. She didn't want to know what she had just roped herself into at this point. Just as Eleanor was about to object to the twins being painted pink, they were shouting their excitement. She didn't like the idea though; she could see them now, black beasts with vibrant pink bones stalking through the woods; she inwardly groaned at the thought of this.

Eleanor's eyes fell to Nyx whom didn't appear all that pleased with the male asking her to get water for him. He seemed to catch onto this and instead tossed a small bag with pink powder at her. The bag hit her chest with a dull thud before falling into her hand below. She rolled the bag back and forth in her palm, her eyes pulling up as one of the other children came trotting up to them.

She watched as the man moved his hair, though the thing that caught her more than the blade were his ears. A human with a blade was hardly a threat to them, but his ears were long and pointed. She froze for a moment before her staring seemed to have caught him attention. Her scowl deepened as he talked about how he would be more than happy to let her frisk him. "I think I know a better way to see what you're carrying," she said under her breath, pulling away from the group, letting go of Zorion's hand as Hawk started to sing.

Her orbs fell to Nyx who was quick to fall into step beside Eleanor as they moved towards the room with the barrels. Once in there, the brunette grabbed a bowl and tossed the contents of the bag inside before reaching for the ladle they used to get the water out. As the woman peeked in it, Nyx replied to the pause, "I'll get more water tomorrow." Nodding, she pulled up some water, pouring it into the bowl, she then looked at the water woman.

"What?" She asked, confused as to what that look meant. Eleanor then looked at the water, then back to the woman. "Wait, no, is that why you wanted me?"

Eleanor rolled her eyes before saying, "Tell me if this will hurt them. I know you can." Nyx's brows furrowed; she could detect toxins in water levels, partly because they made her sick when they were there, but it wasn't something she enjoyed doing.

When Eleanor's gaze didn't falter, the woman sighed, shoving a finger into the bowl, "Fine." It was silent for a few moments, before pulling her finger out as she stuck her tongue out in disgust. "It's gross, whatever it is," she said as she wiped her now pink finger on the hem of her skirt. "It's not going to hurt them, just gross."

Eleanor nodded before reaching for more water from the barrel.

"Eleanor," Nyx said, the concern in her voice causing the woman to stop what she was doing and roll her eyes to look at her. "I don't trust him."

Fingers brushing the ladle again, the woman drew it up with a sigh. "Neither do I, Nyx," she said as she poured another scoop of water into the bowl. "Lydia said he'll take 5 days max to heal, then he's gone."

Nyx shook her head, not liking that reply. "He seems fine enough to me, why don't we just send him out now."

Straightening herself, Eleanor looked up at the taller woman, the seriousness in her eyes. "If he collapses in the cave, that's one thing but if we let him leave and he collapses in the woods? That's more for the hunters to target."

Nyx shifted; she wanted to tell Eleanor what she knew about this guy, but couldn't. She knew Fritz wanted him to help them and even though she wanted to just up and kick him out, she couldn't.

"I'm going to have the twins check him though," she said as she picked the bowl up, turning back to the woman. "Something tells me he's not being completely honest about being a writer." As Eleanor left, Nyx smiled; she knew she was smart and would catch on to anything weird.

As Eleanor returned to the group, her eyes danced along the people sitting about. Noah had finally joined the group, she was helping one of the children make something. Between the two of them, she wasn't sure who was actually succeeding in what they were trying to do. Walking up to Hawk, she held the battered bowl out to him, bumping his arm with it to catch her attention.

"Danke." He took the bowl from Eleanor. Although he seemed to know what he was doing, apparently he didn't for the next thing he knew, he was drinking the pink liquid.

A gagging sound followed. "Oh god," he choked, "why did I think you gave me tea?!" Spitting, pink flew everywhere. "Holy hell," he hacked up a lung. "God damn." His face was now a brilliant red color and his ears seemed to mimic that same shade. "Fu-uuu." He recalled children in the area.

Tongue now a hot pink color, he turned a cold stare to the ten year old who laughed at his side. "Mits mot mummy," he said while trying to sneak a peak at his tongue. His upper lips were the same bright color and, after spitting it up everywhere, he had speckled pink dots across his hands.

"Don't drink the dye whatever you do," he choked out before he finally got his breathing back under control. "Are you sure," his eyes were watering--Nyx was right, this stuff was gross!--"Are you sure you still want to be pink?"

As the water hadn't quite dried yet on his skin, when he went to clear away his tears, a new pink line formed were he rubbed. The auburn girl from before was now rolling on the ground laughing. A few of the twenty year olds joined in.

"Oh now what?" He turned his gaze to the ten year old. The second he looked at her, she belted out in laughter. "Don't tell me," he glanced at his wrist. Sure enough, it was caked in pink. "Are you serious?" Without thought, he grabbed his cheekbones and tugged down on them lightly, further coloring his face.

"Gah?!" His hands flew from his face faster than the girls could giggle. "Oh come on." Waving his hand feverishly, he hoped it would hurry up and dry. "Why are you still wet." His eyes immediately moved to Nyx. "What kind of water are you using?!"

To be honest, Nieko had never mixed his dyes with water. He knew the water would void their explosive properties but he didn't think they would be this sticky and gross.

"I have officially decided, you shall not be pink. This is not as fun as it looks." Looking from the bowl to Eleanor, he sheepishly passed it off. "I trust you'll know how to..." His eyes narrowed. "Don't even think about it, missy." He held a finger to her. "I'm already two-faced. I need not have pink hair too."

Of course, the children were chanting and egging Eleanor on. They absolutely wanted her to dump the pink liquid on the stranger. Mainly because they wanted to make fun of him. Oh what joy it would bring them! They were so used to being picked on. To turn the tables and finally call someone else a freak! Well, that would be a real delight.

"Oh Eleanor," one of the women breathed, "you have to. You have to!"

"What?" Nieko's firm scowl turned from Eleanor to Igna. "I don't think she has to. In fact, I would advise otherwise!"

Although Nieko's glare and tone suggested he wasn't interested in becoming pink, there was still a glimmer in his eyes that shined with delight. If becoming a pink haired and skinned freak helped ease the tension in the area, he would do it. He would bite that bullet and just deal with the aftermath. Plus, a wry grin grew on his face, if she did indeed decide to spill the pink liquid on him, Nieko would hold nothing back. He would grab her feet out from under her and make her wear the pink skin of shame too!

He knew the risks. She knew the risks. Whatever way it played out, it seemed the group really enjoyed the mockery and silly antics. It was the perfect medicine, despite the fact that Nyx and Eleanor had their doubts.

The twins seemed to have started growing excited as Hawk took the bowl from Eleanor, though instead of using it to dye them, he took a drink of it. Their faces twisted, not from being upset but in disgust as the man started gagging on the liquid.

As he started coughing, Eleanor took the bowl back from the brunette, her eyes seemed to darken only slightly as she wasn't thrilled of the way he just let the words flying out without concern, though after a few moments he seemed to catch on to what was happening.

From behind Eleanor, Nyx was covering her mouth, trying not to laugh. The twins that were between he and the brunette were in a fit of giggles as the man fought with the pink that he was still managing to get off himself, only to cause it to spread further. The thought of them still being pink having a hard time to really cross their minds.

He seemed to grow partly frustrated at just how quickly he was growing pink; the fit of giggles and laughter around him didn't seem to help. Eleanor let out a slow sigh; he was the one to tell her to mix the stuff, he should have known what she was bringing back.

When Hawk questioned the water Nyx threw her hands up, for as much as she would have loved to tamper with the dye, she wouldn't do anything to the twins. Granted, this was far better than she would have ever hoped for an outcome. For once, the woman was hydrated enough to not have to worry about pulling in this water.

As the man told her not to think about it, Eleanor rose a brow; think about what? She also had no idea how to take the color out, it was his dye after all. It was when the children started chanting to pour the rest of the bowl on the man did her brows raise and she slowly shake her head. She was about to say no when someone spoke up, practically pleading for her to do it.

Looking from the woman that spoke, her attention was brought back to Hawk as he seemed to try and persuade the woman otherwise. She could see him almost daring her to do it; she could feel that if she did do what the kids were asking, she would quickly come to regret it.

She started pulling her hand back, the one that held the bowl, when something bumped into her from behind shoving both her and the bowl forward. With the twins right at her feet Eleanor wasn't able to regain her footing as the pink goo went flying at the male and she too fell into him.

As soon as her body stopped, she pushed back from Hawk a few inches, throwing a glare to whomever pushed her. The incident had left the from of her usually pale olive vest with a vibrant pink blotch on it.

Although half of Nieko's face was covered in pink dye, it didn't mean the other half couldn't turn that same shade of pink. When Eleanor was just mere inches from him, the brunette found himself blushing as if his life depended on it. Not only was his cheek a vibrant pink, but his ears matched that same bright color. No matter how much he told himself not to blush, he couldn't stop it. Instead, he forced on other things, namely his beating heart.

It was practically bursting from his chest. This woman-- strong, clever, beautiful--was literally inches from him. Close enough to feel her breath tickle his nose but far enough away that his lips would just miss hers if they puckered. It was probably a good thing though, for Nieko feared he might faint from a heat stroke or heart attack! His heart boomed within his chest to the point that he could have sworn an earthquake had begun.

Pink soon marred his vision and his right eye closed to keep the dye from causing any damage to his hawk-like vision. He could feel the cool liquid slid down his face, casting pink lines as it dripped with a pitter-patter onto the floor.

With a calm exhale, he pulled his eye open and looked bashfully at the woman. Her vest was ruined and he now had a half-pink face with pink blotches and lines on the other half. He also had freshly died hair. Thankfully, it was only half his head--the right side. But still, he would have preferred this little incident.

Panic then streaked across his eyes. Immediately, he turned his head down to look at the scarf still wrapped around his neck.

A sigh of relief followed. The scarf was safe. It was definitely a miracle and he was ever grateful for it. This scarf had sentimental value. If it were ruined... no, he couldn't think like that. It was all he had of his father and he would never let anything happen to that precious heirloom.

Gingerly, he rolled his gaze back up to meet Eleanor's olive stare. He wanted to speak but his tongue was at a loss for words. How could he speak to her? He was still jittery from their near-kiss. He could still taste her sweet breath on his lips. And that salty, hard-work scent of hers that came from her overprotective personality wasn't helping.

"So--"

He had to pull his gaze away. His cheeks refused to lose their blush. He was trying to come up with a cheeky retort but that desire to be humorous died when his eyes fell on the tattered edges of his scarf.

Pink. There was a small splash of the vivid color on the fabric. It was no more than an inch big, including the splatter spray around it.

In that moment, the joy in his eyes drained and his once flushed cheeks became a dull, pale color. His heart sank and a lump formed in his throat.

He had gone over a quarter-century without ruining that scarf and now, at 31, he had officially tainted the only reminder of his past. Of his father.

Spirit broken, his desire to continue vanished. "Sorry." His voice was but a whisper. "This...." He pulled himself off the ground. "This was a mistake." His bangs made it impossible to read his eyes for they were hidden beneath the brown hair and its shadows. "I'll," he bent to collect his items, "thank you for your hospitality."

Without saying another word, his feet twisted on the earthy floor. Walking away with sunken shoulders, he ignored everything and made a bee-line for the exit.

He wanted nothing to do with people right now. He needed to be alone and figure out how to repair the damage done. He had to fix the scarf. He had to erase the stain on his past.

As soon as he was out of the main room, Nieko took off running. Double-tapping the sand door, he broke from the entrance. He didn't even bother to put it back (mainly because he didn't know how). Instead, his legs carried him down the mountain and into the forest. He knew not where he ran but he needed to get away.

This was all a mistake, he kept telling himself. I never should have come here. I should have gone to the facility. I should have done my job.

Finally, after he put a good amount of distance between himself and the cave, he collapsed on the grass. The grass, wet with the evening dew, sent a chill throughout his body. Cold at the core, he bent before his head fell into the long blades of green. Nieko fought back his tears but found it impossible. The thought of ruining a gift from his father was unbearable. He swore to his dad he would keep the scarf safe. And he had... failed.