Aaron and Nicodemus march side by side through the city market streets as the people step out of the way and point their amazement that two such individuals are sharing each other's company. One old woman is bold enough to waylay Aaron full of tears.
WOMAN: Not Mr. Vincent? No. Not Mr. Vincent, please.
NICODEMUS: We got bigger problems than him, lady.
AARON: No. Not Mr. Vincent. It's alright. Really.
Nicodemus breaks stride noticing her looking
rapidly back and forth between him and Aaron.
NICODEMUS: What do you want?
WOMAN: No... Mr. Vincent?
NICODEMUS: Don't expect me to be happy about it.
She looks to Aaron for clarification who merely smiles.
The old woman bursts with joy and laughs her arms
around Nicodemus's shoulders and turns to
crying into his chest.
The other market goers break into a cheer
and begin applauding Nicodemus
as they completely surround him.
Then they see Tulia, Rune and Ross up the
street and meet each other in the middle;
all the while Nicodemus exercising every
ounce of restraint he has in breaking free.
TULIA: We've had a hell of a time finding you two.
RUNE: We're saved. Clemence is the
new town hero.
NICODEMUS: We're dead if people keep
drawing attention to us in the open like this.
AARON: The situation's changed.
TULIA: Wait. They came after us too.
AARON: What for?
TULIA: What, are you so special?
We have Ross too.
AARON: They were after Noah.
NICODEMUS: He says he was taken to some lab
where somebody was running experiments on people.
AARON: I saw our agents. The Republic must
be involved.
NICODEMUS: I think you're going to have to get
over calling them your agents.
VALORY: Hey! Hey, help!
Valory sounds out loud and clear over the hustle and bustle and she runs toward her friends while colliding with several people who wouldn't mind her along the way. Two humans are in hot pursuit.
She joins the crew's side and comes behind Aaron and hugs Tulia's waste. Nicodemus keeps his gun barrel trained on the nose of the one nearest him even as the human backslides into a fall.
MAN: She's with you?
NICODEMUS: Yeah.
MAN: We didn't know.
We didn't know, mister.
NICODEMUS: Fine. You didn't know.
Now get lost and spread the word. She's untouchable.
MAN 2: But isn't it true you turned on Mr. Vincent?
MAN: Shut-up, you idiot. Let's go.
They scramble out of sight.
VALORY: You have to help us. Please.
I know you don't owe me anything,
but you're the only ones I have
to turn to.
TULIA: What is it, Valory?
RUNE: Where's the hairy guy?
VALORY: They jumped us. Raytheon slavers.
They never dared pick a fight with us before.
I guess because this is a new part of Janriel.
Actually, all of Janriel is new to us.
We should have stayed on that moon.
AARON: We'll help you, Valory.
NICODEMUS: Who are you speaking for?
AARON: You telling me you think any more
of Raytheons than you do those thugs
that you just ran off?
RUNE: Just stand there and look big, Nick.
Nicodemus glares at him and draws close to Rune's face.
NICODEMUS: I don't like you enough.
Don't do that again.
RUNE: You're saying you like me?
Valory places a hand on his arm.
He meets her pleading eyes.
NICODEMUS: Show us where they grabbed him.
Esben has been forced to the ground and one has
raised a syringe to inject him and the instrument
is shot out of the Raytheon's claws.
AARON: You gentlemen will just have to find
your pelt somewhere else today.
This one's our friend.
RAYTHEON: We're female.
RUNE: (whisper) Well that's just embarrassing, eh cap.
TULIA: Step away from the... our friend.
NICODEMUS: Or don't. (spins up gun)
It's your choice.
Then more Raytheons close in around them
stepping out from the shadows of the street.
ROSS: Looks like I should have stayed back
to reinforce you guys.
TULIA: Not now, Ross.
AARON: What makes him so important to you that
you bring all of this muscle?
RAYTHEON: He is our prey.
NICODEMUS: We're no one's prey.
The Raytheons continue closing in.
NICODEMUS: You want a stand-up fight, you got it.
TULIA: Wait.
NICODEMUS: For what? They're not offering options.
Tulia steps forward near the
intersection of the empty street.
TULIA: He was a friend of Sweets.
Her voice echoes across the walls for all to hear
and the silence is further broken by the rustling
that follows. The Raytheons recoil back a pace.
Several Noclysis emerge from the shadows and
close on the Raytheons and pass between them.
RAYTHEON: You have no business hear!
NOCLYSIS: This is old business, old debts.
He turns to Tulia.
NOCLYSIS: He's dead?
She nods.
NOCLYSIS: I want to never see you again after this.
He waves a hand. The surrounding reptiles hiss and send the Raytheons scurrying away.
And Esben is let up and Valory runs to his side.
VALORY: Thank you.
The man stops and only turns his head to the side.
NOCLYSIS: Be careful the company you keep, young one.
It has already killed one of my own.
Up the opposite end of the street Erimentha and
Noah are about to come into view of the others.
NOAH: Are you sure?
ERIMENTHA: We're close. I feel them.
They round the corner and are in sight of them.
Just then they are blindsided by a pair of mechanical hands,
which stabs Noah in the side and carries Erimentha off.
Aaron feels the shock of the stab and concerns the others
while spinning around to see who attacked him. Then he
glances up the street and sees Noah collapse to the ground.
Aaron looks down and sees that he's not bleeding.
He runs to him. And glimpses Erimentha
being carried away by the mechanical legs.
NOAH: Aaron.
He cradles Noah in his arms.
NOAH: Whatever this is, finish it.
Nearby, a set of engines climbs to a roar
and a shuttle craft disappears into the blue sky.
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