Gathering Intel (tag Shizuka)

[Annabelle Schmidt]

The Lupin howled again as the bitch stabbed him. His back arched as the sword was pulled out with fresh blood oozing out of it. The tearing of the muscles was not looking good for him at all. He knew that his speed was fading fast as was his opponent.

He backed away as he took in what was left of the bitch. He had done some serious damage however it was not enough. He was determine that he would kill her. It might be over the top for his mistress however it would do well. He went down on three legs as he gripped the axe.

His head was lowered as he charged this bitch. She would be begging for him to finish it when he was through slicing her to pieces.

Annabelle was still as she watched things unfold. This fight might be the downfall of them. She could tell from the look in the wolf man's eyes. Maybe she could convince Sibhan that demonstration was over with. Shizuka had proven herself over again. Though she wondered what would happen if the girl was off her so called leash.

"Sibhan, I think both fighters have proven themselves as equals. What do you say?"

Sibhan chuckled as she ran a hand down the blonde's arm. "Equals, really? I am sure that is not quite right. What about our beat? There is no clear winner yet, my sweet."

Annabelle groaned as she turned to face the whale of the woman. An edge could be heard in her voice, "There will be no deal should my sister die."

"Speak in a sharp tone like that again, you will find that our arrangement will be over. I will make sure that you will not see the light of day in this town." There was a look of anger on the face of Sibhan. It was a threat that would be follow through upon.

[Shizuka Jaeger]

Shizuka was ready to end this. She knew the wolf was too. The important part was ending the fight without dying herself. Suddenly the wolf charged at her. She dodged, but not fast enough.

His shoulder struck her leg and she went spinning like a pinwheel. It was a surprise the limb was not broken. It hurt to stand up. She also nearly cut herself with her own weapon. It was sheer luck that Shizuka did not cut or impale herself.

During the charge she overheard Siobhan threaten Annette. That was a bad move on the former's part. Shizuka kept her cool and showed no outward signs of anger... she did not come this far to blow her cover by doing something stupid. However, if the time came that Siobhan became a liability, Shizuka would only be too happy to kill the "mistress" herself. In order to get that chance, first the purple-haired girl had to live through the fight.

[Annabelle Schmidt]

Annabelle stared straight at Sibhan as she sat there, not truly caring what the outcome was as long as it went her way. She took a couple of deep breaths to try and calm down. It was one of the few times that she had almost broken her cover. How arrogant this woman was for saying something like that! If anything, it would be the other way around here. The blonde would be able to take this rather large woman down. Power had clearly gone to her head.

"There will be plenty of time for other bets along the same perimeters. I am merely looking out for your prize."

The lupin turned quickly as he knew he made contact. His reactions were slower than what he wanted. This fight was over for the both of them. She was a good to fight against even if they had both been holding back to some degree. He twirled his weapon as he held it out in front of him. He charged again, this time hoping that she would actually stay down.

Sibhan contemplated the words that the other spoke of. "Is that a promise, my sweet? I do what to know what lays under your clothes."

Annabelle smiled, "I have ever failed you?"

"Point", the large woman clapped her hands as she called out, "I think this is a tie for the match."

The lupin heard the words and growled. He was so close to winning! He ducked and rolled off to the side, coming up in a defensive manner, in case he was going to be attacked.

[Shizuka Jaeger]

Despite all her bravado, Shizuka was almost out of gas. The wolf-man gave as good as he got. She would not mind fighting him again, but hopefully next time she would not have to hold back. Chances were she would, but it was still a good fight... she could think of worse ways to pass the time. He was in mid-charge when he ducked, rolled off and stopped the attack.

Shizuka backed off and stood in a defensive position in case the lupine fighter tried to attack again. Now it was a standoff. Both fighters were waiting to see who would attack first.

The purple-haired girl would honor the tie if he did. Her time in Scarlet Aquila stressed the importance of honoring calls for a match to end. Not every promotion played by those rules. She was still thinking in terms of the old days, back when she was just an underground fighter looking to make something resembling a living. The old days were lone gone, but she still found herself thinking about them.

[Annabelle Schmidt]

Annabelle felt a sense of relief as both fighter stood stock still. She almost wondered if a certain fire had been lit under Shizuka in terms of her informant. She nodded to her apprentice as the lupin man drew out of his stance slowly. She turned with a smile on her face to the rather large woman beside her. She touched the knee as she pushed away her disgust.

"See now we both still have mighty fighters on our side. No need for things to be more bloodied than necessary with a simple expedition."

Sibhan looked over at the blonde woman as she sighed. It was a rare treat to be touched by something that seemed out of her reach. "You might have a point there, dearest Joetta. I am sure given a little more time, I would have come out on top." The large woman shifted as she continued on, "Help you sister clean up and we can discuss a small elixir to help her. She has earned that much."

Annabelle nodded as she quickly rose from her seat. She bounced down off the dais as she was beside Shizuka in a few long strides. She wrapped an arm around her shoulders for support as she whispered, "Nice work."

She lead the way out the door they had arrived in. She went to the left, only to find that multiple tunnels stretched before them. She sighed as her eyes darted back and forth before continuing forward. It had been a while since she was taken out of the main room. She wondered down as her memory of the place started to come back.

"It is a maze here so try to retain where we have been. I doubt we will have to make a quick exit though one never knows."

A few more twists and turns lead them finally to the room where the lupin was getting patched up as well. She wanted to give Shizuka a chance to see a little more of the compound. She headed to a different area as they came up to low bed. She loosened her grip on the girl as she waited for a medic of sorts to swing by.

[Shizuka Jaeger]

Shizuka was glad the fight was over. She could have won if she wanted to, but it would have been at a very high cost. She believed that more educated people called that outcome a "Pyrrhic Victory." From what she remembered, it meant a win that was so costly that the victor often questioned whether the "win" was really a win. Scarlet Aquila discouraged fighting matches to such a conclusion, but the fighting spirit of some combatants was not easily controlled... more than one career was prematurely ended when one fighter pushed their luck too far.

"That wolf guy was a good fight. I hope he makes it. I wanna fight him again!" Shizuka said to Annabelle. She had to stay in character. She would play dumb until they were well clear of the area.

"Hey sis, where are we going from here? After we're done here?" Shizuka asked as if she had forgotten their plans. She did not need to fake it too much. The wolf-man's fist genuinely disoriented her. Even without the downward pressure that blows to the head inflicted, the purple-haired fighter was not the sharpest tool in the shed. Sometimes she needed a gentle reminder to put her back on course.

[Annabelle Schmidt]

"Well patched up first. Than we need to get what we came for. I think we deserve a reprieve at home."

Annabelle gave a soft smile as she waited for the healer to finish up with whatever he was doing. She placed a gentle hand on the shoulder of the young fighter. She nodded her head. If he was not so close to the large woman, she would have seen to recruiting him. They need more members in their ranks. Well they needed a lot of things if they wanted to take back their home system.

"You might get a chance to fight the lupin again. I get the feeling that he will be out for blood when he is all healed up." It was a bit of a warning though the false pretense would not be needed than.

She let her voice die as the healer finally entered into the room. He was a short, stoat man with a long beard. She smiled at him as she exited the room. "I shall leave you too it all."

The healer turned as he looked over Shizuka. "Ah the other fighter. You did a number on the other one. Quick scan, stitches and you will be on your way. Sit."

[Shizuka Jaeger]

"OK." Shizuka said to the healer. This was like the good old days. Scarlet Aquila fighters would work the crowds and beat each other up, then go to the back and be patched up for a future fight. It was a lucrative business model for an underground promotion. Speaking of the good old days, she wondered how the planet Mars was doing.

Shizuka also wondered about the state of the planet Venus. She did not have very many memories of Venus. Once she set foot on Mars, Venus quickly dropped out of thought. She was too busy dodging police and gangs who liked to beat up vagrants. When she joined Scarlet Aquila, she was too busy fighting for fame and fortune.

Even in the best of times Shizuka was not given to introspection. She lived in the present and lived for the moment. She figured that someone in her trade did not live long enough to even think about retirement.

[Annabelle Schmidt]

The healer waited for the girl to do as she was told with sitting down. He grabbed the scanner as a soft blue light buzzed up and down her body. His first assessment seemed to be correct. The only thing that was missed was the amount of blood loss.

He stepped out of sight as he grabbed a bag from the counter. He stepped back into the room a moment later as he stepped next to her. He placed the bag on a hook in the low ceiling as pricked her with a needle, letting the dark liquid seep into the arm.

"Lay still. I don't want to miss as I stitch up the slashes. There will be a slight pinch as I numb the areas. The liquid will help with the blood loose."

He would work quickly with getting the supplies that he needed. He pulled a stool over as he started to work on her arm. He did not really say another word as got down to business. It would not take him long as he worked rather quickly.

He stood back as he scanned her once again. Everything that was needed to be patched up was. He took the needle out of her arm as he ditched it into a can. "Your sister is waiting for you outside."

[Shizuka Jaeger]

"OK. Thanks." Shizuka said to the healer as she got up and left the room. It was a lot like the old days of Scarlet Aquila. Going backstage or below the ring and being patched up by a gruff doctor with the bedside manner of a cobra. At least she was still alive. She was always thankful for that.

"Hey sis! I made it!" Shizuka said to Annabelle. The purple-haired girl could not wait to drop the act and be herself again. Hopefully that would be soon. Very soon.

"What do we do now, sis?" Shizuka asked the older woman.

[Annabelle Schmidt]

Annabelle nudged the girl as she smiled, "Well it was about time. You took forever with getting that done."

She sighed as she lead them away from the medical room. She knew that ears were still all over the place. She could only hope that their meeting would be rather smooth so they could get off the miserable planet. They could got on with their next mission.

"Well now, we need to meet Siobhan for the enhancement. You want to succeed at your next fight?"

It was Annabelle's way of saying that they were not done here yet. She would follow some of the twists and turns as she debated where they would be meeting. It was always hard to say with the larger woman as she kept most people guessing what she was really thinking. Annabelle knew all the different tells of Siobhan. It was all apart of her training.  Plus having two lifetimes to master it helped quite a bit.

She figured it would be best to start in the room of the fight.  More than likely, they have their talks there for a show up power after the tie.  Siobhan always wanted to show that she was the alpha.  It will be nice to bring that woman down a peg or two soon.

"Now when you are asked about the fight, try not to boost too much.  Everyone hates a sore winner."  Another gentle way of putting stay in character as well as not to push things too far.

She paused as they reached just outside the main area.  She turned to face Shizuka with a look in her eyes, as her hands straightened up her cloths.  "Don't forget what we talked about.  Are you ready to face the mistress again?"

[Shizuka Jaeger]

"I'm not in any mood to... ya know, boost. Um, boast. My face's seen better daze. Days." Shizuka replied to Annabelle's warning against boasting. She could not wait to drop the act. Hopefully it would not be too much longer before she could.

"Um, yeah sis! Let's go get that e-thing from Mistress Siobhan! Then we'll go beat up some more guys!" Shizuka mustered the enthusiasm to keep the act up a bit longer. Privately she dreaded seeing Siobhan again. The thought of her and Annabelle... touching... never mind. That was too much for Shizuka to try and wrap her mind around.

[Annabelle Schmidt]

Annabelle chuckled as she pat the girl on the back as she nodded her head. She had a feeling that there would be a lengthy discussion after the fight. She was really not looking forward to it. She knew that she might have pushed Shizuka to the limits however that was often the life of a spy. She lost count how many times she was in that position.

"You're enthusiasm never ceases to amaze me. There will be plenty of time to fight after you get some much needed rest." Annabelle laughed a little bit, a rare genuine thing.

She pushed the door open as she lead them into the room again. She rolled her shoulders back slightly as the room had changed over the course they were in the medical room. There was a small table in the middle of the floor with two chairs with a small tray of fresh fruits, veggies, and sliced meat. There was also a bottle of something in the middle, most likely wine. She had a feeling that there was an ulterior motive with the last one.

Annabelle took a seat as she could only imagine how their host will enter. It was usually a production of sorts. The large woman needed assistance with getting anywhere. It was the main reason why Annabelle always came here. Plus it allowed her to get a better view of how best to take this place down.

She took a seat as she grabbed the bare minimum for food, pouring a drink for her protege. She took a small bite before hearing the fan fair. She nearly choked as she noticed that the sound of huffing as the dais was brought in. She pushed around her food as she watched the woman waddle with grunts and groans off one throne to the next. She had the feeling it would be a long meeting.

The large woman took several minutes to finally get settle along with her lift to be brought off to the hallway. She grabbed a handful of berries as she stuffed them in her face. The effort of moving so much seemed to take a lot of effort out of her. She smiled, as looked at Shizuka. "You did quite the damage to my prize fighter. No many can say that. You will have the enhancement you seek. Just make sure you tell them were you got it from. I enjoy expanding my business. Would you like to fight under my flag, girl?"

[Shizuka Jaeger]

Shizuka spent an uncomfortably long time thinking about her response. It was probably too long. However, she needed a good enough reason for refusing that would not make Mistress Siobhan angry. Suddenly she got an idea.

"With all due respect, Mistress Siobhan, I'm turning down your offer. I don't think I'm good enough to fight for you yet. I really need to improve my skills." Shizuka offered her explanation. She kept it short and simple. It also helped her avoid the uncomfortable thought of Siobhan discovering that Shizuka held back when the purple-haired girl joined Siobhan's stable and beat the first opponent like a rented mule.

"Joetta said I needed to really work on my defense. She's the smart one. I just fight." Shizuka added. She was not exaggerating on that one. Even when she was not playing dumb, Annette made most of the decisions. It was for the best. Annette was a better thinker than Shizuka could ever hope to be.

[Annabelle Schmidt]

The rather large woman's jaw dropped as she was refused. Her hand gripped the cup until her knuckles where white. No one dared to say no to her! Ever! She brought the cup to her lips as her hand shook. The wine dribbled down her multiple chins. She slammed the cup down as she glared at the sisters.

"I have never! You can learn all you need here! Why go anywhere else?"

Annabelle quickly held up her hand as she started to speak. This large woman would be the death of her. It was a good turn down from her apprentice. Now it was time for a little damage control.

"Siobhan, there is no need for hostilities. Nana just wants to make sure she is more than worthy of keeping your name in tacked. After all, you only want the best for your team. I will make sure that it all happens."

Siobhan wrinkled her nose as she cleaned the liquid up. The blonde always seems to have some sort of point. She shrugged as a reply came, "I suppose for now I will let the subject go. I do have my eye on you, Nana."

Annabelle gave an inner sigh of relief as she heard the words. She twirled her drink a little bit. "Now can we get down to business?"

Siobhan shook her head as she laughed, "In good time Joetta, in good time. I want to learn more about your sister. The information you seek will be given to you soon enough." She smiled as she took a bit to eat, "Nana who taught you to fight? Why did your sister hide you from me for so long?"