[Aiden]

“Roy, I'm on High Street with Kleinos. We've got word of a minor tussle on Fox Alley. Are you on North? Help us out?”

Kleinos was only recently recruited to the guard, so Droy would need the help. Hearing Droy's voice echo on his COM, Aiden pulled it from the front pocket of his guardsman's uniform and put it near his mouth. “I'm coming over.” As he tucked the COM back into his shirt pocket, Aiden burst into a run toward the intersection of the road. After a few minutes, he rounded the corner of Fox Alley to see two hooded figures loitering around. When Aiden made eye contact with them, the two began to run.

People didn't usually run from the guard unless they had something to hide, so Aiden instinctively gave chase. Pressing the speaker button on his COM through his shirt pocket, Aiden furrowed his brows and asked, “Droy, where are you two? I'm going west on Fox Alley.” Aiden's feet pounded on cobblestones, leapt over flowerbeds, dodged fallen fruitstands, and avoided wagons as the two suspects ran through winding roads and alleys in effort of shaking him of their trail.

“Still getting there,” was the belated faint buzz from the COM.

The gap was closing between Aiden and one of the runners, so Aiden started sprinting. They were turning the corner when out of nowhere, a large hand suddenly grabbed Aiden's shirtcollar and threw him toward a stack of wooden crates. Wood splintered as Aiden broke through one of the boxes, but he shook off the pain as he rolled away from a forceful kick from his assailant. Side-stepping a good distance from the third shady person, Aiden looked around warily for the other two. As he and the attacker stared down at each other, Aiden quickly pressed his speaker, “Trouble on Grey Lane. Where are you?”

A chuckle rumbled behind Aiden as somebody gathered the cloth of the shirt on his back. “Droy ain't coming.” But how did he know it was Droy? Aiden was already turning when a fist grazed the side of his torso. He side-stepped the fourth guy's next attack, only to get punched toward the floor by the third guy. Jaw smarting, he fell to the ground with a growl that turned feral as paws touched upon stone and his teeth elongated into fangs. Dammit, where was Droy.

In his leopard form, Aiden twisted to bat the most dangerous-smelling guy—a rutilus as it turned out, and Xanth, Aiden knew he was in trouble when he heard two other sets of footsteps running toward him. He dodged the rutilus's dagger strike before turning to leap on one of the oncoming people. His jaw crunched through the anyeli's upper-arm when a heavy foot crashed into his ribs. Yowling at the vampire, his eyes widened when he recognized the guardwoman. Renna!? Aiden was too distracted to avoid the next dagger that pierced his shoulderblade. Viciously, the attacks kept coming even as Aiden clawed, bit, and pounced to defend himself.

Bright light flashed into his eyes, and as he reverted to human form in shock, a long set of fangs pierced into his jugular. Aiden punched Renna away, but then someone kicked him in the head. In his daze, Aiden felt fangs sink into his arm, felt the blood flow--too much--but he was weakening too quickly to fight it off. He was becoming numb in a cold kind of way...

...teach you not to mess with Thanatos a foggy voice mumbled while some guy with red on his face was fixing his arm as the shattered bones regenerated.

...“looks dead enough to me” as someone dropped him between two crates.

A while after the voices faded away, Aiden weakly pushed an arm toward his pocket. Slipping the COM out and letting it fall, he squinted sideways at the buttons. Droy and Renna had betrayed him...who else in the guard was corrupt? He no longer knew who he could trust in the guard. Cheek resting on the cold cobblestone, or maybe it was his face that was cold, his hand shook as he pressed a number on speed-dial. He waited for a voice. And then: “Help. 'm near Thorn Alley.”

[Maaike]

When Maaike's COM chirped, she was a block away from Espur's portal with a steaming paper bag full of roasted chestnuts in one hand and a dagger in the other. She had just dropped off a bounty and received the bandit's knife as part reward, so she planned on giving it to Graeme. He would probably sell it and put the proceeds into the business, but at least she could say she'd tried (again) to get him armed.

Tucking the weapon under her arm, Maaike pulled out her COM and checked the number. Her lips curved and she answered with a smile in her voice. “What, you miss me already? You--”

His voice was faint and Maaike immediately went on alert. Aiden Roy didn't ask for help unless the situation was dire. “Thorn Alley. Got it.” She hung up without preamble, shoevd the bag of chestnuts into the arms of some startled stranger as she passed, and gripped the dagger in a sweaty palm. It wouldn't be much use to her in a fight, but she was sure she'd find some way to take advantage of having it.

---

She was through the portal and across the city in record time. It didn't matter that the number of WANTED posters had increased, that the bounty on her head had slowly grown to ridiculous proportions, or that just being in Alexshire was dangerous for her. Roy had helped her out and she would return the favour. At least, that was how she justified the concern welling up inside...

Once at Thorn, she assumed her wolf form and sniffed around until she found Aiden's scent. She'd remember that gorgeous smell anywhere, damn him, but it was tangy, mixed with fear, anger, blood. Taroch dung. It didn't make sense. If he'd been injured on the job, why hadn't he called for backup instead of calling her? Had he hit his head? Gone loopy?

Was this a trap?

That question froze her in her wolfy tracks. Her sharp canine stare scanned the alley, the rooftops, the sky in search of an ambush. Her fur quivered in the breeze and her nose was overwhelmed by the smells of the alley. Nothing jumped out at her, and she decided to trust. Babycakes had endangered both his life and his beliefs to help her; she didn't think he would betray her like that.

Putting her nose back to the cobbles, Maaike followed his trail to a drying dark stain that smelled coppery, like blood. His, and others. There was evidence of a scuffle, of more than one assailant, and the wolf's lips pulled back to bare her teeth in a feral snarl. How dare they. She followed the scuff marks to a pair of crates and spied his feet. Her animal form dropped away in her shock as she caught sight of the damage and realised he wasn't just injured but at death's door. “Xanth damn it, Babyface, you're not supposed to get hurt.”

[Aiden]

“Wait--” but the COM clicked off too soon. He had wanted her to stay on and talk because he feared being alone right now. Just lying here made him vulnerable. What if Droy's associates returned? The Shades weren't safe—what if someone found him before Maaike did? But he trusted her to be on her toes. Trusted her to come for him, too.

His vision went blurry and he couldn't focus his mind on any particular thought. Couldn't move his arms either. If he called his partner Mikael, would the anyeli come to help? But he was Renna's friend too. Aiden could taste the blood still on his lips. Fangs. Eyes widening with worry, Aiden coughed and coughed, and he gathered what he could and spit it out. His torso and neck burned from the movement. He was thirsty. Where was Maaike? He wanted to swallow something but didn't dare to. Not yet not now what if Renna's blood was in it, he would die. For good measure, Aiden inhaled slowly in broken intervals before coughing out more of the blood. One drop would be enough to kill.

Moaning from the pain, he pressed his forehead more against the cool ground. His forearm burned from the puncture wounds, although thankfully the blood had clotted already. His limbs weighed so, so, heavy. He wanted to give in to his fatigue, but he didn't dare, even as his eyes closed wearily. If he slept, he might not wake up. He couldn't do that. Maaike was coming. She had to although Aiden was unsure why.

Droy. Thanatos. Was Kleinos in on it? Mikael was his partner for two years already, yet Aiden called Maaike first. Did that mean something about Mikael? Had it been instinct? Droy--he couldn't believe it—he had treated the vlareon to lunches, and vice versa. And Renna, damn her. Their group shared drinks weekly at Joann's near the Underground. What in the Xanth's name would cause the guardswoman to do something like this. How doomed is Alexshire if its Guard could be so easily bought. Damn them.

Like a fish caught on a hook, Aiden was dragged out of near-slumber by the most beautiful voice of the moment. Seeing boots appear in his vision, his first attempt to talk only resulted in a meager rasp. “I might be dying.” he said as calmly as he could. The fear was very tangible. “If I die, it's because of Droy and Renna of the Guard. Tell my family that I love them.” Feeling another wave of weariness, Aiden mumbled a warning. “If I sleep, don't feed me anything. I don't know if this blood was mixed with a vampire's.”

[Maaike]

“Don't be stupid. This is just a fl... flesh wound.” Maaike flinched as she said it. It was so obviously a lie, but she was usually better at that. Seeing Aiden like this... Her fingertips were gentle as she brushed blood-soaked hair from his eyes, at a loss. He was covered in bruises and welts. His cheek bone was swelling already, his uniform covered in blood. If she hadn't known he would be here, she wouldn't have recognised him. She had dealt with injured people before, and suffered her own beatings, but never like this. The acrid smell of his fear was contagious. Even seeing the blood pool around Ashton's head hadn't affected her like this.

“Droy and Renna. Got it.” She cared more about getting him to a healer than who did this to him, but it was important enough for him to spend precious energy on telling her, so she made sure he knew she'd heard. Oh, but she knew nothing about his family. How was she to tell them anything? “Sweetcheeks, if you die on me, I'll haunt you for the rest of Xanth-damned eternity. This is nothing! Get up.”

Though she knew it would hurt, she hauled on his shoulders to try and sit him upright so she could get a better look. She was tempted to shake him awake, but she couldn't tell if anything was broken, if there was internal damage. Her hand slipped into his jacket, searching for the healing potion Alexandrian Guards carried with them in case of emergencies. Had he used it already? Xanth, please, no. If he'd used it already, that meant two things: His injuries were originally much more severe, and she had nothing to tide him over until they could reach a healer. Ah hah! She found a small vial and pulled it out, thankful that it was wood and not glass. She unstoppered it and lifted it to his lips.

And then he said the word that every Therian feared. Vampire. “Vamp—?” She yanked her hands away, her lips parting and her eyes widening. Her gaze flicked up and down, scanning the scene. There was blood everywhere. She couldn't tell which of it was his and which of it wasn't. That he worried meant he'd at least hurt his attackers. He'd fought back. Good. But if she touched him, if she got that blood on her... It wasn't just him at risk.

“S...Stay there. I'll be back.” She stood, wiped her hands on the seat of her jeans, and stepped back. She had already made her decision, but the less she had to touch that blood, the better. Her foot slammed into one of the crates and she used a splinter about the size of her middle finger to peel Aiden's jacket and shirt from his flesh. She winced at the sight of the bruises already forming on his torso, and carefully poured the contents of the vial onto the worst of his wounds. She had no idea how potent the potion was, but the faint sizzle suggested it was already working.

And now she had a new problem. She needed to get him to a healer, fast, but he was huge. She needed Cailean, or a taroch, or someone tall and strong enough to carry him. Or--

“Hey! Hey, you!” She darted toward the end of the alley and grabbed a man who was pushing a wheelbarrow. “I need that. Please. My friend.” She didn't have enough money so she traded her bracelet. Dumped the vegetables out of the wheelbarrow and turned it, rushed it into the kerb and almost flung herself over the top when it stopped dead. Pushed it back to the crates and let it clatter to the cobbles. “Roy. Roy. Aiden. Wake up, you lazy son of a wraith.” It took a lot of effort to get him into the barrow, and she worried that she was doing more harm than good. “You're too damned big, you hunk of lard. Get in there. Don't make me do all the work, airhead. Just because you've got a pretty face...” Except it wasn't so pretty right now, and this was taking too long. She was on the verge of tears -- and Maaike Sullivan did not do tears.

Once he was in the wheelbarrow, she discovered yet another problem. He was too heavy for her to lift even one end to push, and his feet were flat to the ground. “Xanth damn it. Next time, I'll take the beating and you can do the pushing.” He'd have no trouble at all.

Left with no other choice, Maaike traded her necklace to the owner of the wheelbarrow for his help. She didn't like the way he looked at Aiden or his uniform, but she couldn't do it alone and no one else was stupid enough to think her jewellery was worth anything. “You better be soooo damn grateful for this, Sweetcheeks.” He also better have money in his pockets somewhere, because she didn't have nearly enough.

[Aiden]

The threat of Maaike haunting Aiden instead of the other way around was ridiculously funny to him in his low-energy stupor. However, his lopsided grin disappeared with a wince as the hunter moved him right-side up and shifted his bruised ribs during the process. His vision spun until there were multiple Maaikes around him mumbling gibberish before they split from each other to walk away (even though he didn't want her to). She returned soon enough with a stick to pry away his shirt, and if he were feeling more energetic, he would have teased her about taking advantage of him while he was down. Right now though, he felt submerged in water and something was going to swallow him whole.

At least the pain in his shoulder was disappearing. As the refreshingly cool potion trickled over the dagger wound, his mending flesh tickled as skin started crisscrossing together. Soon, the slash over his rib no longer hurt as much, either.

He didn't know how many times he fell asleep as Maaike treated him, but during one of his more conscious moments, he brushed his hand to his side to grip tightly at his COM. All his contacts were in there and now he needed them more than ever. He also heard Maaike call him lard and airhead, but of course she would insult him all the way to the next world—he'd be disappointed if she didn't. Lucky for both of them, Aiden didn't feel like dying at the moment, although sleep would be wonderful. As they wheeled him out of the cursed alley, Aiden groggily rested his head against the edge of the wheelbarrow. He really was grateful for Maaike, and he would have to tell her that later...after he wasn't feeling so sleepy.

The next time he woke up, they were passing by a nice-smelling bakery. The time after that, they were inside a room, Maaike's jittery accomplice was gone, and Maaike was talking to somebody with wings and glowing hands. Aiden slept very peacefully afterwards.

...

When he came to, he was feeling better, although the bruises still throbbed and a cut along his jaw still stung when he yawned. It hurt when he tried to sit up, too, so he decided to stay put and stare at the ceiling for a while. With relief, he realized that the pain meant that he was still alive and that he would have to visit Xanth's statue to thank her properly for it. Then, tilting his head toward the right and then left, he saw that sometime while he had been asleep, somebody had set his COM on the bedstand. He blinked and wondered about the unfamiliar room.

((OOC: I sped up the trip but I can edit if you want. You can decide where they are once Aiden wakes up. ^__^ ))

[Maaike]

Maaike stood by the window with her arms around her waist and a hip resting against the windowsill. She was meant to be playing guard but her thoughts were elsewhere. Aiden had said Droy and Renna, names she hadn't picked up on at the time. She'd had time to think when the healer kicked her out of the bedroom to do his job, and didn't like what she remembered. Guards. He was stabbed in the back -- literally! -- by guards. People he worked with. Friends.

For a minute or two, she had paced the hallway, clutching at her temples in frustration and regret. She'd gotten him into this. She was the one who convinced him there was corruption in the ranks, who convinced him that a city official was bad. She had persuaded him to break laws and look the other way so she could go after Thanatos and his cronies, dragged him into dangerous situations to grab for evidence that, so far, hadn't helped them to take down Thanatos himself. Sure, they'd saved people along the way, but this was her fault and there was no escaping that.

As soon as the healer came out, wiping his hands free of Aiden's blood, to tell her that Sweetcheeks would be alright, she braced herself for the questions. Sure enough, he tried to weasel their names and circumstances out of her, but she'd been tight-lipped and would only tell him that her mate was mugged. The guard uniform undermined her story but she'd been adamant and healers weren't generally known for their nosiness. She'd managed to distract him with talk of payment, worried that she didn't have enough, but he'd fortunately found some cash in Aiden's jacket pocket. The Therian would be wondering why his wallet was so much lighter when he woke up, but the point was, he would wake up.

The wisp of fabric signalled movement behind her and Maaike turned, her arms still wrapped around her waist and her eyes stark with guilt. She'd taken a good, hard look at him when the healer and his wife helped her lay the giant out on the bed, so she'd never forget what she'd done to him. His bruises weren't entirely gone, either, especially around his face. The healer had focused on the major stuff and for some reason just didn't seem to think that a black eye was dangerous.

The bruises actually made Aiden look even sexier. If she didn't know how painful they were, and how close he'd come to dying, she'd probably be cheering internally for the eye candy. Instead, she quirked up a corner of her mouth in a tremulous smile and tried to pretend she didn't care.

“How're you doing, Sleeping Beauty?” One more nickname to add to her repertoire. Excellent. “You're a couple hundred light. Sorry. I didn't have enough on me.” Her smile turned genuinely cheeky for a second. Even damaged, Aiden was fun to tease. “You know you didn't have to get yourself beaten half to death just to see me, right? A note in the window would have been plenty.” Finally unwrapping her arms, she flapped them to either side and then clasped them together under her chin and fluttered her eyelashes. Her voice rose an octave. “Oh, Maaike, Maaike, my love. I miss you so!”

[Aiden]

He couldn't quite open his left eye because it felt puffy and the same cheekbone pulsed with a dull ache. However, as he turned his head on the pillow, he was able to see the familiar flow of auburn-brown hair with his good eye. Maaike stood with her back to him and was looking out of the window. She seemed to have heard him, and when she turned around, Aiden saw a flash of guilt that wavered in the hunter's expression. He'd walked into Droy's trap on his own and she could not have prevented it. He wanted to tell her that, but when he opened his mouth to speak, all he managed was an exhale of air. By then, the hunter had already masked her anxiety with her usual armor. “How're you doing, Sleeping Beauty?...Maaike, my love. I miss you so!”

Wordlessly, Aiden blinked and smiled at Maaike despite the bruise on his face. What was a couple hundred xanthos if it meant that he would keep his life? Nothing that she said today would bother him. He'd thought he'd be gone for sure, but she'd pulled him back. The least Aiden could do was to let her have her fun if it helped to remove some of her anxiety. “Sleeping beauty. Then where's my kiss? ” Eyes gentle, his chuckle was cut short by residual pain. “Urgh. You're right. Next time, I'll stick with just a note.” Twisting slightly on his bed, Aiden felt something tight and scratchy around his torso. He strained his neck downward to see the bandage around his ribs. “Where are we?” And where was his shirt?

Wrapping his left hand along the edge of the mattress, Aiden slowly pushed himself to a near-forty-five degree sitting position. Reaching for his COM, he pressed a button for the time. Xanth, almost a day had passed and the sun was starting to rise again. A message notification waited in the corner of the screen, but he was beyond caring at the moment. Also, his vision was getting blurry. Resting the phone in the area to the right of his leg, he wearily pulled the blanket higher up his torso. Dammit, he must have lost a ton of blood if he was feeling this cold. With this realization came his recent memory of Renna. Eyes downcast, he stared quietly at his bandaged forearm.


((Was a half-day of unconsciousness enough for Aiden? I was tempted to put more than that b/c those had been major/life-threatening injuries, but I guessed that the healer would have used tons of potions on him or something...?))

[Maaike]

Maaike's lips twitched, but she wasn't sure if it was humour or something else. She always enjoyed their little spats but he was dangerous. Part of her wanted to climb onto the bed and smooch the bruises off his face. The rest of her ignored the query and focused on the rest of it.

“A little-known healer's by the name of None Of Your Business. A-K-A Aniketos Beniamino, but don't tell him we know that.” She had discovered it quite by accident when she spied a letter on a table in the hall. “I'm guessing he's not a guild-sanctioned healer, but as long as he has something to hide, we don't need to worry about him giving us up.”

That brought her to the next problem, and she gingerly seated herself on the single bed next to Aiden. “You... might not remember this, and you might not want to hear it, but when I found you, you said someone named Droy and Renna were responsible.” She blanched at the memory of him saying he might die, and looked away. “Aren't those guards? We need to know if they're working alone or if this goes deeper. Now you're awake, I'm going to pop out for a bit, do some recon. You should stay here and recover a bit more. Beni's gone to rest, but for the amount he charged, he owes you another session. Make sure you get it.”

Standing, Maaike turned away, but remembered something. “By the way, you need a new melody for your COM. The damn thing's been chirping half a day already. I nearly put it out the window for the pigeons but if there's even a remote chance that Renna and Droy are alone in this, we could use some of those contacts.”

[Aiden]

As long as he was healed properly, Aiden didn't care if Aniketos was guild-sanctioned or not. The healer's refusal to share his name came out as suspicious to Aiden, but he was willing to give the anyeli the benefit of doubt. Aniketos could have turned Aiden away, but he didn't. Eyes following Maaike's movements, he shifted his head on the pillow as the female therian sat at the bed next to Aiden's. She seemed so hesitant to speak again, but she did so eventually.

Hearing the other Guards' names, Aiden frowned and turned his face toward the closed wooden doors so he didn't have to show his disappointment at Maaike. Droy and Renna. Kleinos possibly, and the son-of-a-kelpie Thanatos. The fact that he'd been betrayed by law-people was crushing his spirit. It hurt even more because Renna had been his friend, but had stabbed him in the back even then. Memories of the vampire attack flashed across the surface of his mind, and Aiden wearily felt the scars along his neck.

As the hunter stood to leave, a feeling rose in Aiden, and he spoke hoarsely. “Maaike?” He looked at the therian with a mix of gratitude and something more. Irrationally, he wanted to ask her to stay because he now knew how far Thanatos was willing to go to shut them up. He wanted her to stay safe, and he wanted to tell her to be extra careful because he would hate himself forever if she went out for his sake and got hurt because of it. He knew Maaike would scold him for thinking like that—he would have done the same. So after a pause, all he said was a quiet and sincere “Thank you.”

When Maaike was out the door, Aiden sighed and sank deeper into his pillow. He really didn't want to check his notifications. What was he going to say if the Captain wanted him to come to work right now? How should Droy and Renna be dealt with? But Maaike was right—he should check his contacts.

The most recent message was from Aki, who was reminding him to send money to chip in for Edwin's birthday present. The next was an invitation from Juniper to come and sample her restaurant's special menu for the upcoming summer season. And then an anonymous from the Guard house dated fifteen hours ago...

“Xanth, I hope you're alive! Wherever you are, don't go out! Listen...Renna's all beat up and she says you did it after she caught you mugging someone. Droy's dispatched half our force all over the city to find you. The Guards all believe Renna but I don't. Can't do much tho. Watch your back, lay low, and burn your lines.”

Shock hammered his chest with the weight of a heavy anvil. Everyone thought he was guilty! After all these years, they still believed so easily that he would be capable of such crime! Hands shaking, Aiden speed-dialed Maaike. He let the phone ring incessantly until she finally picked up.

“Come back, and be extra careful. All the Guards are out there looking for me. Hinds' Teeth, they all think I did—they think I---” he grit his teeth in frustration and his eyebrows furrowed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. The muscles in his throat hurt from all the talking, but he ignored it for now. “They all think I beat up Renna and mugged some vampire...” He wanted to punch something and he wanted to yell, but he couldn't do either because it hurt to move, and it was all because of Renna.

[Maaike]

Maaike was on the roof when her COM chirped again. “Ah, Babycakes, you're only ten minutes late with that warning.” She'd walked out of Beni's front door and straight into the barrel chest of a man in uniform. Fortunately, he'd been talking to his partner, so she'd been able to scoot out of their line of sight before they really paid attention to her, but as she walked away, she'd eavesdropped on bits of their conversation. She didn't like what she heard.

The frustration and grief in Aiden's voice bit into her chest. “Look at it this way, Sweetcheeks. You're so popular now!” She'd darted down the alley beside the healer's clinic to find a vantage point. The next three streets all had uniforms on them, searching for something. Someone. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but she could guess. They'd gotten too close and Aiden was suffering for it. The whole thing was ridiculous, though; he was straighter than a pole. The way he tortured himself over small decisions that were even a little bit morally grey told her there was no way the guy would beat someone up just for the fun of it. She believed him. Why were his friends and co-workers, who had all know him so much longer, so eager to string him up?

“I'm coming back.” She didn't bother with the stairs. It was a warm day and the scent of blood had made her nauseous, so she'd left Aiden's window open. Ending the call and tucking her COM into her pocket, she scaled the wall and dropped onto the windowsill with a light step, casting one last glance up and down the street before stepping gracefully inside.

“We have to get you out of the city, big guy. How's the problem. Two guards outside, and six more just in the vicinity.” He was in no shape to go roof-climbing in his human form, and she wasn't sure how strong a shifter he was, if he'd be able to maintain his cat form in that dishevelled state. Even if Beni gave him one more session, he was too damned big and noticable. It was a fifteen minute walk to the portal, but if they had to backtrack or alternate their route to avoid guards, who knew how long it would take? He'd lost too much blood to pull the kind of weaving they'd have to do to stay stealthy.

“Okay, here's what we're going to do.” Moving closer to the bed and holding out her arm to give him a hand up, she fixed her gaze on his to underline the seriousness of what she was about to tell him. She needed him to focus; timing was going to be everything. “I'm going to distract them. Get them to chase me. As soon as they're out of sight, you head straight for the portal.”

The next bit... Oh, the next bit was everything. She was trusting him her reality. “You go to Espur. Take my COM, we need to lose yours.” She took it from her pocket and tucked it into his, patting his hip as she pulled away just so she could say she'd copped a feel.

“There's a number in there. Graeme Easom. Call it as soon as you get through the portal. Tell him...” Ah, damn. What could Aiden tell Graeme that the human wouldn't think was a trap of some sort? She'd specifically trained the steward to run if anyone but her ever called him with that number. “Tell him that S-Sammy's safe but you need help.” Graeme knew she would die a thousand times over before endangering her son, but please let Aiden not ask who Sammy was. “He'll come pick you up and I'll meet you at the estate when I've lost the boys in blue. Okay?”

[Aiden]

When he heard somebody land on the windowsill, Aiden jerked his head toward the noise. Startled, his hands tightened around the COM that had been cradled in his hand. But really, how much could he do against an opponent while he was bed-ridden? Seeing Maaike, Aiden nodded in greeting before turning his attention back to his COM. Burn all lines, the anonymous person had said. Aiden didn't keep too much data on his COM, and he'd memorized all the phone numbers that mattered to him. He worried more about his apartment. How long before the Guard ransack it to find clues to his whereabouts? He knew first-hand how thorough the Guards would be during a search, except now he was on the wrong side.

“Six more just in the vicinity...” As Maaike shared her plan, Aiden only nodded. There was a conflict in his mind that he could not untangle or give a voice too. His mind churned incessantly from memories of the day, to worries about the future, and to Maaike in the present.

“Guy named Graeme. Sammy's safe, but I need help,” he repeated, assuming that the words were just part of the code between hunters. Maaike was one of the most secretive people that Aiden knew. She'd probably put a lot of thought before giving him her contact and COM. Brows furrowing when he fully comprehended Maaike's escape plan, Aiden reached for Maaike's arm to stop her from leaving. Expression genuine with anxiety for Maaike's behalf, he shook his head. “No, I don't want you to run out there alone.” If there were dozens of guards on duty, then Maaike was greatly outnumbered. Aiden would hate himself if Maaike got captured. Or worse, if Thanatos' goons found Maaike before the Guards did. “Too many Guards out there. There's always a couple at the Portals.”

He tilted his head forward as he thought over the situation. “If I run, it'll mean I feel guilty about something. And I don't. I could---” and Aiden faltered. He could turn himself in and try to reason with the Guards. “I--” However, he already knew how easily and quickly the tides had been turned against him. No, the Guards weren't functioning on the basis of logic today, and Aiden no longer trusted his life in their hands. “Xanth help it,” he said through gritted teeth. He didn't see a way out of their predicament except to run, and they would escape more easily by splitting up. However, he'd be damned before he let Maaike go out as bait on his behalf...

[Maaike]

Thank Xanth, he hadn't even picked up on the significance of the name. For a second, she almost questioned his intelligence as a guard, but Sammy's security was at stake so she didn't bother teasing him. It was probably a good thing, really: He gave her something better to rib him with.

“Aww, Sweetcheeks, I didn't know you cared.” She patted his hand where he'd grabbed her arm, turning back to watch his indecision. Honestly, she couldn't tell if he was being cute or annoying, but she didn't see another option and she'd had enough of being told what to do by her husband.

Loosing a sigh as he deflated, Maaike settled back on the bed beside him and spoke in as gentle a voice as she could muster. “Look. I don't particularly want to be out there either, but I've been dodging your guys for months.” She didn't mention that the most she'd had on her tail at one time, since the first time they met, was two or three. Half what she'd be dealing with now. “As soon as you've had time to reach the portal, I'll just...” She fluttered her fingers like a butterfly—or a bird. “... fly away. Relax, Sleeping Beauty. I'm good at this. And it's not like we have much of a choice or any alternatives, unless you're hiding a portable Xanth up your sleeve who can 'port us straight there.”

[Aiden]

I care very much, thought Aiden as Maaike patted his hand and sat on the bed again. Instead of voicing it though, he let her talk and merely squeezed her arm gently before letting go. Maaike was right, and she knew how to evade the guards better than most people Aiden knew.

Forcing clarity into his mind, Aiden breathed deeply and sat up. He allowed a small smile as Maaike fluttered her fingers. “Gods, I'd love to have a portable portal.” Skimming through his COM, he entered his password and initiated the hard reset that would wipe the phone of all data. Then, looking ruefully at Maaike, he said, “We'll have our own birds and anyeli in the air, but you know that already.” He accidentally let the 'we' slip because betrayed or not, he still identified with the Guard. “You'll outmaneuver the anyeli, and the sparrows and songbirds are no match for your falcon. But watch out for a black hawk and snowy owl though. They like to scout up high and dive down.” The therians, Yora and Petter, were two of the West Gate's best aerial scouts. They were surely working on a day like this.

Aiden's pain had dulled by now, and he was able to ignore the aches as he pulled the covers and slid his legs off the edge of the bed that was opposite of Maaike's seat. Taking the plain white shirt from the bedstand, he slipped it on and stood. Thankfully, no one had removed his shoes, and that saved him from the trouble of putting them back on. “Which is the best exit?” Hating to be so dependent, Aiden looked from the windows to the door to the hallway.

[Maaike]

Maaike didn't miss the "we", but she didn't comment. She wasn't sure how long he'd been a guard, but it was long enough that their betrayal couldn't have quite sunk in yet. He hadn't had time to separate himself from them. Hel, Ashton had been dead a while and she still got that dreadful sinking feeling in her gut sometimes when it was time to go home.

“Black hawk and snowy owl. Gotcha.” She had actually planned to use her archon form, but took his advise to go with the falcon. She would struggle if she did run into those two, but she didn't show him her nerves. She honestly couldn't see another way of getting him out of the city alive and she didn't want to have to argue with him any more than they already had. “Sheesh, Roy, how many Therians do you have in the Watch anyway?” They made for excellent guards, but it was no wonder one of the slang names for them was "dog patrol".

Standing, she pulled on one arm with the other to stretch out her muscles. It was more to brace herself mentally than a work-out prep, but it made her feel better about going out there in her human form to be spotted. The last thing she needed was a cramp in her arm when she threw herself off a roof mid-shift.

“The front. I'll make sure the guys out there—” She jerked her head at the window she'd come in, which fronted the property on the second floor. “— see me. Wait until they're coming after me, though. I'll head along the roof—” She pointed to their left. “—and then backtrack so they're on the other side of the building. I can collect the other guys while I'm there, and that should give you time to get off this block. I'll head south and east first. You go west across the river, the shortest route you can. But don't go straight to the nearest bridge, though,” she lectured, unable to help herself. He was a Guard. He'd know the best places to get lost in and how to avoid their search tactics, so why did she feel like she was sending him to his death?

OOC// Do you want to time skip a bit, Joyness, or play this out? ^^