*She's all business as she walks over to the techie manning the Wreck room..shes going to stop any hassels before they even begin*Fire it up...I want a level six, no I'll start low, level five....*she cuts off suddenly...as a familiar scent reaches her...an intense hatred fills her as she slowly turns towards the adjacent door, she could hear someone working out and had previously dismissed it, but now all her senses were concentrated on the one behind that door...a snarl of feral anger crosses her face as she reaches behind her back, loosening the SIG in its holster....slowly, like a stalking beast she approaches the door, listening, scenting the air...every fiber of being concentrated on what she believes to be behind that door*

*....But Rikky really isn't paying attention. He's been inside, of course, during Venin's return, hasn't heard anything about it yet down here, alone, in his seclusion of the little room, and he's deep in concentration, going thru his kata with precision and grace. Why should he worry about Venin being in the GUARD complex? Why would she be back here, especially walking free? He's pushed all distractions from him, and the fact that anyone is out there at all registers, but only from a distance... someone outside, about to enter the Wreckroom proper and go thru a sequence... well enough. He was busy here, doing his own thing. Maybe if the person was still going strong when he was done, would he join them, but other than that.... Rikky continues, oblivious*

*she opens the door slowly, her gaze instantly landing on 'him' a snarl crosses her face*Aerik *the word dripping with venom as she almost whispers it....the gun is suddenly in her hand, a bullet already fired...the fact that he is here, obviously with GUARD permission does nothing to stop her, her only thought to seek revenge for everything....and to kill him*

*He doesn't hear the door open, or more to the point, he doesn't pay much attention... he knows it opens but he's in the GUARD complex, his new home, why should he be on edge? Why should he fear who comes and goes? Most don't know he exists anyway. But that word... that /name/... it snaps him out of him his reverie like a bucket of ice water to his skin. He stops, eyes snapping upward, a kind of horrible anger there --who DARES call me HIM here??-- But a bullet is already on its way to meet him, the woman behind the gun is...* ...Shit. *he barely mutters it, realization hitting him hard. She was here for vengeance was she? How had she gotten thru the defenses? No matter, he'd deal with her as he had the last time... it wouldn't be as easy, the walls of the entire complex vibrated to keep him from ghosting THRU the place, tho he still could ghost, and its a reflex action that he does so now, but not quite in time. The bullet penetrates his shoulder part way before it find no more resistance, the body intangible, and he bites down to keep from crying out. Telepathy instantly starts to command the body to knit itself closed at an amazing rate, and he whirls towards her, eyes flashing and narrowed. He doesn't know she's been reinstated or a new set of problems would be against him, unable to attack a superior officer... but he doesn't know that, all he knows is she's here, thinks he's Aerik as they all did, and wanted to kill him. He couldn't blame her after-- but she has shields, horrible shields he can't attack or he'd knock himself out. His ghosting is only so good... still, he approaches her, half-ghosted, walking on air, gathering a link... he can duplicate powers used on him and he has one, one he hasn't used yet, that would be devastating. Instinct. He starts to clone the powers of Travesty...*

*A smile of satisfaction crosses her lips as the bullet penetrates...but her smile turns to a snarl as he ghosts* Your not using that trick on me this time..not again *she drops the now useless gun..what use is it against an immaterial form?...and crouches down, venomous claws extended while she warily watches him, waiting for his move*

*If a gun didn't work, neither would her claws. And he never planned to get her the same way twice, he had plenty of other options. His eyes narrow, the cloning still in progress. Hell, it could take days to initiate the completion of it for all he knows. So he smiles wickedly, eyes flashing bright fire, advancing. He uses his voice, pitched as Aerik's right now, not sure if Venin's ever heard it, but its a facade he believes he needs to uphold. A non-GUARD shouldn't know about him... she'd have to be elimintated. How did she get in?? Still moving in on her, he speaks from his own throat* If a gun could not kill me, how could you and your pitiful claws? I could move right thru you, I could do whatever I wanted. You can do nothing to stop me, Venin. *then again, what was HE doing here? The thought flashes thru his head. Aerik shouldn't be here, but could anything keep him out? Far as she's concerned, no... he hopes. And if she doesn't move soon, he'll walk straight thru her*

*her obsession with Aeriks death overpowers all else...even the mere thought that her claws could not pierce the immaterial...she circles away from Rikky, waiting, watching...hoping that he will, if only for the briefest moment, regain a material form.....he speaks and she blinks in the briefest moment of shock...Aerik didn't talk, it had to be an illusion, a method to throw off her concentration* I will stop you, one way...or another

*If he knew the current situation, he'd be either trying to reason with her, convince her he wasn't Aerik, or getting the hell out of there SOMEhow... damn that he couldn't ghost thru the walls. Should he call for backup? He knows not everyone is dead, he doesn't sense an air of panic around him now that he opens his senses... excitement, yes, but not panic. Did anyone know she was here? He pauses... this wasn't a good situation to go into blind. He sends his mind outward as she circles him, snarls at him... he searches for answers... and rubs up against many minds buzzing with shock and gossip... //Venin's back. Did you hear? She's back, just today. They let her in, she's a Hunter again, I guess. Hey man, I saw the whole thing, I was right there, Pole and Scratch and...// It goes on and on, Rikky not prying, just pricking his astral ears. His eyes widen though as he watches her. She was back? She didn't break in, they let her in... well, now what was he supposed to do? His brows furrow, uncertain* You are GUARD again?

*There he goes using that damn illusion again...but i guess its his only way to talk to me. shame he knows about the snapback...* Yeah I am *A feral smile crosses her lips* much to your chagrin...seems you're not as good as you think you are...your handywork broke...and now *she snarls* I am free to hunt you, none of that sappy RUNner obligation bullshit *She watches every minute action, her ears attuned to each muscle twinge...and in that brief second of solidification she explodes into motion, her claws aiming for his throat...never once has it even occured to her to even wonder why or how he was here...bloodlust had taken over, she was a hunter with her prey in sight and blood had already been drawn..his question goes unanswered though briefly somewhere in her subconcious she wonders why he would ask such a useless question*

*Rikky may have been in a great deal of training situations, but it wasn't the same thing as a real fight... there was always a part of the person on the Wreckroom that knew it wasn't real... that knew while it COULD kill, it wouldn't because the techies wouldn't allow it. Even as much adreneline as one received, even as much pain as one would get, wounds sustained, it wasn't quite the same. The Wreckroom has safety features, real life did not. And while such scenerios were wonderful tools for sharpening abilities and such, it couldn't replace actual first-hand experience. Aerik has had years on in-field fighting... Rikky had a few minutes of it. His senses were more acute than Venin's, but he wasn't as skilled at using them as she was, connecting actions and tensions and such. That she knows he solidified surprises him completely... he still hasn't ascertained her rank, and so wasn't sure if he could attack or simply defend. His gunshot wound was completely healed by now, but those claws.... fortunately, Rikky has even more than Unnatural speed, he has supernatural, Eshvan speed and strength.. and were it not for those, she'd have torn his throat out. As it is, she catches part of him, his flesh, before he ghosts again. But the poison is there, the Venin which was her filenamesake, a neurotoxin... and he knows it. Fortunately it was a scratch, but highly, highly potent, and as his body starts to freeze up, his mind scrambles to keep muscles limber, neuro impulses flowing, purge the bloodstream.... it shows in a horrible jerking of his limbs, turgid, inelegant seizures. He loses his footing, slumps to both knees... desperation... the clone link is attempted, used... and in a wild explosion of telekinetic power, he sends a wave of it to slam her backwards, towards the wall....* ...Ra--nk..? *he chokes it out one last time... he needs to know*

*she feels her claws penetrate flesh, the hot angry gleam turning to one of feral pleasure..she knows her venom will affect him..this time she does get in a few strikes of her own.....she is forcefully picked up and thrown against a wall, a few ribs breaking in the process, giving her more power......a small part of her brain wondering why noone has rushed in here yet, but he could be shielding it all from detection...there he goes again, asking rank...why? what does he care?....she winces as other things land on her, other things thrown in his telekinetic explosion*

*he loses his ghostform as he loses concentration, but his body is quick to respond to his healing pushes... a moment of total clarity steals over him, the tiny venom receeding, his body returning to normal, the cut on his throat sealing over. He's never used a clonelink before, never had TK abilities, and he's not used to it, not at all. It drains him, hurts him, makes things, avenues in his head, open and snap off. He's panting for air there on the floor, tired from the healing, tired from the initiating of this secondary ability, but it won't last long... Rikky is quite powerful and already the pain is bleeding off, the tiredness fleeing his body. He keeps the TK link best he can, ready to use it again, but he doesn't exactly know how...* Rank, dammit, /rank/! *he snarls this clearly, an order*

*painfully she regains her feet, her healing factor not nearly as quick as his, but working at its own pace, reknitting broken bones.....she snarls down at him* R2,G1 seeing as how you are so insistant..though why it should matter to you I have no idea *she gathers up a ball of energy, unfurling it towards Rikky* say goodnight Aerik

*CRAP... she was a higher rank, which meant he couldn't attack, he could just defend. He should never have asked... its a strain to call on the TK again, so soon, but as that energy blast sails for him, he does pull up a shield, but its not complete by the time the energy blast hits him and its clips the shield, enters, though its potency is more than halved. It still /hurts/, and he doesn't manage to ghost either. He really has to get the hang, now, of engaging more than one power at a time, something only experience will allow him. He falls backward, blown back physically, careens into the far wall. He far from out, but at the moment he's down. Shakily he tries to right himself, keeps hold of that TK link, tries strengthening his shields, goes more for that than ghosting right now... manages a bit more on them, but it was wearing him out. He just wasn't used to this...* I.. am NOT... Aerik. *he hisses through clenched teeth*

If it walks like a duck and looks like a duck....*she lets the statement wander off...part of her wondering why he is expending the energy in a hologram to talk to her....she readies another energy blast, but holds off.* I love seeing you down like this..*the cold gleam dancing in her eyes as she approaches...she much prefers the personal touch* and i am going to enjoy your total destruction even more *The claws extend as she approaches*

*His body wasn't used to this damage, his mind not used to having to deal with so much either... that last blast had fractured ribs, and he was breathing painfully now, labored. He focuses, concentrates, and gets his TK to a suitable level, then whips it not over himself, but around her, attempting a tethering, a binding, so she can't advance further... like a TK straightjacket* Listen... if I were Aerik, do you think I would have been so easy a target? That you would have gotten this far? That I would even BE here? *his mind is pushing a healing, he hurts as he's never hurt before and he doesn't like it. Rallying his powers, he shoves his healing into high gear, hands trembling from the effort* He does not even have a voice! *if he can't reason with her though, he might have to swallow his pride and call someone in to settle this woman down...*

*she sneers* Nice try * she snarls in frustration as she suddenly finds herself imobilized , briefly she struggles to free herself, then she releases the charge which she held ready, hoping that maybe it will break the TK hold...it might rebound on her, but she can handle it, she's taken worse..* Just like you to play both sides, manipulating your way in to achieve your own twisted goals

*If she'd sent the charge at /him/ she would have faired better. As it is, the TK itself is nonsentient and strong enough to contain to blast... tho if it rebounds on her, it will just power her more and such a blast might get thru the bonds the next time. In the interim, Rikky's powers haven't quite come back to the right strength, maybe some of that poison still in his system, interfering with his abilities more than he realized... this was proving more difficult than it should be and he knows it. It wasn't right... if he could best Travesty, why was he having this much trouble now? Silently, internally, his own kind of linking process is granting him the ability to clone Venin's energies, tho not her venom... it might take a few more attacks, or naybe he has enough, but either way, it won't be immediate. Rikky painfully attempts to stand, sort of manages it without much grace* Perhaps he does, I have never met him... *he blinks at her owlishly and, with her so bound, approaches her, but only to walk /around/ her and out the door* I have no time for this or for you, Venin.

*She groans as her own blast comes back at her, her body painfully absorbing the blast..immediately she turns it around...once more blasting at the TK holding her.......*briefly for a half a moment she almost believes him...she could never picture Aerik blinking at her like that, but then that statement, that arogant statement.....so like what Aerik would say.. wrapped within the TK cocoon every muscle is tense ready to spring for him...if she can manage to break the hold*

*He's aware she just upped her own power level... and the blast she sends at the TK bonds... somehow, maybe this once, with Rikky a kind of mental mess, with poison and links and pain and hurt in him, it breaks the bonds, frees Venin. Rikky senses the break, instantly ghosts, dropping the link for now as he's not overly familiar, personally, with the applications of TK power... and it feels strange in his body for him to use it. The problem is, he can't exit the room in this state... can't go thru the door, the floor, anything... can't grip the doorknob. He'll have to bring this up with someone. Maybe just the outter walls should be vibrated, it was a pain for HIM not to be able to get around here. He turns to face Venin, eyes narrowed* Again? Very well...

You aren't getting away from me this time Aerik *she smirks as only now she picks up the minute molecular vibrations* Trapped are you? doesn't look like you have much choice except to face me *once more she watches him carefullly, waiting for the moment of attack*

*Rikky scowls and rolls his eyes at Venin* I /am/ facing you... *then he sighs and... uses TK, linking to it, to propell him forward, directly at/into Venin, unless she moves, and if she doesn't, well then....*

*a smile dances across her lips* so you are...*she easily dances out of his path* you got me once with your ghosting..not again *Breifly she glances around, scouring the room for anything that might be of use, some way to force him into a material form...but never does she let him out of her sight, she is always aware of him*

*If she had anything electrical... or had electrically based powers, she might be in business. Energy such as that often doesn't mix with intangibles. On the same token, her kind of energy powers might do it on their own. He'd had a shield in the way last time, but its an unknown factor. Rikky's attack doesn't work and he slows down, turns back to face her, and leans against the far wall. This time he keeps himself only half-ghosted and very carefully solidifies only what he has to, when he has to... he hasn't needed to yet. His nonchalance is almost amusing* This could take awhile. I hope you are prepared to wait. He smiles to himself. He could fly around this room if he wished to, maybe land on her head. That thought and the accompanying image make him grin. She could make a nice perch. Or... he looks about the fairly empty room... nothing REALLY to throw at her. Hell, he'll wait a few minutes, power up the TK, and then bind her again, and then walk out, this time quickly...*

I can wait forever *A smile crosses her lips as she watches lean against the wall...to lean there must be something solid....she unleashes another blast at him, half hoping that her assumption is correct...sfter all she doesn't know a whole lot about his abilities....part of her mind still wonders why he botherered to maintain the illusion of speech*

*quite simply, she's wrong. But Rikky had been wrong too. What allows him to lean against the wall now, the agitation of the walls' molecules which make the room as solid to him as it does to her (his molecules could not slide through molecules in constant motion like this), would have also allowed him to open the door and walk out. He'd forgotten, and assumed since he was ghosted... he realizes it now tho, as venin sends her blast at him, just as its unleashed, he remembers. Idiot! And a tingle... he feels the blast, but it doesn't affect him, it goes right thru him. Were it somewhat stronger, it might work. What it /does/ do, however, is not too shabby either. It hits the wall, and affects the electronics beneath the panelling, exposing wires which spark. The room isn't overly damaged, a few details flicker out, but this room was never designed for combat, not with unnatural powers, so it doesn't carry the shielding the Wreckroom does. RIkky yelps as he gets stung by a lowpowered wire, and he quickly moves away from the damage. He glances at Venin. And, solidifying just enough, he airwalks above her, hovering between floor and ceiling, away from the damage and hopefully from the reach of any wires. Now, to just figure out to get /over/ her and to the door... and then get out of the room. It couldn't be THAT hard, could it?*

*disapointment crosses her face as the blast passes harmlessly through him but quickly vanishes as he yelps...a smile crosses her face as she instantly recognizes the weakness and tries to figure how best to use it ... like a wolf stalking its prey she stands motionless every muscle tense in preparation for instant action, her eyes tracking your every motion, every muscle twitch.....no longer is she acting on rage or revenge, now she is a thinking killer her mind racing ahead tracing every possibility...I need a damn comm system....for the briefest of seconds her eyes wander from you to the door, looking for a comm system....spying one she slowly steps back her eyes once more fastened on you as she blindly reaches out behind her to activate it* Venin here, RUNner found in Wreckroom training hall, codename Eclipse, request immediate backup.

*her blast might have gone through him, but it exposed the wires beneath the panelling, and in so doing, allowed the sparks to strike him. Electricity was not his friend, and he doesn't need to give her this advantage.... so he ghosts, becomes intangible, and literally walks on air over her head, high enough above her to not be reached, but low enough from the ceiling so she couldn't aim a blast for it and call more sparking wires down on his head. Above her he hovers, speculating. All he needs to do now is get /over/ her and to the door. Couldn't be so hard, could it? Damn these walls he couldn't walk through....* Why do you not stay here and I will go fetch them? *he asks brightly* Seeing as how I am /not/ Eclipse, and becoming quite offended you continue to call me that. *his remark points to the fact that the system is down... the exposed wires that sizzle near the floor and against the wall /were/ the commlink....*

damn! *she curses as the comm unit echoes back at her with silence, she must have taken it out when she affected the wiring...she looks up at the figure hovering above head, a slow smile crossing her features..then suddenly she puncches through the wall, her hand coming out with live wires which she arcs upwards at her opponent*

*Venin is quick. Even though Rikky is most likely, technically quicker, he's not as skilled, as trained, or even inwardly as calm as Yvette. He's a rookie and hasn't even lived very long... the wires she gathers are long, torn and running with energy. She's protected by holding the rubber coating, but the juice in those wires... with his body still trying to heal and the fever still running and the pain he can't turn off... she catches him off guard. He doesn't cry out, either pride prevents him or surprise, but the pain that arcs through him at the touch of energy surges through him... and he loses concentration, falling the rest of the way to the ground with a solid -thump-, dislocating his shoulder though nothing breaks. Wracked in pain, he can barely push himself upward with one hand, dizzy, weak... and at this moment, completely as her mercy...*

*A malicious smile of victory crosses her lips as she kicks him..then kneels downs, one venolous claw extended to rake lightly over his shoulder..just enough venom to hopefully impair his healing ability, and keep him down for a while..she stands again,her foot once more shooting out to impact with his side as she viciously grabs and drags him towards the wall.... then swiftly hogties him using the electric wires, placing then so that only his own weight kept them from falling and electrocuting him..*

*In his current state, Rikky isn't able to dodge or block the kick.. it strikes him solidly in the midsection, knocking the wind out of it, making his lungs /hurt/ along with the rest of him. Pain in his shoulder as he's scratched lightly, venom entering his blood stream, making it hard for him to move upon contact. She did it lightly, and his Eshva body may not react exactly as a human would... the second time around might be different... for now, his muscles start to freeze, sieze up... and he can't fight back as she drags him to the wall. His mind starts to clear even as his body freezes... and he insticntively ghosts... yelps... remains silent as he learns why he shouldn't ghost. His shoulder is screaming agony into him, especially the way Venin has tied him up.... his head is bowed, fighting to regain something... anything.... resembling an upper hand or even a level ground. As is, he's very nearly on death's door and he knows it. He'd talk, if he could, try one more time to reason with her, but he can't. His mind kicks into to rid himself of the poison... he can't heal his shoulder in this position... the pain can just wait. Its the poison, and the position. What does he do?? At the moment, nothing he can do...*

*A cruel smile of victory creases her face as she looks down upon your helpless form...but it had been almost too easy...was this a trick?* Looks like its my turn to gloat Aerik *she turns towards the door, cursing mildly when it won't open, but then again she did just rip half of the electrics from the room...with a sigh she puts some shoulder into it pushing the door open..she then glares out at the Techie sitting there with his headphones on full blast oblivious to the world around him....she snarls and stalks over to him, ripping the headset from his head * You're on Duty, not Leave....*she starts punching in a code then stops when she realizes that she doesn't know any of the new codes yet and once more snarls at the techie.* get someone up here now....I got a Runner that needs collecting, codename Eclipse *the techie simply stares at her still recovering from having his headphones ripped off of him* NOW! *she nods as he begins tapping in codes then turns back to watch over her prisoner*

*It so happens that Scratch had finished his chores early and,considering he hadn't playfully sparred with his daughter in years, made his way down to the Wreckroom, where she said she'd be, and where he said he might catch up with her. Still a few feet away from the main entrance, unseen, he can hear her screaming at some techie... he blinks and listens. RUNner... filenamed, Eclipse. Scratch audibly, but quietly groans. Rikky. It had to be. He recalls the wicked smile on Venin's lips as she spoke of her vengeance towards Aerik. Needs collecting... that, hopefully, meant he was still alive. A very brief connection with the commlink, and Scratch assuages the main switchboard's fears, calls off the squad that was just dispatched to deal with the situation, and deals with it himself. He enters the hall proper, small room to his left, Wreck room straight ahead. The door to the smaller hologram room was open, and inside was Venin. And beyond her... a very humiliated Rikky, strung up and hogtied, but apparently alive. Good. Scratch arches his brows* Well. I'd say good work, Yvette, except...

*she stands over her captured prey studying watching his every action, even now, while trused up and helpless she still studied him...something wasn't quite right..she didn't trust him not to try something, it had been too easy, way too easy* well, Aerik, what do you have to say n.... *she cuts her words off as she hears footsteps approaching, familiar footsteps..* Sir? *a look of confusion briefly crossing her face as he adds except*

Except that's not Eclipse.... *Scratch rubs the back of his neck, the other free hand on his hip as he watches Rikky with raised brows. Rikky's head is lowerd still, and his face red in agony, tho he refuses to make sound (still, a tiny whimper could be heard now and then). His body was starting to build an immunity to the poison, but to do that, his mind had to allow the poison to stay and work... so while it blithely creates antibodies, it leaves Rikky in a very embarrassing state. His shoulder still dislocated, immobile.... Scratch shakes his head and fixes his gaze on his daughter* Remember that intelligence-gathering device I was telling you about? How we got so much on Aerik? Well, please meet Rikky, Aerik's clone, who works for us. He's GUARD, Yvette. Filename Psiclone. Can you... *Scratch waves a hand, gestures* Can you untie him?

*she glances back at Rikky the once more at Scratch* what? *she looks back at Rikky...well that would explain why something just didn't seem right, why it was so easy* A clone? *A scowl creases her forhead as she once more looks between Scratch and Rikky* Why the hell did noone tell me? *with a sigh she walks over to Rikky and roughly unties him, perhaps even aggravating the shoulder more....she didn't like clones and she sure didn't like Aerik...to her this Rikky was the best of both those worlds* What other surprises should I know about?

*As she unties him, Rikky gives his best "told ya so" glare, unable to do much else. He grunts a few times as she jostles his shoulder, but his antibodies aren't ready yet, so he's still under her Venin's sway. Scratch frowns and answers* No one told you because he's a fairly well-kept secret, even from most here. If it got out he was Aerik's clone, his affectiveness would be impaired. As for other surprises, well I have to talk to you about that one, and you won't like it. Be nice, Yvette, Rikky's a good kid. And I find it hard he didn't tell you he wasn't Aerik. I don't think he likes being confused for his brother.... *Rikky lies motionless even after he's freed, waiting for the venom to wear off, cheeks blazing in a humiliated blush. Luckily, no one else was seeing this...*

*she shrugs as she bends down to pick up the Sig Sauer she dropped earlier* Aerik will try anything *She pops the clip out, blows some dust from it then pops the round from the chamber and slides it into the clip* Any second of delay or confusion you can get in a battle is to your advantage *she holds the gun up to the light, examining the barrel, then with another shrug pops the clip back in and places it in the holster behind her back* What your opponent says should have no effect