It takes me a moment to realize that the echo in my head means that it's coming from his head, and also somewhere near enough for me to detect it with my personal sensors.

I fly toward the noise and move through the door with so much force that it would go flying off the hinges if I were real.

And none other than the Venetian wench herself is bringing the last standing gangster guard to the ground where his two companions are already collapsed.

Is she trying to take my Nicholas since my captain has already escaped her clutches? But what can I do, since she's proving that the gangsters won't be capable of distracting her from her prey this time?

Well, maybe I'll do. It's a desperate hope, but it's all I have.

"Nicholas," I say telepathically. "At my word, run."

"So that was you taking out my guards, then?"

"No. But I'll distract her. Be ready- I know you already got rid of your bonds."

"Duh, I grew up on the streets. I know how to escape a ziplock. But what's this about 'her'? Orion's ex again?"

"Just be ready."

Even as we exchange this information, the killer from Venus slithers to her feet like a snake, or perhaps just a wavy glide like a woman. Either destroyer she is manifesting, she is moving closer toward Nicholas's door.

"Wayta!" I yell, out loud this time.

She pauses, and turns, flicking her long, strange hair over her shoulder. An amused grin graces her lips. "Ah, Orion's pet. What are you doing here?"

Before she can realize I'm here to extract Nicholas, I blurt, "He sent me to deliver a message."

Wayta narrows her eyes, like she isn't sure what to think of this transaction, and was analyzing whether or not further communication would be worthwhile.

"He instructed me to tell you this once he was a safe distance away."

At this, she smiles. "Oh, sweetheart, there is no safe distance from me."

"Oh." I blink blankly, like a good, unthinking artificial intelligence would. "Then I guess I cannot give you this message for infinity." I turn as if to leave.

This baits Wayta, and she moves toward me. "We both know that our Orion would want you to give me his message, safe or not."

Our Orion? Why have I not removed this woman's existence from this galaxy yet?

Because AI's are programmed to be pacifist without an express command from their programmer. And while my captain lets me do what needs to be done to protect our team and our witnesses, he would never let me terminate the very woman who executed his father.

Because while she stopped his father's heart from beating, she also ran off with my captain's heart.

"Very well," I say, studying Wayta, making it appear that I'm giving her my full attention. Inside my head, though, I say, "Get ready."

"Copy," Nicholas answers.

"He told me-" I give her a compassionate expression, artificial on so many levels. "Perhaps you should sit down."

She gives me a patronizing look in return. "I'll be fine, honey."

Right. Because she's soulless. I don't know what my captain sees in her. "Captain Orion wanted me to tell you..." I hesitate.

Wayta purses her lips, frustration flashing in her eyes.

I'm losing her. It's now or never.

I'm so sorry, Orion.

"He wanted to have me tell you that he never wants to see you again."

-Banner by CannibalisticNecro

-Signature by -krystallite