[hider=The Night Before - Donny and Lucy]
Lucy was walking through the halls again, but this time it was without the same urgency and purpose. In fact, she was feeling rather glum despite everything that had just happened. The meeting with the Rangers had gone much better than expected, and somehow this served to make her feel even worse about what had occurred in D.G.O. Her guild members were supportive, understanding, and tried to tell her that it wasn't her fault the Green City had been destroyed. The looks full of encouragement and trust had made her stomach sick with guilt. They had relied on her to protect them, to defend their territory, to lead them, and she had failed, failed so miserably that Lucy couldn't stand to look at them a second more. She'd rushed out of the room and down the long halls until she wasn't entirely certain of where she was any longer. Even then, she did not stop. Instead, she continued to wander aimlessly, just trying to focus on anything but the events of today, or the past month really.

But now she was thinking about it all again, and Lucy found herself leaning against the wall in need of its support. The Kings had always made it look so easy, effortless, that she hadn't known how hard it would truly be. Honestly, she suspected that it was her caring nature that made leading so difficult. If not for that, she could have easily gotten over the loss, or possibly even strengthened the guild with more higher level players, but that had never been her goal. Lucy had only wanted the Rangers to be a family, as they'd always been, and to help those who needed it. Why recruit more people when they were perfectly fine? She'd accepted any new player that wanted to join, but because of their neutrality, it wasn't necessary to create a strong, PvP based guild. 

And it had been their downfall.

Many of the other Kings thrived on fighting each other, so they had built their guilds up to help with that. It was what allowed them to defend against the Ebony Strykers, something that Lucy had been unable to do. More so, she was only a healer. The other Kings could actively fight, while she had to stay behind and watch her guild members die. 

The Fanged Rangers would not stay defeated, just as she'd told the two boys she'd run into, but that did not ease the knot in her stomach, the feeling that perhaps she should step down and let someone else lead.

Donny didn't like this at all. The secrecy, the cloak-and-dagger, the scheming. He wasn't the perfect person to speak of honor or honesty, but he certainly knew a thing or two about trust, and he certainly didn't think that anyone in the Ebony Strykers trusted each other. They were like the Sith; always planning to use and usurp one another, instilling hostilities even though they're suppose to be allies. Donny may be looking for a fight, but he didn't want to have to deal with betrayal from everyone who's suppose to be at his back.

Even within his Mayhem Riders, he knew that he didn't really control them through any sense of loyalty to him or the Ebony Strykers. They were just a roaming horde of players looking for a fight, and Donny just happened to have the means and knowledge of where to find the next fight. There was what, ten core members of the Mayhem Riders? Everyone else were just tagalongs from the Ebony Strykers. And Donny was no chessmaster; he dind't care about manipulating people, just the next fight. It was really all he had to look forward to, all things considered. One battle after another, until he can no longer fight.

Donny wasn't really looking for a place to stop for the night. He just wanted to walk around, maybe find someone to talk to. Sure enough as he wandered through the desolate halls he saw a girl leaned up against the well. She looked ill, and worried, Donny went over to the girl. She wasn't wearing the school uniform, so he wondered if she had came from outside the academy. [b]"Hey! Are you okay?"[/b]

Lucy's gaze snapped up when she heard a voice, but she didn't recognize the boy it came from. It was the third time she'd been asked this question today, although this was the first time it wasn't preceded by some sort of collision. Normally, she probably would have answered with a fine, and let him move on, out of habit. But right now? Her thoughts were bubbling over, and she couldn't stop them from rushing past her lips.

"It's gone. Everything. The whole city. I couldn't stop it. Why couldn't I stop it? Isn't that all I'm expected to do? Lead them and keep the territory. That's it, and I couldn't. I let them all down..."

She paused, and then took a deep breath to try and calm herself before she continued.

"Sorry. Yes. I'm fine."

Donny looked at the girl. He already knew who she was, or at least, he knew why she was feeling so down. From what little she said, she was present at the destruction of the Green City. Donny couldn't believe it, because surely the universe wasn't trying to collect on his tab already. This was Tender Fern, the leader of the Fanged Rangers. And here he was, the man behind Arms Slave, the one who took it all away from her.

If this was Deep Ground, Donny might have mocked her. To challenge her to face him in battle and to defend what she wanted. To him it was all just a game, one that he was good at. But now in the real world, he saw Tender Fern taking the lost more personally than he had thought. This certainly put a bitter taste in Donny's mouth, a familiar, bitter taste.

[b]"No... It's... You're not really okay, are you?"[/b]

Donny crossed his arms but couldn't look directly at the girl. Perhaps it would be best for both if they kept their Deep Ground indentiy a secret from one another. 

[b]"I was there too... And... There was nothing you could have done. Those Ebony Strykers.... They just aren't playing anymore. It sucks to say that, but to them it's... It isn't a game for them. To see them be so aggressive and merciless. But... But you can't let that bother you. Otherwise, they'd win. It's true, those guys are really brutal, but come on, don't you think it's too soon to give in?"[/b]

Donny would have to put a spin to his usual "Taunts". Instead of trying to insult the girl, he was going to try to instill some fighting spirit into her. To give her a goal to rise up towards. Hopefully anyways, he never expected to keep the Tender Fern in real life, not this soon. [i]"Think... Think of a line from a movie... Ah, there we go."[/i]

[b]"If you can't protect your guild, than you can avenge it."[/b]

Lucy straightened, the determined look back in her eyes. "Of course I'm not giving in!" she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and it was. Though she was feeling terrible about what happened, there was no way she'd be letting the Strykers get away with it. There was no way she'd let down her guild a second time by walking away from the fight altogether. And there was no way she would be backing down just because they'd taken her city away from her, because the Black King was ruthless and shouldn't win. That was the one thing she knew. 

Even so, Lucy couldn't find that same fire that she'd had earlier. "I know... rationally I know that I couldn't have done anything to save it except join with them, but it doesn't really... somehow I still feel responsible. Maybe if I'd focused the guild on pvp to begin with, maybe if I'd been actively recruiting, so many maybes and ifs. They don't help me now, but maybe..." she sighed and then realized in surprise that [i]he[/i] was trying to make [i]her[/i] feel better. That was amazing in itself. It was almost always the other way around. Mostly because Lucy tended to be happy no matter what was thrown at her. The destruction of her city, though, and the death of her King were piling up on her shoulders and she found it harder and harder to just brush them off.

"But... I'm not sure I want to avenge it. They were wrong in what they did. It was... against all morals, but even so... I don't want to do that to the Strykers. It would be falling to their level. I don't want them to get away with it, but... there has to be a better way. I just don't know what it is yet." For a moment, she was quiet as she thought. "Even that Arms Slave guy... He was in charge of the whole attack, and I still don't think I would wish the same fate on him."

Lucy looked away and added, "Though I'm not sure it would even affect him like it has the Rangers and I."

 Donny stood there listening to Tender Fern, slowly starting to regret his actions. Just a little. Mostly because of just how kind-hearted Tender Fern was acting. He had figured that the whole "Neutral Pacifist" schtich she had in Deep Ground was just because she was a Healer and new better than to wad into combat. Still, Tender Fern didn't know how to get payback, how to avenge her guild. [b]"Well, no need to go eye-for-an-eye. It's not like you need to destroy the Ebony Strykers or nothing just.... Show them that no matter how vicious they are, what they do, that you and your guild won't quit. I know that sounds really silly cause of course you aren't going to quit, but you have to show everyone else that the Fanged Rangers still have their teeth."[/b]
 
 Donny wasn't really sure where he was going with this now. Granted, given that he was part of the Ebony Strykers, he didn't exactly want to [i]lose[/i], but at the same time, it was no fun going against a player who doesn't have the will to defeat you. Donny pondered what to do for a moment and had an idea. [b]"Uh, I got an idea! I'm... I'm pretty well connected to the Ebony Strykers, in a sense... I could try to figure out what they're doing. This Arms Slave guy, I uh... I know him personally. It won't be too hard for me to get him talking, and maybe I could rely that information to you. Knowledge is power, yeah, and I'm sure you could use as much as you can get! So, how does that sound?"[/b]

A small smile formed on Lucy's lips as he told her she should be doing what she'd set out to do the moment she put on the clothes and left her room. He was right though. If she didn't want to actually do to the Strykers what had been done to the Rangers, then showing them she was still around, that her and the Rangers weren't giving up, that they would do whatever it took to rebuild their city, and that there was no way they were staying down regardless of how many times they were attacked. 

So, she nodded at his words. At least the first ones. His proposition that came after set her a bit on guard. This guy knew Arms Slave? Did that mean they were friends? Or worse... were they in league? He had said that he was connected to the Strykers too. So why in the world was he here? More importantly, why was he offering to help and could she refuse it? Could she take the chance that he was telling the truth? Because Lucy really [i]did[/i] need the information. She needed to know exactly why the Strykers had attacked the Green City intent on destroying it. More so, she needed to find out what the best way to respond would be. 

Could she trust this guy? Anyone else would have walked away, but Lucy saw something sincere in his actions, and so again she nodded. "Yes. Yes please. I could use all the help I can get." And then, she held out her hand. "I'm Lucy Hall."

[b]"Donny. Donny Yang. It's nice to meet you Lucy."[/b]

Donny reached out and shook Lucy's hand. It was so soft and warm, he was a bit worried he'd break it in his cold, hard hands. He let go after he shook and quickly popped another question. 

[b]"So... It's getting pretty late, but I can look into what Arms Slave and the Ebony Strykers might be up to. I'd rather not just message you over the net however, what with the possibility that the Sweepers might be looking into my emails or something. So... Maybe tomorrow morning, we could meet... For breakfast? I know this nice place that serves a great breakfast steak in the morning."[/b] Donny dug through his pockets and gave Lucy a gift card for the cafe, which had an address and opening hours.

Lucy didn't think his hands were cold or hard at all, not that she knew that he did. Her head tilted at his suggestion, and a small blush creeped into her cheeks before she could stop it. She knew he probably hadn't meant it to sound like a date, but it certainly did. And that was something that Lucy very obviously had [i]no[/i] experience in. Her blush deepened as she took the card.

The poor girl could barely manage out an "O-okay. I'll see you there." Before she took off in the other direction.

[b]"Ah!"[/b] Donny was surprised to see Lucy run off, but in hindsight, perhaps he was a bit too aggressive. Still... A fire burned in his heart. He wanted to help Lucy gain her courage and face him in Deep Ground like a real King. He wasn't going to make it easy for her... But he also knew that she would be strong enough to defeat him with her own power. He just needed to awaken her inner strength. Finally, he would have an opponent, a rival, and... Potentially, a girl friend.

Donny just realized that he inadvertently asked Lucy out. He was so used to inviting friends for breakfast. That was just business as usual. But this would be the first time he's invited a girl, and potentially one that might kill him if she ever found out who he really was. He knew that she would discover the truth eventually, but... For now, that didn't matter. What did matter was that he had to wake up early tomorrow and wear something clean. Donny ran back to his dorm to get ready for the next morning.
[/hider]

[hider=Current Day - Donny and Lucy]
It was morning when Lucy found herself waiting for her... informant? She wasn't really sure what to call him, but he was bringing her information, so that was probably the closest. She still wondered if she could trust him and anything he told her, but what other choice did she have? Lucy was terrible at getting information, and he apparently had the connections to do it easily. Then again, that was the problem. Having those connections meant that he was somehow associated with the Ebony Strykers and Arms Slave. Lucy just wished she knew how. The curiosity was killing her. Well, that and the hunger for steak. 

She'd arrived early which was even more embarrassing than the fact that she'd literally run away from him the night before. Lucy had always been a social person, and never had a problem interacting with people, even if she hadn't really done so in years, but for some reason he unbalanced her. She couldn't explain why. Maybe because it had been so long since someone had asked to do something with her, even if it was as innocent as meeting for breakfast to discuss what he had found out. Yes. Innocent. This was a casual meeting. 

Despite how many times she'd tried to tell herself that, Lucy had shown up in her usual outside of school attire. A green scarf around her neck, a short brown skirt, and a pink short sleeved shirt. As she was adjusting that scarf, a ping informed her that she had a message, and its contents shocked her. Michael Faye was the Black King? She knew him, or well, knew of him. The strange part was that she also knew that the Black King was a girl. Was it even possible to have a girl avatar and be a boy in real life? Lucy didn't know, but why on Earth would anyone lie about something like this?

And then the previous statement in the message hit her. [i]Moon Rider is the King murderer[/i]. "No." She breathed. Of course, people had suspected it was the Black King all along, but not Lucy. She couldn't believe anyone could be capable of doing something like that because of a game. Her hands clenched at the table she sat at as she tried to reason through it all. Who was this so called Silver Jester that was telling them this and where had he even gotten the information? Her emotions were all over the place, but something was wrong about this message. Lucy couldn't trust it, and so instead she waited, hoping to find out what Donny thought of it.

[b]"This is not the kind of shit I want to go through in a morning..."[/b] Donny groaned as he washed up. Normally he wouldn't really care too much about his appearance, but this was special. He took a shower, a healthy application of body wash and shampoo, even sprayed a bit of cologne. He'd never use it otherwise, sticking solely to deodorant, but he didn't want to creep off Lucy by looking like a bum. He didn't really have any "Stylish" clothing, mostly just copies of his school uniform. Even what he did have that wasn't his school uniform was home-casual stuff; various plain shirts, sweatpants, socks, underwear. Really basic stuff. He had to keep digging through his drawers and closet to find something that he figured might be rather cool looking. A fitting pair of khaki pants, ankle boots, and a black coat that he hasn't worn in a while since it was never really "cold" enough for him. What he worried most was what was suppose to go underneath that coat; all he had was plain shirts. White and black. [b]"Goddamn. Why do I have to be so bland?"[/b]

Donny eventually left his dorm looking somewhat okay. He had managed to find a rather quirky dark green sweater vest from who-knows-where, which while it may seem rather... Strange for his attire, it least gave ti some variances. He wore a white shirt underneath. He also took his school bag which contained some basic necessities; his books, laptop, crowbar, writing utensils, bandages, lunchbox. He made it a note that he really needs to go clothing shopping sometimes; he might have excuses for not making Arms Slave look cool since most people don't have clothing that fits four-armed giants, but the only thing big about Donny was his gut.

And that was just one of his initial problems this morning. When he woke up he noticed a new message in his inbox from some guy named "Silver Jester". A quick scan of the message and Donny just threw it into spam. Oh, he read all of it, and was quickly deduced that it was a load of crap. While he never met the guy hismelf, he knew that Michael didn't have the chops to be the Black King. It would have been more beleivable for Yoshino to be the Black King. Not only that, but how many people was still going to beleive in the "Black King killed the other kings" rumors? That was at least a month old, and starting to get real repetative now. Everything else Donny quickly dismissed for another, more vital message. A job from an Eraser.

He was calling in a favor, which would explain why he didn't bother to go through the usual procedure of explaining the context of the job and Donny's payment. But his Eraser contact wanted him to find Michael and protect him. On one hand, Donny didn't want anything to do with that message today, but on the other hand a favor was a favor. Just how he was suppose to go about "Protecting" Michael he didn't know, but he knew that he'll have to address it eventually. But first things first. He needed to meet Lucy and tell her what "Arms Slave" was up to.

Donny reached the cafe, Imizu, before most of the employees had even began to set up shop. He thought he would have gotten here first, but much to his embarrassment Lucy was already there. While hew as glad that she showed up, he felt bad that he had made her wait for who knows how long. It wasn't even eight AM. Just when did she come here, right after she ran off?

[b]"Lucy! Morning, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."[/b]

Lucy jumped when her name was called, dragging her out of her own worries. She was going to turn, tell him it was fine, but then she got a good look at him and her eyebrows shot up in confusion. He didn't look anything like he had the night before and was that [i]cologne[/i]? She could smell it from across the room. A small smile graced her lips as she realized he had dressed up for her. It didn't really matter in the long run, maybe he always did that when he was off campus, but it made her feel better about things. Why, she didn't know.

"Hey." This time she grinned at him and pointed to the chair across from her, "It's no problem. I've never been good at the whole sleeping thing!" Which was true. Ever since Lucy was young she'd always had trouble staying asleep and often found herself waking very early or staying up very late. It was part of the reason she could be found wandering hallways and streets when everyone else was sleeping.

Her grin disappeared and her tone turned worried, though, as she brought up the message she'd received. "Did you see what the Silver Jester sent? The Black King couldn't have killed them could she? It's a lie, right?" Lucy looked at him, hoping he would agree, but fearing he wouldn't. All this time, she'd been trying to think the best of Moon Rider, knowing that she probably had reasons for doing what she did even if it was hurting other people. There was never a reason for murder, though. If she'd really killed the Kings... well Lucy wasn't sure what she'd do. 

Taking a seat at the table Lucy picked up, she started mentioning her insomnia. [b]"Strange, I got a different problem. I just can't seem to [i]not[/i] fall asleep at the slightest provocation. But that's what the coffee is for."[/b] Just some light conversation to break the ice, though they both seemed to hit it off rather well. The the lighthearted mood changed when Lucy brought up the message. She seemed more concerned that Moon Rider may gave killed the kings, or at least that's the first thing she mentioned. [b]"Tch, of course she wouldn't. I mean, granted, I dunno who the Moon Rider really is, so I can't say I know how she's like.... But let's think of it like this. That silver joker says that Michael is the Black King, the Moon Rider. Now do you know Michael? I don't, not really, but even I don't think he'd have what it takes to murder the kings in cold blood. And beside that, didn't one of those kings die with the school president? If Michael really did have the kings killed, how did the school president make it out alive? Honestly, I think the entire thing is just an elaborate troll. First this guy says he's the "Masked Man" who's been popping around Deep Ground, than he says that the Black King has killed the other kings, which by the way is a old rumor, and now he claims that Michael Faye is Moon Rider all along? This is just way too much to swallow, though I have no doubts some fools would believe it and do something stupid."[/b]

After all, that's why Donny had been hired to protect Michael; because there were some people stupid enough to believe everything told to them, and surely someone would attack Michael for reasons unknown. It wouldn't be shocking to Donny if another Sweeper had been hired to hunt down Michael.

[b]"I wouldn't believe a word of that message. Like I said, troll post. Likely someone trying to take advantage of everything that happened yesterday to ruffle everyone's feathers. Bastards."[/b]

Soon someone came over to ask if they were ready to order. Donny, being a regular, asked for his "Typical" and turned towards Lucy. [b]"Anything you'd like? I'll cover the cost."[/b]

Surprise showed on her features when he offered to pay for whatever she wanted, and once again she had the nagging feeling that this [i]wasn't[/i] casual or innocent. Pushing this feeling away, she said quietly, "Eggs. Scrambled. And... bacon." She gave the waiter a smile and a genuine thanks before turning back to Donny, relief clear on her face.

"I do know Michael. I don't think he could be Moon Rider. He doesn't seem the type to do... what.. she did." Her expression fell a bit as she remembered the events of yesterday, but she pushed forward. "I didn't really believe the message either, but I... the last Green King and I were really close..." she sighed, placing her head in her hands for a moment. "I just want to know what happened. Who could do something like that? How? Why? It's impossible to figure out, and it's... terrible. Sometimes I feel like it's just a nightmare and that tomorrow I'll wake up and everything will be back to the way it was."

Lucy looked back up, the determination from the night before back in her eyes. "What about you? Did you find anything out?" Donny was probably her only chance to get ahead of the Strykers and figure out just what was going on. If he had nothing for her, she'd have to come up with some other plan.

Donny bit his lip as Lucy told him about her relationship with the last kings. He didn't really cling to the past, but he couldn't blame Lucy for being concerned. Who knows what killed the last kings, and nothing really stops the new ones from meeting the same fate. Lucy had every right to be worried, even if Silver Jester's message is nothing but lies. [b]"It won't remain a secret forever. I'm sure someone is investigating and we'll get our answers soon. Ah, speaking of answers,"[/b]

Donny reached into his bag and took out a printed map from Deep Ground. It was Scarlet Harley territory. [b]"I couldn't contact Arms Slave directly, but I heard from some of his Mayhem Riders that they're waiting for orders by either Dark Wraith, the Ebony Stryker's second in command, or even Moon Rider herself. But in the event that they don't have any plans for today, Arms Slave is suppose to lead his Mayhem Riders to attack the Scarlet Harley territory tonight after school. It's not going to be quite the same as the Green City, as they plan to simply circle around the city and bombard it from the outside, that way they won't have to deal with any Brawlers destroying their war machines and so they could escape at a moments notice. I tried to figure out more about that giant coin or if more dissolutions were going to show up, but I'm afraid that I couldn't find any answers about that. Best I can tell is that they plan to just wreck the Red City and finish the job some other way than like they did with the Green City. Ah... And, I think I've got some plans how you could stop them..."[/b]

This was the part that made Donny nervous. Mostly because if Lucy does follow through with this, [i]he[/i] was going to get screwed big time. The best he could do is maneuver himself to be unaffected, but this may tip off Lucy that he's Arms Slave. He'd have to play it cool for now, and just do what he has to do. 

[b]"They don't plan to take the open road to the Red City. There is a tunnel in the White Territory connecting to the Red Territory. That's where the Mayhem Riders will be going towards, under the impression that they're heading to the White Territory to attack them. However, recently the Ivory Mask have disbanded, so this is just a feint. Once they're in the white territory, they'll split off into a main force and an auxiliary force. The main force will be taking the tunnel to the Red territory while the auxiliary force makes a big ruckus to attract the other guilds. I hear that Arms Slave is actually going to be in the auxiliary force, since he knows he'll be a high priority target by the other guilds. So while he's distracting everyone else, his main force will sneak to the Red City and bombard it. So here's where you and your Fanged Rangers come in; you can sabotage the tunnels to ensure that the main forces never make it to the Red City. I don't really know how you'd go about that, but it's an idea. So? What do you think?"[/b]

"I..." Lucy started, but stopped looking down at the map again. How had he gotten all of this information? Who had given it to him? The amount of detail was crazy, and why would anyone involved tell Donny what they were going to do? He must have been close to someone in the Riders, or he could even be a part of them himself. But then why was he helping her? None of it made sense, but she was certain his information was good, even if it was some sort of trap. The Red City was Rabbits's territory. She'd called all of the guilds together and was they reason they were allied in the first place, but why was she next on the targets? Lucy had thought that the Mayhem Riders would go after Yellow next. After Green, they were probably the easiest to destroy. And what had he said about the Ivory Masks? They'd disbanded?

Lucy pushed her hands into her head, trying to force herself to keep her mind on the plan he'd suggested. She needed to stop getting distracted so easily. It was part of the reason that she wasn't doing a great job as King. "Okay. So..." she paused a moment, thinking it over. "You think if we can close of the tunnels, the plan will be ruined? Couldn't they just turn around and come through the roads though?" Lucy looked back at the map tracing the lines. "I don't even know how we'd go about doing that. I guess that there's..." She didn't finish. There was perhaps one member of the Rangers who could do it, but it wasn't fool proof. There was a chance that it wouldn't work the way she envisioned. Donny had helped her, but there was no way she was going to give him anything in return by way of information. He was too close to the Riders, and the risk of him passing it on to them was too high. 

"There's just one problem," and this was where both of their plans flawed. "All of my Rangers except Jukebox are out of the game for most of the day. If the Mayhem Riders attack before the 24 hours are up, it's going to be just me. I mean, I may be a King, but I can't distract that many people for that long. But Jukebox...." An idea was starting to form in her head, but a question interrupted it.

"Where will you be?"

Donny froze up. He knew this question would be asked, but he feared to have to answer it. [i]"Okay Donny, just like you rehearsed. You already planned this out, just.... Say it."[/i] Donny took a deep breath and readied himself for what he was going to say. [b]"Well... I'm... I'm going to be in the Red City. Cause... I'm a Sweeper."[/b]

It was the truth, but not the whole truth. However he had already made up an entire cover that ought to be believable for Lucy. Or so he hopes. [b]"It's... It started a few years ago. I was, you know, a newb. Had a hard time in Deep Ground because of all the outlaws. So I asked for help. One thing lead to another and... I joined up with the Sweepers, sort of. I mean, you don't really 'join', you just sort of know some people who do Sweeper things, and suddenly you're a Sweeper. I never really considered myself one, but even after joining the Scarlet Harleys, more often than not I was working with the Sweepers Hunting outlaws and stuff. When the Sweepers allied with the Ebony Strykers, I was told to stay in the Red City to be their spy, you know? But.... But like I said, I never really 'joined' the Sweepers. I liked their ideal, and when they joined the Ebony Strykers they sort of... Weren't the same."[/b]

Donny took a deep breath. He was lying out of his butt, but he spoke with such certainty that even he was starting to think he was actually a Scarlet Harely player. It helped that not everything he was saying was a lie; at the very least, he did join with the sweepers when he was a new player, and he did believe that the Sweepers weren't the same when they joined the Ebony Strykers. Or rather... Now they were showing their true colors. Donny continued to speak. 

[b]"But I couldn't quit, or at least I knew better not to. By pretending I was still a Sweeper, they'd keep me informed of what they would do, and all I had to do was play my part and try to be all spy like. That's why I'm helping you, and that's how I know they'll be attacking the Red City. I'm suppose to help them by getting some Scarlet Harley players and drawing them away from the city, but there is another way I can help. After their attack yesterday, I logged on to nab myself my own war machine. It's a tank I call the [url=http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120930204021/planetside2/images/0/07/Vehicle_Prowler.gif]Prowler[/url] It has twin-linked autocannons which should be able to do enough damage to collapse one end of the tunnel, and a unique anchoring ability that allows it to move up stuff like walls and ceilings. The terrain around the red city is trecherous, so our vehiciles need to be able to traverse the cliffs easidly. I can't stop them because I'm suppose to be helping them, but you... You could stop them. I'll leave my Prowler near the Red City were you and this Jukebox guy could pick it up. Than you'd have to ride to the tunnels, collapse them, and effectively stop the attack on the Red City. Who knows, you might even be able to make it to the otherside of the tunnel in the White Territory and collapse that end of the tunnel, trapping the whole main force underground. That ought to limit the Mayhem RIder's ability to fight, right?"[/b]

Donny was giving Lucy plans to screw himself over, but on the bright side at least if this works out, Lucy would give her Fanged Rangers the hope they'd need to stand and fight against the Mayhem Riders. He'll figure out a way to save his Mayhem Riders later, so first things first.

She didn't believe him. Lucy didn't really know why. He sounded convinced of the lie himself, but there was something else going on here. Even so, he had helped her, continued to help her, and so she let it go. If he wanted to hide something from her, she understood. After all, they weren't friends. Barely even acquaintances. It was probably a bad idea to follow his advice knowing that he wasn't telling her the whole truth, but it was the only lead that Lucy had, and she did believe he wanted to help her, though she wasn't sure why. 

There was one thing about his entire plan that was bothering her. "Trap them underground..." It wasn't exactly hurting any of them, but still. It sounded like a terrible fate regardless of who they were. It was only a game, but even so. Just as she had been destroyed by the burial of her city, things that happened in D.G.O. could affect players in real life. Being buried alive in some cave tunnels seemed like it could be a pretty traumatic experience, and as such, she wasn't sure she was entirely comfortable with the idea of it. Even so, Lucy could at least block off one end to keep them out of the Red City. Or more, she'd sent Jukebox to do it while she made sure the Riders got themselves out of the caves and went back to the Black City. 

"No. I'm not going to do that." Her expression was wary as she looked at him, wondering just how cruel someone had to be to come up with a plan like that. It wasn't necessarily surprising. Most people didn't consider anything that happened in the game to be real, but while in D.G.O, she'd come to find that it was real enough. "Keeping them out of the City will be enough. I don't want to... I couldn't imagine being trapped in those tunnels. I won't do it to anyone else." Her voice was disappointed, almost, as if she'd expected better of him. 

And then she was reaching across the table, placing her hand on his arm. "Donny. You don't have to help them. If you don't believe in what they're doing, then just leave. I..." she paused, afraid of sounding like some idiot who didn't know what she was talking about, "I think you're better than that. All of it. The fighting, the destroying, the [i]hate[/i]. You don't have to do it. We don't." By we, she was referring to the Rangers. "Just... keep it in mind."

Donny kept a tight lip. That last statement. [i]"All of it. The fighting, the destroying, the hate. You don't have to do it."[/i] He was going to say something, but than a waiter came by with the breakfast. He put down Lucy's scrambled eggs and bacon in front of her with a short stack of pancakes, and gave Donny a breakfast steak cuts with mushrooms and hashbrowns, also with a stack of pancakes. The waiter mentioned that if there was anything else they'd like, all they would need to do is ask and left.

Donny looked at the food before him and remembered how hungry he was. [b]"W-well, enough talk about Deep Ground! Let's just enjoy our breakfast while we can. There's still plenty of time, so let's just... Chillax."[/b] Donny smiled and began took out a pocket knife. It was a small, three inch serrated blade. Great for cutting steak. He also pulled out a pair of chopsticks, using those to hold and eat his cut of meat.

Lucy stared at the food feeling awkward, just as she had the night before. Her cheeks colored red again now that she was not able to distract herself with thoughts of Deep Ground and her guild. "I.. y-yes. Breakfast." The food did look good, but her appetite was not very great. Not after all the talk of death and fighting. So, instead of eating, Lucy picked at the food and tried to steer the conversation towards topics that woule help her to feel less... embarassed. It had been too long since she'd spent this much time with someone else.

"Um... so.. what..." She nervously brushed her blond hair behind her ears, trying to think of a question to ask him. "What do you do for fun? Besides D.G.O obviously."

Half way through his steak, Lucy started up a converstaion. She wanted to know what Donny does off of Deep Ground. [b]"Hmm..."[/b] Chewing and swollowing his mouthful of food, he thought about it. He wasn't really into school, and he usually lasts a while in Deep Ground to spend a whole night. So what does he do outside of it? [b]"Well, I sometimes visit the gym and do some... Karate. Just something that I picked up as a kid, you know? Granted, I certainly haven't, uh, kept up as well as I could."[/b] Donny jokingly poked his own stomach to emphasis his lack of training.

[b]"I do play some games aside from Deep Ground though. Usually just something to do after I get killed and I need to wait in between ressurections. Let's see... Mostly RPG's. Build your own character stuff, epic plots, that sort of thing."[/b] Donny kept deliberately vague, not out of any dark secracy, but because he was afraid that if he elaborated further, Lucy might discover that he's a total geek. Back at his dorm, he had a rather extensive collection of collectables from his trips to gaming and anime conventions. It was his guilty pleasure. On one hand, he wasn't really a "Hardcore" fan, but on the other hand, he didn't have much interest outside of things like Touhou, Monster Hunter, Bioware, and whatever else catches his interest at the time. [b]"What about you? I'm sure you lead a much more interesting life than I do."[/b]

Lucy only shook her head. She didn't lead an interesting life at all. Most of her time was spent trying to get as far as she could in Deep Ground. It was her only chance to get away from the home that she never visited, the only way to get far enough in life to finally help other people in a lasting way. What she really wanted was to be a doctor, and she spent much of her time studying because of it. Plus, it kept her away from people that judged her too harshly and let her spent time alone in a corner somewhere. 

There was one thing, though, that she took pleasure in. Something that was for her and her alone. Music was her secret. It wasn't shameful or embarrassing, so Lucy didn't why she didn't want to speak about it. Maybe because it was so close to her heart. That sounded stupid, she thought, but it was right. So when she spoke, her blush deepened until her cheeks were blood red. "I.. study. A lot.. but.."

Lucy bit her lip, still embarrassed by the whole thing. Why had she brought it up again? "I like music. Sometimes... I like to spend time singing." Then to take the attention off of herself again, she asked another question. "You know martial arts? That's cool. I don't think I'd be able to learn or use it if I did."

[i]"Singing huh? Hmm..."[/i] Donny had this funny thought in his head to combine his physical technique with Lucy's musical ability and create a fusion of the two that danced rhythmically. He didn't know what brought this thought upon him, but it made him smirk. [b]"Yeah, though I don't really get to use it much. I mean... Most of the fighting I do is in Deep Ground. It's been a while since I've... Did full contact karate."[/b] By that he meant it's been a long time since he himself got into a fight, much to his chagrin.

[b]"But you sing huh? You know, just a thought, but maybe..."[/b] Donny looked at his breakfast. He still had some steak left and room in his stomach, but for some reason he didn't eat. What he wanted to ask was on the tip of his tongue, but he wouldn't dare say it. At least not unless Lucy was really curios.

Lucy's eyes were wide as she finally looked up at him. "I-I. I mean I don't... I w-wouldn't say I'm very good at it." But even so, she wondered what he was thinking because for once he seemed just as embarrassed as she'd been since he'd asked her to meet him here the night before. There was no way she could resist asking as she tilted her head to the side, much like a questioning dog. 

"What were you thinking?"

Lacing his fingers together Donny thought long and hard about what he was going to ask. If this worked it, it'll be like taking Lucy to the next level. It would really challenge his ability as Arms Slave. He gulped and spoke out. [b]"Well... With your... Musical talent... And my martial abilities... Maybe... You and I could... Learn to dance together."[/b]

If Donny could turn back time he'd do so right than and there. If he could wipe memories he'd make Lucy forget what he just said. Heck, he if could snap his own neck he might have just done that to save himself from the embarrassment. He just kept looking at his breakfast steak. He ordered it medium rare, but right now his face looked redder than the meat.

If her eyes could grow wider, they did, so much so that it was painful. He... wanted to dance with her? Lucy had no idea what to say to that. It was getting harder and harder to convince herself that all of this was casual. The breakfast had to been to get information from him. Nothing more. But learning to dance? What would that be considered? And what kind of dancing? 

"I..." Lucy knew what she wanted to to say, but not exactly what she [i]should[/i] say. The boy in front of her had lied to her, and she still had no idea who he was or who he really worked for. She had no clue why he had helped her, but had a feeling it was not necessarily for a selfless reason. Even so, she found herself smiling. "Okay."

[i]"Aw yea."[/i] Donny now wished he could hug himself, but he played it cool. [b]"Alright! So maybe we could meet up, I dunno, tomorrow or something at the Gym? I think they have some clubs or something we could look around for, maybe we could find something that we both would like. How does that sound?"[/b] Donny couldn't believe this was happening. Heck, he hardly even expected her to show up today. And yet here she was. And all he did was ask.

Her smile grew a bit, and she nodded. "I should have the time unless something huge happens, you know. Responsibilities of a King and all." Her words were light, joking, but also true. It didn't often happen to her, but she knew that other Kings were pretty much always busy doing something or other for their guild, usually preparing for some kind of battle. Lucy's territory was gone now, though, and she had nothing left to protect. They would have to build the City back up, but for now it was too dangerous with the Strykers able to control the dissolutions that plagued the crater where her guild hall used to be.

"I've never danced before. I'm not sure I'll be any good, but I can certainly try." It was hard for her to believe that he even asked her to learn. All this time she'd been invisible. It'd only taken a green dress for people to notice her. Now, Lucy just had to decide if she preferred being seen.

Donny broke into a smile and nodded his head. [b]"Yeah. Yeah! I'll look into it today, see if we can find something that would be okay. I'll clear out my schedule too, so ah, maybe you and I could meet back here sometime later, see if things can work out?"[/b] Just than, Donny got another message from his Eraser contact asking him what the situation with Michael is. Donny signed at the buzz kill, but he did have a job to do. [b]"Atch, looks like my friend needs to be picked up. Well... I'll handle the bill. It was nice to meet up like this Lucy. So... Want to meet for breakfast again?"[/b]

And the blush was, unsurprisingly, back when he asked to meet her again. "I-I... yes. I would like that," she said, her voice quiet. Here she was, agreeing to meet with this guy who she didn't even know again, crazy. Lucy was crazy. Before she turned to leave, though, she looked at him with that same expectant gaze she'd had earlier. "Remember what I said, Donny. You don't have to.. be like them. Okay?"

And then as she made her way to the door, her head was ringing again. Another message? This one from Michael, who apparently wanted to talk to all the kings except for one: red. Maybe Michael [i]was[/i] a King as the message had said and the Jester had just gotten the color wrong. Either way, when she left the cafe, she did as she was told and headed towards the gym, wrapping the scarf tighter around her neck.

Donny left the cafe and headed back to his dorm. Which also happened to be where Michael should be staying at. Donny stopped by his own dorm to pick up a package dropped off by his Eraser, and than left to find Michael. He found Michael just about to leave before Donny stopped him. [b]"Hey, hold up."[/b] Than Michael told Donny that he was a Sweeper. Donny asked for confirmation, and sure enough "The Numbers don't lie." Seeing that Michael was in the know now, Donny took out a button-looking device. He attached it to one of Michael's buttons on his shirt, and this was the bug that Retsu mentioned.

[b]"Alright, now I'm going to be out of sight. Don't worry, if something happens, I'll be close by to stop it. The only reason I'm staying out of sight is so I can handle things before they become a problem, savvy?"[/b]

And with that, Michael would be able to safely tread to the Gymnasium without anyone bothering him. Donny in the mean time stayed out of sight, watching from afar... Making sure Michael did as Retsu told him.[/hider]