[img]http://i.imgur.com/2DN9izJ.png[/img]

"Thank you, come again!" 

Jaden called to his latest batch of satisfied customers as they left the store carrying several bags worth of various herbs and medicines. Once they were out of sight, he let out a content sigh and nodded in approval.  He took a seat and started sorting the money in the register.  So far, it had been quite a productive morning, and hopefully this would continue. Seeing that there was nobody else around for the time being, he felt this was as good a chance as any to check in on his "manager". 

"Hey Gaia? You got a minute?" He called over his shoulder, only to receive no answer. With a roll of his eyes, he closed the register, put out a small billboard that said [b]"On Break. Be Back Soon"[/b] and headed over to the back door. He opened it and walked out into an adjoining green house. 

Gaia herself, still in her pixie state, was sitting on a small couch idly watching the television while wearing head phones and taking sips from a tall bottle of cream soda and fetching herself chips from out of a bag. It was moments like these that Jaden pondered just how wise it was to introduce his partner to the conveniences that modern humans enjoyed. At the very least, it did make her appreciate humans slightly more than she once did. 

Nonetheless, the young man wandered over and tapped her on the head. She looked up at him as he pointed to his own head, a subtle sign for her to take off the head gear. She sighed and hit the pause button on the remote before doing as he asked, "Whatever it is, make it quick. You caught me right in the middle of the good part."

"My apologies, your majesty," Jaden didn't even bother to hide the sarcasm in his voice which made his friend fume. Ignoring her, he took a seat, "But I wanted to ask if you felt like going out on patrol later? You know, maybe finally get a lead on that one Fae we been trying to track down?" 

Any hope of her taking his request seriously was crushed when she only moved to dig around in the chip bag more, "Tempting...but there's a Monster Movie Marathon coming on later. Why don't you get off that high horse of yours, close up the shop early, and take a load off?" She crunched down on an entire mouthful of chips and slurped some drink before speaking again, "I'm pretty sure this city can look after itself for one evening."

Those words for some reason made Jaden wince. He had the feeling that despite her not outright saying it, his partner was trying to get him to unwind a little from how hard he'd been working himself lately. They may've had their disagreements here and there...but at the end of the day, they still looked out for one another, and it wasn't just out of obligations. He took a seat and picked up an unopened can of soda. He leered over at his friend, "For the record I am NOT gonna stick around watching movies all day...I'm just thirsty." 

The two then sat together in silence, slurping drinks and picking up where the movie had left off, with Gaia having unplugged her head set so they could both hear. After a while, Gaia spoke up, "By the way...have you even thought of what you're gonna do when we finally catch up to this "Ambassador" person?"

Jaden stopped himself before taking another slurp. He set his can down, pondering what to say. His voice when he spoke was heavy with worry, "...To be honest, I haven't really put too much thought into it. My main thought process has basically been "find her, stop her, shut down the gate before she can do any major damage". For now...maybe we should just worry about capturing her. Let the justice system take care of things..."

"Oh for crying out loud..." Gaia somehow managed to facepalm despite her tiny hands, "Jaden...don't play dumb with me. You know as well as I do that if this...Ambassador...is [b]AT ALL[/b] like that blood-drinking witch, we can't take ANY chances! We need to make sure she can never be a threat to my children ever again!" Why was her partner so thick-headed at times?

"I'm aware of that, Gaia," He sighed, somehow knowing this was gonna cause a headache on his part, "But...I don't want to pass judgement until all the facts are in. I want to stop the Fae as much as you do, but we need to be smart about how we do this. We can't let our desire to stop them cloud our thinking.  We know next to nothing about this particular person, where she came from, what her life's been like, why she does what she does, nothing."

"Hmph," Gaia tossed aside the empty bag in frustration, "Are you even listening to yourself?! What's there to find out? She lets those...things into this world and then lets them run about doing whatever they want, killing humans and livestock, destroying my home and yours too..." She shook her head, "I don't care what her motivation is or whatever sob story she's using to justify it...and frankly, I don't think you should either. She's dangerous and needs to be punished! Can you look me in the eye and say that "understanding" her is really more important than all the lives she ruins?!"

"No, of course not!" Jaden snapped, causing her to reel back in shock and for him to facepalm at losing his cool, "I...I'm sorry, Gaia. I just...you're right...you're absolutely right...and we ARE going to do something about it..." He reached out a hand and pat her on the head to comfort her, "But we need to use the right methods...otherwise, we may end up being just as bad as her and the rest of her kind...." He closed his eyes as his mind went back to when it all started...

His first month on the job was...an eventful one, to say the least. Along with the usual muggers, and drug traffickers and what not, there was someone or something going around draining blood from people and leaving them as empty husks. To make an incredibly long story short, him and his partner had found out it was the work of a powerful Fae known as Glastig, whom with the help of her minions, was harvesting humans and using their blood to empower her so she could activate a gateway that would allow her to bring a Fae army through. They fought her, and won, but to prevent her from being a threat ever again, and to save his loved ones...Evergreen took away the remnants of Glastig's power and transformed her into a tree.

He had good reasons for doing so...but the memory of doing something so awful still haunted him nearly a year later.

Gaia must've been able to read his thoughts cause she turned down the TV and sighed heavily, "...Look, just...promise me one thing...if we're ever in a situation like that again...where it's either her or the people you're sworn to protect..that you'll do what you gotta do..." Her voice turned a little more serious, to show how important this was, "Because, if you let her go, if you let your sentimentality get the better of you...all the deaths she causes from that point onward are gonna be on[b] your[/b] shoulders. Do I make myself clear?" He hesitated for a moment but nodded, "Jaden...look me in the eye and tell me you understand, please."

The young man frowned as he turned to look his partner in the eye. His mind flashed back to all those bodies, drained of their lives just to supply a monster with the power she needed to end even MORE lives. People with hopes and dreams that would go unfulfilled now, and leaving a hole in many families that would never be filled. He had gotten a harsh lesson during that incident, in that no matter how powerful you were or the resources at your disposal...you could not save everyone.

 Of course, what was important was that you did what you could to make a difference, and that you did what was right, no matter the odds against you.  "I promise...on the condition that we don't even consider that unless we exhaust every other option...agreed?"

The spirit did her best not to roll her eyes. Apparently, even when faced with cold, hard facts, her partner still put more trust in his heart than he did his brain. Of course, that was one of the things she admired about him, as it helped get him this far. At the very least, she could put her faith in that, "Fine, fine...you know, there are days I want to whack you upside that skull of yours. Might actually put some common sense in there for a change..." Regardless, she let the matter go for the time being and flopped back on the couch, turning up the volume as Jaden joined her.

After a while, he finally had enough. If even Gaia was willing to tell him to take some time off, he figured he should listen,"You know what...alright, you win. We'll go out. Who knows? Maybe an evening out on the town is exactly what I need." He got up to head for the door.

Gaia enthusiastically shut off the TV to follow him, "Finally! A good idea for a change!" Yes, once in a while, her partner did show signs of having a brain.

Jaden mentally commanded all the plants to return to their slumber before shutting off the lights and locking the door. He dropped off his key in the garden by the door, which was quickly dragged under by one of his plant friends. With a nod of thanks, he slung on his jacket and took a walk down the street, hands in his pockets and his partner following not far behind him. 

He disappeared into an empty alleyway and let his human appearance unravel itself, reverting him back to Evergreen. He flexed his hands and turned before proceeding to run up the side of the alley wall with little effort. Upon reaching the top, he took off like a lightning bolt, leaping and bounding across the rooftops with remarkable ease. He pulled off a running leap and cleared a gap between two buildings without slowing down and kept going. It was great to have moments like these, where you can just forget all your worries and take off, act like the world was your oyster. 

With a snap of his wrist, he launched his arm out Mr Fantastic style and grabbed a flagpole, swinging himself across to the top of an apartment building before stopping for a moment. Gaia came up beside him, not long after, looking awfully smug as she leaned against him, "So...feeling better yet?"

The plant warrior scowled over at his partner, annoyed...before sighing in defeat, "Yeah...kinda. I suppose I needed a break, after all," He walked to the edge and looked down at the street, "Huh, check that out..." Down below in an alleyway there were a group of men all dressed in black and wearing making some sort of transaction...involving what looked to be bags of white stuff in several briefcases

"Hmm..." His friend looked down, a hint of a scowl on her facial features, "...Really? You want to get involved with those guys on our night off? Seriously? I thought I tol-" She stopped herself at seeing the smug smile on his face, "...You're planning something evil, aren't you?"

"Perhaps.." He leered over at his friend, "After all...nobody said that you have to fight crime using the same tactics all the time...right?"

"Hmhmhm..." Gaia folded her tiny arms and looked upwards at the sky, "If those idols of yours saw what you were about to do, I don't think they'd approve..." She smirked at him, "Luckily, they're not here right now..."

The two of them descended down into another nearby alley and Evergreen held his palm up. Gaia touched her own hand to his and both were consumed in an orb of bright green energy, and once more the champion and Gaia were united. 

When the light cleared, there was a figure with a distinctly female shape. It, or rather she, had an hourglass form and long slender limbs. Her skin was a milky white and she stood several inches taller than Evergreen. The figure was quite curvy with a generous bust and clothed in a flowing black and violet leaf-like dress that flowed to the ground as black pumps were on her feet. Black gloves slid up her arms with images of flowers spiraling around each of them. Her eyes were violet and framed by long lashes as a mane of white petals in the style of hair descended down her back.

On her head formed a large black rose. She reached up and removed her mask, turning it into a fan as she fanned herself. Her voice was a feminine, high-pitched one with a mischievous undertone, "Now...let's go have some fun..."
_____________________________________________________

The men, each wearing ski masks to conceal their identies , set out the briefcases and opened them one by one. Inside was multiple rows of
cocaine and marijuana along with various other illegal and even controversial drugs. One of the men took off their mask, revealing a Caucasian man in his late twenties with scruffy brown hair, whom whistled, "Well, I'll be. I gotta say, this is quite a haul we've made tonight, boys."

"Ain't that the truth, Ernie," Another man, still wearing his mask, pat "Ernie" on the back, "I got no doubt there's some really high-profile people who wanna get their hands on this stuff...and they're gonna pay top dollar for it too. Once we sell all this, we're gonna be living the good life for a long time to come..." The other drug traffickers laughed and high-fived one another. However, they were about to get a most unexpected visitor.

A voice laced with innocence and worry echoed through the hallway, "Excuse me? Hello? Can anyone help me?" The men automatically closed up thesuitcases as fast as they could, removing their masks, before turning to face whom it was...and if it weren't for the masks quite a few of their mouths would've hit the ground at the beautiful mirage before them. 

The gorgeous alien-looking woman stumbled through the alley, looking about and appearing very confused and distraught. She collapsed into the arms of the one called Ernie, "Oh, please good sir! I need your help! I'm not from around here and my car broke down just down the street  while on my way to the airport! If one of you fine young men have a phone I can borrow, I would be so grateful to you!" 

The men couldn't believe their luck. Not only had they gotten away with a king's ransom in drugs to sell, now this beautiful woman had appeared before them, naively asking for their help! She had to be the picture of stupidity to even attempt asking their help! Regardless, Ernie wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, "But, of course! I got one in my truck! Please follow me." He led her back towards a truck, reached in and pulled out a cell phone, "Here ya go."

"Thank you, dear sir," The lady took it gratefully as the men began to surround her, she still being oblivious to their advances...or so it seemed, "Could you keep me company while I make my call? I don't want to be alone..."

"S-Sure. Hey, you stick with us, we'll keep you safe." Ernie remarked as he gave a silent signal for his men to wait.

"Thank you. You are such a good-hearted man..." Suddenly, the lady put on an evil smirk...and hit the keys for 911. "Hello, 911? I'd like to report a stolen vehicle, license plate number H64 A33 at-"

"YOU BITCH!" Ernie roared as he went to grab her only to receive a swift kick to the chest that sent him flying into a brick wall hard enough to knock the air from his lungs and fracture several ribs. Realizing they'd been duped, the other men went on the attack, pulling out chains, knives and guns in some cases. The lady cracked her knuckles and motioned for them to bring it.

One guy went to stab her only for the figure to chuck the phone in his face, disorienting him long enough for her to deliver a side kick to his jaw, shattering it and spilling teeth every which way as he got sent flying sideways. One guy rose his gun but she whirled on the spot, dress flowing about her as she blinded the guy with it before slamming both palms into his chest with enough force to send him flying and crashing into two of his fellow traffickers.

Another goon, wielding two combat knives, screamed and swung at her wildly as she backpedaled away, narrowly ducking and swerving side
to side to avoid being stabbed before grabbing both his wrists and twisting them hard enough for a snap to be heard before she headbutted
him hard enough to knock his lights out. Hearing the click of guns, she turned in time to be met with several goons wielding heavy assault
rifles. 

Before the muzzle flash could even go off, the figure splintered apart into a swarm of green locust-like creatures that rushed towards them, causing the goons to cry out in panic as their weapons went off, but the bullets did next to nothing to such small targets. They found themselves overwhelmed with bites and stings, forcing them to drop their weapons and roll on the ground in pain as she reformed, holding her head, "Uggh...still can't get use to that..."

Seeing she was distracted, two of the remaining thugs lashed out with their chains, wrapping them around her wrists to try and hold her in
place as the last guy went to charge directly with a knife, "Aww...how cute..." With strength that did not reflect her dainty appearance, she hauled on one chain to drag the one on the other end into the path of the guy charging her and causing them to crash into each other. She then yanked the other chain wielder off his feet and slugged him in the chest while he was still in mid-air before letting him fall to the ground.

With only a pile of motionless bodies now left strewn about, Evergreen walked over to the semi-conscious Ernie and got down to his level, "Let this be a lesson for you...don't go assuming just cause someone looks all cute and innocent that automatically means they are...and when you get out of the prison hospital, perhaps you'll reconsider your choice of career..." Her smile fell now, "Because let me assure you of one thing..." The beautiful face was replaced by demonic eyes and rows of sharp jagged teeth, "I could've done far worse to you if I had wanted to!"

Too scared to even speak, the guy just fainted on her. 

With this all taken care of, Evergreen quickly left the alley as she heard sirens in the distance. Once far enough away, she actually giggled to herself, "Ok, ok...I'll admit, that was kinda fun...and quite satisfying too...I wonder what other kinds of trouble we can get up to tonight..." Suddenly, she sighed, "I really need to stop talking to myself so often. People are gonna think I have a screw loose or something..."

Evergreen turned and walked off down the street towards what else awaited on the dark side of Lost Haven...