[b][u]Mary and Relka
Side Alleyway[/u][/b]

[color=bc8dbf]Epsilon[/color]

Relka flicked between the shadows, trying to avoid being accidentally spotted by some lucky witless uniform. As she rounded the corner she caught a small huddled figure following her. Relka melted into a pool of shadows and waited for the human to catch up. She wasn't a fan of being followed.

Mary saw the woman vanish around a corner. The others were watching her, through her phone and through her mind’s eye. Her heart begining to race, the woman picked up the pace and quietly moved along on her sneakers. Approaching the corner, she stealthily leaned up against it and peaked around. It seemed like she had unfortunately lost track of the mysterious figure. [color=bc8dbf][i]Sorry. I lost her,[/i][/color] she thought.


Relka emerged from her unseen hiding place, slowly pressing a thin blade into the lower back of a girl. She leaned in close to the girl seeing her on some sort of video call with what appeared to be herself?

[color=f6989d]"If you want to see your family again, tell them you lost me and you will call them right back. I don't care what excuse you give them, but you have until I count to ten. I promise I won't make it to eleven. If you try and fight just know from here my blade will hit your kidney, I am told the pain is so terrible you will try and scream and no sound will come out."[/color] Relka whispered in the girls ear. She started counting down in her head.

Mary gasped and held her breathe as the sharp point indented her hoodie. 

[color=bc8dbf]”I lost her. I’ll call you right back in a minute.”[/color] She obeyed the woman who somehow got around her. Probably some type of Variant. Her heart was racing a million miles a minute, and she was short of breath. Pressing the off button on the phone, she blinked. [color=bc8dbf][i]She’s behind me. Not sure if I’ll make it.[/color]

[color=bc8dbf][i]Stay calm, Mary. Do what you need to do to get out of there.[/i][/color] Gulping, Mary raised her hands in the air, her phone still in her left palm.

Upset that the girl made it to eight, Relka pulled the shadows around her once more. Walking around to the front of the girl while using the knife to trace a path to under the girls chin Relka's now red eyes burned into the girl.


[color=f6989d]"You know little girl, it is dangerous to follow suspicious characters down a very dark alley. What if I was a villain?!"[/color] Relka said with some playful sarcasm. [color=f6989d]"Why were you following me? Don't you know that the police are out looking for criminals?"[/color]

Mary tipped her head up as the black knife ran gently across her skin. The blade looked supernatural, but it was hard to tell in the darkness.Gulping, she spoke, her voice cracking.  [color=bc8dbf]”Just curious.”[/color] Mary’s raised hands were trembling slightly. It was a half-truth. She was curious, but Mary was gathering as much intel as possible on anything that was going on, especially all things Variant related. Still, this woman didn’t need to know that, did she? 

[color=f6989d]"Curiosity will get the unprepared more than killed in this town you know? What if I was a sociopath, you were talking to your sisters and I am sure you foolish child have an I.D. on you, simple really to use that to locate your precious family and they too would be dead for your…. Curiosity. It would be so simple to do given my line of work really. So now the question I pose to my curious little cat is, what to do with you?"[/color] Relka said the last part mostly to herself.

Mary spoke quietly. [color=bc8dbf]”Please don’t do that.”[/color] While this woman did not have the full story, she didn’t want to send anything after the other Epsilons. Her phone was autolocked, and Mary didn’t actually have a personal ID. But clearly this woman was dangerous. Naturally, Mary also feared for her life. Sweat began to condense on her features. 

[color=bc8dbf]”I won’t tell anyone else that I saw you.”[/color] Another half-truth, and would most likely end up being a lie at some point. Still, if Mary or any of the other Epsilons could meet this woman under more positive circumstances, they might be able to make an arrangement. But Mary was too terrified to do anything but try to live.

[color=bc8dbf][i]This might be an opportunity, Mary. In addition, piquing her curiosity might increase your chances of survival.[/i][/color] 

[color=bc8dbf]”You rob that security firm? I think, maybe, you and I should meet again sometime. We might have things to tell each other.”[/color] It implied that Mary was more than just a random, curious girl chasing shadows. Perhaps proving herself useful would help.

[color=f6989d]"Why is it you people always go to bargaining? It is predictable, it is boring! Trying to appeal to some part of me that makes me think you could be a potential ally! Like the fly could convince the spider not to eat it! My web courses through this city, but I am in an entertaining mood. Tell me right now, what it is you think the fly could give the spider to spare its life?"[/color]

Mary swallowed. She had nothing to say, she was never very good at this kind of thing. The black knife could split her neck in an instant, and it was all she could concentrate on. Spider? Flies? What to say?

 [color=bc8dbf][i]follow enough people down spooky alleyways you start learning shit, biiitch. she’s super hot, make out with her.[/i][/color] Thanks, Bloodrose.

[color=bc8dbf]”Follow enough people down dark alleyways and you learn a few things. I’m a very curious person. ”[/color] Mary echoed the advice of the other Epsilon.
Her words were not very confident. 

Relka put her face right up to the scared girls, their breath mingling in the small space. Her eyes scrutinizing every inch of her face. And just as suddenly as she appeared, she was gone. Leaving behind only a business card gently floating towards the ground.

Mary flinched when the woman disappeared. She exhaled and started breathing heavily, looking around for where she went. Then, carefully, she knelt down over the card.

[i]Hope to play again xo[/i]. Shadowbroker.She tucked the  card into the back pocket of her jeans.

[color=bc8dbf][i]Good job, Mary. You did well.[/i][/color] Mary nodded and wiped the sweat of her forehead. The Shadowbroker’s face was burned into her memory. Turning, she ran back the way she came.

[color=bc8dbf]Rent a motel. She might be following you. Lay low for a while, send us a picture of that card.[/color] Mary still felt like the knife was under her chin, and she cupped her neck as she made her way far away from that alley.

Hiding herself in the girl's shadow Relka was pulled along for the ride. She was going to gather some info on the ballsy shy girl. She had nothing better to do tonight anyways. A new game was just beginning.