((much better, thank you!))


The agents spent what felt like a long time behind the cover of the corner, just out of reach of the flames on the landing. There were a lot of hushed, muttering voices conferring, trying to decide how to handle this. They weren't prepared for this. They'd done all their planning to [I]get[/I] Ja'aisen and they thought that they had an idea of how to keep him. They'd been briefed on what to expect but...evidently the information they received was lacking in detail or was severely outdated. One agent had a mirror in his vest pocket and he slowly, carefully extended it around the brick wall that seemed all that was between them and the demon Ja'aisen. The moment he caught a glimpse of the slinking black creature crouched at the top of the stairs, tail swishing dangerously like a cat's, he yanked his hand back with a gasped exclamation of, "Oh shit...oh damn..." 
"Out of my way," a gruff man muttered, and there was the sound of jostling. "Ja'aisen? I'm captain Valdez. I run this operation. I'm authorized to bargain with you, if you're willing." 
Rohaan shifted back to his natural shape and laughed. "Oh are you now? Okay mate, try me. What could you possibly have that I want?" 
The captain cleared his throat. "The woman. She's your partner, isn't she?"
"Sort of, yeah. Hurry it up, I'm already bored of this conversation..." 
"I'll let her walk if you stand down." He figured she would be easier to track and contain than this monster he was speaking to, and if it would save lives of his crew, he'd take the chance. 
Rohaan outright snorted. "Oh I see, she gets to walk and I go back in a box? Quietly? Nah, I don't think so. Besides, what makes you think she needs any help from you getting out of here?"

As if on cue, Alexa shouted from down the hall something about C4, and Rohaan grinned. "I've got a counter offer, Valdez. I walk. She walks. Nobody comes after us. I go down to Sergio's Pizzeria and get me some damn pepperoni, and none of your crew has to die today. Or you can try to bring me down and mark my words, every last one of you will burn." 
That was a credible threat, coming from him. Valdez had heard the stories, though admittedly he hadn't believed half of them until now. His job would be on the line if he didn't do everything he could to keep this criminal contained, but if he made the first move, there was every chance he'd have to write letters home to husbands, wives and children expressing his condolences for their losses...

Valdez chanced a look around the corner; the heat of the pool of flames on the landing made it difficult to advance further. He'd hoped to get a glance at his foe, to size him up and weigh his options a little better, but it didn't matter. The shapeshifter was gone. 

Rohaan had bought time for Alexa and successfully reminded these idiots how foolish they'd been (maybe next time they'd leave him alone) and didn't actually need to engage any further. He almost felt bad for how unprepared they were. Almost. Rohaan chose the form of a dog and bolted swiftly through the hall to where Alexa had gone. A young rookie had his weapon sort of half drawn, fearful of her and yet not ready to fully consider her an immediate threat. Dog-Rohaan's blue eyes met hers momentarily, and then locked on his target as he slowly and silently padded forward until he was right behind the poor sap. Rohaan shifted forms again, back to his natural shape, and blew a little puff of air into the man's ear. Tom jumped and fumbled with his gun as he turned, but Rohaan's calloused fist was waiting for him, and down he went, just like Bjornson. 

Rohaan shook his hand a little with a small grimace, then tilted his head at Alexa. "You...you thought he was cute, didn't you?" He clucked his tongue in disappointment as he shook his head. He studied Tom. "Eh, you can do better. You ready? I'm dying for some pizza." He said this as if he were leaving a party, not fleeing a jailbreak. This was just how things were, and it no longer surprised him.