Something Borrowed: Greed/Chapter 1

Cilan's had a long day, all morning dealing with both babies, and finally gets a break. She heads into Zephyr to pick up some work and clear her head dealing with mindless work. Life's been a bit more stressful since the twins were born, and new parenting is so exhausting. Entering into the lobby area of Zephyr, Cilan isn't really paying much attention when a clawed hand grabs her by the shoulder. Blue fur, and a vicelike grip.

"Ugh.. another day.. another few cre-- Ugh!" Cilan's sentence is quickly cut off as she is pulled into the grip, because of the surprise of it, the soldier begins quickly trying to writhe and wriggle her way out of it, and come face to face with whoever had grabbed her.

"Whoa, Whoa..." a familiar voice says, and lets go of Cil before either of them end up injured. The face if familiar yet strange, curved beak of a gryphon, somewhat masculine, the features hit Cilan rather hard, Sienna. "Dear, don't look at me like you've seen a ghost." hir voice is now deeper than it was when shi was a girl.

Cilan blinks in surprise, her mouth opened in a state of mild shock, though it closes when her mind finally wraps around who she's infront of, "S-Sienna?.. Is.. is that you?" she asks incredulously, "Where the hell have you been? I havent seen you in ages!" while she does sound slightly friendly to the old sight she still keeps her distance from the gryphon, probably still having yet to trust her after the near rape.

The gryphon nods slowly, and hir eyes search Cilan's reaction hir ears dropping a bit seeing the physical distance, the void still obvious. "I ah... yeah, I've been, lets just say, busy. Would you like to go get a bite to eat and talk about old times?" offering a clawed hand out, perhaps in apology and acknowledgement.

Cilan scratches at the back of her skull and answers with a nod, "Uh.. sure, I am getting kinda hungry. You got any place in particular? If not, I know of a place with some great stew, and beer?" she says hopefully, with that she then extends her arm and grabs the offered claw, shaking it lightly.

Shi hesitates a moment looking around, "If you mean that place you live... I'd rather not, I've heard stories about the owner that make my skin crawl. I also understand if you want to keep it... public, so how about the caffeteria here?"

Cilan shrugs casually in response, "Eh.. if you say so, and sure.. the cafeteria sounds good." and with that Cilan then removes the claw from her grip and heads to the stairway, on her way towards the basement of the building.

Sienna follows behind closely, Cilan noticing she appears on edge, hir eyes searching around as if someone might be following them. Shi sits with Cilan in a corner out of earshot of anyone else. Shi sighs, settling down and lets her wings unfurl behind her. "We'll get food in a moment, but, while we're alone. First, I am terribly, terribly sorry for what I did to you. I wasn't myself and things have changed dramatically since Promethean Day..." hir eyes drift off somewhere, "And, I need your help." shi searches the room for anyone close, and lowers hir voice. "I am... in quite a bit of trouble."

Cilan leans back in her seat, "Its alright.. I know how you feel on that matter, frankly the scientists really fucked up.. you were supposed to go to school, and I was supposed to go ho--.. wait.." her tone soon lowers and she later leans forward to close in on Sienna, "Trouble? What do you mean trouble?" she asks in a silent voice, "Like.. someone's trying to kill you type of trouble? If so, Id gladly help.. you know how I am, right?"

Sienna looks away a moment, "I owe... a lot of money to some not very nice people. They want me to retrieve something for them from way outside the city in an area that no one has come back from... I think they intend to me to die." she turns back and she looks genuinely scared. "I'm not a soldier, you knew how I was even during the war, I clung to you because you knew what you were doing... You always were the strong one."

Cilan nods slowly understandingly, "Mm.. and I suppose paying them back is not an option here? If not, where's this item they wanted you to find?" a soft sigh is soon made before she reaches out and pats Sienna's shoulder in a comforting way, "Yeah, you told me all about it, I even still remember how you were in San Fran. But dont worry, we will get through this.. and if we do succeed, you do know you'll owe me big time.. right?" a soft grin creeps up on her lips as she says that, trying to ease her old friend.

Sienna looks ashamed, "Well, I kinda broke something... irreplaceable, priceless. I'd be dead already if they, weren't worried about risking their own men going in." shi sighs, and says, "I'm a bit of a coward, I admit, and of course I'll owe you, I... already owe you so much after what I did to you." she has tears in her eyes as she's speaking, and then shi says, "It's something they think will unlock the control mechanism for the nanites, something that will allow them to do their bidding. A research lab." shi then says, "You know what it means if people like that, get their hands on something like this. If I don't go, they'll find someone else to force into it."

Cilan leans back again and folds her arms across her chest, "Huh.. I guess I can see how that'd be a problem, they'd have pretty much absolute control in just about every part of the world that holds a bubble. Now then, what do you suggest we do then? If the items broken and you've got no cash, that pretty much leaves me with a single option.. unless you've got something cooking up in that mind of yours?"

The gryphon's ears flicker, and she turns around to look at the entrance, before settling down, and then turns back. "If they know I'm getting help or telling anyone about this, I'd be shot in a heartbeat. So, understand this needs to be kept very quiet." shi leans forward on hir elbows, whispering, "We find it, and we destroy it forever, and then you kill me, so that they, and I, don't hurt anyone ever again."

Cilan breathes a sigh and nods, leaning in again, her voice again lowering to a whisper, "Alright, alright.. Im with you until the whole, 'destroy it' part, but Im /not/ going to kill you, Sienna.." removing her shades next she looks into Sienna's eyes with a fervor, "You /will/ live, we /will/ find these people, and we /will/ put a bullet in each and every one of their skulls so they cant hurt anyone else anymore, alright? Now.. where is this artifact you're supposed to find?"

Shi doesn't protest against Cilan's determined rant, "I just don't want you hurt... again." Sienna then pulls out a little comm unit and pulls up a map on the thing, showing a map of california. She points to Yosemite, "The lab was built underground in the national park, government approved, an RSX subsidiary."

Cilan grabs the comm unit and studies the map shown, after a while she mutters darkly, "RSX.. greeeaaat.. hate those guys, hopefully we dont see any on our way there.." handing the comm back she asks, "So.. when do we leave?" not a hint of fear or trepidation in her voice.

Sienna says, "You have family don't you? Did you want to say goodbye to them, or leave quickly?" hir hand reaching out to grasp Cilan's. "Either way, I want to leave separately, and we can meet up again outside the city. Just south, by the derelict Hard Rock Cafe, I have a chopper I've been piecing together, it will get us there faster than trying to go by wing or car."

Cilan nods understandingly, "Mm.. been doing some spying on me, have you?" she asks with a grin, "Anyways, you make a good point, I'll talk to them.. see if any could help.. if not, well a goodbye will have to do."

Sienna flinches, "Can... can you promise to keep it relatively quiet? Only tell absolutely who you need to tell, and don't make a big scene of it." shi is again on edge looking around the room. "And the chopper can really only hold two, so if anyone else were to come they'd have to find another way to get there."

Cilan nods again, "Got it, keep it quiet.. I think I have a good team in mind right now." she states before answering "And you dont have to worry about transportation, I've got a ride of my own!" a moment of thought crosses Cilan's face before she continues, "Huh.. then there is Mike.. actually, wait.. no.. might not be easy to explain the situation, hell the guy hates flying out of the city as it is.."

Shi stiffens again, "Not anyone from Zephyr, or RSX, both of them would want this just as bad..." Shaking her head, "Right... Just tell your loved ones, just the two'of'us, and we won't put anyone else at risk. It's not like the team of a dozen men they sent in last time that never came back helped and it just put more people in danger."

Sienna's response is quick, "I'm fairly certain I told you my last name dear, not that my family is around anymore to wear it proudly. Miller." shi answers and takes the hand, shaking it, "I was a private, although not a very good one." Shi pockets her comm, and looks at it briefly. "Three hours, south of the city. You go on ahead and I'll leave a few minutes later."