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Felicia leave before resigning himself to his fate and began to stand. "Taking her up on her offer?" asked Parker.

Matt turned back and offered a sardonic smile. "I need another drink" he answered matter of factly as he held up the empty bottle.

Cooper made his way to the bar and ordered another beer, while he waited for his new drink, he felt a soft body be pressed into his as an arm was draped over his shoulder. "You know, I wasn't sure you would come."

Matt allowed himself a faint laugh. "Who says I'm not just here for the drinks?" he asked as his arrived and the woman ordered one with a hand gesture. Instead of looking hurt, Hardy gave him a knowing smile.

Despite every bit of good sense trying to move away from the woman, his feet remained planted as she sipped her newly arrived cocktail. "So Matthew, what brings a man like you to a place like this?" she asked

The Texan shrugged casually, "just a chance to get out, see the sights, kick back and relax" he drawled easily as he took a sip of his beer, letting the drink calm his nerves ever so slightly while he still forced himself to remain on alert. "I moved here not too long ago from San Antonio Texas" he continued, "still taking in 'the City that Never Sleeps' and I gotta find out what I like."

She leaned over the bar to return her glass, giving him quite a view down her shirt and then smirked knowingly as she noticed his eyes wander. "Well I know what I like" she returned as she leaned on the bar and went back to looking him up and down as he took another drink on his drink, "I like something one of a kind. It should look good, but something I've never done before" she explained flirtatiously.

"And you're here because you fell head over heels for my rugged good looks?" he asked dryly, slightly encouraged by the small giggle the joke drew from her.

"That's not it, I could get any good-looking guy I wanted" she replied confidently, and he couldn't disagree, "especially the ones with an ego."

Matthew chuckled, starting to get an idea of what Peter meant by 'handful' before replying, "that's not ego" he asserted, "it's a fact and you know it. Go ahead and tell me I'm wrong" he challenged confidently, small grin on his face.

Instead of looking put off, she merely matched his grin and placed her hand around his arm before he took the cue to flex before she leaned over and whispered into his ear "not all ego." Fighting down the small blush on his face, he turned back to her as she continued. "But I want more, the special types who I can't find anywhere else" continued the platinum blonde vixen coolly, "but I'm always surprised where I do find them." She met his gaze, emerald eyes steady, "but I can't always tell what makes them special. Do you know what makes you special around here?"

That question raised a few warning flags for the Pilot, but he kept a straight face as he smirked cockily, "I am a cowboy" he answered, not being so drunk or desperate to tell her the full truth, "on a steel horse I ride, wanted dead or alive" he finished, giving her the partial truth.

Felicia shook her head in feigned exasperation, but the smile on her full lips was even more telling. "Well, now you really do have my interest" she revealed, "now allow me to earn yours." With that, she turned and went to towards the dance floor, hips swaying invitingly.

He had to come to a split second decision, following her made no sense, she was dangerous, a risk to him, never mind the fact that he was feeling a bit too cocky right now, either from the alcohol, her flirtations, or both. On top of that he was still recovering from his injuries and didn't want to aggravate them. All of those were very good reasons to not follow the enigmatic femme fatale, but she had also offered him several very good reasons why he should. "Aw what the hell" he muttered as he tossed a few bills on the bar to pay for the drinks, "no guts, no glory."

He made after her, weaving through the crowds, keeping his attention fixed on her, not only for the obvious reasons, but also to notice if she made any suspicious moves, but if she did, they were masked by the pulsing lights and heavy music. When he finally broke through the crowds to join her at the edge of the dance floor, she threw him a seductive lip bite over her shoulder as she began to flow with the music. By comparison, the Pilot lacked the same grace, his movements weighed down as he eased into things, carefully seeing if his injuries nagged, but also due to the lack of jump kit, only moving in two dimensions really put a cramp in his style. That, however, was less of an issue than the way the music grated on him rather than flow through him.

But compared to his usual, far deadlier, dance, this one was restrained, tempered, it felt wrong to not go all out despite wanting to as he turned his attention back to the woman in front of him. She had no such issues, what was once subtle movement of her hips, less than her strut, had now encompassed her whole body as it moved with a feline grace befitting her alter ego as she almost danced circles around him in a familiar way.

That was the realization that ignited the competitive spark, he would not let this woman so completely have her way with him a second time. Gritting his teeth, adrenaline cleared his mind as he seemingly flipped a switch, he was no longer dancing, but dueling. The two circled each other like knife fighters looking for an opening in their own little corner of the dance floor as Felicia sent him a approving look, much preferring this to his previous attempts at impersonating a block of wood. As if she too recognized their dance, she gamely came at him, not to strike, but to draw a reaction. Matt gracefully sidestepped her and let her pass, but not without slipping in behind her, she reacted not by spinning or stepping away, but stepping back into him and bringing his hands to her hips. In this closer proximity, their duel became a duet, the two moving in sync, first at her pace as she ground into him with everything she had, which was quite a lot. She seemed to fit into him perfectly as her ass remain pressed to him while she leaned back into him, clearly giving this everything she had.

Not one to be outdone, the Marauder matched her move for move, not backing down from the Black Cat and instead wresting control. Her hips now moved as his hands directed, popping in time with the beat as his foot tapped in time as well, all the while he kept the pair moving as his honed sense of spatial awareness kept them from having anyone else interrupt them. All the while, the pair gathered looks from those around them, Cooper getting the distinct impression that most of the other guy there would happily kill him to be in his position.

They were welcome to try.

As the song came to an end, he felt his hands get guided from Felicia's hips by her manicured hands and onto and up her trim and taut stomach, stopping just short of her breasts as she gave him a heart stopping finish. Instead of the refined flowing movements and rapid pops, her hips shook faster than the music, up and down, side to side, a delightful mix of the two. The intoxicating move made his jeans more constricting as it only increased in intensity and he could feel every curve of her buttocks as they pressed and flowed against him until their motion, like the music, came to an abrupt end.

Breathing heavily, both grinned at each other before trying to drag each other off the dance floor, the energy they had built up not leaving as Cooper fought to keep his hands in decent positions, though she was clearly undergoing an equal struggle to do the same. Her fingers seemed to send pinpricks of electricity through his skin through his shirt and jeans as they made their way out of the club and towards his Viper.

Fumbling for the key, he managed to get the car open as they both got settled down inside and he fired the car up. As the car rumbled to life, he gained his wits, "you want this?" he asked before turning to her only to get a searing hot kiss in reply that he resisted for only a split second before he returned it only for her to pull away.

"I always get what I want" she purred seductively, "but you don't know what I want Matthew. I don't want you; I want the Marauder."

Cooper froze as he stared blankly at Hardy, her expression didn't waver at all, that same knowing smile that affected him more than he cared to admit. "What are you saying?" he asked lowly, sobering up in an instant as he pushed the haze in his mind aside and glared at the woman sitting in the passenger seat.

"You aren't going to try and deny it, are you?" she asked, almost disappointed. "It's not nice to insult a girl like that. Especially after what just happened, whatever 'normal guy' you were trying be fell apart as soon as you had something to prove" she continued confidently, "I think you know who I am, so trust me when I say I recognize a CQC dodge when I see it." He offered no answer, silently cursing his competitiveness before she continued, "and if that wasn't enough, I doubled back to follow you the other night and caught sight of this car" she said as she traced her finger along the leather lined center console, "not exactly subtle. Tracking you from there was child's play."

At that, Matthew couldn't help but chuckle, undone by his Viper, he almost couldn't believe it, though he was now mentally kicking himself for not noticing he had been followed. "Well, no use denying it. If you're looking for the Marauder then you found him. What can I do for you…Black Cat?" he added.

"The offer you made, is it still good?" she asked as she smiled, still adding on the sex appeal.

"I try to be a straight shooter, even if I do shoot from the hip" he answered with a slight drawl. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

Felicia smiled wickedly as she traced her finger down the arm towards the hand that rested on the gear stick. "Something exciting, tonight, just you and me handsome" she said suggestively. "Do you have everything you need?"

Her words had the desired effect, Cooper felt a knowing grin creep onto his features as he put the car in gear "I do in the trunk" he answered with a smirk as Felecia sat back before the Viper glided out of the parking lot.

"If this is what you do for fun, something tells me we'll get along fine" said Cooper as he slid to a halt alongside the Black Cat. The burglar was perched on a rooftop, overlooking some high-end apartments. The pair had driven to one of Cat's hideouts and changed into their gear before parkouring their way to the target. "So something must have changed since last time we met, what is it?"

Hardy smirked as she looked down at the rooftops below, and Matt saw what had caught her eye. "I've been planning this little job for two weeks now, one of Kingpin's top lieutenants lives in that penthouse. I can get past the automated security and have the access code to the safe" she explained as her smile was now a full on predatory grin.

"Still doesn't explain why I'm here" replied the Pilot dryly as he pulled out his CAR. "Sounds more like a one-woman job if you ask me."

Felicia pursed her lips, "It would have been, but Kingpin's getting antsy, something about some vigilante gunning for his operations" she said as she turned to Cooper, who merely shrugged in reply. "So, he's got more guards at all of his operations and residences of his top people. The code I have is only good for the next five hours, so I need to do this tonight. And because you're the reason the guards are here, I'm going to have you get rid of them for me."

The Marauder laughed as he chambered a round in the SMG and prepared to get to work when a clawed hand pressed firmly against his chest. "No guns big guy" said Cat with a wiggle of her finger, "can't have you damaging the merchandise."

With only a small grumble, Matt placed the reliable weapon on his back. "The hard way it is then" he said as he cracked his knuckles. "Ready when you are."

"Pilot, you have just recovered from injuries sustained during the Distribution Center Operation" alerted BT. "I Advise Caution."

The pilot smiled behind his helmet. "I know buddy, but I'll be fine" assured Cooper as he saw the curious look on Hardy's face. He tapped the side of his helmet, "a buddy of mine is on comm's, telling me to take it easy."

The Cat got a mischievous look on her face, "Is there some competition for your affection?" she asked, unaware of the bemused expression inside the helmet as she ran her hand down his arm. "I do enjoy a challenge" she continued.

BT was still listening via Cooper's helmet feeds and responded within the SRS helm. "Similarities with ally, Felicia Hardy, alias: Black Cat; minimal. Outcomes of competition; Vary" deadpanned the Titan over the radio.

Matthew couldn't suppress a bark of laughter before waving off the thief's look. "Don't worry about it, maybe you'll meet him down the line and then it'll make sense" allayed the Marauder.

"Him?" said Hardy, Cooper could almost see the raised eyebrow behind the small black mask. "Didn't think you'd swing that way." She almost sounded disappointed, which amused Matt a bit.

"I don't" he assured with a sigh and shake of the head. "It's…complicated" he said trying to plan what the hell to say. The relationship he had with the 40-ton killing machine stashed at his safehouse was atypical and then some. "We're good friends. Suffice it to say he's why I'm still breathing."

The silver haired thief's smile returned, "friends huh? Hopefully I'm not making him too jealous."

Right on cue, BT came back on the line. "Emotions such as jealousy fall outside of existing protocols and do not aid in their completion."

"Enough of this, are we going to have some fun or not?" he asked, hoping to get back on track. When Hardy nodded, he let out a sigh of relief. "What's the plan?"

"You're going straight through the front door and cause a ruckus. I'll handle anyone who is still guarding the vault" she answered as she extended the retractable claws on her gloves. "Once that's done, we go through the place and help ourselves."

In response, Cooper let a burst of arc energy crackle across his knuckles. "Ladies First" he said with a grin in his tone as the Cat stood and sprinted off, leaving the Pilot to take in the view before she climbed up to another rooftop so she could go around and avoid the sentries posted on the roofs. "Fuck that" said the Pilot as he stepped back from the edge and took a running start.

He leapt from the building, jump kit firing as he came down on the rooftop in a slide. The nearest suited guard turned in surprise as the kit fired again and Cooper threw himself into the air, planting an uppercut on his chin, throwing him back.

"Hey! You there!" yelled another as he came running up towards the Marauder, only for the Militia Pilot to double jump up and come back down with a kick to the man's nose, sending him stumbling back.

Ignoring the pain in his leg as he lunged forwards, he delivered two quick blows to the man's stomach before his HUD blinked, someone was coming up behind him. He reached out and grabbed the reeling man and turned around, putting the enforcer between him and his attacker, forcing him to hesitate before Cooper threw his human shield aside and threw a three-punch combo, staggering him as he wound up a haymaker.

His arc knuckles sparked to life just as his fist slammed into the man's jaw, the shock causing him to convulse as he fell to the ground. "At least they don't have guns either" mused the Marauder as he saw his former meatshield crawling towards the staircase. He decided to get moving and jogging towards the edge of the roof, delivering a swift kick to his head, knocking him out before he jumped off the roof and twisted midair.

His grapple hook flew out and buried itself in one of the windows and his momentum completely reversed. "Yippy Ki Yay!" he howled as he slammed into the window, shattering it and entering the penthouse.

"Goodnight" whispered Hardy as she silently subdued the last of the suited thugs inside a small security office. This had been too easy, there had only been the two to monitor the feeds, the others that were in there had run up to the roof to take on her backup.

It was nice to have a partner and not be forced to give up some of the simple things, like loot. "Time for the main event" she said as she removed the guard from his chair and deposited him unceremoniously on the floor and took his place. With deft keystrokes, Hardy swapped around the feeds until she found the one she was looking for.

The Marauder had clearly been busy, if the knocked-out goons that lay strewn about were any indication. He was currently dealing with the last two guards, kicking one in the knee and bringing his elbow down on the back of the man's head before turning to the last.

The guard charged him and dove at the vigilante, only for the armored man to disappear right before he was about to get hit. Hardy sat bolt upright as she watched the screen intently. The attacker belly-flopped onto the floor looking at his hands as if they had failed him.

The Marauder then appeared above him seemingly out of thin air before he slammed a fist down into the man's back, causing him to convulse before he fell still. Standing, he quickly pulled something from his gear and hurled it at the door, the device burying itself in the door and emanating a visible wave.

The Marauder then settled into a combat stance, fists raised like a boxer as the doors flew open and the last six guards charged in and surrounded the lone vigilante in a semi circle. He turned towards each of them at random, head swiveling. "All at once or one at a time, makes no difference to me" he called out gamely.

\None of them moved for several seconds before it was finally Cooper who charged forward towards the centermost thug. The Kingpin enforcer threw a punch that went straight through the Marauder's helmet, much to everyone's surprise. "The HELL?" barked the man.

Their shock was cut short by the cry of one of their number, who took two quick blows to the back before he was turned around, the knockout punch came swiftly as the other five rushed him at once. "Box him in!" ordered one of the thugs. Cooper had no intention of allowing that, however. He ran towards the wall and then along it, out of their reach before he leapt off and slid into the man at the back of the pack, taking his legs out from under him.

He turned as the next enforcer came at the vigilante. A green clad arm blocked the first punch, but the second landed on grey armor before the Marauder could react. Matthew grabbed the man by the shoulders and threw him back as the next was on him only to be surprised when he jumped up and spun, delivering a crushing kick to his jaw that sent him down in a heap. Two others came at him in concert, driving him to the ground and pining him under their combined weight before they suddenly lost their balance as the Marauder disappeared again. "I need to get one of those" breathed Hardy as she saw him reappear on the feed as he materialized in front of them. The first to try to stand took a punch to the nose for his efforts.

The second did stand but was quickly grabbed by the neck as Cooper rammed his knee into the suited man's stomach three times before slamming his helmet down on the crown of his head and tossing him aside. The three remaining guards had gathered tightly, Felicia could already tell by their posture that they were defeated. "You want some more?" asked the vigilante before charging towards them.

None attacked, all tensed and waited for what they thought would be the real attack, only for the Marauder to slide and kick the largest thug's legs out from under them before he stood, shoulder checking one away before turning to the other. The other rushed him, only for Cooper to sidestep and trip him up, activating his STIM and pummeling him with several successive blows before one last one drove him into the floor so hard the hardwoods cracked.

Felicia stood and left the security office, a smile on her face, she was pleased with what she had seen.

Cooper looked at his handiwork, "Not bad for a night's work" he said as he knocked out the last of the stragglers. His fighting style wasn't the most elegant, but it was effective, especially considering he didn't have any formal hand to hand training. The door swung open again and he turned to face the anticipated guards, but instead a black clad and silver haired cat burglar strode through. "Thanks for the help" he remarked dryly, though there wasn't any edge to his voice.

She only smiled back at him, "didn't look like you needed it" she said with a shrug. "Now to what I've been looking forward to all night." With a devilish smirk she turned and walked out of the room, a sensual sway in her hips as Matt shook his head and obediently followed. Cooper couldn't help but look around at the needlessly expensive and absurd looking 'art' on the walls. His gawking didn't go unnoticed. "See something you like?" she asked.

"On the walls? No" he deadpanned, drawing a slight sigh of exasperation from Hardy. "Call me an uncultured swine, but something that looks like someone spat paint onto canvas that vaguely looks like an umbrella, if I stand on my head, squint, and were drunk, isn't attractive."

"Then it's a good thing you're handsome behind that helmet" she shot back as they arrived at the vault. Cooper decided that chances were his usefulness in this endeavor had come to an end as the Black Cat set to work on the various layers of security. The way she strutted about the space and bent over suggestively at each point didn't go unnoticed by the Pilot.

He just hoped that he hadn't gotten into bed with the wrong person.

With a rather satisfying click, the door to the vault unlocked and Felicia stepped back. "Impressive" commented her companion as she threw another smirk his way. "My way would have involved high explosives" he said as she gave him a sideways look. "A lot of high explosives" he amended with an unapologetic shrug.

The pair stepped into the vault and were greeted by a selection of items. Both of the thieves set about what looked most desirable to them. Hardy watched as the Marauder went over to an imposing looking set of servers that were only accessible via a laptop connected directly to them. He pulled a knife from his gear and used it to pry up the keyboard, just as she was about to question what he was doing, he spun the blade around and pulled a trigger on the grip before jamming it into the exposed inner workings of the laptop. "Data link up?" he asked, the filtered voice missing its joking undertones their banter had previously.

He tilted his head, as if pondering the response from his 'friend' before a holographic display sprung to life from the base of the grip. Felicia approached, heels clicking as he turned to look at her. "Got what I came for" he reported as he pulled the knife out and slammed the keyboard back into place. "You do know how to show a guy a good time."

The thief smiled casually, "You have no idea handsome" she purred happily. "Is it everything you expected?" she asked as she set to work prioritizing what she would take with her.

"I'll know that once I've gone through all the data" he answered, the filtered voice almost sounding distracted. Hardy looked away from a modern art sculpture towards her companion.

The Marauder was standing in front of an Electric Guitar before shaking his head. "You play?" she asked suddenly, causing him to look towards her.

The X-shaped visor turned back. "Never got around to it…certain unfortunate events got in the way" he admitted sadly. "And now, well, my priorities have changed I think." Hardy nodded in understanding as Cooper turned away. "I gotta get while the getting's good. I'll grab my car and head home. It's been a pleasure Black Cat" said the Marauder as he gave a half salute and left the vault.

Felicia went over to where Matthew had been and eyed the guitar, a smile forming on her features. "Pleasure's been all mine."

Cooper's Logbook – Arc Knuckles

Ever wonder what brass knuckles would look like in the future? Cause these are your answer. Integrated into the top of my fireproof gloves, they not only provide protection when I punch something, but pack a mean trick of their own. 'Arc' is the colloquial name for a certain voltage and frequency of electricity that is common on the Frontier not only for its extremely high energy storage and efficient transfer, but also because it isn't lethal to humans. This has made it used in a lot of less than lethal systems because it still hurts like a sonofabitch, almost like a Taser turned up to 11 without needing skin contact, just the be within range of the discharge.

The knuckles have a discharge range of a few millimeters but considering their intended use this is far from an issue. Shorting electronics, overcharging batteries, and stunning enemy combatants are all within its capabilities. Even if they were designed to be used against overwhelming amounts of Specters and Stalkers that were effectively mobbing and killing Pilots on the Frontier, there is no shortage of applications for them here.

Log – STIM Tactical

The phrase 'like a Pilot on crack' isn't a thing, instead they say, 'a Pilot with a STIM.' Short for 'Stimulant' this tactical is a chemical cocktail designed to deliver a swift kick in the ass to boost every aspect of a Pilot's physical capability. Injected straight into the blood stream, it grants an instant boost in speed, reaction times, strength, and even regenerative properties. But the dose in each activation is lethal if it remains in the body for more than a few seconds, hence why every activation is followed up by a cleansing compound to neutralize the STIM before the user's heart explodes.

Back on the MCS James McAllen, another grunt put a few drops in his coffee, he was awake for four days of hard fighting on Typhon and it probably kept him alive…until his heart finally quit on the extraction ship and he dropped dead on the spot.

I'll be sticking to decaf.

Closing Notes: That about does it, this is up there for longest chapter to date. Though on the flipside, there is a lot that happens. MJ is going to start playing the same kind of role she does in the game, and Felicia puts her own plans into action. Also be sure to let me know what you think of the 'Cooper's Logbook' entries and be sure to go back to previous chapters to catch up on all of them if you so choose. Chances are those will be sticking around, I think they're fun to write and I like the technical depth they add, though the subject matter will expand as I run out of topics. Expect the next update to be Saturday.

Next time, the Marauder takes the fight upstairs and there's Rising Power.

Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.