Evolving Story

"Well let's do this then." Nadia said having parked at the tech store. They got out glancing around the parking lot. Nadia noticed how the two men stretched a bit getting out. Her car wasn't huge to begin with, but it sure felt smaller with the brothers getting out of it. Zyer waited for Lillian to come around her side. She smiled brightly at him to walk with him up to the building. Nadia gave a quick glance to Xyle. He was walking alongside of her and his eyes scanned the area.

"Feel anything?" Nadia asked him. Neither he nor Zyer seemed to stop looking about and watching everything. Not that she could blame them with the life they had.

"No, but oddly yes. Not sure what it is to be honest. Nothing that feels deadly or anything." Xyle commented. Just this unease he didn't like in the pit of his stomach. They came up to the doors. The place had red lettering and was some tech place, they sold and fixed equipment.

Nadia was the first in and noted that it was a rather large store. Shelves and displays set up. Though not a ton of customers milling around. She went up to the main counter there. There was a guy looking at the computer screen before him. He had a red shirt and glasses.

"Hi." Nadia started and he looked up giving a smile and then glanced at the other three.

"How can I help you?" He asked, Nadia noted the name tag said Jim.

"Yeah, uh I have an appointment with Jena for this." Nadia held up the computer and Jim sighed.

"Straight back to the service counter. She's the only one on right now and we are only open for another half hour so probably won't be done today if that was what you were looking for." He said, glancing at the clock. Clearly he was hoping it wasn't something major.

"That's fine. Straight in the back?" Nadia asked and he nodded.

"Yeah, our fix it counter." She gave him a smile and thanks. Nadia turned and walked down the aisle toward the back. Xyle had been standing next to her and hadn't turned yet. He was staring at the guy hard. This Jim was eyeing after Nadia seeming to look her over. He then noticed Xyle staring at him not blinking. Xyle felt a curl to his lip, and his dark stare clearly made the guy uncomfortable. Probably wondering if he was unstable, but Xlye didn't give a shit. He'd cut his eyes out if he looked at Nadia like that again. Xyle turned seeing how uncomfortable the guy was suddenly with Xyle's demeanor and followed after Nadia.

Nadia on the other hand didn't notice anything and was ahead of the others. Lillian and Zyer were looking at the different objects. While they had the information in their minds, it was still something to see some of this technology. Nadia was coming up to a rather large display that blocked the service area and she could hear a couple people talking.

"You said you were going to help me Jena. That is not what you did." The voice was male, a bit deeper and she thought she recognized it.

"I said I needed to test it out. How was I supposed to know? Do you want to be the test subject and have it backfire?" Jena shot back.

"At this point it couldn't be any worse could it? You're not the one looking at losing yourself are you?" The man said.

"Look, give me a day or so okay? I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't make up for what you've done. What's been stolen from me, again." Nadia was about to come around the display but had to stop short. She nearly ran right into the person leaving who was talking to Jena. Nadia was shocked and now knew why she recognized the voice.

"Vincent?" Nadia said stunned and then immediately she felt her mouth go dry. What was he doing here talking to Jena? She'd heard some of that conversation. What was going on?

"Nadia?" He said back clearly shocked she was standing there. His gaze went from shocked to this odd almost painful sadness. He seemed to search her gaze for a moment and he looked so disheartened.

"Here I didn't think I'd see you again." He reached up and clearly seemed about to touch her. Nadia was just lost in thought at him being here. What this meant and why did he look so crushed, was the word she'd pick now.

"Touch her I'll break your god damn hand." Vincent stopped mid reach and his gaze went far more closed off and cold a moment later. Nadia pursed her lips and looked behind her at Xyle who was really damn close now and staring at Vincent. There was a very cold air from both men.

"Xyle relax. Don't be ridiculous." She looked back at Vincent who was staring at Xyle. He clearly was not going to back down to his more serious stare. Behind Xyle, Zyer stopped and it was a very tense moment. Clearly both brothers would stand by each other and there was only one Vincent. Still Vincent did not look concerned.

"I can see more has happened. I am also aware you probably heard some of that conversation. I'm not in the mood to play coy either." Nadia frowned. Suddenly she was far more suspicious of Vincent than a minute ago.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nadia asked him and Vincent gave a sigh. He looked down at Nadia. His gaze then went to the computer she held and a bit more irritation flashed in his gaze.

"Before you jump to conclusions Nadia." Vincent started and looked right at Xyle. "There was no manipulation or anything about the other night. At least from me, I didn't know you'd been given that prototype." He pointed to the computer. "It would seem once more fate has shown me how cruel it is."

"Who are you really?" Xyle interjected. This Vincent was no normal human was he? Though Xyle could not scent anything from him that said he wasn't a human. Vincent took a step to the right to allow Nadia to pass.

"Story for another time I'm afraid. Another lost soul trying to find their place. However," He let his gaze move over all of them clearly memorizing their faces. "You have my number Nadia, and I think we are not done by far. I help you when you need it, then I need that when you are done with it. I think that is a fair trade considering what was done and taken from me." Vincent gave Xyle a dark look. Xyle still felt no regret in what he did. Still sounded to him like this guy had a chance. Xyle had none if he lost Nadia now. Nadia looked down at the computer. All of them were now loaded with a million questions.

"This why? Help us how? Do you know who they are?" Nadia asked sharply and now manipulation felt serious.

"Do I know them? No. Jena told me she gave the computer to her favorite author. I can now take a few educated guesses. Also I know Jena doesn't always think before she acts, and I'm assuming more came out than should have." Vincent was just opening a whole new can of worms wasn't he?

"I never liked the random rogue character. Never really know whose side they are on." Zyer nearly growled. Vincent gave him a look.

"I'm not a rogue. I am struggling with my own fate just like all of you are. I thought for one moment I had escaped it." His gaze came to Nadia. "Only to have it ripped away again. Now I have somewhere important to be and that is all you'll get from me for now. As much as it hurts, I do want your story to succeed. Second, I don't have anything for you to help you right now. We all know it, so don't bother stopping me." Vincent turned to go around a different way with all of them there in the aisle.

"Wait, why?" Lillian spoke up and had a sad look to her gaze for the man. She was rather empathetic and she could feel the pain he had looking at Nadia. Even if he was now hiding it for the most part. Vincent looked at her and then away. He made a head gesture toward Xyle.

"He changed mine too, that means I am now reliant on what's been done to succeed before I am allowed another chance. We're all just fighting to not lose our souls in different ways aren't we?" He sounded darker and gave Nadia one last look before leaving them standing there. They did stand there too.

"I have no idea what to think." Nadia commented and Xyle let out a rush of air.

"I think the web we've been woven in is growing Nadia. We are not the only self aware characters it would seem." Xyle told her and put a hand to her back to guide her forward. "We only really have one direction to go now." Which was forward and Nadia frowned. She honestly felt like launching this computer at the wall. What she would give to go back to having the ignorance she once did. She really hoped that Jena had an answer or could fix some of this. It was starting to spiral into a place that Nadia had no idea how to get out of. Any more revelations and she might lose it. Her gaze went to where Vincent had disappeared out of view. No, she didn't think they were done with each other either.