//Ahn: Wanted

Ahn followed Sae's gaze to a door in the back of the building, behind the bar. It was left slightly ajar, shadows flashing across the slight space between the door and the wall. Now that the room had gotten far more quiet, voices could be heard outside.

Ahn listened more carefully. His hearing was better than the average human's, but he wasn't quite able to pick up the exact words being spoken. He could tell from their tones, however, that they were displeased. Then, a distinctive voice rose from the sea of words around him. Nathan.

Ahn looked at Sae. She was already moving towards the door. Ahn followed, his good hand resting on his plasma pistol under his cloak. They came to a stop against the surface of the door, Sae standing to the side while Ahn pressed his ear against the smooth metal, listening intently to the conversation on the other side.

"You were careless, Gray," a woman was saying.

"Like I said, this is a misunderstanding," Nathan's pleading reply came. "I helped you, did I not?"

A thumping noise came, producing a grunt from Nathan. From the sound of it, he had been kicked hard in the gut.

"Helped us, my ass," a new voice said. A man.

Ahn shifted his head just enough that he could see around the corner of the door. A group of about eight people were standing in a circle around Nathan, who was on his knees, coughing up blood onto the pavement. They had likely been at this for a while now.

"Anyway," the man who had been talking before continued, "The OEC finally managed to get a shot of your face." He waved a holographic pad in front of Nathan's face, showing him the contents of whatever image he had pulled up.

'Nathan Gray,' the hologram read.

'Age: Unknown.

Height: Approximately 5' 8''.

Weight: Unknown. Slim build.

WANTED FOR:

Armed robbery, possession of licensed OEC goods, possession of illegal weaponry, breaking curfew, various murders of OEC agents, destruction of property, etc.

REWARD FOR CAPTURE.

100,000 Credits Dead

300,000 Credits Alive

To be considered armed and dangerous. Approach with caution.'

A blurry picture of Nathan was below the caption. In the image, he was

wearing some sort of gauntlets on his hands, and was carrying a large crate marked with a black and red snake logo.

"Fortunately for you," the man said, "They want you alive, otherwise I would've separated your pathetic head from your shoulders already."

He raised a stun baton similar to the one Jarvis had, but about twice as long, ready to bring it down on Nathan's head. The others surrounding him were walking towards a large hover truck, opening the trunk. Inside the trunk was a table with metal restraints where a person's wrists and ankles would be. They were planning to knock him out and turn him in to the OEC for a reward.

"You know just as well as I do that they won't give you a reward," Nathan said convincingly. "They'll just take you in with me."

The man hesitated, his baton still hovering over Nathan's head, the light crackle of electricity running along it serving as a reminder of the imminent threat Nathan was in. The man shook his head. "One way or another, we need the credits. We can hold you hostage until they pay us, then leave. You're bargaining with chips you don't have."

He raised the baton again, this time with the clear intent to hit Nathan hard. Ahn drew his pistol at the same time Sae unsheathed her new swords, but stopped suddenly before he took his first shot. He grabbed Sae by the arm. She looked confused, but understood when she brought her attention back to Nathan.

The man, who had been just about to knock Nathan out, was lying on the ground in a growing pool of blood. A large hole was in his head, forming a perfect circle cut out of his skull. Nathan was standing over the body smirking, clenching his fists, which now had the same gloves on as he was wearing in the picture. Two small needle-like objects floated in the air above his shoulders.

The seven remaining opponents reached for their own weapons.

"Slow," Nathan said with a smile, forming a series of intricate gestures with his hands. The needles flew nimbly through the air, each movement of Nathan's hand guiding them precisely to their target. In a matter of half a second, there were eight bodies on the ground with identical holes cut out of their heads.

Ahh and Sae stood silently. Where did he learn to kill with such efficiency?

Nathan turned to the doorway.

"How long were you two planning to watch? That was a bit cold, don't you think?"

He turned to one of the bodies, a new expression coming across his face.

A sickening smile