...

Her mind circled as they?re emotions, their feelings had gotten the better of them. He wanted her, and she could feel his desire. She wanted him too... She knew that this was only the beginning. She wrapped her arms around him, and he pressed his hand against the back of her head, pressing his lips harder over hers. She knew he was afraid... she knew because for once, she was afraid as well... He kept kissing her, and she let the feeling wrap itself around her... she loved every minute of his lips over her... she craved it? she kissed him and he broke away as he looked into her eyes. She knew what he was feeling... she knew what he wanted. It was as if their thoughts and desires had already become one. He looked at her and shuddered inside? he knew her? he knew how to make her happy, he knew what things made her sad. He knew everything about her. She was his only friend in life. And he knew her inside and out. And now, he was given the chance to know her completely?

?I?m not letting you ignore your feelings, Ty. They?re there. You know they are. You just don?t want to see it? because your comfortable with being blind to love.? ?I don?t want these feelings?? he said trying not to look at her. ?Damn it, Ty, they?re there whether you want them or not.? She said staring at him. ?Now you can either live in doubt, and ignore them, and refuse to see them, or you can accept the feelings. No matter what, they will always be in you.? Ty looked up slowly. His eyes were blood shot from everything he felt. He couldn't help himself anymore... he needed her, he needed to go with what his body was telling him to do. She sensed his hesitation. She walked over to him and placed her hand on his face gently. He stared at her and he was afraid. He couldn?t control the fear he felt. It washed over him, and he thought as if he was going to lose everything. The feeling was intense, and it scared him. ?I can?t do this, Sage. I?m not use to these feelings?? ?And you think I am? I'm scared as hell right now, Ty... But I love you, and I refuse to ignore these feelings that are tormenting me inside.? She looked at him and kissed him gently.

She walked inside and saw him. The pain swelled within her heart. She could see the pain in his stature. She knew something was wrong. She knew he wasn't thinking clearly. She was able to walk up next to him, without him even knowing she was there. She put her hand on his shoulder and he spun around and stared at her. He then turned away and looked out his window. "What do you want now?" "I want to apologize." "Some things are not that easily forgiven, Sage." "That's a copout if I've ever heard one." She knew he was just trying to suppress his feelings again. ?Why did you really come back, Sage? There are always two stories with you. The one you want me to hear, and the one that?s really the truth.? ?You?re not being fair, Ty.? ?I?m not being fair? It seems to me you?ve been the one doing the lying around here.? ?Ty, don?t you think I had my reasons for not saying anything? I didn?t even want to think it was true. When I came back, I finally had evidence that proved Nicholas is after me. Until then, I couldn?t be sure. Don?t you see? I didn?t want to worry you if there wasn?t anything to worry about.? ?The first assassin should have been proof enough Sage.? She stared at him, She couldn?t find it in herself to be upset with him. She didn?t want to be upset anymore. She was tired of causing him pain with her words.. ?Ty, you?re upset with me for not being truthful. But you won?t even be truthful with yourself.? He turned around and stared at her. He didn?t understand what he was doing. A part of him wanted to hold her, but the part of him he was use to, told him to ignore her. To keep her away, and that sooner or later, she?d get the hint. But she wasn?t leaving him alone. ?Why are you doing this?? ?I want your trust in me, Ty. I can?t lose you now.? ?I don?t want these feelings.? He said sounding frustrated. ?I want them to just go away.? ?Now you?re lying Ty. You know you want these feelings.? She said as she held his hand. ?You know there is something good here, Ty. Don?t let it slip away.? He looked at her and his thoughts went everywhere. She stared at him and rested her hand on his heart. His heart skipped a beat when she touched his chest. She looked down and felt his heart beating faster.. "Ty, I know what you're feeling.." "... I don't even know what I'm feeling, Sage." She stared at her hand on his chest and then grabbed his hand and placed it to his chest too. He felt his own heart beating. It seemed as if it would explode. She looked up at him, and he became even more confused. He didn't know where she was getting at with all of this. "I know what you're feeling, because I feel it too." she said as she then took his hand, and placed it over her heart. He felt her heart beating faster than his... he understood. She felt the same way he did. She felt what he felt... He felt this way whenever he was around her... and now he knew she felt it too? He shut his eyes tightly as he put his head down. There were so many emotions running through him that he had never felt before... emotions that made his body shake with fear. He had faced everything in his life... he had faced death, he faced torment, and pain... he had once feared, and overcome it all... But this was a new fear he had never felt before... and his fear rose with each and every second he was with her. The fear became a rush he craved for... he craved for the new fear he felt... "I love you Ty... do you trust me enough to know I?m telling you the truth?"

She sat in her room, and the pain hit her like a ton of bricks. Her heart felt heavy with grief as she thought about his reaction. She knew she hurt him. She knew she betrayed whatever trust he had in her. She touched her leg and couldn't get him out of her mind. She needed to find him. She needed him to understand. She walked out, without a limp. She didn't feel the pain anymore in her leg. She walked over to his room and saw he was no where around. Syn passed by and Sage stopped him. "Where's Ty?" He looked at her with a surprised look. "You guys are just weird." "Syn, I swear I'll kill you here and now..." "Alright, don't get in a hissy fit or anything. He said he was going home." "But we have a JOB to do-" "Mayhony is out for the week. She was attacked, and she's resting." Sage's face went pale. She walked over to her room and saw Mayhony laying there. She could see the pain on her face. "Mayhony?" She opened one eye and smiled. "Take my advice?" Sage smiled and set next to her. "Well, almost. I'm in a lot of trouble, Mayhony. I cam here to escape from some problems and they seem to be following me. I betrayed his trust, and now I'm afraid I may have lost him for good." Mayhony smiled and rested her hand on hers. "Go to him, Sage." "He went home." "I'm sure you know where he lives." "He left because he doesn't want to see me, Mayhony, I don't think he'd be happy to see me." She smiled and Syn walked in right then and sat next to Mayhony. She looked at Syn and then Sage. "Sage, he'd be a fool not to want you around." Sage looked at them and saw how happy they made each other... She and Ty used to be that way. She couldn't give up on him now. Not when they were so close. She squeezed Mayhony's hand and left. She was going to find him. She wouldn't allow him to push her away.

Sage leaned on the doorframe with her arms folded. ?Avoiding things are we?? she said with a smile. "You tell me." he said without looking up. She just looked at him. What Mayhony said rang in her ears. She knew she needed to tell him, just so they could focus on the job without any questions in their minds. "Ty, you're not going to make this easy, are you?" He looked up at her and decided not to even respond. He went back to his sorting. Sage knew she had to be honest with him, but she didn?t know exactly how to tell him. She wasn?t use to dumping her problems on others? but with Ty? she didn?t view it as ?dumping? problems. It was just being honest. ?Damn my foolish pride?? she said just looking down. Ty looked up at that moment. ?Ty, I know I haven?t been honest with you? but if you were in my position, I?m sure you would understand why I haven?t been honest?? Ty wasn?t sure where she was going with all this. He looked at her and just stood there. Not sure of what he should do or feel. Senkai walked in at that moment, and Sage rolled her eyes. ?Ty, it looks as if this may have to wait? I?ll talk to you some other time. Maybe when you?re not so busy, or when there aren?t little ears searching for the bad news?? she walked out and Ty just looked at Senkai. Senkai smiled. ?You?ve got it bad, Ty. I wonder how long you?ll last.? He then went back to his much needed sleep. Ty debated whether to find her and see if she would tell him what her real reasons were or not. But then he decided against it. If she was really in love with him like she claimed, she would have told him regardless of who came in the room. He went back to what he was doing and tried to forget about her for the moment. He would focus on the job. He was never confused as far as that was concerned. But forgetting her was proving more difficult then he had ever imagined. When Sage got outside, she had sensed something was wrong? She made sure her gun was ready at her holster and went out toward the training grounds she had first met Mayhony on. She stood there for a while not saying anything. Someone was following her. She glanced to the side opposite of where she knew her opponent would strike, to look as if she wasn?t sure where he was coming from. Within a split second, her assailant took the bait and ran at her from behind. She ducked and kicked the man coming toward her. He wasn't just any ordinary thug sent by Gervine's son, Nicholas. He was another trained assassin. "Damn!" she said as she realized how tough this one would be. He shot at her and she jumped out of the way pulling her gun out. She shot back, but he was no longer there. She looked around and cursed under her breath as she stood there motionless. She needed to hear where he was. She spotted him from the corner of her eye, and within seconds she moved out of the way and shot several bullets in that direction. She saw traces of blood on the floor and was relieved she had been successful in injuring him. She looked over and studied the direction he went in. He had fled from the grounds. She got up and ran at full speed in the direction the blood brought her. She ran past Mayhony's traps with an effortless ease. She pulled out her gun and began shooting when she saw him again. But he was too fast. She kept running. She knew he was hurt, and he was going to slow down soon. Suddenly, shots were heard and she quickly moved out of the way, not stopping her trail. A shot had hit her arm, but she didn't flinch. She wasn't going to let him get away and report her whereabouts. She wanted answers, but they would have to come later. She looked up and saw a small ledge. She ran up the ledge and jumped directly in front of the assassin. He shot at her again, but her reflexes were much too quick then to be shot at point blank range. She dropped and rolled away and shot him in the back. He fell down dead and she searched for any sort of ID. She found a small recording in his front vest pocket. She turned it on and listened to the message. Nicholas was planning on killing her, and they weren?t allowed to rest until she was dead. ?DAMMIT!!? she said. She would have to take care of this the hard way then. She hunched back, and took a breath before getting up. She wiped the blood that came from her arm. She went back to the training grounds and picked up her jacket she had left there. She put it on and hoped no one would question anything. She didn't want people knowing she was being followed. She would take care of who ever came her way. She knew she would have to tell Ty. Whether he would keep it from Mayhony and the rest, she wasn?t sure. Most likely she would have to leave because of the danger she would be putting everyone in. [i]Damn it all... why am I hiding anyways??[/i] she thought. She remembered what she had told Ty about hiding. Dammit, she was an Assassin too. She refused to be hunted. She was a hunter. Not the prey. As she walked back, she saw Ty leaning on the fence again. She knew he heard the gun shots. "Damn.." she said under her breath. She knew this wasn't going to be easy. "Was that a practice round? Or is it what I think it is?" "Ty, I would have told you before..." "Sage, you should have told me before. Why didn't you?" "Ty, it's not that I didn't trust you.. it was .. I don't know, Ty. All I do know is that I do trust you with my life. I guess it was my stupid pride that kept me from telling you when I got here." "Sage, this isn't about who has the most points on their records anymore. If Nicholas was after you before... was that the man we saw in the forest??" She nodded as she looked down. "I'm sorry." "And you still didn't tell me?" "Ty, at that point, I think you know as well as I do we were both confused." "Not as much as I am now I'm afraid." he said angrily. "Ty, stop it... you know I have feelings for you. I would never hurt you." "And yet, you can't tell me when you need help?" "Ty, it's not like that. I was going to tell you. But now, it looks like I have to tell everyone. I'm endangering the mission-" "Damn right.. " he said looking down. She stared at him. She knew he was just trying to supress his feelings again. She shook her head.She looked at him, and her face was hard. "Should have shot me when you had the chance, Ty." She walked back into the house.

Sage couldn't sleep. She just sat there on her bed looking at her gun. She knew she was straight forward... maybe a little too forward. [i]Damn[/i] she thought. [i]Why am I always making things uncomfortable for him??[/i] She was about to walk out when she saw Senkai goinig into his room. He looked back at her and laughed. "Damn it, what's so funny?" she said folding her arms. "Nothing, I just wonder when you are going to lay your traps on him, that's all." "What are you implying, Senkai? I'm not in the mood for head games." "Well that's interesting, given that you're playing a pretty good game against Ty." "Senkai, I don't care if you doubt me till the day I die. I can give a crap. But as far as any of this being your business, then I'm afraid you're barking up the wrong tree. Because this is between Ty and me." "Well, since we're all working together to get to the Zeal Crystal, I really don't see how this is not my business. You're making him distracted, and you're going to cause him to lose his focus." Suddenly, Ty came in from the other side of the hall as he heard the last bit of their conversation. "We're all in a load of trouble Senkai. We're going to try to pull off the biggest raid in the world. I suggest you concentrate on your own problems then to focus on everyone elses." she said. She walked out and to her room. Senkai looked at Ty and Ty looked furious. Senkai stared at him evenly. "You know, you just don't take a hint do you? She's not to be trusted. If you trust her too much, you're going to let your guard down, and she may steal your cut of the Zeal Crystal. Ever thought that could be her plan?" he said looking at Ty. Ty's eyes flickered red as he stared at Senkai. "You don't even KNOW her." he said looking at him angrily. Senkai laughed, "And what, you do? When was the last time you saw her, Ty?" "I don't have to hear this from you." he said walking away. "Listen, can you ask yourself this Ty? If there was no Zeal Crystal, would she even be here for you? Why did she come back? For a big break on an expensive prize? Or to find the lost love of her life? She's only after the crystal, Ty. Get that through your head. Don't fall for her." he said. Ty stared at him in disbelief. "And so I should trust you and everyone else, right? Because you're NOT here for the crystal?? Is that it Senkai???" Senkai laughed and walked out. "Think with your head, Ty. That's all I'm saying." Ty stared in the direction he had gone in, he was furious. He was confused again... what if what he said had a ring of truth? She didn't come back for him, that was for sure. He slammed the wall again. Why did Senkai have to cast doubts in his mind?? He looked over to where Sage was and walked over there. He stopped when he saw the door had been open this whole time. She had heard every single word. He looked in and saw her crying. He walked in and just looked at her. "Do you believe him?" she said quietly looking up at him. He just looked. He was confused. "I don't know..." he said even quieter. She stood up and walked over to him. She took her gun from her holster and gave it to him. He looked at her in disbelief. "What are you doing?" he asked looking at her. An assassin never parted with their gun. "Ty, if you think I'm a threat to the mission, or to you, eliminate me." she said looking at him He stared at her. "No, Sage. I won't kill you." "You can't think I'm dangerous and keep me around, Ty. It's not in your nature." she said as the tears formed in her eyes. "I don't think you're dangerous." he said raising his voice a little. "Really? Well Senkai believes I am. Do you believe him, Ty?" He looked into her eyes and held her gun. "I'm the one who is endangering the mission, Sage. I don't think I'll be able to carry out what I came here to do." "And I'm the problem, right?" she said. "You're not a problem, Sage. Under any other circumstances, this would probably work out... what we have... I just don't know anymore." "Ty, are you going to ignore us then?" she said folding her arms as she looked at him. He gave her her gun and was about to walk away. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back as she kissed him feircely. He took it in and brought her closer to him. He couldn't contain himself anymore. It was too hard to supress feelings like these. And he didn't want to. She broke away and looked at him. Her gaze was serious, "Ty, you can forget all you want, but you know it will always be there. You're an Assassin, and you've been trained to deal with things head on. When have you ever had to hide behind anything?"

She still stood there. She was trying to take it all in. She was trying to understand what was happening. She knew she had feelings for him? but she refused to believe it. Because she knew how he felt about love. About life? she looked down and knelt to her knees as she sat there. She couldn?t take it? she knew he was confused? but how could she help him when she isn?t even sure about his feelings? How do you help someone feel, when you don?t know what they are feeling? She looked up and leaned backwards against the tree. She knew he felt something. He kissed her? that meant something? right? She looked around and closed her eyes as the tears fell. She needed time to think. She came back to stay low and unseen. But what happened was something she didn?t expect to happen in a million years. She had never expected to fall in love. She shook her head. She wasn?t in love. She couldn?t be. It wasn?t right. She had other things to deal with. She didn?t have time for love. But she did love him. She had loved him for some time. But she never thought twice about it. Because he was unreceptive toward love. Until now? She still didn?t understand where it was all coming from. She remembered the night before. She knew something happened for the both of them then. But she could even tell then that he didn?t quite understand what he was feeling. But why now? She needed answers. And she needed them fast. Her mind was spinning, and she knew if they were going to ever get back on the mission, they would have to figure this out quickly so it wouldn?t affect their concentration. She got up and looked at the clock. It was half past 6. They were all due up any minute now. She walked back quickly to Ty?s room passing Senkai in the hall. He looked at her and stopped. He shook his head and continued on. She looked at him and decided not to beat his face in. She didn?t have much time. She didn?t even knock. She opened the door and she saw him just sitting on his bed looking out the window. She walked in and just looked at him. He wasn?t looking at her. She knew he was trying to get his mind off of her. She knew something was bothering him. She sat next to him and he looked down. She wasn?t sure if a bunch of questions now would be appropriate. She knew he was just as confused as she was. If not even more confused. She looked at him and gently put her hand over his. He looked up at her and she just looked at him. There was nothing else she felt she could do. ?Ty, I?m your friend first and foremost. Allow me to help you through these feelings.? She said looking at him. He shuddered a little as he looked away. Sage looked down and squeezed his hand and he looked back at her. ?Ty, let me help you figure out what you?re feeling. I know how I?m feeling?? she said quietly. ?What are you feeling?? he asked no louder than a whisper. She looked at him and kissed him gently. ?I know how I?ve felt about you for some time. And I?m finally ready to take the risk, Ty. I want to help you figure your feelings out.? ?But why? Why would you help me?? he asked. ?Because I love you?? she said softly. ?And when you?re in love, you can?t help but want to care for the person you love.?

:wow: Well I?ve never had children. ;) So I can?t say my pain was worse than yours? lol I would have to say the time I got myself beaten up in 7th grade. I was waiting for my mom to pick me up when a group of girls came up and started screaming at me for various reasons. I didn?t feel like hearing it, so I walked away, and one got in my face. I pushed her away, and the other 5 just clobbered me. This wasn?t on school grounds, so I couldn?t exactly do anything about it. I got kicked in the stomach for the most part. But yeah, since then, I?ve been very um? well, let?s just say no one ever picked a fight with me again and leave it at that. :D

My parents are exactly the same. But I don't view their protectiveness as a burden, Serraph-Angel. In fact, I really can't say I blame them when they ground me for playing games too much, or take things they may think is a "bad influence" away from me. Because I know my parents are only looking out for *my best interests.* And I'm talking from a lot of experience here in this area. I've had certain games taken from me, computer privledges, down to the music I listen to to be viewed before I am allowed to listen to it. So yes, we have identical parents in this way. Attitude has a lot of impact on a parent's decision. If you are arguing with them about how unfair it is to keep the game from you, then they are going to want to take it away even more. Because they can sense the pull for you. And obsession with any game is never a good thing. Again, I speak from experience. While it may seem unfair to you, your parents are only doing this because they love you. If they didn't, they wouldn't care what you devulged your life into. And the fact she wants you to see counseling makes me believe that there is a lot more to this story then any of us really know. Do yourself a favor Angel, take your parents advice. Stay away from those games until you can put priorities in line. Games have been proven to influence a person's actions later in life. Especially one that they are obsessed with.

She knew he most likely didn?t hear her. She didn?t really want a response. But a part of her wished he had. She wouldn?t know what to say if he asked her about what she said? but to know he was thinking about it, would make everything a lot easier for her to deal with. Life was getting too complicated for her to handle anymore. She sat back and thought about everything they had gone through as children, and then young adults. None of it was normal. If she was a little girl looking into the future, she would never recognize the woman she became. She looked over at Ty and he was just looking at her, ?What is it?? ?Now something?s bothering you.? He said. ?No, not bothering me. I was just remembering the good old days when things were? less complicated.? She said as she looked down. She put her gun in her holster and laid there next to him. Just thinking? He looked at her and knew it was more than that. But he decided against asking her anymore. Sometimes, he thought it was harder to get a straight answer out of her, than it was for her to get one out of him. She closed her eyes for a while. She just thought about her life. Where it was, where it was headed. She didn?t regret any of the decisions she had made in the past. But she wondered what really was in her future. She wanted to believe it involved something that would make her life better. But she smiled. She knew being an Assassin meant that she didn?t long for the ?joys? in life, her job was her life. She had risked her life on countless missions. And she had grown accustomed to the rush it gave her. She couldn?t imagine her life without a gun to her side anymore. She had become an Assassin. And to wish things were different was foolish on her part. She knew this. But it didn?t make her think any differently. ?What about you?? he said softly. ?What?? ?Have you ever loved anything? Besides your job?? he said. She smiled again as she opened her eyes and looked at the night sky. It was beautiful. ?No, I can?t say I have. My job is my life. Just as the job is your life.? She said. She decided to leave it at that. She knew he was trying to figure out what was on her mind. But she wasn?t going to tell him so easily. ?I can?t say I believe you, but I?m sure you wouldn?t tell me if I asked again.? He said as he looked at her. She laughed a little. ?Maybe some other time, Ty. Maybe some other time.? She closed her eyes again and smiled. She was allowed some secrets, just as he was allowed his secrets. They heard a noise from the eastern part of the training grounds. They got up quickly and looked around. Sage knew it was probably nothing serious. She turned around and nearly jumped when she turned right into Ty's arms. She stopped as she looked up at him, and just stared into his eyes. She was in a daze, she didn't want to move. She just looked at him as if his eyes were keeping her from moving. He held her in his arms, and something stirred. He felt an immense flow of embarrassment rise within him. The feeling bit his soul like a ravenous wind and he looked at her, and it felt as if his body temperature had risen 20 degrees. He could feel his heart beating with each second that went by, with the intensity of each pulse in his hands. He looked at her and stared at her as if she was the only person in the world. She began shaking as she stepped back. She looked at him, and realized what the pit in her stomach was all of this time. But she wouldn't admit it to herself though. He looked at her partly confused, and partly wanting to hold her again for some reason. It was a rush he had never felt before. He was about to say something when he heard something again. He looked to the side and heard the noise and his heart nearly stopped. He jumped forward grabbing Sage and pulling her to the floor as shots from a machine gun rang through the area. He looked up and pushed her farther into the ground. "Don't move!" he said as he ran forward to find their attacker. She looked up and saw Ty running into the forest. "Hell No!" she said as she got up and ran after him. When she got into the forest she moved quietly. She saw Ty in the middle standing still. He looked often to the side where she was and she could tell he knew where she was. Their attacker jumped out and attacked Ty. Sage examined the assailant and quickly identified him to be one of Gervine's men. She got up and jumped directly in the middle of both of them. Ty frantically moved to help Sage, but Sage drop kicked the man to the ground where he pulled out a knife and stabbed her. Ty pulled out his gun and shot at the man that laid there. Sage bent down and looked for ID or even a clue as to what he was trying to do. She didn't want Ty to find out about Gervine's order. He looked at her and saw the blood that poured from her stomach. "Damn it all Sage, what in the HELL did you do that for?" "I felt like getting stabbed, Ty." she said sarcastically. She pulled out nothing. The assassin had nothing on him. She got up ignoring the pain she felt. She looked at Ty and quickly looked away. She picked up her gun and walked past him. "What's going on, Sage?" he said sounding annoyed. "I don't know, how about you tell me." she said still walking. He just looked at her and shook his head as he followed her out. "What is that suppose to mean?" "You know exactly what I mean." "I don't know who that man was, Sage." "I'm not even talking about that, Ty. I'm talking about what happened before." He stopped and pulled her back. "What's wrong, Sage?" he said looking at her. She just looked up at him and shook her head. "Nothing is wrong, Ty. I'm just not going to allow myself to get hurt." "What are you talking about??" "Nothing, Ty. I just need some time alone." she walked away from him and she began to feel dizzy from the loss of blood. But she kept walking. She wasn't going to ruin their relationship. They had a good friendship. She wouldn't allow her personal feelings to get in the way of the mission. She wouldn't allow herself to care for someone who would break her heart in the end, just like all the other broken hearts out there. She slammed her door and just stood there against it. She looked at her gun and walked over to her dresser. She threw it down and leaned over her dresser. Blood dropped onto the top of it. She didn't even feel the knife wound anymore. She was hurting more from the inside then from the outside. She knew the wound wasn't damaging. She laid on her bed and decided to leave the wound alone. She didn't feel like cleaning up the stains. She stared at the ceiling and thought about what had happened. She heard some moans from upstairs and her stomach twisted. It made her feel sick. She closed her eyes and wished for a dreamless sleep. Ty walked over to his room and stopped. He couldn't understand what was wrong with her. He looked over in the direction of her room and debated whether he should check on her or not. He wasn't sure of anything anymore. What was he feeling? He turned the knob and saw Senkai sitting in the room. He was looking out the window and he had his eyes closed. Ty assumed he was sleeping or something as he closed the door. "Almost didn't take my advice?" he said, eyes still closed. Ty didn't even look at him. "I don't know what you're talking about." he said as he put his guns away. "We both know what you're feeling. You want to be with her right now, don't you?" "Leave it alone, Senkai." "I'll leave it alone. As long as you remember that love only brings trouble. Especially, when a mission is at hand. And I'll be damned if I let you and your foolish love get between me and the Zeal Crystal." Ty ignored him and took his shower. When he got out he saw Senkai was asleep. He didn't care what Senkai told him. He was worried. There was nothing wrong with being worried. "Sorry Senkai. I'll be damned before I let you try to control my life." he said as he left. He went over to Sage's room and knocked quietly. When no one answered, he went inside and saw her sleeping in a pool of blood. His heart went into his throat as he rushed over to her. She was shaking and she was completely white. "DAMN!!" he said aloud as he picked her up. She wasn't responding, but she was breathing fine. He knew she would be alright. He cleaned her wounds as she lay in his arms. He stopped every once in a while. He had that feeling of embarrassment where his emotions rose. But he knew he wasn't embarrassed. He was confused. He looked at her, and she looked so calm and peaceful. Something he had seen before. But not when she held a gun. Before she had become an assassin. Before she followed the path he had chosen for himself. She seemed gentle, and fragile at the same time. As if she would break if he held her too tight. Her facial expressions weren't as hard. She was.. beautiful. She stirred in his arms but didn't wake up. He finished bandaging her and laid her back down on a clean set of sheets he had taken from his bed. He placed her on them and sat there just looking at her. He didn't want to forget this image. He wanted to keep it with him. It brought him comfort he had never imagined possible. Under all of that hardness inside of her, she was still the girl he had grown up with. Before tragedy had struck both their families. He looked on as the same emotions stirred inside him. He couldn't understand where the knots were coming from that seemed to be controlling him. He brushed her hair from her face and pulled the blanket over her. As he stood up, something made him want to do something he had never even thought of before. He knelt down by her side and kissed her softly on the lips. He looked at her and she stirred once more, but again, did not wake. He stood up and left her room. He took the sheets and threw them away. No one needed to know. He walked over to his room and laid on his stripped bed. He couldn't get her out of his head as he closed his eyes. The feelings and emotions made his body feel warm despite the lack of any blankets. It was a wonder he had fallen asleep at all. Sage woke up that morning feeling stiff. She turned over and noticed the bandages on her body. She buttoned her shirt again and just stared at the mirror. She looked at the bed and noticed how perfectly each corner was folded down. She smiled and laughed a little. She knew he had come in here to check on her. She went over to the bed and stared down at it. She shook her head and pulled a corner out so it looked uneven. She smiled. "Much better." she said to herself. She got dressed again and walked out of her room where he was waiting outside. He looked at her as he leaned against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. She just looked at him for the longest time. Finally she smiled at him and he smiled as well. He nodded and walked away. She knew something had changed. Something she wasn't even sure of, but she knew it was a good thing. She placed her gun in its holster and followed Ty. OOC: Damn, that was a lot... I'm sorry, just had a lot to write I guess :)

Usually I don't do borders, but I thought, what the heck, I'll do it anyways :) Anyhow, as always, I don't ever do it the simple way and just make it black.. I may have added too much, but I like it anyways :) Comments and Criticism welcomed :) [color=teal]EDIT:[/color] New banner... comments welcomed [color=teal]OtakuBoards does not accept double posts. You can just as easily edit your previous post using the Edit button at the bottom to add whatever is needed, as well as further attachments. In the future, such posts will simply be deleted. -Syk3[/color]

Sage took her shower and sat on her bed. She got a room to herself fortunately... She didn?t feel like waking up smelling things a girl shouldn?t have to smell. She took out her gun and started polishing it. When she realized what she was doing, she quickly dropped it and stood up. ?Damn, I?m no perfectionist!!? she said. She looked at herself in the mirror and felt like shooting something. She got dressed and went outside. She could never sleep soundly in silence. She brought her silencer and began shooting targets on her practice ring. She had used a ton of her bullets and decided to give it a rest. She leaned back against the wall, still holding her gun as she closed her eyes. She knew she was in some major trouble. She didn?t let on to Ty what was really going on. She was using this as a cover up. She needed to go under the radar again. Gervine?s son wanted blood. And he had the means to get it. She opened one eye and spotted Ty coming out as well. ?Can?t sleep?? she said aloud. ?Not with them in there. Their making a ton of noise. Idiots clapping and all? He said as he laid against the tree directly across from her and stared off into the distance. ?Ty, am I going to have to beat it out of you?? ?Beat what?? ?Something?s on your mind, like that?s really any news. But you seem bugged for some reason.? He looked away and just kept staring. ?Is it about what Senkai said?? He looked down. He knew she had heard about it somehow. ?Yeah. It?s not so much what he said that bothers me.? ?You shouldn?t let what he said get to you. You?re mind is never off the job. And I don?t think you?re the kind of person to let any type of distraction get in the way of you finishing a job.? She avoided the second part of Senkai?s comments. She didn?t even want to go there. ?I don?t get why he even says things like that.? ?Oh he was probably trying to catch you off guard. Guys are all competitors.? ?Just guys?? he said looking up at her. ?Oh shut up Ty. I don?t have to be competitive when I?m around you, we both know I?m a lot better than you are.? Ty couldn?t help but smile. ?You?re such a hypocrite.? ?I?m a hypocrite with a gun Ty. Don?t make me mad.? She said leaning back again and smiled.

OOC: Being Raped isn't fun...? ... I think I'll give Vey Flower a 2 out of 10 for comfort. :wow: Tika looked out over the waters. She patted the Rose. She knew Revonair was still out there. Part of her still wanted to get out there. She felt the ashes leaving her as she walked. She hated not being human.. she hated it so much? She wanted to make Revonair pay for what he had done to her? but she knew Rose didn?t approve of her wanting revenge. And yet? Heero wanted revenge for all the people Revonair had killed. Why couldn?t she want revenge for what her father did to her. She opened her mouth to speak to Rose, but remembered how their connection had been severed. A deep sadness filled her heart. She looked up and nearly jumped to see Heero on the wheel deck. ?What?? he said staring down at her. ?Dammit Heero, you scared the ash out of me.? She said sarcastically. He shook his head as he walked over to her. ?Why do you make light of your pain like that Tika?? She looked at him and tried to resist a cold response. ?My pain isn?t light, Heero. It?s just that Rose hated me for wanting revenge before. I?m not going to allow myself to hurt her again. So what better way then to laugh it off.? ?She doesn?t hate you.? He said looking at her. ?Well, I think it would be more convincing to hear it from her.? She stopped, she didn?t want to sound bitter anymore. ?But I understand now Heero. I?m not upset about that anymore. I?m glad she?s happy. Despite what she may have thought of me all those years, I still loved her as a friend. She has saved my tail on countless occasions.? She looked down. She touched the side of the boat. ?And I owe her my life?? Heero smiled a little. Things were starting to look up again. ?We do want you to be a part of the Devil?s Rose, Tika.? ?Thank you Heero. It means a lot to hear it from you. But I don?t want to be here. I want to be there.? She looked over to where Satan?s Sin had been. ?I want to have my revenge? unfortunately, that?s all I want right now. I can?t get my mind on anything else.? He looked at her. He knew something had happened to her while she was there. He was about to ask her, but thought twice about it. He didn?t need to ask. He knew he had raped her again. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder. ?We?re going to stop him, Tika.? ?Heero, I know what I need to do. I?m the only one here who knows the in?s and out?s of Satan?s Sin. I?m going to destroy it from the inside, while you destroy it from the outside. ?But then you?ll be destroyed along with them Tika.? ?I?m damned, Heero, remember? Besides, without Satan?s Sin, Revonair is powerless against Rose. You know the ship needs to be destroyed in order to kill Revonair?s soul.? He looked at her. There was a chance that once Revonair was destroyed, the curse would be lifted. He didn?t want her going in for a suicide mission. He was about to speak when she put a hand over his mouth. ?You can either be my Captain, or you can be my friend. I?ve already told you I don?t belong here. So that leaves you one option. You can be my friend, and let me do what I have to do.?

Thanks a lot ^^^ :) I made this one just today. Comments again, welcomed :)

Sage went over to Ty. She looked at his blood stained shirt and smiled. ?Did she get one up on you Ty?? ?Oh shut up.? He said as he leaned against the fence. Sage sat down next to the tree. She knew something was bothering him. She knew it also had something to do with Senkai?s comment to him. [i]Damn him![/i] she thought to herself again. [i]Why did he have to make this so uncomfortable?[/i] She looked over at Ty and decided against bringing up the subject. She knew something much deeper was going on with him. And she didn?t want to make him feel anything different toward her. She just sat there and laughed a little. ?What?? he said looking down at her. ?Nothing, I just feel that you of all people should have been ready for that knife.? She smiled. ?Well I?m sure you would have fallen for the same thing.? He said staring at the wall as Mahony finished the rest of the training exercise. ?Oh really? You?re so sure of that?? but before she could move he had a gun to her head. ?Most definitely.? He smiled.

"I know you have more information then your telling me Tika... come on, there's no need for this treatment. You know you're not one of them." Revonair said standing over her. "I won't betray Rose." she said staring at the door. Her decaying father came up to her and knelt down to her eye level. "Rose never loved you.. she used you.. you know this, but you still hold on to the hopes that she could care for you." She looked at her father and her skin crawled. "I won't betray Rose. And there is nothing you can do to me will make me change my mind." He looked at her and his eyes looked as if they sunk into his head. His face grew even more vicious as he slapped her again. She felt the pain on her face.. she felt the pain.. she was to feel pain for all eternity.. That was her curse. To be in pain for the rest of her damned existence. She looked back at the man in front of her and her face went cold. "Rose left you for Heero... you weren't good enough for her.. you know your jealous. And you should be. You're a pathetic excuse for a man, and your not even that anymore." He slapped her again and blood trickled from her mouth as it slowly turned to ash in front of her. She hung her head as the ash fell from her mouth. She looked at him again, hoping some way he would figure out a way to kill her. A way to end her damned life. But he had something worse in mind.. "You won't talk dearest daughter? Well, let's see if you can please your captain in other ways." he came over to her and tried to kiss her. She slapped his face and he grabbed her hand and pushed past it. She turned her head away from his disgusting face and he pushed her back. She slapped him again as he touched her. She didn't even bother screaming. No one on the ship was going to help her. She hit him again but he pushed past her fists. He pushed her down on the cot again, it was cold and damp.. rats crawled everywhere around them. She held the tears as much as she could. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. "You've gotten a lot more beautiful since the last time I saw you Tika." he said as he ripped her clothing. She turned her head as he tried kissing her. He pushed into her and she screamed in pain.. The blackness from his dead body pierced hers and everything inside her twisted. Her skin disappeared as the lightning struck. She was one of them.... she was one of the Damned. He pushed into her and she screamed louder. She remembered her past as she relived every moment of this grueling game he made her play. She remembered realizing she was one as soon as he had raped her after leaving Rose. She crawled away and saw her skin rotting before her eyes. She tried to forget the images, but she closed her eyes and relived her past. She opened her eyes and saw him on her, smiling wickedly as he hurt her. It was like he was driving a knife inside her... She closed her eyes and remembered crying for help as a child. She opened her eyes and cried for help as the damned. She cried for the Rose. She cried for her friends... she cried for love... she wanted to feel needed... she cried for her innocence, she cried for her pain. She cried for the father and mother she never had. She cried for her humanity. Revonair laughed at her as she cried. She cried louder each time he pushed into her. His black heart became enticed by the pain she was in. After he had his fill of her he leaned down and kissed her. His skeletal body pressed against hers as she screamed through the kiss. She was breathing heavily in pain. He smiled at her "You'll tell me soon enough. You have no more ties to Rose. She left you, just like everyone else who hates you.." and he left her laying naked and closed the door. She curled up in her own agony as the tears fell from her eyes. "I hate you..." she whispered. She crawled on the floor and shook violently as she grabbed her torn clothing. She stared emotionless ahead of her as she clothed herself again. She held her stomach in pain as she tried sitting up. She limped to the door and walked carefully out to the deck. She heard the commotion outside. "Perfect, she's falling for our little trap. Rose, you always were such a sap." he said putting his telescope away. "Falling for what?" "She's trying to save my precious daughter. Well we'll get her then, won't we boys?" They all laughed. He patted the boat and smiled. "We'll take care of that girl. And you'll do that for us, won't you?" he said to Satan's Sin. She looked out over the water. She knew she needed to get off the ship. She wanted to jump. But it was hard enough just to crawl. She got up and closed her eyes. Never before had she wished to hold the connection with Rose. All that time, she thought she was saving Rose, but Rose was trying to save her. She hoped that Rose could at least hear her thoughts. But she knew that was not likely anymore. But she tried anyway. She pleaded with her not to come after her.. she knew everything was a trap to lure Rose out onto the waters. She cried.. she should never have tried to save Rose.. she should never have seeked Revenge on Revonair. And now, she and Rose and her crew would pay for her mistakes. She held her stomach as she clutched her daggers. She wouldn't let them hurt Rose.. she would destroy the ship herself.. she would sabotage Satan's Sin...

Sage leaned back and pretended to watch Ty whoop on Mahony. Her main focus was on Senkai. "So, what were you saying to Ty? He looked a little confused when I got here." He cocked his head to the side and looked at her. "Hell, how did you hear?" "God, what is it with people and being surprised at things like these? I hear a lot of things, Senkai. A lot of things." "I just told him the simple truth. To keep his head on the job and not on other things." "Ty never thinks about anything but his business, Senkai. Surely you've seen that in him. He takes everything dead seriously as if it meant his life." "Well, recent things have come up that might steer his mind elsewhere." Sage knew what he was getting at. "It's not like that Senkai. We're friends. Aren't people allowed to be friends in this world without people getting the wrong impression?" she said angrily. "Of course they are. But you two seem more than friends in my opinion." he said calmly with a smile as he looked down. She shook his head. "You're just like the rest of them. Probably never had any real friends in your life, have you? Well I got news for you." she said sitting up and looking at him evenly. "Ty is a good Assassin. And a good friend. I don't want you or anyone else for that matter thinking that he would ever undermine his job. His mind is more complex than yours will ever be." she said as she walked away. [i]Damn[/i] she thought. [i]Why do I let people get the better of me??[/i]

Here you go. Hope you like it. If not, I'm taking it for myself :demon:

Alright, I'll get working on it right away, and if someone creates a motion one, I'll understand if you pick theirs ;)

I can create one, but I really don't know how to create it in motion. Would you like me to try? Or are you really looking for a motion banner?

The smoke was still clearing as Mahony came after her. Sage ducked and drop kicked her to the ground. Mahony bounced back up and flipped over her. Sage was ready for the attack. She was a highly trained assassin and she didn't fall into traps. She moved out of the way as Mahony tried striking her again and Sage smiled "You like Syn, don't you?" she said quiet enough for only Mahony to hear. Mahony stumbled a little and Sage took the chance to pull her into a head lock. Mahony tried kicking herself out but Sage just flipped her over to the ground and put a gun to her head. "I take that as a yes." she said with a smile as she walked away gun in hand. Mahony got up and laughed. "Well it was my fault for getting caught off guard. I guess you pass this round as well Sage. But everything you said just now, was dead wrong." "Is it?" Sage said half turning back. "Because if it was just a friendly kiss, then I guess it was my mistake. But I'm sure that friendly kiss meant more with the straddling and all." "How did you see all of that?" "I'm a freakin Assassin Mahony. I see a lot things that go easily unnoticed." she turned around again and walked off.

Sage sat back and waited. She wasn't really interested in a show. She looked over to Ty and noticed him staying back as well. "Not interested in watching either?" "I'm just interested in doing something." Sage smiled as she waited. She could hear Syn's cries as Mahony gave him a beating. She smiled at the sound of pain.. Ty took out his gun and a cloth and started cleaning them. She rolled her eyes. "Ty, you shine those up anymore and your victims will know your coming by the bright light radiating off of them." He kept cleaning them but smiled a little. "They can never be too clean. Besides, there's nothing else to do right now." She smiled. "You've always been the perfectionist, Ty. I think that was one of the things that bugged me most about you." "Well if you were like me, I'm sure you wouldn't have gotten yourself caught like you did at Gervine's." "Hey, you know as well as I do how hard that job was." she said looking at him squarely. "I could have pulled it off without messing up." She looked at him and shook her head. "Always have to convince me that your one up on me, don't you." "You [i]know[/i] I'm better. I don't have to convince you." he said jokingly She smiled. "Grumpy, funny, and a good adversary. Anything your not, Ty?" He looked up from cleaning and stared at her. "I'm not the way I used to be." She looked at him for a while and then smiled. "None of us are Ty.. that's what the business does to people. You may seem colder for some reason, I'm sure you'll keep your reasons to yourself, but I don't think you've changed for the worse, Ty." He looked up at the roof and stared. "You've grown up, Ty. We all have.." she said as she jumped up the wall.

OOC: Just post as the character you signed up to be.. It's a lot like a role playing game, if you've ever played one. If you're still confused, you can start by reading what other people post and write like them.. or look to the Rules on the Adventure Square page. :) IC: Sage put her gun away and walked over to Mahony. Mahony was getting warmed upp and did the splits again. "Can you do something like this Sage?" "Hell no, and even if I did know, I wouldn't be doing it for fun. Looks too painful." Mahony laughed. "I've been practicing this kind of thing for most of my life, the pain really isn't there anymore." She got up and lit up the laser beams across the room. "These are designed exactly the same as the second floors security. I should know because I've been there. The key is to get across quickly without tripping over the sensors. It will take you a long time to get this down, but believe me, it's worth every bit of time. I've thickened the lasers so it will be a little harder. That way, when you're ready for the real thing, you'll have less of a chance of messing up." Sage looked at the lasers and smiled. This was going to be a piece of cake for her. She watched as Mahony manuevered her body throughout the beams and got to the end. "You'll have to reach me over here before you're done. Now one at a time." First Sage pulled her hair back, she knew it would get in the way as always. Many jobs were blown because of that one. Sage then equipped her gun because she knew it would be equipped when she actually tried the stunt. She went up to the first line of beams and twisted her body into a side turn and landed crouched down on one knee past the first lines. She went to the side of her and went across the beams that way. She jumped through the lower crossed set of beams and landed again on one knee. She rolled under the bottom line and turned quickly to see a beam right in front of her. She stood up and jumped over the beam and landed next to Mahony. "Very impressive. I thought you said you didn't like doing things like this?" "I don't. I hate doing work that makes me exert myself. Doesn't mean I don't do it." she said with a smile. They stood there watching the others as they tried to make it across the lines. "You know, it's going to be naturally easier for girls to get across. It will take them a little longer. I hope you realize that." Mahony smiled. "And we get to enjoy their humiliation." she said with a smile. "But I believe they'll get it. I wouldn't be wasting my time like this if I thought they would fail so easily." And right then, Syn tripped an alarm. "Sorry about that. This one just jumped right in front of me that's all. I didn't realize your beams move." "They don't Syn, they don't." she said trying to hide her amusement.

OOC: Wow, she's a really bad person :wow: I HATE HER!!! .... wait... that's MY character? Dang it.. she's in need of some major redeeming... Vahn ran in at that moment. "Damn it Heero, Revonair is on the Shore and somehow he managed to capture Jericho!!!" Heero looked at Vey and they all ran. Tika looked on and debated whether she would follow. But something in the pit of her stomach told her something bad would happen if she stayed.. that she should leave before something happened... She looked up at the Rose and a faint smile came to her face. "I'm sorry for ever hurting you Rose.. I never knew I hurt you... I'm sorry." she placed her hand on the ship and a tear fell from her eye. She didn't know how much her revenge had actually hurt her.. She gathered her daggers and decided to go and meet them head on. When she arived, she witnessed Revonair gutting Heero as he staggered back. She ran forward and went in front of Heero before he slashed at him again. "Well, if it isn't my beautiful daughter!" he said with a laugh. He had Jericho by the neck and the knife to his stomach. Tika stared at him. Her eyes locked. She remembered the horror this man had put her through. How she had repeatedly shot Revonair or stabbed him, just to keep him away, but he wouldn't die... "Heero my boy, it seems as if the Rose is filled with the most beautiful of women, isn't she." he said as he winked at Vey. She shuddered at his advance. "You're not taking the Rose. I won't let you, but furthermore, she won't let you!!" he screamed as he staggered up. Vey pointed Jericho's fallen pistols at the man, and Vahn had his sword ready. "Well then consider a trade, shall we? I'll give you this man for my precious daughter." Heero looked on.. he couldn't stand what Revonair was making him do. He looked at Tika and her stare was ice cold as she looked at her father. She walked forward, dagger in hand and stared her father straight in the eyes. "Drop him Revonair." "Please, call me dad." he said wickedly as he dropped Jericho and grabbed Tika. She stood there motionless as her father molested her. She pulled away and tried to balance herself. "Come on girl, it's been a while, I would think that you would be happy to see your own flesh and blood." "You are neither, Revonair. You are dead to me... you are dead to all.. wither in your own dreaded existence. I care not what happens to you. You are not my father, you were never a father." He stared at her and slapped her on the face. The slap was hard and she looked back at him coldly. "Show a little respect for your old man." "I have none to show, Revonair." He got angry and pulled her hair back so she fell to his knees. "I thank you for returning my disobedient daughter to me. Farewell!" "NOT SO FAST!!" cried Heero but Revonair disappeared with Tika. "TIKA!!" he screamed, but she was gone. "Heero.." Vey said. "We need to find her!!" he yelled as he ran after them. He searched everywhere and he finally found their ship as they sailed off. "TIKA!" he saw the Rose following close behind. Everyone swam after the Rose, but Ropes came and grabbed each one to safety. Heero was the last to clasp a rope as She swung him to the Wheel. He would not be responsible for another person's life... he wouldn't allow it.

She walked in silently without anyone hearing her. She took out her gun and went right behind him. She was a trained assassin. A damned good one at that. She raised her gun swiftly and quietly to Ty's head. "Having fun Ty?" Everyone turned around and jumped when they saw her with a gun to Ty's head. Everyone except Ty. Ty cracked a smile. Everyone thought he was crazy. Crazy or fearless, they weren't too sure on which. "I knew you were behind me the whole time Sage." "Yes, it's obvious." she said as she rolled her eyes. "You're such a liar." Ty laughed a little and turned around. "Alright, I'll admit, I didn't know you were in here. But I knew someone was." She smiled. "It's been a while." she said. Mahony looked at her and stared. "How? How in the hell did you get past all those traps??" She looked at her. "You must be Mahony. I've been tracking you ever since I heard you had left. I'm interested in the job if you're still hiring." She walked over and looked at Ty. "You know her?" "We go way back. Believe me, she's good at what she does." "And what is that exactly?" Syn asked walking over with Senkai. Sage looked over at them and back at Mahony. "Well, I'm an experieced Assassin with the hacking skills and stealth capabilities. My hacking skills are above average, but Ty here still outshines mine by about a thousand. I never was as fast as he." Senshi looked at Ty. "How do you know each other again?" "We were both working as Assassins." "I didn't know assassins made friends with other assassins." Syn said with a laugh. Sage looked at Syn evenly. But Mahony quickly changed the subject. "Anything else?" "Well I'm pretty good with explosives, but that's always been a hobby of mine. I construct them simply when I'm just sick of picking locks." "Can you pick a lock though?" "Most of the time I can, but like I said, Ty here is still a better hacker than me." "But she's not far off." he said as he gave her a quick smile. Mahony nodded. "The fact you got past all my traps without a scratch on you is enough for me, but a good report from Ty here confirms everything. I'll let you in, as long as you can jump into what we're doing." Sage nodded. "I won't try to run the show, and I have no problem listening to orders either. Just as long as you're not asking me to go take a long walk off a short pier." she said with a smile. Mahony nodded. "Time to get back then to what we were doing. Look forward to seeing what you can do Sage." Sage smiled as she went back to teaching them hand to hand combat. She looked at Ty and smiled. "It's been a long time." "No kidding. You slipped under the radar for a while there. What happened?" "An under cover job.. messy business. Had to get out of the picture completely." "I take it then you're still in the business?" "I came here to see if there's something else I can do, but I've been doing it for so long Ty. I really can't imagine doing anything else with my life." He looked over at the others and watched. "I heard about your gang. I'm sorry.. I would have been there.. but I was on a job. I'm sorry." "Hey it's over now. They got what they deserve, and now I have more money than I'll ever know what to deal with." he said as he tried to crack a smile. She stared ahead. "It won't be easy to trust another gang again, Ty. But these people, they don't seem like the crooked type." "Well as long as you're joining I'm sure a couple of assassins like us can take on anything, can't we?" She smiled. "I guess you're right then. Hopefully this will be something that will finally pull me out of the business. Too many risks now.. especially since..." He looked at her. "What's going on?" "It's nothing I can't handle, but the last job I did, well it was the pits just to get past the security alone. My mind wasn't on the job. I was seen by the victims son. I knew it was a doomed mission then, I still don't know how I was able to get past those guards as fast as I did." "Who was it?" Ty asked. "Vione Gervine." "You took out the international mobster, Gervine?" he said in disbelief. "I told you it was messy business.. but I couldn't refuse the challenge. You know how I am with a challenge." "Something I had wished you grew out of." "Some things never change Ty. But I think it's a good idea to find a new trade of business." "I agree. I think you've topped any challenge they can throw at you now." he said and they both waited for Mahony to call them over.