The best laid plans

Cebra hatches an idea, out of the need to keep Cheryl under a certain degree of control and further his own plans to now assassinate Wesley. Her help would no doubt make things go smoother but bargaining would be tricky. "So I first have to know. Who was the other assailant in the vault? The one with the teleporting stealth suit?" Cheryl's face turned to a blank expression before a flash of realization came over her. She smirked and said nothing while looking up at Cebra with nothing short of gleeful defiance. Cebra groaned before standing up and turning towards the wall behind his bed where lay the vials. "Ok here's the deal, I have only need for a single vial of the agent and as such I'm able to give you one. Of course your cooperation would be the price for this. The alternative is that well... I can't afford to have you as a complication, you understand correct?" A coldness in his tone made the point inescapably clear to Cheryl, she took a few moments to consider the offer. "And how can I trust you wouldn't kill me after you're done with me?" Cebra sat back down and smirked "I thought you people knew how I worked?" Cheryl stares at Cebra judging her odds of this going well. "... I'm fairly certain that you encountered an agent from Berth & Clydeshaw arms, they're the buyer that Wesley is dealing with. Probably trying to double cross him."

Cebra's eyes darted back and forth as his head tilted down and thoughts raced through his mind, he knew this company somewhat. They had been involved in the incident of his liberation many decades ago. "I see... Is your sole objective this vial?" Cebra asks a leading question trying to work some more private info out of Cheryl. "Listen I'll help you as far as your mission is concerned, but I'm not about to reveal all of my purpose Cyborg." Fair enough as far as Cebra is concerned "I'm not just here to Rob Wesley, but I'm sure you've come to that conclusion as well." Cheryl looked in Cebra's eyes with a knowing look, no judgement but a cold glint. "You've been eliminating people involved in your creation, Wesley was... He was head of the bio research division and current board member, we are aware of what you've been doing yes." Cebra made a personal note to do some sleuthing into 1423 "So what is your organizations feeling on murder?" Cheryl was visibly uneasy by this, on her face were flashes of memory that she endured with a small pain "I can help you. But you can't ask me to do what you do, I'm not a... I mean I have killed before in self defense but." Cebra raises his hand to stop her from explaining further "That will do, I don't need you to do anything like that, just help me along the way. Is that acceptable?" Cheryl sighs when she thinks of the report she's going to have to make "Alright, if it means you'll give me a vial then I'll help you."

They discussed long into the night about Cebra's plan and how to alter it to fit Cheryl aiding him. She explained her abilities to a degree revealing she can spawn numerous limbs and even replace her own body completely, a very useful tool for spy work. Wesley would likely still be attending regular events on the ship for the first class members, his frequently loved activities included the casino for his gambling fix, the library and the sauna. The way things would go is that Cheryl would be used to distract the Android assistant and draw her into a trap, Chery had no problems taking out a piece of machinery, however she was dangerous and likely armed with a few nasty surprises given her model. While the assistant and bodyguard was distracted Cebra would infiltrate the sauna staff and eliminate Wesley.

There was no rest that night for either of the two, too much to think about along with the fragile alliance they had. They had small talk as best two spies could with little trust between each other, talking about trivial things; weather, food, Cheryl's film career. It was breaking dawn when the two of them began to move, Cheryl used her abilities to take the form of another human entirely. Her body morphed like putty being squeezed and shifted by an aggressive hand until finally she or rather he emerged. Cheryl had completely changed her body into that of what seemed to be an Italian male, he stood easily six feet with a strong build. The plan was now in motion, but even so Cebra could not stop wondering what sort of problem Berth&Clydeshaw would present in this situation. Theoretically they already got a few vials of the agent and there would be no reason to interfere with Cebra.

It took a few hours to track down where exactly Wesley and his android assistant would be, the vastness of the ship made it a lengthy task. Eventually the two were able to locate which library Wesley was in, he was relatively secluded in a private room in the library, one could pay extra to reserve quiet reading spaces away from others... With drinks, smoking and other luxuries.  The android assistant was not far away, maintaining a meta human façade by spending time sun bathing by one of the various pools. Cheryl's guise of a security officer was near flawless, it was certainly enough to convince someone at a passing look, looking like a muscular and tall male helped as well. Cheryl approached the android adopting a very authoritative tone. "Excuse me ma'am, I wish to speak about you concerning the incident in the cargo hold." There was a small part of Cheryl that wanted some pay back for messing up her escape as well. It wasn't hard to convince the android to follow Cheryl to a secluded area, it didn't even get suspicious when it was led into a loud engine room. Cheryl managed to lead the android in and position herself behind the android. She struck the android in the back of the head, the amount of raw physical strength Cheryl summoned when she struck sent the automaton right down to the floor motionless.

Cebra's task was more trying, the amount of eyes that could be on him at any time numbered high. The library was a popular leisure spot for some guests. Cebra couldn't risk bringing a weapon with him and came with nothing but his bare hands, his ability to improvise weapons was a great boon here making having one on hand rather pointless. He was in his plain clothes not standing out at all when he made his approach to the private section of the library, a double door separated the normal and private sections with only a single attendant for security purposes. Cebra couldn't just barge in by force and the attendant wasn't budging an inch by the looks of it. Cebra sat down and grabbed a book pretending to read as he kept an eye on the man standing guard, it was ten minutes before Cebra got his opportunity. He observed a first class guest enter the library, a middle aged Asian woman in a pink long skirt. Cebra stood up behind a book shelf just out of view of the woman and guard. Cebra saw the womans purse on her side in a vulnerable state as she stopped to talk to the librarian. Cebra timed his walk for the moment she turnd to go to the private section and bumped into her. His sleight of hand skills were quick and precise enough to be martially taught.

The card in hand and so very close now to his goal, Cebra passed beyond the doorway with a quick flash of his stolen ID. The attendant wasn't too interested in a thorough look and let Cebra pass. The footsteps on the soft blue carpeting masked the sounds of footsteps reinforcing the silent atmosphere, the only sounds were of turning pages and shifting chairs. Cebra walked like wraith among the rows of shelves, murder had bent his mind and driven him forward without hesitation. There he was, Wesley Burnbaum in his chair with his gin and lime, reading away not a book but a screen. It was a small device like Cebra had, some data pad. They were useful devices for keeping information secure unless someone was gazing over your shoulder. Cebra had crept up and was ready to quickly snap the man's neck... However.

When Cebra saw what was on the data pad he stopped dead: A picture of the assailant that had attacked Cebra was shown beside the one of the young man he had met, Hardik Khan. The information beside him indicated he worked for Berth & Clydeshaw. So that was it, Hardik had him made out since he was on board the ship possibly even before that point. Cebra had an involuntary small gasp when he realized he was made from the get-go, and unfortunately Wesley took notice with a shuffle and turn around in his chair. "Excuse me could you not... Not... No, no you can't be." The look of recognition is almost instant as Wesley looks up to see Cebra's face now returned to a grim glare down at his quarry. "Hello Wesley, silence in the library." As his hand grips Wesleys throat like a steel clamp; Silent violent flailing, bright blue eyes bulging from the head as the red takes over, spit and drool leaks and spatters from the man as he desperately tries to escape his fate. Cebra stares into his eyes with the most subtle smile and glint of joy in his own eyes.  There was a croak and a visceral crunching sound in Wesleys throat, blood trickles from his mouth as his eyes glaze over in a horrific stare upwards as he slumps over.

Cheryl counts this as a win and leaves the engine room, an easier job than she'd been led to believe. She returned to her normal form and made for the exit to the engine room, that was until a hard grip seized the back of her long blonde hair "Shit." As she is yanked back by mechanical strength and sent flying into a long pipe, denting it severely. Cheryl was quite durable due to the collective strength of all those within her, she quickly got up to her feet to block and dodge a flurry of strikes from the android with a dented skull. Cheryl took several sharp hits to the face, having trouble with the bitch machines precision and speed. Not completely outmatched, Cheryl's superior strength let's her get a hold of the android by also using her ability to spawn body parts. She catches the android woman when she launches a flying kick at Cheryl in a web of arms and hands. Cheryl slams her down to the hard metal floor and stomps on her head, Cheryl looks to be running the fight. "Cheryl Laine, if that is your real name pardon the cliche. You've got some nerve attacking and stealing from Orion. You and your little cult friends, your time will come especially after this." Cheryl smirks looking down at her "Last I heard, you were AWOL and Orion was looking for you hm?" The android may have shown some slight human sign of frustration with a renewed and aggressive vigor in her attack.

Another name to remove from the list, serendipity had made all the circumstances for this revenge and Cebra was thankful to a near spiritual level. There was nothing sweeter than revenge, he bathed in the feeling taking a few seconds to look down at the ugly corpse of the man responsible for so many of his most painful memories. So indulgent was he that the gaping eyes of a young man horrorstruck had not reached him immediately, the young man had not seen Cebra murder Wesley but standing over his body was good enough to make the boy yell out in fear and trauma. Cebra's back was turned to the boy and hadn't seen his face, Cebra immediately grabs a hard cover large book and throws it at the young man striking him in the head and knocking him out cold, urgency beset Cebra's mind and the time to escape had come. With swiftness in his movements Cebra takes another route back to the private sections exit only to be greeted by the assigned attendant with the woman he pickpocketed. "... Shit." Cebra would prefer to exit the situation as easily and covertly as he slipped in but having to force his way out was no longer a concern now that Wesley was dead and he had possession of at least one vial.

Cheryl wasn't faring as well with the android who had her pinned against an engine cooling unit which was also close to an extremely hot metal pipe, a pipe the android was trying to force Cheryl onto face first. She could feel the heat growing near her cheek as she strained against the android, but now in a stable position Cheryl grows the arms from her first to make one giant limb tentacle out of her right arm.  She grabs the android by the back of the neck and lifts her up and slams her down on a stairway that sent the android tumbling down the staircase until it stopped fairly close to the bottom by grabbing the railing. The damage on the android became more apparent as the fight went. Cheryl looked down the stairway with a smug smirk on her face, a look that was quickly wiped away as the android pointed its arm up at Cheryl followed by mechanical noises and the arm morphing into a ranged weapon. Cheryl breathed a pained sigh shortly before a blue bolt speeds towards her.

SIRENS! The section of the ship Cebra was in was lit up now. In the man's wake are a group of ship security knocked out cold. The guests are funneled by security to their room while also searching for Cebra now on his way back to his room before security can catch up. He's not afraid of getting shot at but getting his goods off the ship inside an escape pod before the Australian military arrived was deadly important. He rounded a corner and saw a group of guards in his way with their back turned, he came up behind them and was quick to dispatch them with hard strikes that knocked them cold. He moved quickly to his room and found it compromised by 4 guards, on sight they raised their weapons to Cebra "Freeze right there, make no sudden." Cebra moved towards them undaunted, their professional demeanor crumbled fast when the bullets froze perfectly still an inch from hitting Cebra and fell to the ground. He quickly dispatched them like the previous guards and knocked them out.

Cheryl was in a tight spot taking cover while looking for the next place to leap and hide in or around. The blue bolts of energy exploded around Cheryl constantly, the android had given up completely on hand to hand and was willing to blast away until Cheryl was dead. Cheryl made a quick leap to hide behind some control consoles, but the android was quickly on her and fixed her aim so that there was no escape. Cheryl curled up behind the small barrier making herself as small a target as she could, unfortunately the android got the drop on her and "AAAAAARRGH!" Cheryl takes shrapnel to her side from an explosion and is forced out of cover on the ground. The android raised her weapon and charged another shot with an emotionless efficiency, Cheryl looked up in shock. She was terrified and couldn't think past the point of "PLEASE NO NO!"

Cheryl has her end but seconds away, odd that her gaze should be distracted from the android with the weapon in her face. A look of shock as she stares past the android and up in the air, the android took notice of Cheryl's change of attention and turned around quickly but a moment too late as a brutally solid and precision strike send the metallic woman slamming into a wall so hard the clang of metal on metal sounds like an explosion. From out of thin air the assailant that attacked Cebra, Hardik Khan strikes the android with a flying kick. His dark green stealth suit shimmered as he fully dropped his cloaking. "Cheryl Laine I presume? You're a hard woman to track down." Cheryl props herself up against a wall as she bleeds out "You... You're from Berth & Clydeshaw." she says through winces and labored breath.

The android gets back to its feet now targeting Hardik, a fruitless effort as the man turns invisible leaving the android confused. Hardik strikes from behind the android grabbing its arm and he swings the machine before launching it into a control panel and crushing it. Cheryl crawled her way to a hiding place behind some large apparatus near the turbine engine. Hardik and the android fought each other with the android blasting recklessly and Hardik outmaneuvering her at every turn and picking the machine apart with fast hard strikes before vanishing again. One of the stray bolts from the android hits a volatile component and causes an explosion. The entire gigantic spinning turbine on the outside of the port side stops leaving two functional on that side. The ship rocks violently and tilts to one side sending all on board flying, a few unfortunate passengers fall over the side of the ship and to their doom below.

Cheryl is in a daze having been tossed into a wall, Hardik was sent flying but managed to grab hold of the stair railing and save himself. The android took it the worst however, she was cut in half at the stomach and caught in some gears, her body sparked and spasmed but otherwise was now undone. The sound of emergency sirens was like the sky was falling and the world ending, the intercom on the ship repeated orders to security while also calling for calm. The ship stabilized eventually but the vessel was still on fire, immediately emergency crews and security were on the way to the engine room where the three were fighting. Hardik groaned as he got to his feet and walked over towards Cheryl, shaking off a limp and stagger. He stood over her as she started to regain herself, critically injured and incapable of moving Cheryl couldn't do much as he propped her up against a wall. "Ok... I don't think we have much time so I'm going to be very direct with you Miss Laine. I need the other vials now, where are they?" He kneels down gripping her throat as his other hand grips her shrapnel wound. A gut wrenching and bloody choking sound escapes her as she tries to scream.

"Answer me quickly and I wont have to do that again or much worse." He releases his grip slightly on her throat and wound to let her speak. Cheryl cringes and stifles her tears with a furious rage on her face, her response isn't any words but blood red spit fired right at his helm. "I do NOT have time for this!" He tortures her more with more intensity, the few minutes he has feel like hours upon hours as Cheryl defies Hardik as best she can. Hardik hears the sound of security coming and resigns to finally kill her when something happens. The muffled sound of gun fire outside and screaming voices calling orders, quickly silenced into mild groans of pain... There is someone at the entrance to the engine room, the metal door opens to show Cebra with his glowing red eyes. With such reflexes as to not waste a fraction of a second he has a stolen hand gun pointed at Hardik and starts firing.

Hardik takes a round to the shoulder before vanishing and running behind some busted and burning control panels. The cloaking on his suit still works save for the trail of blood Cebra instantly identifies. Cebra keeps his head on a swivel as he approaches the heavily wounded Cheryl, he kneels down and feels her pulse, she's out cold but still has a decent pulse. Cebra can sense the metal fragments inside her and attempts to draw them out carefully by first turning them into a liquid state. He seals the wound up and lets her rest on the ground while he turns to face Hardik. "So I have to ask you, how early were you on to me? Before I even got on board was it?" Cebra asks out loud. Hardik makes no response as he tries to get past Cebra and out the door, perfectly aware a one on one with Cebra while Cebra is armed and he is injured is suicide. He makes it silently up the stairway and to the door when Cebra turns on a dime and fires a round nearly taking Hardiks head off but hitting a fallen pipe.

Hardik takes cover so close to his escape but now pinned down "I was told you would be problematic, just wish you weren't so damn fine looking Robo boy." Cebra cocks an eyebrow but keeps his aim fixed waiting for Hardik to move "So even before I got on board then, interesting." Hardik smirks at Cebra's response "I... I can't let those vials leave this ship not in my hands, you know how companies get with competition. Having you two leave with them is going to be a no... Seems I don't have a choice, shame." The Somnolent dragon will sleep beneath the sea. Hardik activates a device on his suit. What followed was a series of massive explosions rocking the ship horribly and disabling three more engines... The ship began to lose altitude.

Blackness...

Red lights flashing, smoke and flame choke the hallways on the starboard side of the ship. The screams of guests were broken intermittently by the wailing of the alarms. Security that was once focused on searching for Cebra are redistributed to help the guests reach the life boats. Cebra was out for no more than a few moments before his eyes sprung open with that focused red glow. He was quick to his feet and equally quick to raise his weapon, scanning for Hardik... But there was nothing. He must have slipped away and probably trying to find one of the vials. With little time to spare Cebra grabs a hold of Cheryl and hoists her over his shoulders. "Umf, my hero." She utters in low but teasing tone, Cebra couldn't help feeling like an action hero in this moment saving the damsel.

Cebra managed to make it to the top deck and avoid the attention of security as he subtly obscured himself whenever possible, an easy task given the madness that was happening all around them. The life boats were already being boarded by passengers assisted by crewmen and security. The bridge crew fought desperately against the forces of gravity, using every available hand and trick to try and stabilize the Dragon. There was little they could do as the angle dipped more and more while altitude sank, a harrowing sight, the Dragon falls through the clouds in a wind filled roar towards the ocean. Cebra and Cheryl avoided the sightline of the security as he loaded her into one of the pod like life boats "Here take this." Cebra hands Cheryl a vial of the substance from earlier, yet he does not enter the life boat. "I have to stay and help, you get going Cheryl and um thank you. Never thought I'd have the pleasure of meeting you." Cheryl looks at Cebra as though having a huge realization. "So you really do play the role of hero, I thought they were joking when..." Cheryl smiles sweetly at Cebra before planting a kiss on his lips to Cebra's surprise. "...Don't die, my favorite fan." Before the hatch closes and Cheryl is ejected.

The last sight in Cheryl's vision as the life boat flies towards the ocean... Is the mangled android woman coming up behind Cebra and impaling him through the chest with her arm. Cheryl screams as she bangs on the glass descending downwards. Cebra goes limp and falls to the floor. The android though severely damaged from the engine room explosion is still a force to contend with. The security not recognizing the android as belonging to Wesley they opened fire on it, the sight of Cebra being eviscerated also aided in their swift response. The android was all but done with the crew of the vessel seeing them as incompetent obstacles now. With her swift robotic movements and strength she ripped through the crew easily, small arms rounds just deflected off of her.  It was a minute before Cebra's eyes once again opened, wound sealed and mostly healed, he sits up straight to see the android finishing off a guard before they try to enter an escape pod.

"You sassy little cunt." Cebra yells with mild frustration, "an old ass out of date model like you got the drop on me, that's pretty good." The android faces Cebra with lethal intent, a bit taken back that her murder attempt didn't stick. "Cebra... Project Hephaestus I should say. Should have known you would recover, but this fast? I'll simply have to take you apart piece by piece. Bring you back to Orion in a bag." She charges at Cebra and swings at his face which he dodges with ease before throwing her into a wall over his shoulder.

"You? Bring me anywhere? You couldn't even protect Wesley." The android recovers from the throw and stands up looking at Cebra with surprise "What?! You lie, he escaped on one of the life boats!" Cebra stares coldly with an intense satisfaction in his tone "His corpse is still in the library if you want it back, seems like dead weight to me though." The android could be mistaken for having flown into a rage if such emotions were possible. Cebra managed to dodge the android with the assistance of his S.E.M. program, if Cebra could recover this androids head then perhaps he could siphon personal data from it related to Wesley and whatever his plans were. More security entered the room and targeted their weapons at Cebra and the android firing at will, the android turned her attention to the guards. "ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS!? GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Cebra yelled as the bullets stopped dead before striking him.

Cebra intercepted the android with a quick series of moves finishing by smashing her into the floor and pinning her with a large chunk of broken wall, to the point where she was restrained, but now time was too short to extract the head properly. The guards aim at Cebra with significantly less confidence, one for his saving their lives and two for the ineffectiveness of their weapons. Cebra turned and sprinted towards the bridge past the guards going many decks upwards. The guards at the bridge door tried to stop him but Cebra quickly knocked them aside, the bridge crew was getting ready to abandon ship when Cebra broke in. They were surprised to say the least and a bit afraid. Without waiting Cebra sat at the helm controls and made an uplink to the console. He cycled through the ships vital systems and isolated the turbines and gyro position anchor. The best he could do now was to suffocate the flames in the engines for the turbines and angle the ship, this would bring the vessel down a bit more smoothly, but would it be enough? Many people were still stuck on the ship and Cebra wanted to minimalize the casualties.

Cheryl from her descending life boat could make out the Somnolent dragon streaking across the sky, brilliantly shining through the evening sky in orange, gold and crimson flames. She watched the ship as it went all the way down, falling to the ocean and making such a titanic wave as would likely be felt on the Australian coast. The life boats automated systems carried Cheryl away from the ship and off towards the Northern coast.

The news the following few days was all about the "The dragon sleeps forever". The blame was put on terroristic actions by former disgruntled workers, though no arrests were ever made. The bridge crew told of a man who saved the remaining crew and guests with his mechanical powers, they lost track of him after the ship hit the water. If not for the adjustments he made the ship would have torn itself in half and the engines would have exploded. Cheryl Laine returned to her celebrity life, all who knew she was a member of 1423 were at the bottom of the ocean, besides Cebra and Berth&Clydeshaw now. Cheryl would report back to her superiors and successfully retrieve the vital agent. She thought about that man for so long, hoping that he was alright and maybe one day they would meet again for a proper thanks.