For close to four decades “Black” Jack Hitchcock had been a name feared amongst the criminal underbelly of New York City. A name that would cause knees to tremble and faces to pale. A hard name. A black name for black deeds. A name that, for all intents and purposes, had died twenty years ago.

For the past five years, the name Aion had been carefully and purposefully seeded in a bed of cautiously selected contacts and cultivated like a garden. Patrons chosen for their networks, resources, and discretion. Relationships built on mutual benefit rather than loyalty. “Black“ Jack had learnt the hollow cost of loyalty. Aion would take care not to repeat the same mistakes. So it was, the name of Aion had started being whispered by the right people, to the right people.

The message that had made its way to him via his usual channels had also contained a name. One that had made its way to Aion’s ears more than once. A bloodier name than his, by far. One that sent a shiver down even his neck. Written in bright pink ink, signed below a specified time and location.

Aura.

The message had sent a cold thrill through Aion, anticipation and dread mixed together. Aion supposed that the fact that a message had been sent to him boded well. Though he had never met her, rumour had it that Aura, should he have somehow gained her ire, was the kind of person who would be contacting him in a much, much more personal manner...

The safehouse was a neutral ground. An abandoned backroom, accessed through a dented steel door covered in chipped green paint, at the dead end of a filthy ally. Standard place of business in this line of work. Glancing over his shoulder one last time, a twenty year old Aion shrugged his coat tighter, lifting the collar high. He felt the bandoliers and holsters underneath the coat press tight against his shape-memory bodysuit. He rolled his neck, prompting several pops and cracks, before taking a long, slow breath.

Grasping the handle, he opened the door a crack, silently slipping through into the dim light inside.

The safe house was not one of her favorites but it was she knew well having used it during her order days. A Thick layer of dust coated the every surface and the sofa had been squeaking for an hour. Aura assumed rats or mice had taken up residence within the sofa. and started to breed. She had ignored the sounds, having decided against carving through the furniture as she had no plans to use this place again. She had originally sat in an old wooden chair but that had failed to keep her weight and collapsed, so she instead had chosen the desk to wait on.

She had heard of Aion's work through her own work in the city's underground. It was well known that Aura would only work with mutants which narrowed down the help choices considerably but not enough for her to have encountered them all. She had gained a reputation in the underworld long before she understood how it could be used. Their were many in the underground that did mot care for Aura as she had long preyed on gangs which many used to distribute drugs or as muscle. Their was also the issue that if Aura came across anyone hurting a mutant she would involve herself, Humans rarely got the chance to make the mistake twice.

When Aion came through the door Aura was on the desk with a thick steak impaled on in aura sword. Using her other aura covered hand to cut and extract pieces she could eat. Another steak sat on the table, the two plates being the only things not layered in dust.

"Welcome New friend, Aion i believe? I am Aura, it is good to meet you. Forgive me, i got hungry while waiting and Kangaroo meat does not preserve long after the shipping, feel free to help yourself." she said waiving her free to hand to the other plate. She would never Finnish it after all.

Weather he took Aura up on the offer or not she would continue. Pulling a tablet from her bag, which had Moogle Maps open. "This is Varista Genetics, they use to be part of Fuast back in the day. The goal will be to get down to lab 7B on the second sub floor and retrieve some vials of genetic information. Perfectly would be to get in and out without being seen, if we are seem we will have to knock out or kill the offender as I am sure nether of us wants to try and emerge from a basement fighting police. Any other questions?" she asked taking another bite of her steak before setting it down. She was not entirely sure it was worth the near $30 a pound but it filled her desire for more exotic meats since she had stopped raiding the zoo years ago.

Aion silently closed the door behind him, taking in the disused state of the room in a glance, before resting his gaze on the young woman, and the pink blade she was manifesting. He watched with interest as it sliced through her steak. This was good. He had visual confirmation of her powers already. He couldn’t guess at the limits or specifics of her ability, but knowing that she could create blades with her aura...that was something he preferred knowing up front. She greeted him as a friend, which boded well too. She was offering him...kangaroo meat? Huh. That seemed...exotic.

“Thank you, I believe I will,” he responded, making his way to the desk. It would be impolite to decline his host’s offering. It was somewhat disconcerting that there was no discernible stove, but that seemed an irrelevance he really didn’t need answered at the moment. Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled a small pocket knife, unfolded it, and sliced a strip of the steak. Spearing it with the blade, he chewed mindfully, enjoying the flavour of the meat. It was...kind of like beef, but not.

Aura was right to business, which again, Aion could appreciate. That meant she probably had little interest in him besides what he could bring to the job. A professional, and judging by the fact she had began her briefing with no chit-chat, he assumed that she probably had information on him and had already deemed him appropriate. They could skip the measuring up.

It was a strange dance, meeting new clients and collaborators. Comparable almost to dating. Some people liked to show off - what they had, what they could offer. Others put on a front, offering one thing while desiring something else. Listening to Aura brief him on the job, Aion thought that she might be the sort of person who felt no need for deception or manipulation, for the simple fact that what you saw was what you got. Aion liked to play his cards a little closer to the chest, but saw no immediate reason for undue suspicion.

The job itself seemed simple enough. Infiltration and extraction. The names were not particularly familiar to him, nor was he particularly interested in what the genetic samples being taken were. What they would be used for was not a consideration that had even entered his thoughts. He was paid for retrieval, not cataloguing. Short of size and weight, what he was expected to steal was really none of his business. After all, the grocer shouldn’t concern himself with what someone will cook with their own groceries. He gave a satisfied nod as Aura finished speaking.

“Quick and quiet. Seems simple enough. What about expected defences? Do we have any idea of strength and numbers?”

Aura smiled when her new partner decided to dine with her. It was not everyday that occurred even if it was unplanned. She looked over him curiously always enjoying meeting new mutants. Their was a thrill to seeing others powers and finding all the different kinds of powers their were out there. Most were vastly different then others she had found and others were only slightly different.

She considered his question a moment before answering. "Pistols and rifles for sure. However some Genetic and medical research facilities began packing APR rounds after I struck a few of them around five years back or so. It was a Different company then this and a different branch of research as well. " she said in between cutting and chewing bites of meat. "Rent a cop's in the parking lot, but a more professional security group on the inside. Bullet proof vests are likely so head shots if you use a gun" she said tilting her head with a thought.

She put the few bites of her food down the aura fading from view and letting the few bites of steak fall the few inches to the plate. "I can take bullets pretty well, but bear in mind my aura deflects bullets in most cases, so my four and eight are dangerous places to stand. I can take bullets more head on but it is more taxing. When i got my powers around twelve i was trained for front like guerilla warfare, however my skills in infiltration have waned over the years, thus reason one i asked for you." she said knowing her own skills were more suited for the woods and she was being honest about them having dulled.

She picked up a cooler about eighteen inches across and a foot wide."The entire team is thirty people, so i expect around twelve at any one time plus the rent a cops. Lethal force is aloud, unless they display mutant abilities, in that case i would prefer to knock them out if possible." she said though as far as she knew their were no confirmed mutants on the team.

"Any other concerns?" she said a think pink aura appearing lining her body like a cartoon character outline. She really was hoping they could avoid a bloodbath here but she was killing to break a few eggs so to speak for this. Solkat had been her longest friend and Aura had always missed her. Discovering the Zoo had stored the genetic info of her old friend had been a surprise and she had started considering this right away

It seemed reasonable enough. A standard order of expendables out front with the heavy hitters inside the facility. Standard fare as far as armaments go, though the piercing rounds might complicate things. He smirked as Aura mentioned that she had been the cause of their issue. Seemed she was a victim of her own success. Still, given her history with these types of facilities, there was a reassurance that he was partnering with her, and not some over-enthusiastic cowboy.

She...was very open about her abilities and history, for a mercenary. Somehow that had the effect of being simultaneously a welcome openness in communication, as well as being utterly disconcerting. For tactical sake, it made perfect sense. The young woman had disclosed her abilities frankly and honestly, giving him a clear idea of her skill set. He admired the efficiency and trust it demonstrated. Wanted criminals rarely made themselves so vulnerable. It was a strange feeling...

He looked her over once more, hiding his surprise as she mentioned being trained from such a young age. Twelve... Gods above. He had been fifteen when he had signed up, months before he’d been selected for...reassignment. Barely sixteen when they’d shipped him out. A question sprang to mind, one that he’d file away for later. Had she been part of a government program as well, or something altogether different?

Suddenly, Aura’s dark reputation made a whole lot more sense.

He took the time to inspect the map, committing the layout to memory. Chewing another piece of meat, he glanced thoughtfully at Aura. Her pink glow of ability was deceivingly beautiful, considering what it could do. “None that come to mind,” he answered. “Should be easy enough to get past the rent-a-cops. If we can find a ventilation shaft, I’ll have no trouble getting inside. The hard part is going to be making to the sub level.” He thought for a moment. “If you really wanna do this without blood, we may need a distraction. Either take out the power, or go old fashioned and set something on fire.”

Aion gave a small sigh to himself, and activated his powers. He wasn’t used to placing his cards on the table so early. “I served in the War. Infantry and special operations, so I’m no stranger to behind the lines work.” Aion pulled a handkerchief from his coat pocket and wiped the blade his pocket knife clean, replacing them both in his pocket. His face began to visibly age in front of Aura. It was subtle at first. A slight deepening of wrinkles, a loosening of the skin. His hair began to gradually thin and fall loose, his hairline creeping slowly back, it’s chestnut colour beginning to grey.

It wasn’t long before Aura was face to face with an old man. “As for my abilities...” He waved a hand towards his face, before shifting back to his twenties, his features reverting as though the prior event was being watched in reverse. “Pretty self explanatory.” He ran his fingers through his hair, slicking it back down. “I can shift anywhere from five to eighty years old.”

He took one last look at the map, before pushing his plate away and standing to stretch his muscles. “This is your show, so I’m happy to follow your lead on this.”

She nodded at his assessment. "That maybe best. Not sure what we could set on fire that would distract them long enough but cutting power should be doable. Assuming a guard's not near i can cut it. " she said thinking a fire like that might attract the fire department but electric companies often took longer. She had considered more then once playing distraction but the cops could not ignore her and dozens of rounds of ammo. Once they heard it was her they would send SUPER or the x men and then it would be out of control. Brute force always was appealing but not always the best choice.

Aura smiled hearing his background, her interest etched in her face. She watched even more fascinated when his powers shifted his age to an old man and back the man who looked about her age. It was a new power to her and she had seen a lot. It was rare Aura got to work with an actual solider. It excited her their were things only other solders could understand she felt. "Your past and seeing your power puts me at ease, New friend. While i have made progress, i was trained to defend our people from humanity to my dyeing breath and i have" she said the last part with pride. An outsider might have thought Aura felt bad for all the people she had killed and was trying to kill less. In reality Aura had realized no matter how many scum bags she killed their would always be more and all the blood on her hands in the end had meant little. She had saved mutants of course but she wondered if she could have saved more by going after higher profile targets. People who organized such groups and their backers. She made a note she might want to talk to him in a better setting, other solders were rare to meet for her and maybe he could relate to certain things.

"It also occurs to me knocking out the power would disable the camera's as well" she said considering the idea further. Most of the time Aura did not mind being seen, in fact her presence was a weapon she exploited. "In any case, scoping out the place for yourself might be of benefit. The place is about five blocks from here, we can walk or if you drive we can do that. Last time i drove the car ended up in a pool" she said recalling when abyss had assumed she would know how or perhaps he just wanted to watch the resulting chaos. she ran a hand though her long hair.

She suspected this would be an easier job but she also knew that even the easiest jobs could get complicated real quick and if she made a dumb move she had Aion to tell ehr she was being stupid, she hoped he would anyway. She pushed her thoughts down, she was nervous she knew at the prospect of leading but it had gotten easier the past near year.

“Agreed.”

He finished his stretching, taking a moment to close his eyes and breathe. Aura’s assessment of the plan was solid. Take out the power, blind their surveillance, draw attention. He visualised in his minds eye a vague showing of the night to come. Though he had no specific image of the building or the guards he would be facing, it didn’t matter. He could see it as clearly as though it were before him. He visualised himself as a shadow, passing unseen. He visualised himself as the breeze, passing unheard. He was the phantom, the spectre that would find his way to the target. He visualised the guards, blindfolds over their eyes, and he watched them, blind to their surroundings. He took a deep breath, held it, then exhaled. He repeated this process three times, the image in his mind growing sharper and more vivid with each cycle. He released the image, seeing it floating away into the aether.

He opened his eyes and smiled.

“We’ll walk. A car might draw too much attention.” That, and he hadn’t driven in decades. Hadn’t needed to. “It’ll give us a chance to scope the surroundings. If things go south we’ll have a better chance at slipping them on foot. If we get separated, we can rendezvous here.” He checked his watch. “If either of us fail to return by 0900 hours, we consider the job a bust, and we cut and run. Agreed?”

Not that he expected things to go that way, but it was always smart to have a contingency for the worst case.

He inclined his head to the young woman. He felt the stirrings of adrenaline in his body, and smiled. He was excited to see what the night, as well as his new colleague, would bring. Provided Aura had nothing else to take care of, he was ready.

“Lead the way, my dear.”

Aura watched him stretch, it was something she did sometimes herself, but she was a bit to excited for it this time so she politely waited for Aion to finish. She nodded at his idea, it was sound as far as she could tell and more then reasonable. She took a deep breath and her aura seemed to suck itself into her mouth until it all vanished. She was showing off a bit as she could of easily just turned it off. "makes sense and the streets should start filling with more people shortly" she said considering the time. She often used such crowds to slip away much as her new friend seemed to suggest.

Aura nodded still feeling odd being in charge but it was something she was slowly getting more use to thanks to the Syndicate's teachings. She had lead her arua pack but their had been few tries after the disaster that had ended in. She lead the way out of the building and onto the street which was sloly gaining in people as they woke and began their routines. With her Aura mask on, she was sure to keep her eyes averted and her head slightly lowerd to avoid recognition, the hoodie and coat helped as well but Aura knew how easily seen her face was.

She was careful to avoid those she could as she walked, looking back to make sure her new friend was still there. The facility that came into view was a decent size two story building, but none of that indicated just how much was underground. Whoever designed the security however did not have Mutants in mind. The camera's outside the building swiveled in slow arcs back and fourth and the visible guards were playing on their phones she assumed, from them looking at their hands and only glancing around now and then. The building itself was sturdy brick but the building and windows were on the dirty side. She glanced back. "This is it" she said excitement creeping into her voice. She would have her best friend back one way or another. It never even crossed her mind a cloned skunk would not be the same as the one she lost, nor was the dna likely to be entirely the same.

Standing beside Aura, Aion took in the building and its surroundings. Standard cameras, easy enough to avoid. Distracted guards. He shook his head at their disgusting laxness. What was it with people and their obsession with phones these days? If they’d been on security in his employ, he’d have them fired, if not beaten. Had they been guards in his company during the war, he’d have executed them for gross negligence. Happy situation then that they were the sentries he had to sneak by instead.

He took his time watching the cameras, making sure there were no sentries patrolling. When none were forthcoming, he grunted to himself. “If security is this bad on the outside, then I’d wager we need to be extra careful once we get inside. This screams cat-trap. Present a weak front, entice intruders, then trap and cut them to pieces once inside.” He glanced sideways at Aura. “I’m going to go on a hunch and say this is going to get more lethal than not.” He didn’t think that would be a problem, but she had requested non-lethal first and he felt professionally obligated to be honest with her.

If push came to shove, he’d take the first shot with no regrets.

He lifted a finger to a window on the far side of the building. “It won’t be hard to skirt around the cameras and guards. Can you cut us through?”

She nodded at Aion's assessment. She knew of three ways she could have picked the guards off one by one without notice. "Yea, back in the woods, standing orders would have been to kill such men. I think your right. Their life's are secure only in their ignorance of us. Either way they will tell no stories" she said watching the guards. In the woods they had lacked cell phones of course or many real distractions but even so it bothered her just a bit.

She followed where he pointed and saw the window. "Should be able to" she replied considering it. Getting past the window would be easy, doing it quietly perhaps a bit less so if the window failed to cooperate. Still from the distance it was not easy to know how thick it was, she could only hope the fates guided them well.

She made her way carefully toward the window, evading the camera was easy and the guard only looked up once and that was to tell the other he sucked at the game. Once against the wall she moved to the window. This would take some focus to avoid shattering it. From her right index fingers grew a short blade she carefully inserted into the glass at the top just off center, she felt she was threw when she could expand her aura forward and their was no resistance. Carefully and slowly she drew her finger through the grass, rounding the corners to avoid extra cut's. She stopped when their was just an inch left at the top and buttum, then made her aue move down slightly so that when she made the final cut, she was able to extract the window and set it aside.

Once Aion was over she would hoist herself up into the window and plop down in the hall, her feeling Aion might be right was growing and she was thinking it better she had decided to bring the other mutant. If it was a trap the extra eyes and mind would do wonders.