Streak was enjoying the little time that he had off today. Well, being off is a relative term considering the fact that he was enjoying the nice day outside, and also watching the weird make believe tournament that was going on at the moment. His attention was diverted for a second when he noticed an ice cream truck pull up. He didn’t remember anyone stating that there was going to be an ice cream truck delivery. The only explanation he could think of would be that someone else ordered the ice cream for the kids for after the tournament and since he wasn’t ‘working’ he wasn’t really informed. That would have to change.

All in all, the tournament was going pretty well and definitely weird enough for him. While he was watching what was going on he was definitely glad that he wasn’t involved in it. Somehow he’d managed to escape the Pokemon craze when he was younger, but that didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy watching people make fools out of themselves for no other reason than they could. It was some time into one of the matches when he was interrupted by his phone ringing. With a heavy sigh of duty calling he answered his phone “Hello?” Johnny didn’t waist any time in filling him in on the situation, which all in all seemed weirder than the tournament going on in front of him. However suspicious he thought it was that things were happening inside the mansion it was still a little disappointing to have to leave this entertaining spectacle.

A short time later and Streak was inside the mansion going from hallway to hallway as he made his way to the basement where Alex was trying to keep a trapped student from getting hurt. What a noble attempt; although the reason she didn’t just call him personally, or why Johnny hadn’t noticed it first, Shawn wasn’t exactly sure. The doors to the jet were already open when he arrived, so he just walked in. “Alex…” Streak looked around for her, “Where’s this kid?” he asked moving farther into the room and letting the doors close behind him.

Like a good lady he was, Roland entered the hangar without any comments. Still amused, Alexandra followed, stopping right next to the crates and fuel barrels Roland had chosen as a hiding place. Leaning against one crate and making sure she could keep her eyes on Roland all the time, Alexandra glanced at him, her expression turning serious. “Act fast, I can’t hold his attention forever.” Now, to wait for Streak to appear.

It actually didn’t take long. Maybe a minute or two, just how long it took one to go from the Mansion Grounds where everyone seemed to be at the moment, to the sub-levels of the Mansion. Good thing the X’s had a prominent sense of duty or else she might have had to go grab Streak and drag him to the hangar herself.

Anyway. “I don’t know, I just saw someone head this way and disappear through this door. Maybe he phased into another room or something. Is there any room adjacent to this one?” Her eyes shifted to the side, pretending to look at the wall while actually glancing at Roland and see what he was doing. She had no idea just how close he wanted Streak next to his position. “Figures someone would try to take a sneak peak inside the sub-levels when everyone’s outside.”

And apparently Streak was close enough now, for Roland was preparing to pull the trigger of the dart gun. And that, of course, lead to her following action. Making sure she didn’t open her mouth until it was too late for Streak to dodge the dart or cover himself in silver, Alexandra looked back at him, her expression bearing a warning message. “Streak, run!” What?... She did say she needed to make it look real.

"Act fast, I can’t hold his attention forever." Roland nodded, his eyes piercing her. He made no particular stretch of face to give away his feelings, but something didn't sit right. What was it? Alexandra was much too cooperative. One minute she's ready to take him out, the next she's telling him how to take out Streak? Maybe the cameras were only visual. Didn't make much difference to Roland, really. He had no interest if they saw him. Actually, he wanted them to see him. It reminded him of when he stood on the edge of the Mansion grounds, donning the fake Wraith suit. No one saw him at all. It was troubling.

No reason to worry over that occurring now. Streak looked suspicious, as if he had a sixth sense that something was up. Too bad he didn't also have eyes in the back of his head. He watched her talk to him and attempt misdirection. It was almost sweet. Surely it was just an amateur attempt, but in Roland's mind, it was the most sincere form of flattery. Imitation. He almost wanted to say something to her, but the trigger was squeezed. The small dart flew through the air with only the slight hiss of the compressed air's release. Oh, and the small thunk of it hitting him in the middle of the back.

“Streak, run!” Was it disappointing that Alexandra had done that? It didn't feel like a surprise. Maybe they could talk about it on the plane. In the meantime, Roland did not want him to run. Standing from his hiding place, he moved to Alexandra's back and got a healthy handful of hair balled up in his fist, pulling her head back so it faced the ceiling, the sharp edge of the kukri against her throat. " I think it would be better if you didn't run. Perhaps you could just sit down and let the medicine do its job. That...or get Johnny in here to mop up the blood. Your choice, kid." In her ear, he whispered, " Not incredibly bright, but forgiven."

Streak looked around for the kid that was supposedly in the hangar. Streak nodded his head in agreement; someone would try to sneak in during this stupid tournament. It just didn’t make sense that Alex found out before Johnny did. And why no alarms went off first? He couldn’t say. Streak knew they all worked because he just tested them the other day. This is a little too fishy. Something’s going on. he thought “Umm…” Streak thought for a second. He probably knew this place better than most. “The only other place that is right next to this is a few closets and the Danger Room is near this, but even that’s a little ways off.” Something wasn’t right; he just couldn’t put his finger on it. There was no reason for there to be a kid in here today.

As soon as he heard this urgency from Alex he turned. Too late. Streak felt the dart pierce his skin just shy of hitting dead onto his spine. “Ah! What the…” he spun around. Maybe a little too fast actually because one his body stopped spinning the room didn’t. Shawn put a hand up to his head. Aside from being dizzy he was suddenly very tired and weakening quickly. There was no way he could run now even if he wanted to. He tried to step… he tried to do something. But his body said ‘No’. Moving was apparently out of the questions. The only other question he had was who had shot him with a tranquilizer and who were they, and why were they doing this. Okay so maybe it was more than just one question but either way this day was going from boring to bad. Soon enough a guy stepped out of the shadows and Streak was aware that Alex wasn’t alone with him here. Run? Really? Did this joker really think he could run at this point? Apparently this guy was someone that just went out and got store bought tranquilizers and not home made tranqs.

“What the…” Streak tried to finish his question but he seemed to be having trouble getting the words out. “Leave… her…” he reached out a hand and tried, very unsuccessfully, to take a step towards the two. Unfortunately all the silvermancer could do was fall to one knee with an echoing THUD and a grunt. He had to admit, it was a big knife the guy pulled out and held at Alex’s throat. He rested one hand on his knee and the other on the ground as he felt the tranquilizer work its medicine into his system. Even if he pulled it out now, it wouldn’t matter. Too much of it had gotten into his body for it to make any difference. Streak was struggling against the tranq as hard as he could but it was a loosing battle and he would soon be unconscious. As he looked up he vaguely caught a glimpse of the mans face. Hopefully he could remember it, but the chances of that were pretty slim. As hard as it was for him to look up, he did it, just before he slumped to the ground unconscious.

Her timing was perfect, Alexandra noticed. The tranquilizer dart flew trough the air, hitting right into Streak’s spine. Barely had she the time to witness the first symptoms of the medicine being delivered into Streak’s system when she was forced to not only make a step back but also stare at the ceiling. Forced by Roland’s hand pulling at her hair. While sharp cold metal pressed into her throat, to threaten Streak that running will have messy consequences. (That !#$#@$%%#@!!!) As if Streak could actually run.

A murderous look was thrown Roland’s way in response. That felt completely unnecessary. Also, infuriating. It took her a lot of restraining to prevent herself from being anything else than the helpless victim. And not to voice out her kind opinion of his persona. Her hands went up to grab Roland’s hand, in a false attempt to tug them away from her throat while her eyes shifted uncomfortably so she’d be able to see Streak. “Streak-” The hand pulled harder at her hair. The murderous look returned. Why did she get the impression that he was enjoying this?

Still, Alexandra kept her mouth shut, leaning back more so it wouldn’t hurt that much. Watching Streak became much more uncomfortable but seeing him faceplant to the floor was actually worth it. She didn’t get to see that every day. Her eyes shifted back to Roland, narrowing. “That was completely unnecessary.” She muttered trough gritted teeth as soon as no sounds came from Streak’s direction. And while she was at it: “And could you be a bit more gentle with my hair? I happen to be very fond of it.”

Alexandra's long tresses were luxuriously soft in Roland's grip. He kept his murder face on for Streak until the kid went to sleep. He allowed her to wrestle weakly as well, though he did press slightly with the blade to ensure she did not do it again. The jury was still out on her brainpower. At first, he thought he might have made a mistake judging Alexandra as another pretty face with no brain inside. Every time she spoke to him, the opinion resumed. Her eyes continued to narrow and she looked pretty pissed. That was good. Her body pressed against his and a handful of hair felt good too. He backed the two of them up to the plane, pressing the button to release the entrance ramp.

Once it had descended and made a sound against the metal floor, he pulled her back with him until they were safely inside the confines of the plane. It was only then that he let go of her hair and pushed her to the floor. He smelled his hand to remember the scent of those luscious locks. She turned her head over her shoulder, rage filling her eyes. She opened her lips, only managing to say, " You.." Roland crouched and gave her a look like he might just smack those lips off of her face.

" Shut the hell up! Listen. For someone who gets away with as much as you do, your spy abilities suck. Hard. You had better hope that the cameras in the hangar don't have audio or you've completely screwed yourself out of ever returning. If I had talked to you normally after shooting Streak and we happily walked into this jet together, what would that have looked like, Alexandra?!" He stood again, adding some more lecturing in before she could do much more than pout, which she was world class at. " Do me a favor and try to be subtle enough not to be seen in the cockpit windows. Or maybe you want to write a big sign to hold up to the cameras that says 'I'm in on this.' Just keep your mouth shut until I get back."

Roland turned his back on her and walked back into the hangar, crouching down and removing the dart from the boy's back. He then put his arms under his armpits and dragged him backward into the plane, laying him down next to Alexandra. He stepped over his body and headed for the cockpit to begin the pre-flight check, when he heard Alexandra's voice behind him. " Oh, Roland?"

And of course, her request went unnoticed. Swallowing her anger and the desire to do something that fell under the category of violence to Roland, she continued to play along and let herself be leaded to the jet by her hair and with a blade pressing against her throat. But when she was pushed on the floor, that was about everything she could handle. No need to play nice in the jet. No cameras to see her.

Her head turned furiously around, locks of hair falling on her face as rage-filled eyes searched for Roland. “You- … and found him, smelling his hand… That is… awkward. The initial string of curse words that should have followed was paused just for long enough for Roland to get to speak.

And God, this man spoke and spoke, not even giving her the chance to open her mouth to say anything in response. With the anger that was building inside her every time he opened his mouth to say another word, she doubted she could have said anything anyway. She felt like she would be suffocated if she listened to one more word.

Which was why she was thankful that he left to get Streak. Alexandra collected herself from the floor, pushing locks of hair away from her face. She allowed herself a few moments to take deep breaths. She waited patiently for him to return. She watched him as he dumped Streak to the floor. She let him turn away from her. And only then, she spoke.

“Oh Roland.”

When he turned, she punched him square in the face, making sure that she put all her strength in that hit. And damn if it wasn’t one of those moments when she wanted to trade molecular manipulation for some super-strength, just so she’d be able to see Mr. Perfect flying trough the air and slide helplessly against the wall. Heh. Too bad. She’d have to be satisfied with a bleeding lip. Or a broken nose if it was one of her lucky days.

After the hit was taken, Alexandra stepped closer, her eyes narrowing at the man. “The cameras don’t have any audio, you moron. And in case you didn’t notice where the cameras were placed when we entered the hangar, I did. They won’t even see me talking with you. Looking yes, but that wouldn’t be such a surprise if I’m gonna say that you are pointing something dangerous at my back.” Her body leaned forward, even closer to Roland as she continued to speak. “And perhaps you’re the one that had spent too much time in Romania and you’ve forgotten to understand your own language. I asked you to stop pulling so damn hard at my hair, not to sweep me of my feet and carry me to the jet like a princess. I asked you to make it look real, not to enjoy yourself.” Straightening herself, Alexandra folded her arms, letting her face shift to a more relaxed expression. “If you think that I insist on making it look like I’m threatened with losing my life only to screw it up later myself, then you’re an idiot.”

A sigh left her lips. Well, she felt better. However, she wasn’t done. “I’ve had enough. Stop treating me like trash, stop insulting me, stop tossing me around at your leisure. If we’re gonna do this together than you’d better start treating me as your equal. Or shut the hell up. I’m not interested in your opinions. I’ve come so far without your snidey remarks, I don’t need them now. So keep them for yourself. Save me from a headache.”

Now she felt even better. Yet, her loath-filled look persisted. “Now go start the damn jet and let’s get out of here before Johnny sees what happened with Streak.” Spinning on her heels, Alexandra stepped away but stopped abruptly, looking over her shoulder at Roland. “And for God’s sake, stop smelling your hands after you touch me. It’s creepy.” That being said, she looked away. She’d seen Roland enough to last for a lifetime and although she knew that he’d see more of him not only today but after that too, at this point she appreciated any moment she could spend without witnessing that unbelievingly arrogant attitude of his.

He wasn't expecting a kiss for good luck or a heart to heart. Alexandra had been percolating with rage the entire trip down to the hangar. He also didn't expect the mean jab to the kisser either. He fell back and landed square on his butt. A familiar taste oozed into his mouth as crimson slid down his face. He looked up at the femme fatale, his mouth opening to say something. He never got a chance. Here came the talking to, the time when a woman became enticing as she was filled with indignation and sought instant validation. He kept his mouth shut while she continued.

It seemed she did know about the cameras. It made sense, considering she had been spying on the Mansion. Maybe he had slightly underestimated her. She took a step forward, closing the distance between them slightly, the lights of the jet's interior creating a sort of nimbus around her body. She had wants and desires, as most women did. She wanted to be treated with respect both as a woman and a spy. While she appeared to take a breath, he put a word in edgewise beofre the next torrent spilled from her perfect lips. " Deal. I'll treat you with respect. You punch me in the face again though and I'll punch you back. " That was the real way to test a potential partner's mettle. See if they could take a punch.

He thought she might have something more important to say, but it turned out to be more female emotional venting. So he waited until she was done, wiping the blood from his face and regaining his original standing position. His eyes never left hers, just in case she decided to throw another punch or try some of her own magic. She had two more requests. Start the damned jet. Stop smelling his hand after he touched her. One request he could comply to. He snapped a sharp salute at the vixen and turned on his own heel, taking a the pilot's seat.

The entry ramp at the back of the jet began to close with the whine of hydraulics as ligths began to come on before him. The powerful VTOL turbines started to come to life as Roland buckled himself in. he thought for a moment to tell Alexandra to do the same, but then he recalled that she had not requested that. She was smart enough to figure it out on her own. Roland's eyes lit up as there was indeed a place to put his CD> He assumed it was probably for visual discs, but most were compatible. As he slid the disc in, he pressed the button for the hangar doors, which were directly above his head.

Sinatra's voice began crooning 'Come Fly With Me' as the jet engines blasted to life and the scenery began to brighten. The landing gear retracted, as the kiddies in their various costumes looked on. Roland achieved the minimal safe distance before slamming the throttle down. The speed that this jet had was off the charts. It was definitely a custom model. He thought that maybe when he got it to Faust, they might get some blueprints together before they returned it. For now, it was joyriding at the treeline.

Alexandra slid in one of the X-Jet’s seats as soon as Roland had entered the cockpit. Lazily, she looked over at the sleeping Streak, wondering if she should place him in a seat too or just leave him laying on the floor. It didn’t take long to decide. She wasn’t in a helping mood. Actually she was in the super-bitchy mood. And tired. Roland felt like some sort of energy vampire, draining her life force away only by being near. Opening his mouth only made it worse.

She was glad that he didn’t make any comments. He had promptly agreed with her request. The ‘punch me and I’ll punch you’ one, Alexandra preferred to dismiss after promising herself that if he did happen to touch her again without her permission she’d cut off his hands. After all, she agreed with not killing him. Maiming was not a part of the deal.

As buttons were being pushed and various changes started to take place Alexandra buckled herself in the seat and rested her chin in her palm, waiting for the moment till she’d be able to go to the cockpit. Roland or no Roland, it was the first time she was flying in the jet. She didn’t want to experience it from the back.

She rolled her eyes slightly as music started to play. Really? All this seemed to be casual for Roland. Blackmailing, kidnapping, stealing and Frank Sinatra. What more could one possibly ask for? Multi-colored eyes shifted to the cockpit, glancing trough the windows from her seat. She’d chosen one from where she couldn’t see Roland. The jet started to move. For a speedster like herself, it was a thrilling experience. If not for Roland she could have enjoyed it properly.

The scenery changed and she could almost feel the speed they were going at. Roland wasn’t being gentle with the machine. Less than a minute later, Alexandra assumed that she was clear to join Roland and unbuckled herself. The trip, although short didn’t prove to be easy. It didn’t happen only once to need to hold on to the nearest thing so she wouldn’t be tossed back. But, as bumpy and difficult as it was, Alexandra finally reached the co-pilot seat and slipped in, completely ignoring Roland and letting her eyes wander over the spectacular view.

She didn't fall on her ass. Too bad. Roland adjusted for that unfortunate non-event by enjoying the maneuverability of the X-Jet. Why children who played dress up on the Mansion grounds were allowed to have one was beyond him. He pulled back on the steering wheel, the ground disappearing from view sharply as it was replaced with clouds. No steep angle was necessary, as he was having fun rather than trying to stall the engines out. The controls were smooth and silken, the altimeter rolling as Roland also rolled the jet a full revolution.

Breaking the clouds, the sun shone over the chassis of the jet, making it gleam at the thinner altitude. The trip would be relatively short, but Roland didn't feel the need to zip through downtown in a secret stealth jet. Following the readout of the city, he located Faust below him, not too far away. He looked back over and admired Alexandra's legs, though she was thoroughly not looking at him, staring out the window with indignation. He wondered what look she would wear when she found out Streak wasn't the only one being delivered to Lori.

Considering the relative distances of Faust to the other buildings in the area, Roland knew only a precise landing with little acrobatics was vital to getting the job done. But that's why Roland was put on the job, wasn't it? " Going down." In an orchestrated and precise combination of moves, Roland pulled the flaps. All of them, while cutting the throttle down to next to nothing. This caused the jet to effectively hit the brakes and drop like a rock. The landing gear extended as the engines turned for vertical landing. With a press of emergency boosters, there was a brief thump and roar as the X-Jet set down on the helipad of Faust Pharmaceuticals. Not so much as a scratch.

White coated lab techs were standing ready as the entry ramp opened. Roland unbuckled himself and stepped over Streak. Oh, he had forgotten to secure him during the flight. What a shame. Stepping out into the daylight, he stretched as the crowd of eggheads approached. " Take the sample downstairs. The other one has a meeting with Miss Faust. She just doesn't know it yet." Making his way toward the door, he stopped and looked back at his trophy. The eggheads were carrying an unconscious and slightly bruised Streak out. One of Miss Faust's assistants was meeting Roland, a digital camera in hand. The camera came into his own, as she smiled a devilish smile to him. She'd be on her back before long. Turning toward the scene, Roland snapped off a few clicks and then handed the camera back to her. He stood in the shot and took a few poses for posterity himself, planting a kiss on the young girl's cheek as he disappeared into the bowels of the building.