When JAred had ahold of Johnny, Johnny ordered some of his nanobytes into Jared. Insurance, now he could end Jared's life with a mere thought, if he needed to, and he suspected Jaq only had so much control over him. Not that he particularly cared for the control she did exert over Jared, or even the way she did things.

For now he would play the game, self preservation was always his top priority.

He bagan to follow Jaq again, gazing at her sumptuous @ss. Before this is all over I'm gonna get me some of that. Thinking he might require some backup he sent a sublight message via his nanobytes to a very old accomplice.

Jaq continued down the darkened tunnel,she was so angry with Johnny for inserting the nanobytes into Jared, her normally light violet colored skin was now a glowing purple. The fool didn't know what he had done by doing that. She understood that he could read the lives of whom he put his nanobytes into, just had he had done to her at the bar. What he didn't know was that Jared was a Dark Angel. He had allowed Johnnie that opportunity to insert them into him. Now he knew Johnnies every thought and where Johnnie would be every moment.
He would play with him like a cat with a mouse. And when he tired of playing with him, he would kill him and take his soul. Jaq had only limited control over Jared, only that which he wished her to have. It amused him to be at her beck and call. One day he would tire of it.
Jaq could hear the mutants prowling in the tunnel.She and Johnnie would have to hurry to reach their destination. She hoped that Turek was not among them..she would have to fight for Johnnie if he was. And she might not win.
She stopped suddenly to tell Johnnie to hurry. Johnnie ran into her back. Throwing his arms around her he grabbed her, pushing her into the wall. He turned her around quickly and covered her mouth with his. His body hard against her. She tried to push him away, but his tounge was in her mouth, searching. His hands clamping her @ss, pulling her into him.,
After what seemed an eternity, he pulled back and whispered." I just wanted to taste you, before we have to face who's coming behind us!"

Johnny took to think-humming "Mary gotta lil rammed, her bodice white as snow" while compartmentalising the rest of his mind. He would not be an easy read for that Dark Angel.

"Your playing with fire, Doll" Johnny said, and turned to face what was approaching...



Poke Uranus was an old well travelled techo-wizard. Tall, lean and wirey didn't look a day over 30, not bad for a 500 year old man. Having been all over the known worlds, he had learned a thing or two forgotten by all except ancient mortals and mystical beings. He was owed alot of markers and owed a couple himself, was on his way now to pay 1 off.

Aboard the ship heading for Lo Ming Settlement, he began to wonder how long it had been since he saw ...

...a young, not fully grown woman with purple skin.
He had used her family for centuries, warrior people mostly. But her mother, Xios was a strong leader of her people. He had enjoyed having her pay his price for helping her reach her present station..a wanton woman, never shirking from a distasteful task. It had irked her to bed him, even as handsome as he was and still is. She had to have the crown. And he gave it to her, for a price. Jaq, the product of that joining was the price. It was time to collect on the payment.
Already his menions were going after her.
Soon he'd have her and his plans would be fulfilled when he gave to to...

Johnny was savoring the kiss with JAq when he whirled and pulled his piece.

"BLAM BLAM BLAM"

Three headless mutants lay on the ground.

"Lets scram before the rest of those jokers catch up to us."

Jaq began to run and Johnny followed. He hope she knew where she was going, these tunnels could end up being their tombs.

---

Poke scanned the netnews while he was on the ship. Trying to get a feel for Lo Ming Settlement and what Johnny might be into. It would be another 12 standard hours before he arrived.

Jaq ran into another tunnel,hoping Johnnie could keep up. The mutants were everywhere. They had t reach the secret entrance quickly.
She could hear Johnnie panting behind her.
Using her night vsion she scanned te tunnel bfore them.
There! Just up ahead she could see the entrance. In a few second, they'd be safe,
She heard Johnnie yelp and heard him hit the floor. Turning she saw Turik standing over Johnnie..he looked up to Jaq and growled, blood dripping from his fangs.
In the blink of an eye, Jaq shape shifted, into her wolf form an lunged at Turik at the same time he leaped for her......

Pain seared his neck as Johnny grabbed his pistol. Trying to draw a bead on Turik as he wrestled with Jaq in the dark. Perhaps Jaq needed a shot in the @ss.

Jaq was determined to beat Turik to save Johnny, she really was falling for him. But she didn't have half the strength of Turik. She saw Johnny aiming, it was all she could do, to put Turik between her and Johnny's gun.

Johnny squeezed quickly 5 times, unloading them all into the back of Turik's head. Jaq quickly beheaded Turik to finish the job.

Johnny still bleeding, fell back to the ground...

.

Hey welcome back! You ready to take up where we left?

Howdy Viv

I guess I have a few more words in me somewhere...

Ok.. Now let me get my brain to working...it's been hibernating!!

Jaq sagged back against the wall. emotions ran through her being as she realized what just had occured..Turik, her lover, and nemis was dead. She was free of him and Johnny was still alive. But did she really feel happy about that? Johnny, with all his appeal, was still a new element in her life. She didn't know if he was worth the trouble she was going to. Maybe she should just kill him and have it over with. But with that thought, came the realization that her Mother wanted him alive...she'd have to keep him that way..so she could find out why.

Jaq heard what sounded like an ancient incantation but when she tried to turn to see where it was coming from, she realised she couldn't move a muscle.

Poke Uranus saw Johnny lying prone, he knew he was alive but barely. Beside him was the bloodied body of a Dark One and leaning against the wall, the purple one that he froze with a child's spell.

He went to Johnny, passing his hands through Johnny's auric field, determining the nature of his injuries, also noticing the taint of the Dark One still Johnny even though it was dead.

From a hidden bag, he grabbed a pinch of this and a pinch of that, all the while mumbling lyrics of healing. Pulling a tube from his vest, he loaded it with the powders, and blew it into Johnny's nose.

Johnny sat up coughing and hacking.

"Welcome back." said Poke with a rasp. "Would you like ta fill me in on whats going on?" he asked.

Wow! what a trip! Weed and alcohol are good! (LOL!) Thought the first page was brilliant! But couldnt concentrate on the rest as i get depression. The graphics were excellent. While reading the first page i was remnded of a piece of music called 'Bladerunner Blues' from the film Bladerunner. Wow!.

Thanks..you're welcome to join in and write with us...we've been 'off' for a while but the story will go on!

Welcome back John!

Jaq's purple skin started turning a darker and deeper shade of indigo
as her breathing grew more shallow. She heard the two talking, but couldn't move. If the spell didn't wear off quickly, Jaq would die.
Her internal organs weren't like the humans. She had to be able to move...Watching Poke and Johnny through slitted eyes, she used the last bit of strength she had before her brain shut down, she sent out telepathic waves to summon the only thing that could save her...
She hoped he would come in time.

Johnny search his pockets for a smoke. Pulled one out of a crumpled. Lit it and drew deeply. Blowing out smoke he began to answer, " Before I begin you can release her." Jerking his thumb at Jaq.

Poke mumbled a few words and the invisible bonds holding Jaq dissipated. Jaq continued to just lean against the wall...

"Theres a whole lot of double crossing go on. I was hired to do a hit, turned out I was to be hit right after that. I decided not to do the hit, but Xiao the Cheyenne Shaolin, Jaqs mother pursuaded me otherwise.

Johnny ended his story with, " We just manged to kill the Dark One, the reason I summoned you in the 1st place. I assume the dark bond is severed now that its dead?

Jaq's skin slowly returned to normal. She leaned against the wall for support. She could feel the one she had summoned lurking nearby.
She watched Johnny and Poke as they talked. Johnny's smoke burning her senses with it's acid scent.
Laroiken pulled at her with it's mind, but she was too weak to answer. "Mistress, should I kill them? Mistress are you ill? Mistresssss!?!" Laroiken pleaded with her mind. She has to pull herself together, she had to stop it from showing it'self to them!

But she couldnt. Every last part of her energy seemed to be draining away into the concrete, through the soles of her feet. In that moment she realised many things. It was as though every experience she had ever had in life, had crystallised into one single, concentrated feeling in her brain. She had no words to describe this to her self, she was mute and dumb in the presence of thoughts that were completly alien to her. Thoughts that had been there all her life, which only now seemed to be raging to the surface of her battered mind.

Loriken sent out his thought wave..pleading for his mistress to answer. He sniffed the air..unpleasant scents came back to him.Scents of humans, and non-human alike. He could see Jaq's fading aura..he could no longer contain himself.......long wings unfurled and he was through the dark tunnel, fire flowing from his mussle.In a neosecond he was on top of the humans knocking them flat and his claws reached for Jaq. He had her and was gone.
He gently craddled her to his chest as they flew along the tunnel and out into the night. He had to get her to the Lakes and the Old One who lived there.