"You's havin' troubles findin' a buyer?"

Enzo's eyes lit up. In that moment he was singularly the best and the worst person to hear Smith's words. Whatever Smith said to Naoko after that went into one of Enzo's ears and flew out the other on its way to her. In fact, Enzo may as well have been in another room with a little green visor on his head, for all the math he was doing. He silently mouthed a few words here and there, but otherwise stood entirely still for a moment before blurting out, "Cut me in."

Zeta are her egg in bread and wondered how Luca got idea for this meal. It was actually pretty tasty. He always though up crazy things like this, like it was perfectly normal thing to do. He really was amazing man. Zeta analysed that though for a while. She wondered if her hormones got better of her just now? Was she in love with Luca? Maybe. But can simple clone as herself even be capable of love? Isn't this just some though that was programmed in her when she was created? Luca was man she was supposed to protect after all.

Zeta shook her head to get though such as that away and quickly downed a glass of orange juice. She then sighed. Suddenly Luca's phone started ringing and Luca was apparently not sure whether he should or should not pick it up. Zeta though she might take the call for him, but Uriel moved in and took it first. Much to Zeta's surprise.

Ernie also came out of his cover in the hangar and joined the others, pistol down by its side as it approached, whirring in thought again.

"Ernie has completed some searches on similar creatures," the little robot piped up "it appears that it has a brain similar in design to a neko's. Therefore, Ernie predicts that nekovalkrja mind-altering substances will produce similar affects in..." Ernie paused, almost in thought. "...the thing."

"A strange substance whose existence seems to have been surpressed by multiple powers, commonly referred to as 'catnip'."

When Uriel picked up the phone, he heard a voice he didn't recognise: "Please put Mr. Pavone on the line, sir." Female, motherly, and by the sound of that slight gruffness to her voice, experienced. Thanks to the phone's construction, Luca was also able to hear what was going on, and he gave Uriel a nod to hand the phone over, or at least put it down on the table and loudspeaker - which he did.

"I'm here, but note that you're on loudspeaker," Luca recognised the voice with a raised eyebrow and a coy grin, "I have to admit, you have balls for calling me when I'm on holidays."
"Your sense of privacy isn't one of your strong suits, again," She replied, almost toyingly with the kid, "You don't seem to understand why I called you specifically - Do you remember your Brother?"

Luca's face scrunched up into one of concern before he looked to the others. For the first time in two weeks, Luca had been genuinely concerned about something. He picked up the phone, disabled the loudspeaker, and held it to his ear, "Please tell me you've found him, anything, even a body. Its been eight long fucking years."

"Do you remember N-357?" Luca blinked in reply to the question.
"That little speck of dirt beyond buggery? Yeah. I believe I destroyed a fortress there with a mad scientist, and his virus. I had a different crew at that time... how did you find out about that?" They never released the information as to where that mission took place.

"I have my ways."
"So you have access to SAINT's slush files. I always figured they had a category labelled 'entertainment', that narrows things down - wherever you're from."
"I'm from nowhere, just like you. One day, I was simply fed up with the way things were and I decided to go out and make a difference, just like you." Her tone was teasing, which made Luca roll his eyes, "However, I am a solo act, but if you feel the need to surround yourself with like minded people, that is fine."

"Cut to the chase. I'm not exactly receptive to philosophical dressings down on the nature of what I do and why - I just do it," His brow furrowed in anger, "What were you saying about my brother? Is he alive? Is he dead?"

"Let us say that he requires your assistance, there is something he cannot complete by himself. Someone was able to see the invisible and he has paid a dear price. Not before he could turn them into... a twelve piece puzzle."

"You've got to stop hurting yourself like that!" A flood of memories came returning to Luca. He found himself lying down in a ditch with a broken arm, and his brother looking over him wearing a motorcycle helmet.

"You've got to stop hurting..." The scenery started to shift subtly - the ambient light begun to dull and walls closed in. A stuffy room with a chair in the middle.

"You've got to stop... Vincent O'Malley, Arin Berelai, Hitori Sasorix, Michio Kano - Luca remembered them all too injured to fight and took it on himself to finish what they started.
"You've got... Michael Kreisen was dead, but not by Luca's hand.

Finally, there he was, standing over a twelve piece puzzle on the ground, formerly a vile mercenary pursuer, with a vibro-blade katana in hand, and a heavily modified Harpy armour, with six eyes and invisibility systems. Navy blue and sleekly constructed.

"You've..."

"You've grown..."

As Luca snapped back to reality and it all fell into place, he dropped the phone. A cold sweat ran down his face, "...Fuck. Me. Running." He freaked out and bent over to pick the phone back up and fumbled with it. His voice was frantic, "Tell me. Tell me now."

With breakfast devoured ever so tidily, the Patrician waited patiently for this news. Instead he seemed to earn only more half-clues to a half-explanation of an event far in the past. None of it pertained to him, and more importantly none of it thus far concerned him. So he rose, murmured to be excused, and left for his room. He still had some reading to do and not the faintest idea that Naoko and Smith were attempting to raise and sell a Mishhu just beyond the kitchen.

But oh, if he only knew the whole story to Luca's past, or was aware of all the goings-on...

...If only.

Zeta frowned. "So much for vacation," she said and started taking plates of the table to keep herself busy. So Luca had a brother. Why did he never mentioned him? Was he not related by blood? Was he just some comrade from army that he considered so close to call him brother. Many options, but Zeta reminded herself that it was not her bussiness. Yes she could go ask Sebastian, or Luca's mum. She would hate to go behind his back though. She will tell Luca he can talk to her and if he decides to talk to her, then he could and she would be there for him. She plans to be there for him till the end after all.

A third wheel. Just what we needed, he sarcastically thought.

Smith's face stood frozen and impassive behind his clear glasses, inscrutable as he briefly turned to look at Enzo before centering his attention on the little baby again. Inside however, he couldn't help but feel annoyed. "What do you think Naoko?" he asked. It was a toss up either way in all honesty. With a third person, the profit margin obviously shrinks, but we may be able to get rid of this thing sooner. Which happens to be better; the last thing we need is - he paused briefly as the little robot spoke up.

"...What?" Smith asked, a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice. "Catnip? Now, why...why would we do that?" the Ori-Rep went on slowly. "It already wants to rape and kill, not in that order of course, and you're suggesting we make it want to rape first?" Smith shook his head very deliberately before continuing on, voice frosty. "I'm not sure that making the little squid have priorities in order is a good thing."

And not only that, but I don't want Naoko taking a sniff of that stuff either, he thought to himself, recalling the scene when he stepped into the infirmary at the exact wrong moment. Thank god I rolled high. No telling what would have happened then if luck wasn't on my side. As Naoko took her leave for one reason or another, Smith pressed a finger to his ear bud as something else entirely came up.

"Interesting. It seems something's going on upstairs with Mr. Pavone. A caller is rattling his cage it seems."

"Ernie recommends euthanasia if your pet is untamable." the droid replied. "Ernie also requests you find better accommodation for the creature while it's here."

The little robot looked from Smith to Enzo with its sensors then turned them towards the ground and made its leave for the galley.

"So, judging by the extended silence on the other end of the line, you're in?" Yuki's voice was still playful while Luca was still mulling his options, "C'mon, wolfman, you owe me for Drift."

"Oh, I'm not in yet. I need a full picture first. I need confirmation that he is in danger, and that he exists. Gimme a photo." He put the phone down and linked it to the screen. Yuki's face was framed in shadow, but Luca recognised the silhouette. Those blonde curls were difficult to mistake after they'd cut a Ripper armour in half - with a Katana, which was probably stolen from a dead Ketsurui Samurai.

She smirked and and said, "You realise that I can see you too. I can tell you've been working out. Mind if I ask how you got injured?" She then snapped her fingers and started an irritating string of giggling, "Wait I know how, its all over the news - like you said, SAINT's entertainment section. Hah, how shortsighted of me."

"Just show me the picture, will you? I can appreciate being jerked around like this just because I'm on holidays, and because I owe you," Luca seemed to be playing the role of voice of reason against the woman who could cut a Ripper in half, "Just 'cos you hold all the cards doesn't mean I can't flip the table - a lot of my enemies seemed to think so."
She snorted and stopped laughing, and gave him a nod, "A valid point as demonstrated time and time again, Captain!" She then started tapping away at a keyboard and to her right, a photo appeared of the Power Armour Ninja, from all those years ago. It was definitely a modified Yamataian Harpy armour, fitted for close range tactical espionage action.

However, she scrolled over to another picture. This time, the helmet was removed, revealing a shaved-bald man with sharp features, slate eyes, just like Anna's, and a calculating look in his eyes. What little hair he had on him was a very light brown, and his stubble was difficult to see.

Luca blinked for a few moments, and opened his wallet. He discarded a few cards he didn't need, like health insurance, social security, and dual citizen ship. Crumpled in the back of the wallet amidst old receipts and baby photos was one particular photo. Yellowed by age and nostalgia, this photo was of two brothers, one fifteen years old in an arm cast, the other was 23.

Luca held the photo up and compared the photo of his brother then, to how he looked now. Aside from one newly accquired trip scratch running along the elder brother's head accompanied by the passage of time, it was a perfect match.
"See? I am a woman of my word," Yuki said, "Don't you want to keep your brother waiting, do you?"

Luca's face had lit up and he looked jubilant, ecstatic even, "That's Joe. There's no doubt about it," Luca wiped a tear of joy from his eye and smiled a genuine smile, "Where is he and where does he need me?"

"I'll be happy to brief you, but your crew must be behind you too. They are as family to you in fire as your brother is in blood."

Luca looked over to John, who gave him a nod of mutual respect, "I remember Joe, he was the best kid on the block, one of Henry's best friends too." John was referring to his brother, who was somewhere in the Nepleslian Marines as an Engineer.

-

Sebastian woke up and rolled over, giving Anna a kiss before rolling out of bed and getting dressed for another lazy day. Unfortunately, the cycles of fate had a different idea for him. He realised this fact when he walked into the kitchen and saw Joe's photo wearing the modified Harpy suit.

His first action was to walk over to and sit next to Luca for an explanation, but he looked down and saw the photo. Two brothers, united then, torn apart by fate and now reunited by the same threads that tore them apart.

He sighed and looked at his youngest son, "Luca, I want you to know that whatever you're about to do - I support you. I miss him as much as you do."
Luca held back a sniffle, "Like you wouldn't believe, pops."

"Ah. The Big Bad Wolf has come back to rattle little Red Riding Hood. Remember me?"
Sebastian's eyes lit up as he realised the voice, and looked at the shadowed face on screen. He narrowed his eyes and gave the Nekovalkyrja a few icy words: "Its been a while."
Luca raised an eyebrow, but he'd gotten used to skeletons coming out of his dad's closet from his stint as a Mercenary.

Smith sighed. Even the little bot seemed to have a point.

Was it more trouble than it was worth? In all honesty, even he wasn't entirely sure about this himself. Reaching into his coat, the Ori-Rep pulled out a pair of tongs typically used to move food about a grill and quickly grasped the little alien by its chitinous shell - it squeaked and chittered angrily, whipping its tentacles about in an attempt to stab and sting. Of course, it eventually gave up in a frustrated, tired huff. "So, just what do you have in mind Mr. Boratelli?" Smith asked the other man as he made his way back to the kitchen with the heavily panting, coconut sized creature in tongs. "We need a buyer both reputable enough to not pull any tricks, and one that can also provide the goods," he reminded him.

He wasn't sure why Naoko walked out on them both like that, but did it possibly mean she didn't care about her portion of the deal anymore? He'd have to ask her to make sure, but it was something to worry about. Nekovalkyrja minds often did not follow any rhyme or reason, especially since they tended to loose it much more frequently than a human of course. But still, had she come to the conclusion that this baby Mishhu would be the death of them? That perhaps it wasn't worth trying to make a profit with?

As Smith arrived in the Kitchen and nodded to Luca, he couldn't help but fear that Naoko knew something he didn't.