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Inside the Solit Penthouse Cerces looked at her team with approval. All four of them had delivered good work. Maybe even good enough to let them stay alive after the sell had been made. Good henchmen were so hard to find these days. Of course she had a reputation of killing her crew afterwards. She also had the reputation of being an ice queen and being half alien. She was neither of those. Which only proved that some rumours could be true, but most weren't.
She crossed her legs and looked at Ivana. Her long wavy blond grey-streaked hair falling down to the ground. Cerces had always liked the colour grey. She would never dye her hair, not when it so gracefully coloured with her dress. 
"Did everything go as planned?
"Yes mistress." Ivana said, "There was a security crew like you had said, but I got away unnoticed."
"Bring me the prototype."
"Here mistress." Ivana said offering her backpack.
Cerces opened the bag and looked inside. The prototype was small and almost toy-like with the red streaks running over it's metal case. But it was heavy and felt solid. Cerces slowly raised the pressure she put on it until her thin hands hurt. It didn't even dent a little. 
"Mormont." Cerces said, looking at the dark bird-like man that was a top spy.
"Yes mistress?"
"Did you acquire a ship today?"
"I did, one of the latest models. Courtesy of the owner." The spy grinned.
Cerces didn't like the man. But then she had never liked any man. She had had a need for his kind of talent and it had paid of. Mormont 'Shadow' McIon was the best in his trait and also the most expensive. That he had gotten her the ship for free was only right. Her only worry was if he'd been careful enough with the body. It shouldn't be found after they had gotten away.
"We'll leave tomorrow at dawn." Cerces said, waving her hand that the meeting was over. "You are free to use the penthouse. I'll be here in the morning."
"Yes mistress." all 4 said simultaneously.

Shortly after Cerces had left, Mormont got up and walked out the door."
"Where are you going?" Ivana asked.
"I've got work to do." No-one dared stop the spy. Besides he outranked them all. 
Ivana turned around in the room, slightly relieved to be out of reach of those cold eyes. The two other men were far less intimidating. Plus she outranked them now. Ivana smiled and turned to the younger one. 'Figaro' they called him, though his real name was Pedro Dion. He was a tanned Latino with dark hair and eyes that could melt her on the spot if he looked at her. She knew Cerces had pulled him off the street over a year ago and trained him for some unspecified task in the project. He was young, too young by her regular standards, but he seemed much older than he was. 
It was really no wonder her interest fell on Figaro at all. The other two men in the team couldn't be considered great catches. The spy of course was too angled and dark even for her. And Trevor Jetrin was more a computer than a man. he hadn't even lifted his eyes from the screen when she passed by doing her walk. For someone who had relied on looks all her life that came as an insult.
"Pedro," Ivana said smiling, "I know you know her better than anyone in this room. Do you think all those rumours about her are true?"
"What rumours?"
"The ones of her being a part alien queen wanting to breed a new race of warriors right in our midst to get back at us."
"Get back for what?"
"I don't know, maybe she met the wrong guy or something."
"You meet wrong guys all the time and that doesn't seem to bother you." Figaro said, fluttering his large eyelashes at her. Ivana felt the heat of her body rise.
"I know it's crap, but she seems a bit unhuman."
"It could just be an act." Figaro said and shrugged, "I've never seen her give birth to a batch of aliens."
"Eggs." Trevor interrupted.
"What?" Ivana asked.
"Aliens should come from eggs. All the major ones do."
"Sure..." Ivana said backing away from the computer nerd slash Trekkie. She pulled Figaro with her and entered a room. 
"Now seriously. Are those rumours true?" she asked.
"No."
"You are sure."
"Yes. I've been with her almost constantly for the past year. She isn't an alien. I would have known."
"Ok. That's a relief."
"Why?"
"Then I can be sure I do my duty to keep America clean." Ivana answered sarcastically.
"If you don't want to tell me..." Figaro started.

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Lantessama Isle
Cy DragonStake  -   Darkling Dawn

Credits:
Backgrounds compiled with images found on Google