Reconciliation

#######Author's Note#######

Ketna's on the recovery from her close call and is looking to get back to work. Unbeknownst to her, Xerxes had plans to shake up the same place Ketna had chosen to infiltrate. Last of the non-erotic entries, all of which have important plot elements. A lot of banter in this one.

#########################

Even now, three months past Ketna's escape from the very close attempt on her life, the rumor of her death persisted. It wasn't headliner news, her existence wasn't wide spread to the public, but niche news and info groups spread the word that Zephyra, the only name her identity was known by, was dead. Either she had truly, successfully convinced her enemies that the decoy she left behind was her dead body or they knew she was alive and had their own reasons for allowing this rumor to persist. But for all Munin could find on his own, most of the not-so-public talk pointed to it being largely believed that she was dead.

Ketna was not at her best when she made the decision to go back to work. There were still lingering effects from the poison, nausea, occasional tremors, and slightly slowed healing and stamina, but by this time the major injuries she had sustained had finally healed and that was enough for her. Wanting to capitalize on the lax security measures following her death and because she hated not having work to do, she eased herself back into her usual tasks. She started with small things, like stealing her mask back from Xerxes, to more important matters. Venturing back to territories she had not investigated for a while left her with plenty of small odds and ends to work on. Infiltration was easier in some places, as they had laxed with the expectation that they wouldn't need to guard against a visit from her. In a way it was almost a blessing, the rumor of death had almost set things back to the way they were when she first started, before everyone noticed her presence and began to share information to guard against her.

However, it also resulted in agencies becoming bolder, acting without fear of retaliation. While she had intended to ignore proceedings going on Xerxes' general area, in her downtime there was an uptick in missing persons cases that only continued to escalate the longer she had remained out of the picture and it bothered her to the point she could no longer wait for the poison to run its course.

Keeping up with the cases virtually allowed her to follow trails and narrow down the location to an underground robotics fabrication facility they had used before. Since they thought she was dead, there was no reason for them to move or obscure the facilities. A warehouse entrance where final units were assembled and shipped with a guarded elevator that led to the R & D facilities down below that utilized less than above board techniques. Rescue operations for underground facilities were always more complicated than a sabotage run but familiarity with the facility meant she also knew the best escape route to use for a group. And while she had to be more careful due to her remaining compromises, if she got in quietly and did things surgically it shouldn't be a problem. In through the main elevator and out through the transport tunnels before anyone would be able to mobilize.

She timed her approach at an interval which she knew the facility would be stretched thinner than typical, their security hires accompanying the rounds of robotics and cyberware shipments. It wasn't significant but less security was still less security. But when she arrived at the facility in question, what she was met with was far less activity than even she had anticipated, almost too good to be true. It wasn't until she crossed her first dead guard, then another, and another, that it became clear why she had not seen the usual amount making their rounds. Either someone else also had the same idea of infiltrating the facility on this day or some experiment was on the loose killing people.

Ketna kept her movements quiet, her senses tracking any sound or indication of movement around her in the expectation that whatever had been killing the guards was just as likely to kill her. Even with the reduced detail, she kept her approach to one of the side entrances, snagging an ID card off the closest guard in preparation to open the door only to find she didn't need it, a body had kept it propped open. A cautionary sweep of the room, and a thermal overlay for good measure indicated any remaining bodies that would have been in the room were on the ground, unmoving. The walls beyond were well insulated so no hints as to how much may be left would be available to her from here. Luckily for her, she caught the sound of movement just outside the room, far enough away to not be in immediate danger providing her more than ample time to get into position.

Moving swift but carefully, she positioned herself against the wall to the open archway that fed into a large hall. There were heavy footsteps down the hall, approaching her position indicated either a mech or someone heavily armored. She dared not peer around the corner, as she would have easily been made by something that close and instead had to prepare for whatever it could be. Listening out for the movement she waited at the edge of the wall, just out of sight and quiet. The moment the step was right where needed it, she flung herself around the corner at the unsuspecting target.

Her target, though not prepared for her attack, was fast and retaliated quickly to her leap. Swift movements, each party prepared to overcome or subdue the other. Her hand caught his own to delay the readying of his firearm, his hand redirected her knife, and then froze. She moved faster than her visual input could register, but the flash of color shifting purple was unmistakable. The voice identified him just as clearly. She had an answer for the cause of the dead guards, now.

"Ketna?!" His voice was a mix of shock, and oddly enough to her, what sounded like relief.

His guard was down immediately, permitting Ketna to pin him down in the momentum. They tumbled to the ground with a heavy thud of Xerxes' back hitting the floor, Ketna perched on his chest.

"Xerxes." Ketna did not sound nearly as relieved, latent feelings of anger and betrayal could be heard in her pragmatic reply.

The hand that grasped his pistol no longer fought against his assailant, but the grip Xerxes held on Ketna's arm that wielded the knife tightened with desperate insistence.

"You're not dead!" Xerxes' exclamation was one of elation, not disappointment.

"Yeaahh sorry to disappoint you, should have checked the body more thoroughly before you started celebrating." Ire laced her words, while more pressure was placed into the arm that held the knife.

Xerxes glanced at the knife then back to Ketna.

"Thought y'couldnt kill me cus-a some chain reaction r'some shit like that."

"I'm currently weighing my options about that."

The answer was only partially true. While she was deliberating, she was struck by the delayed notion that he called her by her name. Not by her hero title or his usual list of nicknames, derogatory or otherwise, but by the only name he knew her by.

"Yah, look, before y'do that, I gotta proposition for yah-" Xerxes was quick to get his words in, and sounded as though he knew those reconsideration weren't anything to be worried about. "Dunno what it is you're doin' here 'xactly, but seeing' as we both gotta problem with the guy running' the place, figure we could work together, help each other out."

"I think it's obvious what I'm doing here, but what the fuck are you doing here?"

"Ever since he thought he had a hand in killing' ya, he's been gettin' greedy with his arrangements. Been takin' up more territory than he's earned, cuttin' into my business. Here t'teach him a fuckin' lesson." Xerxes answered with a certain disgust to his voice that indicated his truthfulness on the issue.

Ketna mulled over her options. She wasn't in top form by any stretch of the imagination, she would still be fighting side effects that could cause problems. Of all the times to get a partner to help her out, this was definitely one of them. Even if he did agree to work with her, she didn't trust him enough to watch her back, but at the very least she could count on him to draw fire. He was there for his own gain and that was about the only thing she could trust. Were it not for the ailments she was struggling with, she would have rejected the offer outright. She withdrew the knife from Xerxes' neck.

"Fine, but, what I say, goes, understand?" Ketna was aggressive in her words.

"Heh, whatever y'say, Princess."

With as good a confirmation as she was going to get, Ketna released her hold on Xerxes' arm and slid herself off his chest. She didn't bother sticking around to help him up.

"How much of the security have you dealt with?" Ketna went straight to business.

"Most of 'em, was doin' a sweep back when you ran into me." Xerxes answered while hoisting himself up from the floor. "Wanted t'make sure no one was around t'tattle."

"No one's heard yet?"

"Y'see anyone here?" Xerxes gestured with the hand that held the pistol.

Now that Ketna paid attention to it, she noticed it was silenced. "Don't take you for the kind of person that does stealth operations."

"Wouldn't call it stealth but I ain't a fuckn' idiot. Be stupid t'give 'em warning. Long as they don't call for help, don't matter what I do."

Ketna nodded to concede the pragmatism of his statement, and moved on. "How far in did you make it?"

"Bout up t'where the security was for the warehouse entrance." Xerxes motioned down the hall.

"No sense in wasting daylight, then." Ketna confirmed and took off toward the entrance. She wanted to be done with this as soon as possible.

On the walk over to the doors, Xerxes broke the silence. "So- that was you that stole the mask?"

"I took back what was mine, yes." Ketna responded curtly.

"Guess y'met Capone then."

"Yeah, was surprised you took in one of the cats." Her tone was particularly hostile, irritated at the oddly cordial topic of conversation after what had transpired between them not long ago. "Are you even capable of taking care of something else other than yourself?"

Xerxes prickled at the unexpected hostility. "Hey I take care'a my people just fine."

"You take care of them for as long as they're useful to you." Ketna accused with scathing insistence.

"What, like you're any different, sweetheart?" Xerxes sped up his steps to catch up and head off Ketna blocking her path to ensure she couldn't escape the points he had to make. "Who ya help, that still gets ya somethin'. Fame, praise, fans, that's all somethin' y'can use. Y'seriously mean t'tell me ya'd still be helpin 'em out if ya got nothin out of it."

"Yes, I do." Ketna shoved herself past Xerxes, walking back to face him as she continued to make her point. "Believe it or not, I don't make decisions about what I do or who I help solely based on how it might benefit me personally in the end. And this isn't about fame and glory. In fact, most of my vigilante decisions aren't about myself and what I want, they're about relieving the collective stress of the whole." She twisted back around on a heel, to inspect the double doors and their security measures.

Xerxes wasn't done making his point, following close to her, voice raised louder than before. "Bullshit. Y'Can't tell me you're doin' this cus y'don't want somethin' out of it. Just cus y'make your targets anyone you think is in the wrong, you're still just doin' this cus you want things t'go your way. Y'can justify it all y'want about 'the good of th'people' er whatever the fuck but that's just a fancy way of dressin' up the fact you're just as self-servin as anyone else. Bet that pretty face-a-yours got a life somewhere that's making real good offa' this action here."

Ketna pushed away from the panel to turn around and face Xerxes again. "You think that's why I do this? I don't have a public philanthropist persona for people to fawn over or receive accolades. I'm not some politician, secret business tycoon or entrepreneur. I don't even have a-"

The door opened, a guard on the other side looked on in momentary shock at the two that stood before them.

"Shit." Ketna resigned herself to the unfortunate turn of events.

Xerxes took the guard out before they could react. "Y'got a gun on yah or is all y'carry a knife?"

Ketna reached down, yanking an assault rifle off a nearby dead guard. "I'll make do."

Both took cover behind the open doors, listening out for movement in the warehouse, waiting for the fire that would soon follow.

Ketna tapped on her helmet leaning around the door frame to announce to the warehouse.

"You have five minutes to surrender, if you put down your weapon we will let you leave. Anyone that stays to fight you will die." The helmet's speakers enhanced the sound of her voice, allowing it to echo around the warehouse.

Spattered forms of laughter could be heard among the sound of movement.

"Why bother, they know what they signed up for." Xerxes commented idly while removing the silencer from his pistol.

Ketna reduced the volume before she answered him. "Because they're still people. And you know as well as I do some people took the risks out of desperation, not because they enjoy it. There's always that chance that someone wants to walk away and I think it's important to allow them that opportunity."

"Yeah, like they wouldn't be shot in th'back by their own team." Xerxes grumbled, peeking around the corner.

"That's why you give them cover fire." Ketna delivered the reply in a singsong, patronizing way, while holding up the gun in her hands.

"Fuckin' bitch." Xerxes muttered under his breath.

Not bothering to deal with Xerxes' reply, Ketna glanced back over the door frame. She was disappointed, but not surprised, to see none had looked to be backing down. At least the labor staff seemed to be running for cover.

"Shoot only the guards, let the labor leave, and anyone else that looks unarmed." Ketna ordered.

"That's an easy way of gettin' yourself shot in th'back." Xerxes had taken the time to start scrounging off a dead body on his side of the door.

"I said let them leave, not put your guard down. Or are you incapable of multitasking." Ketna's tone drifted to something more incredulous than before.

"I can fuckin' multitask, just stupid t'take a risk I don't gotta. A dead body ain't gonna shoot you in the back."

"Well technically-"

"Yeah, yeah smartass, I know about death reflexes and automated cybernetics." Xerxes cut her off with a huff then readied his gun. "This a normal five minutes or a whatever your guilt feels like tellin' ya is five minutes."

Ketna leaned over in the corner enough to fire a few shots, catching one of the guards that was still mobilizing. "There, happy?"

"Fuckin' ecstatic." Xerxes smirked, glancing over his side and taking a few good shots; guards dropped with each one.

The loss of life made the scrambling in the warehouse beyond more erratic.

"Not a bad spot to be in," Xerxes took a few more shots the moment it was clear to do so. "maybe if they're stupid we can funnel 'em all here and kill them under cover."

"For now, maybe. But if they lock down the elevator we're going to have a problem." Ketna peeked out in the direction of the industrial elevator, taking more shots at enemies as they were made visible.

"And who's fault is that?"

Ketna held her hand out in disbelief at the question like it was obvious what the answer was, before she sputtered out an answer. "Both of ours."

"You started it." Xerxes rebutted.

Ketna dropped her head back on the wall behind her. "Kuat ma teo, you are such a fucking child." Ketna muttered.

"What?"

"I said you're a fucking child." She raised her head and voice to answer him.

"No, no, before that," Xerxes pried, pausing only to take more shots between the bullets that flew past them. "What, that fuckin Russian r'somethin?"

Ketna ignored the question, scanning the warehouse beyond them again when she noticed something in the back lining up sights with their holdout. "RPG!"

"That ain-" Xerxes froze, processing exactly what she meant a split second before his arm was yanked.

Ketna took hold of Xerxes, launching the both of them out of their small hallway and into the open warehouse itself. She had coordinated the direction of their leap to the closest place of cover, which was unfortunately occupied by guards that had inched their way in to get a closer shot. A few seconds later, a rocket flew past them and down into the hall where they had been camped.

Between the explosion behind them and the guards close by, the next few seconds went by like a blur. Xerxes yanked the guard on the other side of the crate, tossing them with one hand down into the halfway they had just vacated. The throw was appropriately timed, as the body entered the entrance of the hall just as the rocket whizzed by. Xerxes could not have been more satisfied with the execution, exclaiming a self-satisfied HAH! that was muffled by the explosion of the blast.

Ketna had rolled off further away, finding herself next to a parked hydraulic lift. A guard that camped themselves on the other side of the lift raised their gun around for what was supposed to be an easy blind shot but Ketna caught the gun yanking it forward. The guard was smart enough to release the weapon so as not to be pulled in too close to Ketna's reach, but the blast behind them threw them both off their feet. Both made a scuffle to subdue the other, but Ketna was not nearly as shaken by the blast as the guard had been. There was a knife through their throat before they had a chance to ready the pistol they had on standby.

Between the blast and the tumbling before it, a sharp reminder that she was still not well, manifested in the form of dizziness and nausea that made her head swim. Ketna did what she could to find cover and keep an eye out while she waited for her equilibrium to return. Xerxes was already back in the firefight, shouting taunts and obscenities at the guards Ketna could only barely make out in her current state. She put her focus into retrieving ammunition and goods from the guard she had just felled in time to clear up just enough to catch movement above them.

Guards had taken to the catwalks to shoot down on them. A volley of bullets from the assault rifle she shouldered brought some down, and kept more at bay. Head mostly cleared again, she could afford more mental bandwidth to begin multitasking. Shots to the catwalk to keep them on their toes, shots to the side to keep them from being flanked, and an eye kept on the guard that still had that RPG. They had to be more careful about their next shot but it posed a significant threat if they let one loose, again.

"HEY." Xerxes shouted, catching Ketna's attention, then tossed something at her the moment her helmet turned toward him. "You toss, I'll cover."

Ketna caught the object instinctively, grateful her co-ordination was back to do so. She suspected from context clues what it might have been, and with it in her hands she clearly identified it as a grenade. She needed no more instruction, raising enough to survey the grounds and find where best to aim. True to his word, Xerxes suppressed any would be-attackers from picking her off in the brief moment she raised her body to toss the grenade. Pulling the pin and holding it just a few seconds before tossing it to its intended destination. All the while her thoughts lingered on why he had her do it, when he was just as capable of taking the shot himself.

The grenade sailed true to its intended trajectory, not intercepted by bullet spray, much to their luck. Not many were caught in the blast but the guard carrying the RPG was not able to dodge in time, eliminating one of the more dangerous combatants. The real damage was caused by the munitions the guard carried being ignited by the grenade's blast. A play that caused a chain reaction of damage that disrupted the fight for everyone.