Neo coughed out another mouthful of blood as pain wracked his chest. He had been a victim of torture before, but the torturing system here on Crex was something else entirely.

"Who sent you?" Ero growled venomously.

"I already told you. I was sent by a friend who I owed a favor to," Neo rasped out, that same cocky smile never left his face despite the blood and spittle that dripped off his chin. Ero had decided hanging him by his arms would be more fitting than allowing him to sit in a chair. His shoulder blades were currently screaming at the intense stretch caused by the chains that held his arms up and to top things off they had taken his last article of clothing, leaving him nude. It could have been worse though. They could have been chopping off fingers after ripping off the nails and other. . . things he needed. And wanted.

"Don't lie to me! No one would be stupid enough to sneak past our securities so eagerly for a friend. That's insanity!" Ero continued to go on about how friends would ask other friends to get them killed, eventually he listed off each possible factor as to why Neo was there, but the said Vaulkarian was too busy ignoring him.

It's not like he was just going to sit here.

Neo stared at the loose bolts on the floor that held the metal plates into the floor, if he could loosen them enough it should come flying up which would result to him being tossed to the floor an possibly getting his ass beat. . . Or manage to catch the Commander off guard and thus allowing him to make a mad dash out some window. He couldn't do a single thing if Ero continued to hover like this though. He needed a distraction.

"Commander Ero Arcadia! What do you think you're doing?" A strong and powerful female voice echoed through the cells. If Ero had skin instead of fur on his face, Neo might have been able to see him pale with fear at the sound of the feline mistress.

"E'ga! I was-" Ero was silenced by a feral hiss from the Queen.

Neo reached his foot over, using this god gifted distraction to his advantage. Gently and with a slight difficulty he was able to use his toes to push the bolt counter-clockwise, each twist loosening it until finally. . .

"Now apologize to Mir Hera," E'ga commanded the slightly quivering Commander.

"I didn't mean to frighten you my-"

A loud clang and the sound of rattling chains filled the air as Neo fell forward, tackling Jacqueline as he ran forward in a sloppy attempt to catch himself. They landed in a tangle of limbs and loose chains as Neo caught his breath, his hazel colored eyes peaking up at a flustered Jacqueline.

"Wha-what are you doing?!" She cried out with a panicky tone. He only responded with a cocky smile and a quick wink before standing up only to turn around and throw a quickly planned punch right into the Commander's jaw who had moved to grab him and destroy any further attempts of escaping.

Neo could feel, let alone hear, the loud crack the sounded when his fist landed into the Commander's face; the very force knocking him to the ground. Neo grabbed the chain on his right arm which remained chained to the floor, quickly ripping the metal plate up from the ground. Once he was finally free from the restricting shackles he turned and grabbed Jacqueline.

"Ah-!" She cried out, she had only just got to her feet when his muscular arm wrapped around her and pulled her back against his very nude chest. She desperately tried not to think of the slightly hard flesh that poked into her lower back.

"I'm sorry to be using you like this," Neo whispered into her ear. "I'll do my best so you won't get hurt."

Jacqueline could only stare at her Queen in a shocked horror, unsure of what to do.

"I'll just be going now. You won't be seeing me again. I can assure you," Neo said to the stumbling Commander who was sending daggers upon his person; blood poured from his nose like a broken faucet. Neo walked backwards to the pair of slightly dusty jeans that Ero had taken from him earlier, making sure to grab them and the belt that had been used to whip him.

"You won't get away," Jacqueline hastily whispered up towards the man.

"Maybe not. But I gotta try, right?" He whispered back into her hair.

He slowly guided her to the stairs where he had watched the girl in his arms and the Queen descend earlier. He paused for only a moment before shoving Jacqueline forward towards the Queen who quickly rushed forward to catch her, and made a mad dash up the stairs. He ran to the large wooden door and slammed it shut once he reached the top, using the bolt and locking them inside. As soon as he let go of the lock a loud pounding shook the door.

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY!" Ero roared from the other side of the door. Neo only smiled as he quickly put on the jeans and belt before running down the hall.

Ero pounded the door one more time before letting out a feral roar only male Physoldi's were capable of. He only grew more furious when he heard the prisoner's bare feet sprint out of his hearing.

"Ero," E'ga said, her voice shattering the rage building inside of the enraged Commander. Ero could only stare at her as he tried to control his emotions.

"We have to remain calm if we are to get out and recapture him," E'ga said.

"Calm? You wish for me to be calm?! If you had just let me do my job he would still be in chains!" Ero shouted.

"And if you had obeyed me he would still have been wearing the shock collar and in his cell. I remember specifically telling you to not interrogate him this way." E'ga replied coldly.

"Who do you think you are to tell me this!?" Ero demanded, only getting louder.

"Your Queen." E'ga hissed.

Jacqueline flinched at her tone immediately knowing where this argument was going.

"As far as I'm concerned, the Queen is only to worry about the financial matter of the planet! Not warfare!" Ero spat.

"And as far as I'm concerned it's only that way when there is a King alive to be in control of that warfare!" E'ga choked out. Jacqueline almost slapped the Commander for her Queen's behalf but the look on Ero's face showed her that he had instantly regretted his words as soon as he said them.

"My E'ga... I-" E'ga held up a hand and silenced his words.

"I understand that you miss him as much as I, but I am still Queen. And you are the Commander of our forces, but do not forget whom you answer to." E'ga's tone had been devoid of emotion, but her body language was like an open book. What Ero had said stabbed her in the heart and shot a fiery pain into her soul, and at that very moment she only wished to had died with her mate. Ero couldn't do anything but break at the sight of his love's pain; he closed the distance between them and held her close to his chest despite his blood that stained it.

Jacqueline's heart broke at the sight when E'ga broke in his embrace and let out a heart wrenching sob. She locked eyes with the Commander as he mouthed the word,"Go."

Jacqueline gave a small smile and nodded.

She had promised herself she wouldn't use these skills of hers anymore, but this was a special occasion.

The old her would have to wake up again.

She went over to a small hole that the sun was currently shining through. It's awfully small but I should fit, she thought to herself as she jumped and pulled herself up. Slowly but surely, one limb after the other she was half in and half out of the palace's walls. She tried her best not to stare at the many feet of empty space that still separated her from the desert sand down below as she worked her legs until she rolled over. Why her Queen's palace had been built on a cliff still confused her till this day, she would have to suggest moving when she got the chance. If she didn't fall and die that is.

"This has to be the most sketchiest thing... I have ever done." Jacqueline said to herself as she grabbed onto the wall's ledge and slowly climbed up to the closest window. With a careful smack to the base of the closed window she popped it open and the scrambled to climb inside. Her heart pounding in her chest she didn't bother to close the window as she ran to find the closest guard.

"The Queen and Commander Ero have been trapped in the interrogation room! I have to chase the man responsible, please rescue them first and then send reinforcements to secure the perimeter." She rushed out once she found a bored guard with too much time on his hands. He suddenly jerked alert to his duty, gave a quick bow of respect and then ran to rescue the Commander and Queen.

Jacqueline wasted no time running to the top floor. If she was the mysterious man, she would have tried to capture the score she failed to get before leaving the vicinity entirely. She pushed the giant brown doors that held the Ero's Office open only to find the place trashed with a very shaky male Vaulkarian by the window.

"Stay right there!" She demanded, instantly moving to grab the same paperweight she had used to knock him out before.

"You're really something girl," he chuckled, turning around to face her. She didn't fail to notice the bright yellow folder in his hands.

"And you're a terrible thief. I thought thieves weren't suppose to leave a trail," she shot back which only made his cocky grin grow more.

"Sorry. I was in a bit of a hurry," he said, a large hand running through his black hair. All the sweat and grime made his hair stay up for a moment before it slowly fell back down. She had to try and ignore his sudden male dominance that was almost as bright as the sun was that was shining on his back, only adding to his oddly captivating demeanor.

"Obviously," Jacqueline scoffed. What am I doing? I'm supposed to be stopping him! She mentally scolded herself. "You won't be taken prisoner like before, but we want answers. So I'm afraid I can't let you leave this room," She declared crossing her arms in front of her as she stared him down.

"You? Stop me? I think we're forgetting who the bigger one is here," he laughed.

"No. I think you're forgetting who successfully knocked you out," she shot back.

"Eh. Lucky hit. The only reason you weren't knocked out first was because I didn't want to hurt you. So. No. I don't think I'm forgetting anything," he scoffed rolling his eyes at her.

"Has anyone said that you're kind of an asshole? Because you are one."

"Wow. Thanks. I didn't know! Now I can go tell all my friends!" He said in a girly voice which only pissed her off more.

How could someone be so infuriating in such a small amount of time?!

"There's no escape y'know. The whole palace is probably surrounded by now."

"Probably. But no one is here now... So I figured I should stick around a bit longer. I mean I could leave but it would kind of be rude of me to just leave you by yourself like that. I wouldn't want you to miss me," he shrugged slightly, giving a fake display of empathy.

"Me? Miss you? I'd rather knock your ass out and leave it for Crex's wolves but you have answers that we want," she hissed.

"Ugh. Not you too!" He groaned. "I already told that fluffy Commander of your's that I was sent here by a friend."

"But why?"

"Well. If you really want to know I could tell you... But you have to promise to keep it a secret," he said.

"Okay..?"

"..."

There was a long silence as he stared at her before whispering his big secret.

"I'm a thief."

She wanted to kill him.

"Are you serious?" She growled.

"Yup. I'm a pretty good one too. Well, if I may say so myself."

"You are so-!"

She was cut off by the sound of guards running down the hall.

"Well looks like my time here is up." He gave her another wink before grabbing the desk chair and throwing it at the window, shattering the ceiling high mosaic window before jumping out.

"Are you crazy?!" She screamed after him as his body fell out of sight.

She leapt over the desk almost by instinct and ran after him, peering over the edge.

Neo latched onto a clothesline and was shimmying his way across the wall the cut the palace away from the city below. He heard a scream above him before the rope next to him shook and whipped around.

The crazy bitch jumped! He mentally screamed when he saw her over his shoulder.

"Get off before you hurt yourself!" He shouted to her before letting go of his rope once he reached the top of the wall.

"No! Not until you return what you stole!" She screamed, swinging her legs up like he did and shimmied to the wall. He could only stare at the crazy Vaulkarian female in disbelief before jumping onto a nearby roof from the wall. He had leapt to the next roof when he heard an oof! and the sound of cloth ripping behind him.

Jacqueline had landed on the skirt of her servant's dress, ripping the yellow and red fabric under her feet. With an agitated huff she stood up and ripped the rest of the of the fabric off, turning the ankle length attire into a high skirt design, tossing the cloth onto the roof before continuing her pursuit of the dark haired man.

"Get back here!" She called out to the descending male who was currently between the two buildings, nearly disappearing in the shadows as he walked down the alley way.

"Go home Princess. Life outside the palace is much harder than someone like you could imagine," he called to her not bothering to stop as he kept walking.

She jumped down and quickly rushed after him. Damn his inhumanly long legs.

"I won't go back until you give that back!" She called out breathlessly as she tried to jog after him. Goddess it's been forever since I've done anything like this. I really need to get back in shape. Jacqueline thought as her heart pounded in her chest whilst continuing her chase.

"Lady, do you even know what it is I stole?!" He stopped walking and had turned to face her now more or less annoyed at her persistent behavior.

"No. But I don't care. It's place is back inside the palace! I won't go back without it!" She declared, stomping her foot into the sandy floor under her.

Did. . . she just stomp her foot? Neo fought the smile that wanted to break through at her childish behavior. "You're really taking this seriously, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Well. Then I only have one thing to tell you then," he said nonchalantly with a slight shrug from his right shoulder.

"It's not that you're a thief again is it?" She glared up at him, her tan arms crossing over her chest again.

He laughed with a slight shake of his head which swept his black bangs to shadow over his eyes. "You'll never see the palace again if you follow me."

"Is that suppose to be a threat? Because I've heard worse," her glare only grew feeling just as annoyed as he had earlier.

"Nah nothing like that, I'm leaving this planet and I don't plan on coming back after I deliver this. So, if you're so determined then I guess you better make peace with whomever you have." He smirked.

"Or I could do this," she shrugged before suddenly closing the distance between them, her foot landing into his sternum sending him backwards into the dirt. Neo could only stare up at her wide eyed with a baffled expression on his face. He struggled to get back up through the shock she had put him in. He had just barely reached his feet again when she kicked him back down again.

"I'm done playing games. The next time I hit you, you won't be getting back up so easily."