Vixen's heart thumped in her ears when she saw him. Her long Ivarozzan tail swished as she watched him walk along the marketplace. He was with that little brat, Rutan Kaarzee. Cain looked miserable and she didn't blame him. Part of her felt relieved by this. She thought she had already lost him. Who knew what might have happened to him since he fled their sanctuary?

But now, here he was. Proof in the flesh. The one who had driven her to the edge of ruin. He was something special alright. She'd told Di'jon on the day he had chosen to go after Kraxon Justabax. An arms dealer who the boy had no hope of defeating. It was his conviction and determination which made her realise he was one of them. His family connections further managed to help her convince Di'jon of his eligibility.

She pushed through a crowd of Vaxorians and kept her head down. She glanced at the target and adjusted her path. If the boy was here, where was the girl? She was dangerous. Vixen hoped Cain had ditched her. She may be his sister but, after what she had done, who knew what else she was capable of?

Vixen perched behind a stone pillar. She watched from afar as Cain, along with two Vaxorians in Hyper-Titan mech suits, clomped their way into another building. She couldn't get in there but that didn't mean she wasn't able to watch. She launched herself at the stone pillar then used her claws to climb it to the top.

The bustling market below barely noticed as she hopped from one pillar to the next. She stopped and positioned herself in a nearby tree. She draped her robe over her head and pressed a button on her wrist device. As long as she stayed still, she would be undetectable to the naked eye. Vixen had done this type of thing enough times to know she wouldn't have any trouble doing that.

She pulled a tiny cube from her pocket and threw it into the open window. It flew up to the ceiling and stuck itself on the corner of the room. Its receptor released as it connected with all the cameras located inside. Vixen checked her wrist device and grinned as the building's surveillance flashed up. Cain stood dutifully next to Rutan.

It was going to take her some time before she was able to establish his routine. She was patient and happy with the progress she made.

A buzz from her wrist device notified her someone was trying to call. It was Di'jon. No doubt calling to see whether she had managed to locate the boy. He was furious when Cain betrayed them. To trust a human with something like that was always going to be a risk. Until the recent development, Cain had proven to be one of their best.

She rejected the call.

Vixen agreed to let him know about the developments. She hadn't agreed to be at his beck and call. He could wait until a time she deemed necessary.

Motion on one of the cameras caught her attention. They were on the move again. Did they ever sit still?

She held her breath and waited as they walked below her and into the marketplace once again. She trailed the pillar down with her clawed feet and crept slowly behind them. The key was to maintain a distance of four people at a time. This was getting tedious. If she didn't want to have to keep following him around, she was going to have to do something drastic.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Cain and the Vaxorians ventured down a back alley. She followed them through a dingy bricked up area and out into another bustling street. There was one thing for sure; the boy wasn't going to get bored working for that slime ball.

They passed the deep blue glow of a neon sign which read: GAMBLING DISTRICT. Smoke drizzled from the noisy bars. Heavy music pounded the cobbles as Vixen watched the four of them. They walked into a large white building which separated the two lanes of clubs. This was the Kaarzee's Casino. A place every tourist that visited Displincia wanted to see.

After a moment's pause, she followed them into the casino and strolled in through a sea of Vaxorian low lives. The rattle of credits rang through the air. She walked past sets of tables where Vaxorian gamblers were playing everything from Zip Stream Master to Take or Terminate.

It didn't take more than an initial glance for her to spot Rutan's Vaxorian bodyguards. They towered above the crowd in their Hyper-Titan mech suits. Cain was hunched over Rutan and watched as the cards were dished out to play a round of Take or Terminate.

The crowd wasn't enough to hide her Ivarozzan form and the invisibility tech wouldn't work long enough for what she wanted to achieve. If she were to do this, it was going to have to be through another means. She reached into a pouch on her belt and pulled out some red reasoning powder. Then walked over to a Vaxorian who was slouched on his own in the corner of the room.

"Can I help you?" he said as she blew the red dust into his face.

"Place this on the human standing behind Rutan," she said. "The one with the metal for legs."

The Vaxorian's fins lit up bright blue as he took the tracker dot from her and ventured over to Cain. Vixen grinned as he pretended to accidentally bump into the boy. After cunningly placing the tracker, he snapped out of his daze and looked around the room in confusion.

Reasoning powder was concocted of some herbs from the planet Rutilarns. It temporarily made people subjective to suggestions. Then came the mild confusion for about ten minutes or so. It was a popular way of getting people to do things, but be sure your command was acceptable. Something as evil as murder could snap the victim right out of it. Which is why reasoning powder only worked to help you stay under the radar.

Vixen made her way out of the casino and stopped when she reached the back alley once again. Drops of rain splashed her reptilian skin. She brought up her wrist device and opened the contact for Di'jon. She sighed. Maybe this time he would listen to her.

She pressed the button and the connection activated. A tiny projection of Di'jon's thick form flicked up before her. His orange eyes cast a disapproving glance in her direction.

"I have located the boy," she said.

Di'jon didn't smile but as always he maintained a calm demeanour. "Is the girl with him?"

"I'm yet to find out," she replied. "Did you think about my request?"

Di'jon nodded. "Your case for the boy makes perfect sense. But we both know what happened the last time I let you talk me into giving him a chance."

"Maybe we misjudged his priorities," she said. "If you would have given that mission to anyone else--"

"--the mission was the boys," snapped Di'jon. "I will not have you question my choices."

Vixen bowed her head. "I am sorry. I overstepped my mark."

"You have no mark to overstep," he said. "After careful consideration of your request, I have reached the only possible conclusion. The boy must die."

The words were like a dagger to her heart.

Her face twitched and, for a moment, she wanted to let him know exactly how she felt about that. Di'jon couldn't understand what a grave error in leadership he had made.

"Deliver his body to me within the week, Vixen," said Di'jon. "I don't want to have to consider your loyalty to us too."

The call blinked off. She stood in stillness. The rain washed over her face. There had to be a way to make the boy see sense and she wasn't going to rest until she found it.