compnetwork | [002 - video/action]

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[002 - video/action]

[When the feed comes on, a rather distinctive looking bounty hunter in her armor is staring into the camera of her COMP through her visor. Though her expression is a little hard to make out, she seems rather pleased about something.]

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Samus Aran. I was a freelance bounty hunter in my universe, and I enjoyed doing contracted work with clients as well as the Galactic Federation, the government in charge of running my galaxy. Recently I requested permission to start taking on bounties in this world, as well as do some freelance mercenary work. I received a bounty hunting license from the government as a result.

[Samus taps a few buttons on her COMP and a transparent digital image of her license appears on the feed, laid over her face as she continues to talk.]

While I'm preparing to offer my services to all those who reside in the city, I thought I'd first take the opportunity to inform the other visitors here in Hinoto-Ri. After all, it is we who will be working together most often, against many common foes.

The mercenary work I'm prepared to give includes, but isn't limited to, security detail, body-guarding, and reconnaissance missions. If you have any tasks you might need a highly trained warrior for, don't hesitate to ask me.

My bounty hunting services are strictly reserved for government requests. This is unlikely to change in the future. If there are any other bounty hunters in the city, however, I'd prefer cooperation to competition regarding the bounties available.

If you have any questions, concerns, or even requests, please contact me and I'll respond as swiftly and as clearly as I can. Thank you.

---

[And speaking of bounty hunting, Samus's full access to the government's personal hit list of dangerous demons and criminals was proving to be extraordinarily handy. She planned to thin out the list to the best of her abilities over the next several months, moreso for the sake of the city's protection rather than for the money.

Unsurprisingly, tracking down one of the top bounties on the list lead her into the heavily demon inhabited Taurus district. For the time being, she was attempting to be discreet, wandering the streets in some casual clothes with her paralyzer hidden on a belt by her hip. Underneath the clothing was her zero suit, ready to call her PED Suit the moment she found trouble.

Her COMP glasses informed her that the Thirteenth Hour was approaching fast. If she was lucky, the demon she was hunting would make itself known during that time... It was doing a rather fine job of blending in with the crowd around her so far.

Dare you approach her while she's working??]

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[As Samus patrols the streets of Taurus, she'll run into a familiar but perhaps unexpected face. DeDeDe's out and about himself, lumbering around with his hammer at the ready and his Persona, Nero, floating at his side.]

[Well she can't say she's surprised to see DeDeDe out and about at this hour in the Taurus district, but she certainly didn't expect to see him patrolling the streets... What on earth? Samus reaches up to the side of her head and retracts the COMP glasses momentarily.]

Hey sugar-- [The response is automatic and something she couldn't really help upon seeing his face. Catching herself, Samus clears her throat and swallows hard.] DeDeDe... What exactly are you doing on the streets with your weapon drawn?

[There's a noticeable smirk on his face at the word 'sugar,' but he decides not to call attention to it.]

What's it look like? Defendin' my territory.

[Defending... well, that was certainly new. DeDeDe wasn't really the violent type.]

It wouldn't be more practical to hire some people to defend it for you? [She can't help a small grin, though. It was nice seeing him out and about taking responsibility for his own territory. She approaches him and lowers her voice, though, demeanor becoming a little more serious.] You might not wanna stick around too much longer... a high profile demon should be passing through here tonight.

I got some irons in the fire on that front too, but I figure it's good to lead by example every now and again.

[Yup, things are changing little by little with this guy.]

Ain't too worried 'bout that. If I can go three rounds with the cannibal and live to tell the tale, I'm sure as hell not about to let some demon get the best of me.

That's very admirable of you.

[And she means it, she's impressed!! Samus considers his next comment carefully. He's certainly right, she's plenty aware that DeDeDe could likely hold his own against most of the foes in this world, considering what he'd faced back in his own world...

She lowers her voice a little as she comes closer.]

The truth of the matter, I'm hunting a bounty right now. If you'd like, you can help me out. This is your territory, after all, I don't want to intrude. I'll split any profits with you as well. Sound like a deal?

[She holds her hand out to him for a handshake.]

Heh... couldn'ta done it without ya. It was them memories of yours, made me feel like there was somethin' worth fightin' for. Haven't felt like that in a long damn time. Felt pretty good.

[DeDeDe nods, grinning back at her before leaning in for the secret info.]

Much obliged. Not too many folk'd bother askin' first. Sounds like a good deal to me.

[And a gloved hand comes out to meet hers, with a nice firm shake.]

So what're we huntin'?

[Samus gives a bit of a smile at that... She was plenty aware that she made a difference to many, many people back in her world, but she'd never really experienced the results of it. And this was quite a bit of an unconventional way to affect someone.

She's glad for the hand shake and the deal.] Of course. The money isn't what's important to me, anyway. It never really was.

[Pulling her hand back, she pushes her sleeve up some to reveal her COMP watch. She turns it on and pulls up her access to the list of bounties. Projected before her is a listing for a dangerous demon that had attacked and even killed numerous civilians in the city, a rare sighting though he apparently had a pattern to his appearances. Skilled enough in tracking down her proverbial 'prey', the bounty hunter had calculated it's next appearance to be in this general area.]

He should be here when the Thirteenth Hour strikes.

[Unconventional, maybe, but it's just the sort of medicine DeDeDe needed. Even better than a literal kick in the pants, since he got to experience that sort of drive and motivation personally again.]

Yeah, you always were the hero type.

[He gives a grin and a chuckle at that. Even in his own world, Samus never lost that core of morality and justice that made her who she was. In dark times, people like she and Luigi and Red still managed to shine brightly, even after having to dirty their own hands.]

So we play the waitin' game, huh? Suits me just fine.

Glad to know at least that stayed constant with me across universes. You know it almost makes me want to meet up with this other Aran you knew so well.

[She gives a bit of a nod, looking up and down the streets cautiously.]

I've been trying to track down the most likely spot he will appear, but truth be told, he could be literally anywhere within this district... I have my ship flying overhead to keep track of the streets I can't investigate with my own two eyes. So far, activity has been normal...

I really doubt he'll show any signs of appearing until the Thirteenth Hour. You haven't noticed anything unusual, have you, DeDeDe?

Yeah, guess some things don't change, no matter how shitty the world gets.

[He nods back at her before looking around too.]

Nope. Nothin' 'sides the usual gang of demons hangin' around. Most of 'em know not to get too close to the club by now.

[Samus furrows a brow at him in amusement.]

And here I thought you wanted the kind of business most of these demons here have to sell...

[She's joking around, of course. She knows how Dee runs his place, he likes to be in charge of what's going on in his business, and troublemakers aren't allowed.]

You haven't been having too much trouble with the local competition, have you? Nyx seems to soak up most of the business in these parts.

[As Samus makes idle small talk, she glances back down at her COMP watch, actually using it to tell the time. There wasn't too much waiting left to do. A few minutes only, in fact, before the clock froze at midnight.]

That's bad for business. Demons want to do peddle that shit here, they better be payin' me for the privilege or they can get the hell out.

[Spoken like a true slum lord. But hey, at least he's keeping the streets clean and safe, so it probably all balances out in the end.]

Nah, we're keepin' afloat. I see a lotta locals at the Nest, actually.

[Which makes sense. Nyx is a demon, after all, and even though there's lots of anti-Visitor sentiment among the natives, DeDeDe has done his best to reach out to the ones living in the Taurus District.]

I'm glad to see you're keeping a tight hold on your territory. Let me know if you ever run into any trouble, DeDeDe. I'll sort it for you. Free of charge.

[At least within this city, she's not entirely sure if his services, the services the succubi in this section of town have to offer, are illegal... But even if they are, she really has no right to judge DeDeDe for his line of work. It was probably even less harmful than her own job. As her companion, she'd do anything she could to help him out.

Her watch makes a few beeps at her as the clock strikes midnight. Without fail, the sky seems to grow darker, the air colder, the Thirteenth Hour beginning again.]

Prepare yourself. Even if we don't find our target, dangerous creatures still lurk these streets.

[As she says this, Samus pulls her paralyzer off of her hip, flipping the safety off and calibrating it to a near lethal setting.]

Thanks, doll. Just might take ya up on that.

[DeDeDe grins back at Samus. It's comforting, in a way, to know that even a Samus from a different universe could come to think of him as a friend. They almost get along even better than they did in his own world, in fact.]

Ready when you are. Let's take out the trash.

[Cracking his knuckles, he hefts his hammer once again, holding it at the ready and looking around.]

If I can put an end to any turf wars before they begin, it'd be my pleasure.

[Pressing her hand to the side of her head again, the COMP glasses pop back up in front of her face, showing her a map of the Taurus district, as well as showing her own position on the streets. Several streets nearby were highlighted: the most likely areas for the demon to appear.]

The best we can hope for is to catch him off guard... find him before he finds us. Which is why I'm keeping my armor off until we encounter him. I'd be too conspicuous walking around with my suit. We have about a five block radius to cover looking for him, though if he's as big as his profile says he is, he shouldn't be very difficult to track down.

S'what I like to hear. I've had it up to here with fuckin' turf wars.

[As she should well know. That's exactly what got him killed back in his own world, after all.]

Lead the way, then. Those fancy gadgets ya got there'll find 'em faster'n I can, I'm sure.

[ There is the ghostly hint of a a familiar presence from an alleyway, though no physical trace of the formidable warrior is seen. It would seem he is stalking demons as well, though whether he knows about the bounty is unclear. For someone as intimately familiar with the fighting style of Garviel as Samus is, there is a clear hint of his passing, if only by the way some papers are disturbed, and the faintly heard at the edge of audibility hum of the tuned servmotors of his armor at rest, clearly not even breathing as he watches and waits for... something? Probably not her, but he's definitely after something. Or someone. ]

[... Something seems quite out of place when Garviel comes nearby, and Samus has to put away her glasses, tensing up with the unmistakable feeling of a hidden presence nearby. She'd dealt with cloaked enemies quite a few times in the past. While she'd received no indicator that the culprit was a demon, Samus's defenses are up immediately and she's taking the paralyzer from her belt, aiming it at Garviel's direction.

It takes her a moment to realize it's him...

She lowers her weapon slowly, letting out a deep breath.]

Cerberus?

[ He steps forward a half-stride, his outline appearing at the edge of the alley, more a suggestion of a shape than an overt form, and says. ]

Yes. Hunting.

[ He gestures to his lips, as if to request silence, and steps back, doing his best to hide himself without a falsehood, field generator, or other technological means which the Astartes used to hide themselves. ]

[Samus reholsters her paralyzer on her belt and turns her attention away from him, pretending not to have seen him. She presses her hand near her ear and pulls up her glasses again, sending him a silent and private text message to his own COMP.]

I'm also hunting, I'm currently working to clear the roster of bounties built up in this city. What is it you're hunting?

[ He replies with his own COMp text message and just says ]

Daemons. I am not working through any sort of list.

Watch your step. A rather dangerous demon will be stepping through here soon enough. I'll try to stay out of your way, but I can't guarantee that things around here won't become very messy very soon.

[She glances around, watching as various succubi, the figurative human kind and the literal demon kind, wander the streets looking to seduce willing customers. One of the demons even happens to wink at Samus as she passes...]

And please try to avoid hurting any of these harmless demons. They may be strange and they may even be breaking several laws, but they do what they can to make a living.

[She was really sympathizing with the prostitutes for some reason?]

[ Loken doesn't respond to the request not to slay the Succubi. The servants of the Dark Prince as he thinks of them are fair prey for his blade, but something else she wrote piques his interest ]

Tell me about this dangerous demon. [ There is almost an emphasis on the green text of the COMP transfer. A foe that he can really hurt them by slaying. He doesn't care about this bounty, but the chance to harm a daemon of importance clearly interests him ]

[Samus pauses, before sending the file from the hit list she had access to with the demon's profile. A dangerous monster, not linked to any organized illegal activity, mostly just a killing machine. She trusted Garviel, and she knew he could handle himself likely just as well as she could against any foes. Still, Samus had to wonder if he was going to try and take this on by himself or if he'd be willing to team up with her again to track it down.]

Don't spread this file around, the information isn't easily accessible. It would be trouble if someone who meant to do serious harm got a hold of it even by accident.

Would you be willing to work with me to hunt him? I could use your skills. While I've got the training and equipment to do the tracking, there's no doubt that you have much more raw instinct. And not even my suit is equipped with cloaking.

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[002 - video/action]

Action; Taurus Streets

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