By President Shinra's Last backhair, this place has STREETS! Scary, eh? The streets here are mostly pavement. Most homes are built and lived in. And these slums have a very busy nightlife.

Getting practically shoved in to The Streets of Sector 01, the wutaiian kid currently narated under the name Kiwi looked behind him at the guards to see them gone. The secondary HUGE door leading back outside closing.

He was all alone now.

And Dammit, this didn't look like a Wutai-run place to Kiwi at all! Way too many bigwiz electronics and cars. The flashing lights were bugging him too, specially considering the fact that flashing lights Shouldn't be blazing in the middle of the day (or at least, it was the middle of the day 10 minutes ago on the outside of midgar. Inside it was pretty dark... So the lights were probably needed).

What of all these people around? They didn't look Wutaiian at all. And noone's battling! Where's this huge war he heard so much about for the first 10 years of his life?

He looked around, thinking now would be a good time to bug someone and ask.

The plainly-dressed young man is casually passing along the inn not far from the entrance of the sector. He looks slightly forlorn.. and very scuffed up. His eyes snapped about nervously for a moment. That's when he sees the young kid. It wasn't one of those blasted ShinRa guys. He visibly relaxed. He seems about to keep on going.

Alyssia stepped out of the bar and looked around slightly. The slums were a place that took getting used to if you came from the top part. The young Turk had been down here enough times in the past five years, either on small missions or just to mess around, that she knew where just about everything down here was like the back of her hand. Despite the fact they were under the main part of the city, there were still a lot of people down here, especially in this sector and in Sector 02.

As she stepped into the crowds wandering the streets, Alyssia slipped the strap of her machine gun over her head. She carefully manuvered her way past people as she made her way towards the next sector.

There were so many people walking around that it was almost scary. Specially considering everyone that Loads taller than he was. And sleezy-looking to boot. Wearing expensive stuff, smoking, looking too badass for him to bug.

Some woman came out of some place and walked Right past him. She wore more expensive-looking clothes. No shades, though shades would definatley look cool on her. Dark blue suit with a white shirt needed shades.

"Um.." Kiwi started. But by the time he got up the courage to confront the woman, she was already off to some other random area. The kid paused, stopped, and then shook his fist in anger at himself, "Drat..."

Suddenly, some creepy feeling fell over him that he was being watched. Then again, alot of people were watching him. He was some little kid (supposedly) in some big expensive Shinra-filled area. His heavy grey shirt with MIDGAR on it, and small stature definately made him look too poor to have any business in this area.

He looked over and saw some other guy. Older than him by far, but alot nicer-looking than the other jerkbags around here that were practically stepping at him. Now why Kiwi chose to then walk up to him was either because he noticed the guy watching before, or just the overall inviting scuzziness the guy presented.

"Um... Scuze me.." Kiwi was now close enough to breath down the guys neck... if he were two or so feet taller anyway.

Though the streets were packed, he didn't seem to notice so many of them. The people presented a wall, but he could slip between teh cracks easily enough. He was about to slip on past into the next sector, and once again, temporarily stopped. Same sort of feeling.

He saw a young woman, at least a couple of years his junior, wearing the most easily recognized of all uniforms. Damn. The Turks, already.. But he watched her ignore him and walk on past, a barrier of fear letting her pass through the crowd easily. She came from that bar. He knew it seemed suspicious. But he couldn't fight them. Not yet..

He almost returned to his slouch towards a hopefully less people-filled place. That's when a voice, quite young.. too young for this city, in this sector. He turned and saw the Wutaiian. He had seen a few at the Bonetown, once or twice. They were usually looking for some rare treasure or some such. But this onen was definitely younger than any he'd seen before.

"Yah..?" He said as he turned. Definitely too young.
"You oughtn't sneak up this close to people, at least, in this city."

Kiwi flinched. Was like Zane's words about sneaking up shot the kid. But he recovered. After all, he may've been a little sensative, but traveling over to Midgar toughened him up a little. Or maybe hte reaction was just a previous uberhope that this guy was kinder than the rest.

"Um... Er... Where is the.." he stopped before saying War. No, some little ditty in his head was telling him that if there was some war going on, he does Not want to be known as the 'Other Side' to the enemy. Specially since he was alone. Specially if this guy was part of the enemy.

Ki watched him for a second before calming down a little. And asking something else. "What do you mean?"

His words were almost hidden in the bustle and noise of this place. Way too active. The kid was definately becoming nervious around here, all alone and all. "And do you know where a good place to sleep is?"

Zane could easily read the kid's first response. Nervous. Rightfully so. Zane himself was nervous most of the time, at least, this close to the passage upwards. The Turks liked this place, particularly. Unfortunately, to get anywhere, you had to pass through here. To sleep, you had to stay with your guard up.

He let these troubling thoughts slide off for a moment.
He smiled softly, hopefully he could soften the intention. He wasn't trying to frighten the kid. But it was good advice.

He picked out the kid's voice amid the bustle of the crowd, and responded after a moment. "Well. People here.. they're nervous. Nobody likes being snuck up on, you know?" He paused for a moment before continuing. "...Sleep? Well.. The Whispering Shade by the 02 gate is decent enough. Better than sleepin' on the ground anyway, which's what you'd be doing if you don't stay there.. What'sa kid like you doing in Sector 01, anyway? Ya new t' Midgar?"

Well, the guy smiled. That was a start on relaxing. Noone around here smiled, after all. Everyone was either rushing around in expensive clothes or glaring at everything like they ate way too many lemons. Then again, Kiwi's opinion would probably be alot different about smiling people when he gets to Sector 02 - where the people who do smile are trying to pick up prostitutes to grab and get people to use. Lucky for Zane, Kiwi was new to Midgar.

"Hai hai" he nodded about the nervious thing, taking another look around. The kid listened like he was in class getting ready for some big, huge, important test later on. Whispering Shade, 02 gate, don't sleep on the ground, right right...

And Kiwi got so bundled up with anxiety from this convo. The sooner he found a good inn, the sooner he could find his dad and everything about the war that he's missed so far while travelling. After all, there Had to still be a war in this Huge place called Midgar. Otherwise, why would people be nervious?

Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. The young kid (that looked way younger than he actually was) didn't even let Zane finish his last question before rushing off to whereever this Sector02 gate was, "K! Gate 02! Got it! Thanks Mister!"

A few moments later he came back... "Where's the 02 gate?"

Zane couldn't help but grin softly as the kid took off before he finished his sentence. Hasty. He watched the kid practically turn on his heel before twisting back to where Zane was standing. He looked around before the kid returned. A bit of nervousness himself. Standing about in front of Turkland over there was never safe.

He cleared it before the kid arrived. He didn't want to startle someone who was clearly a newcomer. And so perceptive to people's expressions.

"What're you doin' taking off so quick? The gate's just down this road." He pointed slightly. He had to be careful about his indications. Anyone who was paying attention, and that meant either Turks or worse.. would notice someone NOT moving in this bustle. "You really can't miss it. It's sorta like this one here. Large and usually guarded by those blue-suited guys."

Kiwi was oblivious to Zane's nerviousness of the area. Either that or everyone was so nervious sides Kiwi that Zane just sorta melded with the crowd. He nodded a few more times, looked to the huge doors, and went about getting lost again... Cept this time in thought.

Cause those were HUGE doors. The ones in front were huge, there were Just AS Huge! How in the world could his dad and the people in Wutai he looked up to get through such a huge place! A dragon couldn't get through the front doors, more or less the ones to the next part of this place!!!

He'd better hurry to the inn before he gets too caught up in this place. Without much of another word cept for, "Thanks, Mister!", Kiwi ran off in the right direction.

Zane watched with further exasperation as the kid, the one he didn't even catch the name of, walk PAST the inn into the clutches of the 02 gate guards. That's NOT what he said to do!

Well, he led the kid astray, he might well help him out. He hated dealing with the guards as much as anyone did, but he couldn't in good conscience lead someone that young into that hive, even unintentionally.

He walked calmly to the gate, following the crowd and not moving too quickly. That seemed to tick the guards the most. He finally was moving to area 02.. He hated to stay here long. Too scuzzy.

Alyssia walked back into Sector 01 with a sigh. She hadn't seen the kid since she separated with Zane a short while ago. Her side was also still hurting, though not nearly as bad as it was when she first was smacked. 'Stupid morons with stupid maces... I don't think I'll get paid extra for this either...'

She stood by the gate separating Sectors 01 and 02, debating on what to do. She could wander the sector in hopes of possibly finding the kid. If she did that, she would have to make a stop at the item shop and get a couple more potions. Another fight like the last one would really suck.

Or she could go back to the bar. She did have a story to tell Dotreri. 'Man... I wonder what his reaction would be to hearing I got into a fight with the people at the brothel...' She shrugged and just started to wander through the streets.

Gorvt walked down the street at a leasurely pace (for him), looking for where in the world that kid went. He wasn't even told what the kid looked like. And all that battling that his weaker brothers were getting into, he knew they couldn't take care of it on their own. How come he couldn't beat up troublemakers at the front? He always had to 'chase down the kid's.

But since he couldn't find the kid after a quick search around Sector02, he saw two suspitious people come out of HasBeds, so decided to follow the weakerlooking one. Which is, of course, the girl....

A large shadow loomed over Aly after a point. And a low, loud, grumbling voice shook the ground from behind her, "Are you that turk who knows that kid?"

Alyssia blinked slightly at the voice behind her and turned to look at the guy. 'What the...? Oh great...' "Umm... What kid?" She stepped away from the man standing behind her with a bit of a nervous smile. "I don't know what you're talking about..."

Oh, this was no average, regular thug. This thug was taking steroids. He TOWERED over Aly. Easily over 10 feet tall. His body was muscles on muscles on muscles, barely kept together in a package via a tight undershirt. His head? Tiny compaired to the rest of his body. And somehow Jeans do some in a size Quadrupal 36Q, cause he's wearing them. Same with the boots. Damn, like he was walking in a pair of dumpsters with laces. A sword, a scimitar across his back, looked as ragged and as threatening as the previous chain and mace of his bros. Cept 5 times bigger.

He took a step forwards, which seemed to make the entire surface of this city shiver. Pointing a pretty big suasage finger at Aly, "The kid I know youz was taking care of. Where is he? And don't make mez beats it outta you" He brought his hands together and cracked his knuckles - which... given the environment... sounded like thunder.

Alyssia sighed and shook her head. This was annoying. "Hell if I know where he is. If you hadn't gone chasing after him, I probably would know." She kept backing away from the guy, putting a good amount of distance between herself and the huge guy. 'Crap crap crap... I can't take this guy on by myself. I know I can't...' She looked at her surroundings. 'If I run fast enough...'

He took two more monsterious leaps forwards, which would commonly be known as steps in his small land of thought. Before stopping, slouching, and scratching his head. "Oh... Damn..." G stated, clenching his teeth with an eye back towards the door that looked As big as him. How in the world he fit through was another question for another day. "Did I go the wrong way?"

Finally, the monster thug gave a meak gesture to Aly, "Look, I'z don't means anything bad via the turks or anything. I get real carried away sometimes. The boss always punishes me loads, beating me, making me do dumb chores..." he rumbled on like a raging river with other nonimportant things.

Before coming to the time when he asks the important question, "Can you at least tell me what the kid looks like? I gotta track the little flea down soon or I wont get dinner....."

Alyssia blinked slightly. This was surprisingly easier than she had been expecting. And since this moron didn't even know what the kid looked like, she could tell him anything and he'd believe it. "Well... He came up to my shoulders, had light brown hair. ...I think his eyes were blue... And I think he was wearing a green shirt and a pair of jeans..."

Aly just started throwing out what came to mind. She really didn't remember much of what the kid looked like, so this worked perfectly. And by the time this guy realized she had thrown him off, she'd more than likely have back-up. Hell, IF this guy ever realized it...

"K, thanks youz, miss Turk." G took a slight nod of his head - which looked rediculous. Like it was a broken bobblehead on 300 pounds of muscle. He turned back and started to walk off, shaking the ground as he went. "Guy about as talls as her, brown hair, jeans, green eyes and blue shirt? Hey..." He stopped for a moment and grumbled, "That sounds almost exactly like that guy she was with. I AM in the wrong sector. Grah, Jax'll beat me for this one.."

He made his way back to Sector02, the guards not even Bothering to stop him. As he made his way to... Whoever Aly could've been with previous to leaving Sector02. Hmmm.. Who could that be.

Alyssia let out a sigh she had been holding in as the guy took off, thankful he was stupid enough to go with what she had told him. 'Okay, that does it. I really need a drink now. That was damn scary.' She brushed her bangs out of her face and walked past a few buildings at the opposite side of the sector, away from the entrance to Sector 02, to the bar, a bit jittery after that encounter. 'I really don't get paid enough... I want my mommy.' She giggled slightly at that thought as she stepped inside.

*After a delay, the train finally pulls in. The intruder was not found in the cargo car, and was assumed he jumped off.*

*The train pulled in and Faust was still gripping the roof of the cargo car. Faust jumped off and began to dust himself off.*

*A guard opens the door to let people off the train and sees a dirty 3rd class Soldier that looks like the radioed criminal and like he was on the train*

"Hey, you, stop right there."

*Faust doesn't wait and punches him in the face without waiting.*

"Oops..." *the guard blows a whistle alerting other guards. Faust punches him in the face again, and takes off running from guards with guns and nightsticks*

Alyssia literally came flying out of the bar, running through the streets and shoving people out of her way. She had to find Zane and fast so she could warn him about the Hulk-dude she accidently sent after the thief. 'Damn... And everything was going so well...' She shook her head, but blinked when one of the guards stopped her at the gate, demanding to know where she was going.

Aly glared at him, sighing in annoyance. "Hey! I have important business and you're interfering! Get out of my way!" She didn't have time to fight and argue with the guards right now. But luckily, one of the other guards there told off the one that had stopped her. She flashed him a smile, then ran through the gate, hurrying to find Zane.

Once she got through the Sector 01 gate after dealing with a moronic guard there, Alyssia allowed herself a bit of a breather and looked around. 'That was so not cool... But at least we got away from the bulging-muscle man and we're safe. Where's a good place to take a break at?' She started to walk through the crowd, but suddenly dropped to her knees. The injury to her side had decided it had enough of being ignored and was making itself very well known to Aly. "...Owie..."

Zane gasped a little, already breathing hard from his dead run out of the sector. He uhms a bit awkwardly and then, stupidly asks, "Uhh, are you alright.." And just when I'm fresh out of medkits. I should've snatched one from the clinic while I was there.. As if I'd know what to do with one.. He looks around. What the hell am I gonna do..? He grumbles and glances back to Aly and then walks up to one of the guards. "Uhhh.. your uh.. Turk.. ally? Yah. I think she needs some help.." He is obviously not a good public speaker.

Alyssia sat there on the ground for a few moments, holding her side. She slowly stood up and waved off the concerns of Zane and the guards that came over to check on her. "I'm fine...! It's not like I haven't been beat up before..." Aly rolled her eyes and started to walk away, still holding her side as she did. 'Okay... I really need a break... I can't take much more of this...'

She sighed softly and headed to the inn. 'This is as close to a break as I'm probably gonna get now...'

Faust decided he needed to get his ID looked at. His face wasn't on the ID and odds are he'd have to show it eventually. He could head over to Sector 2 now...but he was a little drunk at the moment. He figured to head over to the inn and get some rest first...but he couldn't make up his mind.

He decided to walk and let fate decide where he ended up first.

Through the gates from 02 slips a little kid. The guards, having enough of a bad day, Don't even notice him cause of his growth spurt lack. Which is kinda pathetic considering that the kid is wearing a poorly sitched, torn up Midgar shit that's horribly stained in blood. His hands also look a bit sore if one were to have amazingly acute vision.

He slips in, looking through the busy streets for a place to eat. Wideeyed, a bit timid compaired to the last time he was here. But on a mission for his tummy none the less!

Zane is standing not more than 100 feet from the sector's entrance from 02. He starts to walk away and catches a glimpse of Kiwi, or at least, he wanted to tell himself, someone that looked amazingly like Kiwi. He turned slowly and confirmed, that yes, it was actually Kiwi, complete with still-bloody, and now half-stitched in places.

Zane blinks, wondering how his seemingly inseperable young charge got past Hasbed and it's legion of thugs. The guys were at least, he thanked, not very good with the eyes. Or good on the eyes for that matter.

He approaches the kid, making no attempt to sneak. He had no reason to, and didn't want to scare him.

"Well... Good to see you made it away in one piece. I didn't know what to expect when you took off like that."

Kiwi, of course, jumped when Zane started talking to him. And that's only cause he was so intent on finding a place to eat that he didn't notice other people in the area (opposed to 02, when he was Paranoid about everyone else). He calmed down after a bit when he realized that the guy was familiar. Then smiled happily when it became clear that it was Zane... or, um, That Real Cool Looking Guy!

When he got around to answering the question, Kiwi started some sensible conversation.. "I ran off?" Before blathering, "Oh, Oh! I did. Yeah, I found that other cool guy you were with and we found a shiney place to pray at then he told me about monsters and brought me to this Other cool looking painter guy who gave me a bed but then (breath) I couldn't sleep cause I had to stitch my shirts and..."

Eventually, the loud growl of his stomach caught the kid off guard. To cut the runon sentence short. He went wideeyed at it, blushed, then looked at the ground shyishly. "ano..."

Zane patiently nods as the kid's enthusiasticly long sentence gushes out, smirking a little as he takes a breath, mid-sentence, and continues. He nearly cuts in to interrupt the sentence when the growl of hunger does it for him.

Zane grins a bit and says, "Well, good to hear ya found a good place to stay. But I'm sure the painter person you mentioned had food. But, since you're here, I suppose we oughta get somethin'." He noted, he was pretty hungry too, not to mention tired.

Kiwi continued to look at the ground all embarressed. Specially when Zane said that Ron the painter guy should've had food. But even then, the kid had his reasons. After all, it's much more safe to get food from a restraunt or food stand than some stranger guy he just met in a city full of enemies. Specially when the painter guy could be an enemy!

So yeah, peer pressure. Not that the young wutaiian was gunna admit that. Instead he looked over at the gates to sector 02 and mumbled, "There were food places over there...... But I don't wanna be over there." His eyes brightened and he looked up to Zane, "Do you know of any food places around here?" Sheer, hungry hope can be seen clearly.

Zane scratches his head a little. He tried to avoid this place except to sleep most of the time. He shook his head a little, and then paused.
"I thought there weren't any decent ones, but I think the inn's lobby has food. I never really ate there though."

He looked around the area. The only other place was that Turk bar.. He doubted, even if he could get in, that it would be a safe place to be.

The talk of an inn in sector 01 sure brought back ugly memories to Kiwi. Fact, the last time he talked about an inn with Zane in sector 01...... "Whoa, what inn?" Kiwi pointed to Zane suspiciously.. "The last time you told me to go to the inn, I had to get saved from you and that really cool looking lady from some bignosed sleezy guy and his scary friends."

He look a step away cautiously. Then jumped when he ran into some random NPC, who told him to watch it. A car horn went off sequentially after this, which sure brought Kiwi back to the fact that this place was WAY crowded for some reason. And for some reason, even when he got all paranoid about the treasure hunter, Kiwi looked pleadingly to Zane once again for help on the matter.. whichever matter it may be.

Zane paused a moment as he heard Kiwi's explanation. In response he slowly placed one of his fingers on his temple.

"...Kid. When I said 'near sector 02's entrance' I didn't mean IN SECTOR 02!" He didn't really shout it, but he felt like doing so.

"That inn over there." He said, much more quietly. He didn't want to scare the kid.
He pointed to a clearly labeled inn, quiet and not nearly as sleazy looking as the Hasbed.
It's sign, somewhat more ornate than the usual roughly-painted pieces of cardboard people nailed to their shops a few sectors away. This one was wood, and was painted with a strange creature on the front, somewhat like a solid black manta-ray with a single eye.
Below that were curled fancy letters saying 'INN'

Zane stopped, taking a softer tone. "I've stayed here plenty of times since I came to Midgar, and I can tell you, unless there were a Turk raid, there isn't going to be anyone attacking you there. Alright?"

Kiwi flinched just marginally at getting yelled at. But after looking at the inn that was quaint, nice, and RIGHT THERE, he finally realized that he made a mistake. "oh..."

Well, not Made a mistake. More like, misunderstood what Zane said. "um..." He looked again to the inn, just to make sure it was there... "er..." Then back to Zane.. "ano.." Before finally rebuking to the guy, "Like I would've seen it! That place should be more flashy, like that place with the sleezy guy. With more signs!" he shook his fist...

Then dropped it... Turning around to go in that direction (of the safe inn)... Til he dauddled in a few passing people and stopped to turn back to Zane.. "What's a turk?"

Zane smirked a little as he was 'rebuked', though he doesn't say anything in response. The kid's response was mildly amusing, but he didn't make a spectacle by laughing at him. That wouldn't improve matters any.

He almost fell down after the kid asked his naive question. He had a tough job ahead of him...
"Uhh.. well, a Turk is... well, they're sorta like police. Sometimes they help people, but they're mostly here to take care of any problems ShinRa might have. I honestly doubt they would raid here because this isn't far from the ...other part of Midgar."

Ah, police. That's a good thing, thought Kiwi at first. This place needs cool police people to help keep the shinra at bay and help people in need.............................

"Wait a sec.. They WORK for the Shinra?" He was caught off guard Aloud. No, that's not right. Shinra hurts people and are the embodiment of bad stuff. Least, that's what his family and friends have told him age 1-11. They were fighting Against the shinra. So that must mean that Turks are like.. Bad police.... Yeah...

Kiwi got to the inn, finally. And passed through the door with the mumbled words, "Hope I don't meet a turk anytime soon."

Zane grinned as the kid mumbled aloud, working out the twisted logic of his statement.
Yeah, they work for the big guys just upstairs. Zane thought as he followed into the safe inn.

The inside was the usual. Not too elaborate, but far cleaner than most places further from the upper plate entrance. The innkeeper waved to him. He was, after all, a recurring customer. The older man who ran the place turned his head to watch Kiwi walk beside him, but said nothing.

Zane was still smirking softly at the final mumbled statement Kiwi made.
Me neither.. though Alyssa's alright. He chuckled and took a seat at one of the few tables. The food making hours were already long past, but the kitchen people didn't mind reheating something for a modest price.

The old ex-Turk realized he didn't really have a destination in mind, but instead took in the sights of of the night life of 'his' slums. WIth each puff of smoke the streets seemed to slow down. Slowly he made he was down to where his prostitutes worked, near the nicest hotel around The Whispering Shade, where they rent out rooms to to their business. Suddendly a young man dress somewhat flashy walks up to him and dlivers a bit of small talk and hand him an envolope and vanishes.

Dotreri didn't look into it and put it directly into his pocket because he knew what it was. Gil.