Scrap Shop

Zared walked into the shop, Cloak covering his face and the right side of his body covered. He walked up to the shop keeper and leaned on the counter with his left arm. He knew it was a long shot at best, but it was a chance he had to take. He rung the bell and told the Shop keeper what he was after.

"I am after a mechanical right arm that will work like that of a real arm."

The man stared with a look of disbelief before Zared reveled what the cape held, showing he had no right arm. His look of disbelief turned to shock before he looked Zared in the eyes, a shifty look in them.

"Im sorry, but I have nothing of the sort your after."

Zared easily caught sight of the man's shifty look, grabbing him with his left hand. "Yeah, I bet you don't. I guess you don't want any teeth ether."

The shop keep broke a sweat as Zared threatened him. Zared was in no mood or condition to joke around, and he was prepared to get a new arm at any cost.

"There's better ways to get yourself an arm, you know," Alessia said conversationally as she walked up next to Zared and leaned on the counter to the right of him. The clerk threw her a look of immense relief.

She continued, eyeing him. "You look a little worse for the wear. Had a rough time of things??"

Zared quickly covered himself as he heard the voice. He didn't doubt she saw him, but he didn't want to be constantly seen.
"Well, if you know someplace that'll work out for me, tell me. Its not like I can just enter any place with my reputation anymore"

Alessia reached into her sweater pocket slowly - so that she didn't alarm anyone.

"This place will do just fine." She pulled a small wad of cash from her clothes and dropped it on the counter in front of the clerk. His eyes sparkled with greed but he said nothing yet. "I'm sure my friend here would be happy to help you out. You have to refrain from burning this bridge for me, though, you know??"

Zared looked in her direction, seeing and hearing what she said.
"And why are you helping me?"

A phony look of suprise sprang across her face. "Do I need a reason to help an old comrade??"

This was a gamble and she knew it. She stood erect once again, walked away from the counter a few paces, and clutched her hands behind her back.

"I just want you to tell me something interesting about the Nova," she told him in low tones so that the clerk did not hear.

Zared's eyes widened a little at the mention of the Nova. He grabbed her shoulder and was pretty much gonna yell in surprise, but didn't say anything, taking his hand of her slowly.

"I'll answer that. However, in return, I wish to know why you brought it up."

Expressionless, Alessia's mismatched gaze met Zareds. "I'm helping you recover an arm, remember?? That's what I offer in return. Besides" she continued with a somewhat ostentatious toss of her head, "what makes you think it's anything other than professional curiosity??"

The shop keeper behind Zared had started looking a little flighty a moment ago. "We're holding up this mans business, you know."

Zared bit his tongue as his teeth grinded. He turned around and sighed.
"I just wish Nova was around, and thought perhaps you knew something about its location is all."

he walked over to the shopkeep. "Im ready for my arm now."

She waited for the clerk to take measurements and whatever else he needed to create the mechanical arm.

Curiosity, and perhaps something else, forced her to ask, "Isn't it in pieces after that incident?? And what would you do if it was whole and you knew where it was??"

"What would I do... I'd probably see it one more time, and see who bought it."
Zared's eyes became shadowed because of his hood as he lowered his head
"After blowing it up, the last thing I deserve is it back"

"Right enough," she declared with a grin, "I'm sure it's in quite a state at this point, anyway. You did a fairly complete job of totaling it, along with the villa."

It was at this point that the shop keeper grabbed the roll of cash from the desk and scurried into the backroom. Alessia breifly wondered if making mechanical body parts was about the same as making parts for a knightmare.

She stepped out the door of the shop and leaned against the outside wall and called to Zared. "Where did you get it??"

Zared froze for a split second before continuing on. It was painful to hear about the Villa again.
"I stole it from a patrolling unit in Japan after I..."
Zared didn't continue that sentence.
"After it was nearly trashed, it was customized into the Nova it was. However, the Nova is no longer a appropriate name for it."

After you...What??

Knowing that it had been a military frame was exceedingly helpful. She didn't need to ask what had been done to it after that.

Alessia nodded her head mutely then laughed. "No, I don't suppose it is. What sort of name would you suggest??"

Zared thought about it for a little before softly speaking the name
"Fenikkusu"
He then turned around and explained.
"Its Japanese for Phoenix, though it doesn't have to be Japanese. It has been trashed and rebuilt many times. It kind of reminds me of a Phoenix burning itself into ashes only to be reborn from them"
Zared turned back around, waiting for the shopkeep.
"Was there anything else you needed to know?"

Oddly enough, the name immediately struck her as perfect. She squinted off into the sunny sky momentarily for the sake of appearances, then turned back to him. "That's very fitting."

"There's nothing else in particular. Unless you want to share any professional advice??"

Zared decided to tell her something about it, even if she knew about it

"The core will more then likely leak, even if repaired. It should have shattered from the explosion. And even if it didn't, the core would have alot of microscopic cracks from which it would leak. It wasn't made to be used again."

The core had not been found, so even if she had wanted to try to fix it, that was impossible now. Deep down, she could admit she was glad it was so.

"Yeah?? That's too bad." Alessia pulled herself up off the wall and peeked in the window of the store. "Your arm should be ready soon. Thanks for your help, but it's about time I go."

Zared nodded, continuing to look to where the Shop-keep disappeared to a while ago. "Well, do have a good day"

{Outta here fo' now yo~}