Tomorrow Never Dies (open)

[Darin Hereclaw]

"Up you go," Darin told Linn, he was so mad at himself for bringing her into his buisness he knew that as soon as he got to the bar he would have to leave her behind. As he was sure he was away from Jiro enough to slow down he did so, and as he did he thought more and more about what hed have to do wich made him want to begin running again, but this was nearly impossible because it was taking everything he had to just walk.

Five minutes after he slowed down he looked up to find Linn had passed out. "Im so sorry, this shouldnt have happened to you this is all my fault," even though she couldnt here him it troubled him to tell someone that another person had suffered trying to help him, and he knew that the only true friend he had ever had had almost died because of Jiro, a person who she shouldve never had to run into, and he also knew that the only way for people not to suffer because of him again would be for him to never be seen with anyone again.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn was slowly coming to. As she did she became aware of the fact that someone was carrying her.

The first thought that ran through Linn's mind was, Surely I'm dead. Then she let her eyes drift open. Nope. Not dead. The last thing that ran through her mind was Gotta get away from whoever has captured me.

Darin's face, his voice, his smile, his kindness and everything about him flashed across her eyes and she began to struggle with great pain pulsing from her wounds. She hoped that he was not hurt. She would kill herself if he was. She would kill woever had hurt him, then she would kill herself.

[Darin Hereclaw]

"Hey,'' Darin said, ''this was difficult enough before you began kicking."

"Whats with the kicking, huh?"

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn heard Darin's voice, and the seeming contempt in which the words had been spoken. She drew her knees up and forced herself out of his arms, landing on her back in the street. Her eyes stared up at the man, fear and anger flashing across them.

Linn struggled to her feet, holding her hands over her freely bleeding wounds.

"Find somewhere to cure yourself," she said, turning away from him. "Find somewhere away from that maniac, and I will too."

[Darin Hereclaw]

Darin was perplexed she seemed to be talking in circles, but he didn t want to say anything that would make her think that he didnt understand, but after thinking about it he knew he would have to.

"Dont worry about him hes way to far behind to catch up to us now, but we do need to get you someplace, it looks like youve lost quite a bit of blood, he said "and are you saying that you want me to leave, because i can and that may be best cosidering what just happened.But no before I make sure your alright."

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn's eyes snapped to him and she felt the hot, pure blood flowing over her fingers as she pressed her palms against the wounds.

Maybe it was it was best that he leave. Maybe he wasn't even real. Maybe the blurriness in her eyes would finally take over and she would wake to find herself safe, wrapped in the blankets on her bed and no actual encounter of anyone named Darin Hereclaw ever happening.

But the pain that was coursing through her and the thoughts that attempted to race through her mind were taking her over and she could not grasp the concept of making Darin, real or not, worry about her anymore.

"So," she coughed out with finality, her heart pounding in her ears as a stab of pain shot through her neck, back, shoulders, and the burned flesh around her wounds. She fell to one knee gasping for life, and praying that soon she would be numb enough to die in pain.

[Darin Hereclaw]

"Linn," he muttered,"come on I'm taking you to that bar now!"

Darin limped over to Linn and bent down to pick her up, but he knew he didnt really have the strength to carry her there, but then he thought of the others who had suffered at the hands of Jiro, and he wasn't going to let him win again.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn scooted away.

"I can walk..." she said, standing. "We just need to find somewhere to go."

[Darin Hereclaw]

"Right I could not agree more," he said, "I think he may be coming around, but I bet that womans going to want to have a word with him."

"We gotta go and get you help come on,"and with that said he began walking to the bar, hoping with all that was within him that no more trouble would befall them on the way there; Linn probably couldnt take it.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn blew a sigh out her nose as reply, and struggled to pull off her cloak. She tore her cloak into shreds and tightly bound them around her shoulders. She could faintly here Darin's footsteps heading for a the bar.

A bar she knew.

Quickly, Linn put two and two together: Darin was a young man, not known well in these parts. That bar was full of drunk hunters and assassins that would rip a young man like Darin up if they even sniffed that he was different.

Linn knew Darin couldn't waltz right into the bar, covered in blood that was not his, and expect to stay alive long. Linn turned on her right hip and spotted him nearly to the door.

"No," she called to him. "Not in there. Let's get out of the slums."

[Darin Hereclaw]

Darin paused taken aback.He didnt have a clue as to why she so abruptly stopped him.

'' Okay then where do you suggest that we go, neither of us will survive long if we go back to Jiro, and I'm sure you know that," he said.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn sighed, and stumbled to her feet, hunched over a little, trying to squeeze the pain from her shoulders. She looked at Darin.

"I know a man up near the Jedi temple who can heal wounds like these. We should go to see him," Linn said, praying that she would not regret going so near to the Temple.