Ava walked up to Marcellus smiling. “Getting along, I see.”

Marcellus’s straight face was accented with a cocked eyebrow. “If you say so. I’m just not keen on staying any longer than I have to.”

Ava’s smile faded. “You have no other reason to stay than the job?”

His face was unchanged. “Should I?”

Ava let out a long sigh. “Alright, Marc.” She laughed. “Let’s get you paid and on your way.” Ava headed off in the opposite direction Tivon had headed.

He watched for a moment as the fox walked off, arms clasped together behind her back. Taking a breath he sighed and followed.

After a few minutes of winding their way through the paths of scrap they came across on of the entrances to the yard. He wondered at why a junk yard would have solid concrete walls, let alone why they were so high and topped with barb wire. Was junk that precious here in the under-city? Then again, he supposed perhaps it was. You only need look at what the homes here were made out to see that junk and scrap was the most common building material. And this yard did happen to have pretty decent slabs of metal and other materials that weren’t significantly decayed. With some creativity a decent shelter could be built from the things here.

The gate had been left open. Whoever was running the place seemed to be working with Tivon and his group. Ava grabbed an oversized chain and a lock from a nondescript junk pile by the walls and waved Marcellus through the gate. After passing through Ava stepped through, closing the gate behind her. It shrieked in protest as only metal joints that have seen far too many seasons without care could. She knit the chain through the gate and snapped on the lock that looked more than difficult to break through by average means.

If it was not for the wall that surrounded the scrap yard they just came from Marcellus could have sworn that they were still in the place. Other than the quality of said scrap and junk there was very little difference between here and there. If anything the smell of sewage and decay was more prevalent here than it was in the yard. If given the choice, he’d prefer the yard. He hoped at least the smell would get better once they got to this “cave” of theirs.

Following Ava, it was hard not to look her over. It had been a long time since he had seen her - years in fact. The last time they were together was not under good circumstances and unfortunately they drifted apart. Chaos, carnage, and duty can do that. Since then it seems she has taken to the life of the warrior-activist and it showed. Her once girlish curves gave way to lean, chiseled muscle. Her silken fur every now and then was interrupted by a patch where a scar lay.

That brought Ava’s wound to mind and he could not help himself but feel some concern. “How’s your side?”

Her hand went to her side where she gingerly pressed it and winced. Bringing her hands in front of her there was very little blood. “I’m alright. The bleeding has slowed enough on its own. Like I said before, it’s just a graze.”

“It could have been much worse,” Marcellus responded.

Ava stopped for a moment and let Marcellus catch up to her side before continuing their progression. “Is that concern I hear?” She asked slyly, a hint of that smile playing and the edge of one side of her mouth.

Giving her a side glance, he was unfazed by her playfulness. “Perhaps a little.”

Ava let a soft bark of laughter and spoke in a mock tone. “Perhaps a little. Ouch.” Her face crinkled in pain as she gripped her side.

Marcellus could not help himself but smirk. For all the time that had passed between them, she was as sweet as she was quirky as ever.

Ava noticed the slight smile but said nothing, probably knowing that it would disappear just as quickly if a remark was to be made of it.