Being stuck hundreds of meters off the ground on a small ledge, so small that even the slightest slip would be the end of it all, was not Akira's idea of a successful breach into the academy. Yes, she was outside the wall, but she needed to be inside, and the only way in was a good distance down on another ledge similar to this one. Akira frowned as she glanced down at the small ledge she stood on. She had never noticed these ledges before in her time, but then again, maybe they were added on later on for some purpose. 

"Well, we could use my tube again. I mean if we attach the claw to this here ledge, the rope should be long enough to get us some of the distance down, we can jump the rest and hope that we land right," Dominique murmured, his gaze on the ledge below. Akira rolled her eyes. Boys, they always had to make things more complicate than they were. 

"Move," she muttered pushing Dominique behind her so that she now stood at the edge of the ledge. She peered down at the ledge that was some way before. 

"Akira what...?" the rest of what Dominique wanted to ask was lost to her as Akira dropped herself over the edge of the ledge. 

Wind rushed past her, and her hair was blown upwards, whipping about as she fell. Yet she ignored it, her eyes on the fast approaching ledge below. She had just enough time to bend her legs before she made impact. The shock of her sudden stop was absorbed through her bent legs and then through the rest of her body as she landed in a crouched position, smack in the middle of the small ledge, a perfect landing. 

Breathing hard Akira peered over the ledge at the ground that was far below, the ground she would have hit had she not made the landing. She straightened and looked up to see Dominique peering over the ledge above, disbelief written on his face at not only what she had just done, but that she had actually made it. 

"Some things are best done the good old fashioned way," Akira said, though she knew that Dominique was too far to hear her. She smiled wryly as Dominique just shook his head. If only he knew how many times she had been forced to fall through the air and try to stick the landing on either her dragon or something else to save her life. Turning she glanced at the window behind her only to see that its bottom ledge was just above her head, making her invisible to anyone who would glance out of it. Satisfied Akira turned away with a smile. 

She looked up once again and motioned impatiently for Dominique to come on down. He looked somewhat uncertain as he seemed to try and calculate the distance down to Akira. For a moment Akira thought that he would chicken out when he suddenly dropped over the edge, mimicking her earlier actions. She noticed the pole in his one hand and only shook her head as half way down he deployed the claw from his tube once again. The rope shot out and caught hold of the ledge above and Dominique gracefully came to a halt a few feet above the ledge where Akira stood. 

Akira watched, her eyebrows raised as Dominique seemed to suddenly realize that he was dangling right in front of the window, in plain sight for anyone passing by. His eyes widened and he pressed the button on his pole to retract the claw and rope. In doing so he abruptly fell, landing awkwardly on the edge of the ledge. He swayed for a moment before he regained his balance. 

Grinning in triumph he raised his eyes to meet Akira's who just shook her head. She turned and lifted her hands to grab hold of the edge of the window and pulled herself up. She stared into the interior to see that it was a small room which looked, if anything, abandoned. Without hesitation she swung her legs over the edge, planting her feet firmly on the ground within. Without bothering to see how Dominique was doing she walked across the small room towards the wooden door. Upon reaching it she placed her ear against it, listening carefully. 

"Okay, seriously, do you have any idea..." Dominique began from behind her, yet Akira raised her hand for him to be quiet and surprisingly he listened. 

As Akira listened she closed her eyes. She heard dull footsteps that were there only for a moment before they were gone, then, there was nothing. Slowly she reached for the handle of the door and pulled it open a crack. She peered through to look into the large hallway before her. Her breath caught. Except for the lights instead of torches, which lit up the walls, it looked exactly the same as in her time. Stone corridor walls, adorned with a few random weapons that had seen their use and were now used as ornaments, lined either side. 

Akira's eyes darted to where the corridor split into two directions. To the right she knew there were more rooms, yet to the left was the lift. And if Dominique's theory, that Redemption's armor was kept near the top, and Akira's suspicion, of in which room it could be in, was correct then they needed to go up. Akira opened the door further and slipped into the corridor, her feet not making a sound as she glided down it. 

"Akira!" Dominique hissed some way from behind her. Yet Akira ignored him. 

As she reached the junction where the corridor split she pressed herself against the wall and slowly made her way to the end. She peeped around only to see that both corridors were abandoned. Frowning she wrinkled her forehead. The way Dominique had made it sound was as though this place was guarded to the full, so why were some places, such as this area, without guards? 

"Where are we going?" 

Akira turned her head to shoot a glance at Dominique who had slid up beside her. 

In answer to his question she nodded down the corridor to the left before proceeding down it, her steps swift but at the same time cautious. She didn't have to go far before she caught sight of the place at the end where the floor suddenly seemed to drop away, leaving a large gap in the floor.  

Akira smiled as she approached it. It looked like the lift was another thing that hadn't changed. Upon reaching the gap in the floor she glanced first down and then up, at the large shaft that went from the bottom to nearly all the way to the top. 

"Whoa," Dominique said from beside her as he stared into the large hole. 

Akira turned her gaze to look at the cord that hung nearby. She looked at it, knowing that of she pulled it the cage like lift would come to this floor, ready to carry them safely up or down. And yet if she did that she would be taking the risk of someone being in the cage and they could get caught. She sighed as she realized that there was only one way to do this and stay on the safe side. 

Somewhere a door slammed. Surprised Dominique whirled around, searching for the source of the noise, yet as he turned he hit Akira across the chest with an arm by mistake. This resulted in Akira taking a step back only to find no ground for her to put her feet on, and she fell backwards, right into the shaft. 

For a moment Akira found herself falling before she was suddenly jerked to a stop. Looking up she saw that Dominique had grabbed a hold of her outstretched arm, bringing her to a stop with her feet on the edge of the shaft and her body lying almost horizontal, with everything from her heels upwards, over the edge. Only Dominique's hand kept her from freefalling the rest of the way down the shaft. 

Akira stared at him with wide eyes before she turned her head ever so slightly to look down the shaft. She gulped as she stared down and saw the distant glow of the fire used to make the steam that operated the lift. This wasn't good. Hearing a sudden whoosh she turned her head to see a black shape hurtling towards her. 

"Dominique," Akira warned as the shape got closer and the noise got louder. 

"Relax, I've got you. I've just got to..." 

"Dominique!" Akira said this time more desperately as the shape got even closer. 

"I just need to get a better grip." 

"DOMINIQUE!" Akira yelled. 

The shape was upon her, and yet suddenly she found herself pulled forward. She felt a rush and a loud whoosh sounded as the lift rushed past, missing her by inches. Akira stumbled into Dominique's arms. He grabbed her in a hug, both of them breathing hard as they stood in silence. That had been way too close. 

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't attempt to kill me quite as much," Akira murmured into his shoulder. 

"I'm sorry," Dominique told her in reply, his grip tightening. Akira realized that his hands were shaking. It seemed that Dominique had almost been more scared than she. She help the hug for a moment longer before she attempted to let go, yet Dominique held her firmly, refusing to give up his hold on her.  

"You can let go now," Akira told him. 

"Actually, I'm quite enjoying this," Dominique tightened his grip somewhat. 

Akira sighed and then she relaxed. Grinning Dominique enjoyed the fact that she seemed to have succumbed to him holding her. Akira just smiled a knowing smile before she lifted her knee and hit Dominique right between the legs. At once the grip around her disappeared and Dominique bent over, moaning in pain. 

"What was that for?" he gasped as he looked up at her accusingly. 

Akira shrugged, looking innocent, and at the same time far from sorry. "You should have let go the first time I asked," she told him sweetly. 

"It was worth it," Dominique replied grinning through the pain. 

Akira narrowed her eyes. "Next time, I'm pushing you down the shaft," she told him. 

Dominique just grinned in reply, yet the grin disappeared as he stared at the shaft where the lift had just passed. "So....I'm guessing using the lift isn't the best idea," he said slowly, the wheels in his head already spinning as he tried to think of another plan. 

"Oh no, we're using the lift alright," Akira told him, trying no to think of the close call before. 

"But..." Dominique began to protest, obviously seeing something wrong with the idea. 

"Just not in the way you think," Akira told him. 

Dominique wrinkled his forehead, "What exactly..." 

Akira rolled her eyes and grabbed Dominique's hand. Before he could do a thing she jumped into the shaft, pulling him along. As they fell Akira ignored the feeling of the sudden warm air around them, she ignored the sticky feeling of the moisture that was in the air, she ignored the way the cloak she wore fluttered about her. In the dark she kept her concentration on one thing and one thing alone, listening. 

When she heard the whooshing sound a smile alighted on her lips. A moment later she and Dominique landed on a flat surface. Akira landed gracefully while Dominique, who had been caught by surprise, landed in a heap. He would have gotten up and protested had he been able to, but the feeling of the sudden pressure pushing on him from above prevented him to do so. It took him a moment to realize what Akira already knew. They were on the roof of the lift, which was currently making its way up. 

While Dominique just shook his head in wonder Akira kept her eyes glued to the side, mentally counting the floors in her head. Ten floors, that was as far as the lift was supposed to be able to travel before stopping. Yet as they passed the tenth floor Akira realized that what had been in her time was not so anymore. Her mind raced as she realized that if the lift went all the way to the top they would be crushed, unless they managed to jump out on to a floor in time. Knowing that jumping was the only way, Akira kept her eyes glued above, waiting. If they jumped in time they would land on the floor she had been aiming for the entire time, bringing them faster than expected. Yet as the lift began to slow down she frowned, realizing that it wasn't going all the way 

It came to an abrupt stop two floors of the one she had been aiming for. Shaking her head Akira grabbed a hold of Dominique's arm and pulled him to his feet. 

"Are we here?" Dominique asked, sounding somewhat confused and disorientated. 

"I need your tube," Akira informed him. 

"Huh?" Dominique asked. 

Akira felt the lift shudder. "Snap," she muttered. "Dominique the tube, NOW!" she told him sharply as the lift slowly began to descend. 

Dominique fumbled under his cloak and pulled the tube from where he had stashed it. He handed it to Akira as the lift began to pick up speed. Feeling along the tube Akira pressed the button to turn it into a pole before her finger slid along searching for the other button she had seen Dominique press previously. 

She found it and aimed the end of the rod straight up, before she pressed it. The claw appeared, flying straight up, with the rope trailing on it. Realizing what she was doing Dominique quickly grabbed a hold of the pole with one hand and put his other one around Akira's waist. He was not a moment too late as the claw found something to hold on to and the lift suddenly disappeared from beneath both their feet, going on downwards as they hung from the rope. 

"So..." Dominique began as the dangled in the air, "What now? I'm guessing we're not just going to hang around here. 

"Can you retract the rope without that claw letting go?" Akira asked. 

"Yeah, just press the same button you did to deploy...." he never got to finish as Akira did just that and they were both jerked upwards. A moment later they came to a stop as Akira pressed the button once again. She glanced up to see that the claw had hooked on to the roof of the shaft. Dominique to shot a glance up, though his was more worried as he wondered if the claw would hold for long. 

Akira turned her attention back to where they were she smiled as she caught sight of the light coming from the open gap just above them, it lead to the floor she had been aiming for. 

Smiling she began to swing back. Dominique opened his mouth to protest yet as he to caught sight of the light from above he quickly realized what Akira was doing. He helped her, swinging his body with hers. When they reached close to the edge Dominique reached out and grabbed a metal beam before he pulled Akira up beside him. 

"I must admit," he told her softly, "For a moment there I thought you had decided to pay me back by killing us both." 

"The thought did occur to me," Akira whispered sarcastically in reply, scared to talk any louder in case their voices echoed off the walls. 

Dominique grinned at her as he held out one hand while clinging to the edge of the shaft, onto a steel beam used to support it, with the other. Understanding Akira handed over the pole and proceeded to hold on to the steel beam with both her hands. She watched as Dominique retracted the rope completely into his pole before turning it back into a tube and stuffing it back under his cloak. 

Once done he glanced at Akira, his eyes questioning their next move. Without explaining Akira began to climb, using the network of steel beams. She didn't have to go far before she reached the gap above. She took a moment to glance down to make sure that Dominique was following her, before she placed both hands on the edge of the gap above and pulled herself ever so slightly up, just enough so that her eyes were peaking over the top. 

She froze as she caught sight of a pair of boots. Her eyes drifted up to look at the man wearing black and blue clothes that she had seen the men in the streets that Dominique called 'Watchers' wear. He had his back turned towards her and was walking forward down the corridor at a steady pace. As he continued to walk Akira saw another guard walk past from another direction. 

They were patrolling this floor, it was the only thing they could be doing. Knowing this Akira felt hopeful. For if there were guards here but not in the floor they had come in, it meant that there was something to guard on this floor. She smiled. Her theory had to be right. Redemption's armor had to be on this floor, and if she had been right so far then maybe she was also right on the exact location. 

"Right," Dominique whispered from beside Akira as the guard disappeared down the hallway. A third guard passed through from another direction. "You know, if you told me where we were going it would help." 

Akira raised her eyebrows. "I thought you didn't believe that I knew my way around the academy," she murmured. 

"Okay, I admit you seem to know where you're going, until now that is," Dominique whispered back, "How, I don't know. 

Akira rolled her eyes. 

"Now can we stop arguing and could you fill me in?" Dominique asked, his eyes glued on the corridor which was momentarily abandoned as the Watchers' path had taken them elsewhere. Yet neither Akira nor Dominique moved, knowing that the Watchers could be back at any given moment. 

"Fine," Akira whispered, "There's a large room we use for meeting and planning strategies. It's also a place where those who need some time off can just relax." 

Akira could see that Dominique was already ready to contradict her yet he suddenly seemed to remember her warning from before and so wisely he asked said else instead, "And what makes you think the armor is kept in there?" 

Akira smiled a knowing smile. "The room is large and it's spacey. It's nicely kept, has a fire place and is the most comfortable room in my time, and I'm guessing this time probably too. If there's one thing I know about the way of the council, they like comfort, and if they keep the existence if the armor a secret like you said, then what best place to keep it than in the room they enjoy the most?" 

Dominique was still staring into the empty corridor, yet he looked like he still doubted Akira's theory somewhat. 

"Hello, all these guards walking around. They've got to be guarding something, don't they?" Akira asked him, trying to make him see things from her point of view. 

"Right," Dominique murmured, "So where exactly is this room?" 

"Straight down, the first right. Walk down to the second left. Turn and it's the door at the end of the corridor," Akira whispered without hesitation. 

Dominique shot her a look. He only shook his head before looking back at the corridor. Seeing that a Watcher was turning the corner and coming their way he ducked his head out of side. Akira followed his lead, glancing down to check on the lift. Satisfied that it was not coming up to crush them, she lifted her head to look up. 

"Now all we have to do is find a way past the guards," she murmured, "The corridor was empty for a while back there. If we could figure out how long...." 

"Twenty seconds," Dominique whispered. 

Akira blinked as she looked at him. 

"I counted," Dominique explained, "While you were talking." 

Akira raised her eyebrows. 

"What?" Dominique asked shrugging, "I may not have ridden a lift on its roof before, nor may I know my way around the academy. But I have broken into buildings before." 

Akira's eyebrows rose further. 

"It's another story for another time," Dominique told her. "As for getting past the Watchers, I have an idea." 

Akira nodded for him to go on, yet Dominique shook his head and put his finger to his lips. Footsteps came closer and suddenly they stopped. Akira slowly lifted her head, holding her breath as her heart pounded in her ears. She knew that in the opening above stood a Watcher, who was most likely peering into the shaft at the moment. It was only when the footsteps resumed that she let her breath back out again. 

"This plan of yours," Akira turned her eyes on Dominique, "Just what does it involve?" 

"Invisibility," Dominique grinned mischievously. 

"Has the heat gotten to you?" Akira murmured, looking at Dominique as though he were some foreign specimen. 

Dominique just shook his head and Akira watched as he reached beneath his cloak and pulled out what looked like a small wrapped up cloth. He shook it and it unrolled to the size of a small blanket. 

"A blanket?" Akira asked dryly. 

"No. It's your ticket to invisibility," Dominique told her as he held the blanket out towards her. 

Akira cocked her head as she gave it a skeptic look. "THAT is going to make me invisible?" she asked as she gingerly took the blanket from Dominique. 

"It's a camouflage sheet," Dominique explained. "It will blend in with its surroundings under the condition that you don't move to fast and it doesn't get wet, not to mention that if it's windy it doesn't work out too well," he sounded like he was talking from experience. 

"So I become invisible and just sneak past?" Akira asked, still not understanding the plan completely. 

"Oh no," Dominique told her, "You'll become invisible to the human eye alright. But the Watcher's have heat detectors, they can see right through the thing." 

"Then what's the point?" Akira asked dryly. 

"It'll protect your identity. They'll only see a blob of light." 

"They can still see me," Akira told him, adjusting her grip on the steel beam with one hand as she tried to ignore her cramping muscles. Sweat was dripping down the back of her neck, the heat and moisture inside the shaft getting to her. 

"No, they won't see you," Dominique grinned. "Because," he pulled out another sheet from under his cloak, "They'll be too busy looking at me." 

Akira raised an eyebrow. 

"I'll go in first. They'll catch sight of me through their heat detectors and think I'm breaking in. They'll raise the alarm and come after me, making the coast clear for you," Dominique explained. 

"You'll get caught," Akira protested. 

"I never get caught," Dominique snorted. "Besides, they'll only be able to see me through their heat detectors. That means they can only see my body, not my reaper pole. I can take them by surprise if I have to. I'll probably knock a few out from behind, just to even the odds." 

Akira looked doubtful. 

"Relax. I'll just lead them on a wild goose chase through the corridors if I can. I'll lose them and come back for you." 

"You make it sound so easy," Akira accused, knowing that this plan was risky. Dominique could get caught and she could get spotted. 

"We could always back out while we still can," Dominique told her watching her reaction carefully. 

Akira stared thoughtfully down the shaft. If they left now they could both make it out safely. Yet then she would not have the armor and her chance to get Redemption to this time would be gone. She would be stuck here, in this place, in a time where no one believed her when she told them who she was. And yet, maybe it wasn't so bad. Dominique was nice, the Resistance liked her and she got along with them. There was Savannah and Anita, both taking each day one at a time and enjoying it thoroughly. There were no responsibilities in this time. She could lay down the weight of being the rider of legend.....it she stayed here. 

Yet as the faces of all those in her own time flashed through her mind Akira knew she couldn't do it. She didn't belong here. She belonged with Redemption, with Seth, Gina, Brandon, all those back at the academy in her time. Whatever the risk, if she wanted to find a way back, she had to try to bring Redemption to this time, and the only way to do it, was to go ahead with the plan. 

She lifted her eyes to meet Dominique's. "Let's do this," she told him, determination in her voice.