Nexus: For Eights cont'd

[hero_farmboy]

Clark is sleeping. Not entirely peacefully, stressful Lex encounters will do that, but he is sleeping. The rest of the farm is quiet as well, with only the occasional moo audible in the late night air

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[downsidedarling]

Anna (Eights) is jogging. She enjoys jogging. And for the deception she's pulling to work, she needs to look like that's the only reason why she's doing it. An exhilarated grin passes across her face as she crosses a field, turns at a tree, and proceeds at a steady pace along a path that exists mostly in her head.

With satisfaction she notes the second-last landmark she picked out for herself. Another thirty feet and she can drop this pretense and start asking some very pointed questions of a man in a ditch with binoculars.

[hero_farmboy]

It's a damn good thing they had decided the field was big enough for two of them to cover. Even with the subjects now separated, surveillance will continue uninterrupted.

The boss has been informed of the current situation and plans have been altered. Really, they couldn't have asked for a better chance had they set it up themselves.

[downsidedarling]

Another turn; another bit of jogging; and there she is, in the perfect spot, not ten feet from the man in the ditch and getting closer. She can't see him and isn't looking in any case, but she knows perfectly well where he is.

Eight feet. Seven. Six. Five. She slows to a walk, as though for a rest. A hand run through her hair affords her the opportunity to glimpse the man's hiding place in her peripheral vision. If he's moved significantly she may have to switch up her plan of attack a bit.

[hero_farmboy]

He wouldn't be a very good minion if he wasn't good at his job. He hasn't moved, but he does tilt his head slightly and touches his left ear briefly.

"Good evening, Ms. Reeve."

[downsidedarling]

Well, now that he's gone and announced himself she's hardly going to admit she knew he was there all along.

"Who the hell are you and how do you know my name?" she asks pleasantly, turning towards the sound of the man's voice. Actually, that latter is a good question. She's never said her surname within earshot of a human being who wasn't Clark. She isn't even sure she's said it at all since she came to Smallville. And Clark just calls her Anna.

[hero_farmboy]

Whether she knew he was there or not is, technically, irrelevant. But he knows she knew. Standing now, he turns in the direction of her voice.

"We're very thorough."

The first part of her question, in his mind, requires no response. She already knows the answer.

[downsidedarling]

"You're going to stop," she says, still quite pleasant. She even offers the minion a cheerful smile. "In fact, I suggest you call up your boss right now and tell him that. I came to Smallville on vacation. I don't have time for rich assholes with entitlement complexes - get enough of those at home."

Casual throwouts about her home life are good. They make her sound less adept than she is, and it's not as though Lex can trace her back to Downside.

[hero_farmboy]

He merely nods, although it in no way means he's acquiescing to her demands. No matter how polite she sounds.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, ma'am."

[downsidedarling]

"That's a shame," she says, shaking her head and stuffing her hands in her pockets. "That's a real fucking shame. Because, y'know, I don't know about you but getting run over really doesn't put me in the best of moods." Her cheerful smile turns to a slightly wicked grin. "Now let's try again. Get on the horn with Monsieur l'Oeuf and tell him this bullshit about having me followed is really a bit twee and if there's something he'd like to know about me, he can go it the old-fashioned way and ask. Comprendez-vous?"

[hero_farmboy]

The man lowers his head for a moment and then looks back up at Anna.

"I could arrange a meeting, if you'd prefer."

[downsidedarling]

"Now we're getting somewhere," replies Anna with satisfaction. "You do that."

[hero_farmboy]

He motions her up toward the road.

"Right this way, Ms. Reeve."

There is, in fact, a car already waiting.

[downsidedarling]

"Brillante."

It might be worthwile to note at this point that, Montreal upbringing notwithstanding, Eight-Hour speaks French with a richly aristocratic accent - perhaps even slightly archaic. This can be attributed to the time she spends with Ensorra.

She'll follow the minion, hands in her pockets, faded jeans and unremarkable T-shirt standing in sharp contrast to her graceful movements. The wicked grin from earlier remains, unflagging.

[hero_farmboy]

Anna should be used to having car door opened for her by this point, however the atmosphere is decidedly different from when Clark does it. She'll find the back of the limo empty and fairly non descript, with only water available, and there seems to be no way to contact the driver.

[downsidedarling]

That's okay by Eights. She feels discomfort at being stuck in an enclosed and unfamilar space, but shuts it down and sprawls, languid and careless, in her seat.

If the ride is long she may begin to snore.

[hero_farmboy]

The trip isn't terribly long. It is Smallville, after all, and nothing is too far away. Upon their arrival at the mansion, the door is again opened and the same man waits for Anna to exit before escorting her inside, to what could be best described as a large office, pool table aside.