The elevator beeped, slowed and the doors opened. Zac looked at the scene in front of him which, it quickly became apparent, was his new accommodation.

* * *

Shade leaped out of the taxi as it slowed to a stop, hastily throwing her fair at the driver, wrenching the back door open and dragging her bags out. Bustling up to the foreboding building beyond she managed to trip several times, losing her packed clothing in the process. Too late now, no time. Finally she managed to land panting at the front desk, despite several suspicious glares from security. The girl on duty watched the new arrival with something bordering on contempt, Shade's hair and uniform were messed up, she was panting uncontrollably and was covered with grass stains.

"Yes?"

"I... *pant* transfer, 2pm, *gasp*"

The girl tapped a few keys on her computer with the mildly irritated air of someone who can't see why they're being forced to do something mildly unpleasant.

"Right, you'd be the new girl up from Montaq right? Name and ID please."

Shade fumbled in her pants pockets for her wallet and, after a desperate 10 seconds of utter panic managed to locate her ID card which she handed to the disgruntled temp.

"Frontline infantry, third class Private Shade Nighstalker."

The temp gave her a look that suggested the immediately possibility of security intervention. Shade returned it with an icy glare. It had been a very bad, very rushed day and Shade was unwilling to spend the next ten minutes explaining her situation. Thankfully the issue wasn't pressed further; she was given a thin bound file containing her instructions. She'd been given accommodation on floor 26, room 42; surprisingly cushy accommodation for someone less than a week out of boot camp. Apparently the very person she'd be under had just vacated the premises. How recently was quickly apparent, the room stank of male, and someone had left a bunch of pizza boxes in the corner. The place would need a good cleaning, but there was no time for that now, she was already half an hour late for a meeting she didn't know she had to attend.

As she stepped into the elevator and punched in her destination she scanned the file for information on just what she'd be doing and with whom. There were a bunch of bigwigs mentioned and some technical terms, mostly to make things look good, but one name near the bottom stood out. She groaned aloud as she read it.

Lightwalker. Great, just great, one of *those* days...