"So, Mr. Comeau, any idea who's running for mayor next elections?" a well- dressed man who seemed to be in his thirties asked as he quietly sipped on his Cognac.
Krome smiled: "Not exactly sure, Mr. Peace. Are you?"
Warren shrugged: "Maybe. I'll have to work on developing the land I got on Staten Island first, then I'll think about whether I want to run for mayor."
Krome nodded: "Yes, congratulations on the land by the way. And too bad Canadians can't vote, otherwise, you would've had mine." Krome smiled.

The lounge of the Tower of Spades was busy today. VIPs conversed and discussed matters with each other and new acquaintances were being made.

A Chinese man approached them. "Ah. Here's the latest member of our hub, Casey Zhang." Krome smiled.
Casey smiled as he shook hands with the two men: "Thank you for having this party for me, Mr. Comeau, I am honored and I will convey your show of courtesy to the Chinese Consul."
Krome: "That's good. Because I'll be dropping by to get myself a box of china for the Canadian Consulate."
Warren laughed.
Casey frowned: "A box of china?"
Krome shook his head: "Yeah, the expensive... Never mind."
Casey got closer to Krome, in a way he wanted to whisper but didn't want to be rude so he merely spoke in a low voice: "Have you heard of a woman by the name of Cristy Ridgway?"
Krome nodded: "Oh yes, we're friends. She's been in the city for a couple of months now on a business visit from the Far East. If I'm not mistaken, she's partners with a woman called Fei on a Far-Eastern antiques store called..."
"Jenova." Casey interrupted. "Yes, Fei's mysteriously vanished. And now Cristy's got a tender up for selling the store. I want it."
Krome nodded: "Not a problem, I'll see if my assistant can get in touch with her and I'll convince her to sign the deal with you."
Casey laughed cheerfully. "Thank you, Mr. Comeau."
"My pleasure" Krome raised his glass of cranberry and soda as he toasted with Casey's wine glass.

A reporter approached the group of men and smiled at Casey: "Hello Mr. Zhang, Max Blonde from the Daily Trumps. May I ask you a few questions?"

Nearby, Xavier watched his friend as he grabbed another glass of champagne from the passing waitress. "DJ, this isn't a night club, what, you here to pick up that cute waitress, or the hot chick behind the bar? No, we're here because... Ok, why are we here?"

DJ shook his head: "Not sure. Something about new immigrants coming in from China or something."
Xavier: "You mean, the new DIPLOMAT from China? Look, you're the diplomat here not me, start acting like one."
He nodded. "Yeah, the Chinese diplomat. Her."

Greg Hankins walked towards the two men. The Greek psychiatrist lowered his tiny spectacles.
"Good evening, gentlemen."
"Evening, Mr. Hankins." the two men replied.
Greg: "So, DJ. I hear you're capitalizing assets on starting a high-profile manufacturing enterprise?"
DJ nodded with a smile: "Yes. Mechs."
Greg shrugged: "Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Mechs a figment of a Japanese cartoonist's imagination? I mean, think realistically, who honestly thinks it's plausible to start building suits that turn into aeroplanes or what have you?"

Xavier pushed DJ as he started to speak. "Look Greg. You may not be American, but the day you become one, you will realize what it means to be concerned about the security of yourself and future generations. Our "enterprise" is a way to make Americans safer from the threats of terrorists and foreign aggressors."
DJ nodded: "Well, not what I was going to say, but that works too."

The waitress walked towards DJ but Xavier jabbed him as he tried to reach for another glass of champagne. DJ sighed as he looked at the waitress. She smiled and bit her lip. DJ turned at Xavier as she walked away: "Did you SEE that?"

The waitress walked towards two people with decorative medals on their military suits.
"Refreshments, Sir? Madam?" She asked.
Taylor Platine shook her head with a smile. Umaro hesitated but declined as well.

"So, you used to be a military officer? What a coincidence, I used to be one too and ALSO a pilot now!" She said with a smile.
"Yup. Sergeant Butz. That's what they used to call me at the barracks."
"Wait a minute.. Butz? You own Sergeant Butz Bootcamp in Queens?" She asked.
He nodded, thinking now that he should've accepted a glass of champagne after all.
"Why, are you a customer?" He asked.
"Well. Kinda, but I bought a piece of land in New York and I want to start a business like that too. Oh my god, how often do coincidences like these happen?"

The waitress walked by again, Umaro looked at her tray and sighed as he realized the last glass was just taken. "Too often." He said.

Kheldon McDermit was the culprit. He stared at the champagne glass blankly and sighed.
"Man. Wish I had a Molson's right now."
Millikan Bolte laughed. "Are we truly THAT bad when it comes to our beer?"
Kheldon shrugged. "Don't know. Frankly, I wouldn't mind a cup of Timmy's right now either, instead of this crap." The Scottish Canadian said.
Kheldon walked towards the refreshments table and placed his champagne glass on it. In the distance, Umaro stared.

"Well. I'm outa here." Kheldon exclaimed. "This party is NOT for electrical engineers."
He started to walk away. "Where are you going?" Millikan asked him.
"The nearest Tim Horton's." He replied.
"Isn't the nearest Tim Horton's across the border?" Millikan asked.
Kheldon shrugged. "Guess so."
He walked off.

The waitress walked towards the table and placed several empty glasses on her silver tray.

"Excuse me." She said as she reached for a champagne bottle behind a woman who was leaning against the table. "Oh, sorry." The woman replied as she moved over. She seemed to be lost staring at one of the guests.
"Wait a minute." The waitress gasped. "Aren't you Monroe? Candi Monroe? The famous music star?" Candi smiled: "The one and only." The waitress grabbed a handkerchief from the table.
"Dammit. I don't have a pen."
A tall man approached and took out a pen from his shirt pocket "Anybody ask for a pen?"
He smiled. The waitress nodded as she grabbed the pen and let Candi sign her an autograph, then walked away with her tray after handing back the pen.

"Millikan Bolte." He introduced himself. Candi smiled as she shook hands with him.
"Nice party." He began.
She nodded.
"I'm a scientist. I'm working on cybernetics, nanotechnology and biophysics. I have an idea for an invention that will revolutionize the modern world." He continued.
She nodded.
"I'm from Canada." He said.
She nodded.
"Well. Nice meeting you." He said, disappointed.
She looked at him: "Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention."
He looked at her wondering how one replies to a remark like that.
She sighed: "I'm really sorry. My mind's just a bit, wandery. Do you want to go get some fresh air?"
He shrugged. "Sure"
They walked to the balcony. "You are thinking about someone. A man. That's what's bothering you."
She looked at him with a smile: "How do you know that?"
He shrugged: "Women are more emotional than men. When something's really got all of a woman's attention, it's usually emotionally related."
She crossed her arms: "I thought you were a physicist, not a psychologist."
He raised a finger: "A scientist is a scientist because he excels in more fields than one."
She nodded. "I see."
"In your career... What gives you the most energy and excitement? What makes you keep going even if you were stressed and tired?" He asked.
She thought for a moment. "Most energy and excitement? That's kinda like how I feel when my fans cheer me on. Or when a waitress asks for your autograph when you least expect it."
Millikan nodded: "I see. Well for me, as a scientist, what excites me, is that what I create... It would make someone appreciate one more thing in the world many years down the road.
Someone who's never heard of me and whom I'm never going to hear about. Someone who would continue the legacy and make this world a better place to live in."

Candi sighed with a smile: "Wow. That really moved me."
Millikan: "I'm bullshitting. It's actually just for the money."
Candi laughed.

Back inside, Ashley Brooks walked towards Krome, Casey and Warren. "You diplomats have nothing better to do than gossip?"
Krome looked at her: "If you weren't Warren's guest, I would've kicked you out by now."
She laughed. "Mr. Comeau, you'll be surprised at how many pilots I've met this evening.
One's come all the way from Australia, I even met an airforce officer from Germany!"
Krome nodded: "Oh yes, David Martin. You know what they say, most of the good VIP guys in New York City are either diplomats, pilots, or..."
A man interrupted: "Judges?" He asked.
Warren, Casey and Ashley smiled at the man: "Good day, Judge Sura."
"Oh, c'mon guys. Arjun. Please. The Judge title makes me sound like I'm fifty." He said with a smile.
They laughed.

Arjun whispered something into Krome's ear.
"Ah. Would you excuse me a moment Mr. Peace? Ashley? Mr. Zhang?" Krome walked towards the staircase.
Almost like a shadow, a towering black man approached Krome from the stairway, oddly enough he had sun-glasses on.
"Lord, the plotters are erratic. Something's going on." He whispered.
Krome nodded. "On my way, Locan."
Arjun and Krome walked towards the elevator. "Umm.. Krome.. How can Locan run up and down twenty flights of stairs without getting tired?"
Krome looked at Arjun: "Shadows don't run."
"Good evening, Mr. Comeau. Good evening, Mr. Sura." the computerized security system spoke as it scanned their irises and opened the elevator door.

Twenty floors later.

"Locan, turn on the city mapper and locate the source of disturbance." Krome said as he walked towards his hi-tech surveillance center.
"Already ahead of you, Lord. It's coming from the Bronx." He said.
Krome ripped a long piece of paper from the plotter and studied the readings.
"Two human signatures, three ultra-human signatures and one..." Krome frowned for a moment.
Locan and Arjun looked at him: "Krome?" They both exclaimed.
"Arjun, get on the Hero-Comms. Locan, go start the car." Krome commanded.
Locan nodded and blurred away.
Arjun sat on a chair and turned on some sort of communications device on the table. It had three Comms screens and he turned each of them on.
One was blurry and automatically turned off. "Stella can't be located, Krome." Arjun updated him.
The second screen had the face of a dressed up man, looking intently into the screen and another had a man busy munching on his pizza. The latter spoke: "Oh. Hey Arjun. Sup?"

"Jonas... Aren't you supposed to be here at the Tower today?" Arjun asked.
Jonas paused: "N... No. Should I be?"

Arjun tapped his fingers on the table: "I think every diplomat and VIP in New York city is here except you, and Stella. But she probably has a good reason, unlike YOU."
Robert, the man on the third screen explained: "Jonas. The Tower of Spades is having an initiation gala for welcoming Casey Zhang into the diplomatic community of New York. You were sent an e-mail. I should know, I'm the one that sent it."
Jonas laughed: "Oh... Well, you know guys... The FUNNIEST thing happened..."

Krome interrupted: "Jonas, we need you to meet us at the Bronx. Something's wrong, possible dark matter." Jonas gulped a big bite of pizza accidentally and coughed.

Robert spoke: "What?! Who is it?"
Arjun turned around at Krome who suddenly seemed spaced out.
"It's Neria, Robert. She's in New York. And she's got shadows with her. Human shadows." Krome said.
Robert Mackintosh and Jonas Rynn nodded, then they both said: "On my way."
The screens turned off.
Arjun stood up and looked at Krome. "The war is going to start sooner than we thought it would, isn't it?" Krome sighed: "Yes, but the difference between our army and hers, is that we have both numbers, and honor on our side."

Arjun nodded: "It's the Law of nature.

Good and justice always prevail."