[Radio] Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Heeellooo? ... Candygram!"

[Radio] You send Zero a direct message: "...bwuh?"

[Radio] Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Ah, good, I was hopin' you hadn't changed yer freqs or anythin', I've done that a few times... sooo... I wager you've got a lot to talk about, now, the question is, are you willin' to talk to me about it."

[Radio] You send Zero a direct message: "Yer the commander."

[Radio] Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Eh, I'm not tryin' to come that way though."

[Radio] You send Zero a direct message: "Ah'll talk, if yer willin t'listen?"

[Radio] Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Certainly."

[Radio] You send Zero a direct message: "Ya got a preference fer a meetin place?"

[Radio] Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Eh, not really, it'd be convienent for me to get to Ruby's, but if yer far off I'll head to wherever yer at."

[Radio] You send Zero a direct message: "Druther we meet somewhare less crowded. Wouldn't want people overhearin whut Ah got t'say. Whut about Central Park?"

[Radio] Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Dig it."

(And so the gunslinger travels.)

New York - Southern Downtown

As you head into Southern Downtown New York, you see nothing but the fanciest, most expensive stores. Over the years, the rich and classy migrated to the southern frings of New York, tending to build large, luxurious condiminiums and townhouses that stretch up as high as some of the skyscrapers in the other sections of new york. Most of the hovercars you see around are fancy, new stretch hovercars, and it makes the traffic look almost all alike. Tiffany's, Frederick's of Hollywood and other top name designers are in evidence here as there are multiple billboards and advertisement screens all over this part of the city.

Party-Drome

Southeast <SE> leads to New York - Harbor.

Northeast <NE> leads to New York - Eastern Downtown.

North <N> leads to New York - Wall Street.

Northwest <NW> leads to New York - Western Downtown.

Zero arrives from the New York - Eastern Downtown.

Zero has arrived.

Bowie sits on a park bench near the Alice in Wonderland sculpture, idly reading a paper book as he waits. There's few people around this part of the park, being unusually cool for mid-autumn. Stupid meteors.

Zero ambles on into the park, hands tucked behind a helmetless head. He's still in his armor though, he sure does do that a lot more often these days. Maybe it's paranoia. Maybe it's trying to seem more responsible. Maybe it's the fact that he has no good casual descs. Either way, the facts remain the same, and Zero heads towards Bowie, tossing a small wave and a smile at him as he approaches.

Bowie glances up, spies Zero, and nods to him. His place is marked with an old receipt, and the book tucked into one of the pockets of his duster. The gunslinger's hair is much shorter than it used to be, styled in a vaguly Rick Hunter sort of way, and his smile is noticably absent. "Zero," he greets quietly.

"So...," he starts, clasping and unclasping his hands in front and in back of him as he teeters a bit on his heels, before settling down and asking, "... where do we begin."

That's a very good question. Though if one takes inspiration from Alice, then you should start at the beginning, and when you get to the end, stop. Bowie is silent for a moment before speaking. "Ah noticed no one's changed mah access codes yet."

Zero shrugs his shoulders as he kneels down a bit a few feet from the bench, leaning over to pick at the grass a tad, "Didn't see much of a reason to, at least not yet. You haven't done anything wrong per se, aside from disappear, but I think being one of the most notorious for doing that very act I'm not going to hold it against you. I'm really of the mentality that more people oughta do it at least once, not on purpose necessarily, but rather it's a good experience I guess... for me it was, anyway." Zero shrugs his shoulders as he looks up from the grass, "Yer a good Hunter, Bowie, always have been, and I don't have any reason to doubt that you always will be."

Some of the tension in Bowie's jaw eases at Zero's words. His gaze drifts towards the spinning metropolis just beyond the park gates. "Ah left because Ah didn't want Cossack's wrath comin down on erryone else's heads," he explains. "Didn't want anyone makin the mistake a gettin between him an me."

Zero nods his head and frowns, "I know how you feel, the Cos is a little... passionate, about the subject... but in a way, rightfully so. Just as you are. I think you probably ultimately did the right thing then, but, don't be afraid to come back home. I'm trying to crack the Hunters into being less involved in everybody else's private lives, so I don't think too many people will get this... Pavel's settled down quite a bit too, I figure it has somethin' to do with that new robot of his..."

The corners of Bowie's lips turn down at the mention of Sasha. "She's the other reason Ah left," he admits dourly.

Zero bwuhs and nods, a tad forlornly, "I'm not exactly what I'd call 'happy' about it either, but meh... we can't rightfully tell Cossack how to live his life, or how to be a parent. Those are his choices to make in the end." Zero sighs and notes, "It's put me in a very difficult situation, especially with Rock being unconscious and unable to be the tie that binds right now."

"He made a copy a another dead reploid," Bowie says, crossing his arms defensively. "Doesn't that bother ya? Cause it sure as hell bothers me."

Zero lays a rather deadly serious gaze on Bowie, "You better believe it does, considering which one it was. So don't think I'm not going through my own level of personal conflict over this. But, what I try to remember is that I've got a greater purpose than that. I do sorta wonder though, if this is how the humans felt when cyborgs came into being... or androids and reploids for that matter. I dunno... I see where yer coming from, but considering we're the product of one man trying to play God, we can't really outright deny someone else who would do the same in his own way."

Bowie apparently has no clue as to who Grace was. Is. This is where semantics becomes difficult. "Still don't thank it's right," he mutters, but otherwise lets the subject drop. "So whare does this leave me? Quite frankly, Ah can't trust Cossack. An he's made it quite clear t'me that Ah am not welcome in the Hunters."

Zero shrugs his shoulders, "I don't recall Dr. Cossack having the authority to make a call like that. That would be my decision to make, and I don't have any reason to say such a thing to you. I can't make you two like each other though, so that would have to be something to two of you work out, but as for you not being welcome in the Hunters, that's ridiculous. A lot of back home miss you, we'd be glad to have you back."

Bowie raises a skeptical eyebrow at Zero. "Then meybe someone needs t'remind Cossack. Do ya know whut he said to Kalinka?"

Zero shrugs his shoulders, "No, I don't. I've honestly tried to stay as far away from that situation as I can."

Bowie says "Then let me tell ya. He told her she wus dismissed frum the Hunters. Ah know Rock already disavowed her, so Ah have no quarrel with that. However, he then told her that removal wus permanent. Fer life. No appeal, no reprieve. Now, Ah'm not sayin that we should welcome her back, but that decision isn't Cossack's t'make. That's yers and Rock's."

Zero nods and sighs, "Well, I'll talk to him then, and remind him where his authority starts and ends, and how I don't appreciate personal matters affecting what's supposed to be professional decisions." Zero then rubs at the back of his head a bit, "In the meantime, should I be seeing you around, or will I have to get back to you."

Bowie gives a bare shrug. "Ah'm not goin t'be on base fer a while yet. Not till Ah know whare things stand with Cossack. However, Ah do have a place t'stay, an Ah'm keepin mah radio on an checkin HunterNet."

Zero nods and smiles, "Good enough for me." He then hops back up to a standing position and says, "I'll see what kind of headway I can make with Cossack, and I'll hollar back at you. Thanks for telling me what was up though, some of these guys will just storm off and not tell anybody what's wrong. Sheesh," he rolls his eyes comically, "I'm glad /I'm/ not like that." He then chuckles at his obviously erroneous statement and smiles at Bowie, "I'll catch you later, hopefully with good news."

Bowie quirks an almost smile. "Ah'm sorry, Zero. Only person Ah thought t'ell wus Doc Rigger, an at the time Ah wus more wurried about gettin mahself an Kalinka out a the way, y'know?"

Zero nods and says, "I can relate in a few ways, not in a directly similar way, but comparable enough to know how you felt then, and how you feel now." Zero shrugs his shoulders, "We all do what we think is best to do at the time, if more people realized that, I think we'd have a little more understanding for each others actions. It doesn't always justify the means in the end, but at least one can recognize when someone has valid motives."

Bowie nods slowly. "Ah see whut yer sayin." He adjusts his hat, still not entirely used to the short hair, and stands. "Thankee fer talkin with me, Zero."

Zero sends a radio transmission.

Zero receives a radio transmission.

Zero sends a radio transmission.

Zero receives a radio transmission from Abernathy.

Zero sends a radio transmission to Abernathy.

Zero smirks and nods, "Anytime, man, anytime. You guys have forgiven me for enough over the years that I think you all deserve more than your fair share of ear time with me." Zero then waves one more time and heads off towards Ruby's to do a little diplomacy mission, provided the Director agrees.

Zero enters the New York - Western Downtown.

Zero has left.

Bowie heads off in the opposite direction, towards the teleporters and the Russian city he now calls home.