Ivan had almost hoped that Azrai would throw a punch at him. He had seen the man get ready to strike back and Ivan would have taken the punch. Though seeing how Azrai's strength surpassed his, he wondered if he would be able to keep himself on his feet. Regardless of the outcome, Ivan figured it would help Azrai release some of the stress he was feeling. It may have seemed like Ivan was trying to rub salt in the wound, but he was honestly trying to help. He knew that his way of 'helping' was different than others. He wanted Azrai to truly see what kind of mess they were in now, not just simply beat himself over what had happened. This would not simply blow over in a few days. Knowing Alice, she would hold this grudge for years. It was that serious.<br/><br/>Ivan nearly rolled his eyes at Azrai, though doing that would result in even more childish bickering. Of course he knew it wasn't on purpose, Ivan knew Azrai better than that but it seemed as if his friend didn't think that way. Ivan was only trying to reach out to him and calm him down in some form or fashion. Instead, it felt like he was getting pushed further away from Azrai. He could see it, the wall that was slowly forming between the two of them. This mission was really pushing them to their limits, friendship and all. Clenching his jaw, he honestly wanted to yell at the man before him. Tell him that he was here, that he wanted to help but no matter what, he knew that Azrai wouldn't open to him so easily. That was how it has always been.<br/><br/>As Azrai moved a bit closer to him, their eyes met, glaring intensely at one another. He almost cocked an eyebrow at the words that left his mouth. He knew that Azrai was dead set on saving Shizu, but that didn't mean Ivan was a fool. He had not mentioned taking Azrai as a threat, he was just as serious. His eyes narrowed a bit, though he said nothing, knowing that no good would come from his words. He scoffed a bit at the shorter male, crossing his arms over his chest. Sometimes, there was no need for words between the two of them. They could convey everything in the silence between them. He returned the look, as if saying 'You better not make yourself regret anything else further.' He knew that Azrai would be able to keep himself controlled, he believed in the male after all. He was simply worried about how long he could manage to keep himself in control. The success of this mission was very crucial. He knew that Azrai understood as much.<br/><br/>Ivan let out a sigh watching as Azrai began to walk away. "Just take care of yourself, idiot," he murmured under his breath. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down as well. As far as he was concerned, Azrai would be fine. Ivan knew that Azrai had a lot on his mind and it was probably best that they had some time to themselves. Standing out in the cold air, he took a few deep breaths, his lungs burning slightly. Could they really do this with the men that they had. He wondered if he had made the right decision bringing Azrai along. Zachariah had had his doubts about Azrai coming along but...Ivan was the one to persuade him. All this time, he had only thought of Azrai. How would things have been if he hadn't come? Would they be better or for worse? Sighing once more, he decided that he would wait until Elias woke up.<br/><br/>Heading back inside, he decided that it was best not to talk to too many people. However, he did go check up on the woman who had been hit. He apologized on his and Azrai's behalf, hoping that they would still have relations at this hospital. He was glad to see that the woman accepted the apology however she still seemed a bit wary of him. Ivan supposed it was to be expected, if only Alice had warned her staff. He couldn't place the blame solely on Alice; maybe he should have warned them as well. A frown touched his lips again as he left to go to Elias's room. He wondered if he would receive punishment as well, once Zachariah was informed. Azrai was his responsibility as well. He was supposed to be keeping an eye on him but right now, they needed some space.<br/><br/>Opening the door to Elias's room, he looked at the unconscious male. A look of sadness reached his eyes, though the feeling didn't convey on his face. Closing the door quietly, he took a seat in the corner of the room, simply staring at the male. He soon became lost in his thoughts, trying to figure out what their next plan of action. Pulling out his phone, he decided to send a report to Zachariah rather than calling him. Right now, Ivan wouldn't be able to handle hearing their leader's voice. Despite trying his best to remain neutral, Ivan could always pick up subtle hints of Zachariah's emotions. What he need, was peace of mind and quiet. Sitting in the hospital room, he set his phone on the desk and leaned forward. He crossed his hands in front of his mouth, staring off into space.<br/><br/>They needed to get back on the right track.<br/><br/>-------------<br/><br/>David was a bit surprised that Levi actually took to an idea of his. He usually made pretty solid plans but when it came to doing other things, David fell short. He flinched a bit as Levi's hands came crashing onto his shoulder, at first he was sure that Levi changed his mind about the idea but he was being praised in a few seconds. David gave him a slightly concerned look as the man began to pace around, rambling about this and that. David knew that something was wrong, especially seeing how energetic Levi was. Well, maybe things weren't wrong but David always became a bit concerned when the male got like this. He had seen far too many things happen from the result of Levi being in such a good mood.<br/><br/>David shuddered slightly at the thought though he knew it was pointless trying to get Levi to back down now. Besides, sending a video was the safest decision. They weren't really putting their lives on the line by doing this. They would be safely tucked away in their hideout until Azrai and his men came. "I'll look around to see if we have any recording devices," David said in a mild tone, trying not to interrupt Levi too much as he continued on pushing out his thoughts. David vaguely recalled having a laptop on standby here; he just had to remember where he placed it. His eyes followed after Levi as the man stopped briefly, as if solidifying the plan. David let out a faint sigh, knowing that they should probably start getting ready.<br/><br/>It seemed as if Levi wanted to have Azrai by the end of the day.<br/><br/>Getting up off the sofa, he grimaced slightly, knowing that he had moved a bit too fast. Clenching his jaw, he shook it off and stretched a bit. As David thought about it, he knew that he would be stuck recording the damned thing. It wasn’t like David thought it was that shitty, he just was never big into torture. Then again, he was the one who prompted the idea. "I'll get to looking for the equipment. How do you want her setup? Tied to the table, chained to the floor or to a chair," David asked before heading off to go look for the required material. He knew that those mental images would probably cause more excitement for Levi but he figured that man deserved it. After all, this Levi’s reward for after all his hard work. David's reward was seeing Levi being so excited about this and having the woman.<br/><br/>He knew that Levi may need some time to decide how he wanted the woman to look for the video, so he rummaged through the storage closets. He moved aside a few boxes and sneezed as dust filled his nose, however he found something along the lines he was looking for. Pulling out an older camcorder and tripod, he set it aside. "Will this work? I figured we could stream it to my laptop, I'm pretty sure I have some cords in the car." He glanced over at Levi, wondering if the equipment would work for the male. Then again, David had no idea how long it had been in the closet, would it still work? If not, then the webcam on his laptop should suffice, though the quality may not be as good.<br/><br/>Tyler was becoming increasingly worried about the Oni woman and what they were planning on doing to her. He knew that she would be able to handle it and that she would survive but still, he was worried. How badly were they planning on torturing her? Tyler knew that he really had no right to say anything but he held back the urge to protest. He had come this far and he had seen the woman; he would have his chance to have her to himself. He knew that much, David had said so. He trusted the male but not that much. Maybe after they were done, he would have a chance but he had a feeling that Levi had a lot more planned for the woman.<br/><br/>He jumped a bit as Levi immediately turned to him, pointing at him. He blinked a bit, surprised at the sudden change of attitude. He gulped nervously and nodded his head. "I have no intention of allowing her escape, I guarantee you that." He honestly hated how little Levi trusted him. He wanted the woman just as much as Levi did, well maybe a little less. "As you prepare the equipment, I will prepare her, to make sure she will remain harmless." In all honesty, the talisman had been one of the surprising artifacts that he had been able to get. He was unsure of how long it would keep her under control, seeing how it was rather worn, but he still had a few more that he could use.<br/><br/>Tyler was determined not to let anything happen or else he would never be able to experiment on the woman. That was why he dealt with the distrust and the constant surveillance. He had worked with David a few times before but this had been the first time dealing with someone so...bipolar. That was the best way that he could describe Levi. He had never had his skills and knowledge doubted so much before. He honestly felt like telling them that he would not help any further if they continued to treat him this way, however, he was sure that would not end well for him. So, he withstood this treatment only because he knew that he would be rewarded in the end.<br/><br/>-------------<br/><br/>The constant beeping of machines was the first thing that he heard. Blearily, he opened his eyes staring up at the dark ceiling. Blinking a few more times, things began to clear up in his eyes. From what he could tell, he was laying in a hospital room, much to his dismay. The events that led up to this predicament replayed in his mind, nearly causing him to let out a sigh of frustration. How could they just leave Shizu like that? He had half the mind to chew them out for not listening to him in the first place but then again...he may have not survived. Who cared?! He surely didn't because he had failed protecting Shizu while Ivan and Zachariah had placed their trust and her life in his hands. Now, he had failed her a second time, this was not something that he wanted to keep doing.<br/><br/>His eyes fluttered close a bit as a dull pain hummed throughout his body. The gun wound had been very serious and it was not often that he felt this much pain. It was almost as if it were a foreign feeling to him, though he would endure it. He opened his eyes once more, glancing around the room, landing on a figure that was sitting in the corner. A frown touched his lips as he realized it was Ivan, still not over the fact that they had chosen his life over rescuing Shizu. However, the more that he stared at the Russian, the more he could sense that Ivan was not in the mood to hear what he had to say. More or less, Elias was sure that Ivan was feeling more than guilty about his decisions. Then again, did Elias have the right to tell him what was right and wrong?<br/><br/>What would he have done in that situation?<br/><br/>Mulling over that thought he decided to let it go for now, knowing that he would only cause more stress for Ivan. "You know, if looks could kill, I'm sure more than ten people would be dead by now," Elias said in a dry tone, a slight smile curling the corners of his mouth. It seemed as if Ivan had been lost in thought as his eyes finally came back to focus, looking over at him. The Russian slowly stood up, heading over to sit down beside the bed. "How are you feeling," Ivan asked carefully, taking in his bedridden form while asking the question.<br/><br/>"Aside from the wound, I'll manage," Elias said in a strained tone, trying to sit up.<br/><br/>"You know you shouldn't move too much right now."<br/><br/>"Oh? And here I was thinking that you'd want me to get out of bed as soon as possible," Elias quipped in a haughty tone. He winced slightly as the slight bitterness in his voice slipped. He could see Ivan frown a bit before a sigh left the male. "Look...I'm sorry-"<br/><br/>"There's no need to apologize," Ivan muttered. "Things didn't go according to how we planned; no matter how well thought it was. I have no excuse for not saving Shizu other than the fact that I couldn't bear the thought of losing you." Ivan took in a deep breath. "It may take a while for you to understand that....but that is all I have to say on that regard." He rubbed the scruff of his stubble in an exhausted manner. "Now, as for the next step, I assume you know what I am asking of you."<br/><br/>"Of course I do," Elias replied. Despite the fact that Ivan apologized, the feeling of mild frustration wouldn't leave him. Perhaps he was being rather selfish at this point. He knew that his death would have affected a number of people though they hadn't even tried getting their hands on Shizu before coming to him! That was why he was so upset. They had given up immediately once he had mentioned that he was wounded. If only he hadn't said anything then they wouldn't have to be in this situation any more. However, Elias was sure that he would have bleed out before they had come to get him. Maybe he had thought that his life was less important than Shizu, but maybe that had been the guilt of not finding her talking. He let out a sigh and looked down at his hands.<br/><br/>"I promise that I'll keep a better eye on her this time," Elias said in a subdued tone.<br/><br/>"I know you're still upset about what happened prior but no one is blaming you-"<br/><br/>"I am! If I had continued to monitor her then she would have never been taken away!" Elias could feel his body and voice tremble as he spoke. "If I had done my job better then she would be happy..."<br/><br/>He flinched slightly as Ivan's hand came to his shoulder. "Elias...I have no words to comfort you because I feel the same. If I had done a better job, you wouldn't be hurt...things would have been different. There isn't the time to loathe ourselves. We can only move forward and do our damn best now."<br/><br/>Elias smiled a bit as Ivan tried to comfort him, it was a strange way but it worked a little. He let out a shaky breath, nodding his head slightly. He glanced around once more. "Where's Azrai?"<br/><br/>Ivan closed his eyes at the mention, some time had passed since he had last seen and spoken to Azrai. "I might as well fill you in," Ivan said in a low tone, rubbing a hand over his face. Elias sat there in a mild astonishment at the events that unfolded while he had been unconscious. It was certainly a surprise that Azrai was reacting in such a way but maybe it was because he really did care about Shizu. He leaned further back into his pillows as he thought about his friend. "Well I hope he's calmed down now," Elias muttered. “Also, maybe...it'd be best to not bring up Shizu for a while. I mean, we all know what we need to do....so it might ease the tension to not mention her right now." Ivan nodded his head in agreement.<br/><br/>"You're right." Ivan glanced over at the door, as if thinking about something, which he kept to himself. "Anyways, right now, we need to focus on you being able to get out of here. We'll meet Azrai at your place."<br/><br/>"Hell, I'm ready to go," Elias said getting ready to get up, only to wince slightly.<br/><br/>Ivan's eyes narrowed slightly. As much as he wanted to leave, he knew that Elias's wound may not be able to handle too much movement, like walking. "Maybe you should rest a little longer."<br/><br/>"The more I lay here, the more we waste time. Besides, once we get to my place, I can fix things up where I can lay down and still do what I need to." Elias crossed his arms over his chest. "So I suggest you go get a wheelchair and we'll be out of here."<br/><br/>Ivan scoffed slightly, realizing how much a handful Elias could be. He went out into the hallway, looking around for a wheelchair. He called Azrai, letting him know that they were getting ready to leave. He kept it short, knowing that there could still be lingering tension from before. Bringing in the wheelchair, he retrieved a nurse who helped Elias get all the IVs out of his body. He pulled Elias out of the bed and placed him gently into the chair, despite the hacker's embarrassed protests. Turning around he saw Alice standing in the doorway, her eyes on Elias. They flickered to Ivan, a look of concern coming to her eyes. "If the wound should open up...you know my number," she said before walking away from them.<br/><br/>"She really hates you, yeah?"<br/><br/>Ivan chuckled and began to push Elias out of the room and towards the car. "I guess you could say it's a love-hate kind of relationship."<br/><br/>"I don't see the love," Elias said with a snort of laughter. "Anyways, I'm not really too sure how I'll find Shizu, so it may take some time."<br/><br/>"We'll try to be patient," Ivan said with a slight smile, even though he knew that he and Azrai could only be patient for so long. "You need to call Lucian sometime."<br/><br/>Elias groaned slightly. "Can I not?"<br/><br/>"And have him have your head for not telling him? I don't know about that."<br/><br/>Elias pouted slightly knowing that Lucian would be rather upset if he didn't tell him what happened. The wound would take a while to heal and that meant that he would be unable to drink for a while. He let out a defeated sigh. "Fine I will...later." He glared at the Russian who laughed as they left the hospital. He wasn't happy about having to be placed in the car and carried but he knew that he still wasn't in the condition to be moving so freely. This mission required him back immediately, so some things couldn't be helped.  "Once I find her, I'll try to keep you all updated as much as possible."<br/><br/>"I wouldn't expect anything less of you," Ivan said with a smirk, as he started up the car and heading back to Elias's apartment.<br/><br/>Elias stared out of the window, watching the buildings pass by. They would find her and she would live happily, no matter what.