Mercer returned home to shower and set up arrangements in Cairo before sailing to another port close to the hangar that housed his private jet. He whistled sharply alerting a passing taxi and directed him to the airport as he stepped in. While not usually one to possess many material possessions, there are some things that a man of Mercer’s disposition can find convenient. Having your own hypersonic stealth fighter and drop-ship happens to be one of them! Originally they had belonged to a designer contracted to Kinder-Logan, originally being the key word. Mercer killed him and his assistants, in order to steal his blueprints to eventually enlist the help of ISIS Corporations scientists and workers. He would rather use their superior technology and weaponry considering their boss was one of the two people in the world he trusted.<br/><br/>Xale stepped out of the cab and walked over to the private bay where his jet awaited him in its sleek and deadly glory. One of the technicians was finishing fueling the plane while another dropped the ramp that allowed Mercer to walk through and into his private one-man cockpit. Privacy was something that Mercer desired more than anything, however the ship did contain several seats in the event that he needed to carry several passengers. Xale had actually given the designs to ISIS Corp in the event they should ever want to design and build their own planes.<br/>Xale sat in the leather seat, the whirring of technology around him and he grinned widely.<br/><br/>“Missed you too, baby.” He purred as he ran his hands over the dash and the seat, sinking into it. He flipped the ignition and the roar of several thrusters erupted in the shelter as technicians began waving him out. The jet was designed with VTOL in mind and he began to rise in the air, the sun shining into the cockpit. Mercer reached down and put on a pair of cheap aviators before turning on the speaker system, the sound of ‘Danger Zone’ surrounding him. The wings began to rotate horizontally as he steadily moved forward before finally activating the thrusters at full power just as they became parallel with the ground.<br/><br/>“Hi-Yo Silver, AWAY!” He cried as he was thrown into the seat with g-force that would have killed a normal man. As Mercer finally took off into the wild blue yonder, he knew that if he didn’t at least stop in Cairo while in Africa, he wouldn’t hear the end of it for a good 2 or 3 centuries. It said bounds about how much respect Xale had for her, that he would go to inform her that he was on her continent.<br/><br/>There were few things Xale loved more than flying. He had spent most of the campaigns in Vietnam and in the first Gulf War, flying fighter jets and the occasional support helicopter. It was a thrill to be screaming through the sky at speeds of Mach 3 or 4 and doing what he did better than anyone in the world: creating utter chaos. Whether providing ground support or taking out fighters in the sky in epic dogfights, Xale was a master pilot and his ability to maneuver and perform acrobatic, daredevil moves was unprecedented. What would normally be a 2-hour plane trip took Mercer a mere 20 minutes and he spent 8 of those minutes just slowing down to land as he approached Egyptian air space. Cairo became sharper in view as he rotated the wings back to vertical position and began to lower himself down onto the tarmac of Cairo’s air base.<br/><br/>He touched down perfectly, as he expected to, and began driving the vehicle into a secluded hangar, a large ISIS Corp logo above the double doors. He peeled himself off the seat and briskly stepped out into the air-conditioned hangar, a town car awaiting him outside. The dry heat hit him immediately as he stepped into the Egyptian air so it was fortunate he was dressed in a simple tank top and board shorts, the hot ground barely scalding his bare feet. He inhaled deeply and soaked in the sun briefly before sliding into the leather seats of the town car, which whisked him away to Isis Corporations HQ.  It was very rare to see any signs of poverty or third world as new buildings and shiny large skyscrapers blocked them out. Of course, Mercer could pick out Isis Corp, seeing as it was the tallest one and was easily distinguished by it’s logo at the tip of the tower.<br/><br/>“Mm that isn’t obnoxious at all?” Mercer muttered to himself at the beautifully ornate building as it came closer into view. The streets were busy and people were bustling about, climbing in and out of cabs, the occasional supercar zooming by. The driver stopped at the doors of the HQ and Xale stepped out, heading towards the revolving doors only to be stopped by members of her private security, The Black Scarabs. A row of them, obviously covered in black and armed to the teeth in high tech weaponry, stood before the doors with automatic weapons aimed and pointed at Xale.<br/><br/>“Halt!” one spoke in a deep voice, undoubtedly the head of security, stepping forward with his rifle raised. Xale raised his arms unassumingly.<br/><br/>“Hey guys, I mean no harm. As you can see, I’m not exactly hiding much and the only weapon I’m carrying is the large hammer in my pants, which I assure you has been used to destroy on many a different occasion. So you’re more than willing to frisk me but do so at your own risk. The name is Xale Mercer, with an X. Feel free to check your database, I’m a very special guest of your boss. I am here to surprise her, and if you don’t remove those laser sights from my chest very soon, you may discover why I am so special.” His voice at first charming and polite suddenly became dangerous, truth dripping from his tongue and he glared at them all, unafraid.<br/><br/>The sights weren’t removed but Xale could smell unease and fear. The head of the group holstered his weapon before reaching into his back pocket and pulled out a large tablet, quickly typing and scrolling through the screen. Xale noticed the look in his eyes as his name registered and he quickly barked at his men in Egyptian. The rifles were immediately lowered and they stood at attention before Mercer who lowered his own hands and grinned evilly.<br/><br/>“Happy now? Can I go or do you want to give me an unnecessary cavity check?”<br/><br/>“We apologize, Mr. Mercer,” the leader said calmly as he approached the Spartan. “We did not recognize you. Had we, I assure you no action would have been taken against an esteemed guest of Lady Isis.”<br/><br/>“I’ll let her know she has competent and efficient members of her private security.” He stepped past him and his men, who parted like the Red Sea to allow Xale in.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">God, she’s paranoid,</span>Xale thought to himself, as he entered the lobby. The waiting room was gigantic and packed with people who were hoping for some meeting or solution to whatever their problem was. It was a large circular room with a little arboretum surrounded by a little pond. The walls were lined with jade, gold and more decorative Egyptian paraphernalia. Two women sat behind a jade counter on the computers and talking on the phone, handling their secretarial duties and they too prevented Xale from proceeding to the elevator, a set of mechanized gates to the side blocking the hall.<br/><br/>One finished her call and turned to Xale impatiently. “Yes, how can I…uh…help you?” she asked, assessing his wardrobe.<br/><br/>Suddenly, a thought popped into Xale’s mind. Knowing who he was going to see he smiled so wide, the Cheshire Cat would be proud. He leaned over and whispered, just loud enough for the other woman to hear him.<br/><br/>“Well hello gorgeous, I’m here to see Isis. I’m one of her; ahem…” he cleared his throat and waggled his eyebrows. “Special clients.”<br/><br/>Despite his polished looks and large physique, they didn’t look totally convinced until, and without hesitation, Xale stripped naked. Women in the waiting room gasped as men shouted in indignation and disgust. The other secretary choked on her water and the one Xale had been speaking to, immediately blushed as Xale placed his clothes on the counter and smiled at them. She stared at him, her eyes taking in every aspect of him as if he were the last man she’d ever see.<br/><br/>Xale jerked his head towards the elevator. “Mind letting me in?” he placed a finger to his lips. “But shhh, I’m here to surprise her, so don’t let her know. It’s a complimentary visit. You understand right?”<br/><br/>The other nodded dumbly still gazing longingly at him while his helper fumbled pressing the button to let him. Xale gathered his clothes, tucking them under his arm and sauntered through but not before stopping boldly in front of them, nothing in between them now.<br/><br/>“Thank you ladies. I’ll speak to Isis about giving you a raise for your help.” He smiled broadly, his pearly whites gleaming, before winking at them and continued into the elevator, the secretaries scrambling over the other to watch his backside. He turned back around to press the button to let him up and caught them staring at him while the doors closed, giving them a cheeky little wave goodbye. Elevator music filled the air and he hummed to it as he pressed the top button.<br/><br/>“Hi ho, hi ho, it’s to the top we go.” He sang as the elevator whirred into action and carried him up. “We’re here to give Amunet a little show, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho.”<br/><br/>The elevator chimed that he had arrived at the top and he stepped into the private, marble hallway that led to her chambers. The cool air sent a tiny chill through his spine and he looked down.<br/><br/>“Don’t worry buddy. You’ll be warm soon enough.”<br/><br/>Xale looked back up and noticed that several big cats lay, lounging about in the hallway. At the end lay a set of gold adorned double doors that led to salvation. Xale began calmly walking through the hallway but noticed a few cats began to stir, including a large male lion that perked up and watched Xale warily.<br/><br/>“Hey, this ain’t free sausage,” Xale said to the male. “Gotta be pretty special to get this, gotta work for it.”<span style="font-style: italic">Oh who am I kidding, I’m a whore</span>Xale giggled to himself. “Gotta be female and human to get it.” he corrected himself.<br/><br/>But the lion rose and was soon followed by his companions which included three tigers, two leopards, a cheetah and several female lions.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">So goddamn paranoid! Crazy bitch.</span><br/><br/>“Down.” He spoke firmly and calmly to the approaching cats. But they ignored him as they began to stalk him, seeing a prized meal before them. A low rumble began in Merc’s chest that began to echo in the hallway as they became closer and Xale’s eyes flashed with a wild glint.<br/><br/>“DOWN!” he snarled, his voice carrying power and resonating through the hall, with a decibel level that could rival a tiger’s roar. Suddenly, the predators before him responded like scared puppies, lying at his feet as if suddenly aware of who the Alpha was. Xale stared them down, his face and eyes void of any emotion, veins popping through his arms and neck. They averted his gaze and he stepped through, and suddenly that brief moment of control passed as he reverted to his normal self shoving the doors open.<br/><br/>“Light of my life!” he cried as he stepped through, his eyes noticing immediately that her servants wore next to nothing. “Had I known nudity was the theme of the day I wouldn’t have even considered wearing clothes! As I always say, prison for your body. As you and I both know very well, I absolutely<span style="font-weight: bold">love</span>being naked.”