More grumbling from Xylath's movement, shouting that she was too distant at the time to fully make out, and what sounded like a few gunshots from a rifle; the situation was very hot and Martini knew that detection by any party in the middle of that skirmish would spell the end of her operation. Regardless of who she was working for, the grunts on the ground wouldn't be aware of it, and a firefight was no place to either reveal her affiliation or craft a suitable lie. Even so, while she stayed far enough away to remain unseen from the combatants in the intersection, she remained close enough to stay within general earshot of the scene. She might not have wanted to get involved, but whatever this battle was turning into, it seemed big enough to be important, and an understanding of the current military situation in the city was relevant.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Compton had better hurry up,</span>Martini thought sourly,<span style="font-style: italic">I can't afford to loiter here for long. Maybe I--</span><br/><br/>Her thinking was cut off by the nearby shuffling of feet, and she crouched low into the shadows. Her eyes followed a group of three splicers--Maneaters, based on their attire and movements--moving full tilt to the west. They obviously weren't heading towards Xylath and the rest, which begged the question of what else would prompt such fast movements. And so, Martini had a decision to make: stay with the current scene, follow the Maneaters to the western front and investigate, or flee and regroup later?