The Midnight Train Crossing

Janis Joplin was doing something rather unusual for a Bohemian. She was searching for the Commander of the Secret Police. Most people avoided him at all costs, but she needed to talk to him. She needed to know what had happened...
She was hiding out in a rooftop, looking down at the street. She had found him, now she just needed to make sure that he was alone. She trailed him down the street until he approached a 'safe' area, and then she climbed down the fire escape, landing neatly on the ground behind him.

The Commander was wearing his usual long gray trench coat over his gray suit. He was nearly invisible in the darkness, the only give away was his nearly white-blonde hair reflecting the moon light. He stopped, hesitating as he thought he heard something, but he shook if off. No one would even think about approaching the Commander of Globalsoft's Secret Police - not to mention right hand man to the Killer Queen herself.

"Commander." a voice said from behind him.
He spun around suddenly at the voice, his hand went to his laser gun, ready. "Who's there?" He demanded.
"If you took off the glasses you would be able to see better in the dark," the voice answered. He recognized the voice and the tone immediately, even if he couldn't see her.
"No one tells me what to do," he growled.
"I'm not telling you what to do," the voice pointed out, walking up to him fearlessly, and revealing herself to be a woman with long black hair. A very familiar woman...
He growled again. "I could - should - have you arrested 'Bohemian'!" He was not going to acknowledge her... he was not!
His hand went to a remote to a portable laser cell. He closed his hand around the remote. One press of a button and he'd have her. She was close enough. All he had to do was press the button...
She was right up next to him now, close enough to touch him.

"Back away!" he ordered, quickly moving back and hitting the button. The lasers hummed as they sprang into place, and the area was lit up by an eerie green light.
Rather then looking frightened, her eyes sparkled with amusement and she folded her arms.
His eyes widened behind his shades as he realized that he was too close to her and that he too was trapped within. He looked behind him at the beams in surprise.

Having gotten very good at being unnoticed, she was able to relieve him of the controller and slip it into her pocket without him noticing.
He didn't notice that until he tried to turn the cage off, and then found the remote was missing.
"Well done," she said.
"Be quiet!" he hissed at her, trying to keep cool, collected, and professional as he could be in front of her, while he felt around in his pockets for the remote.
"Arresting yourself then too?"
"I said shut it!" He muttered, "You Bohemians all think you're smart-arsed..."
"I want to talk to you," she said in a forced, and deadly calm tone.
"I've got nothing to say to you!" he snapped back.
Her hold on her temper broke, "well I've got plenty to say to you!" she retorted.
He snorted, "What could someone like you have to say to me?"
"This!" she slapped him sharply across the face.
He let out a cry of surprise and then scolded himself for that. He reached out and grabbed hold of her wrist. "You think you're so brave don't you?" he hissed. She smacked him.... she was not afraid of him... That was more then a little unnerving.
She glared and took hold of his wrist with her other hand and twisted. Hard.
"Gah..!" he bit back a cry of pain. He was not going to show weakness! Not in front of a Bohemian and not in front of her! He was not afraid of her... He was stronger then her... He didn't need her...
'Who are you trying to fool?' a small voice whispered in the back of his mind.
He gritted his teeth as she twisted his wrist harder. He released her, and tried to pull free, but was rewarded by a sharp stomp on the foot and a kick in the shin. He couldn't help it, he sank to the ground.
When she did let go, he drew his arm close, instinctively cradling it in his other arm before he remembered not to.

But she could see the pain on his face, no matter how he tried to hide it. Even though she knew that he was only in pain because she was twisting his wrist... Well, never mind. "Now you know how I feel," she said.

His shaded eyes glared at her, "Oh you're going to regret this! When I take you in..."
"You can't get out," she pointed out calmly.
He flushed slightly, "I will once I get my remote!"

"What did you do with my cousin?" she asked.
"That's confidential!" he spat.
She gave a sad sigh. But it wasn't entirely unexpected. "That means you sent him off...
"Where he belongs!" He retorted, getting up to his feet.
She glared and snatched off his shades.

"Give those back!" he demanded with a growl, "You're making your own trip a very rough one!"
She stuck his glasses in her pocket and caught of his head, forcing him to meet her eyes.
"Tell me that again," she said, gazing into his gray eyes with her own deep brown eyes.
The commander tried, he honestly did. "You're making..." he started and then trailed off in a growl, trying to look away, but she wouldn't let him go. He couldn't help but meet her eyes...
He took a breath and continued, ".... your own trip a very...."
But he couldn't do it. He couldn't say it. He growled again. He just couldn't let her do this to him! It was a weakness! He had to over come it!
She looked at him for a moment longer and then let go.
He quickly turned away from her.

Then he turned around to see her walk over to the edge of the laser cage, pulling something out of her pocket. There was a flash of silver and she held out a mirror, deflecting enough of the laser beams for her to slip through.
"Hey!" he yelled going after her. He didn't stop in time and ran into one of the lasers. He swore.
She turned back to him and dropped his glasses to the ground inside the cage. "Good bye," she said, turning to go.
"Get back here!!"

She shook her head, "I can't believe how much you've changed..." she said.
"I'm not the one who changed!"
"And you can't even see it..." she murmured.
"YOU are!!" he practically yelled, "Joining up with those no good hippies!" He put his shades back on, "Look at me! I'm living the high life!"
"Whatever," she responded irritatedly.
"And you... you're stuck with Them going no where!"

That did it. Her temper broke. "You are the one that is stuck Commander," she responded icily.
With that, she turned on her heel and headed off.

"Samantha!!" he hollered after her, "Get back here!!"
She didn't turn around, quickly vanishing into the darkness.

Once she was out of sight she doubled back and dropped his remote to the ground near him, then sped off away sadly.

The commander swore again at being left alone, trapped. Now what was he going to do?
As much as he hated the idea, he was going to have to call for help...
He took his radio off his belt and spoke into it. "This is the Commander." Good. He sounded authoritative. No sign of how frazzled he was. "Someone answer!" he ordered.
"Sir?" a voice responded quickly.
"Who is this?" he snapped. Then he sighed inwardly at the answer, well at least it was an officer... a low ranking one, but that was better then just a basic agent. He gave his location, "How soon can you get here?"
"Five minutes sir," the officer answered, "Should I call for back up?"
"No!" he answered a bit too quickly. "It's not needed," he answered, "Just get yourself here.
He looked up and saw his remote a short distance away. He let out a sigh of relief. Good. He didn't have to ask the officer to find a captain with another remote.

The officer appeared on the scene shortly. His eyes widened when he saw the commander.
"Sir?" he asked, dumbfounded as he walked up to the cage.
"Don't ask questions!" the commander snapped. He pointed to where his remote lay, "Get that!"
"Yes sir!" he scrambled to obey, hitting the button and freeing Khashoggi.
He strode over to the officer and held out his hand for the remote. He snatched it away from the officer, very clearly not in the best of moods.

"Not. A. Word. To. Anyone!" the commander hissed warningly.
He swallowed, "Yes sir."
With that, the Commander stormed off down the street.