Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ A Shade Darker ❯ Chapter 9

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. The characters of these works are used WITHOUT permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit.

Author's Notes: Never try to type with drying fingernail polish, I swear, you'll regret it later. Okay, any fan artwork to go with this story would be highly appreciated. Thanks! Send it to slaybrat@aye.net. I'd like to thank Katrina, Sam, and Marce for this. To Misty, the Quatre scene was for you. :p

A Shade Darker Part Nine

The window shattered. Duo grabbed for his scythe and cursed, "Oh, shit." Heero grabbed his gun, which he had reloaded with silver bullets while they were waiting on pizza. Ghouls started to scramble through the window.

He counted fifteen of the suckers, each with their shinny heads and red eyes and claws. Truly nasty creatures. He hated ghouls, they were nasty, disgusting creatures who could only be killed by fire and beheading. No silver for these freaks. Aurora stood up and slid into her windbreaker. She had a pocket knife in her small hands.

Duo looked around as the ghouls moved like unstoppable slugs into the room. He looked toward the door and shouted, "Come on!" He ran to the door, opened it, and looked back to see Aurora and Heero after him.

One of the other windows broke, and more ghouls crept in. "Shit," Aurora cursed loudly as they ran past the grasping hands as windows shattered by them, like some cheesy haunted house. A pair of ghouls appeared in front of them, hissing.

Duo pushed Aurora behind him, protecting her with his body, with Heero at his side. Heero had grabbed the bastard sword with the silver blood groove engraved in it. He held it confidently, and Duo wasn't surprised that he knew how to use the sword. After all, Dr. J, that mechanical freak, probably had taught Heero more forms of combat than Fathers Kincad and Maxwell taught him as one of the Called.

They charged the ghouls together, Heero taking the one on the left, and Duo taking the one on the right. With the swing of a sword and a scythe blade, both ghouls were beheaded. Duo turned around and grabbed Aurora's wrist and jerked her along as they ran.

He was surprised that Aurora was keeping up with them. She's been running for a long time, she'd better know how to run, he thought as they entered the lobby. Duo remembered Kelly. An image of Kelly lying on the floor, with ghouls tearing out her organs and feasting on the bloody flesh and gore entered his mind.

He was relieved to see Kelly standing at the desk, smiling. Then, something felt really off. Like piloting Wing ZERO or another pilot's Gundam off. Cataclysmically off. Hairs standing at the back of his arms and neck off. Bad feeling, evil being around off.

He swallowed and Kelly stood up. She was dressed in a red leather jacket, a burgundy tank top and dark blue jeans. Her curly dark hair tumbled wildly around her shoulders and her aqua eyes were gleaming with a gem-like luster. Dark, hot, borrowed, power coursed around her slender form, clinging to her like an aura. She chuckled as she tossed her hair.

She whispered, "You are mine to do with as I please. Your mind is my play ground."

Duo froze, transfixed by her husky voice. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't think. "Let him go!" Heero shouted, aiming his gun at her. He took a shot at her. She grinned, and the bullet stopped in front of her and fell harmlessly to the ground.

"She sold her soul," Aurora whispered softly, her voice tinged with fear.

There was nothing Duo could do about it. He could just stand there as his mind was transplanted else where.

Duo watched from Deathscythe's monitor. Lady Une, the physco bitch from Hell, was threatening the colonies if they did not give up their Gundams. He watched in horror as Heero stepped out of Wing, the control to self-destruct in his hand. He said, "Mission accepted."

Duo watched in horror as Heero pressed the button to start the Self-Detination.

******

"Duo?" Aurora reached out and shook him. His violet eyes were empty, blank, gazing at nothing. She shook him again. He didn't move. "Duo?" she asked again as she shook him. He was just staring blankly in horror.

Heero put his gun who knew where and held the bastard sword in his hands. He looked over at the necromancer and asked, "Beheading kills ghouls, right?"

Aurora nodded, feeling the pulsing beat of the ghouls and the witch. She had sold her soul to Hell. Not to Lucifer, because Lucifer was on Earth, waiting, watching to take over. Corrupting. She had sold her soul to one of Lucifer's children. Or one of the angels who left the graces of heaven with him.

"Duo," she whispered, touching him. He felt firm under the black cotton of his clothing. There was something frightening about being this close to him. "Duo," she whispered as she looked at him, studying the violet eyes and the rich, chestnut brown hair of his braid. She reached up and touched his face, the skin soft under her finger tips.

The witch laughed. Aurora turned to her, feeling her power gather up within her. Heero looked at the ghouls who were coming closer. She snapped, "What the hell did you to him?"

The witch smiled, tossing her dark hair. She answered, "An interesting spell, really, little necromancer. And your blood can't protect you this time."

She looked at Duo, wondering if she could momentarily break the hold that the bitch had on him. Heero said, "Let him go."

The witch laughed and replied, "Nope. Sorry, but Lilith wants all three of you alive. I'm glad that we found you little necromancer before it was too late."

Aurora ignored her and tore at the bandage on her hand. She looked up at Duo and squeezed the wound, opening it again. She hissed as she felt the pain and blood well up. She pressed her forehead against Duo's getting startlingly close. Third eye to third eye.

Her heart pounded as she looked at him, into the beautiful violet of his eyes. She took a deep breath and held it as the cold power grew inside of her. She had never used her power on the living before. She hoped it would be enough to break the hold.

She gasped as she let out the dark, cold power that she knew so well. She felt it crashing into the hot power that was the witch's spell. Shattering it. Momentarily. Duo gasped and jerked, almost falling.

She reached out and caught him. He steadied himself against her, looking into her eyes. She looked at him. He looked vulnerable and unsure. If they weren't surrounded by ghouls and a witch, she would have wanted him to kiss her. Hell, she wanted him to kiss her.

"Aurora?" he asked, unsure, looking around.

She nodded, thanking whoever that was listening that he was back. He reached up and stroked a strand of hair that had fallen into her face away. She paused, looking around. The ghouls had stopped, they lingered back afraid.

"Now!" Heero shouted as he ran out past the ghouls and the witch.

Aurora ran after him, grabbing a still stunned Duo's hand. She shouted, "Come on, before it leeks away."

She could feel the power ebbing away, and soon the ghouls would be able to react. She felt it taking its toll on her. Her stomach was in knots and her lungs burned because of it. Her hand was throbbing, the blood beginning to clot. It had trickled down her hand and was beginning to dry to its wonderful, tacky stage. She had enough of her own blood dry on her in the past year to know the stages it dried in. After a while it would just flake off, but right now it was tacky and sickly.

Duo ran blindly, her leading him. Heero looked back at him and asked, "What is it?"

"She cast a spell on me," Duo answered, sounding more like himself.

Aurora nodded and said, "They're coming." She could feel the ghouls' auras around her. Maybe . . . No, that sort of necromancy was beyond her power. She couldn't control that many dead. The occasional vamp drained her till the point she almost passed out. The only reason she didn't pass out the first time that she had met Duo was that she had been running on pure adrenaline.

Heero nodded and speed up, Duo caught up with him, dragging her along. Duo shouted, "We need to get into a more open area. I don't think they'll attack if we're surrounded by people."

Heero nodded and made the pace.

******

Noin watched as Minerva's body slumped to the ground in a pool of burgundy hair and a black sweatshirt. Dorothy looked down at her and tossed her platinum blond hair over one shoulder. She said, "Now, lets see if this vampire is truly what she says she is."

Noin asked, "What did you do to her?"

Dorothy raised one of her arched eyebrows and answered, "Just a simple potion, Miss Noin. Nothing perminate, I assure you."

"Why?" Noin asked, irritated. She didn't know who to trust. Minerva claimed that Zechs hired her, but Noin wouldn't believe that Zechs would hire someone to protect them when he could do it himself. And she didn't trust Dorothy. She didn't like Dorothy.

Dorothy pulled out a red crystal from her blouse. It was attached to a silver chain. She swung it around Minerva's prone form, chanting softly. The crystal started to glow crimson as it swung over the vampire's body. She looked up at Noin with her pale violet eyes glowing. Then she laughed.

"What is it?" Noin snapped, crossing her arms. She was about to draw her gun at the girl. They had a moment of understanding, but that was dissolved now. She had a feeling that there was something about Zechs that she wasn't going to like.

Dorothy grinned and answered, "She is who she claims. So, why are you here?"

"Someone kidnaped Relena," Noin hissed. She couldn't believe that witch, or was it warlock? Could kidnap Relena.

"Could you describe them to me?" Dorothy said as she leaned against the wall, tilting her head as she looked at Noin with her starling pale eyes.

"One man. Early thirties, blond hair and golden eyes. He was like a living Gundam, he was that powerful," Noin answered, watching the girl.

Dorothy said, thinking aloud, "Himmmm, he sounds familiar. Extremely powerful you say?"

"Yeah," Noin answered.

"Give me your hand," Dorothy instructed.

Noin asked, skeptical, "Why?"

"So I can see if his power still holds you, Noin. Did he use it on you in anyway?" she replied as she watched Noin.

Noin's eyes narrowed in anger at the memory of being pinned helplessly against the tree. She hissed, "Yes, he did. Find him." She held out her hand and Dorothy took it, smiling like she always did.

She ran her slender fingers over Noin's hand, her eyes narrowed in concentration. Then, she suddenly jumped back, dropping Noin's hand like it was something hot. She said, "God, I've never felt something like that before."

"What do you mean?" Noin asked.

Dorothy shuttered, wrapping her arms around herself as she answered, "Power that dark. Evil. This guy sold himself for it, and he got a lot of power because of it."

"What do you mean?" Noin asked.

"She means that this guy sold his soul to some demon from Hell," Minerva's groggy voice said. Noin looked around to see Minerva sitting up, her long, burgundy hair flowing around her. The vampire looked at them with her startling pale, bright green eyes. She stood up, shaking her head.

"Exactly," Dorothy said with a shutter.

Noin was now faced with the reality that Hell existed. Great. Noin asked, "So, how do we find him?"

Dorothy sighed and answered, "Miss Noin, you and I cannot find this witch. But, maybe I can find out who can."

"A Tarot reading?" Minerva asked with a sneer.

"I see you recovered quickly. You must be very powerful to wake up that soon," Dorothy told her with a smile.

Minerva hissed, bearing her fangs. She snapped, "Why the hell did you do that? I should rip your throat out, you sadistic little bitch." Noin watched as those startling green eyes bled to a sharp crimson, glowing almost. She approached Dorothy, hissing.

Noin stepped between the witch and the vampire, probably the normal human in the building. She snapped, "Both of you stop. This isn't going to find Relena."

"Fuck that. We don't need her. We need the God of Death," Minerva hissed, approaching Dorothy. Noin drew her gun at her. Minerva had given her silver bullets. She hoped that the vampire would remember that. Minerva was her key to finding Relena and, more important, Zechs again.

"Stay back or I'll shoot," Noin told her calmly. It was the same tone that she had given solders orders with. She held her gun confidently with one hand, ready to injure the vampire, even kill her, if needed.

Dorothy smiled and twisted a strand of blond hair in her fingers. She said, "Come on, Mistress Minerva, a Tarot reading would be very helpful, wouldn't it?"

"I'll try it, only because I'm not in the mood to be digging a silver bullet out of my body," Minerva replied.

"Very good," Dorothy replied with a smile. "Very good indeed."

******

Relena walked as strait and as proudly as she could beside Jason. She asked, "Why did you take me?"

They were in a tram station. Jason sighed and answered, "Never mind that princess. Never mind that." She crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. It was better to act like the dignified princess than the prisoner. She wasn't going to bow down to this or any man.

Well, there were certain fantasies involving Heero Yuy that she wasn't about to think about right now.

"What do you mean?" she snapped at him.

"God, you're annoying," Jason snapped at her.

Relena stood as strait as she could and held her head proudly. She replied, "Well, then you shouldn't have kidnaped me. Whatever ransom you want, it won't be payed."

Jason started to walk again. Relena didn't move. Jason sighed and grabbed her, dragging her along. Relena shouted, "Help me! Please he kidnaped me! Please!" No one was responding to her cries.

She shouted something that she knew would get someone's attention, "RAPE! Help, he's trying to rape me! Help! Someone please, help me."

Jason snorted and said, "They don't care. They don't even know that we're here."

"Let me go," Relena snapped, slapping at his hand. She clawed at his fingers with her nails, trying to get away.

Jason jerked her along, saying, "For someone who's motto is total pacifism, you're shure fighting me pretty hard."

"You kidnaped me. You had no right to do that!" Relena shouted at him, clawing at his fingers, jerking away.

He said, "Well, if you were into total pacifism as much as you say you are, then you wouldn't be fighting me right now."

Relena froze. She took her hand and slapped him hard against the cheek. Her hand burned with the impact. She hissed, "How dare you say that to me."

"You're just a little girl who knows nothing about the true world," Jason sighed as he jerked her along.

"I refuse to go any farther with you," she hissed at him.

He stopped and smiled down at her. He said, "Princess, you don't have any other choice." With that, he jerked her away.

******

Trowa watched as Quatre slept in his room. Sandrock was stored in a nearby warehouse. Somehow, the presence of the Gundam was comforting to Trowa. He looked around the room, his eyes fully able to see in the darkness.

It was decorated in pale earth tones, much different from his room and more suited to the sleeping Arab. He walked over to the bed, silent as a shadow, and sat down. Quatre rolled onto his back, throwing his arm over his head. Then he began to thrash in his sleep.

Trowa reached out and touched his friend's forehead. His skin was warm and alive to the touch. Soft and silky under the fall of pale, golden silk that was Quatre's hair. He stroked Quatre's brow as he thrashed in his sleep, hoping to quiet the Sandrock pilot.

He could hear Quatre's heart beat as he slept, it was a fast, rapid sound because of the nightmare. He could smell him, like hot tea, milk, and sunshine. How could sunshine have a smell? Well, it was warm and clean, like Quatre. Trowa flexed his hand in anger and looked away. It wasn't right dragging Quatre into all of this.

"No, stop!" Quatre shouted as he woke up, shooting up. His wide, aqua eyes were almost swallowed by his pupil. He sat there, sweat beading on his forehead, breathing hard. He turned and those soft, innocent, aqua eyes looked at him. "Trowa?" he asked, looking at him.

The vampire nodded and replied, "I'm here. You were having a nightmare."

Quatre shivered and rubbed his arms. He said, "I was in Wing ZERO again. Except this time the colonies were populated. I killed them all, Trowa. There were so many people . . ." He stopped, sniffling back a sob.

"That wasn't you and you know it," Trowa told him softly, stroking the other boy's back. Quatre looked at him with those huge eyes as tears fell out of them. "Hush," Trowa whispered as he took Quatre in his arms as he cried.

He felt like someone, someone very familiar, was watching him at that moment.

******

Lilith gritted her teeth, clinched her fangs as Trowa held the little Arab boy. How dare the brat. She made him, he should be living only for her, they should be having sex right now over the body of a fresh kill. Not him comforting this baby in some Holier Than Thou Ex-Paladin Vampire.

Treize had been a knight, a paladin, the son of a king before he had been changed. A born warrior with excellent leadership skills. He was changed during the heat of passion. Lilith had chided Sarah for changing him, but her Chylde was in love with the knight and had a reputation with the lady-in-waiting as well as being a master in the bedroom.

Sarah had changed him, but she was killed soon after that by Forest Anderson. Forest still lurked somewhere, a traitor, just like Treize, but powerful, just like Treize. They were both forces to be reckoned with and dealt with. But they weren't as dangerous as the God of Death and the Dampier.

She had gotten a call from Illiana, her favorite daughter, saying that she had found Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, and the virgin necromancer. She had said that she would hand deliver them to Lilith as soon as possible. She had sent Damon to the States to make sure that happened. Illiana had taken a shine to Heero though. Maybe as a reward, she would let little Illiana play with Heero for a while.

She turned her attention back to the window. Trowa was soothing Quatre back to sleep. How dare he? She could feel the little blond boy's pulse and breathing slow as he slipped back into sleep. Trowa was hers. She had chosen the silent warrior for her own usage. She had seen him in battle, this silent puzzle, and had wanted him. And she'd be damned if she didn't.

She wanted to tear the little boy away from him and take him as hers. He was a vampire and he had not even tasted the carnal pleasures of the flesh. She smiled. Perhaps she should change that. Sex as a vampire was much better than sex as a mortal. Power was exchanged and sometimes blood. The bond and feelings were incredible. And to be changed during sex, or to change one during sex, was amazing.

She had wanted to do that to Trowa, but she didn't plan that far. She cursed her stupidity. She should have seduced him, had sex with him, and changed him. She didn't. That was a stupid slip on her part. She growled as she watched Trowa stroke Winner's brow as he stood up from the bed.

******

Trowa stroked Quatre's forehead one last time. He looked peaceful and angelic asleep. A slight smile was on his cherubic features and his soft, pale hair had fallen in his eyes as he slept. He walked to the French window. Something slipped into the shadows.

Trowa opened the door and stepped out into the fresh, cool, night. He stood gracefully on the window sill as he looked around. He felt her near by. Lilith. He opened up his mind and found her telepathically, Show yourself, Lilith. Now.

He heard her laugh mentally. She replied, Now Trowa, that would be too easy. Come find me, my darling boy. Trowa gritted his fangs as he leaped out into the darkness. He flipped just because it was easy and familiar to him. He easily landed on the window sill on the next building.

He looked up and saw Lilith smiling at him, her green eyes glowing softly in the moon light. As he watched, those eyes turned to a startling shade of lavender, contrasting with her pale skin and raven hair. She smiled at him. She was dressed in her head to toe leather. A leather bodice, a short leather skirt, fishnet stockings, knee high boots, and a long, leather coat that waved about her slender ankles.

She said, "Hello, Trowa."

"What the hell are you doing here?" he spat at her.

She circled him, placing a slender hand on his chest. He smacked her hand away as she said, "Trowa, you know you were safe in the house."

"I'm not afraid of you," he hissed at her.

She threw back her head and laughed, sending her long, black hair cascading down her back. She replied, "Oh, you should be."

"Go to Hell," he snapped at her.

She laughed and replied, "With a simple spell and a virgin sacrifice I'm going to bring it to us."

"The Cycle of Darkness," Trowa said quietly. He looked up at Lilith, into her now aqua eyes. The same color as Quatre's. She chuckled.

She said, "Treize has taught you well."

Trowa snapped, "I won't let you harm some innocent person. Not like you did me." His first thoughts were of Quatre sleeping quietly in his bed. Quatre was, most likely, a virgin. The only Gundam pilot that wasn't was Wufei because he was married, and probably Duo.

Lilith laughed and replied, "Not your little Arab. Someone else, a girl."

"You won't have her," Trowa snapped at her.

She chuckled and tossed her hair. She crossed over to Trowa, grabbing his shirt. She pressed their bodies together. Trowa focused past her head, not looking down at her. Her cool hand snaked down his shirt and caught in his belt buckle. He felt nothing for this woman, so nothing happened.

She hissed and drew back. Trowa stared her down. She snapped, "No one has been able to resist me. No one."

Trowa grabbed her wrist and jerked her off the side. He let her go, hoping that she would fall. She laughed and hovered in the air. She said, "I'm going to enjoy drinking your precious Quatre."

"If you touch him . . ." Trowa snapped. He lunged at her.

She hovered back, sending him crashing to the ground. He landed on his stomach in a pile of trash cans. Hissing, he stood up and looked at her. She told him, "And you can do nothing. I'll have your little Quatre and there would be nothing that you can do about it."

"I'll kill you, you sick, sadistic bitch," he shouted up at her, losing his well-placed composure.

She laughed as she hovered off, leaving him alone. He stood there in the snow and trash, seething. He snarled in rage as he watched her fly off. He sensed Treize come behind him. He said, "She threatened Quatre."

Treize placed a hand on his shoulder and replied, "Yeah, I know. She can't come in unless she's invited, Trowa. There's nothing she can do if your inside the house. Go back to Quatre. He needs you."

Trowa let Treize guide him into the house. As they entered the threshold, he said, "Treize, teach me. Everything you know. I will kill that bitch if it's the last thing I do."

Treize said, "Then you have a lot to learn, Trowa Barton."

"I don't care," he replied in an icy tone in return.

******

"Crowded areas, not even Illiana would attack us in full view of the public," Duo shouted as they ran. Heero only nodded in response as they moved. He wanted to get away from the ghouls as soon as possible. Aurora had managed to break the witch's spell on Duo somehow. Heero was worried about the Deathscythe pilot.

He asked, "Are you okay?"

Duo nodded, breathing hard. Aurora was right beside him, breathing hard. She wasn't looking back. She was just running. She had done this a lot, Heero had figured. Their boots cut through the freshly fallen snow as they ran.

Duo said, "Damn it, I can't believe that Kelly was evil!"

"Believe it," Heero told him as he pushed his friend to run faster. They circled a corner and all three of them froze.

"Oh, shit," Aurora said between gasps. Ghouls were waiting for them. Heero turned to look behind him, there were even more ghouls around them. They were surrounded.

"Fuck," Duo grumbled as he spun his scythe. Aurora took out her pocket knife and opened the blade. She looked ahead at the ghouls, saying nothing.

Heero had the bastard sword in his hand. His preferred method was the pistol, but this was just as good and more effective to what he was killing. "Any ideas?" Duo asked as he looked around.

"Yeah," Heero answered, looking strait ahead.

"Enlighten us," Aurora said, looking around them like a nervous rabbit.

Heero answered, "Kill them all." He ran at them, slashing his sword, aiming for the throat on every oppoinate. Duo was beside him, slicing like a surgeon gone mad. The ghouls were getting closer, overwhelming both pilots.

Aurora was standing there, making another cut in her hand. She said, "Stop, both of you." She made another circle and sprinkled something white over it. Heero realized it was salt. They stood in the circle.

Duo said, "Fuck, she's casting a spell." He watched with wide eyes.

She closed her eyes. Heero noticed that there were fine tremors running along her body. Her lips moved soundlessly. The circle glowed bright crimson. The ghouls stayed back, weary. She opened her eyes and took a deep breath.

"How long will this one last?" Heero asked her.

She gulped for air as she panted, "As long as someone doesn't break it, we're fine."

"The thing is, little necromancer, it can be broken," a childish voice said as the witch approached them.

"Kelly, what the hell . . ." Duo shouted.

Kelly laughed and answered, "My name's Faye. I've watched for you for a long time. And, now, being your friend has finally payed off."

"You bitch," Duo hissed.

"Witch," Faye said, buffing her fingernails on her sleeve.

A little girl walked beside Faye. She was wearing over alls over a purple tank top. Her eyes were violet and she had long, pale blond hair. That shade of white blond that darkened to brown as the child got older. Several of the ghouls crawled next to her, and she stroked one like one would stroke a pet.

Heero sensed what she was and hated her. He spat, "Vampire."

She stood up as he petted one of the ghouls. She smiled at Heero like he was a new toy. He gritted his teeth. He hated her. He wanted her dead. She said, "Hi, I'm Illiana." She sounded sweet and young, harmless. Heero knew differently.

Faye said, "And for breaking the circle, it's easily broken."

Illiana chuckled as she walked over to the circle, one of the ghouls following her. Heero pulled out his gun. Illiana said, "Faye, he wants to shoot me."

Faye said, "Bind these three temporally. Bind them harmless and helpless. Bind them. Bind them now. By the power of Night and Death, bind them."

Heero growled as his hands were shot up over his head. His pistol fell to the ground, along with his sword. "Fuck!" Duo shouted as the scythe clattered to the snow. Heero grunted as Duo was pressed against Heero's back. Aurora screamed as her hands were thrown up in the air and she was pressed against them. Heero tried jerking his hands down, but the effort was useless.

Illiana cut the ghoul with sharp claws. Heero glared as the ghoul's blood hit the circle. Illiana walked up to him, unharmed. She smiled as she reached out and touched his face. Heero tried to jerk back, but he was pinned helpless, and his two comrades were the same.

"Fuck," Duo cursed as he tried to escape. Aurora grunted as she wiggled helplessly against both pilots. Illiana smiled.

Heero glared down at her as she touched his chest. His skin crawled with the contact. She said, "Lets get them home, shall we?" Then she petted the same ghoul as she giggled.

Faye nodded and bowed. She snapped her fingers and Duo cursed, "Oh, shit. Oh, fucking shit!" As they hovered in the air, powerless, as they were forced to follow them.

Illiana giggled and said, "This is going to be fun."

To Be Continued!

Hey, I'm still looking for Fan Art. Thanks Poka Dot! She's sent me a lot of cool stuff. So, the rest of you, get drawing! E-mail it to me at slaybrat@aye.net. Thanks!