Abbas nodded to his companion, letting his fall from her grip, and grinned, "I'll be fine. I'm smart enough to know when to back off. Even if something broke out, I can handle myself."

As he walked over, the Immortal took notice of Eric grabbing Ana, rather aggressively by the shoulders, and turn her back towards him, followed by a lot of seemingly angry words and dialogue. Abbas himself stood a few feet away, listening in on their argument, when he decided to butt in.

He planted himself in front of Eric and crossed his arms, "If I may say something sir, but you're at a dance, one which you came to enjoy your time with this lovely young lady." He nodded towards Ana, "Whatever you're arguing about I'm sure it could wait until after tonight."

The Immortal glanced from Ana to Eric and back, an eyebrow raised all the while.

Ana turned to Abbas and bowed her head a bit, "Sorry, we didn't intend to cause trouble."

Without losing a beat she turned to the half-angel, "Look I don't know what you're problem is, but right now you're looking like the most insensitive, generalizing bastard I've ever seen. What just because we're mercenaries makes us evil? huh? Just because my brother made one, ONE, mistake he and everyone he knows automatically becomes some mass murdering psychotic asshole? You've never seen him interact with his maids, you've never seen him consoling Yuki when she has her PTSD attacks, You've never seen him take care of me when I got my wings chopped OFF!"

Eric opened his mouth to retort but was stopped by Ana placing her hand over it, "I had to listen to you're tirade twice without interrupting, so it's only fair you shut up and listen to mine. Now, he may have no problem with killing, he may be apathetic, he may give no fucks for morals but I tell you now with my whole-hearted assurance, MY BROTHER IS NOT EVIL. Hell, none of us are evil, sure we may toe the moral gray area but we aren't mass murderers. We have standards, we don't accept any job just because someone dangles a fat stack of cash in-front of us, we never have and never will choose a job that's downright despicable, I'm a part of that process so you'll have to take my word for it. Dammit, don't you think we've chewed him out for this, do you want to peek into my memories to see Yuki giving him a four hour straight lecture? He may not have listened to you but I'll bet my life that he listened to his two closest sisters."

Ana took a deep breath, "Hah, look you want information but I've been in the business too long to give that shit out for free, and I guess I'm being a bit too optimistic to think you'll drop this instantly so how's this we'll trade, you forget about my brother and look at us in a neutral light and I'll tell you where that motorcycle riding psycho Maxim will be in five days? How's that sound?"

Eric remained impassive. He had no idea how he remained impassive, but he managed it. Even as his heart began to sink, shot full of more holes than swiss cheese.

He'd fucked it. He'd comprehensively fucked up. He'd comprehensively, utterly, and completely fucked this up.

First? He'd irretrievably botched this conversation. Second? He'd fatally underestimated the nature, of this posse Ana was a member of. And thirdly? He'd made assumptions about Erik. Which he'd refused to torpedo, even when it became painfully obvious he was wrong. He was more complex. Of fucking course he was more complex.

He had to make amends.

"Ana..." he sighed, sucking up his pride and that small, rigid, inflexible chunk of his mind still telling him to stop being an idiot, "I owe you an apology."

"That's-" she started, before she double-took, mouth dropping open in shock.

"Let me clarify," he quickly stated, slightly ashamed of himself, "I'm sorry for blowing up at you. I made assumptions based on past experience about mercenaries that I probably shouldn't have applied to your group. I directly insulted you. I generally behaved like the worst piece of shit on the planet. I'm sorry for blowing up, for the insults, and for the vitriol I flung at your group."

Eric rubbed his temple. "I just... I tend to make assumptions based on first impressions. And the shitty people I tend to meet only tend to confirm my suspicions, or just fall into the same categories, time, after time, after damn time." He looked away. "It's a bad habit."

"But," he quickly added, before she could interject, "That doesn't mean that you sit any better with me. Yet. I don't care what shit you've gone through, who's wronged you, or who's fucking with whom. At the end of the day, your life is worth no more than anyone else, and you can't just treat yourself like your somehow better than the rest of the damn world. And as a merc, you implicitly acknowledge, that to some extent, you're better than the rest of the world. And as for Erik..." he clenched his teeth, breathing through them. "I can't easily forgive him for stealing someone's life. But I can forget. And the same goes for the rest of you. If you stay out of trouble, work for the right side, and try and bash some sense through his brain, eventually it'll all even out."

Before he could sit back and wait for a response, his mind immediately froze. Again. Maxim. She said Maxim.

She said, "motorcycle riding psycho Maxim"

The half-angel seemed to freeze on the spot the low light hiding his frozen shock from onlooking eyes, except Ana's. Considering what he said he was not shocked at hearing her brothers better sides or the Menagerie's moral standards...So it was about Maxim wasn't it. before she could address that she turned to the still Abbas, his face showing him at a bit of a loss at what to do. Ana spoke, "Again' I'm sorry if we were causing a commotion, it must be hard on you having to deal with all this, I do hope nothing bad happens here." Which reminded her, the winged messenger sent out another pulse to her family, not to back off but to stay alert and on standby, while the situation was mostly diffused it was highly unlikely she'd ever let her guard down around Eric Kassaran ever again. She apologized again to Abbas and said she'd try to make-up for this incident before the night was over then excused herself to go look at the half-angel still keeping her distance.

"I can't make any promises, sometimes you do one thing thinking it'll be good then you learn that you've near irreparably f**ked up," Ana shook her head and self-deprecatingly smiled, "and we'll try to beat some sense into our brother's thick skull but hey are you alright, do you see a ghost?"

Eric shot out his hands, grasping her shoulders tightly. His face was a mix of panic and shock. Courier/Info-broker or not, if she had any information on Xavier or his proteges, everyone in the city was in danger.

"Who the hell told you about Maxim?" he demanded. "Where did you get the information?!"

Ana reeled her head back instantly, Whoo boy maybe she underestimated the relationship between these two. St merely stared at him surprised he could look this pale, now that was saying something. The crazed look in his eye was also very freaking unnerving.

"No one, no one told me, I met him myself," The angel went slack jawed at this but Ana continued to make sure he did not jump to conclusions, "He offered us a job, he was being really vague when we initially spoke so I told him I'd speak about it with the others. Admittedly at the time I was still really pissed at you so he caught me ranting about you beating up my brother, his face showed some recognition but neither of us pursued it any further. I said we'd meet in Cairo for the final decision, before you ask we're likely to decline the offer, we've accepted some shady stuff before but not something so shrouded in mystery as this."

"Whoa, whoa there, I think you're exaggerating a bit there, Anyway it's still in five days plenty of time to prepare...well me not showing up could mean we didn't accept...still that'd be rather rude, either way we already decided we'd decline the task all that's left is to give them the message. Also could you please let go, you're about to crush my shoulders."

Seriously his grip hurt, and she really just wanted to enjoy the night, maybe strike up conversations with a few others and mostly enjoy the offered sweets. Was that too much to ask for universe?

Okay, that was it. That was just...it. Clive rushed over to the winged creatures, waving a hand in the angel's face to get his attention.

*Um...hey,* he signed quickly. *I don't really know what's going on here, but you seem pretty stressed out. Is there something I could do to help you two?*

The reaper paused a moment before adding, *Oh, and I'd appreciate it if you let go of the lady. I think you're hurting her.*

Abbas, having remained silent for a few minutes as Ana and Eric continued to speak, grimaced several times as each one cursed, I honestly hate cursing. Profanity never helps your case in an argument.

As soon as Eric grabbed Ana's shoulders again, the Immortal stepped forward and raised a hand towards Eric in a non-threatening gesture, "Listen to her, let her go. If she has that much time to tell you what you want or do what you want, then you can relax and have her do so later."

He said it after Clive did the same, then planted a hand on the Reaper's shoulder. He nodded to him, then looked back to the two angels.

It took Blair a moment to process Clive's movement, having not even noticed his attention turn to the winged pair. It seemed like a hell of a lot had happened since she turned their back on them, but as she tailed the reaper, the fear in Eric's voice kept her quiet. With her arms crossed uneasily, she stood at her partner's side, glancing at Ana.

"Need a drink?"

Ana looked to the side, surprised that the bronze-eyed woman had come closer, the messenger let the two gladiators keep the half-angel's attention.

"Um something non-alcoholic please...I'm not a drinker...and apparently I'm also not a very nice drunk," her cheeks were tinged red by the final part of her statement.

"I was giving you an out," Blair's voice was low, trying to slip in it unheard from the others, "Come on, you don't want to stick around that guy, do you?"

With Clive having a bad vantage point on her, she whispered, 'You're welcome to join us' In his ear before turning to the bar, motioning for Ana to join her as she walked away.

She stared at her for a bit before following...Sugar was it...oh well. The trek took less than a minute, "Ah, thanks, Umm sorry for bothering the you and your partner. Ah, I guess I'm going to have to apologize to Abbas' partner too. A-anyway ah, so I'm Ana Collete, nice to meet you," with that she extended her hand.

She shook her hand in time, but it took Sugar a moment to decide on the introduction.

"Blair Valentine, but you're not the one who has to apologize to anyone." There was a little bit of worry in her eye when she glanced back to the others, "People shouldn't be grabbing you like that, Ana, but to be honest, you handled that really well. I'd be pretty shaken up in your shoes, he's a big guy."