As Deon agreed to her request, Vander couldn't keep the relieved smile off her face. No matter how much she may not like him, he was going to get her some Lucid, and that was enough to make her tolerate him. She allowed him to steer her out of the bar, his arm around her bony shoulders. Her walk, like his, was slightly unsteady. Though in Vander's case, it was not alcohol. It was because her muscle fibres were slowly wasting away. The man was humming an irritatingly cheery tune. Of course he must be quite proud of himself. He remained undefeated. He'd easily bested Vander in her attempts at bargaining for him to toss the match. And he'd had a girl in his lap whenever he wasn't in the ring. "Oh mister Crusher!" 

Speaking of the girls he'd had in his lap...one had evidently followed them out. Vander waited impatiently while he dealt with her, handing her a piece of paper and promising to hook up later that evening. Hopefully, that meant this would be over by the time the hour was up. Vander could be back in her apartment, enjoying the dream-filled sleep that could only be obtained after a hit of Lucid. As soon as the girl was heading back inside to round up her friends, Deon and Vander continued down the streets. 

She payed close attention, trying to keep the alleyways straight in her head. Specifics were lost, but she would be able to recall the general area. Finally, they arrived outside a building that appeared to be in even worse condition than the interior of Vander's apartment. She was tired by the time they reached it. And if her stomach had been aching earlier, now it was in full riot. Deon knocked, and Vander subtly tapped the rhythm with one finger against her palm, memorizing it. [i]Needle in the haystack...[/i]. Maybe she would be able to come back here, the next time she was in need of a fix. The door opened as soon as the password was given, and Deon motioned for Vander to enter. 

She fixed him with an less-than-trusting glance before doing so. The interior of the room was dim, though after the darkness of the alleyways, even the dull incandescent bulb was enough to burn her eyes and make her squint. Vander averted her gaze from it until her eyes adjusted, instead looking at the men playing cards. She took up a post near the wall, while Deon seemed to make himself right at home. She watched the interaction. Few words were spoken. Deals had obviously been struck before, and these men were no strangers to Deon. 

Finally, they were heading out the door once more. Vander followed Deon closely, like a puppy on his heels. Her eyes were fixated on the backpack, and the tremor in her hands had returned even more distinct than before. The door closed behind them, and she wasted no time. "Can I have it now?" The desperate hunger was plain in her voice.

She swallowed, her gaze still holding steady on the small bag. She was still distrustful of Deon. There was going to be some catch. No matter how good his connections, Lucid was a serious drug. And it was difficult to believe that he was truly willing to help Vander out of the goodness of his heart.