Jaden just looked concerned and angry, as he continued to look at Desiree.

"...she was so happy to have her own place..." he said. "She said she felt safe there. Or as safe as she dared to feel..." he said further, as his hands clenched into fists.

However, before Sydney could say anything in response, Rene, arriving FAR earlier than quoted, appeared several feet behind them.

"HOLY HELL!" he exclaimed, rushing past Sydney and Jaden.

"...yep, this was Deryck" he growled.

"Yes. That's what she told me." Jaden confirmed.

"Well, immediate glance, she should survive." Rene told them. "Just need to make SURE that happens." he finished, before setting to work.

"From what it seems, you've already helped an immense amount." Rene said.

"...sorry to call you away." Jaden apologised to Sydney.

"You don't have to stick around if you don't want to." he told her further, before pausing.

"...oh!" he then exclaimed.

"I'm pretty sure I have the dagger that her brother's been using." he told them.

Jaden nodded in response, and went to where there was a towel. A towel that was wrapping something.

He picked it up and brought it over towards her, unravelling it to show the crystal dagger within.

"Not sure if I should have touched it or not." he said.

"So I wrapped it in a towel just in case." he told her.

"Anyway, here." he continued, wrapping it back up and handing it to her.

"All right." Jaden said.

"Here's hoping that DOES help you track him." Rene interjected.

"He deserves to be found, and to get whatever's coming to him." he said further.

"...assuming that is suffering and death." he then added.

"That's what he deserves." he growled.

"To suffer. Suffer greatly. And then die miserably."

"I have ALL my contacts in this city on the lookout for him." Rene chimed in.

"...and he's still not found?" Jaden asked.

"Hey, I hate his guts, but I WILL compliment him on his disappearing skills." Rene told him.

"Seriously, he knows how to melt off the grid." he went on.

"It's unreal." he finished, going back to Desiree.

"...geez..." Jaden murmured.

"Good." Rene said.

"I'm taking Desiree to OLA." he then said.

With that, he and Desiree were gone in a bubble of water, leaving Jaden to sigh.

"I'm going to go back to Desiree's apartment." he told Sydney.

"Clean it up." he said further.

"No clues there or anything, so... might as well make myself useful."

Jaden nodded in response.

"Yeah." he said, before he received a quick text. He checked it, and nodded to himself.

"Oh, seems he's had the scene of the attack on Dean cleaned up, so no suspicion is aroused by it." he relayed, before there was another text. "...and no clues as to where Deryck went." he muttered.

"Of course." he growled.

"But odds are you already knew that, as you were probably one of the first people he updated about that." he then realised.

"Anyway, I need to stop myself from going insane, so I'm going to busy myself with cleaning her apartment, and I promise I'll try not to do anything stupid or reckless." he then promised her.

Jaden nodded in response.

"I know." he said.

"But I'll try to avoid interrupting you unless I feel like I REALLY need a distraction." he told her.

"I can't be calling you up because I feel a little sad over this, or whatever." he stated.

"But I get you. Really." he assured her.

"Just do what you need to do with the Triad, and the hunt, and that accursed dagger."

Jaden returned the embrace, and nodded.

"Yeah, of course." he said.

"Odds are I'll be the one he contacts first, seeing as she WAS here when I called for help for her." he reasoned.

"At least THIS should get the other two Triad heads to align with you for a smidgen." he continued.

"From all I've heard about this Deryck guy, he'll be thorn in EVERYONE'S side, so anything that gets him closer to disappearing should have them in full cooperation with you." he went on.

"...I hope, anyway."

Jaden just watched her go, and sighed. Heavily.

"Time to make sure that apartment is as clean and organised as it was before the attack. No, better." he stated. He also planned to see if anything was missing, as he planned to replace what had been destroyed or stolen. Though he guessed thieving was probably low, as far as Deryck's priorities were, given what he had set out to do, and how it seemed to have gone.

---

Just as she muttered that, the one her target was fighting was caught off-guard by a leg sweep, and soon found themselves pinned to the floor. And it only hurt when they tried to break free of it.

"....UNCLE! UNCLE, DAMN IT!" they then cried out, slapping the mat with their open palm.

A.J. then released them, and slipped out from the ring, dusting his hands off and looking back at them.

"Credit where it's due, you actually tried to follow up on that idle boasting." he told them. "But you're a smidgen out of my league, newbie." he chuckled.