Title: Scooby Snacks: The Wish Variety
Author: Michael Weyer
I don't own any of them. The Wandererverse created by Steve Pantovich. The Wishverse created by Steve Pantovich, Tim Knight and
myself.
To give you the highlights...
1. Joyce Summers was killed by a vampire in 1996 and Buffy Summers did not come to Sunnydale.
2. Steven St. Wolf was beheaded by the Hunters in 1993.
3. Without Buffy, the Harvest occurred, the Master arose and Sunnydale was conquered by vampires.
4. Xander and Willow were turned into vampires and lovers, the Master's chief enforcers.
5. The character of Katya, played by Justina Vail, appeared in the sixth season "Highlander" episode "Justice." And no, I don't
know why a woman born in 14th century England would have a Russian name.
I wanted to do something a little different for the next Snack bunch. And this was just too good to pass up. A bit much on
quantity, I'll admit but wanted to showcase a selection of splices of life for the Wishverse. Backstories for some, hints for the
future for others.
Hope you like them.
New York City
April 13th, 1976
The apartment wasn't one of the most elite in Manhattan but it was still quite nice. It might have been nicer if it was a little cleaner. The living room still had the remains of several wrappings strewn about and the kitchen was filled with plates carrying the remains of cake and ice cream. Balloons hung from the ceiling and a large banner was strewn over the living room: HAPPY 15TH BIRTHDAY, ELENA.
In the kitchen, Elena Valentine was sitting at the table, chewing on her last piece of cake. A highly attractive young woman, her strong South American features shone through, her dark black hair flowing around her. She wore an elegant white dress and her new diamond pendant hung around her neck. She wiped at her napkin and looked around the kitchen.
"The cleanup can wait for a while." Elena looked up to see her mother step into the room. Katya was as beautiful as ever, her short red hair brushed back, her long black dress elegant yet not too over the top. Her smile was bright as she looked at her daughter with pride. "I think you and I can enjoy the day a bit more."
Elena smiled back at her mother. Oh, she knew Katya wasn't her real mother. She could still remember her early childhood as a street child in Rio De Jenario, unwanted by her true parents, sleeping in the streets, begging for enough money for a piece of fruit. When she'd hung around that hotel, she'd had no idea that she would attract the attention of a woman who was willing to take her in.
Katya had simply meant to give the child a decent meal, a warm bath and a night or two sleeping in a real bed. But before she knew it, she'd fallen in love with the young girl and had decided to take her on as her daughter. Elena was more than willing to escape her life and found this new one more than agreeable. It wasn't just the money and the traveling and the fine schools. It was also the way Katya had become the one person who ever truly cared for her and Elena loved her for it.
"It was quite the party," Elena laughed. "You always manage to spice them up."
"How so?" Katya asked as she slid into a chair at the table, facing her daughter.
"Oh, the way you're always going on about history," Elena explained. "You talk about events and people from centuries ago with such passion, it's amazing. Like today, when you interjected yourself into the conversation between two of my classmates, where you started in on how their ideas on the beginnings of Elizabeth I's reign as Queen were all wrong. The way you spoke, you acted, the intensity, the way you made it feel alive, you make it seem like you were actually there!"
Katya was silent for a moment, tapping her fingers on the table. "What if I told you I was?" she suddenly spoke up.
Elena paused, a forkful of cake halfway to her lips as she looked up at her mother. "What?" she asked in confusion.
Katya sighed, her hand snaking across the table and plucking a knife from a nearby plate. "Elena, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for some time now," she explained. "I wanted to do it for years but I felt it better to wait until I thought you were old enough to understand. I think you are."
Elena lowered her fork. "Mother, what are you saying?"
Katya took a deep breath and looked Elena in the eye. "Elena, I was born in the 14th century in a small village in Northern England. I was wrongfully convicted of witchcraft and burned at the stake. I'm Immortal, Elena."
Elena simply stared at her, not able to think of a single thing to say. With a resigned sigh, knowing it was going to have to come to this, Katya placed the knife on her forearm and made a swift slicing motion with her arm. She gritted her teeth as blood poured out of the long gash.
"Mother!" Elena shrieked, leaping back, fearful that her mother had suddenly gone crazy. "What are you doing? Oh, God, we have to get a doctor, we-----"
She stopped, her eyes staring at her mother's arm. Traces of blue energy, almost like lightning, covered the wound and when they vanished, Katya's arm was perfect, unblemished skin, the drying blood the only evidence anything had happened.
Elena sat down hard in her chair, staring at the healed wound. She slowly brought her head up to look at her mother and realize this was a woman who was truly more than she seemed. "How?" she whispered.
Katya took a deep breath to steady herself. She knew Elena had lots of questions. She knew that from her own personal experience....
Northern England
May 17th, 1364
Katya brushed a long strand of red hair out of her face as she tried to make her way through the forest. The rain from the night before had made the ground muddy and the stains on her clothing showed the times Katya had slipped already. Of course, a little mud hardly mattered to the second-hand clothing Katya had on, tears showing in her dress and she could feel a growing hole in her boot. It had definitely been a far cry from the dress she had worn the night her nightmare had begun.
Even after a month and a half, Katya still couldn't understand what had happened. It wasn't just that she had been tried as a witch and burned at the stake. Katya couldn't understand how she was still alive and unharmed to boot. She didn't feel like something inhuman but still...
What she did know was that her life in that region was over. If it got out she was still alive, she would be hunted down and probably drawn and quartered to make sure she was dead. Katya wasn't sure if she'd survive a second execution and was in no mood to find out. So, stripping the burned and tattered remains of what had once been a fine gown off her body, she had swallowed her revulsion and taken the clothing off an apparent hanging victim. Then, she had begun to run and hadn't stopped.
The worse part of it all was leaving William. Katya had never been loved by anyone in her life, certainly not by a nobleman. She knew William truly would have given up his title and wealth to be with her and knew this would tear at him. She didn't know what lies his father had told to keep him away from the dinner. She somehow knew William would never believe the tales of her being a witch, no matter what. She could only hope and pray that he would be able to cope with the loss someday.
She stopped, her nose wrinkling as she sniffed at the air. Her mouth began to water, a growl coming from her stomach as she realized it had been days since she'd last eaten. She made her way through the forest, following the scent of burning meat. She didn't care what it was, she'd have eaten a raw squirrel at this point. Katya only hoped that whoever was cooking was in the mood to share.
She made her way through a bushel of trees and into a small clearing in the middle of the forest. A set of tents had been set up, along with a makeshift lean-to. A horse was standing nearby, tied to a tree, snorting a bit from the mild smoke coming from the fire in the center of the camp. Hanging over it was the sizzling body of what appeared to have been a boar, more than enough to feed a half-dozen people.
Katya licked her lips and took a step forward, her mouth open to call out for attention. Instead of a word, however, there came a gasp as a feeling struck her hard. Her head erupted with pain as a chill went down her spine, the feeling enough to drive her to her knees. She grasped at her head, crying out with pain, helpless before this strange assault.
As quickly as it had appeared, the feeling vanished and Katya sat up, heaving for breath. She blinked her eyes and tried to regain her bearings. A sound caught her attention and she looked up to see a figure emerge from one of the tents.
Even dressed in dark pants, shirt and tunic, the woman had an excellent form. Her face was beautiful, framed by long curly black hair, her eyes seeming to flash a bit in the daylight. However, there was an element of danger to her bearing, hints that there was more strength within her than one might suppose. That was evidenced by the long sword she held in one hand and the iciness in her gaze as she stared at Katya.
With two steps, the woman was before Katya, the tip of her sword resting right at Katya's throat. "I am Ceirdwyn," the woman stated in a flat tone with what sounded like a slight Scottish brogue. "Who are you?"
"K-- K--Katya," she stammered. "I...I'm sorry, I don't mean harm, I smelled the food and I just hoped that-----" She gasped as she felt the tip of Ceirdwyn's blade push against her skin.
"Are you alone?" Ceirdwyn demanded. "Or are you the distraction while your companion takes my head?"
"I'm alone," Katya quickly answered. She felt tears start to come to her eyes. "I'm all alone," she whispered.
Ceirdwyn's eyes narrowed as she studied the woman carefully. Katya wasn't sure what the other woman appeared to be looking for but hoped it'd be good. Ceirdwyn slowly backed away, her sword still raised and Katya let out a breath and rubbed at her throat. Ceirdwyn continued to back up, sword still up and ready to attack if need be. "Why are you here?" she asked.
"I was...running," Katya admitted, not seeing any point in hiding anything. "My lover...his father didn't want to see him marrying a lowly barmaid. He...He had me invited to dinner in a fine dress, then put on trial for witchcraft, he..." Katya closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I was burned," she whispered. "They burned me and I don't know why I'm not dead, I just don't, I've been running ever since and...and...I was just hungry, I was just so hungry, please, I just want a little food and I'll go, I------"
"Shhh..." Katya opened her eyes and was startled to see Ceirdwyn kneeling before her. Amazingly, the woman's face had shifted into a truly caring expression, showing true concern for the redhead.
"You truly don't know what you are, do you?" Ceirdwyn asked gently.
Katya frowned. "What are you-----"
Ceirdwyn sighed and lowered her sword to the ground. "I think we had best talk..."
"She took me in, she told me what I was and she spent the next two years training me," Katya said. Elena had been silent the entire time Katya told her story. The expression on her face was naturally one of amazement but there was also something else there. A look of rapture that told her that Elena was far less afraid of the truth than Katya had feared.
"So...wait..." Elena said. "You're talking about...Karen?"
Katya nodded. "Yes, she likes to go by that name more often. Yes, she's like me."
"Wow," Elena said. She frowned. "So...wait...does that make her my grandmother?"
Katya frowned. "I never thought of it like that..."
Elena suddenly let out a laugh. "Oh my God, I can't believe this! You...My God, this is amazing!"
Katya broke into a wide smile. "Oh, honey, I'm so glad you're able to accept this. I was worried about how you'd feel when you found out." "Mother," Elena said, reaching over to hold Katya's hand. "I love you. I always have and I always will no matter what." The smile widened. "I have to know, did you ever meet Churchill? Or Kennedy?"
Katya laughed. "Which one?" she asked as the two began a long discussion...
Madrid, Spain
June 8th, 1985
"Will you be still?" Katya said in a mildly chiding tone. "I'm going to stick you with one of these pins!"
"I'm sorry," Elena sighed. "It's just...God, I'm frightened, I'm hopeful, I want to do this, I want to run away."
"This is why I avoided marriage," Katya said as she rose to her feet. She brushed at her long light blue dress, her red hair done in a bun behind her. She looked at her daughter and felt tears come to her eyes. Elena was dressed in a billowing white dress, her long dark hair in a bun underneath her veil. She had grown into a beautiful woman, her perfect skin seeming to shine under the lights in the small room. At the moment, she was quite nervous, which Katya didn't blame her for.
"God, I still can't believe this is happening," Elena whispered. "I'm getting married, mother. I'm getting married..."
"I know, honey," Katya said, trying to hide a sigh. In the six months since Armond Baptista had proposed to her, Elena had been in a whirlwind of activity, picking out patterns, the church, caterers and all the rest. Katya had done her best to help, determined to see her daughter's wedding go as perfectly as possible. It was a difficult process but the payoff was almost here.
"This is still so incredible," Elena sighed. "I'm about to be married and now that's it's actually time..."
"Just relax, honey," Katya said, smoothing her daughter's hair. "Armando loves you and you love him. This is going to go perfectly------" She stopped and stiffened, her head turning to the side.
Elena tensed as well. She knew that look in her mother's face, she had seen it before. "Is...is there going to be a fight?" she asked hesitantly. She inwardly cursed herself for caring more about her wedding being ruined than her mother getting into a duel with another Immortal. Elena had seen such a duel once before and knew how horrific it was for her mother afterward. She didn't want to have Katya go through that again, especially today.
The door to the room opened, Katya and Elena turning around to see a woman enter. Her dark hair was straight behind her and she wore a nice dark skirt and blouse with dress jacket, a wide smile on her face as she looked at the surprised duo. "Well, nothing borrowed or blue but something old has arrived."
"Ceirdwyn!" Katya cried out, walking over and giving her teacher a large hug. "Oh, I can't believe you're here!"
"Like I was going to miss this?" the elder Immortal said as she backed away. She looked at Elena, who was still on the small step stool. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you," the mortal replied. "I'd hug you but Mother has just spent the last half-hour trying to get this dress right..."
"I understand," Ceirdwyn said. She looked at Katya. "By the way, just what is the cover here?"
"Younger sister," Katya said. "Seemed easy to explain."
"I'll remember," Ceirdwyn stated. She glanced up at Elena. "I was coming to deliver a message. The bridesmaids are assembled outside and everything's set."
Elena took a deep breath. "All, right," she said, carefully stepping off the stool. "We might as well get it over with." She picked up a white bouquet from a waiting table and stood in place. Katya carefully reached up to grab the veil. She paused to give her daughter a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm so happy for you," she whispered, tears in her eyes as she lowered the veil in place. With a smile at her, Elena headed out to the waiting bridesmaids.
Ceirdwyn watched her go, then turned to Katya. "She looks wonderful," she said.
"She does," Katya agreed, wiping at her eyes. "God, I'm so proud of her right now."
Ceirdwyn studied her carefully. "I never understood how deep your feelings for her really were," she stated.
Katya looked up at Ceirdwyn. "You've been alive longer than I have. You know how lonely it gets. How we often want someone to call our own."
"I do," the Scotswoman replied. She sighed. "Funny. Male Immortals just don't have that same desire for children that we do. Sometimes...Sometimes, I almost think I'd trade Immortality if it meant having a child of my own."
Katya was quiet before she spoke. "I know I won't be able to see her for very much longer," she softly said. "Ten years at the most before Armond starts wondering why I'm not aging. After that...I don't know when I'll be able to see her again."
She sighed deeper. "It is hard sometimes. Frankly, I sometimes think I'm better at dueling than dealing with some of Elena's teenage problems." She bit her lip. "But I still wouldn't trade it for anything. Especially on a day like this."
Ceirdwyn smiled and motioned toward the other room. "Well. Shall we see our girl off?"
"Oh, yes," Katya smiled as she walked with her teacher to witness what she would consider the best moment of her life. *I couldn't have it for myself* she thought. *I hope Elena does much better with it than I did.*
Madrid, Spain
July 15th, 1996
"Auntie Katya!" Mia Baptista rushed through the parlor of the lavish mansion and practically tackled the redhead woman who had entered. Katya laughed as she picked up her "niece," giving her a friendly hug before putting her down.
"Oh, Mia, you keep on growing!" Katya laughed, brushing at the young girl's long dark hair. "You're looking more and more like your mother."
"Did you bring me something?" Mia eagerly asked.
Katya tousled her hair. "I'll show it to you after dinner," she said. She rose up and looked around the house. Armond had done quite well for himself over the last decade and it showed in the large mansion with its classic Spanish architecture. "Where are your parents?"
"They're upstairs," Mia answered. "Daddy's complaining."
"About what?" Katya asked with a frown.
"Have you seen this schedule?" Armando Baptista asked as he came down the stairs. He was waving a piece of paper as he looked behind him. "Have you seen where he wants me to go?" Armando was still the same as when Katya had first met him a decade earlier, his dark hair slicked back from his strong face, his suit hanging like a second skin around him.
Behind him, Elena rolled her eyes lightly as she came down the stairs. She had aged well over the last decade, only a few lines and wrinkles showing and looked quite nice in a dark dress. "You told him to do the schedules, darling," she said.
"Rome, Lisbon, Paris, London?" Armando complained as he reached the parlor. "Is the man trying to kill me?"
"He has to keep the advertisers happy," Elena reminded her husband.
Armando let out a chuckle. "I think I taught him too well."
"Troubles at the office?" Katya lightly asked.
Armando looked at her with a start. "Oh, Katya, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here." He shook his head. "Just trying to figure out my trip. Raoul is being quite adamant about making sure I make a good impression." He sighed. "Like I don't have enough to worry about with this expose on the crime gangs..."
"Honey," Elena warned him. "No talking shop at dinner?"
"Forgive me," Armando said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. He looked back at Katya. "It's good to see you again. Sorry I'm not in the best of moods."
"Understandable," Katya said. "Is dinner ready?"
"Another half-hour," Elena said. She headed toward the kitchen. "Ramon should be here by then."
"Oh, is Ramon coming?" Katya asked with surprise and a touch of anticipation. She failed to see the slight frown on Elena's face at that.
"He was just coming to drop off some papers." Armando frowned. "I have to admit to being worried. He didn't show up for work today and that's not like him."
"Well, everyone needs a little time off," Katya said as she followed Elena into the kitchen. "You should consider it sometime. Take the family on a vacation."
"I'll think about it," Armando said. "When I have the time."
"Daddy!" Mia spoke up. "Let me show you the painting Mommy and I did today!"
Katya smiled as she watched them leave, then entered the kitchen where Elena was. Her daughter was busy chopping up a head of lettuce for the salad and Katya was struck by the intense expression on her face. "Elena, is something wrong?"
Elena paused and looked up at her mother. "Mother," she softly said. "I hope that for today, you don't try to do anything with Ramon."
Katya frowned. "Like what?"
"Like what you do," Elena responded. "How you often...put the moves on him while he's here."
"Can I help it that he's attracted?" Katya lightly replied. "I have to say, he has a lot going for him. Nice, strong, virile and it has been a while-----"
"Stay away from him, Mother," Elena cut in. "Just please stay away."
Katya stared at her daughter for a long moment, the intensity of the expression on her face and the tiny twinge of guilt confusing. Then it hit her and she put a hand to her mouth. "Elena," she whispered. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "What are you doing?"
Elena was silent for a long moment. She had been dreading this, Katya could see and it was going to be harder than she thought. "It...It's only been a few months," she said.
"I don't care about the length of time, Elena!" Katya hissed. She paused to collect herself. "Just...how could you do this? How?"
Elena shrugged. "He...he makes me feel young again."
"Elena..."
"Not all of us can be twenty-seven forever," Elena shot back with more venom than she intended.
Katya closed her eyes. In all their years together, there was one thing she had never felt for Elena before: disappointment. Now, it was coming in spades. Finally opening her eyes, she gave Elena a hard look. "Just try to think of what you're doing," she said. "To Armando. To Mia. They'll find out, Elena. Trust me, things like this always come out."
Elena was silent and Katya sighed as she turned and walked away.
The doorbell rang and Elena rushed to open it. "Hello, Ramon," she said, trying to sound nonchalant about her lover arriving. "Come on in."
"Thank you," Ramon Castillo said as he entered. He was a handsome man in his thirties with short dark hair and a good build. He reminded Elena a bit of Armando, of the vigor and passion he once had before the newspaper became more important than his family. She did feel guilt over what she was doing but for right now, just wanted to enjoy it.
"Ramon," Katya said in a much cooler tone as she entered the parlor. "Good to see you again," she managed to bite out.
"Katya," Ramon said with a smile. "I wasn't expecting you to be here."
"Well, today has just been full of surprises," Katya said. She sighed and glanced behind Ramon...and frowned. "Who are those men?" she frowned, nodding at the pack of men who were coming up the steps toward the mansion.
"Oh, a few friends of mine," Ramon said. "It has to do with one of the stories Armando was planning." He glanced at Elena. "Is it okay if they drop in? It won't be long."
Something about this was ringing some alarms in Katya's head. There was something...different about Ramon. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but it was there, she knew that. Before she could say anything, Elena spoke. "Well, all right, I suppose you can bring them in quickly. Heaven knows, I have enough food here."
"Oh, I couldn't agree more," Ramon said and the way he said it made the hackles on Katya's neck rise to the limit. This was definitely not right. She knew that. She didn't know what it was but she knew it wasn't right.
Ramon looked at Katya and broke into a wide smile. "You know, your sister and I have been sleeping together for the last two months," he said.
"Ramon!" Elena yelled in shock.
The grin became wider. "I thought I'd let you know," he told Katya. "Before this." With that, his face changed, ridges growing, his eyes turning yellow and fangs showing.
*Vampire* Katya thought to herself in the brief second before Ramon was before her, grabbing her around the throat and pulling her off her feet. Katya gasped for breath, grabbing ineffectually at his arm as Ramon put a hand to her head. He smiled and then savagely twisted. Katya heard the snapping of her own vertebrae as her head was twisted nearly all the way around. The last sight she had before death took her was the horrified look on Elena's face.
Katya's eyes shot open and she instinctively gasped for air as life returned to her. She winced as she sat up, feeling the aches in her neck that told her the bones were still stitching together. As always, it took a moment for her mind to catch up and remember what had happened. When it did, her eyes widened fully and she rose to her feet with only one thing on her mind.
*Elena*
The moment she saw the trail of blood on the floor, she knew. She didn't want to accept it but deep down, she knew. Sucking in her breath, she stumbled forward, trying to steady her walk as she made her way into the dining room....
She choked at the scene before her, trying to force down the bile rising in her throat. Armando was on the floor, his eyes wide and in shock, his face one of horror. His throat had been nearly torn out, blood seeped around him and all over his shirt. Mia was stretched out on the table, eyes closed as if in sleep but the multitude of bite marks on her neck proved otherwise. Katya stepped forward and brushed at her hair, bending down to kiss her forehead. "My little one," she whispered. "I'm so sorry..."
A whimpering got her attention and she turned to see Elena on the floor behind the table. Instantly, Katya was at her daughter's side. She choked as she took in the horrific sight before her. One of Elena's eyes was blacked, her clothing was torn with cuts all over her body. The way her dress was torn told Katya that Elena had been raped during the horror. "Oh, God..." Katya whispered. "Oh, god, Elena, baby, my baby..."
"Mother?" Elena choked, blood on her lips. "Is...Is that you?"
"It's me, baby, I'm here," Katya whispered as she cradled Elena's head in her arms. "Mommy's right here, baby."
Elena shuddered in her grip. "I saw...Mia...Armando...I saw...My fault...all my..."
"No, no, baby, it wasn't your fault," Katya quickly said. "None of this is. Just stay still, all right, stay still and it will be okay, it will all be okay..."
"I...I see the light..." Elena whispered. "Is this...this what it's like...for you? It's...not as bad as I...You never told me that..."
"Elena? Elena, hold on, baby, please hold on..."
"I...love you..."
"I love you too, Elena. Now, please just hold on..."
Elena choked again and coughed, shuddering in Katya's grasp. Her eyes gently closed as her body went still. All was silent for a long moment...
Then the house was filled with one long, anguished scream.
The small café was located in a remote part of town and was rarely filled at this time of night. That was especially good news as it would have meant a higher body count for the pack of vampires inside. As it was, the only bodies were of the café owner and his wife and one waiter. The half-dozen vampires were seated around a table, toasting each other in victory.
"Now that was a great way to break in a new guy!" the eldest of the group said, motioning to Ramon. "It's been too long since we did something like that!"
"Still can't believe you didn't kill the woman," one vamp said.
"Ah, I thought leaving her to go slow would be better," Ramon said. "She wasn't too bad in the sack but hey, I was only using her to get a closer look at the boss's schedule and plan when I'd steal files for the mob boss. Which reminds me, I owe him a visit too."
"Well, save that for later," the leader stated. "We need to crash somewhere for a while before daylight comes up."
"Aw, man, I'm still hungry," a vamp said. "Can't we just grab one more meal?"
A knocking sound came from the front door, surprising the group. They looked at each other, the leader shrugging at the vamp who had spoken. "Well, you called it."
Smiling, the vamp got to his feet and headed toward the door, rubbing his hands in anticipation. He threw the door open...and stared in shock at the figure on the other side. "How-----" was all he got out before a flash of metal bisected his neck, destroying him.
The other vampires reacted to the sudden death of one of their own, rising to their feet as a figure stepped into the room. They all felt that same shock as they saw Katya standing in the doorway. She was dressed in a pair of tight black pants and shirt with leather jacket. Her sword was in one hand, a crossbow in the other. Her face was blank but her eyes blazed with absolute fury and bloodlust not even the vampires could match.
"You realize of course," she said in a flat tone. "You are all about to die."
Ramon burst through the door leading to the alley, intent on getting away. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. In less than two minutes, Katya had carved her way through his vampire gang. With her crossbow, sword and makeshift stakes made out of the legs of the table, she had taken out nearly the entire gang, with Ramon as last.
He couldn't accept this. He'd killed this woman only a few hours ago, twisted her entire head around. How could she be back and killing them all like this? Those questions were knocked aside as he slipped on the pavement and onto the ground. He tried to scramble back to his feet but kept falling. It was like the ground was suddenly slick for some reason. And then there was an oddly familiar smell...
A blinding pain cut through his leg and Ramon yelled as he felt an arrow bury into it. He rolled on the ground, gripping at the shaft as he heard Katya speak. "That was for Armando."
There was the sound of a crossbow firing and suddenly an arrow buried itself right into Ramon's groin. He let out a wild, high-pitched howl at the massive pain. "That's for Mia," Katya stated as she lowered her crossbow. She calmly stepped forward, reaching into her pocket for something.
Ramon backed away, his entire body in incredible pain, his eyes fixed on Katya. "What..." he choked out. "What are you?"
Katya removed her hands and fiddled with something in them. "Justice," she said in a flat tone. "Vengeance." She made a quick motion and suddenly, a lit match was in her hand and her eyes bore on Ramon. "Death." She raised an eyebrow. "Pick any of the above. This...is for my daughter."
In the second it took for her to throw down the match, Ramon realized what that smell on the ground and now on him was. Even with his speed, he wasn't able to avoid the rush of flame coming at him and then covering him. He screamed as his skin ignited, rolling on the gasoline-covered ground, his entire body covered with flame. When he finally came apart, it was almost a blessing.
Katya watched as he burned away into ash, her eyes stained with tears. She knelt down to grip the crossbow and the sword, then rose to her feet, turning away and walking off into the night.
The funeral was a relatively simple affair. There were Armando's parents and siblings, all expressing condolences to Katya for the loss of her "sister." There were people from Armando's newspaper and a few luminaries from Spain itself. Thankfully, reporters were kept away for the occasion. Katya had already heard the police were blaming it all on one of the crime bosses Armando's paper had been trying to expose. She didn't care. For her, nothing mattered anymore.
She stood by the three coffins, focusing on the one in the center. She had cried for nearly a day straight after she had returned home and had done it several times since so she felt nearly dry. She reached out a hand to touch Elena's coffin, trying to stifle her new wave of tears.
"I had walked this earth for nearly 600 years," she softly said. "But I never felt truly alive until I found you. You were my world...my life...You were what kept me going the last few decades. When I dueled...it was the idea of losing you and leaving you alone that gave me the strength to win."
She closed her eyes and tried to steady herself. "I'll miss you," she whispered. "Oh, God, I will miss you so much...I can't even tell you..." She bit her lip and wiped away her tears. "From now on," she said, resolve in her voice. "They'll pay. All of them will pay for what they did to you. I'll make sure of that. You have my promise."
Katya bent down and gently kissed the coffin. "I love you. I'll miss you." She closed her eyes. "Good-bye, my little girl."
She straightened, turned and began to walk away, into a world that to her felt so much darker.
October 13th, 1996
Falls Church, VA
0913 Hours, EST
The sun was flowing through the windows as Commander Harmon Rabb opened his eyes. He turned around to look at the beautiful woman who lay next to him. She was mostly covered by a sheet, her body warm against his, a smile of utter contentment on her beautiful face, a few strands of hair brushing past her forehead. Harm slowly pulled the sheet off her, exposing the incredibly shapely body, athletic yet with curves a supermodel would envy. Harm let his gaze trail over her full chest and toned abs, loving it as much as he had the first time he'd seen it. His hand reached over and slid down her back, a sigh coming up as she roused at his touch.
"Hmmm, a little lower and you'll be getting a great wake-up call," Major Sarah MacKenzie said as she opened her eyes to look up at her lover. She raised her head up, her short brown hair flowing around her gorgeous features. Harm leaned down and kissed her on the lips, Mac answering back. She was admiring him back, his own short dark hair showing his rugged handsome features, his body just as in shape as hers, a fact she had enjoyed quite a bit.
"God, I love having the day off," Mac sighed as they broke the kiss. "First time since we got together."
"Which has only been a month," Harm pointed out.
"Time flies when you're having the best fun of your life," the Marine smiled at her lover. She curled up next to him, embracing him hard. "Come on, Harm, we both wanted this the moment we laid eyes on each other."
"True," the Navy lawyer admitted. "Maybe we should drop a line to that petty officer we were trying. The argument about the case did get us going enough to take the big plunge."
"For which I'm grateful," Mac said as she kissed him again. She could still remember that night in his apartment, tensions rising between them as they argued how best to try the case, the wine they had been enjoying loosening them up a bit so they were far more free with their emotions then they might have been. They had been arguing a point, both yelling about the stubborness the other was showing. The next thing Mac knew, she was kissing Harm with passion as he was tearing off her bra. They had made love so many times since that night and yet it still felt as new and wonderful as the first had.
Working a relationship around their job had been difficult but both were too deep in this relationship to care. They had gone head to head on one case, with tempers raised for both but that had ended up giving even more fire to the bedroom later on. For today, Mac was content to simply spend a day with her lover and pretty much let the rest of the world slide on by.
As much as she wanted to just lie in bed all day with Harm, Mac felt the call of nature. She slid away and stood up, Harm taking a moment to admire her amazing naked body. "I must say, Major, you are quite ravishing out of uniform."
"Don't try to influence the opposite counsel, Commander," Mac teased as she slid on a robe. "I know we promised not to talk about cases when we're on the opposite sides in private but...."
"Hey, you know I wouldn't do that," Harm broke in. "I trust you and you trust me, right?"
Mac paused and looked at him. "Yeah," she said softly. "Yeah, I do." She shook her head and walked toward the door. "I'm going to get some coffee going before we enjoy the day."
"I'll be right out," Harm said, watching her go. He sighed and lay back on the bed, his mind in thought.
Mac hummed lightly to herself as she got the coffee ready. She had to admit, she couldn't remember ever feeling so good in her life. Not even meeting her husband had excited her as much as the last few weeks with Harm had. He'd given Mac a new lease on life and she was more than ready to enjoy it. It wasn't just the sex (although God knows that was good enough). It was also the fact that Harm truly respected her and cared for her, which made Mac feel even better about things.
She pursed her lips as the coffeemaker began to churn. There was one thing about the situation that felt...off to her. The sense that Harm was holding something back from her. She couldn't figure out what it was and hated to press him on it but it was there. She could sense it whenever they were together and it was casting a mild shadow on their relationship. Again, Mac didn't want to pry but she hated the idea of Harm keeping secrets from her, especially if they were going to try to make this work.
*God, I didn't think it would get this crazy* she thought to herself as she watched the pot. *Who knew kick-starting a relationship so soon would be such a chore-----*
A hand suddenly clamped over Mac's mouth and before she could even react, a piercing pain struck her in the back. She gasped and screamed through the glove, her cries muffled. Another pain hit her, her strength quickly flowing out as she felt her life's blood begin to ebb away.
She was spun about, another pain hitting her right in the heart and then again and again. She stared upward at the attacker as he brutally shoved her down. She landed on her side, choking as she felt herself bleed to death. As she twitched on the floor, one thought came to mind. *Harm...* Then she felt and thought nothing else.
It was a good time, Harm had to admit. Hell, it was the best time of his life. His career was moving fast and he now had a woman in his life who meant a lot. It was hard keeping things quiet at the workplace (Harm believed at least Bud suspected) but it was working out great so far.
So far. Harm bit his lip as he realized the major stumbling block their relationship still had before them. *You're going to have to tell her soon, Harm* he thought to himself. *She has a right to know before it gets too deep. She has to know. Even if it means losing her.*
A banging sound cut through his thoughts and Harm sat up, concerned. "Mac?" he called out. "Mac, is everything okay?" The silence that answered him caused his concern to grow and he moved out of the bed, throwing on a robe and rushing out the door.
"Mac?" Harm called out as he entered the kitchen. "Mac, are you----"
Without warning, he felt a sharp pain in his back. He gasped as he felt another pain, only a few inches to the left of the first. He stumbled as someone shoved him around and that same pain hit him in the chest. Harm stared down and saw a large knife protruding from just above his heart. His eyes traveled up to the hand carrying it, then the dark-garbed figure holding it, who smiled at him. "Hey, Rabb," he said in a cold tone.
"PALMER?" Harm gasped out as he stumbled backward.
"Yep," Clark Palmer said as he pulled out the knife and shoved Harm down to the floor. He twirled the knife in his hands as he stood over the mortally wounded Navy man. "Gotta tell you, Rabb, it was worth those months in Leavenworth for this moment. Can you believe they still fall for the old 'faking sick' trick? It got me a guard's uniform and a doctor's car to get out in, a quick trip to the local hardware store and here I am."
Harm closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, holding his chest as Palmer went on. "Now, I had a whole bunch of wild schemes of cat and mouse to run through. Maybe discredit you somehow like impersonating you and poisoning a defendant. Or just stalking you around. But, I decided, in the end, just coming out and killing you was the best. Of course, you won't be making the trip alone."
At that, Harm opened his eyes and turned his head to the side. What he saw ripped through his heart. Mac lay on the floor on her side, several tears in her robe showing, all around her heart. A pool of blood lay by her and Harm could tell she was no longer breathing.
A savage fury overcame Harmon Rabb that he wasn't expecting. Palmer certainly wasn't expecting Harm to suddenly leap up to his feet and with a yell, attack the murderer. Palmer slashed out with the knife and cut Harm across the face. Harm didn't even seem to feel it as he slammed against Palmer, pinning him against the sink. Palmer tried to fight back, neither man noticing the tiny flashes of lightning emenating from Mac's body.
They struggled, Palmer trying to bring the knife around to get at Harm, Harm refusing to give in. Palmer caught sight of Harm's face and froze. He stared in utter disbelief as blue bolts of energy suddenly covered the spot where he had cut Harm. In seconds, the cut had vanished as if nothing had happened.
Palmer's confusion at this inhuman act was all the distraction Harm needed. With one hand, he belted Palmer across the face twice, then yanked him forward, sending him sailing toward the table. Palmer landed on it and gasped in pain. He stayed frozen for a moment before slowly sliding off the table and onto his back. The knife protruded from his chest, the point stuck right in his heart. Palmer choked for a few minutes, spat up some blood, then went still, his eyes wide and showing utter confusion.
Harm let out a long breath as he moved toward Mac. He knelt by her body and lifted it up slightly. His hands cupped her head and held it, Harm feeling tears coming to his eyes. "Dammit," he whispered, brushing at the hair of this woman he had just realized was his world. "It shouldn't have been like this. It wasn't supposed to be this soon...I didn't want to lose you this soon...."
Without warning, Mac's body trembled in Harm's grasp. He was confused for a moment until an all-too familiar buzzing filled his head. Before he could even understand what that meant, Mac's eyes flew open and she let out a gasp as she came back to life.
"My God," Harm whispered, not daring to believe what he was seeing.
Mac's eyes whipped around, her mouth opening and closing as she took in several breaths. "H...Harm?" she choked. "What...what is...what happened? He...This man came out of nowhere and...What is...."
Harm took a deep breath. This was going to be a harder day than he had expected.
"I want to know now."
"Sarah...."
"No!" Mac pointed a finger at Harm. The two were dressed in casual clothes, in Harm's bedroom. Night had fallen, the police had finally left and the duo had given their statements. It was a simple case really. A convicted killer had broken prison and tried to take revenge on the lawyer who put him away, said lawyer forced to kill him in self-defense. Of course, there were a few details the police didn't know about.
"Harm," Mac went on. "I kept quiet when you told me about Palmer. I kept quiet when you had me shower before the police arrived. I kept quiet when you scrubbed down the floor where I had been bleeding. I kept quiet when you told them what happened. I kept quiet when you had me stuff the robe I was wearing in the trash, I kept quiet when you covered up several pieces of evidence but I want to know what is going on, Harm!"
She took a breath. "He stabbed me," she whispered. "He stabbed me in the heart. I know, I felt it. You can't just..." She shook her head. "I should be dead."
"You were."
Mac stared at the drawn look on her lover's face. "What?" She whispered.
Harm took a deep breath. "You know my crash a few years ago? My recovery?"
Mac nodded. "Of course. Everyone has. Harmon Rabb, the Navy flier who crashed a Tomcat but emerged without a scratch."
"Well, that's not exactly true," Harm sighed. "There were a few minutes before the rescue crews pulled me out. And in that time..." he took a breath. "I died."
Mac stared at him. "Excuse me?"
"I didn't know for a few weeks," Harm went on. "I thought it was just a miracle recovery like everyone said and pushed it aside." He licked his lips before going on. "It was during shore leave a few weeks later that I felt something. A massive headache and a buzzing in my head. That's when I met a man who told me what happened. What I was." He looked at Mac. "What you are now."
"Which is?" Mac asked softly.
"We're Immortal, Mac. You and me....we're never going to die."
It took him the better part of an hour to explain it all and Mac naturally was more than a little thrown. "Jesus," she whispered as she sat on the bed. "I can't...this is..."
"Been there, done that," Harm nodded.
Mac looked up at him. "Did you know that I was...?"
Harm shook his head. "No. No, newbies can't really feel it for a while. I had no idea you were going to be Immortal."
"But..." Mac licked her lips. "But you still wanted to be with me. Even if you knew I was going to get old and you weren't."
Harm looked her deep in the eye as he replied. "I decided a while ago that you're worth growing old with. For as long as you wanted me, I'd be there for you. I..." He swallowed. "I love you, Sarah. It didn't really hit me until I thought I lost you but...I love you."
Mac's eyes brimmed with tears as she stood up and walked to him. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him full on the lips. She broke it off to look at him. "The last thought I had before...Was of you. Of how this would hurt you. You've given more happiness than I've felt in years and the thought of giving you pain at losing me...I didn't want to hurt you." She smiled. "I love you too, Harm." She suddenly laughed. "I guess it fits now that we'll be together a while."
"It will," Harm smiled. He took a breath. "There's still a lot to learn, Sarah. For one thing, I got into the legal side because I didn't want to risk another accident and someone finding out. You could run into some trouble like that along the way."
"If there is, we'll deal with it," Mac stated empathically. She took a deep breath. "So, what about this...Game?"
"That will be a bit tricky," Harm admitted. "I'm okay but not good enough to teach you." He moved off and to the phone. "I'd better call my teacher. He's over 1400 years old, he's got more than enough experience to teach. Hopefully, he'll be able to fly out here and help." He frowned and looked at Mac. "Of course, he may not be crazy about teaching a woman."
"What, he's a chauvinist?" Mac asked with some annoyance.
"Not exactly," Harm said. "It's more his upbringing and current surroundings." He began to dial some numbers and sighed. "Just hope that Ivar is in a good mood."
Air France Flight 347
20,000 feet over the Atlantic
March 1st, 1996
It was growing late, the sun peeking away over the horizon, shafts beginning to fade inside the cabin of the 747. Almost immediately, several lights blinked on over seats as the passengers not asleep studied magazines, files or books. Dinner wasn't supposed to be for another hour and so most people were trying to relax and enjoy the flight. Some were going to Paris for business, others for a vacation, other to connect to family.
The latter included the young woman sitting alone in the back of the plane, a small pile of papers before her.
A few weeks earlier, the idea of flying to Paris would have been a wonderful trip for Alison Jarman. Of course, that was when her life was comprised purely of shopping, partying and hanging out with boys. Before Percy. Before her parents...
Ali shook her head and blinked away tears. She wasn't going to come apart, not now and not here. She had more than mourned her parents' murder over the last few weeks, along with the physical shock that had come over her after nearly dying at Percy's hands. In retrospect, going after a vampire alone was a pretty stupid idea, Ali had to admit. She had been overwhelmed by anger and grief and that had clouded her judgment and had nearly cost her life...And probably would continue to do so...
Ali shook her head, trying to brush that aside. *Don't think about that. Not now. You've got more on your mind.* She brought her eyes back to the papers, trying to process what she was seeing.
In a way, it was ironic, Ali had to admit. If she had found these anytime sooner, she would have found the idea of her father having had an affair with an honest-to-God elf to be absolutely insane. That she was the product of that union was just ridiculous. But being attacked by a vampire definitely opened Ali's mind up to more possibilities. If vampires were real, why not elves? It made an odd sort of sense and Ali wanted to explore that further.
It wasn't like she had much else before her. With her parents gone and no other relatives around, she was looking at some sort of foster system and she'd rather take her chances on her own. Especially if what she feared about herself was true. She knew she'd probably be facing some problems with buying a ticket on her mom's credit card when she had no intention (or way) of paying, but she'd cross that bridge when she came to it. For right now, she had some serious preparation to make.
*Dad just mentions something about meeting her in Paris* Ali thought as she looked over the notes. *Nothing on where or where she might have come from. There has to be something, someone I can talk to, some clue. If...if worse comes to worse...I deserve to at least know who I am...before I might lose it entirely.*
She brushed at her eyes again as she flipped through the papers, trying to figure out her plan of action. *Not like there's a guide to shops specializing in elven lore in the local bookstore.* She sighed. *Hell, just try to wing it, Ali. Just ask a few questions. That shouldn't be too bad.*
Paris, France
March 3rd, 1996
1345 Hours Paris Time
Ali paused before the small shop and checked the slip of paper in her hands. *Thank God I decided French would be a good elective.* she thought as she tried to translate the address in her hand. The shop itself was small and non-descript, blending in with the other boutiques in the small alleyway. Like many of the streets in Paris, it seemed to meander with no set route, ending in a small circle with a fountain in the middle. The fountain was off and the section itself was relatively deserted. Ali didn't mind too much. She had been through enough to know that dangers rarely came out in the daylight.
She had spent the previous night checking into a small motel near the Seine and crashing from jet lag. She knew this was going to blow what has left of her credit but it couldn't be helped. She had set off on a search of the local shops, focusing on those having to do with the occult and the supernatural. So far, she had mostly struck out. A few of the shops had been about comics and sci-fi shows, with no connection to real supernatural aspects. The ones that did were mostly about Wicca or other practices. She had found an occult bookstore whose owner informed her of a shop that he said would be perfect for what she wanted to find.
Ali looked up at the shop's sign. "Over and Under," she muttered. "Not exactly screaming 'we have elves, come look." She paused to look at her reflection in the window of the shop. She was wearing a light dark blouse with jeans, her hair brushed behind her. It was a more conservative outfit than she was used to and she knew it. She didn't have much in the way of luggage, only a pair of bags with what clothes she could pack. *Great. I finally make it to Paris and shopping's the last thing I want.* Taking a breath, she opened the door and entered the shop.
The decor was decidedly not Parisian. Just what it was would probably be a subject for debate. The wallpaper was a light tan and yet the place seemed somewhat dark. Shelves were filled with books and various antiques, vases, jars and other items with bizarre patterns and designs. It took Ali a moment to realize that several of the statues bore the same image: A proud, handsome man with a bearded face, wearing leather armor, usually with a sword in his hand. No matter how strong and proud he seemed, there was something about the figure that seemed...dark to Ali, yet strangely intriguing.
She looked around the shop, coming to the counter. A large statue rested behind it, a set of candles around her, almost like an altar. The figure on the statue was the same as the ones Ali had already seen. A large tapestry hung on the wall behind the counter, showing that same man in the midst of a battlefield, standing proud amidst a variety of dead bodies. "Ugh," Ali couldn't help saying. "That is *so* not attractive."
"It depends on your point of view." Ali barely held back a shriek as she jumped slightly at the sudden voice. She looked down, realizing for the first time that the black shape before the altar was a woman kneeling. The woman rose to her feet and turned to face Ali, her long black dress flowing around her five foot, five body. Ali guessed she was in her fifties, her black curly hair starting to show a little gray. Her features were elegant and still very beautiful, with no wrinkles that Ali could really see. Her eyes were a piercing green and looking into them, Ali felt there was a lot of history behind them. "May I help you?" the woman said in a clipped voice, Ali noticing the light Scottish brogue to it.
Swallowing, she spoke up. "Um, I was told you might be able to help me with some information?"
"On?" the woman asked, glancing around the counter area, obviously not that interested in what this teenager had to say.
"Elves."
The woman seemed to pause for a brief moment before leaning down to a box of ornaments. "Tolkein or Forgotten Realms? There's an excellent gaming shop-------"
"No," Ali said. "I mean real elves. Actual elves. The kind of elves that...that might come to Earth."
The woman froze in place as she heard Ali's voice. She slowly rose to her feet and gazed at Ali with an intense expression. "Are you being serious?"
Ali quickly nodded. "Yeah. I am."
The woman narrowed her eyes at Ali. "Are you speaking from...personal experience when you say you suspect these elves exist?"
Ali licked her lips, trying to figure out what to tell this woman. "My dad..He...died a few weeks ago and I found this letter talking about how he had known this woman named Adelaide and how she was an------"
"Adelaide?" the shopkeeper said with new intensity. "Did you say....Adelaide?"
Ali looked up at her with hope. "You know about her?" she said.
The woman was quiet for a long moment, looking down at the counter. "I am not truly the person to ask," she finally stated. "And I do not believe my...patron would appreciate my simply giving out information on such matters."
"Patron?" Ali frowned.
The woman motioned toward the statue. "Ares."
Ali blinked, memories of an old mythology class coming to her. "The Greek God of War?"
The woman nodded. "I am one of his priestesses."
*Oh, God, she's nuts* Ali thought, trying to keep her face straight. She carefully licked her lips and stepped back a bit. "Um, I don't want to get you in trouble or anything so maybe you can just tell me where I could-------"
"Someone will find you," the woman stated. "I can be sure of that. Especially if you have gone to other places first. You will find the answers you seek."
*Cuckoo* Ali thought as she started to back away. "Well, um, I'd better be going then, hate to take up more of your time." She found herself backing into the door, turning the knob and preparing to leave. "It was nice to meet you, Ms...."
"Shaw," the woman stated. "Shaw Madison."
"Okay," Ali said as she pulled the door open. "Um, well, thanks again-----"
"Young lady," Shaw called out. "I would best be careful how I phrase these questions. There are...elements that may hear your questions. And their method of answering may not be what you want."
Ali stared at her for a long moment, then turned and quickly exited the shop. Shaw followed her as she left and slowly shook her head. "Ares help that child," she whispered. "She has no idea what hell she's getting into." Shrugging off unwanted memories, the priestess went back to her work.
*Well, so far so sucky* Ali thought as she walked down the street. *All this effort and I still haven't found anything close to real info on elves.* She brushed back at her hair and sighed. *God, why am I doing this? Why did I travel halfway around the world for this?*
But she knew why. She knew she had to find out where she came from, who she truly was. If she was going to try to make a new life for herself, she figured knowing herself would be an important step. But at the moment, it didn't look like she was going to learn much of anything. *Well, what did you expect, Ali? That elves would just be popping up around you without any effort?*
It was the very instant a pair of arms grabbed her and yanked her back that Ali realized you had to be careful about thinking things too soon.
She let out an involuntary yelp as she was dragged into an alleyway and pushed against a wall. She looked up...and froze in shock at the two figures before her. They both had pale skin offset by the dark leather clothing they wore. Their eyes were yellow slits, like a cat's, highlighting pale but attractive faces. One was a man and one was a woman, both with long dark hair, the woman's in a ponytail. Both appraised Alison with smiles that made her more than a little uncomfortable.
*Oh my God* Ali thought, staring at the duo. Even after all she had read from her father's notes and all she had been researching, to actually see two elves in the flesh was more than Ali could expect. She swallowed and tried a weak smile. "Um, hi?"
One of the elves turned to the other and spoke. Ali couldn't quite make out what they were saying, it wasn't like any language she had ever heard. The male motioned to her as he spoke, the female nodding with. Although she couldn't make out the words, something in the tone told Ali that whatever they were discussing might not be for her benefit. Swallowing, she tried to carefully slide away from the two elves, searching for an opening out of the alley.
The woman turned without warning, waving her hand and making an incantation. Ali froze in place, her eyes going blank as her mind was caught in the elf's spell. She swayed slightly in place, not even aware of the two elves taking her by the arms and leading her away, nor of the bright flash of light that brought her out of Earth and, ironically enough, to where she had been wanting to go.
Underhill
"I don't understand why we don't go to Earth more," Idril Earfalas stated, licking her lips as she looked over Ali. She and Maglor Orona were walking through the dark forest area of the mystical dimension, Ali between them. The teenager still had a mindless expression on her face, following with slow, robotic steps, bound by the spell Idril had hit her with. The two Unseelie elves exchanged a smile as the woman continued to speak. "This will be quite the lovely addition to the camp."
"We have been needing some new slave labor," her partner agreed. "Good thing we kept our ears to the ground and heard about her asking for information on elves."
"She did want to know about them," Idril said. She made an evil grin. "Why not give her all the experience she wants?"
The chuckling the duo had was interrupted by the sound of a blade being drawn from a scabbard. The two froze in place, both of their ears picking up as they realized they weren't alone. Maglor was just turning his head toward the left when a set of loud yells echoed through the forestways. From each side around the path, a trio of Seelie elves rushed out, their clothing dark armor with bright blades glinting in the dim light of the forest. Idril threw up her hands to unleash a fireball at one in the lead. The male warrior easily dodged it in mid-air and swung out his blade, slicing a cut along the Unseelie's arm.
As his lover shrieked, Maglor threw out both hands, hurling fireballs at two elves before him. One, a proud blonde-haired woman, managed to erect a shield to bounce off the attack. The other, a man, fired back with his own energy, sending a gasping Maglor back. He rolled about, trying to avoid the downward arc of a sword as the other Seelie attacked.
Idril held her arm, feeling the blood flow from the wound as she tried to back away. She saw Alison standing in the road, oblivious to what was happening. Narrowing her eyes, the dark elf touched Alison's entranced mind and sent a single command. *Fight.*
Ali's eyes blinked and then her face took on a look of intensity as she threw herself at one of the Seelie elves. It was enough of a distraction for Maglor to unleash a flash of bright light to temporarily send back his attackers. <Let's go> he communicated to his lover. <She's not going to be much more than a temporary respite against them.>
<Damn, I hate to lose a good slave like that> Idril replied as she and Maglor quickly raced into the trees. <But better her than our lives.>
<Agreed> Maglor answered as they vanished into the forest.
Behind them, the Seelie were still recovering from the flash spell as Ali threw punches and kicks at the lead Seelie. Seeing as how the man had a good foot and nearly a hundred pounds on the teenager, there was little of an actual contest. His only concern was not hurting the young girl. Ali threw a punch at his face, which the man caught. As much as he disliked it, he lashed out a fist of his own, hitting Ali right in the face, sending her down and out.
The other Seelie gathered around him as he looked down at the unconscious Ali. A woman stepped next to him, frowning as she took in Ali's appearance. "She's...human," she said with mild surprise.
"Indeed," the leader said. "And I felt their influence on her mind. She wasn't here willingly."
"What do we do?" one his fellow fighters said.
The man paused, running through options before finally nodding. "We take her to the Lady du Lac." He glanced to one of the other elves. "Ride ahead and inform them we're bringing a visitor. And to make sure the proper accommodations for her are made."
Ali's eyes opened and she moaned as she felt herself wake up. She sat up, rubbing at her head as she tried to remember what happened. *Okay, I'm in the alley, those weird guys grabbed me, one waves her hand----* Ali started as the full memory came over her. *Elves. Holy shit, those were elves!* She looked about, taking in her surroundings.
It took a moment to realize that this was either the best-looking prison in existence or an opulent bedroom. She was sitting in a large bed with satin sheets and pillows, light curtains around it. The walls were stone, with a large tapestry on one end and various decorations about it, ones that Ali had never seen the likes of before. It took a moment for her to realize that she was no longer in her street clothes but rather a nice flowing white robe that felt wonderful on her skin. She carefully moved out of the bed and got to her feet.
She moved toward the door and gripped the handle. Taking a moment to steel herself, she opened the door, stuck her head out and nearly ran it right into the body of a young woman.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Ali said, backing up. "I'm...I'm..." her voice gave out as she got a good look at the woman. She was about five foot eight with long curly blond hair and wearing a dark blue dress with medieval design to it. What drew Alison's attention, however were her green eyes with catlike pupils and pointed ears.
"Um, hi?" Ali weakly managed. "Um, how are...are you...I was just...do you speak English by any chance?"
The woman smiled and made a motion to the bedroom. Frowning, Ali backed into it as the elven woman entered. She marched over to a nearby dresser and pulled open one drawer. She reached inside and removed a small pile of clothing which she placed on the bed. She turned to Ali and spoke in a light and lilting tone. "The main chamber is down the hall and up the stairs. The Lady will be expecting you shortly." With a bow of her head, she turned and walked off, leaving a rather confused Ali behind.
Given the lack of other options, Alison decided she might as well do what the elven maid had suggested. She had to admit, the greenish-blue dress did fit well on her, nicer than some of the outfits she had used to own. She had tried to brush her hair as well she could and hoped it wouldn't be too much of a mess. The heels were quite comfortable and she felt as if she had owned them for years. She gave herself a final look in the mirror and then turned toward the door.
She opened it and gave a tiny yelp as she saw the leader of the Seelie troops who had rescued her standing on the other side. The man gave a nod and a smile. "Good to see you looking better," he stated in a bright tone.
Alison blinked. "You speak English?" she asked.
"Actually, you're hearing it," the man replied. "We weren't sure what place on Earth you were from so a small translation spell seemed best."
"Oh," Ali said. "Um, if it's not too much to ask...Who are you? Where am I? What happened?"
The man held out a hand and stepped back. "I believe some of those answers are awaiting you in the main hall." Something in the way he said it was so reassuring that Ali decided to go with the flow and find out just what was waiting for her. "Um, by the way, what's your name?" she asked.
"Amras Nenharma," the man replied with a nod. "Proud guard of the High Court of the Elfhame Joyeaux Garde."
"Um, okay," Ali said. She swallowed. "So...now what?"
"Now you meet the Lady," Amras said. "Don't be nervous."
*Oh, sure, I'm a human in some elven castle about to meet an elven lady, why should I be nervous?* "No sweat."
"Try not to, that fabric stains easily," Maglor told her as he led the way down the hallway.
"Oh my God," was all Ali could say when she got her first look at the main hall of the castle. It was like pictures she'd seen of medieval castles in Europe. The difference was that this one was bustling with life and vigor with elves all over the place. There were in a variety of outfits, from elegant dresses to impressive suits to armor. Ali could tell there were servants around a large table near one end, judging from their dress, while people she instantly saw as upper-crust were gathered near the large throne set on the far end.
She felt a nudge and realized Amras was pushing her forward a little. Steeling herself, Alison made her way down the large red carpet and toward the throne. All around her, she could hear voices quieting as the elves began to take in this new arrival. Ali realized she was the only dark-haired person in the room and felt even more out of place than she already had. She could feel her heart beat a little faster even as a cold pain clutched her stomach. *Screw this one up, Alison, and you may think you were better off with those other elves.*
She came before the throne and got her first good look at the woman sitting upon it. She was rather young looking, in her mid-thirties at most with soft curly blond hair held up and under a small crown. She wore a dark green dress that flowed around her slender body, her eyes flashing over Alison. She was nervous at first until she saw the warmth in the woman's expression. "Hello," she stated in a wonderfully soothing tone that instantly set Ali's nerves at ease.
Ali nodded, then bowed her head, then managed a rough curtsey. "Um, hello," she said.
The woman smiled and nodded her own head. "I am the Lady Adelaide du Lac."
Ali's eyes widened. "Adelaide? You're Adelaide?"
The woman frowned. "You know that name? How? We don't get many humans here in Underhill. Particularly those as young as you."
Ali licked her lips. "Well, I was in Paris and I was asking about elves and I guess these other elves must have heard about it so they found me and..." She frowned. "Well, I guess they must have put some sort of whammy on me because I don't remember anything else before I woke up here."
Adelaide nodded as she took in the story. "You should be grateful a group of my soldiers happened to be in the area or you would be servicing some Unseelie right now. But that still doesn't explain how you know me or why you were asking about elves in the first place. Who are you?"
Ali swallowed. "My name is...Alison Jarman."
Adelaide's eyes widened, her face coming as close to shock as anyone in the court had ever seen. "Jarman?" she whispered. "Alison?"
Ali nodded. "Y...Yes."
The woman sat back on her throne, trying to control her amazement. "How...did your parents tell you?"
Ali shook her head. "No, my mom and dad..." She closed her eyes and bit back a sob. "They...were killed a few weeks ago. I found a letter with his stuff after..." She bit her lip and tried to hold back the fresh wave of grief coming over her.
Adelaide saw the pain in Ali's face and felt her own being to sink in. She closed her eyes and decided that it would be best if this discussion continued in private.
Adelaide's quarters were the most opulent in the castle, her bedroom nearly half the size of the hall below. A large painting of some sort of battle hung on one wall, sunlight pouring through the balcony on one side. A bed twice the size of the one Ali had was in the center and a small table with soft chairs sat on one side which was where Ali and Adelaide were sitting.
Ali had spent an hour explaining what had happened to her parents. Percy's attempt to rape her, his vamping out, her running while he murdered her parents, her attempt at vengeance that had nearly gotten her killed, her discovery of her father's notes, the flight to Paris and finally her encounter with the Unseelie. It was a narrative broken by her crying and she was somewhat surprised to see Adelaide with tears of her own.
Even for one as old as her, Adelaide could not help but be effected by Alison's tale. She mentally made a promise to make sure Amras received a reward for his rescue. This girl had already been through enough of a hell, she didn't need whatever horrors the Unseelie had planned for her. She reached out and gave Ali's hand a strong squeeze, letting the girl know she was more than sympathetic to her plight.
Alison finally managed to control her emotions and looked up at Adelaide with a respectful expression. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go on like this----"
"It's all right," the elf told her. "I more than understand. You deserve to grieve, after all you've been through."
"I can't grieve for the rest of my life," Ali said with a sigh.
"Very wise of you," Adelaide said with a smile. She sat back and appraised the young human before her. "So...I would imagine you have some questions."
Ali wiped at her eyes and gathered herself up. She looked right at Adelaide and tried to keep her voice steady. "Are you my mom?"
Adelaide gently shook her head. "No. Your grandmother."
Ali stared at her, her head bobbing a bit as she took that news in. "Oh," was all she could manage.
Adelaide looked away as old memories came over her. "I was somewhat more...rambunctious in my youth," she began. "I was always fascinated by your world. It is true that it is far more violent than ours and harder but I still enjoyed it. It was on one trip that I met your father." A small smile came over her face. "He was...an amazing man. I can't explain what it was that I found so attractive but before I knew it he had swept me off my feet. It was a good time."
Ali swallowed before speaking. "And then you told him what you were."
Adelaide nodded in sad remembrance. "Yes...Yes, a foolish move but I felt it necessary he know the truth before we went further. His reaction was...not as I hoped." She sighed, deciding now wasn't the best time to go into that in detail. "I decided it was best to return to Underhill, to take my royal place and try and overcome the pain of his reaction.
Seeing the hurt on the elder woman's face, Ali quickly spoke. "For what it's worth...He felt sorry. I...I found part of a note he was writing but never finished and he seemed sorry about what happened." She paused and then frowned. "Then...wait. Who was my real mom? Is she around here or in some other part of Underhill, is she------" She broke off when she saw the sad look on Adelaide's face. "Oh, no. Don't tell me she's..."
Adelaide nodded, a flash of old pain upon her face. "Yes." She rose to her feet and quickly made her way toward the dresser near her bed. She opened it, reached inside and removed a small object. Walking back to Ali, she held the object out so Ali could see it. It was a picture of an exceptionally beautiful woman, a smile wide on her face, her dark blond hair flowing around her. "Oh, wow," Ali whispered. "She...she's beautiful."
"She was," Adelaide agreed as she sat back down. She paused before speaking. "Your mother was abandoned as a baby, found and brought to this court. I decided to take her as my own, to raise her as best I could. In time...I came to truly think of her as my daughter."
"What happened?" Ali softly asked.
"She grew up, she married a fosterling who died fighting dark elves. And she became pregnant with you."
Ali bit her lip. "Then why did...how did I end up on Earth with Dad and...Mom?"
Adelaide looked down at the table as she answered. "Your mother...passed just after you were born. Raising a child who, to our surprise, was human was not something in my experience. So, I believed it better that you be with your father." She sighed. "Trying to explain he was now a father was no easier than explaining my true nature to him. The fact that he was now married was even more complicated. But, in the end, he and his wife came to accept the idea of raising you and I left you to them and that was the last I saw of you before you walked in this afternoon."
Alison looked at her carefully. "You told my dad I was yours, didn't you?" she not so much asked as stated. "That's why he had your name written down. You told him I was the child you two had had."
Adelaide quietly nodded. "Yes. I know it wasn't right but...I felt he would be more willing to take you on if he believed you were his own. So I left you to be raised by him in what I hoped would be a good home and a good life."
Alison naturally needed a minute to process all that. She closed her eyes and leaned back, both hands on her head. "God, I wish he'd told me," she whispered. "I wish he'd said something..."
"Perhaps he would have," Adelaide gently said. "While I had some faults with him, he was a good man. I believe one day he would have told you the truth."
Alison opened her eyes and asked the question that had been plaguing her. "What happened to my mom?"
Adelaide returned her gaze as steady as she could as she spoke. "She contracted an illness. The closest equivalent in your terms would be a sort of cancer. It was not...pleasant to see her slowly die."
Ali frowned. "But...you guys are elves! You've got magic, couldn't you have saved her?"
Adelaide nodded. "Yes, we do have some skills and we could have used a type of chemotherapy to cure her. She refused."
Ali stared in surprise. "Why?"
Adelaide looked her right in the eye. "Because it would have killed you. She would rather have died than to lose you."
It took a moment for what she said to sink in and then Ali felt a new wave of tears come over her, fresher and more heartfelt than before. Adelaide reached out and held her in, letting the young woman cry as she realized for the first time how great her mother's love for her had been and what she had lost.
"So how is she?" Amras asked as he and Adelaide walked down the hallway toward the training facility. The morning sun was brightening the corridor as the duo walked down it. Adelaide was wearing a nice blue dress, flowing easily over the stone floor. Amras was behind her in pants and a fighting tunic, prepared for a morning training session.
"She's been through a lot," the noblewoman answered. "Losing her parents would be hard enough but for it to be to such a demon..." She shook her head. "I believe she can handle it though. She has strength and courage."
"She may need more than that," Amras said in a dark tone. He glanced at her. "You know what happened to her. The wounds..."
"Are not a concern for the present," Adelaide said in a tone that brooked no disagreement. "She is my daughter's child, Amras. As far as I am concerned, she is kin and I will care for her and ensure her upbringing as long as she wishes it. I hope to have you extend your protection and aid to her."
Amras bowed his head. "As you wish, my lady." The two entered the training area and both stopped in surprise. Before them was Alison, dressed in a light brown tunic and pants, her hair in a ponytail as she looked over a weapons rack. "Alison?" Adelaide called out in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
Alison started as she looked at them. "Oh, hi," she said. "Ah, I just got up and I...well, I was hoping I might be able to run into you down here."
"Why?" Adelaide asked.
Ali took a deep breath. "As long as I'm going to be here...I think I'd like to learn how to fight."
Both Amras and Adelaide were surprised at that statement. "Fight?" the elven warrior said. "You want to learn our fighting ways?"
Alison nodded. "Yeah. Look, no offense, but while the idea of being a lady would have been great a few weeks ago, right now...I want to know how to fight, in case I run into any of those...things again."
Adelaide frowned. "Revenge is not a healthy attitude, Alison. Believe me when I say that."
Alison shook her head. "It's not that, really. It's that..." She looked down. "If I can save anyone the pain I've been through...That might be something worth fighting for."
Adelaide looked at the girl with a new respect in her eyes. She turned to Amras and nodded. "I can think of no finer teacher than the man here beside me," she stated. She looked at Alison and smiled. "I think you'll find this is in your blood," she told her.
Alison nodded and then looked to Amras. "So...where do we start?"
Paris, France
September 4th, 1998
2005 Hours local time
The alleyway shimmered briefly, as if a large light was cutting through it. There was a rustling of wind, loose trash and debris thrown about. Then a flash went out and when it faded, a young woman stood in the alleyway. A large bag was dropped to the ground and she shuffled her shoulders, her long coat flowing around her. She wore dark pants and a vest-like tunic, her hair pulled back and away, a scar visible across one eye yet the eye itself was intact and working. She glanced about, getting the feeling of the place and realizing she was truly back on her world.
A newspaper brushed past her on the ground and she picked it up, glancing at the date with some surprise. *Wow. Almost three years? Time really does flow differently in Underhill.*
Reaching down to pick up her bag, Alison Jarman stepped out of the alleyway. She figured she would head to a local library to catch up on what had happened to the world in the last few years. Then, after tying up some loose ends in Europe, she believed it was time for her second Homecoming.
San Francisco, CA
October 16, 1998
2207 Hours PST
The music of the club was fading as the door slammed shut behind them. The young man and woman paid it little mind, they were too busy holding tight to one another. The man was quite handsome, with sandy blond hair and wearing a stylish outfit. The woman had been getting quite a bit of attention in the club for obvious reasons. Her black curly hair flowed down her shoulders and showed off a face that mixed great beauty with a pair of full lips that could show off a smirk that went from "come here for fun" to "try it and lose 'em." Her very shapely body was clad in a pair of extremely tight leather pants and a halter top that called attention to her impressive cleavage. When she had been on the dance floor, she'd almost withered to the music, showing off her body as much as she could so that every male eye (and quite a few female ones as well) were fixed on her. While a couple of men had tried to pick her up, she'd brushed them off, wanting something more than the typical college slacker. One lucky participant had managed to win her over and the duo had left with the man getting looks of envy from the rest of the male population of the bar.
The woman pulled at the leather jacket over her and grinned at the man with her as they exited the club. "So, where's this car?" she said in a sultry tone. "I wanna take a wild ride. Then we get drive."
"Just relax," the man said. "I promise you this will be quite the night...Faith, right?"
"Yep," the woman said. "That's me in the flesh." She winked at the man who had called himself Brian. "Play your cards right and you'll see that for sure."
The man laughed and Faith figured this might not be bad. He looked well off so maybe she could get a few bucks out of this. At the least, it would be a night of fun in what sounded like a good apartment, maybe even a week or two if she played her cards right. Of course, Faith had gotten more than a few lousy hands in her life so she wasn't holding her breath.
She stopped as Brian did, the man facing her. "Actually, I have a confession," he said. "I don't have a car."
Faith frowned. "Oh, you wanna do it here?" An alleyway encounter wasn't high on her list of favorites but maybe she could get lucky and pick the guy's pocket during the act. It was a skill that she sadly had learned to perfect over the last year.
"Actually, yes," Brian said as he raised a hand and snapped his fingers. A series of footsteps came into Faith's ears and she turned to see a group of men step out from the shadows of the alley. All were the same age as Brian, all good-looking and all smiling at her with leering expressions.
"Oh, no," Faith said, backing up and shaking her head. "No, I don't do groups."
"Oh, you won't," Brian said, his voice losing his charm. "We'll be doing you." He smiled and as he did, he changed. A pair of horns emerged from each temple, a large horn coming out of his forehead. His eyes flashed red and his skin turned pasty white. Faith stared in horror as the other men did the same, encircling her as they changed.
Snapping out of the primal fear coming over her, Faith tried to run but Brian grabbed her. He pulled her in, the horn on his head seeming to glow as he grinned at her. "Now, now," he hissed. "I promised you a rewarding night. Well, rewarding for me, anyway." His horn moved toward her, Faith trying to fight but unable to break his grip, his horn inches from her head.....
Suddenly, Brian was gone, thrust away as if yanked by wires. He smacked into a nearby wall and slid down, everyone staring in confusion at him. They all turned to the other side of the alley and the figures standing before them.
There were four of them, all women, all quite attractive and all seemingly ready to fight. Three of them were brunettes, the fourth having red hair that seemed a little unnatural to Faith. The brunette who looked to be the eldest of the group was dressed in a dark mini-skirt and shirt, a dour expression on her face. Next to her was a woman with long hair who seemed to look eternally pissed off, dressed in dark and tight red pants and a tight top. The third brunette had her hair in a slight bun/ponytail combination, wearing dark slacks and slightly brighter blouse. The redhead was wearing what looked like a one-piece black outfit that fit over her like a second skin, emphasizing her sizeable chest.
The woman with a rather dour face threw out her hand and suddenly one of the demons (that's what they were, Faith realized) was thrown back and into Brian. One demon snarled and leaned down, picking a pipe off the ground. He raised it up and charged right at the women.
"Pipe!" the redhead yelled, holding out her hand. In a flash, the pipe vanished from the demon's hand and appeared in hers. With a flick of the wrist, she sent it sailing into its chest, the demon not even realizing the pipe was gone from his hand before he keeled over.
The other two demons moved in and the other brunette leaped up. Faith stared in shock as the woman seemed to hang in mid-air a few feet off the ground. A hand snaked into a pocket and emerged with two bottles. She hurled them, each bottle connecting with a demon and with twin howls, they vaporized.
Brian and the other demon had gotten back up and were moving toward the women. The last brunette thrust out her hands and suddenly, both demons exploded into pieces that settled into the ground.
Faith stood there, not believing what she had just seen. "Jeez," she whispered. "What...what the fuck was that?"
"Heratuan demon," the redhead matter-of-factly stated. "They suck out the energy of young women to sustain themselves. The younger and hotter, the better." Her eyes raked over Faith and smiled. "At least they had good taste here."
*Is she coming onto me?* Faith wondered as she shook her head. "Look, who are you people?"
"Oh, I'm Paige," the redhead said. She motioned behind her, pointing to each of the others in turn. "And these are my sisters. Phoebe." The one who had levitated nodded. "Prue." The one who had waved her hand and sent the demons flying nodded. "And Piper." The final brunette simply glared at Faith.
Faith stared at them. "Paige, Phoebe, Prue and Piper? What bet with God did your mom lose?"
"Hey, don't talk back to the gals who saved your ass!" Phoebe yelled.
"Which deserves it...."
"PAIGE!"
Rolling her eyes, Piper looked at Faith. "You okay? He wasn't a friend, was he?"
"No," Faith said, her face still marked with disbelief. "No, I just met him in the club, we were going to have fun and...damn, I can't believe this..."
"You make it a habit of going out with any guy you see?" Prue stated with little tact.
"No," Faith answered with a shrug. "But it beats sleeping on the streets that night. And filching a few bucks keeps me going." She waved at her clothing. "It's a lot harder to rip this stuff off than you might think."
"You're a thief?" Piper asked in surprise.
"I don't want to be," Faith bit out. "I used to live in Boston, my stepdad was this asshole who drank and hit and tried to...well, I cut out and I've been hitchhiking cross-country, I want to----" She stopped and threw up her hands. "Why am I telling you this?"
"Maybe you want to?" Paige put in. "Hey, come home with us."
"Huh?" Faith gaped.
"Huh?" The other sisters gaped.
"Come on, you'll love it."
Faith started to back away, feeling a little uncomfortable with the look in Paige's eye. "Ah, look, thanks a lot but I don't swing that way, maybe I should just-----"
Sighing, Piper threw out her hands and Faith froze. Literally. One foot was still behind her, hanging in mid air, her mouth was open, her hair was floating a bit behind her and she was not moving a muscle.
Piper turned to Paige. "Paige, what are you doing?"
"What? She could use a place to stay."
"Hey, Paige, I know she's hot and all but don't you think...."
"It's not that, Phoebe," Paige told her sister. "Listen, there's something about this girl, something...I don't know, something big. Like destiny big. Maybe even Elder destiny big."
The other three girls groaned. "Oh, yes, because the Elders NEVER do anything to screw up our lives," Piper sarcastically said.
"Look, I think this girl will fit in with us," Paige said. "It may be while Phoebe got the vision of the demon attack, to help her. We should at least bring her to see him."
"She does have a point," Prue told Piper. "At least, let him check her out."
"Don't go big sister on me," Piper warned. Sighing, she shook her head. "I know I'm going to regret this," she muttered as she waved her hands at Faith.
"Get going and find my own----" Faith went on as if nothing had happened. Which, as far as she knew, was the truth.
"Listen," Phoebe spoke up. "One night. That's all. Just be with us one night and if you don't want to stay tomorrow morning, okay. But you get one night off the streets and a good meal. What do you say?"
Faith frowned as she thought it over. It seemed wrong yet something about these girls.... "Okay," she finally nodded. "Let's get going. Who knows, I might like it."
"You haven't met my brother in law," Prue muttered as the group moved off.
Faith's first thought upon seeing the Halliwell manor was that it looked like the Beaver was coming out to play. It was your standard two-story San Fran home complete with porch swing, a light red color to it, nothing really exciting or eye-catching. The inside was slightly different than she expected, much darker with odd decorations and symbols strewn about, even the lighting seeming dark.
"Okay," Faith announced as the group walked through the parlor. "If Cousin Itt shows up, I'm outta here."
"Will I do?" The women turned to see a man walking down the stairs toward them.
"Hello, salty goodness," Faith whispered. The man was incredibly handsome with short dark hair and deep eyes, dressed in a dark suit and showing a deep smile at them. "Girls," he said, glancing at Faith. "What have I told you about bringing in strays?"
"We saved her from some demons at Quake," Prue explained. "Paige thought we should bring her to meet you."
"Faith's got a destiny," Paige told the man. "I can see it."
"Huh?" Faith asked, not understanding where this conversation was going.
"Does she?" the man said as he walked toward Faith. "Let me take a look."
By this point, the alarm bell in Faith's head was telling her to turn and run like hell. Before she could, the man grabbed her, cupped his hands around her face and looked into her eyes. Faith was frozen, unable to look away as this stranger stared at her. His eyes seemed to be flashing from within with a reddish color that made Faith feel like she was falling into them. It seemed like he was scouring her soul, searching her being for something...and found it, judging by the smile on his face. "Oh, this is good," he said. "Very nice, Paige."
"Thanks, Cole. So, do we keep her?"
"Indeed, we do," Cole said. "As soon as she's settled in." With that, he leaned in and kissed Faith full on the lips. For two seconds, it was pleasurable....then Faith's mind was assailed by darkness, by a wave of evil, a demand for violence, for taking pleasure in other's pain. She tried to fight but the battle was over before it had truly begun. All that Faith Reilly had been was swept aside in favor for this new wave of evil. The struggle was brief as Faith lost both will and consciousness to the demon before her.
Cole broke the kiss and then waved a hand and in a flash of red, Faith vanished. "I sent her upstairs to crash," Cole explained. "She'll be a new woman tomorrow," he finished with a smile.
"Ah, that's my man," Phoebe smirked as she wrapped her hands around Cole. "So caring," she cooed as she moved in for a kiss.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Piper called out. "There will be no shagging the demonic master in the parlor! I just had the floors cleaned."
"Oh, don't worry, Piper," Cole said. "I'll be rewarding each of you tonight. In private."
All four sisters felt the thrill at the thought of just what reward their master would bestow upon them....
"Okay, I'm off," Prue said as she marched into the kitchen the next morning. She was dressed in her "power suit" of dark skirt and top designed to get attention in the right places. "I've got that orphanage to condemn, then waste that shaman who's been giving us trouble and----" She stopped and, with Paige, Phoebe, Piper and Cole, stared at the figure standing by the sink, drinking some orange juice. "Faith?"
Faith turned and threw a wicked smile at the group. "Hey," she said in a far more sultry tone than usual. "You're right. I did need this."
"Faith," Piper carefully said. "Where are your clothes?"
Faith looked down at her naked body, then back up at the others. "Oh, they were getting raggy. Besides, I like air drying."
"Oh, God..."
"Phoebe...."
"Hey, I may be evil but there is still decorum!"
"I gotta go with sis here," Paige said. "I think it's a little early for full frontal Faith."
"What's the matter?" Faith teased. "Worried that everyone will see I'm more natural in hair and chest than you?" She could see that Paige was all but frothing at the mouth at the sight of Faith's naked body: her eyes roving from the exposed patch between her legs to how her dark hair brushed at the top of her full and pointed breasts.
As Paige stared at Faith, Cole chuckled. "Ladies," he announced. "I think you all have your duties today. Piper, Paige, get going on tracking down that renegade warlock. I can't have him kicking things up. And see if you can track down that demon hunter out of San Diego while you're at it."
"On it," Paige said as she took Piper's hand. In a flash, they were gone and Prue rolled her eyes. "Sure, you couldn't give me a ride!" she yelled as she walked out.
Cole watched her go and then turned toward Faith, seeing her stalk carefully toward him. "I do feel better," she cooed.
"Okay," Phoebe announced. "A little early for snogging my husband, all right---"
Cole turned, waving a hand and flashing his eyes. Phoebe went silent, her eyes going blank and her posture slumping. "Honey," Cole said. "Why don't you go shopping?"
"Sure," Phoebe said in a monotone.
"And get Faith some clothes while you're out. Especially some hot lingerie."
"Lingerie, got it," Phoebe intoned as she marched away. *I know all husbands wish they could do that to their wives* Cole thought as he turned back to Faith. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in, her full breasts bouncing on his body. "Last night was a good taste," she cooed. "But now I want the full course."
Cole raised an eyebrow. "You're really ready, huh?"
"Five by five," Faith said with a smile as she moved up to kiss Cole with raw passion.
As he swept aside the contents of the kitchen table and lay the naked Faith on it, Cole reflected on his life. He had the four Charmed ones under his power and now a potential Slayer as his latest toy, all willing to kill and die for him. The perfect weapons to use for his conquest of the Underworld. And the perfect little harem to come home to every night.
All in all, he lived a pretty Charmed life.
December 15th, 1998
The bar was less than enthusiastic as she marched off the stage and walked toward the bar. Her attractive face was filled with a scowl as she marched past a pair of Fakur demons and slipped into a stool, trying to fix her red and white dress underneath her. She brushed at her curly brown hair and motioned to the bartender. "Beer."
"ID."
The woman stared at him. "Excuse me?" she asked with a voice of ice.
"You want a beer, you gotta have ID," the yellow-skinned man stated.
The woman stared at him. "I'm 1100 years old!" she exploded. "Give me a freakin' beer!"
The man continued to stare at the woman who barely looked 20.
Finally settling back with a defeated sigh, she waved a hand. "Give me a Coke."
"Sal, give the lady whatever she wants," a light-tenored voice spoke up. The woman turned to see a strange figure coming toward her. He was tall and dressed in a dark blue suit with green undershirt and a yellow tie, a red kerchief poking out of his breast pocket. His skin and hair were both a lime green, his eyes red yet carrying a lot of humor to them and a pair of horns stuck out of his forehead. "How do," he nodded at the woman. "I'm the Host."
"Hey," the woman nodded. "Can you tell this Neanderthal to give me a beer already?"
"He's on it," the Host said. As the bartender moved, the Host regarded the woman carefully. "You know, most people yell when they first see me."
"I don't blame them," the woman said as she accepted the drink. "That suit is horrible."
"Actually, hon, they yell because of my appearance."
"I've seen worse," the woman sniffed as she brought the mug to her lips.
"Yes, I bet you have, Anyanka."
The woman froze at the name, then slowly lowered the mug and turned to the Host. "How do you know who I am?" she whispered.
"I'm an empath," The Host answered. He motioned toward the stage where a red-skinned demon was slaughtering "Heartbreak Hotel," on the karoke machine. "You sing, I read you, tell you what you need to know." He looked at Anyanka. "And may I say, I have never heard 'Love Stinks' performed with so much venom before."
Anyanka sipped at her beer as the Host went on. "So, I guess I should call you just Anya, right? That's what your boss said."
"I can't believe it," Anya whispered. "I just can't believe it. For 1100 years, I bestowed vengeance upon men in every horrible way you can imagine. And some you don't want to. I did my job, ALL I did was my job, I put in the service, I make my name feared in multiple dimensions and what happens? ONE tiny mistake and I'm stuck here!"
"You allowed a middle-aged mortal to smash your center of power, hon," the Host said. "And turned a brief reality formed from a wish into a real one."
"Oh, like D'Hoffryn is perfect," Anya sniffed. "It wasn't my fault but does he listen? Noooo. He kicks me out, makes me a mortal. A teenager." Her frown deepened. "And broke. That's killing me, you know. I'm used to snapping my fingers and getting what I want, now I actually need...money. Sure, the green bills are appealing but it's so...so...."
"Human?"
"EXACTLY!" Anya sighed. "And do I get any support from anyone? No. Hallie and I have been friends for centuries, does she speak up for me? HAH! She's angling for my position already, she wants to be top dog, she wants to-----"
"I hate to interrupt this lovely tirade, Ms. Lucci," the Host broke in. "But I got news for you. This mortal life you hate? Get used to it, honeycakes. From what I can tell of your future, you don't get your powers back."
Anya stared at him. "Are you sure?"
The Host nodded. "Sorry, sweets, but that's the way the balls break. You're stuck here."
Anya rubbed at her head. "I still think it's so unfair. After all I've done all these centuries, do I deserve such treatment?"
"No," the Host said.
"Thank you!" Anya yelled.
"Actually, hon, I meant you probably don't deserve to get off so lucky."
Anya stared at him in shock. "What do you mean? Lucky? You call this lucky?!"
"Considering all the death and pain you've spread, yeah," the Host nodded.
Anya rolled her eyes. "Hey, every bit of it was well-deserved. I was helping scorned women!"
"Actually, sweet tart, the scorned women are the ones in pain I was talking about."
Anya stared at him in utter confusion and the Host sighed, realizing this was going to be a little harder than he thought to get his message across. "Anya, listen, have you ever considered how it must feel for these women to see what you do?"
Anya held up her hands. "What are you talking about? I was giving them what they wanted, what they asked for!"
"What they asked for and what they meant were two totally different things, Anya."
Anya seemed very confused now. "What do you mean? Saying and doing is the same thing."
The Host rubbed at his horns. "Okay, I'm cutting you some slack here because you've only been newly human for a few days and times were different then but in this century, there is such a thing as sarcasm, there is such a thing as rhetorical statements, people do not always mean what they say. When a guy is cut off in traffic and says 'I'm gonna kill him!' he doesn't actually hunt down the other guy and kill him. And when a woman wishes that her boyfriend have his heart ripped from his chest because he forgot her birthday, she doesn't actually expect it to happen."
It took a moment for what he was saying to sink in with Anya. When it did, the young woman's eyes widened and a look of shock covered her face. "Wait..." she began. "Wait, they asked for me, they asked for vengeance------"
"Quick rule for living with humans, Anya," the Host stated in a not unkind tone. "They make snap judgments and calls that they wouldn't make under rational circumstances. It's how demons manage to make so many deals for souls. Almost never do they actually want this stuff to happen. Trust me, honey, I've seen a couple of the women you've 'helped' around here over the years and they're not appreciative, they're not happy, they're not satisfied. Most don't know what happened but the few who understand are overwhelmed with guilt that a casual, off-hand comment resulted in the death of a man, if not more."
Anya was staring blankly forward as for the first time ever, it hit her that she hadn't been bestowing justice upon wronged women. She'd simply been spreading even more pain. "Oh, God..." she whispered. "I can't...I can't believe..."
"Hey, D'Hoffryn's a demon, hon," the Host shrugged. "What, you expected him to be all sweetness and light and helping women out of the goodness of his heart?" Anya simply groaned as the Host sipped at his drink. "You know, you should be appreciative. I'm usually more glib and vague and flowerly with these talks but given your past, I thought the direct approach would be a change of pace."
Anya rubbed at her head. "Oh, God..." she groaned. "What the hell do I do now?"
"Want a job?"
Anya stared at him. "Excuse me?" she asked.
The Host waved a hand. "I have a protection spell to prevent violence but the customers can still get a tad rowdy. Having a woman once known for spreading painful vengeance working the tables can't hurt."
Anya frowned. "What would I do with this...j..o..b..." she said, dragging it out like it was a foreign language.
"We'll figure that out as we go," the Host answered with a smile. "I can tell you that this is a good place to get back on your feet and might aid your future more than you'd guess. Trust me."
Anya stared at him and shook her head again. "I don't believe this," she muttered. "The queen of vengeance working as a barmaid for a club owned by an empath demon. This is the heights of absurdity."
"Ah, don't talk to me about absurdity, lady, you don't know the meaning of the word," a bitter and loud voice squawked out. "Finding yourself on a planet full of hairless talking apes, now THAT'S absurdity!"
Anya turned to see a figure sitting on the stool beside her. He was about two feet tall, wearing a large jacket and short pants, a cigar stuck in his mouth. What got her attention was that instead of skin there were feathers and instead of a mouth was a large bill clamped around the cigar.
Anya slowly turned back to the Host. "Am I already drunk or is that a duck?"
"Oh, that's Howard," the Host said. "He's a regular."
"Howard..." Anya frowned. "Howard...the duck...Say, wasn't there once a mov----"
"If you so much as mention that movie, I swear to GOD, I'll kill you!!" Howard erupted, glaring at Anya.
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Get up on the wrong side of the pond this morning?"
"OH! OH! OH!" Howard mimed clutching his chest. "The originality of your wit has wounded me! Like I've never heard THAT one three times a week!"
Anya sniffed. "Sheesh. What woman messed up your life?"
"A wonderful blonde number I met in Cleveland," Howard replied. His expression grew wistful. "Good kid, I really liked her, almost thought it could be something." He shrugged. "But she broke my heart. Ran off without a word, just some crap about going to kill vampires in California." He took a drag on his cigar and blew out a puff of smoke. "So, I figured this was a good place to crash."
Anya looked at him, then at the Host. "You're totally okay with a duck in this place? Granted, at least he's not a rabbit but still..."
"Hey, I take anyone who comes in and anyone can come in," the Host answered. He spread out his arms. "What do you expect, Anya, hon? This is Vegas."
Los Angeles, CA
October 14th, 1999
1923 Hours PST
Sydney Bristow's heels clicked on the hard pavement as she glanced at her watch. On the surface, she appeared to be just a typical college-aged young woman, albeit a highly attractive and athletic one. Long brown hair framed her beautiful face, her slacks, white blouse and red vest doing little to hide the curves of her body and yet she carried herself with a professional air. Like so much with Sydney Bristow, there was more than just surface appearance.
As she walked through the parking lot and headed to her car, her mind was buzzing with the weight of all she had endured the last few weeks. It was odd, Sydney thought. The news that her father had died of a heart attack while at a conference in Dallas hit her, that was true. However, given how she and her dad hadn't been on the best of terms for quite a few years, it didn't impact her as much as it should have. But Danny...losing Danny had really, really hurt her. Especially since his death was her fault.
*I shouldn't have told him* Sydney thought as she made her way to her car. *I should never have told him I was with the CIA. Never* Arvin Sloane had always pushed the need for secrecy for all those working at SD-6. Dixon had never told his wife what he really did and now Sydney understood why. She had broken the rules. She had told her fiancee she was a secret agent and it had killed him.
Sydney had no idea what she was going to do now. She couldn't see herself going back to SD-6. As much as Sloane tried to apologize and say it was necessary, Sydney simply couldn't accept working for a man who had ordered the death of the man she loved. Not anymore. Sloane hadn't been happy when she had told him she wasn't coming back, she could tell. She had assured him that she would keep to the confidentiality agreements she had signed and never tell anyone about her work at SD-6. Hell, who would believe her?
For now, Sydney was determined to get a new lease on life. With her "job" no longer a distraction, she could commit herself to her studies and really earn her degree, maybe even become a teacher like her mother. Will and Francine had been surprised when she told them she had quit her job at the "bank" but were both quite supportive. Sydney was happy to have them as friends, even happier to see the two were starting a relationship.
Yes, it wasn't the type of life she had thought it would be but Sydney was determined to make it a good one. She was ready to put SD-6 and that whole rotten world of the last five years behind her.
Unfortunately, some other people have different ideas.
Despite the fact it had been a few weeks since she had been on assignment, Sydney recognized the signs of danger that were buzzing on the back of her neck. She had just come up to her car when she got the feeling something was wrong. Her eyes darting around, looking for anything suspicious and a flash of light caught her eyes. Glancing over, she saw a red dot reflected in the car's window, coming right at her.
Instantly, she ducked even as the loud rapid-fire blast of a machine gun ripped through the garage. Glass shattered over her as she rolled on the ground and slid under the car. She felt her breath heave in her chest even as she automatically went into fighting mode, her eyes darting about. She heard a car door slam, heard the rush of footsteps and then saw two pairs of feet near the car itself. Taking a deep breath, she made her move.
She spun about under the car, her feet lashing out toward the legs of the man on her left. She was rewarded by a loud crack and a yell as the man fell to the ground. Sydney slid out from under the car and went to him, punching him in the face and landing an elbow to his chin. She leaped to her feet and slid over the hood of the car toward the other gunman. He tried to move his submachine gun to her but Sydney lashed out a leg, kicking his gun arm aside. Her other foot slammed into his chest, sending him back. Sydney slid to the other end of the car, coming to her feet and grabbing at the man's arm, pulling him off-balance and hitting him twice in the face. She lashed a kick at him as she managed to pull the gun out of his hands.
A squeal of tires came from behind her and Sydney spun around, the machine gun up and aimed at it. The driver's window rolled down and a man stuck his face out. "Get in," he said in a hard tone.
Sydney stared in utter shock at the man, unable to believe what she was seeing. "Vaughn?" she whispered.
Michael Vaughn's eyes swiftly surveyed the scene before him, not seeming to register much amazement at the two unconscious men before Sydney. "Come on, get in!" he ordered. He was wearing a dark business suit and tie along with a flustered expression. "They may have back-up teams coming."
Sydney had no idea what the hell was going on but she had to agree that the chances of reinforcements were good and so practically threw herself into the passenger side of the car. Vaughn threw it into reverse, then drove forward at high speed. "Are you okay?" he asked, Sparing Sydney a quick glance.
"Yeah," a confused Sydney said, her hand still tight around the gun. "How...what are you doing here, Michael?"
"Intercepted transmissions from SD-6 to one of their 'salvage' teams," Vaughn said in a matter of fact tone. "Apparently, Sloane doesn't want to take any chances, he wants you dead and fast. I was closest to your location so I got sent."
There were about a half dozen things in that explanation that were hitting Sydney like a blow to the gut. She stared at Vaughn in shock, her eyes blinking and her jaw hanging open. "How...What..." she stammered. "How do you...how do you know about SD-6?"
"I've been on the case for them for three years," Vaughn said. "You came into the picture about eight months ago. Since then, watching you has been my main assignment."
"Assignment?" Sydney exploded. "You're a high school teacher!"
"That's my cover," Vaughn informed her. "And before you ask, no, Will doesn't know. I really was working as a teacher when we met on that story for drug use in schools. Finding out he was your friend was a surprise but I figured it could be useful."
"Cover..." Sydney's eyes widened further. "Are you...are you CIA too?"
Vaughn shook his head. "I'm not CIA, Sydney. And neither are you."
Before Sydney could process that, Vaughn's eyes flickered to the rear-view mirror. "Shit, here's the back-up," he said as he moved his hand to the armrest between him and Sydney. He slid it open, reached in and pulled out a large gun of a type Sydney had never seen before. With one hand on the steering wheel, Vaughn chambered the pistol, cocked it and looked at the stunned Sydney. "Hang on."
He threw the wheel hard to the right and hit the brakes, sending the car in a wild spin. He saw the car coming at him and leaned out the window, aiming the gun at the oncoming car. He pulled the trigger, unleashing a single charge that seemed to flash a bright blue as he headed toward the oncoming car. It struck the car right at the hood and the entire vehicle exploded, flipping upwards and landing on its roof, flames and smoke billowing out from it.
Vaughn retreated back into the car and put it back in drive. Sydney felt like she was going into catatonic shock as this man she thought she had known made his way out of the garage.
"What the HELL is going on?!" Sydney hissed. She had remained silent for the last ten minutes, trying to process all she had just seen. Vaughn had been quiet as well, eyes glancing toward the rearview mirror to try and make sure no one was following. Sydney had taken that time to try and get over her shock and process all she had just seen. Now, she wanted some answers and wanted them now.
Vaughn was silent for a moment as he pulled into a gate. It took Sydney a moment to realize that it was a small corner of LAX, a distance away from the main terminals, a spot where private planes tended to land. He put the car into park and paused before looking at Sydney. "This...this is going to be hard for you to accept so I'm just going to plow right in," he said.
He took a deep breath and spoke. "SD-6 is not and never has been part of the CIA. You have been lied to, Sydney. Almost everyone at SD-6 you know has been lied to." He looked Sydney dead in the eye to let her know he was serious. "SD-6 is one of twelve cells held by the Alliance." He looked away. "You've been working for the very people you thought you were fighting against."
Sydney felt like she'd been shot in the gut. She gasped, unable to form words or thoughts at the horrific news. "I...No, no, you're lying, you have to be-----"
Vaughn grabbed her by the hand and gave a hard squeeze. "Sydney, this is for real. It's true. I'm sorry but it is."
"No," Sydney hissed. "No, I'm CIA, I've been CIA for five years-----"
"And have you ever once visited Langley?" Vaughn broke in. "Have you ever met anyone from other CIA branches? Have you ever seen even one piece of paper or documentation that actually had the letters CIA on it?"
Sydney stared at him as the light slowly began to dawn on her. "Oh, my God," she whispered, slumping against her seat. "Oh, my God..."
"It's brilliant strategy, you have to admit," Vaughn said. "Why go to all the trouble to turn or recruit people for an immoral purpose when you can have them think they're on the side of the angels? All those people at your cell think they're CIA. In Britain, they think they're MI-6. Israel, they think they're Mossad. It's like that all over, Sydney. They think they're out there beating the bad guys, unaware they're the bad guys."
Sydney stared at him. "Sloane knows." It was a statement, not a question.
"Oh, yeah," Vaughn said. "He knows. Most of those on his level or directly below know. The rest, as far as we can tell, are like you. They go about thinking they're working for the United States when they're really being used for Sloane and the Alliance's own purposes."
Sydney closed her eyes and tried to steady herself. She didn't want to believe, she really didn't. But there was something about the calm and steadfast way Vaughn was relating this that made her believe him. "How?" she whispered. "How do you know all this?"
Vaughn glanced downward as he replied. "Your father."
Sydney opened her eyes and stared at him. "What?" she dumbly asked.
Vaughn looked at her with a truly sympathetic expression. "Your father wasn't an airplane parts salesman, Sydney. He had been with the CIA for nearly twenty years when SD-6 was formed. Sloane used to be CIA before he went over to the Alliance. He brought in your father and they worked together."
Sydney could only sit there and stare as Vaughn continued. "Your father...Well, he finally decided he'd had enough of SD-6 and their way of life so he came to us, told us what was going on and had been working as a double agent to us." He bit his lip, knowing this next part was going to be hard. "When Danny...Your father knew you would want out and he knew Sloane wouldn't want that. He wanted to tell you the truth himself, try to get you out of this for good. So..." He sighed. "So Sloane had him killed."
Sydney choked, bringing a hand up to her mouth as she tried to digest this news. "Oh, shit," she whispered. "Oh, shit..." She began to tremble, trying to hold back her tears and Vaughn quickly placed a reassuring arm on her shoulder. "Breathe, Syd, breathe, I need you to stay focused. Sloane wants you taken out and he won't stop until you're dead."
Sydney closed her eyes again, once more trying to steady herself. "Oh, God, this is too much," she whispered.
"I know," Vaughn said. "And I hate to drop it all on you at once but we're pressed for time. I need you to get to safety before------"
A flash of light in the corner of his eye caught his attention and Vaughn looked up to the rear-view mirror. "Shit," he hissed as he saw two pairs of headlights coming toward them. "Hang on," he commanded as he threw the car into drive and roared forward. Sydney felt herself pressed against the seat as the car skidded across the dirt, trying to escape their pursuers. Bullets crackled around them, Sydney instinctively ducking as they struck around the windows.
"Don't you have any back-up?" she hissed at Vaughn.
"Should be here soon," Vaughn said as he twisted the car to the side to avoid another burst of machine gun fire. "Don't worry. They're sending one of their best."
"Who's sending what?" Sydney pressed. Before Vaughn answered, there was a flash of light above the car. Sydney looked up in confusion seeing...something flying out of the night sky and above them. Two flashes echoed in the sky and one of the pursuing cars exploded behind them, spinning about. The other car went into a wild turn, trying to avoid the sudden assault but that flash struck again and it two erupted into flame.
Vaughn turned the car around, allowing Sydney to see a third car that had appeared as if by magic next to the burning wreckage of the two perusing automobiles. Vaughn threw open the car door and quickly got out. Still not believing any of this, Sydney followed. She watched as the door to the other car opened and a woman stuck her head out. She was rather attractive, in her early thirties, with long blond hair and an intense expression. From what Sydney could see, she was clad in a dark blue jumpsuit that seemed like a second skin. "Sorry," she said with an Australian accent. "Traffic was a mess."
"Timing's as good as always, Nikita," Vaughn said as he made his way to the passenger door and opened it. He motioned toward Sydney. "Get in."
Sydney paused, staring at him with true uncertainty and Vaughn sighed. "Sydney," he said in a gentle voice. "Please. Trust me."
Something about him, about the way he spoke made Sydney decide to follow that advice and she quickly slid into the backseat. Nikita put the car into drive and backed it up a bit before going forward. "Are we meeting a plane?" Sydney asked.
"Not exactly," Nikita said as she flipped a series of switches. "But we do need the room." There was a bump and then Sydney felt a lightness hit the car as if the wheels were no longer touching the ground. She looked out the window and her eyes widened yet again as she saw the ground starting to fade away underneath the car as it rose up in the air. "Vaughn," she said in a voice that had more calm than she was feeling right now. "I'm a rational person so I know this car isn't really flying."
Vaughn managed a light smile. "We...have a few extra toys the other agencies don't."
Sydney stared at him. "Vaughn, who the hell are you?"
"Strategic Hazards Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate," Nikita intoned in a flat voice.
Vaughn shook his head. "Let's clear this up." He stuck out a hand. "Michael Vaughn, agent of SHIELD."
The Heli-Carrier
Location Classified
2052 Hours PST
Sydney had thought she had exhausted all her shocks during the flight. Then the Heli-Carrier came into view.
Vaughn and Nikita sympathized. They both remembered their own slack-jawed reactions to seeing the flying fortress for the first time. Put simply, the massive craft was an aircraft carrier suspended by six nuclear-powered set of blades that constantly whirled about. A bevy of small fighters and helicopters circled the massive craft as Nikita's car entered on of the landing bays. The wheels of the car turned over, their hover jets fading away and turning back into regular wheels as the car landed.
The door opened and Nikita exited, followed by Vaughn and Sydney, who couldn't help looking around the massive hanger. "My god," she whispered. "How do you even fund this place?"
"I think it's safer not to ask," Vaughn said as the two followed Nikita. They were coming to the other side of the hanger when a rather nebbish looking man came up to them. He was short, with slicked-back black hair, a rather ill-fitting suit and a goofy smile. "Hey, Vaughn!" he called out. "Good to see ya again! How's the, how's the weather in L.A.?"
"Not that bad, Marshall," Vaughn said. "Oh, Sydney, this is Marshall, one of our tech guys. Marshall, meet Sydney Bristow."
Sydney was slightly startled as the man grabbed her hand and shook it rather vigorously. "Hey, how's it going. Wow, you're pretty. Are those your natural eyes? I'm sorry, it's just that I've been developing these fancy camera contact lens things and I'm trying to get them to work with different colors, cause, you know, if a blue-eyes person shows up with brown eyes, it will make people suspicious, right? But, the camera doesn't always work with different color, blue has a fuzz, green makes everything too tinted, I could give them yellow, yellow works but you know, that's really not going to make you inconspicuous or something, you know-----"
"Marshall," Vaughn broke in.
Marshall looked at him, apparently not noticing that he had been shaking Sydney's hand the whole time. "Yeah?"
"We have to see the director," Vaughn said gently. "Can we...?"
Marshall looked at his hand as if surprised to see it moving. "Oh, yeah, sure, sure." He broke away and gave Sydney a large smile. "Okay, see you later and hope the director doesn't yell too much at you." He gave a little wave as he walked off.
Sydney watched him go and then turned to Vaughn. "Just how long has it been since he left this place?"
"Too long," Vaughn agreed as they walked off.
One look and Sydney knew beyond a shadow of doubt that Colonel Nicholas James Fury was the undisputed boss of SHIELD.
His coat was thrown over his chair, his tie undone and his suit was rumpled and seemed strangely ill-fitting on him. His face seemed caught in a permanent glower, streaks of gray at his temples flashing and the patch over his left eye seemed to intensify the power of his right. He took a drag on the cigar stuck in his mouth and blew out a cloud of smoke as he spoke on the phone. "Now you listen ta me, *Mister* Secretary," he was growling as Sydney, Vaughn and Nikita entered. "My job is to get results, not win favors. Terrorists don't care about their political futures, mister and frankly, neither do I. Oh, ya think ya can threaten me, you little shit? How old are you? Uh-huh. Buddy, by your ninth birthday, me and the Howlers were carving our way through occupied territory and we didn't care who we pissed off along the way. Them Nazis didn't hold to the Geneva Convention and neither do the majority of assholes we face. Uh-huh, you'll go the President? Okay, when ya do, remind him who took a bullet for him." He paused and rolled his eye. "No, ya yardbird, I mean, I literally took a bullet for him." He paused again and a tiny smile came to his face. "Aw, that thought will keep me warm all day, thanks." He hung up the phone and took another drag on his cigar. "You're somewhere up there laughing at me, aint'cha, Happy Sam?" he muttered.
"Sir?" At Vaughn's cough, Fury looked over at the trio. "Yeah, yeah, get in here and have a seat," he said, waving them down. He sat in his own chair, putting the cigar into a waiting ashtray. "Ms. Bristow, I'm Nick Fury, head honcho around here," he said by way of introduction. "You've already met Vaughn and this is Nikita, one of our best operatives when she wants to be."
"Love you too, Colonel," Nikita shot back.
Sydney glanced at the man before her and took a deep breath. "Listen, Colonel," she began. "I've been under something of a strain here for the last few hours, as you might imagine. I've just found out I've been working for the bad guys for the last five years, that my talents have been used for God only knows what and that I've been fooled and tricked------"
"We know that," Fury interrupted. "Yer dad told us you weren't aware of what SD-6 really was so you're not gonna be prosecuted for any actions you might have taken against the United States government."
"Whoop-de-shit," Sydney sardonically remarked. "That doesn't change the fact that I've been used and I'm pretty damn pissed about it-----"
"Good," Fury remarked. "Cause as it just so happens, we could use someone like you working with us."
Sydney rolled her eyes. "I just decided to quit the spy game, Fury. What makes you think I want to work with you?"
Fury was quiet for a moment, then hit a buzzer. "Sitwell, get in here with the SD-6 file," he intoned. There was a pause for a few moments, then the door opened and an unassuming young man with a short blond crewcut, pale suit and large glasses entered. "Bristow, meet Jasper Sitwell," Fury said. "He's our resident information geek. If he don't know it, it ain't a fact." He looked at the man. "Lay it out for her, Sitwell."
"Ah, yes, Colonel Fury," the man said in a cultured and respectful tone. He lay down a large folder, opening it to withdraw what looked like a road map. As he began to unfold it, he spoke. "First, Ms. Bristow, I feel it important to relate to you the full scope of the organization you have been involved in."
"I know how big SD-6 is," Sydney said. "I've been there for five years, I've seen what they can do and...and..." Her voice trailed away as she saw what Sitwell was revealing. It was a massive roll of paper that covered the entirety of Fury's desk with edges trailing over the side. Covering the paper was a massive chart, a crisscross of circles, names and numbers, all forming out of a large round label of "SD-6." "We first put this together about five years ago," Sitwell stated. "And all it has done in that time is grow."
"And that's just SD-6," Vaughn said. "There are at least eleven other cells just like it. They've got claws in just about every other illegal arms operation, drug trade, you name it. They've managed to get some political contacts on their side too so busting them open isn't as easy as it might sound."
"My God," Sydney whispered. She rubbed at her forehead. "What...what do I do now?"
Fury blew out a cloud of smoke and rubbed at his chin. "Before today, we had the idea of maybe using ya as a double agent like yer dad," he said. "But now, Sloane wants ya dead and I doubt he'll be willing to take you back, no matter whatever ya could give him. So, I think yer best option is ta hook up with us."
Sydney raised an eyebrow. "With you? Why do you think I'd want that?"
Fury took another drag on his cigar before speaking. "Cause I consider myself a good judge of character, Bristow. And I'm willing ta bet my pension that you want to start making up for any dirty antics ya may have been part of. Ya joined SD-6 cause you wanted to do the right thing and ya got used. Now, you've got a chance to really do the right thing for yer country." He raised an eyebrow above his good eye. "Am I right?"
Sydney bit her lip before speaking. "Somehow, Colonel...I get the feeling you're right a lot of the time."
Fury actually smiled. "You'll fit in well here, Bristow." He looked over at Sitwell. "Jasper, I want ya to start taking more of a hand in the SD-6 affair. Bristow has first-hand intel we could use, integrate that into what you've already got."
Sitwell blinked. "Colonel," he said in a hushed tone. "Are...are you putting me in charge of such an important case?"
"Yeah, I figgered it was time we scraped the bottom of the barrel," Fury shrugged.
"Colonel..." Sitwell appeared to be having a mild stroke, his eyes wide with amazement. "I...I..thank you, I won't let you down, I'll give it my all, my strength, my honor, I'll work to the upmost of my abilities! I'll never yield! I'll always back SHIELD! I'll, I'll..."
"Ya'll get a fat lip if ya don't get outta here, Sitwell!" Fury barked. With a quick nod, the man quickly raced out of the room, a wide smile on his face. "I don't care what the DNA tests say, he and Marshall gotta be related," Fury muttered under his breath. He put the cigar back in his mouth as he spoke. "Vaughn, take Bristow to some quarters, get her settled in. Nikita, see Dum Dum about debrief." He rose to his feet. "I'm going down to the firing range. Tell Marshall to get the photos of the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State and the Director of the CIA set up."
Nikita watched as he marched away, then turned to Vaughn and Sydney. "You know...he's really mellowed in the last few years."
The quarters Sydney had weren't at all lavish but they were comfortable enough. Besides a nicely sized bed and a dresser, she also had a TV and a private bathroom. She wasn't really paying much attention to the decor, sitting on her bed and trying to cope with the shocks she had received in the last several hours. Her entire life had been turned upside down and she was trying to focus on an anchor to hold onto.
A knocking came from her door and she looked up and spoke. "Come in." The door opened and Vaughn entered, giving her a quick smile. "How are you?" he asked.
Sydney gave him a sour look and Vaughn felt a flash of shame. "Okay, stupid question," he muttered. He carefully walked forward and sat next to her. He looked at her carefully before looking away. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
"For?" Sydney asked.
"Not telling you who I was," Vaughn said. "Not telling you the truth about SD-6."
Sydney shrugged. "You were under orders. I understand that. You couldn't spoil the mission."
"Well, I'm still sorry," Vaughn said.
Sydney was quiet before turning to him. "Did you know my father?" she asked.
Vaughn slowly nodded. "Yeah. I met him a couple of times, for business and debriefs."
Sydney looked at him intently. "What was he like?"
Vaughn seemed confused by the question so Sydney pressed on. "I mean, what was he like? I didn't really know him, never really talked to him. He...after Mom died he just seemed so...distant to me." She looked down at her feet. "And that he kept this quiet from me, that he never told me what he really did, that he never warned me---"
"He wanted to," Vaughn broke in. As Sydney looked at him in surprise, he went on. "He wanted to tell you the truth about himself and SD-6. But he knew the dangers. He knew you'd want to stick with the life no matter what and being a double agent can be very, very dangerous. He knew that. And he didn't want to drag you into it."
He brushed back at his hair. "But he changed his mind when Danny died," he said. "He knew you were loyal to SD-6 but he knew that them having Danny killed would make you start suspect and it wouldn't be long before you found out the truth. He wanted to get to you, to warn you and Sloane didn't want you finding out about him." Vaughn took a deep breath. "So he had him killed."
Sydney's jaw dropped further as she stared in shock at the man. Vaughn nodded. "Yeah, Sloane ordered Jack killed," he said as gently as he could. "He and Sloane had known each other for over twenty years, had worked together, he was probably the closest thing Sloane had to a friend and Sloane ordered him dead without a second thought."
Sydney closed her eyes, trying to fight back her pain. "Why didn't he tell me?" she whispered. "Why didn't he let me know? About this, about how he felt, about------"
Vaughn carefully reached over and clutched Sydney's hand. "The last meeting we had," he gently said. "He wanted me to make sure you were okay. He wanted to make sure what happened to him didn't happen to you." He looked her right in the eye. "I'll never forget his last words to me. 'I've had a long life and one filled with things I'd rather not remember. I've lied, stolen, cheated and killed. Out of everything in my life I've ever done, she's the one thing I've ever taken pride in. And I don't want to lose her.'"
Sydney's eyes were filled with tears as she put her head in her hands. "Oh, God," she whispered. "Oh, God, he loved me...Oh, God, he wanted to----" She dissolved into tears, slumping against Vaughn. He held onto her, trying to be reassuring as he let her cry. There was no professionalism here, no agent-to-agent talk. It was simply a friend trying to help a woman who was finding out there were some things in life you simply couldn't shield yourself from.
SD-6 Headquarters
Underneath Credit Duphaine Bank
Los Angeles, CA
2227 Hours PST
"This is not a good thing," the thick voice from the small monitor. The office was dark, all lights off, save for a desk lamp. It illuminated the craggy features of Arvin Sloane, seeming to light off his graying hair and dark eyes. He sat in his chair, seeming quite nonchalant in his dark suit, his eyes fixed to the monitor before him.
"I agree that it could be problematic, sir," Sloane said in his deep and dark voice. "Sydney has quite a bit of knowledge about us and the way we operate. And trying to tell Dixon or others here that she's gone rogue might be difficult."
There was a pause before the shadowed figure on the other end of the video call spoke. "I shall leave that to your judgment," he said. "I must admit, Arvin, I am rather impressed by how you handled the father. The man was your friend."
"As I believe you once said, emotions have no business in what we do," Arvin said. "Besides, it had to be done quickly. I think Jack was starting to get a bit too close to my true loyalties. If he had gone to the Council first, it might have been troublesome for me."
"And I as well," the other man said. "Placing a deep cover mole into the Alliance was not as easy as you might think. I am hoping you may continue to pay the benefits of that actions."
"I will," Sloane said. "You can be sure of that."
"I had best be," the other man said with a trace of menace. "You know I do not tolerate failure, Arvin. And even the best of my men can still be replaced. I would hate to do that to you but remember I see no reason to keep a failure when a successful man can be put into place. Cut off one limb-----"
"And two more shall take its place," Sloane said as he leaned forward to disconnect the call. "I'll be sure to remember that, Baron." He pressed down on the monitor, pausing only to say one more thing.
"Hail Hydra."
InfoLabs Research Facility
San Diego, CA
October 8th, 1999
0033 Hours PST
From the outside, it looked like a simple office complex, white exterior with tinted windows, no fancy design, nothing that really stood out. It blended in with the other buildings in the area and if not for the sign standing outside, no one would have known it was a research laboratory.
Inside was a different story. Besides a half-dozen security guards, the building was covered by a bevy of the best security devices government and private sector combined money could buy. Cameras covered almost every hallway with infrared capability. Motion sensors were set in the most sensitive areas with lasers set around the ones that had the most importance. Back-up systems prevented tampering and even the cameras were set with double feeds to prevent someone cutting into them. All in all, InfoLabs was almost impossible to break into.
Gwen Raiden figured she'd be in and out within twenty minutes.
Had anyone been around to see her, they would have no doubt been taken aback by her incredible beauty. She was clad in a tight black outfit that covered her completely but accented her amazingly curvaceous body. Long gloves covered her from hand to elbow, a special nonconductive leather. Her long curly black hair was pinned into a ponytail behind her, highlighting her nearly perfect face, which seemed to combine aloof beauty with incredible sexiness. At the moment, she was on the job and all professional.
Getting the plans to the building hadn't been too hard. It was amazing how little it took to get government workers to sell out their secrets. Getting info on the guards' routines had required a little more doing. Most other thieves with Gwen's looks would be able to seduce a guard into a night of passion and spilled secrets. That was an option not open to Gwen so she had been forced to do some long-time surveillance.
Now, it was time for that work to pay off. Entering through the loading bay had gone perfectly, Gwen avoiding the few cameras there. Getting to the higher levels had been a tad more problematic, especially since she had to avoid the guards. Knocking out one or two wouldn't be a problem but she was trying to be a tad more low-key than usual with this job. The money she was being offered for this engine thing was more than worth it.
It was amazing, Gwen thought, just how much easier it was to move around ventilation shafts than most people thought. It was equally amazing how few places thought to place alarms in any of these shafts, despite the fact they allowed such easy access around the building. She was as quiet as a cat as she made her way through the maze of metal, finally coming to her destination.
It made sense that for the main lab, the opening for the shaft would indeed be protected. A web of lasers covered the grating, which would be impossibly for a person to slip through.
Fortunately, Gwen had no plans to do so.
She gritted her teeth as she lifted up the metal grating, placing it down as she pulled off her glove. She wiggled her fingers before placing her hand above the lasers and began to concentrate. "Let's see, shift a few electrons, race a couple of energy waves..." She narrowed her eyes as she did her work.
There was a shudder, then the waves split apart, forming a wide circle, enough for Gwen to go through. With a nod, she grabbed her glove, then flipped downward, landing on her feet onto a narrow catwalk. She waved her hand over her head, the lasers snapping back into place.
She walked along the catwalk, slipping her glove back on as she surveyed the layout. It was a large circular room, the catwalk running over the large flat lab area. Various tables and consoles were set all around it, with a slew of high-tech devices covering them. A large metal door sat on the other end of the room with an electronic lock above it.
"Payday," Gwen whispered as she looked down on the lab floor, prepared to make her move. She gripped the bar of the catwalk, ready to flip down and head to the vault. She was almost ready to pull herself up when something caught her attention.
She couldn't tell exactly what it was but it felt as if something was sliding across the electrical fields of the room, something not natural. She turned her head toward the main door and had to fight to keep her jaw from dropping.
Over the course of a rather colorful career as a thief, Gwen had seen more than her fair share of odd occurrences. But the sight of a man literally walking through the large door more than topped them all. The man was blurred, as if he was out of synch with the rest of the world. He stepped into the room and suddenly solidified into a human form, letting out a breath as he did.
Gwen blinked, not just over the impossibility of what she was seeing but also by the fact that this "ghost" was pretty damn good looking. He was in his twenties with a ruffled mop of dark brown hair, intense features and his good build was clad in a jeans, a dark shirt and leather jacket. Not exactly the most appropriate wear for a burglary.
The man gave a quick glance around the room, then turned to the door. He quickly flicked a few keys on the electronic pad and stepped back. With a hiss, the door opened and two more figures stepped into the room.
*Who are these guys, the Guess? theft team?* Gwen thought to herself as she got a look at the two. The man was a bit taller than the other, with short black hair, and a good build, wearing a dark designer shirt, slacks and a dark jacket. His companion was a stunningly beautiful woman with long blonde hair dressed in a dark blouse, jeans and a long dark coat. She had a sexiness to her that Gwen had to envy and a face that looked like...well, like a cat who had just swallowed the canary.
"We cool?" the first man asked as they entered.
"Had to take down a couple of guards," the woman stated in a hard tone that still had a touch of humor to it. "You think they'd hire better already."
"Well, they can't all be up to the lovely standards we've met," the brown-haired man said. The trio began moving toward the large vault, the first man motioning to it. "Okay. According to the information, the engine should be behind here."
"So, go in and get it," the dark-haired man said, motioning toward it.
His companion gave him a "moron" look. "Well, I'd love to but I can only make myself intangible, not other things, remember?"
The other man shrugged. "Okay, okay, I get it." He turned toward the vault. "Stand back and give me some room," he said as he spread his arms and wiggled his fingers. His companions took a few steps back as the man put his hands close together.
From her vantage point above, Gwen peered carefully at the man. He seemed to tense and then arcs of blue light appeared between his fingers. Arcs that Gwen found very familiar. Before her astonished eyes, the man threw out his hands and electricity flew from his fingers and into the locks around the vault.
For the last decade, Gwen Raiden had gone through her life with the conviction that she was utterly and completely alone. That there was no one else on Earth who was as freakish as her. No one who knew what she was going through. No one who was saddled with powers and abilities they couldn't control. Until now.
As she watched, the vault door swung open and revealed the sole object inside: A small metal device that looked for all the world like the block of a car engine. "I don't know," the electric man said as he walked toward it. "I thought something powerful enough to knock out a city block would be a little bigger."
"Good things come in small packages," the other man said, throwing a smile at the woman, who rolled her eyes.
The other man paused before looking at his companions. "Alarms are off, right?"
The other man nodded. "Emma's taking care of it. Tech guys probably don't even know she's there."
Nodding, the electric man cupped the device and lifted it a few inches. Hearing no alarms, he lifted it up fully and walked back to his companions. "All right, let's move."
"Couldn't agree more."
The three all looked up as a dark shape suddenly swung down before them, a cable around her wrist. Gwen threw a smile at them as she grabbed the device out of the startled hands of the dark-haired man and nodded. "A pleasure," she said as she threw out both legs, catching the woman and the brown-haired man in the face. She looked at the electric man and gave him an approving look. "You know, a shame we can't talk more. We've got a lot in common."
Without warning, the man threw out his hand, bolts shooting forward toward Gwen. She yelped and ducked, not ready for that. She had no idea how to do that herself, she had to be in close for it to work. She rolled, the device tight in her hand as she tried to come up with a new strategy.
She came on her feet behind a desk, her eye shooting upward to where a large mirror was held by a wire right above her head. She swiftly yanked off her glove and grabbed the wire. There was a giant spark and burst of energy and the wire broke apart, the mirror swinging toward the trio.
The electric man and the woman both ducked down but the third man stayed right in place. He took a deep breath and then his body shimmered, a dark pattern covering his skin that vaguely resembled rock patterns. The mirror hit him full on and instantly shattered into pieces. The man himself didn't have so much as a scratch as he let out his breath, his skin returning to normal.
*Time to leave* Gwen instantly decided, running toward the cable. She grabbed it and hit the release, the wire sliding back up to its holder secured on the catwalk above. Gwen flipped over the railing, managing to slide the engine into her large bag as she did. She took off running, heading toward the grating.
The blonde woman got to her feet and began racing toward the catwalk. She crouched and then bounded, managing the twenty-five foot distance between the floor and the catwalk with a single leap. She landed on the catwalk, only a few feet away from Gwen, who pulled up in startled surprise. She looked at the floor, then back at the woman and raised an eyebrow. "Okay. After I kick your ass, I wanna know how you did that."
She launched a kick at the woman, who easily evaded it. She spun around to throw another kick but the woman backflipped, landing right on the railing. She threw her head back, her long mane of blonde hair flying past her and perched there like...well, like a cat. The similarity grew as Gwen saw her eyes suddenly change, becoming dark yellow slits before going back to regular form.
*Oh, shit* Gwen said, swallowing. She glanced at the railing and was struck by inspiration. She shot her bare hand out and touched the railing. She took a moment to savor the look on the cat-lady's face as she realized what was about to happen. She then stiffened as the shock Gwen delivered carried through the railing and into her body. She fell backward, the two men quickly moving to catch her limp form.
Gwen quickly tried to go over her options. It would take too long to work the lasers in the grating and get up there, they'd be over her. So, it was time to improvise. She grabbed the cable once more and swung over the edge of the catwalk. She let go when she was about ten feet over the floor, landing on her feet and rolling quickly. Coming onto her feet, she ran toward the door leading out, satisfied she'd get away.
It was right about then that she noticed the person standing in the doorway. She was about the same age as the others, but seemed younger. She had short brown hair framing an innocently attractive face. Like the others, her small body was clad in dark jeans and shirt with short jacket. She appeared nonplused at the sight of the woman heading toward her.
Gwen came up short and sighed. "Honey, I can break you in two without trying or give you the shock of your life," she said. "You wanna get out of the way?"
The woman looked off, seeming to stare at the wall and Gwen rolled her eyes. "You know, I don't generally have much problem getting attention when I want but I don't think I've ever bored someone-----"
The woman suddenly whipped her head around and looked Gwen right in the eye, her brow furrowing-----
------And Gwen suddenly felt as if she was being submerged in water. Water, water, everywhere, all around her, in her, her power reacting to it, her body shaking from the multiple shocks, going into arrest, she couldn't handle it-------
Gwen let out a long and loud gasp as she collapsed onto the floor, twitching a bit before lying still, darkness claiming her.
The woman looked at the unconscious thief, then back to her companions. "Are you guys okay?"
"Shal got a big shock," the electric man said as he held up the blonde woman.
"I'm fine!" she said, pushing him aside and swaying on her feet. "I'll be okay!" She looked at Gwen, then back to the brunette. "Tell me you made it hurt."
The younger woman shrugged. "Apparently, she has a thing about water."
"I can relate," the electric man stated. "I get those feelings too."
The other man walked over and bent over Gwen. He unzipped her bag and pulled out the engine. "Looks like it's okay," he said. He rose to his feet and nodded to Gwen. "Think she works for our favorite mad scientist?"
"She's an elemental, no doubt," the other man said. "I could feel the electricity in her, it's constant."
"Tell me about it," the blonde woman muttered sourly.
The man shook his head. "No, with me, I can control it, I can touch people. Her...Look at the gloves, how she covers herself. I don't think she's got that control."
"I think we should take her with us," the brunette stated.
"No way," the blonde said empathetically. "No way am I letting that bitch------"
A loud alarm began to sound and the four started. "Okay, we take her with," the dark-haired man said. He bent down and scooped Gwen up, taken aback at the feeling of static electricity that covered her body. "Come on, let's go!" he yelled as the four took off with their unusual cargo.
Gwen's eyes blinked open and she shook her head as consciousness returned to her. She raised her head, wincing a bit as she sat up. She looked around her, taking a moment to absorb her surroundings. She was seated in a large chair, like something you'd see at a dentist's office, in the middle of a lab that was the very definition of state of the art. It was brightly lit, LED displays on the walls, medical equipment and scanners lined about. It wasn't as sterile as a lab but Gwen knew that was what it was. And she didn't like it.
She swung her legs over and got to her feet, holding the couch to steady herself. "I wouldn't recommend using your powers right now," a deep voice spoke out. "They can be a little unsettling so soon after one of Emma's mind tricks."
Gwen turned her head to see the dark-haired man leaning in the doorway, a smile on his face as he looked her over. "Not bad. I see cat burglary keeps you in shape."
Gwen suddenly realized she had been stripped of her outer suit and now stood in a black sports bra and thong, letting out a hiss as she backed away. "Where are my clothes?" she said.
"Now, it's funny," the man said in a nonchalant tone. "You don't strike me as the shy type." He raised an eyebrow. "Or is it just that you don't like having so much of your bare skin showing in case someone runs into you?"
Gwen narrowed her eyes at him and straightened up, letting him get a good look. "You know," she said, flexing her bare fingers. "You'll be amazed what parts of the male anatomy take the longest time to recover feeling after a massive shock."
Instead of being intimidated, the man held up a hand and let bolts of energy flick between the fingers. "As one Elemental to another, let me recommend you don't try something with me. I can absorb energy, not just release it. You try hitting me with anything, it'll just fire me up."
"I get that reaction from a lot of men," Gwen said with a tiny smirk.
"No, you haven't," the man shot back. "You're a virgin."
Gwen's jaw dropped. "How...how do you------"
"You can't control your power," the man pressed. "You can't hold it in, skin to skin contact and you shock someone. It's always around you. So, unless they've invented fully-body nonconductive condoms, I think your love life is pretty much nonexistent."
"Then I'm just like you," Gwen fired back. "I'm a freak."
"Actually, I'm the Freak," the brown-haired man said as he entered the lab. "You two are Elementals." He was followed by the two women, the blonde throwing a nasty look at Gwen. Gwen, in turn, gave that same look at the brunette, who actually made an apologetic smile.
Behind them came another man. He was older than them, in his early forties, Gwen guessed, with dark eyes, dark curly hair and a smile on his face that made even the perpetually suspicious Gwen feel like trusting him. He wore a dark dress shirt and pants and nodded to Gwen. "Hello, Gwen," he stated.
Gwen stared at him. "How do you know my name?"
"I know a lot about you," the man said as he handed a pile of clothes to her. Gwen grabbed them and pulled on the gloves first before sliding on the pants. She could see the two men behind the older man had sad expressions but didn't care. She pulled her sweatshirt on before speaking. "Who the hell are you people?"
"My name is Adam Kane," the man introduced himself. He turned and pointed to each person behind him. "Bennan Moray," he motioned toward the other electrical person. "Jesse Kilmartin." The guy who shifted his body gave Gwen a small smile. "Emma Delauro." The brunette nodded her head. "And Shalimar Fox." The blonde growled at Gwen.
"Okay," Gwen said. "Now, who the hell are you people?"
Adam sighed as he walked forward. "Several years ago," he began. "I was a pioneer in research development for gene therapy. I and several others gathered together to form a company that, as I believed, would be dedicated to jumpstarting cells to reach their full development."
He sighed. "However, in several cases, these cells, often passed from adults to their children, resulted in mutations that give people superhuman abilities, abilities they often cannot control."
Gwen was still for a long moment before speaking. "You're telling me," she started. "That you did this to me. You made me a freak."
"I had a part in it," Adam said with shame. "And I'm sorry for that."
Gwen grit her teeth and held up a hand. "You know, I always figured if I knew who did this to me, I'd let him taste first-hand how bad it is."
Shalimar made a move toward her, her eyes flashing yellow, Brennan and Jesse having to hold her back. Adam held out a hand to tell her to back away even as he kept looking at Gwen. "I am sorry," he said. "When I realized what I had done, I did my best to make amends. I left the group, went on my own and I've been trying to track down all those who had developed powers and try to help them."
"Why?" Gwen said.
Adam sighed. "The...group I belonged to has grown...rather dark since I left. The man currently in charge believes that...well, that people like New Mutants are a danger and should be contained. As in, in stasis pods with no way to escape, caged like lab rats." He shook his head. "I don't want that. Not for you. Not for them."
Gwen looked at him, then at the four young people. "So, they're all like me?"
Adam nodded. "With varying abilities. There are different types of mutations. You have much the same powers as Brennan, electricity. However, my tests tell me that you don't have the same control over it as he does. You're always 'on' as it were."
"Tell me something I don't know," Gwen muttered.
"I can help you fix that."
Gwen looked at him in surprise. "That'll do," she muttered.
Adam smiled. "I mean it. A couple of tests and you'll be able to touch someone without burning them."
Gwen sniffed. "And what do you want in return?"
Adam looked at her with true sympathy. "I know why you became a thief, Gwen," he stated. "Because you felt alone. You felt like there was no one to help you, no one like you. You wanted to take care of yourself and yourself alone and you say theft as the best way to do it. And as I believe a few people here can attest to, a life like that makes one sardonic and bitter, " He was near her now, apparently not afraid of the heat coming from her. "You can belong here," he softly said. "I promise you, you don't have to be alone anymore. Not here. Not anywhere." He raised an eyebrow. "Interested?"
Gwen pursed her lips and considered her options. If this guy was bullshitting her, he was damn good. His eyes, his posture, they all said he was truly sincere. Gwen looked down at her gloved hands and thought about it. If there was a chance...just a slight chance...
She looked back up at Adam, took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. I'll give it a shot."
"Good," Adam smiled. "We've got plenty of room here at Sanctuary."
"Don't expect me to bunk with her," Shalimar muttered in a dark voice.
"There's space in my room," Brennan volunteered. "She won't be shocking me."
Gwen threw a smirk at him. "Give me time, handsome."
Adam smiled and extended a hand into Gwen's gloved one. "Welcome to Mutant X."
Genomex
South of Los Angeles, CA
0902 Hours PST
It was amazing how quickly people got over the amazing resemblance Mason Eckhart had to Andy Warhol.
Aside from the wild white hair, large glasses, dark suits with ties and pale skin, Eckhart had nothing in common with the famous painter. He almost never smiled, his face hard and impassive, his hands covered with gloves and if one looked closely, they might see a thin layer of plastic covering his exposed skin. He talked in a cold, crisp tone and carried himself with the air of a man long resigned to the fact that he was surrounded by incompetents.
That judgment was quickly made by his visitor who sat across from his desk. Through the window behind Eckhart, she could see the master center of Genomex, the large circular chamber which held various metal pods. Inside each was what appeared to be a human being, staring blankly outward, kept in perfect suspended animation.
"I don't mind saying," Eckhart stated in his clipped tone. "That your...resume is hardly one of sterling accomplishments."
The guest coughed before replying. "Ah, Mr. Eckhart, if you're referring to that business at the government facility, that was beyond my control------"
"Doctor," Eckhart cut in. "If you are going to work here, the first thing you are going to have to learn is that I am not a man who enjoys excuses. I am also not one who works at long-range agendas. I'm the more results-oriented mad scientist."
The other person in the room stared at him.
"That was a joke," Eckhart said in a flat tone. "While it is true that your last occupation ended badly, the type of research you were involved in did catch my eye. You specialized in the unusual there and that can be useful here. Especially when dealing with these genetic aberrations."
"Will I be just lab work, then?"
"Yes, I do believe that is simpler," Eckhart nodded. "I will admit that the less you know about...special operations, the better it will probably be for you."
The other person nodded and paused. "Then...I get the job?"
Eckhart raised an eyebrow. "You're that desperate?"
"Well, sir, as you've said, my last one ended badly and it's been hard to get work after that. When I heard about a private firm hiring and not having as many...hang-ups about my past as some other companies would be."
Eckhart nodded. "Well, I can show you your lab and your staff and let you know which projects will benefit best from your involvement. Welcome to Genomex, Doctor."
"Thank you, sir, I'll try to do my best," Doctor Maggie Walsh stated.