For the background to this story please visit:

Dangan (Author who has posted 1/3 of the chapters) - check his news pages
Sarai (Author of another 1/3 of the chapters) - check her news pages!
Mast3rmind (Author of another 1/3 of chapters) - check his news pages

Chapter 6: Part 2: 'An Offer to be considered'

The streets disappeared under my sandaled feet as I made my way out of the vicinity of the fire fight. I blended into the shadows and twisted my way through the crowds of refugees, hawkers and general users until I felt that I was being watched. I instantly ducked into an open doorway that had been left carelessly open by previous occupants. The place was dark and in disarray, evidence of the flight of the occupants in the face of the army approaching the city.

I made my way carefully and quietly through the rooms to the rear of the building where I hoped to find windows or a way out to roof level. As I fiddled with a catch on a window I felt the air-change in the room behind me and I dropped onto my back on the floor, my black clothing hiding my body on in the gloom. Without sound I drew the silk fabric of my mask over my face until just my eyes were visible. Face up on the floor my heart beat faster as I could feel the serious threat that was just nearby... I felt my shifter cold against my chest and I was tempted to reach for it but suppressed the desire by reciting a litany against fear I had been taught during my training. I calmed down and waited.

Footsteps in the hallway and then into the living where I lay. I tensed inside and controlled my muscles. When I could feel the figure near me I moved in a blur of motion and had one of my blades against the neck of the person. They were also dressed in black, although it was loose fitting unlike my tight clothes. I couldn't tell age or even gender...

"Tell me who you are and why you're here", my voice was level and strong and I was pleased that after a few weeks of less than fully capacity work I had stepped back to my natural element.

The stalker didn't say a word but an almost imperceptible movement of their head caused me to push the blade against the exposed neck skin more until a ruby red drop of blood welled up.

"Don't be stupid... Tell me, do you understand?"

They nodded and as they did so some object crashed into the side of my head and shattered. I stumbled to one side letting go of the knife which clattered to the floor. I blocked a kick and two swift punches before my attacker charged into me and lifted me off my fleet. I was slammed into the fridge behind me although I did manage to cut quite deeply my attackers left shoulder and back with a blade in the bracelet I wore on my wrist. As I slid to the ground they darted into the gloom.

Although I was hurt I quickly picked myself up and peered into the kitchen. My vision was slowly unblurring from what must've been a mug that hit me. I saw movement though a doorway and ducked as a brick and then a heavy book flew past me. I couldn't see who was throwing these things but I was determined to catch my stalker and extract answers. If gentle persuasion hadn't worked I could do a lot more. I hadn't even got started.

I saw movement and drew in my breath, a lamp had just appeared in mid-air and a split second later flew towards me at speed, I twisted right and dodged it but something else hit me hard in the thigh from behind and my leg went tingly, I looked down to see a shard of glass sticking out just under my butt. I pulled it out and concentrated to slow my blood pressure and dull the pain, the wound wasn't too deep I hope but in the dark I couldn't see blood that much against the black of my skirt and dark leggings.

Movement again from the stairs and this time I was quicker with a small throwing knife that buried itself into my target. A second later I deflected the same knife with my bracelet as it spun back at me. Whomever my target was they appeared to be able to move objects, or perhaps even create them at will, I'd never heard of something like this before.

As I watched the figure rush up the stairs I rappelled up them using all of my body to grab handholds and pull myself up. I reached the top of the second floor landing before the runner and emerging from the darkness I kicked them hard in the chest sending them tumbling back down the stairs. I leapt after them, a blade in my hand ready to finish them and worry about their method of attacking later however at the last second I had to twist away as a sharp wood stake appeared in their hands. Dodging the impalement I was hit around the head and body with the improvised club before I could respond. Dazed I stumbled backwards and suddenly found myself picked up by an invisible force and thrown over the balcony. I tumbled down and broke my fall on a hall table that collapsed.

I was beaten and running on reserves. My nerves and body screamed at me to get out, but as I struggled to suck air into my lungs I made the decision, I would shift. As I heard footsteps down the stairs I reached below my neck and touched the small pendent in different ways. I knew how it worked by heart, it was unique to me and even I didn't know every secret. My sister had become like ill trying to find them out...

"You've put up a good fight, but you've lost and now you're going to die or submit to us", the person in black stood over me. Assuming the voice wasn't disguised then it was a woman. Around her a couple of other figures crept out of rooms and stood around me.

Blood trickled from my mouth and I licked my lips, tasting the iron.

"Fuck you, I know who you are, you're J..." the woman kicked me in the head stopping me finishing the sentence.

"Fine, choose death. He only needs one woman at his side anyway, but I went to see just like he asked and you came up short."

From somewhere a large brick floated above my head... I felt the power though building inside me and as time slowed down around me and the brick moved in slow motion towards my head I was up and through the pain my first blow connected with the man standing to the right. My hand flickered in and out of existence in his chest and parts of him disappeared as though huge bullets had passed through him. Gore exploded in the missing gaps in his body and he started to crumple. As the woman raised a sword to defend herself my hand was already inside her shoulder, I felt the darkness in my soul creeping towards my core but I pressed on and pulled effortlessly at a bone in her arm which snapped in my grasp.

I wasn't meant to do it like this, the heat from the pendent lanced through my skin, neck and breasts seeking to earth itself anywhere. But there was no earth for this type of power and instead it burned my very existence. Drained I pulled the bone half out of the woman's flesh before I deactivated the field. With my arm around her neck I was in control.

The remaining man pointed his gun at me and I moved my hostage to better protect myself.

"Drop her now"

"No" I responded.

"I've seen your little toy now... you think you're going to keep it, keep your life? Even if you kill me?"

I couldn't stay like this, even though she had a bone broken and sticking out of her shoulder I knew she would try and finish me, I was much weaker than before. So therefore I choose my fate and struck her a blow to the head before throwing her hard at the man who was blocked from shooting me as he had to catch her. By not killing her I risked my life, but I wanted to find out why she had targeted me, who the man she spoke of was and then kill them both.

I disappeared, stumbling through the crowd before eventually finding shelter and tending to my wounds. No one around paid attention, I was just another victim of the war probably...

---------

"I didn't exactly finish her..."

"No it looks like she almost finished you..." Matt Gresa watched as a medic bandaged the woman before him.

"She has one of the devices, it's different to any of the others I've seen, she could phase herself in and out of matter... me in other words... without her own body being destroyed."

"A tool like that is powerful, I require it and will overlook this failure. You say you injured her, I hope enough that you can bring her here. When you do... don't kill her, you know how I like to play with those that keep things from me or hurt those I care about..."

"Yes... my dear Lord. I'll rest and join you after your victory over the other outlaws..."

<END Chapter>

: Next chapter; see Dangan or Mast3rmind

: Picture (Mindchamber picture of Sarai on the ground...)