Blood Sisters
Chapter 14

Sarah Reed was wasting away. Shewas sitting up now, and was able to feed herself. From the waist downshe had no sensation at all, and could not move her legs or feet.Despite the best efforts of the surgeons, her face remained horriblydeformed, even repulsive. Anyone who saw it, even the well trainedmedical staff, had to suppress their horror. She had to practicallythreaten them to get a mirror. In truth, Sarah felt horrified atfirst when she looked at her face too, so she did not blame them. Shemade herself look every day, and now her horrible visage fueled heranger.

For reasons that were unclear,Sarah was losing body weight, her failure to thrive was impacting herrecovery and she often felt ill. Doctor Cooper had explained to herthat she seemed to have contracted an unknown virus that was eatingher away from the inside out.

Sarah knew what it was. It wassome affliction that was a lingering effect of Michaela's bloodydestruction of her body. It was not enough to have broken my body,Sarah thought. Michaela wants me to die slowly, painfully, tobreak my spirit as well. Sarah could feel the faint presence ofthe vampire tugging in her mind. She could feel the demon in herguts, it was somewhere to the East, but still on this side of theAppalachians. She could only sense the vampire's location vaguely,and when she tried to focus to get a better idea where she was, itonly seemed to slip away. All this served to do was to feed her rage.As sick as she was, Sarah felt that her rage alone would keep heralive until she had destroyed that creature forever.

In the corner of the room, out ofplace within the cards and flowers, was the 7' tall armored red andsilver presence of a D-Day unit standing mute guard over her. Sarahwould sometimes gaze at it for hours, musing. She appreciated Paul'svirtual visits every day. Which usually happened at about threeo'clock in the afternoon, which it was right now.

Sarah could hear the power pulsethrough the unit as its lights snapped on, she could hear the fainthum of its hydraulic pumps and the whine of its servo motors. Shesmiled faintly at it, unaware of how ghoulish her smile appeared.“Hello Sarah” Paul's voice came quietly from the armor's PA. Sheknew that he was actually miles away in his master armor unit atShay's Mountain. But it felt like he was right here.

The floor shook a bit as thesteel armor walked to her bedside, and bent down over her. “HiPaul, thanks for coming... as it were”. The armor could not smile,but it did nod its head affirmatively “you got it, Doc” Paulsaid. “How are you feeling today, Sarah?” came the almostobligatory question. Sarah tried to grin “I could use a stiffdrink”. The armor nodded with the sound of servo motors. “I'llget right on that” Paul said.

Sarah's tone turned serious“Paul, I need to have a no bullshit conversation with you, hand meover a headset so we can talk more privately. You said you owed meone for not getting a warning to me in time about Michaela. Well I amcalling it in”. If a suit of battlearmor could express surprise,the D-Day unit did. “Okay Dr. Reed, you got it”.

***

Though it felt someone punchedher in the gut every time she teleported, Jenny was not going to ridepiggyback on her younger sister. As Cricket leaped across the roofsof the city, Jenny kept up with her porting from one to the other.Every few jumps, Jenny held up a hand, bending over and grasping herside. “You know, you really should let me just carry you, Jen”.Cricket said. Jenny shook her head “Nah, I gotta get back inshape”. Cricket looked at her, concerned “But you might re-injureyourself”. Jenny gave a brave smile “Yeah, but that should beokay for now, they told me that Paul's nano-bots were still wigglingand jiggling inside me. They are going to keep working for a coupleweeks till they run out of power and dissolve”. Jenny giggled,which produced a wince. “I never ate robot before, they kinda tastelike chicken”. Cricket smirked “nice”.

The pair were heading to theapartment the Goldstar's kept in the city to regroup, get some freshclothes, food and a shower. As they got further into midtown, theirelevated road became more erratic as buildings became skyscrapers.They started bouncing off the flat glass sides of buildings,zig-zaging at the downward angle gravity forced on them until theycould replace a surface to stand on. This was trickier for Jenny who hadto double or even triple port in quick sequence, flashing right afterdropping then gaining momentum, pushing off one building to another.When she teleported, Jenny kept whatever velocity she was at beforeand after her jumps.

Cricket was so strong thatgetting up enough force to leap the width between buildings was easy,though she occasionally cracked the thick glass panels that shepushed off of. Jenny's force-field flashed and hummed with eachteleport and impact, often drawing the attention of the peoplewalking on the streets below. However, people in the big city weresomewhat used to seeing the remarkable New Humans among them. Many ofthem even recognized Jenny Goldstar and gave cheers and waves. Herfamily was in many ways the first-family of the New Humans, and Jennywas the first-daughter of famous and well loved heroes.

“Your a popular girl Jen”Cricket mused as the two took a breather on top of an older brickbuilding nestled between steel and glass towers. Jenny smiled “Yeah,its pretty cool, huh?”. Cricket shrugged “If you say so”. Jennysaid, “we are almost there, just a couple more blocks and its hotshower and Chinese food time”. Cricket nodded “Hell yea, I am sohungry I am not sure which I want first”. Jenny took a whiff.“Definitely the shower I'm thinking”. Cricket gave her a look.

“Hey, its my auntie!” Jennysmiled. The Golden Girl saw Winter Ashton sliding along the track ofice she made in front of herself, jumping, weaving and bobbing alongthe city streets like she was an urban snowboarder, leaving a slickfrosty path and a spray of water behind her. “Man, that looks likeso much fun, I wish I could do that” Jenny said wistfully. BeforeCricket could stop her, Jenny stepped to the edge of the roof andhollered down to her “Aunt Winter! Hi!”. North Star scraped to asliding stop and looked up with alarm at Jenny, catching a glimpse ofCricket as she stepped back out of view.

Jenny could see Winter tap herearpiece, and not understanding what she was doing, pantomimed to herthat she was not wearing one. Suddenly Titan landed beside her as hecame down from one of his long jumps. The two were looking up at theroof the sisters were on, then said something to each other andstarted moving. “What the heck?!” Jenny said. Cricket repliedfrom the dark shadows behind her “Jen, we have to bail, they aregoing to take me away”. Jenny looked back at her, “no way, whywould Aunt Winter...” then it hit her, her Aunt was North Star, afederal marshal. “No, no” Jenny's voice shook “she wouldn't”

The two had hesitated too long,North Star had slid across the street and formed a ice pole from aflash-frozen water spout up the side of the building that she used tojet up to the roof, creating a high pressure rainfall below her thatsoaked a few passersby. Titan simply jumped up to the rooftop.

Cricket yelled desperately “C'monJen, run!” Jenny looked back at her, uncertain. Every bone inCrickets body wanted to run, but she could not bring herself to leaveher new sister behind.

Titan and North Star arrived.Titan said in a commanding voice “Special Marshals, don't make thisdifficult 'Cricket'. Step away from Miss Goldstar, your coming withus”. Jenny narrowed her eyes, starting to tell Titan just what shethought about that, but Winter beat her to the punch. “Jenny,listen to me, this girl is not what she seems, you have to trust me”.Cricket looked fearfully at her sister. Jenny hesitated a second,then the doubt on her face became a look of resolve. She said firmly“your not taking her anywhere, North Star. Your not my Aunt rightnow, and I'm not your Jenny. I am Miracle! If you try to mess withCricket your gonna replace out just how miraculous I can be”. Cricketjust beamed at Miracle, whispering under her breath “oh yeah”.North Star muttered “oh crap”.

“Listen... Miracle thisis serious don't...” Winter did not even get the sentence out.Miracle was already airborne, and took North Star by surprise, herflying kick landed solidly against Winter's chest,

though Jenny did not spark herforce-field. North Star collapsed and lost her breath from the forceof the blow, sliding on her hip to the edge of the building where theside of her body slammed against the low horizontal stone edge thatframed the top of the roof.

Titan shook his head “This isso bad” he grumbled. In an instant his height doubled, topping 12'of solid muscle. He left the Goldstar family to duke it out andtackled Cricket, who was not ready for him as she gazed in amazementat her awesome sister. Cricket found herself crushed under the bigman, an “Oof” blowing out her mouth.

North Star rolled to her feet andsprayed a cone of water at Miracle, freezing it as it got to her,forming an orb of ice around her radiant force-field. Too late Winterrealized how futile that was when Jenny simply appeared behind her,balancing on the edge of the building. North Star cursed and startedto spin around. Miracle was far to fast for that, she leveled anotherkick into her aunts back, forcing Winter to fall forward, hitting theroof hard. She winced from the pain, breathing out a think moan.

“You know I am holding back,North Star. Just give it up and let us go”. Miracle said defiantly.Winter rolled around onto her elbows, looking up at her glowing niece“You are going to be in so much trouble when I tell your mom aboutthis”. Winter made the brick under Jenny's feet slick and hit herwith a high pressure stream of water that would make a fire hose seemlike a drinking fountain. Miracle fell back off the edge into mid-airas North Star gained her feet. A second later, Miracle teleportedover the roof, falling on her injured side with a cry of pain as thekinetic energy from her fall off the building was dissipated.

Titan leveled a punch atCricket's head, the rest of her pinned underneath him, his other handgripping her shoulder. Cricket managed to twist her head away andTitans fist punched through the roof, disrupting his balance. TheIndestructible Girl punched Titan in the face with her free hand,which snapped his neck back and instantly rose a thick purple moundon the flesh over his cheekbone. “Damn girl!” Titan breathed.Todd's upper body had been knocked up off of Cricket, as he came backdown he struck back with his elbow and forearm, which hit Cricketsolidly across the chest. Her breath exploded out of her, and she waspushed into the roof, creating a crater of tar, steel and wood.

From her side, Miracle sweptNorth Star's feet and Winter fell onto her side with a grunt, womanand girl face to face on the roof. “She's my sister dammit, don'tyou understand Winter?!” Jenny cried with an edge of desperation.North Star shook her head “She's not Jenny, she wasn't even born,she was grown... do -you- understand?” Miracle snarled “Thatdoesn't matter one bit, and you know it!” Jenny ported above NorthStar, and came down on her hard, slamming a knee into Winter's gut asher aunt was rolling onto her back trying to get up. North Stargroaned in pain and struggled to breathe, starting to pass out, Jennywas kicking her ass. Winter winced and punched at Miraclereflexively, her blow deflecting harmlessly off her energy field.North Star was seeing spots, she shook her head trying to clear it.Jenny stayed on her with a knee in her gut. As Winter's visioncleared she saw Jenny with a white-gloved fist raised above her face,a bright burning spark of energy crackling on her field in front ofit. Jenny face was illuminated from the light of the spark, she hadtears in her eyes and said thickly “Please Auntie, give up. Don'tmake me do this”. Winter just closed her eyes and dropped her headback, nodding “okay, okay Jenny”.

Cricket pushed Titan off of her,and gained her feet. Titan rolled to his feet as well, and the giantand small girl squared off. Titan sent a mighty punch down atCricket, but she side stepped it and he again made a hole in theroof, causing him to bend over. Cricket gave a primal shout and didan untrained mighty uppercut right into Titans chest, who was pushedaway violently and fell onto his back. The Indestructible Girlgrabbed Titan's feet, and swung him around, flinging him off the roofand over the street. Titan shouted as he fell, hitting the groundhard, caving it in. He narrowly missed a few cars who's drivers hadstopped to rubber-neck the fight above, though one of his legs didland on the hood of a taxi, denting in in. “Hey! Hey buddy, yourgonna pay for that!” The cabby yelled at him.

Titan gave him a sour look andstarted to sit up. Then with a curse he saw the blonde teenaged deathfrom above. Cricket had leaped from the roof and crashed down intohis chest. Titan was pushed further into the cracked concrete beneathhim, his wind knocked out. Quick as her namesake, Cricket jumped offTitan, raising both of her fists above her head, she clasped themtogether and brought them down on Titan with a thundering blow. Thebig man howled in pain as his ribs collapsed and cracked, he waspushed right through the street into the tunnel below. As the forceof the blow spread out the road surface collapsed as well, and twocars fell through on top of the big man. Titan gave a shaking gasp,then blacked out.

Cricket felt a stab of fear, thenafter a moment saw that Titan was still breathing. He looked beat up,but not seriously injured. The girl gave a sigh of relief then took amoment to lift the cars off him. A faint green glow spread fromCricket and flowed around the vehicles as she pulled them up. Thissurprised her, as she had never tried to lift something big like acar before. “Huh”, she muttered. The passengers were crying outin fear and anger. She placed them carefully on the street, ignoringthe horrified looks from the people behind the window glass.

Miracle suddenly appeared next toher, having teleported down from the roof. Cricket grabbed her in ahug, causing her field to hum and spark in protest. Jenny smiledsadly “Lets go, North Star is probably calling in to D-Day rightnow, we have to not be here when the cavalry arrives”. Cricket wastearful “Thank you so much for standing by me Jen, thank you so, somuch” she sniffed. Jenny nodded “Your my little sister, Cricket.Its what sisters do... it seems” she smiled, then let out a bigsigh “My mom is going to kill me.” Jenny shook it off “Okay,lets hurry. We can get what we need at the apartment, and get theChinese food to go.” As they started moving Cricket asked “Hey,do you know what that green stuff was?”

Winter Ashton had crawled over tothe edge of the roof. She looked down at the girls as they sprintedoff. Then glanced over at Titan, laying unconscious under the street,his beta-cloth uniform actually torn in a few places, which Winterhad almost never seen. People were gathering around the gaping holein the roadway, calling down to the injured man, who remainedunconscious. Winter heard the sounds of sirens getting closer. Sherested her head in her hands. North Star hurt all over, she feltdizzy and felt like crying. D-Day was speaking loudly in her ear, butWinter was in a daze. All she said was her location, then added “I'mbeat up, and Titan is out”. She pulled out the earpiece and droppedit beside her. Winter groaned as she rolled onto her back and lookedup at the sky, her head throbbing. After a few heartbeats North Starreached into her beta-cloth suit's utility pouch and pulled outWinter Ashton's cell phone. She hit a speed dial, and her sister'svoice answered. “Ally, we need to talk, come get me. Right now.”