Blood Sisters
Chapter 17

“You gonna get into trouble withyour mom?” Cricket asked. Jenny smirked “Oh, hell ya. My best betis to replace my father first, he can take things in stride. She doesn'tget as mad when he's around her.” Cricket nodded. She poked atJenny's force-field “I couldn't stand being in there all the time.”Jenny sighed. “Yeah, I don't tell anyone, but yeah, it really doessuck sometimes. But... there's nothing to be done, right? Believe me,we've tried EVERYTHING.” Cricket nodded. Freshly showered, she waswrapped up in towels waiting for her clothes to dry. Cricket feltweird about wearing any of Jenny's clothes. Besides, Jenny was alittle taller and a most of her clothes were just simple beta-clothjumpsuits or pajamas.

Cricket looked around Jenny'sbedroom here at the Goldstar's city apartment. Her sisters life wasso different from hers. A bed, posters on the wall, books. Music.Smartphone... things. The things that you gather in life, trappingsof convenience and consumption. Cricket had a good night when she hada safe-ish, dry-ish place to sleep. When she could get food.

Jenny seemed so relaxed here, inher room, with her stuff. Safe. Not just because of her powerfulforce-field, but some... intangible sense of security, like a bird inthe nest. Cricket's world was dangerous. Always a wind to blow thenest from its branch, or a man with a chainsaw cutting down the tree.There was no safety, not really. Jenny's rose painted bedroom wallswere an illusion of safety, of order. The black-clad agents couldburst through them at any time. They could take everything from you.No amount of stuff would help, you could only fight, or run.

“Hey, Cricket... you OK?”Jenny said, cutting into her gloomy thoughts. Cricket gave a smallsmile “yeah..” The two girls gazed at each other, so much unsaid.Cricket really felt she could see right through Jenny's bubblyfacade. She was just as lonely as her, Cricket was sure of it.Neither of them fit into the world right. Square pegs. Cricket, neversafe. Jenny, perhaps too safe. Doubly alone. Alone in her head, likeall of us, and even more alone, inside her golden cage. Cricket achedto give her sister a real hug. “I'm so glad we found each other,Jenny” Cricket said suddenly. Jenny nodded “Me too, Cricket,really. Me too.” They held hands. “Hey! Your clothes are ready,get dressed, I know -just- where we have to go!”

The thing about Miss Liberty,when she really wants to replace you, and if you happen to be a NewHuman it is very hard not to be found. Allison, herself so infusedwith bio-mutant energy, can sense other concentrations of the energyfrom they way her own resonates with it. With practice, she couldcome to recognize a specific New Human from their bio-energysignature.

It only took a few passes overthe city before Ally felt what she was looking for: The distinctiveenergies of her daughter's force-field. Miss Liberty flew straighttowards it. A few hundred feet in the air she stopped when she sawwhere her daughter was. “You have to be kidding me Jenny” Allisonsaid to herself. Allison was hovering mid-air, over a shopping mall.

Miss Liberty flew right down intothe mall to replace Jenny and Cricket sharing a big salted pretzel, asmall crowd gathered near them, watching Jenny. She landed next tothem causing a ripple of excitement to pass through the bystanders.The people started calling out to her, and cheering. Allison gavethem a grateful smile and waved, then turned her attention to herdaughter. Cricket looked around to see what the cheering was, and thecolor in her face drained down into her feet when she saw MissLiberty standing there. Cricket panicked and started to run,sprinting right at the wall that would take her outside once she madea hole in it. Allison looked straight at Jenny and said “Roof”then she streaked after Cricket, catching her around the waist withboth hands. Cricket started to squirm, and Ally tightened her gripfirmly, but not so much that it harmed the girl. Miss Liberty glanceddown at her and said “you are pretty strong, aren't you. I'mactually having to try to keep hold of you”. Cricket, still in apanic pushed against Allison's shoulders with her free hands, forcingMiss Liberty to further tighten her grip.

“Try and relax, Cricket. I amnot going to hurt you” Allison said soothingly. She landed on topof the mall's roof, next to where Jenny was waiting for them. Allisonlet Cricket go. Afraid, Cricket acted instinctively to defendherself. She spun around and leveled a punch at Miss Liberty. Allisoneasily caught her fist in her hand, then Cricket's other fist whenshe tried to punch her again. She bent down and looked right inCrickets terrified eyes. “Listen, its going to be all-right. Youdon't have to fight me”. Allison wrapped her arms around Cricket,holding her until she calmed. Jenny was saying “Cricket, Cricket,don't worry, OK?” trying to calm her sister.

A few minutes passed and Cricketdid calm. Allison let her go again, and she went over next to Jenny,who put her hands on Crickets shoulders. The two girls looked over atthe Mighty Miss Liberty apprehensively. Allison got down on one kneerather then talk down to the much shorter girls, helping them relax.She smiled kindly “Miracle” Miss Liberty said respectfully, muchto Jenny's surprise. “North Star has told me what happened, andwhat she knows about your new friend”. “Sister” Jenny insisted.Allison softly sighed and looked over them. She had to admit they didlook very much like sisters, almost twins. Ally herself suddenly felta certain familiarity for Cricket as well and noticed how the girl'sbio-energy was similar to her own, which took her off guard. “Okay,sisters then” she relented.

Allison asked calmly “What isyour next move, Miracle? The Joint Meta-Human Task Force, the USSpecial Marshals and the local police are all looking for yoursister, and you for that matter”.

Allison looked at Cricket whileJenny mulled over that unexpected question. “What do you want todo, Cricket? Do you want to keep running, where will you go? Are yougoing to ask my daughter, your sister, to leave her life, her familyand run away with you, risking her future and her reputation?”

Cricket started to cry, she hadno answer. The only other person she had ever cared about was Jake.She thought about him, how he had refused to run away with her andleave behind the other street kids that counted on him. Cricketcollapsed down on her knees and bent her head down. Wiping under hernose with her hand. Confused and scared, she did not know what to do.Jenny reached down and took Crickets hand as best she could, herradiant field squeezed between them.

Miracle, misty eyed herself,spoke to her mother, her voice starting to thicken. “If she turnsherself in... mom... they don't even think she's a person, they'regoing to, I don't know what, but it wont be good, I know it!”Allison nodded sympathetically. “You two are in a tough spot, nodoubt. Do you have any other options, Miracle? Cricket?”. The twogirls looked at each other for a long moment. Then held each othertightly, Miracle's force-field buzzing. Jenny spoke to her mother,her voice quaking “I don't know what to do, mom. Please” shesniffed “please help us”.

Allison nodded and took the girlsinto her arms. She kissed Cricket on the forehead, and then Jenny'sforce-field. “Okay, let's first get you somewhere safe, and then wewill try and figure this out together” Cricket nodded. “Here wego, hang on tight now”. With the sisters safe in her arms, MightyMiss Liberty took off into the sky.

“Why did you two go to the mallof all places?” Allison asked as an afterthought. Jenny shrugged“Like anyone would think to look for us there. Besides, Cricket hadnothing to wear, I didn't have anything that fit her right. By theway I owe her a leather coat”. Cricket sniffed, but smiled andnodded “yup”.

***

“Tell me again why we can'tjust walk through the Shadow World into his room?” Michaela askedwith annoyance. Davos looked at her askance “I have never actuallybeen inside Heart's Desire...” he sighed and lowered his head atthat, giving it a shake. He muttered through a wry smirk “not fromlack of effort.” Silhouette shot him a warning glance. “What Imean to say is that I have never been in there before” he pointedtowards the resort which lay nearly a mile distant in the shallowvalley they were overlooking. It was well after sunset, and Victorwas scouting the Resorts external security with a high powerednight-vision scope, taking mental notes.

“Well someone has certainlykept this place up to date with the latest security. Triple redundantoverlapping cameras with thermal and motion detectors, probably withindependent control systems. There are subtle tiers in thelandscaping, most likely pressure plates, and/or seismic detectors toprevent subterranean incursion. I see 1.. 2.. looks like fourhigh-res focused radar emitters, also with overlapping arcs. Thereis even a damn D-Day unit on the roof”. He sucked on a cheek whilehe considered “Those are most likely some sort of hypersonic fenceemitters there... hmm”. He clicked his tongue. “The worst part isall that equipment is custom built, no way to know their exact specsto bypass them”. Victor mused. “Someone put a lot of work settingthis up and maintaining it all. Perhaps the old D-Day's hobby,keeping up with the new technology. Or maybe Spectrum, he's heretoo”.

The Dead Man lowered the scope andlooked back at the women. “It would be so much easier to justshadow walk in there... their external security is some of the best Ihave ever seen...” “Guess the old heroes are worried some oldenemy is going to come looking for payback, go figure” Victorsmirked.

“We're going to have betterluck getting an idea of the internal security, not to mention exactlywhere Deed's room is”. Victor took a long look at Michaela, thenback at the Resort. “Michaela, I think your going to be our bestbet. The telepathic bond your blood creates... we could infect someof the resort employees that live outside the grounds, even better ifwe could get our hands on some security personnel”. Victor pausedto gauge Michaela's reaction. She only looked moderately resentfuland impatient, not bad for a Tuesday. “From that, we should get atleast a basic idea of layout and internal security. I am fairly suremost of the resort staff will know where to replace Deeds”.

“I am going to remain here toobserve the daily routine, and make notes about the coming and goingof the staff. Then we'll pick some to follow”. Victor nodded atMichaela “Then we'll be in business... were almost done preparingMichaela. Hang in there, my head will still be here for you to tearoff once the job is complete”. The Vampiress gave a low growl “Ihave already chose the spot in my lair where I shall hang your head,Davos”. She narrowed her eyes “I have heard your pillow-talk withher” Michaela jabbed a finger in the air at The Silhouette. “Iknow you are planning for more then just my revenge on Ashton. Makesure your games do not interfere, Davos. I already have a long listfor your daily demise”. Victor smirked at her “Well, it's good tohave a hobby, eh Michaela?” Her reply was a look of bone-chillingmurder. “Vampires have no sense of humor” The Dead Man muttered.

***

A spooky man wearing a black suitand sunglasses with perfectly groomed black hair was standing inD-Day's conference room. Next to him was a giant of a black man, insunglasses. Also with a black suit and perfectly groomed short blackhair. The large man had an AR-15 slung over his shoulder. They werewaiting for Paul Desnoyer to join them for a meeting... and he waslate.

Agent David asked Agent Goliath“You ever meet D-Day?” “Nope. You?” “Not this one no, butI've... met the first one.” “That was weird.” “What was?”“The way you said that, was weird.” “Not important.” “Mmhmm.”“How's the wife?” Goliath snorted. “Not married.” “Oh yea?Well, you should get on that.” “Don't need to marry it to get onit.” “You think that's funny?” “I do.” “See, now that wasfunny.” “Mmhmm.” “I think the good marshal is delaying onpurpose.” “Why's that?” “It fits his profile, smart,independent. Resistant to authority. He would feel that our presencehere is a threat to his authority, that he can do his job betterwithout our interference.” “He's probably right about that.”“Generally, I would agree with you. But we're not here to get himto do his job, we're here to get him to do something he wont want todo.”

Paul walked his master armor setinto the conference room, the low thud of its steel feet shaking thefloor. With a hiss the head cockpit hatch opened. 6” tall Pauljumped from his D-Day unit down onto the table, where there wereseveral closed files and his PDA.

Paul's voice came out loud andclear through his Vox unit. “I'm told that your the headacheWelkowitz sent down here that I have to cooperate with.” AgentDavid gave a whisper-thin smile and replied smoothly “we are theremedy, your headache started the moment you failed to apprehend yourfugitives”. Paul nodded, at least he and Spooky were bothjack-asses, he might be able to work with that.

Paul looked over at the largeagent, glancing at the assault rifle “You ever take that thingoff?”

Goliath shook his head “I liketo accessorize”. D-Day smirked “fine then, why don't you sit yourwise-asses down and we can get on with this”. David had a seat.Goliath stood against the wall behind him. Paul activated his PDAwith his small foot, and a large flat screen TV on the conferenceroom wall lit up as well, displaying the USSM logo over a dark bluebackground that filled the rest of the screen. Paul hit anotherbutton on his PDA with his foot and a team status display came up onthe flat screen.

“I have given my four marshalsa few days to recuperate while we regroup. Captain Shaw, Peregrine asyou know her, was uninjured. I have her working on armor upgrades.With my new authority I have recruited two deputies so far to assistin this current situation”. Paul stepped on his PDA again and theTV switched to a new screen. “This is Deputy Wildfire, and DeputyIron Gorgon”. Wildfire had on a black beta-cloth uniform decoratedwith hot-rod style flames. Iron Gorgon was in black and dark greenbattlearmor, with a mirrored visor. The entire front of the chestplate had a bas-relief head of Medusa where the armor was thicker.The eyes of the Medusa head had a green glow, like eerie runninglights. Iron Gorgon’s armor was similar in design to D-Day's, butmore streamlined and shorter.

Agent David said flatly “I seeyou still indulge your marshals desire to dress like circus clowns”.Paul shrugged and replied “keeps up morale, besides its atradition” he gave the agents a look “its better then walkingaround in black suits everyday like your at a funeral”. Davidnodded grimly “some of those who serve our country die everyday,Marshal” Paul closed his eyes and gave a nod “True enough.”David added “However, your point about tradition is a good one. Isuppose you could consider them as... uniforms of a sort.”

D-Day nodded “thanks.” Hethen continued on “My two new deputies are rookies, but both bringvaluable experience to the team, and they are... highly motivated. Weare breaking them in, and they will be partnered with moreexperienced marshals for field training.” Paul stepped off thetable, growing to his normal height. He poured himself a cup ofcoffee and sat down at the table “help yourself” he said to theagents, gesturing to the coffee service. He then hit the intercom“Private Sanders, bring up some sandwiches to conference room C,thank you.” Paul looked over to Agent David and began to continuehis briefing. The agent interrupted him “Were going to be here awhile, Marshal. Let me tell you what were going to do.” Paulgrimaced.