Revelation (M/F) (F/M) - A sequel to Devastation

[wolfman]

Kim pauses thoughtfully, before she psis, "We work together as a team. Each covering the weaknesses of the others. We keep things low key and quiet. Strike and fade. Hit and leave before they realise we were there."

"Place ourselves where they are not looking."' Tara continues, with a smile. "Fight to preserve life not take it."

"Strike to incapacitate, not kill. Create in them a weakness that the Spanish police and law enforcement can exploit." Anya adds, nodding.

"We remove their ability to fight. Act too small to notice until it is too late." Ali psis, with a look of calm on her face.

"I think we have a plan." Kim psis. "Anya, weapons. Ali, armour. Tara comms, and medical. I will go for tools and specialist gear. Reconvene in fifteen by the bedrolls." Wordlessly, they scatter each with a sense of purpose and belonging none of them have ever known.



Ali enters each of the rooms and searches the drawers under the beds. Until she stops and smiles, "This must be the room set up for Fey." She thinks, pulling out four neatly folded NAKI suits, placng them in a holdall. She visits all rooms and takes four sets of Modular Armour Pads (MAP's) before searching the racks for helmets. When she is done she deposits the bundles and psis, "NAKI, supplemental armour, helmet and kevlar alloy bucklers for everyone."

Anya moves swiftly through the storage area snatching up seemingly random boxes, depositing them near their bedrolls when her arms are full before returing to the racks. A few moments later, she begins unloading the boxes and assembling four piles of weapons and ammunition. When she has done she psis, "Everyone has two tranq pistols, a cap gun, hold out pistol and stilleto with holsters and sheaths. everyone has a little something special too."

Tara grabs a small but functional field medical kit for each of them. Then closes her eyes and replays the searches of her sister to find the section of the storage area that she needs.  She vaults and flips through the racking to find the comm units and compact armoured laptops. With Kim's experience, she boots up each laptop and loads codebreaking softwear and control emulators from the darkweb, smiling to herself. "Medkits and Elint resources set up."'

Kim snatches up paramedics shears and a multitool for each of them. Then she enters the roomm provisioned for Dani and enters a code into the concealed keypad under the bed. A hatch cracks open in the floor and she descends into the small space, waiting for the lights to come on. With a feeling of determination she picks up several smaller boxes and dumps their contents into a large holdall and adds several black coils of thick cord. She swiftly returns to the bedroll area and deposits a few items from the holdall on each of the piles before she psis, "Multitools, shears and climbing gear for all. And everyone has flashbangs and smoke. Plus we have a bag of detonators and literally half a mile of det cord with some plastic explosives to boot. Not to mention a climbing gear and a few special items. Gear up ladies."



They work in silence dressing layer by layer from lycra shorts and sports bras, to NAKI suits, MAP's and helmets with headsets and comms. The MAP's fit easily and the straps adjust them to any size person, giving additional protection for their bodies, limbs and necks.

Ali finishes first, standing ready with a kevlar alloy buckler on each arm in a boxers stance. She throws a few punches and nods appreciatively, "I can definitely work with these." She psis.

"Let's see what you picked for me." Tara psis, pulling a pair of heavy stun batons connected by steel cable through their lanyard loops. She holds one in her right hand and with a flick of her wrist sends it over her right shoulder and catches it with her left hand puling it under her right arms and flicking it over her left shoulder, then weaving a pattern with the stunchaku. Then shows how she can deliver a shock with a push of the button on the baton in her hand.

Kim pulls the suppressed MAC-10 machine pistols from thigh holsters and nods, "These will work for me."

Anya pulls the semi automatic shotgun loaded with bean bags and folds out the stock putting it to her shoulder. "Accurate to a hundred metres. I won't kill, but I can stop people other ways with this."

"We move quick and quiet. Strike hard and fast, then disappear." Kim psis, eliciting nods from her sisters.

"We need call signs for the radio." Kim psis looking at each of them in turn. "According to Dani's book, no one chooses their own call sign. So we choose a call sign for the person on our left. Anya, callsign Vanguard."

"That's cool but we can psi, why do we need radio call signs?" Anya psis.

"We don't know the range of our psi, so the radios make a good back up." Tara psis with a shrug, "Besides, we might end up working with the locals and need a way to keep in touch."

"You make a good point." Anya psis, looking to her left, "Ali, callsign Mystic."

Ali grins, "I like it." She psis, looking at Tara thoughtfully, "Tara, callsign Sage."

"What like the herb?" Tara psis confused.

"No, like someone wise. The relaxation technique and lucid dreaming were all you, wise one." Ali psis.

"I am cool with that." Tara psis, then looks at Kim nervously, "Kim, callsign Boudicca."

"Talk about big boots to fill." Kim psis, with a smile, "Everyone clean and check gear and then we will head out."

"Nice." Ali says, making everyone jump. Her voice heavily modulated by the facemask of her helmet, booms out like a Texan drill sergeant.



"Ooof." Hel grunts, slamming backwards into one of the car parks support pillars.

She ducks and weave's right, narrowly avoiding a deadly kick to the head. Dust and debris rain down on her from above, while she delivers a punishing right jab to Lupita's leg forcing her to stagger back. 

They begin to circle each other fists raised, breathing hard. Lupita's blouse and skirt are torn and bloodied. Hel's leather jacket is ripped and ragged and her body bears the marks of her foes powerful strikes, but she stands tall, with her helmet still in place.

"I am impressed." Lupita says, with a nod, "You can take a beating and hit hard enough for me to feel."

"Cheers. Feel this." Hel says coldly. She rolls forward, keeping low, then springing to her feet, shoulder barges Lupita through the wall dumping her on the street.

Lupita twists her legs underneath her and spins to her feet, moving in close and unleashing a flurry of jabs. Hel retreats and circles left, blocking frantically waiting for an opening. Hel lashes out with a low kick to Lupita's ankle, forcing a hissed grunt from her foe.

Lupita lunges for her foe, Hel laces her fingers behind her enemies head and takes a double step back forcing Lupita to slam face down onto the tarmac. Hel follows up with a kick to the head, but Lupita catches her foot and shoves hard, forcing her to stumble back, just long enough for Lupita to get to her feet again, "If I didn't have impenetrable skin, that would have upset me."

"And that would never do, now would it?" Hel says playfully taunting her foe.

Lupita gives a cruel smile, "Do you really think you have what it takes to kill me before the poison does?"

"I just need to keep you busy until it takes effect." Hel leaps forward, unleashing a powerful roundhouse backspin kick. Lupita catches her legs and twists, slamming her former captor through the wall of a small shop. She lays on her back for a moment, winded but otherwise unhurt.

However, a moment is all Lupita needs to burst through the hole in the wall and pounce on Hel. She straddles her former captor and rains down blows on her chest and helmet with unquenchable fury. Hel bends at the waist and wraps her legs around Lupita's waist and flexes with all her might throwing her foe across the shop into shelves full of confectionary and childrens toys. A loose bag of boiled sweets teeters on the edge of its' shelf, in their wake.

They both climb to their feet locking their gazes. Hel discards her smashed faceplate and pulls off her helmet letting her fire red hair spill across her shoulders. Lupita raises an eyebrow, "So that is what you look like." Seeing her face for he first time. "Not bad. It's a shame really. Before I die, I am going to rip your face off."

Hel leaps at Lupita, smashing the helmet into her face over and over, "Good luck with that." She hisses, pressing her attack until the helmet cracks in two. 

Lupita laughs seeing the two halves drop to the ground, "Pathetic." She crows, her face untouches by the hammer blows. With a flick of her foot, she sends on of the halves, back towards Hel's face. Hel smiles and lets it bounce harmlessly off of her skin. Lupita raises an eyebrow, "Really?"

Hel smiles, "Strong as titanium."

"Well. Seems neither of us needs to hold back." Lupita says, with a predatory grin, "Warm up is over. Time we both stopped playing."

They stand still as stone, staring hatefully into each others eyes. "For all you have done, you are beyond evil." Hel spits, venomously.

"For all you have done to me, you are just as evil." Lupita snarls.

Hel smiles, her titanium enhanced teeth glittering darkly in the early morning light, "I am good with that."

"You didn't poison me did you?" Lupita asks, slowly circling left.

"No, I was going to chain you up and set the car on fire with you in it." Hel says, circling, "But the more I thought about it, the more I felt, it was too easy on you."

"No, you find me repulsive and the things you did to me disgust you. You want to purge yourself of your feelings towards me, by physically destroying me." Lupita explains, knowingly. "A part of you even thinks you are capable."

"I have seen what is in your heart." Hel nods and rolls her shoulders, "Why are we still talking?"

The moment stretches out both combatants eyes locked, neither wanting to move first. Then the bag of sweets falls to the floor with a splat. 

Both women launch themselves, at the other unleashing a barrage of blows. There is no thought of defence, or retreat. Their only thoughts are of hate and rage. A torrent of blows washes over each woman. Each blow more powerful that that of any normal human. Lupita and Hel trade thunderous body blows and raking kicks, trying to gain the upper hand in a frenzied blur of rage.

Venomous hatred burns in their veins, as a torrent of crushing strikes is exchanged without relent.

Neither woman tries to protect herself, both only seek the destruction of the other.

[GreyLord]

Cliffhanger of all cliffhangers, [mention]wolfman[/mention]. There must be something in Hel's background that will give her an advantage. What could it be?

Kim's team is wonderful. How will they perform against real villains?

[slackywacky]

> Warm up is over. Time we both stopped playing.

If that was playing I wonder what happens when they really go at each other. Geez. Fighting to destroy the other... my own life sounds so simple and boring now.

It was great to see a new chapter. This story keeps evolving.

[wolfman]

As the first vestiges of the dawn lighten the sky, they move in silence. Slinking from alley, to rooftop, to alley and sewer like wisps of dust caught in a breeze.
 
 
Joao sprints along the street ducking between parked cars as cover and dives reflexively at the sound of a burst of gun fire from across the street. He crouches with his back to a patrol vehicle. Service pistol in a two handed shooting grip, “Javier, sitrep.” He calls over to the officer, crouches a few feet away, using the corner of a building as cover.
 
Javier turns away from the dust kicked up by a round hitting the wall near her head, “Patrol responded to reports of a disturbance. Encountered a dozen soldiers pulling residents out into the street. Called for back-up and the soldiers dug in.”
 
“They couldn’t have picked a worse spot. This road is the main artery between the hospital and the harbour.” Joao calls out.
 
“We have reports of half a dozen ambulances waiting for this to clear, but special weapons is tied up at the Siennica hotel. They have all sides of the building covered and we cannot even get close.” Javier says risking a peek around the corner and drawing fire. “Can’t see a damn thing, they are constantly dropping smoke so we cannot see what they are doing, but they appear to have thermal gear so they can see us just fine.”
 
 
 
No one in the house or the street noticed the manhole cover of the sewer open and four silent figures emerge like shadows. “This is it. The point of no return.  Psi now if you wish to walk away.” She psis, getting nothing in return apart from three thumbs up.
 
She nods taking a small suction cup from her webbing and sticking it to the window. Ali and Anya begin to remove the putty from edges of the pane, while Tara covers them with a tranq gun in a two handed grip.
 
With the putty gone, the window pops out easily, allowing Kim to rest it again the wall as Tara enters the building. Ali and Anya follow close behind and fan out weapons drawn. Kim slips through the window and begins making her way to the staircase.
 
She pauses between the kitchen and living room, spotting a man in each room, with their back to her watching the street. Tara follows her into the living room, while Ali and Anya enter the kitchen. They take careful aim and when a rattle of gunfire from above peels out, they fire. The men fall with two darts in each of their necks.
 
“The rest are upstairs.” Kim psis, pausing as they all listen.
 
Between them they triangulate the positions of all of the shooters and set to work. Tara and Kim climb on chairs in the living room to set a ring of det cord on the ceiling, whilst Anya does the same in the kitchen. Ali sets a shaped charge in the corner of the basement.
 
They gather silently with Tara and Kim, standing back to back between the kitchen and living room. The only one of them without a tranq gun in each hand is Ali, who holds a switch in her left hand.
 
Feeling that the moment is right, Ali flicks the switch. The det cord, cracks sharply and the upper floors drop into the living room and kitchen. Before the men can react, each has a dart in his neck and the four black wraiths have dropped through the hole in the basement, returning to the sewer as if they were never there.
 
 
 
Hearing the explosions, Joao breaks cover and charges at the house. When no one fires, other officers follow him and they crash through the living room door to view the chaos inside. He whistles through his teeth, “What the hell happened here?” he asks no one in particular.
 
“Someone must be on our side.” Javier says, stepping into the room.
 
 
 
The girls split up each taking a different tunnel and exiting the sewer unseen, near to the harbour. With their newfound prowess and climbing claws they scuttle up the side of four hotel buildings and crouch on the rooftops.
 
The scene beneath them is reminiscent of a war torn city. Burning cars litter the street. Police and soldiers crouch behind scant cover, in the central plaza, pinned down by a better armed and larger force of T.H.I.S. soldiers surrounding them on all sides.
 
“They are surrounded. The cops don’t stand a chance.” Anya psis, fearfully.
 
Tara smiles, “I have an idea.” She flashes her plan to the others and they all smile and turn to the water tower on each of their respective rooftops.
 
Each of the girls sets rings of det cord on the support struts for their respective water tower. “We have to hurry. They won’t last much longer.” Ali psis, concerned.
 
“Nearly there, recheck every connection, this needs to be just right.” Kim psis.
 
“Set.” Tara confirms, echoed a moment latest by the others.
 
“Badger had no idea, when he sent me the book.” Kim psis with a grin. “Sorry. Positions please.”
 
The girls all move towards the rear edge of the buildings away from the carnage in the street and pull out their triggers.
 
 
 
Inspector Gomez surveys the scene, looking at the dirt and blood streaked faces of this colleagues and the soldiers supporting them. “We are like fish in a barrel. They won’t let us collect our wounded and this just grinds on.”
 
“Last mag.” a soldier calls out, with a hint of desperation in his voice.
 
Explosions ring out overhead and he thinks “What fresh hell is this now?” he looks up in open mouthed shock as the four water towers from the surrounding buildings drop simultaneously.
 
T.H.I.S. soldiers desperately scramble to get clear of the towers as they fall, diving for cover. Each tower bursts on impact unleashing a deluge which sweeps most of the T.H.I.S. soldiers off of their feet and snatches the weapons from their hands.
 
Gomez sees his opportunity and shouts, “Move in now.” to his men. Sidearm in hand he leads the charge against the stunned and beleaguered forces that once surrounded them.
 


High above them four figures on separate rooftops watch in silence, “That worked better than I thought.” Tara psis, feeling a hint of pride.
 
“That was sick. Did you see the looks on their faces?” Ali psis.
 
“They tell the world we are dangerous, but they have no idea.” Anya psis.
 
“Careful. Whilst we have turned over two lots of these jokers. Don’t forget they are still professional soldiers.” Kim psis, “That said, we are awesome.”
 
“Where to next?” Tara psis.
 
“Get off of these rooftops and get to some kind of cover, we only have about an hour before sun rise and we need to either be out of the city or well-hidden by then.” Kim psis, flashing the location that they should meet.
 
 
 
Tara, Kim and Ali wait at the rendez-vous. “Anya are you ok?” Kim psis, feeling her sister nearby.
 
“I think so.” Anya psis, flashing an image of a large six wheeled military truck with a six wheeled APC in front and behind it. “I spotted this convoy on my way to meet you. They seem to be driving around the city, dropping off supplies and picking up wounded.”
 
“They have just stopped and doing a pick up. I have an idea but will need to move fast.” Anya psis, flashing her plan to them.
 
“That is way too risky. There is too much that can go wrong with it.” Kim psis, shaking her head. “We will come to you.”
 
Anya pulls out the holdout pistol and threads a silencer. “Do you want me to keep them here?”
 
“Affirmative, act and retreat.” Kim psis.
 
Anya takes careful aim and squeezes off three shots, popping the two rear nearside tyres of the truck then fades back into the alleyway, sprinting away as quietly as she can.
 
At the end of the alley, she scrambles up the fire escape then sprints and leaps across rooftops and ends up laying prone on the roof of an abandoned warehouse overlooking the convoy. “I have eyes on. They will have to send for spare tyres from the Siennica. Will be here for at least twenty minutes.”
 
“Cool. We will be there in two minutes.” Kim psis.
 
Anya watches the street in dismay, watching as people emerge from their home to hurl abuse and rocks at the convoy. “Hurry.”
 
A line of fire from each of the APC’s machine gun turrets sends the crowd diving for cover.
 
 
 
“Sitrep.” Kim psis, approaching Anya’s position.
 
“Get you, sounding like a pro.” Tara psis with a cheeky smile.
 
Kim grins to herself, while Anya psis, “Locals throwing whatever they can get their hands on at the troops and the troops are getting twitchy. This could go very bad, very quickly.”
 
Ali sees the line of troops taking cover behind their vehicles and the civilians the other side of the road. She takes the shields off of her back and puts one on each arm. “I sprint up the line, dodging and weaving, taking out any I can. You guys follow me and tag those in my wake.”
 
“I know we tried it last night and it worked, but there are a lot of guys.” Anya psis, concerned.
 
A long burst of automatic weapons fire cuts the air, as a local tries to rush the convoy. “This will boil over any minute. Ali, lead the way.” Kim psis reluctantly.
 
 
 
The first man doesn’t notice the small black clad figure, until her shield rim connects with his temple. Ali jinks a step left as she charges and brings her shield down hard into the leg of the next man, folding him like a napkin. Flashbangs sail over her head towards the hapless troops, landing at their feet along the line.
 
The men shrink away from the blasts, disoriented unable to stop the charging warrior in their midst. She lashes out left and right, high and low slamming the rims of her shields into all in her path. The soldiers bullets ping harmlessly off of the MAPS she wears, those that aren’t are stopped by the NAKI suit. In her wake, she leaves a trail of broken men, broken legs, shattered knees, smashed collar bones and a litany of other injuries mark those she passes.
 
Kim, Tara and Anya, follow in a snake formation, with Kim at its’ head, Tara its’ body and Anya its’ tail. Kim darts each man in turn, Tara restrains them and Anya covers them both.
 
The final soldier watches in horror clutching his ruined rib cage, as the silent line approaches. “Please.” He begs, as the dart enters his neck.
 
 
 
Ali stands, shaking slightly at the end of the line, whilst Kim and Tara drag the last men out of the APC’s and restrain them. “I can’t believe I just did that.” She psis rubbing some of the bruises she has just acquired.
 
“I ain’t gonna lie, that was beast.” Anya psis, keeping watch.
 
“It was almost like you were running through a cornfield, effortlessly brushing stalks out of your way.” Tara psis, with a winking smiling emoji.
 
“That was pretty sick.” Kim psis. “Hang on a minute.”
 
Kim holsters her weapons and climbs onto the roof of the truck to address the crowd, using the voice changer in her faceplate, “Citizens of Santander. We are Minh of the Mrenh Kongveal. These men are down, but we are needed elsewhere. Can we count on your help?”
 
A lone man steps from the shadows of one of the alleyways, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. He spots the pile of soldiers and calls out, in Spanish “Doesn’t look like you need our help from here.”
 
“We have to go, can you call the police and watch them until they arrive?” Kim asks, knowing it is risky.
 
The man whistles and half a dozen others emerge from the alleyway, “We will take care of them.” He says darkly.
 
“Good, we expect them to be delivered to the authorities in the condition that we leave them with you. If not we will need to ask why.” Kim says.
 
The man thinks about it and sees how badly hurt some of them are, “No problem, you seem to have already hurt them worse than we could have.”
 
Kim gazes back at the pile of sleeping men and thoughtfully says, “I guess you are right.”
 
 
 
“What now?” Tara psis.
 
“I have had a quick look in one of the APC’s. Navigation has this convoy doing a sweep of four sites in the city,  we have dealt with two of them. The Siennica hotel is another and there are a number of streets around the harbour that have been sealed off to prevent access.” Anya psis.
 
“We could take the APC. They wouldn't suspect us.” Tara psis.

"It is so tempting, T.H.I.S. might not shoot at us, but everyone else will. Then when they manage to scramble aircraft we will be a target." Kim psis.

"Good point. Should we go on foot? We have about an hour before the sun comes up fully." Ali asks, bristling for action.

"Stay small. Keep moving. Strike hard and fade. We do what we can with the time we have." Kim says with grim determination, "Follow me."



Hel lashes out with a vicious kick to her foes jaw and smiles to herself as Lupita spits out a gob of blood.  She presses her attack with a series of rapid jabs to the other womans jaw.

Lupita sweeps her left forearm in front of her face, parrying a jab and following up with a right jab to Hel's nose. She hides her disappointment that the nose didn't break but takes heart that the other womans eyes are watering.she clamps her hands either side of Hel's head and slams her face into her knee.

Hel punches the leading edge of Lupita's thigh momentarily deadening the leg, forcing her to stagger back. They stand eye to eye, breathing hard.

With a bloody grin, Lupita snarls at Hel, "You are tough, but you are no match for me."

The detached retina in her left eye blurs her vision, her ribs grate against each others, her legs feel like lead and she knows deep inside that Lupita is going to win eventually. "I have had seven shades of shit knocked out of me and given as good as I have got. But she is not showing any signs that she is hurt."

"Don't worry dear." Lupita rasps, maliciously, "Once you are dead, I will find the remaining escapees and take good care of them."

"I will see you in hell, before that happens." Hel spits back, "You will not get your hands on those girls."

Lupita's eyes flash with anger, "They are mine by right. There is no force on earth that will keep them from me."

Hel musters her will and leaps at Lupita, screaming "Never."

[GreyLord]

Is Hel finding her inner strength, [mention]wolfman[/mention], or is this a last bid with everything she has left? What would life be without a @wolfman cliffhanger.

Kim and her gang are a force to be respected. Isn't the cavalry due? Again, thank you for the wonderful story.

[Caesar73]

Had some catching up to do [mention]wolfman[/mention] ! The Fight between Lupita and hell is incredible. No woman holds back. No quarters. Just the destruction of the Opponent. Physically and psychologically. This is so intense.

Completely different the Parts where Kim and her friends prepare for the fight and attack. They work like a well oiled Machine!

And before I forget that: Good that you are back on Board

[slackywacky]

It is funny how the 'psi/psis' , the word itself, is throwing me off every time I read it. No idea why, maybe because it is not a common word.
Great chapter. I was trying to psi that to all readers, but I think I am not good at that

[wolfman]

[mention]GreyLord[/mention]
Right about now, the cavalry is probably touching down on the French side of the pyrenees, but they are en route.

[mention]Caesar73[/mention]

Thank you my friend. It is good to be back.

[mention]slackywacky[/mention] I get what you are psi-ing. Needed to differentiate between speech and telepathy for the girls and it was the simplest choice.

Thank you for your comments and kind words gentlemen.

[wolfman]

The sandstone walls of the Siennica gleams in the early morning sun. Five floors of luxury accommodation in the heart of Santander bay. 

The opulent building completed construction in late 2019 but never saw a single guest due to the pandemic. 

This is an edifice in the playground of the rich, any time of the year. But not today. 

Because today, a garrison of Spanish Naval deserters call this place home and they are prepared to repel all comers. 

Well, almost all comers. 



Sheathed in black, four childlike figures climb in silence, the blades of their nekodé digging into the sandstone rock of the Siennica as they ascend it's sheer walls. 

Each in turn they stop. One for every floor from four to one. In silent harmony they lay a coil of det cord around a window frame and wait. Then, as one the cords blast a hole in each wall and they enter. 

Kim sweeps into the top floor, noting the sheer number of voices she hears calling out nearby. Without thinking a Cap gun is in her hand and she flicks off the safety.  

Keeping low, she advances in a combat crouch sweeping along the corridor. Those brave or stupid enough to emerge find the compressed capsicum shell shower their faces like a ranged pepper spray, whilst the high voltage capacitor at the core of the round stuns them into submission. All are swiftly restrained from a tie from her belt mounted dispenser. 

The top floor is rightly where the command staff reside. More used to ordering others into battle they are no match for her pinpoint accuracy and irresistible speed. 

This is not a battle for glory, this is a shooting range. One which never sees her miss. In her wake twenty screaming and crying officers, restrained, as she lays a right of det cord on the floor and places charges on some of the windows. 



Ali sweeps onto the third floor and mounts her shields. She charges, barging soldiers asunder smashing and crushing those in her path. The restraints she places on the men she passes are a token, given the nature of their injuries. 

These are the toughest men, assigned to protect the top floor from assault. Ready to defend the top floor, with weapons concentrated around the stair well, but with little at their backs.

Hers is not a passage of finesse but of brutality and power, as she decimates all in her path. She has a power and speed that is unstoppable even by these, most seasoned of men. As the final wall would testify if it could speak. 

She slams through the wall into the midst of a company of men. As they surge forward, so does she. Lashing out left and right with savage shield rimmed blows, cutting men down left and right, in the rugby match of her life. 

With a hint of sadness she realises, "I will never be able to play rugby again. I might kill someone."

As she feels her dreams fade, the men gather their forces for a final push against the diminutive force of nature, only to see the ceiling rain down on them and one dark figure becomes two. 

As Ali charges and strikes, Kim shoots those she misses. Between them, all resistance fails. In the aftermath, Ali silently sets to work restraining the men while Kim lays another ring down and sets more window charges   



On the second floor, Tara draws a set of stunchaku in each hand and flows like water sweeping aside all resistance. The weapons trace a relentless path around her. A crushed knee cap here, a shattered arm there, a pulverised pelvis for good measure, it is all the same in the web of blows she unleashes. 

All near her are swept aside by the twin tornadoes she spins about her. The titanium shafts of the batons more than a match for any flesh and bone in her path. 

One man is foolish enough to step inside the arc of her swing and finds the prongs of the batons she holds lodged in his chest, and lightning coarsing his veins. 

At the end of things, she is thorough, binding each man hand and foot, leaving them alive to tell the tale. Watching in fascination as the ceiling collapses.  "Is this who I am now? An engine of destruction, or can I be something more."

As the dust settles the men watch the child-like figures in black lay down a dark ring on the floor and drop through the hole it leaves. 



Beneath them all, on the ground floor, Anya drops two smoke grenades and draws two tranq pistols. She follows the smoke, as if she is part of it dispatching soldiers oblivious in their confusion.  

With a pistol in each hand she is as effective, as the gunslinger her father taught her to be. The nature of the rounds she uses is non lethal, but that does nothing to diminish her effectiveness and she sweeps from room to room. The only sound a cough from each weapon in turn as she drops sailor after sailor. 

When the smoke clears all that remains is Anya alone, on a floor full of bound and unconscious soldiers. 

She takes a slow deep breath laying a det cord ring, before she psis, "First floor ready for evac."

The ceiling collapses and the others join her in a shower of dust. "Sick, let's rig the windows on this floor, we will regroup shortly." Kim psis. She nods to Ali and Tara who sprint left and right respectively. 

When the explosives are set, they gather on the first floor and prepare to enter the ground floor as a team. 



Tara drops first, dropping one sailor with a downward strike to the skull and another with a back handed stunchaku to the jaw, knocking him off of his feet. 

The men in the lobby turn awkwardly and raise their weapons. They fire a split second too late, seeing their shots bounce harmlessly off of Ali's shields. 

Tara rolls forward engaging a line of men, who valiantly try to block her strikes, until she flips backwards, high and precise. Ali charges in to the space she occupied and slams into the nearest men. 

Tara lands behind her and strikes the stunned men in her wake keeping their flanks clear, while Kim drops behind her. Where Ali and Tara proceed in a combat crouch, Kim stands straight, firing over their heads, literally peppering the men in front of her sisters, with a cloud of cap rounds. 

Ali and Tara tear into the men with Kim providing cover, while Anya drops through the hole. She begins picking of targets on the periphery of the skirmishers. 

They press through the crowd of troops pausing little to engage, striking hard and fast and advancing through the crowd until the last man falls. 



Tara lifts the sewer access cover in the lower parking garage and psis, "We have an exit, ladies."

"What about the front door?" Anya asks, peering into the sewer. 

"Once they realise what has happened the cops there will storm the building." Kim psis, "Especially after the windows pop. Speaking of which, Ali would you care to do the honours?"

Ali nods and pulls a radio detonator from her webbing a flicks the switch, before they all drop down into the sewers. 



"Hold your fire." Joao orders, realising that there they are not being fire upon from within the building.

Everyone ducks, hearing the popping blasts from overhead and the shower of glass tumbling down. 

"Son of a bitch." Joao murmurs looking up to see the windows of the hotel blown out in the pattern of a winking smiley face. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Javier, liaise with special weapons, we breach in thirty seconds." he orders, strapping on a bullet proof vest then loading a pump action shotgun. 



They exit the sewers to the sound of distant sirens, wailing in the distance. They spread out, weapons arrayed in all directions, alert for danger. 

"I think we made it." Kim psis. "Now to get back to the safe house and lay low for a bit."

"What about that Commander David guy, from the news?" Tara psis.

"Local law enforcement will pick him up. He won't get far." Kim psis. "Nothing left for us to do that the locals can't take care of."

They all relax for a moment, until the wall in front of them explodes and a red headed woman flies across the street slamming into a lamp post. 



Hel slowly rises to her feet watching the blonde woman step through the gap in the wall. Hel pushes herself weakly off of the ground, exhausted.

She watches confused as Lupita's gaze trails off to her left. Following her gaze Hel sees four short, slightly built soldiers in full combat gear watching them. "I feel nothing from them." she realises with a frisson of fear. "But Lupita knows them."

Kim stands her ground and stares into the cold eyes of the blonde woman. "These two have been at it a while. Their clothes are ripped to shreds, but their skin is unmarked. Whatever their deal is, there is nothing good for us here." She psis to the others. "We need to leave."

"Hello Kim, so nice to meet you." Lupita says, sending a chill down all of the girls spines. 

"How do you know my name?" she asks, fearfully frozen to the spot. 

Hel weakly whispers, "Run. Just get out of here."

Lupita gives a predatory grin and simply says, "It is my job to know." she nods to each of them in turn, "Tara, Alison, Anya."

Hel's eyes flash with fear and she lunges for Lupita with the last of her strength, screaming, "Run girls, I will hold her as long as I can."

With everything she has, Hel grabs Lupita around the waist is a scissor lock and begins raining blows down on her foe. "I have no idea how long I can do this. She is stronger and I feel myself tiring." she thinks fearfully. 

Before the girls can react, Lupita seizes on Hel's moment of doubt and rises to her feet with Hel clamped around her waist, slamming hear head into the wall behind her. "Now, now. You wouldn't come between a mother and her daughters, would you?" She says cruelly, mercilessly pounding her head into the wall.

[Caesar73]

"Now, now. You wouldn't come between a mother and her daughters, would you?" She says cruelly, mercilessly pounding her head into the wall.

One of those twists you do so well [mention]wolfman[/mention]

[NotSeen]

Looks like Hel found out there are limits to her power - now if only she lives to learn that lesson. Then again - Lupita vs Hel & the four girls... I'm not sure who has the lousier odds, but I'm taking the fivesome on numbers alone. Hard she may be, but as the saying goes, quantity has a quality all its own...

[GreyLord]

With everything she has, Hel grabs Lupita around the waist is a scissor lock and begins raining blows down on her foe. "I have no idea how long I can do this. She is stronger and I feel myself tiring." she thinks fearfully.

We do not know that Kim and her crew will aid Hel or not. I have a strong hope that they will.

If so, the old saying,

God always favours the big battalions.

should come into play.

[mention]wolfman[/mention], this chapter was masterfully conceived and masterfully written. Well done.

[slackywacky]

What an epic battle. Very interesting read. Thank you.

[wolfman]

[mention]Caesar73[/mention] what can I say? I try to keep things fresh.

[mention]NotSeen[/mention] [mention]GreyLord[/mention] you make valid points about strength of numbers, but sometimes, even skill and numbers are not enough.

[mention]slackywacky[/mention] I try to keep the action fresh, I am glad you enjoyed.

[wolfman]

Lupita hoists Hel's broken body and hurls her into a wall, with all her might. The girls try to run as the wall collapses, but are a hair too slow to prevent it falling on them.

"What the hell are you on about?" Kim says, allowing the faceplate to distort her voice. She shoves a section of wall off of her legs and rolls to her feet.

"Oh my darling's. I didn't want you to find out this way." Lupita says, with something approaching compassion. 

"W-who are you?" Anya asks, feeling uneasy while she pries the rubble off of her legs. 

Lupita straightens herself up adjusting the remains of her blouse and skirt and announces, "I am Lupita Carrillo, your biological mother."

"We have met before." Tara says, coldly, while she brushes brick dust from her shoulders and stands tall. "On the day they brought me in, covered in my parents blood, you visited me and said it would all make sense and you would make everything better."

"I am sorry I never returned." Lupita says, softly, spitting a gob of blood from a cut in her mouth. With a gentle shake of her head, her blonde curls spill about her shoulders. 

"Oh, thank you so much." Tara says mockingly, "You aren't sorry you kidnapped me, murdered my parents and locked me in a box, alone for six months. But at least you're sorry you didn't come back to see me. Bitch."

Lupita's body language hardens, "Watch your tongue or I will tear it from your head, young lady." she says venomously. 

"You take one more step and we will end you, whoever you are." Kim snarls, crawling from under the rubble.

"Funny, you have non lethal weapons how do you plan to do that? I have unbreakable skin and am stronger than all of you combined." Lupita says darkly.

"Overpower and subdue you, with weight of numbers." Ali says, coldly. "Is she for real?" she psis.

"Restrain you to the point of immobility." Anya adds. "She seems to think so." she psis. 

"Dump you in the harbour, chained to an anchor and watch until the bubbles stop." Tara concludes. "She has no idea." she psis. 

"Interesting. I knew you would have abilities but not what. Hive mind perhaps?" Lupita muses, relaxing her posture.

"What are you on about?" Kim asks, whilst psi-ing to the others, "Keep your distance. No one gets within arms length of her."

"I have impenetrable skin and enhanced strength and speed while conscious. I reasoned that my children would have abilities of some kind." Lupita crows. 

"Bullshit. I have my father's nose. I can't be your daughter." Kim says, defiantly. 

"Kurt was a good man, but weak and like all weak men, he didn't have the stomach for the hard choices." Lupita says fondly.

"You are not my mother." Kim says drawing her hold out pistol. 

"You were conceived on a Tuesday in the rain. Your father and I had just finished dinner and were walking home and he took me in an alleyway. For all his faults he was a masterful lover and was gifted at making each moment count." Lupita says, trying to gain the upper hand, "A good thing we didn't do anal that night."

"Shut up." Kim says, feeling sick, trying to force the image from her mind. 

"The things he could do with his tongue." Lupita says coldly. 

"Oi. Thundercunt!" Tara snarls, with more strength than she has ever felt in her life. She stands her ground, filled with quiet power, "Enough with the mind games. If you want to be a mother, then be a mother. Don't be a mother fucker." 

"You are pushing it, child. If your parents weren't dead I would kill them for your language." Lupita says, coldly, before composing herself.

"Alright, lets say we believe you about Kim's conception. What about the rest of us?" Anya asks, feeling nauseous.

"When I found I was pregnant, I visited a doctor who split the embryo twenty times and arranged for them to be implanted in families across the world. I wanted to see what impact environment had on development. None of you disappointed me."

"Wish I could say the same." Tara says under her breath.

"My whole life is a lie. How could you? You monster." Ali says, on the verge of tears. 

Kim psis, "Your parents raised you and love you with all of their hearts. Whatever this witch says is irrelevant."

"What went wrong?" Anya asks, curious, before she psis, "What ever else happens, our feelings for each other are real. Whoever she is."

"I wanted to gather you all together and keep you safe. But the man I put in charge saw you as dangerous. I regret so many of you had to die." Lupita says, with a hint of sadness. 

"I am sure those who lost their lives, feel just as cut up as you do. Oh wait, no they don't because they are dead." Tara says, with a hard edge to her voice. She psis, "Let her focus her attention on me."

"Don't push me you little shit. I won't be heartbroken if I lose one more." Lupita warns, harsher than she intended. 

"I have lost both my parents, I won't be heartbroken if I lose one more either." Tara says, almost spitting as she lifts her faceplate. 



"Maybe we have started on the wrong foot here." Lupita says, relaxing. She gazes into Tara's eyes, "You are a lovely girl. I am proud to be your mother."

"Yeah, yeah. So what is the plan mummy dearest?" Tara asks, challenging her so called mother. 

Lupita's eye twitches, but she let's the challenge drop. "A new life. As a family."

"Your actions have taken our loved ones and the lives we had. There is nothing you can offer us." Anya says, bitterly and raises her face plate, taking a lungful of cool early morning air. 

"Peace and unconditional love, in a tropical paradise, with all of us together." Lupita says, warmly. 

"And rivers of ice cream and trees made of chocolate, in a land of happy nuns and singing princesses." Kim says raising her faceplate and cocking an eyebrow, "Please, spare us the fantasies. There is nothing you have that we want."

Lupita stares into Tara's eyes, "I offer you a life and a family."

Tara's lip wobbles for a moment, before she hisses back, "Shove it. I want nothing from you."



Lupita sighs and holds up her hands in defeat, "You leave me no choice." she coos, "Abernathy. Santa Cruz. Obfuscate. Turquoise."

Anya and Tara slump their shoulders and stare blankly ahead. "Daughters, come here." Lupita commands and Kim and Ali watch, in disbelief, as their sisters stumble forward. 

"While they were in their cells I had them implanted with subliminal commands to usurp their minds and make them subservient to my will." Lupita explains triumphantly, to Ali and Kim. 

Kim raises her weapon, but Lupita gives a gentle wave of her hands, "No, dear. Drop your weapons or I will force them to kill you both."

Kim thinks for a moment and lays down her weapon. "Don't make them to do that. They will never forgive themselves."

Tara and Anya stand at Lupita's side, with blank expressions as Hel starts to stir. "Daughters, restrain her. Make it tight, I don't want her to interfere with our escape."

Trance-like, Tara zip ties Hel's wrists and elbows, then wraps zip ties around her body, pinning her arms to her back. Anya takes her time carefully zip tying Hel's ankles to her thighs tightly and then zip ties her ankles together. Then Anya stuffs a cloth into her mouth and holds her head, as Tara duct tapes it in place.   

"Now. What to do with you two?" Lupita muses, looking at Kim and Ali. 

"Without the proper conditioning, they are useless to you mother." Tara says, without emotion. "Let them go. Anya and I will be the daughters, you deserve."

"Tempting, but they could be conditioned in time." Lupita says, thinking aloud. "With the proper training they could be very useful indeed."

The moment stretches out as they stare each other down until Lupita whispers, "Bring them, daughters. Drug and restrain them."

Tara and Anya nod and turn to face Kim and Ali. Unseen by Lupita, Tara winks.

Kim psis, "What colour is the bus?" Hopefully.

Anya and Tara both psi "Relax babe, it's blue and yellow." with a smiley face and Tara adds, "Shall we wipe the grin off of this bitches face?"

Tara shrugs the shield off of her back and flings it to Kim who dons it and her own, mirroring Ali's set up. "Mouth." Kim psis.

Anya draws a Cap gun and trains it on Lupita, whilst Kim and Ali advance towards her, herding her towards a wall.

"What is this?" Lupita says incredulous. 

"Your people were good. However, they were not good enough." Tara says with a shrug, "I am practiced in conscious manipulations of my subconscious and erased your commands a while ago. Anya took a while to deprogram, which is why we played along. For all your preening, you have no power here."

"WHAT?" Lupita bellows.

"You are like every other abusive parent in the world. You think with a few words you can get blind obedience from your children without question, through fear. You have no respect for us and what we can do and underestimate us in every way.", they say in unison, "Your words are meaningless to us. Whilst we mean everything to each other. You mean nothing to us. You are beneath us in every way." The girls say in one voice. 

"How fucking dare..." Lupita begins, cut of by two caps rounds in the mouth from Anya. The effect is devastating, the pure capsicum, fills her mouth and throat, as the capacitors scorch her tongue. 

She howls in pain and flails madly, until Ali and Kim pin her arms to her sides and Tara shoots a tranq round at her pitifully wailing mouth. But it strikes her cheek and ricochets into Ali's neck. 

Ali is unaffected by the drug due to the PCS still in her system. But she is thrown backwards when Lupita vomits bile and capsicum into her face. Ali stumbles back blindly screaming in pain, towards Anya, who catches her sister, dropping her Cap gun in the process. 

Kim cannot hold the frenzied woman, who batters her shields forcing her onto her back. 

Tara rushes to assist, unleashing blow after blow at Lupita's head with the stunchaku. 

Lupita throws at arm up, catching Tara by the throat, squeezing hard. Tara jams the prongs of her stunchaku into her attackers armpit and delivers a heavy charge, illiciting a grunt and forcing Lupita to grip tighter. 

Kim struggles to crawl from under their mother and finds herself pinned. She flashes her experience of dislodging a grip from her neck and prays. 

Tara feels herself slipping away. She drops her weapons and laces her fingers around Lupita's fore finger and little finger and pulls apart with all her failing strength. 

Lupita falters for a moment, but that is all it takes for Tara to kick her away. 

Lupita snarls and lunges for Tara, steel hard fingers digging into the young woman's leg. Tara howls in agony feeling the vice like grip crush the bones in her lower leg. With feeble fingers she tries to claw her way back, desperately trying to get away from the furious woman dragging her by her leg. She wails as Lupita straddles her and raises her hands above her to pummel her helpless body. "You stupid little bitch. Did you really think I would let you win so easily?"

Tara feels the first hammer blow against her chest and knows she is in trouble. "Help me." she psis pleading, through the torrent of blows that follows.



A single gunshot splits the air and everything stops.

[GreyLord]

So, [mention]wolfman[/mention], Kim's gang did try to help Hel but it was not enough. But it is not over yet. Is the gunshot from Kim's throwaway? Has Kim divined Lupita's Achilles Tendon? Who knows? Only the Shadow and the @wolfman. That is a great new chapter.

[wolfman]

So, [mention]wolfman[/mention], Kim's gang did try to help Hel but it was not enough. But it is not over yet. Is the gunshot from Kim's throwaway? Has Kim divined Lupita's Achilles Tendon? Who knows? Only the Shadow and the @wolfman. That is a great new chapter.

Who is to say? Soon the answer will become clear.

And for the record, The Shadow does know. (That is such a great movie)

[slackywacky]

> A single gunshot splits the air and everything stops.

Bit surprised a single gunshot will stop Lupita, unless that gunshot killed Lupita instantly.
Oh, well, I will have to wait for the next chapter to find out.

Waiting... waiting... waiting... still waiting...

[wolfman]

Kim and Ali turn sharply to see Anya, with her holdout pistol in hand, shaking like a leaf.

Tara coughs up a gout of blood onto her chest and weakly tries to push the limp body of her attacker off of her. She looks down as she tries to leverage Lupita off of her, but is transfixed by the light dying in her mothers eyes.

Kim slowly and carefully moves next to Anya and places her hand on the gun.  Anya looks at her startled, her lip trembling. "It's ok babe, it's over."

"What have I done?" Anya psis, unable to look away from Lupita's body.

Kim takes the pistol from her sister and slips it into a pocket and then puts her arms around Anya, "You have saved a life."

"I am a murderer." Anya psis, wishing the world would swallow her up.

Ali begins to lift Lupita's body off of Tara and Tara weakly psis, "I would be dead, if you hadn't acted."

Ali subtly checks the pulse of the dead woman and locks eyes with Kim, shaking her head almost unnoticably.

Kim pulls Anya close to her , pressing her face into her shoulder. She nods to Ali, who viciously twists Lupita's neck with a quiet crunch, just to be certain.

Anya begins to cry feeling the weight of the life she has taken wear on her. Kim feels lost, not having the words in her heart to calm the torrent of emotions flooding her sisters mind in that moment. All she can do is hold her close and remind her that she is not alone.

Tara winces in pain as Ali lifts Lupita's body off of her. Ali helps her to sit and supports her, as she sips some water. Tara brushes Ali's arm weakly aside and struggles to her feet. she folds her right arm across her chest and limps to join Kim and Anya. 

Kim looks up at Tara as she approaches and sees the agony in her eyes, with each step she takes. Tara suppresses a cry of pain, as Ali helps her sit next to Kim and Anya. Feeling every one of her cracked ribs she puts an arm around Anya and tearfully says, "Thank you."

Ali joins her sisters and they not speaking or psi-ing, trying to process everything that has happened.



Hel watches helplessly, unable to sense anything from the girls. "I need to get myself free, to get these girls out of here." She thinks, twisting her wrists and trying to move her arms, "They have done a good job, even if I didn't have a dislocated shoulder, shattered elbow and half a dozen cracked ribs, I wouldn't be able to get free."

Her gaze falls upon the lifeless face of Lupita Carrillo and she feels a certain sadness for her fallen foe, "You stupid deluded woman. You had your problems and for what it is worth I am sorry you are dead, but it is the best way to keep the girls safe."

She mumbles trying to get the attention of the girls, but the stuffing in her mouth and tape render her near silent. She relaxes for a moment, resting her head on the floor, "Ok, Hel. You can't read them. So as Dani says, don't stop perceiving. Use all of your senses."

"Anya was the shooter probably hasn't killed anyone before and it hit her hard. Tara took the beating. Ali got hit with the dart and a didn't pass out, I would guess she and possibly the others have PCS in their system. Then there is Kim, she is in charge." Hel observes, "I get that Kim read Dani's book, but they all move like they have had training. But that is not possible."

She continues to watch, as the girls silently comfort each other. "They aren't speaking aloud." She realises, "What was it Lupita said about a hive mind? Could they be psychically linked? That might explain the shared skills."

Hel strains against her bindings and tries to wriggle and twist so she can at least get on her knees. "Shit, I am going no where and the girls are in their own little world. I wonder what they are thinking."



"You saved Tara's life." Kim psis.

"She could have killed all of us." Ali psis.

"I am a killer." Anya psis, flashing her feelings of self loathing and disgust. Then she remembers te look on her fathers face on the day she didn't kill the deer.

"It was the only way to stop her." Kim psis, sending a feeling of reassurance.

"No, we could have jumped her and taken her down." Anya psis, tearfully.

"We tried that and it went badly." Tara psis, "In the blink of an eye, she had Kim on the floor and me by the throat. I think she broke something in my leg and I am fairly sure a few of my ribs are smashed too. We had a lucky escape. She would have picked us apart."

"But." Anya begins to psi, before being cut off by Tara.

"I missed and created an opening for her. This is my fault. You did what you did to fix my mistake." Tara psis, with a heavy feeling, "I'm sorry."

"No, you have nothing to be sorry for." Anya psis, wide eyed.

"Knock it off, both of you. No one is to blame for this." Kim psis, "She could have walked away, she could have run when she had the chance. Instead she attacked Tara. She forced us to defend ourselves. If you hadn't pulled the trigger, chances are me or Ali would have."

They remain motionless for a moment longer locked in an embrace and eventually Kim lets go and secures her faceplate. Wordlessly the others follow suit and rearm themselves. "We should get moving." Tara psis. "I can feel the PCS kicking in and will be good to go soon."

"The question is, what do we do with her?" Kim psis, nodding towards Hel.

Hel sees the four girls in full battledress and helmets turn to face her and feels a chill in her spine.



Ali and Tara pull Hel onto her knees, while Anya cuts the tape from her mouth, leaving the cloth stuffing in place. Then the three take up positions behind Hel with weapons drawn.

Kim stands before Hel and looks down at her. "We will not torture you. We will not mistreat you." Kim says, "When I pull the cloth out of your mouth, you will tell us who you are, why you were fighting Lupita and why we should let you go." Kim reaches down taking the corner of the cloth between her forefinger and thumb, she pauses for a moment, lifting her faceplate and looking Hel in the eyes. "Make no mistake. You hold back, we will leave you here with her body and let the rats fight over you two."

Hel shudders, feeling the force behind Kim's words and flexes her jaw as the cloth is pulled free. "Thank you." She whispers hoarsely.

Kim drops the cloth on the floor and stands implaccably staring, waiting for Hel to say something more meaningful. "The art of interrogation is not about pain or intimidation, at it's core, it is about getting your principal to reveal something that you want to know." 

"It is hard to believe she is only thirteen." Hel thinks before speaking, "My name is Helen Carver. I am your aunt. Badger and Carl are my brothers. Sasha, Dani, Niki and Fey are my sisters. I was there one the day you called Dani's number and Badger answered for the first time."

Kim purses her lips and asks, "What were Badger's first words to me?"

"Hello darling. I miss her too." Hel says, recalling the call as if it were yesterday. "Then you asked if Angel had really gone and Badger said if you ever wanted to talk about her, you could call, whenever you wanted."

"She is spot on so far."' Kim psis to her sisters.

"Could she have found out from someone else?" Tara psis.

"Doubt it. But I am not sure." Kim psis, before speaking aloud, "Where were you?"

"Cambodia." Hel says, calmly.

"No. When all the others came back with Dani. Where were you?" Kim asks, keeping her voice even.

"I went to New York. I tortured and broke Lupita and forced her to go public about T.H.I.S." Hel admits, biting her tongue before saying any more.

"Wait, she is holding back." Tara psis. "When she spoke just then, she spoke as if she was going to say more and just stopped."

Kim raises an eyebrow and speaks calmly, "We are happy you are who you say you are. However, don't think for a moment that will protect you if you hold back anything from us."

Hel's chin quivers for a moment and a tear forms in her left eye, "I thought that by going public, T.H.I.S. would be shut down. I didn't know that they would go after all of you kids and try to exterminate you. I'm sorry."

"She is sorry?" Tara psis, "Our sisters are dead and she is sorry." 

"Steady on T. She didn't pull the trigger." Anya psis.

"No she didn't. But she is responsible." Kim psis with a flash of anger.

"Why were you fighting Lupita?" Kim asks in a low threatening voice.

"My original plan was to go to the Eyrie and have her take control to save you and your siblings, but I was too late.  When it became clear that the troops were deserting, I brought her to a parking lot to kill her." Hel confesses, "I could have poisoned her but I chose to fight her instead."

"Why?" Kim asks, coldly, "Why not just execute her?"

"Because." Hel begins, choking back tears, "A part of me wanted her to kill me, so I wouldn't have to live with the guilt. I saw their faces through her eyes and know all of them. I don't want to carry the weight of their deaths with me." Hel bends over, her body wracked with sobs.

"Spare me the dramatics." Kim commands, "You know your mind and your actions. You knew what would happen."

"I didn't. I swear." Hel pleads, "I had no idea that they would be killed." 

"Of course you didn't. You just did what you thought was a good idea at the time and hang the consequences." Tara snarls, angrily.

"I am so sorry. I didn't know." Hel says weakly.

Tara retrieves her stunchaku from where she dropped them and begins to walk around the bound woman. "How many died, because of you?"

Kim follows the same path as her sisters speaks in a low voice, "How many lives cut short because of your stupidity?"

"How many dreams, left to die in the dust?" Anya hisses, following her sisters.

"Do you even know their names? Do you even care?" Ali adds, joining the procession.

"I know their names and I know I will never be able to forget them." Hel says weeping.

Tara draws a darkened steel tanto, "How do you know their names? Were you there when they died? Did you stand by and let it happen?" She snarls, in a low threatening tone.

"No. God no." Hel pleads, "I knew because Lupita knew."

"Explain." Anya demands, coldly.

"I can read objects and people with a touch." Hel says, warily watching the knife in Tara's hand.

"Can you read us?" Ali asks curiously.

"No. I think the connection you share with each other, prevents me from reading you." Hel says wincing in pain from her back.

"Interesting, so you can't read us at all?" Tara says, thinking aloud.

"Not really, I have made a few observations though." Hel admits, cautiously.

"Such as?" Kim asks, impatiently.

"You move like you have been trained. If I had to guess, Kim shared the book with everyone somehow. Tara took a pounding from Lupita and is on her feet and moving around, I am guessing she has PCS in her system. Probably all have it to be fair. Anya is an excellent shot, she had a good teacher all told she hit Lupita in the mouth three times if you count the Cap gun." Hel shurgs, feeling the injuries in her legs and swallowing the pain, "You all have excellent physiques, but Kim is a more practiced fighter and Ali is an athlete of some kind."

"That will do." Kim says, holding up her hand, "We are wasting time here."

Hel feels the eyes of the girls bore into her and shivers involuntarily, "What will you do with me?" She closes her eyes, struck by the silence of the street.

[GreyLord]

This is such an exciting read, [mention]wolfman[/mention]. Surely Kim et al., will conclude that Hel is on their side and will free her. But with your devious mind, one never knows. Fantastic writing.

[Caesar73]

It will be interesting to see, how Hel will cope - if she has the chance to do that - with her guilt. What we can learn from Hel: Even if the intentions are good, that does not justify the means,

[wolfman]

It seems like an eternity until Kim breaks the silence. "Do you know where Dani's Cache in Santander is?" Kim asks, prompting an uncertain nods from Hel.

"Go there. There is food in the fridge and you will be able to patch yourself up." Kim says, while Tara cuts effortlessly through Hel's bindings and lays the knife and its sheath at her feet.

Hel grunts in pain from her injuries and exhausted muscles, "Thank you." Hel says, rubbing her arms and legs.

Kim and her sisters turn as one to leave the scene but Hel calls after them, "Wait." She pleads, "Leave the gun Lupita was killed with."

"Why would we do that?" Anya asks, defensively.

"Because, I will dispose of it and clean up the scene here, removing any traces that could be linked back to you." Hel explains.

"You would really do that?" Ali asks, wide eyed.

"To remove the chance of this woman destroying any more lives from beyond the grave." Hel says, grimly. "I am your aunt. I might not be a very good aunt, but I have your back."

Anya chews her lip for a moment and tosses the gun to Hel, who clumsily catches it and jams it in the belt of her trousers.

"Will you be ok?" Tara asks, losing the edge from her voice.

"I am a bit banged up, but will be alright." Hel says barely struggling to her feet. "You don't have to keep fighting. You have done enough. You can stop now."

Kim looks at her sadly and lifts her faceplate, "No we can't." She says swallowing hard, "When we stop, we go back to our lives and stand to lose what we have gained from each other."

"Oh, no Kim." Hel says, in a slow sympathetic tone, "You girls have a special bond and you will always have that." Hel says gently.

"I have no family. When this is done, I will be put into care and will be unable to see everyone." Tara says, with a tear in her eye. "This is all I have left. I want to hold on to this as long as I can."

"My dad is married to his career. When I go back, I will be looked after by a babysitter in Alaska, while he is flying across the world." Anya adds sadly. "I feel like I belong right now and I need that."

"I will be an only child. The one thing I could do to make my folks proud was play rugby. But if I play it now, with my new physique, I will kill someone." Ali says, in a grim tone, "Doing this with my sisters at my side feels right. I don't want to lose that."

"This is not the way. Running around the city like this, what can you acheive?" Hel asks.

"We cleared a building allowing ambulances to get to the hospital, we attacked a formation of soldiers that were pinning down the police, then we took out a convoy that was supplying troops around the city." Kim says, in a matter of fact tone, "Then we neutralised the hotel that T.H.I.S. were using as a base. Before we got here, I freed us from custody, killed a serial killer and freed a cop from men who would kill him."

Hel stares open mouthed, listening to the litany of the teams deeds, thinking, "Shit, there is no way I can push the what can you do angle. This is just awful, they are just kids, they don't deserve this. They will push themselves to destruction rather than lose each other."

"What will you do next?" Hel asks, her heart sinking.

"Go after Commander David, then hunt all of the others down and turn them over to the authorities." Kim says, without emotion.

"What then?" Hel asks, wondering if the young warriors have a long term plan.

Kim steps forward defiant, "We keep going." She says trying to convince herself as much as she is trying to convince Hel.

Hel staggers to her feet, barely able to stand due to her injuries and looks Kim in the eyes, "I dont know what kind of conection you all have, but surely you realise Tara is still in a bad way and needs to recover. Setting that aside, Ali needs to get cleaned up." She begins before turning to Anya, "You did the right thing, but it is ok to question how you feel about it."

"What are you doing?" Kim says, her lower lip quivering.

"I am sorry Kim, but I can't let this go on without saying something." Hel says, wincing in pain, "You are strong. But you cannot be strong for everyone. One of the hardest lessons a leader must learn is that it is as important to stand down, as it is to press on. You all need rest and maybe re-stock your gear. I bet with everything you have done, you are running low."

Kim looks each of her sisters in the eye in turn and knows, Hel is right. "We are getting a little low on supplies and could do with re-arming." She smiles inscrutably at Hel, "Let's be honest. You need help getting back too, after the kicking you have had."

Under her face plate, Tara face flashes with relief, at the thought of going back to the cache. At the same time, Ali pushes aside the feeling of disgust at the fluids she is covered in and thinks only of a long hot shower. Anya just cannot clear the image of Lupita's face when she pulled the trigger, from her mind.



Under Hel's careful instructions Kim moves the body back to the limo and torches it, while her sisters support each other through their own pain.

Hel sits down hard on a wall and feels some of the bricks crumble under her weight. She pulls out Anya's pistol and clears the chamber, pocketing the round. Then she ejects the magazine, removing each round in turn and pocketing them. Without obvious effort she crushes the magazine between her hands and discards the mangled metal. Deep in thought she strips the weapon and crushes each component of it into a crumpled mass of metal which she throws with all of her strength to land out of sight, some distance away.

"It is good to be strong, but the girls will not be able to support my weight on the way back." Hel realises, before she releases the strength of and toughness of the titanium in her ring with a soft, "Thank you."

She enjoys the feeling of lightness she gains as the weight is lifted from her body and breathes slowly, feeling the pain of her injuries ever more intensely.

Without warning Kim appears at her side, "All done." She says, then chews her lip before continuing in a quiet voice, "Thank you for giving me a way out, saying about supplies."

"No problem." Hel says, with a gentle smile, "Never be ashamed to seek help. It takes strength to admit that despite all you can do, it is not enough."

Kim looks at her sisters, and whispers, "We all get so much from being together like this, none of us want to lose it."

"I can understand that. I get the same from my family too." Hel admits, "It has been hard this past few days without them. However, I always know that they are there for me."

"We need to end this don't we?" Kim asks, feeling the answer inside her.

"You will never end what you have with your sisters. But, yeah you can't carry on like this." Hel says, putting her arm around Kim.

"Can we call Sasha when we get back ?" Kim says, feeling a little defeated inside.

"Let me guess, you have been worried about the call being traced?" Hel asks, gently.

Kim nods, "Dumb eh?"

"Probably saved your life." Hel says, giving kim's arm a squeeze, "It must have been hard for you."

"Yeah, I really miss her and need to talk to her about everything." Kim confesses, "I am scared when I go back she will push me away, because of everything I have done."



Hel winces reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone, amazed that it is in one piece. She dials a number and hands it to Kim. "It's secure."

Kim accepts the phone with trembling hands and holds it to her ear listening to it ring.

"Nikita Green." 

Kim's heart leaps in her chest hearing her aunt, "Auntie Niki?"

Nikita drops her cigarette and starts to run into the hospital, "Kim? Is it really you?"

"Yes." Kim says tearfully.

"Stay on the line. I am just going to Sasha." Nikita says, while sprinting at full speed through the clinic, "Are you ok Sweetie?"

"Yeah." Kim says, knowing if she says more, she will not be able to stop crying.

"We have all been so worried about you sweetie. Sasha 

"Hang on a sec." Nikita says, charging past Steve and Louise in the waiting room and quietly opening the door to Sasha's room. She gently shakes her sister, until her eyes start to open. "I'm sorry babe.", she whispers, hating to disturb the peaceful visage of her sister.

"What is it?" Sasha says, groggily, instinctively checking on her son.

"Kim." Nikita says, thrusting the phone at her sister.

Sasha pauses for a moment, then snatches the phone, "Kim? Darling? Are you alright? Where are you?" She asks, jolted awake.

"I want to come home." Kim asks, on the edge of tears.

Sasha grunts in pain, trying to sit up, "Where are you sweetie?"

"I am in Santander." Kim whispers, "I need to tell you about everything that has happened before I come home."

"That can wait, Kim. The important thing is that you come home. Dani has a safe house in Santander. Go there. Dani will come for you." Sasha says, fighting her own tears of joy.

"But I need to tell you what has happened. You might not want me home, when you know what I have done." Kim pleads.

"It doesn't matter to me. Everything will be alright." Sasha says, shedding tears of joy. "All that matters, is that you come home safely."

Kim jumps slightly, as her sisters embrace her gently and psi, "We are here for you. This is the right thing to do."'

"We will go to the safe house and wait for Dani." Kim says, overwhelmed.

"We?" Sasha asks, slightly concerned, "Who is with you?"

"My sisters and auntie Hel." Kim says, barely above a whisper.

Sasha puts the phone on speaker looking at Nikita, "Your sisters?"

"Anya Black, Tara Michaels and Ali Mitchum." Kim confirms, gently.

Sasha nods to Nikita and mutes the phone, "Let Alex and Moses know. See if we can get hold of Tara's parents." She says quickly, before unmuting the phone. "Niki will call Dani and get you picked up."

"All of us?" Kim asks, wide eyed and hopeful.

"Yes sweetie." Sasha says, gently. She pauses for a moment and in a more serious tone, "Are you alright?"

Kim smiles weakly, there is so much she wants to say, but she knows if she does, she will not be able to control her emotions. She speaks barely above a whisper, "I just want bring my sisters home and see you again."

[Caesar73]

Wow, you did it again [mention]wolfman[/mention] This Chapter was more on the reflective side. The Conversations were intense. Personally I liked the last third of the Chapter most, when Kim calls Sasha and gets Nikita on the Phone, All the Emotions - and Sasha reaching out to Kim who had to endure so much for her young age.

[GreyLord]

This was absolutely wonderful, [mention]wolfman[/mention]. They are not home yet, but we can see a path for them to get there. This may be your best yet. Great work!

[wolfman]

[mention]Caesar73[/mention] [mention]GreyLord[/mention]

Thank you for your kind words gentlemen. I found it hard to strike the right balance with tone and the call with Sasha and Kim might be one of my favourite interactions in this tale.