Blood Sisters

After a while, Mark Dallas had cooled off, emotionally at least, and he came to the realization that he had no idea where he was. He had intended to fly up to Shay's Mountain and convince Marshal Desnoyers to let him help track down Michaela. He had driven to Ft. Miles once a few years ago to visit Mike. It turned out that navigating around on the interstate system with a map was easy; just flying on your own to where you want to go half-cocked was a lot harder. Mark had been flying for an hour or so now. His best guess was that he was somewhere over Oklahoma.

Wildfire saw a gas station and flew down towards it. He was almost on the ground before he remembered that his body was on fire, and he was about to land at a gas station. He opted to land across the street instead, which was just an empty gravel lot.

As he got near to the ground, the nimbus of fire around him collapsed into a narrow jet from his feet that acted like a rocket engine to slow his decent. When Mark felt the Earth beneath him his flames blew out and he was surrounded in a pale smoke that trailed behind him as he began to walk towards the gas station. Then he suddenly stopped and looked down.

He was naked head to foot, tackle out. The fire that propelled him here had burned away all of his clothes, his wallet, his phone, everything. “Well shit” he said in his Texas drawl. A pickup truck drove by him, the driver glared in disgust and honked his horn. Mark just shrugged back.

***

Peregrine had been flying in her search pattern for hours now trying to pick up the trail of the fugitives. The radar and infrared systems of her customized MK flightarmor were set at maximum range, at the cost of resolution. The HUD from the visor of her flight helmet dimly lit her face.

Major Hunter, her mentor, was better known to the world as the hero Freedom Falcon. Through no fault of his own he ended up being credited with the development of the MK-X flightarmor for the Air Force. Captain Lisa Shaw, now known as Peregrine, was on his design team, and was the one who actually engineered most of the core systems, especially the propulsion unit. Not that she minded all that much, Major Hunter was stuck back in the Air Force R&D lab most of the time, while she got to be out here flying around as an Air Force reserve officer assigned to the US Special Marshals. A much more interesting line of work.

The armor was surprisingly light and form-fitting. Peregrine's was painted a steel-blue. She had most of the Air Force markings removed, and had it replaced with the USSM logo and her badge, which was etched and painted onto the breastplate.

The MK-X flew only by brute force from its small magnetoplasma rocket engine, which was mounted on the back of the armor like a slender metal backpack with two nozzles. Its fuel was super-condensed hydrogen gas that was ionized to create plasma, it was then further heated with EM energy, basically the same as a microwave oven. The more the plasma was heated, the more energy it contained, the faster you could go. Lastly, the plasma was converted into thrust with another magnetic field, which also prevented the plasma from contacting the armor's surface. Were that to happen the plasma would quickly burn through and among other things giving the wearer a very hot backside. The armor had no airfoils, so it maneuvered with the use of small attitude control jets, these same jets could also be used as a short range weapon system, which were given the somewhat inaccurate nickname of a 'plasma beam'.

Additional power for the armor's systems also came from the static electricity that the metal suit created as it flew at high speed. This energy was captured and held in special capacitors within the flightarmor; this system also directed electrical charges, such as a lightening strike, safely away from the pilot and the more sensitive armor devices.

The armor itself was made of titanium alloy and shock absorbent composite materials. It included a variety of sensors, communications and jamming equipment, a composite carbon-nanotube myofiber system for enhanced strength; an integrated medium range full-auto carbine, a long range sniper rifle, which was stowed in two compartments, an integrated non-lethal neuromuscular incapacitor and a small supply of integrated miniaturized high power RPG's. There were other weapon systems that could be swapped in for special missions, but these were the standard armaments.

Jack Steel, codename: Broadsword, was Peregrine's ground support. He was checking leads and keeping pace with Peregrine in their big black armored USSM Hummer nicknamed 'The Bat Masterson'. Neither Jack, or Captain Shaw were happy about North Star and Titan being pulled off their team, but orders were orders, and besides they were all fond of Jenny Goldstar.

“Peregrine, I might have a lead” Jack said over the comm system. “Go ahead Broadsword” Lisa replied, stifling a yawn. “Might be a wild goose chase, but as I was double checking the reports from the Marshal's field team I got a hit”. Peregrine waited in silence for several seconds before getting annoyed and saying “Well, tell me you big iron lummox!”. Jack chuckled quietly to himself as she took the bait, like always. He thought she was such a cutie, especially when she got like that. “Right, well it turns out that one of the motels they checked out and cleared a few hours ago reported an assault and a robbery this morning”. “Huh, that is too much of a coincidence to ignore I guess” Peregrine said wearily. There was a silent pause then she spoke into the comm “alright, give me the location and we'll head there, I am just about done with this search pattern anyway”. “You got it Little Bird” Jack replied with a grin. “Don't call me that Jack-off, Peregrine out”. Ah he loved that, such an easy goat to get, and such an adorable one.

***

Davos Muerte paced the dark motel room. Michaela had been gone several hours. He was getting impatient. “I never should have trusted her to take care of this, its not like I need her to find us a fortress in a swamp, just a house somewhere would do!” he muttered to himself in frustration.

“You do that a lot” The Silhouette said. “What?” Victor looked over at her. “Pace like that, you do it a lot. Like you can't sit still”. Victor just clenched his hands and let that stew a moment. “I've been dead a lot, makes you want to keep moving when your not”. Silhouette smirked in amusement. “Besides, I've been locked in a cage for six years, why do you just want to sit their and watch lousy television?!”. She shrugged “I was locked in a cage full of red Christmas lights for three years, without a television”. Silhouette tossed the remote at him. “I don't care what you watch, go ahead”. Victor picked it up, and turned the set off. Silhouette gave him a scathing look “culero”. Davos walked over to her, his temper starting to rise “Look bright-eyes...”. Silhouette ignored him, rolled out of bed, grabbed onto The Dead Man's shoulder and pointed out the window. “What the...” Davos turned around. His eyes widened when he saw what was coming “Dammit”.

***

Peregrine got to the motel first “I am here Broadsword. Looks quiet, I am going to take a quick listen into the rooms”. A few miles away in the Bat Masterson Jack smiled “Hope you find something entertaining”. Peregrine shook her head and ignored him. She activated her laser mike system and started to scan each room, hearing what you might expect... televisions, radios, talking, coughing, moaning, showers running, toilets flushing, then... “Step on it Sword, I think I have something”. Peregrine ran a voice print analysis against her prisoner database. She smiled “Oh yeah, we got Silhouette, one sec, switching to thermal”. Jack gave a cheer and gunned the Hummer. “I see only two heat signatures in the room... dammit, the other one is Davos, Michaela is not there”. Jack cursed, killing the lights on the Masterson and driving slowly into the motel parking lot. He saw Peregrine hovering in stealth mode, the plasma exhaust at minimum power, emitting a dull red glow.

Jack got out of the Hummer quietly, and shaped some of his absorbed metal into a fine flexible mesh over most of his body. Then he made thicker sharp angled armor plates to reinforce vital areas.

He glanced up at his partner, who pointed out which room. He walked through the dark lot, surprisingly quiet despite his weight and armor. Keeping to the shadows he moved till he could get a glimpse into the partially open drapes of the room. “So, do you want to just keep an eye on them until the Vamp gets back or... oh shit”. Alarmed, Peregrine shot back “What?!” Broadsword had started running towards the door “I forgot that Silhouette can see in the dark! They made us Little Bird, we gotta move before she just...” Lisa cut in as she hit the jets and crashed through the window “They made -you- buddy, not us!”

***

Davos grabbed the all-purpose kitchen knife he had obtained at the pharmacy, and palmed the screwdriver he took from the front desk. He cursed at himself “No gear, no weapons, no plan”.

The Midnight Mistress grabbed onto shadow reaching for Muerte “Lets just...” she was interrupted by Peregrine busting through the window, the sudden flare of her plasma jets blinding her momentarily.

“US SPECIAL MARSHALS!” Peregrine yelled into her PA system. Cutting power to her rockets before she lit the room on fire Lisa's momentum carried her into a flying tackle of The Silhouette. The two women tumbled into the back wall together, Silhouette winced and called out in pain as she slammed through the plaster wall and hit her back on the wooden studs. She yelled viciously at Victor “Hijo de puta! You said D-Day's team weren't gonna SEARCH here!”. Victor squared off with Broadsword, glancing down at his kitchen knife, then looking back at the metal man. “I know!” he yelled back at her.

Broadsword grinned at Davos “Are you really gonna fight me with that? just give it up chief, we'll have you back in your cell in no time”. Victor snarled, and with a swift move caught Broadsword off guard, sweeping him. The metal man cursed and fell on his back. Victor was on him as Jack hit the floor, driving his hidden screwdriver between Broadsword's armored plates. It was slowed by the mesh underneath, but still bit into Jack's flesh. Jack winced and cursed, moving to backhand Davos off him. But Victor had already rolled out of the way and had gained his feet, grabbing a metal table lamp in both hands. Peregrine spoke through her comm system into Jacks earpiece “let me guess, you ALSO forgot that Victor Davos has been studying martial arts for like, 100 years?!” Jack retorted “I know!”.

The Silhouette pulled tendrils from out of Peregrine's shadow and quickly wrapped her up against the wall, then she fell into her own Shadow and stepped out of Victor's on the far side of the room. She sniped at him “YOU said that we would be long gone from here before they checked again!”

Victor shouted back “I KNOW!”. He swung the lamp like a two handed club towards Jack's unarmored face. It struck, but Broadsword had turned his head so the lamp just rung and dented against the armored plate over his skull.

Peregrine hit all of her maneuvering jets which burned away the tendrils around her like wax. From the floor where she was still sprawled, Lisa targeted The Silhouette with her Taser, but The Dark Lady saw it coming, pulling a veil of shadow from the floor just in time. The wires disappeared into darkness. “Don't let her touch Davos, Broadsword!” Lisa said into her comm as she got to her feet. “I KNOW!” he shouted into his mike carelessly. “OW!” Peregrine winced as his shout punched her in the ear. “Dammit” he muttered to himself, “I am gonna pay for that one”.

Jack managed to get to one knee, barely blocking another swing of the lamp by Victor towards his head. The Silhouette's attention was still turned towards Lisa from deflecting her Taser, but she was too far away from him. Broadsword grew a blunt metal lance from his right fist as he swung it towards her, hitting Silhouette hard in the ribs with the side of it. The Dark Lady collapsed into the wall, knocking over the TV which smashed onto the floor with a shower of sparks and glass. She grabbed her side and cried out, fighting the pain, head spinning.

Victor took his sudden opportunity, Broadsword was off balance from his wide swing, on one knee before The Dead Man. He stabbed with his screwdriver between the armor plates on the left side of Jack's neck, producing a squirt of blood. Jack yelled and rolled away onto the floor, the screwdriver tangled in his armor and stuck in his flesh. “ah dammit, DAMMIT!” Broadsword yelled, he was bleeding now, and the pain shot down his left arm which suddenly felt numb and weak.

Lisa saw Jack go down and yelled into her PA “That's enough! Silhouette, Davos, stand down or I will use LETHAL FORCE!”. Victor turned towards Peregrine, taking a few steps towards where The Silhouette was, still trying to get up from the floor. “I would expect nothing less my dear” he said coolly. “Fine” Lisa muttered to herself. She raised her arm and let loose with her carbine, sending a spray of bullets at Victor. He ducked under most of them, but a round caught him in the shoulder and deeply grazed the side of his chest, knocking him off balance, but he was able to control his fall enough to land within reach of Silhouette. The Midnight Mistress had brought up a cloak of shadow reflexively as the gunshots came close to her. She was still on her knees, struggling to get up from Broadsword's blow. She reached out for Victors hand “Lets go!”. The Dead Man clutched his wounded shoulder and nodded, taking a deep breath.

Lisa jumped across the room to get around Silhouette's darkness field, taking another shot at Davos. One hit home, knocking the wind out of him. But the pair fell together into Shadow, and her other bullets just punched holes in the floor where they had been just a moment before. “Dammit” Peregrine said.

Broadsword sat up, pulling the screwdriver from his neck and temporarily patching his skin with metal to put pressure on the wound and stop the bleeding. “Glad I'm not the one that has to tell the boss about this” Jack muttered as he looked around at the chaos that had been a motel room. He flexed, testing out his left arm as he talked quietly to Peregrine's back. “You know, there's no reason not to use lethal force on The Dead Man”. Lisa scowled back at him, smoke still rising from her carbine as it slid back into its forearm compartment accompanied by a slight whine of servos. She sighed “I know”.