Blood Sisters

“You gonna get into trouble with your mom?” Cricket asked. Jenny smirked “Oh, hell ya. My best bet is to find my father first, he can take things in stride. She doesn't get as mad when he's around her.” Cricket nodded. She poked at Jenny'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 does suck sometimes. But... there's nothing to be done, right? Believe me, we've tried EVERYTHING.” Cricket nodded. Freshly showered, she was wrapped up in towels waiting for her clothes to dry. Cricket felt weird about wearing any of Jenny's clothes. Besides, Jenny was a little taller and a most of her clothes were just simple beta-cloth jumpsuits or pajamas.

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

Jenny seemed so relaxed here, in her room, with her stuff. Safe. Not just because of her powerful force-field, but some... intangible sense of security, like a bird in the nest. Cricket's world was dangerous. Always a wind to blow the nest from its branch, or a man with a chainsaw cutting down the tree. There was no safety, not really. Jenny's rose painted bedroom walls were an illusion of safety, of order. The black-clad agents could burst 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 small smile “yeah..” The two girls gazed at each other, so much unsaid. Cricket really felt she could see right through Jenny's bubbly facade. She was just as lonely as her, Cricket was sure of it. Neither of them fit into the world right. Square pegs. Cricket, never safe. Jenny, perhaps too safe. Doubly alone. Alone in her head, like all of us, and even more alone, inside her golden cage. Cricket ached to 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 find you, and if you happen to be a New Human it is very hard not to be found. Allison, herself so infused with bio-mutant energy, can sense other concentrations of the energy from they way her own resonates with it. With practice, she could come to recognize a specific New Human from their bio-energy signature.

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

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

“Try and relax, Cricket. I am not going to hurt you” Allison said soothingly. She landed on top of the mall's roof, next to where Jenny was waiting for them. Allison let Cricket go. Afraid, Cricket acted instinctively to defend herself. She spun around and leveled a punch at Miss Liberty. Allison easily caught her fist in her hand, then Cricket's other fist when she tried to punch her again. She bent down and looked right in Crickets terrified eyes. “Listen, its going to be all-right. You don'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 Cricket did 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 at the Mighty Miss Liberty apprehensively. Allison got down on one knee rather then talk down to the much shorter girls, helping them relax. She smiled kindly “Miracle” Miss Liberty said respectfully, much to Jenny's surprise. “North Star has told me what happened, and what she knows about your new friend”. “Sister” Jenny insisted. Allison softly sighed and looked over them. She had to admit they did look very much like sisters, almost twins. Ally herself suddenly felt a certain familiarity for Cricket as well and noticed how the girl's bio-energy was similar to her own, which took her off guard. “Okay, sisters then” she relented.

Allison asked calmly “What is your next move, Miracle? The Joint Meta-Human Task Force, the US Special Marshals and the local police are all looking for your sister, and you for that matter”.

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

Cricket started to cry, she had no 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 and leave behind the other street kids that counted on him. Cricket collapsed down on her knees and bent her head down. Wiping under her nose with her hand. Confused and scared, she did not know what to do. Jenny reached down and took Crickets hand as best she could, her radiant field squeezed between them.

Miracle, misty eyed herself, spoke to her mother, her voice starting to thicken. “If she turns herself in... mom... they don't even think she's a person, they're going to, I don't know what, but it wont be good, I know it!” Allison nodded sympathetically. “You two are in a tough spot, no doubt. Do you have any other options, Miracle? Cricket?”. The two girls looked at each other for a long moment. Then held each other tightly, Miracle's force-field buzzing. Jenny spoke to her mother, her voice quaking “I don't know what to do, mom. Please” she sniffed “please help us”.

Allison nodded and took the girls into her arms. She kissed Cricket on the forehead, and then Jenny's force-field. “Okay, let's first get you somewhere safe, and then we will try and figure this out together” Cricket nodded. “Here we go, hang on tight now”. With the sisters safe in her arms, Mighty Miss Liberty took off into the sky.

“Why did you two go to the mall of all places?” Allison asked as an afterthought. Jenny shrugged “Like anyone would think to look for us there. Besides, Cricket had nothing to wear, I didn't have anything that fit her right. By the way I owe her a leather coat”. Cricket sniffed, but smiled and nodded “yup”.

***

“Tell me again why we can't just walk through the Shadow World into his room?” Michaela asked with annoyance. Davos looked at her askance “I have never actually been inside Heart's Desire...” he sighed and lowered his head at that, giving it a shake. He muttered through a wry smirk “not from lack of effort.” Silhouette shot him a warning glance. “What I mean to say is that I have never been in there before” he pointed towards the resort which lay nearly a mile distant in the shallow valley they were overlooking. It was well after sunset, and Victor was scouting the Resorts external security with a high powered night-vision scope, taking mental notes.

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

The Dead Man lowered the scope and looked back at the women. “It would be so much easier to just shadow walk in there... their external security is some of the best I have ever seen...” “Guess the old heroes are worried some old enemy is going to come looking for payback, go figure” Victor smirked.

“We're going to have better luck getting an idea of the internal security, not to mention exactly where Deed's room is”. Victor took a long look at Michaela, then back at the Resort. “Michaela, I think your going to be our best bet. The telepathic bond your blood creates... we could infect some of the resort employees that live outside the grounds, even better if we could get our hands on some security personnel”. Victor paused to gauge Michaela's reaction. She only looked moderately resentful and impatient, not bad for a Tuesday. “From that, we should get at least a basic idea of layout and internal security. I am fairly sure most of the resort staff will know where to find Deeds”.

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

***

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

Agent David asked Agent Goliath “You ever meet D-Day?” “Nope. You?” “Not this one no, but I'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 on it.” “You think that's funny?” “I do.” “See, now that was funny.” “Mmhmm.” “I think the good marshal is delaying on purpose.” “Why's that?” “It fits his profile, smart, independent. Resistant to authority. He would feel that our presence here is a threat to his authority, that he can do his job better without our interference.” “He's probably right about that.” “Generally, I would agree with you. But we're not here to get him to do his job, we're here to get him to do something he wont want to do.”

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

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

Paul looked over at the large agent, glancing at the assault rifle “You ever take that thing off?”

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

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

Agent David said flatly “I see you still indulge your marshals desire to dress like circus clowns”. Paul shrugged and replied “keeps up morale, besides its a tradition” he gave the agents a look “its better then walking around in black suits everyday like your at a funeral”. David nodded 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. I suppose you could consider them as... uniforms of a sort.”

D-Day nodded “thanks.” He then continued on “My two new deputies are rookies, but both bring valuable experience to the team, and they are... highly motivated. We are breaking them in, and they will be partnered with more experienced marshals for field training.” Paul stepped off the table, growing to his normal height. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table “help yourself” he said to the agents, 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 continue his briefing. The agent interrupted him “Were going to be here a while, Marshal. Let me tell you what were going to do.” Paul grimaced.