Blood Sisters

The Dead Man stood near a place that he swore he would never be again. The place he broke out of after eight incredibly annoying years of confinement. Breaking out of Shay's Mountain had cost the lives of eight guards and forced him to cut a deal with the blue-skinned devil beside him, a bitch of a succubi that he hated to the core.

The Silhouette had been quiet since the night at Heart's Desire. Victor knew she was disturbed by witnessing Deed's murder, but this is the life she chose. She had just been a thief, yes. A very good thief. She could keep playing around in the sandbox stealing trinkets, or she could step up and do something that mattered. If she was going to be with The Dead Man, she was going to see people die.

Victor was looking down into a valley on the back side of Shay's Mountain. The Terrible Trio were on an old fire ranger station, miles away from Ft. Miles. Victor again using his high powered scope. “Huh, it is pretty well hidden, but its there”. He glanced over at the women, pointing towards the Mountain. “There is a small gap between those ridges. I see a dirt road that circles around the back of the Shay's and goes into the gap”. He looked back into his scope “There is a camouflaged door cut right into the rock. You couldn't see it from above. Only from the side, from this side in fact”.

“Well, Davos?” Michaela sneered “We are here, how are we going to get Miss Liberty here?”

The Dead Man nodded, still looking through the scope. “Okay Michaela, first we are going to get into that facility there. Then we are going to find William Deed's machines”. He looked over at the Vampire “Allison Ashton had canceled most of her shows since her daughter was injured. But she still performed her annual charity concert in Memphis”. He paused to see if they were keeping up. “The security there was pathetic, of course. It was easy for me to get backstage and blend in. When Allison performs, she does not wear any of her uniform, well except her boots. But most importantly, she does not wear her M-Tech bracers and belt. I did a little rewiring work on her Miss Liberty equipment, including tapping into the GPS signal that her belt broadcasts so her allies know where she is”. Victor produced one of his customized PDA. With this I can find where she is and Silhouette and I will go and get her”. Silhouette raised a brow in surprise and Michaela snorted “and just how are you and this woman going to accomplish this?” Victor smiled a shark smile. “Lets just say, Miss Liberty is in for quite a surprise”. He turned on his PDA and there was a soft beeping. “Huh” Victor said. The Dead Man looked down at the small screen. “Well now, how convenient” he smirked. “What?” Silhouette asked. He looked up at his two accomplices and showed them the display on his PDA. “It seems Miss Liberty is already here”.

***

Miss Liberty, Miracle, and Super Cricket met D-Day as planned just outside the USSM ops center. Paul stowed his master armor unit in the bed of an open backed Hummer, and motioned them all to get in the truck with him. He started it up and headed into Ft. Miles. “Okay Paul, were here, please explain what is going on”. Allison forced a smile. “By the way, I brought you the cornbread I promised”. He nodded “Thanks” he said sadly. The air seemed to chill around them. “Allison” he began, ashen faced. “Cricket was not an artificially created being that a geneticist modified to look like Jenny, she is the product of a eugenic program, Project Bloodsister. Your DNA, Allison, was mixed with the DNA of an unpowered human. The result of this was what they call a Synthetic Operative or Synthoid for short”. Cricket was looking more and more scared and angry. Jenny put an arm around her. Paul continued “There are several others, just like Cricket, physically at least. They were being transported from where they were grown, at some laboratory in Virginia, up here to this Shay's Mountain R&D facility. There was an accident with a tractor-trailer, and the vehicle the synthoids were in was hit. Cricket was thrown free, several others were killed, and some survived”. Allison looked as angry as Paul had ever seen her. It was unsettling to see. “How did they get my DNA?” Allison asked stiffly. “I am not sure, but if I were to guess... the tissue samples that you submitted when you registered yourself in accordance with the Meta-Human Registration Act”. Allison's hands gripped into a fist. “There's more” Paul said, he was starting to sweat. Miss Liberty closed her eyes how can this be worse? she wondered ruefully.

“Originally, Allison, they had simply tried to clone you. But that process failed for the most part. It only produced semi-conscious synthoids they have taken to calling Revenants. For the most part they have to be controlled via a remote VR system”. Paul frowned “They actually modeled it after the system I use to control my remote D-Day units.” Allison sighed, glancing back at her girls. They were wide eyed, this was almost more then they could wrap there young minds around. “Its going to be okay” she nodded, taking a moment to grip there hands.

The Hummer had turned down a narrow dirt road and bounced along it. The road was taking them to the far side of Shay's Mountain. Paul said “I am driving you now to where all this was being done so you can see for yourself.” Allison looked at him, inwardly fuming at the situation “Paul, I am going to destroy every stolen bit of me that is in this place if I have to bring down the whole mountain to do it”. Paul nodded. He knew full well that she could do that. “Allison, I didn't know, I'm sorry”.

The truck came to a dusty stop and they all got out. D-Day shrunk down and got into his cockpit. With a quick burst from his jump jets he flew over to a huge metal door, painted to look like the side of the mountain. Allison called over to him “Paul, you kept saying they did this. Who exactly is they?” Paul punched in a code which opened the massive doors with a loud hiss. “Us” Paul said, his voice thick with regret. Waiting behind the doors were all but one of the US Special Marshals, the bloodsisters, the revenants, David and Goliath.

***

“I can not believe our luck” The Dead Man said. He was looking down as D-Day opened up the massive doors, and saw the ambush that waited behind them. “My, my. Paul Desnoyers, who would have thought”. He gave a shallow grin and glanced over at the women. “I could not have planned a better distraction, lets hop over to a shadow in there and find Daedalus' machines”.

Silhouette looked reluctant, but consented. The Midnight Mistress reached out to them. The Dead Man took a deep breath and took her hand. Michaela grinned viciously, smelling her prey and ready to pounce “This is the day that Liberty dies”. The Terrible Trio stepped into shadow.

***

“PAUL?!” the look of betrayal on Allison's face burned into his heart. He knew he would never forget it. He hated himself. Of all the words he wanted to say in that moment only “No choice” got out his tight throat. At least Winter was not here, he was not sure he could have stomached that. North Star had refused to go along with this operation. David promptly suspended her, and ordered her sequestered. Winter was locked up in the Ops center, angry as hell. Paul was beginning to think this was the worst day of his life.

Allison looked over behind the marshals and the synthoids to see two men in black suits with perfectly groomed hair, wearing sunglasses, one shorter, one a big agent, taller then she was, with an AR-15 slung over his shoulder. The shorter agent spoke loudly, his voice echoing out of the large room behind the doors like an orchestra hall. “Miss Liberty. I require you to turn over that asset” he pointed at Cricket. “That is bloodsister 1-8-7. She is government property. I thank you for your cooperation, and your continued service to our country”.

Miss Liberty called out in fury “The hell you say, mister!” she leveled a mighty finger at the agent. “You will never lay a hand on Cricket again, you hear me?!” Allison kept at him. “You made these... things, these girls out of ME. I am going to tear this place apart, and then you and I are going to take a little flight up to Washington DC. How much you want to bet POTUS will make some time for me you snake? This is OVER!”

Jenny looked over the opposition, this was not going to be pretty. The revenants looked particularly troublesome. They looked only vaguely like her mother. Their skin was like pale ash, they had shaved heads showing just a hint of blonde fuzz. They had what looked like cracks in their skin from where wisps of green energy escaped, it was like all they were in the inside was bio-mutant energy. The eyes of the revenants also glowed a sickly green, and the same green energy leaked out of all the holes in the they're skulls. The bloodsisters all looked kinda like Cricket, but with numb, vacant looks on their faces. They only wore simple beta-cloth jumpsuits, with a three-number designation printed on it. On top of all these zombies, were five Special Marshals, two of whom she didn't recognize.

Jenny's force-field glowed brighter as she prepared to fight, humming loudly. She looked over at her sister. Cricket looked like she was itching for this fight. The girls smiled at each other “they're going down Jen” Cricket said with an eager grin. “Hell ya” Jenny said.

Agent David let Miss Liberty's anger wash over him, apparently unaffected. He replied calmly “Mrs. Ashton, you do not, and cannot have all the information you need to make an informed decision about this. You have always been a patriot, and I admire you. I appreciate that you and your fine family have become attached to the asset. Which is unfortunate. In any case, your country requires this sacrifice from you. Release the asset to me, and withdraw.” Allison just shook her head in defiance. The Special Marshals all looked at one another, reluctance and regret plain on all their faces. Peregrine looked over at Mighty Miss Liberty as the visor of her flight helmet snapped shut. “This is going to hurt” she muttered. David sighed and spoke with icy calmness “Use whatever force is necessary to acquire the asset, initiate.”