Blood Sisters

Cricket stumbled back up onto the street. She had run through subway tunnels all the way back to the East Side where she'd been hiding out. There were plenty of boarded up old buildings for her to stay in. Her possessions were little more then an old mattress, a cardboard box with some clothes in it, a battery powered radio and the oversize leather biker jacket that her friend Jake had given her.

Jake was the only person she had met since coming to her senses two years ago that she trusted. He was really her only friend, and was like a father to her. Stumbling into an alleyway, Cricket thought back to the time when she became aware, it was a few miles outside the city. There were broken, smoking and shattered cars, vans and trucks all around, apparently a massive accident. She was unharmed, of course, being tough as she was. Somehow she had gotten to the side of the road where she was laying when she woke up. Whatever she had been wearing had almost completely burned away, and she was dirty with ash, but not burned. Her mouth tasted like old cigarettes, but other then that she had felt OK.

At the time, and since, Cricket had only the vaguest sense about what happened before that day. It was pretty unpleasant and she did not like to think about it. Mostly there was a lot of lights, a lot of pain, and a lot of laying still, not able to move. She had flashes of faces every now and then, and quite often she woke from sleeping seeping sweat and screaming.

Among the odd things she had learned about herself, other then apparently being indestructible and strong beyond belief, was that she had no belly button. She also had a strange dark red bar-code on the back of her neck that Jake said seemed to have been laser etched. He would know, among other things, he was a tattoo artist. Jake had tried to give her a Tat to cover it, but her skin was too tough for the stylus. Or for piercings, or for bullets.

Recently, Cricket had been having encounters with black clad commando guys like the two she had just fought in Midtown. They all had crew-cuts, or black helmets, fancy gear and weapons that hurt her. Cricket felt like they were closing in, she was afraid and felt like running. But she couldn't leave Jake... the thought of that made her throat clench up and want to cry.

The Indestructible Girl got to where she was heading. There was only one place for her to go. It was getting dark and she ducked into a sagging old brick building that looked world weary and ready to sleep. The sign above the door read “Jake's Tattoo Place” and there was one of those spinney red, white and blue barber things next to the door.

Cricket entered tentatively, not knowing if more harpoons were going come out of nowhere at her head. The crushed and bleeding body of the agent she killed was haunting the back of her eyes, and she dreaded seeing Jake the same way. Suddenly death seemed to hang over everything.

Jake looked over at her when he heard the bell the door rang when it opened. He smiled kindly at the girl, though his eyes told a deeper story of concern “Hello Little Cricket” he said. Jake was the one that had given her the name, it stuck and it became what she was known as on the street. She ran over and grabbed him in a hug, letting out racking sobs. Jake staggered, unable to breathe, he felt his ribs crack and his back threaten to break from the force of Cricket's grip. Jake was a big, strong guy. Covered in ink and piercings, with a long scraggly beard and hair pulled back into a man-tail under a red kerchief. He was an old biker, all the way down to his chained wallet and the thick black leather boots. Jake was well into his 50's with beer for blood, breath like diesel fumes, and retreads for a belly. Despite all that Jake was relatively fit, with arms as big around as Crickets head.

“Cricket...CRICKET!” Jake gasped out. She loosed her grip, her face still on his belly sobbing out pain, fear and dead agent blood. Jake reached for his remote and turned the TV off. He had seen the headlines: “Breaking news, New-Hum menace attacks transit bus. One man killed, 16 injured.” There was some bad video of what happened from a cell phone camera, but Jake could tell it was Cricket.

“It's gonna be okay little one, not your fault. They attacked you. Who knows what their after, eh? Let's not find out.” Jake soothed her with his rough low voice that sounded like he was chewing gravel. He switched off his neon “OPEN” sign, then held the girl until she had spent herself.

“Cricket, clear that table off over there, I'll get us some pizza and some soda-pop and we'll talk this out 'right?” Cricket nodded and sniffled. She picked up the large table covered in newspapers, tools, and empty bottles of various engine fluids. She carried it over towards the corner, tipped it over, adding to the growing trash heap. Then brought it back, dropping it with a THUNK next to where the greasy old office chairs were. She plopped into one then buried her face in her arms on the oil-stained table surface. Jack sighed and came over to sit, rolling the other office chair to her. The chair protested under the big mans weight, the sides of his gut pressing out the armrests. In contrast, he gently lay his beefy hands on Crickets small back, rubbing in a circle and giving her a reassuring pat. Cricket started to sob again into the table. Jake wrapped an arm around her protectively, quietly soothing her.

“Why won't they leave me alone?! Jake? Why? I haven't done anything.” Jake nodded, his long beard scratching the top of her head. “I know hon, I don't know either. I don't have a clue how to find out either. Those guys are from a different world, Cricket.” The girl sat up, leaning into the big man, clutching at his chest. “They're really gonna come now, now that I....” her throat froze up. “He's dead right, he looked dead.” Jake nodded “yeah hon, hes dead. But just him, everyone else was okay.” Cricket sniffled. They held onto each other with no words. The only sound was the clicks of Jake's old clock as the time passed. Occasionally the compressor of the fridge kicked in. Cricket cried quietly into Jake's big chest. Holding him tight lest she fall off the world.

A knock at the door broke the silence, Cricket jumped, a sudden movement that with her strength knocked Jake and his chair back six feet into the garage “ugh”. Cricket looked over at Jake, sprawled on the floor. “Sorry” she said meekly. “Heh, its OK 'lil bug.” Jake got up, the office chair still hanging onto his rear. Scowling he broke from it and rolled it back to the table before going to answer the door. It was pizza and soda-pop. The kid had a strange look on his face, having seen what just transpired. “Hey” Jake said loudly at the kid. He jumped, startled. “I leaned back too far that's all, went for a tumble. Haven't you seen a fat guy take a dive before?” The kid stammered “Its um... $17.75, um sir... Jake.” “Right, here's a twenty for ya. Get goin' now”. Jake waited, his eyes still locked on the kid, enough to make him unsettled. He got going. Jake smirked and closed the door, walked back to the table.

“Here ya go Cricket, thin crust and greasy as hell, just how you like it. And the orange pop.” Jake grabbed a beer from his grease stained fridge and stat with her. Cricket dug into the pizza and pop. And the two were able to pretend everything was fine for a while. After a few slices and most of his beer, Jake sat back with a burp. Cricket smiled and sat back, burped louder. “Damn girlie, your getting good at that.” She managed a grin.

It was time. Jake said “Okay Bug, now too many people on the street know me, and know you and know we hang out, right?” So you're gonna have to lay low till we can figure out what were gonna do, and I might too depending on how things go.” Cricket nodded, she knew Jake would fix this, he always did. He could fix anything. Jake said “I can't just vanish like you though, OK? You know I have other kids I am looking out for, and my shop here and stuff. But don't you worry about that.” Cricket sniffed, nodded.

“You can't just hang out in those buildings your squatting in though, but I have a plan about that.” Cricket looked curiously at the big man. “Now I know you don't trust anyone, and I don't blame you, but your gonna have to this time, for me, OK? Just for a while.” Cricket shifted nervously. “I got a girl, friend of mine. I want you to crash with her for a bit, while I see what I can sort out okay? Her name is Trixie, shes a pretty-girl, a dancer you know? But she's nice, she's good people, alright?” Cricket nodded tensely.

“I don't want you to get in trouble Jake...” Cricket stammered. “Oh hell girl, I've been trouble my whole life, don't you worry about that. You just do what I say, okay? I'm gonna have Trix come get you here. I'll go grab your stash and meet you there later, okay?” Cricket sat frozen. “Hey, Cricket... its gonna be okay, gotta do this.” Cricket nodded. Jake patted her shoulder and got up to make the call.

Before long the dancer arrived and said “hello” through her bubble-gum. She smiled at Cricket “This her Jake? Or do you have another cute blond ragamuffin under foot?” Jake snorted “I'd watch it Trix, this girl could throw your car into the river... from here.” Trix popped her bubble-gum and said “Ahh, New-Hum huh? Okay then.” Trixie gave Cricket a quick look, oily blonde scraggly hair, smudged dirty face, dirty clothes, dirty boots. “The hell Jake, you ever give this girl a shower?” The big man shrugged “I don't have a shower.” Trixie rolled her eyes “Jake, Jake...” she sighed. Cricket frowned, suddenly feeling awkward.

Cricket looked at the woman, she wore loose jeans that somehow stayed on her even through they were open at the top around her flat tummy. She had an oversized leather jacket similar to the one Jake gave Cricket, but it had a lot of patches on it. Under it was a pink halter top that clung snugly over her ample bosom. Trixie was a fair bit taller then Cricket, especially with the heels on her boots. She bent down at the girl, long curly corn-husk hair spilling over her pretty face. The woman smelled like coconuts.

Cricket had on her torn up jeans, dirty thick soled boots, a stained green t-shirt with a faded number 13 on it and her own oversized leather coat. Her bright blue eyes stood out, the only part of the girl that was clean. She shied away from Trixie nervously.

Trixie pursed her lips “...oh, sorry...” she sighed at herself “It's okay honey, I was just teasing. C'mon, you'll be safe with me. We'll get you a bath and I'll wash those clothes for you. I got some Hot Cocoa too” Trixie held out her hand to Cricket, she had perfect pink fingernails with silver sparkles. Cricket blinked at her. Still unsure, the girl looked over to Jake who nodded his head towards the dancer and gave Cricket a wink. The Indestructible Girl sniffed then said “okay, lets go.” She grabbed the rest of the pizza and the two of them piled into Trixie's old orange Pontiac Bonneville and drove off. Jake closed up his shop, got his Hog out of the locked shed in the alley and headed the opposite way.

Cricket sat quietly, feeling like a doll inside the huge car. It did smell really, really nice inside though. And was very clean. “You want to hit the drive through and get anything, hon?” Trixie said. “We just had pizza. There's some left.” Cricket pointed at the box. Trixie nodded “Well, we could get an ice cream or a shake or something. “I thought you had Hot Cocoa” Cricket said flatly. “Well, ya”.

The Bonneville chugged East, bouncing dramatically from the smallest bumps. Cricket decided she did not really like this car.

“Okay, so hey, Cricket right?” Trixie said. Cricket just stared at her. “Do you need anything at the store, you know like anything personal or anything? Pads?” Cricket shook her head “I don't get those.” Trixie's eyes widened “You don't get periods? At your age? How old are you?” Cricket shrugged. Jake said I was 15, because I looked 15. I really don't know how old I am. I don't remember much of anything before... a couple years ago.” Trixie slowed the car to a stop at a traffic light, and looked over at Cricket, taking a closer measure of her. “Jake really didn't teach you anything about being a girl did he?” Cricket shrugged again. “I know how to fix motorcycles, I've even taken one completely apart and put it back together, can you do that?” Trixie smirked. “Nope”. They started to drive again. They passed by a police car and Cricket quickly slouched down, gripping the seat so much her fingers punctured the leather. Her thoughts went back to the man she killed... his crushed body... he was no cop. But still... Cricket tasted pizza grease in her throat.

Trixie saw what Cricket did to her leather seat... “Hey...” she started, but then she saw Crickets face. “Hey” she repeated softly, its gonna be OK... “You say that, but its not. You don't know”. Trixie nodded. “Well you don't know its not gonna be either”. Cricket turned back to look out the window at the nightlife of the city. Wiping away the wet stuff on her cheeks. “That man is dead, the man I threw. I hurt a lot of people”. Trixie was quiet for a long moment. “I... don't know what to say about that Cricket. I don't think it was your fault, I mean.... anyway....” she swallowed, suddenly afraid herself of upsetting this girl. “Anyway. Your just going to have to find a way to move on, to keep on living. Things happen to us that suck, we do things that suck. Sometimes everything sucks. You just gotta keep moving.” Cricket pulled at her hair and crunched her eyes as a pain-wave hit her in the head. She took a breath. “Then whats the point?” Trixie frowned. She had met way to many kids like this nowadays. “Because... you get to kiss people, you get to hug people and... you get to eat chocolate.” Cricket snorted. The woman and girl rode the Bonneville silently. Trixie did eventually turn into a drive through “Were almost to my place Cricket, I know you have cold pizza, but I want french fries”. Cricket could smell them “I'll get some too, if that's okay” Trixie smiled. She knew it. “You got it, and a shake?” Cricket nodded “Yeah... chocolate, like you said”.

Back on the road with fast food things somehow seemed better. Cricket asked “Is Jake your boyfriend?” Trixie laughed. “Um... well, sort of... um... well, no not really”. Cricket snorted. “Liar”. Trixie looked at the kid askance “Lets just say he has been slow to catch on”. “Ah” Cricket said. “Maybe you should learn to fix a motorcycle, then”. Trixie sighed.

By the time they got to Trix's apartment, Cricket was exhausted. The dancer helped Cricket get cleaned up, then let her sleep in her bed. Trixie then sat up to wait for Jake on her couch, eating the cold pizza and watching the soaps she recorded on her DVR, falling asleep halfway through DOOL.

The sharp ring of Trixie's phone woke her up, it was morning, and the sun had been up for a while. Trix had slept late. She cursed and ran to her bedroom, where the phone, and Cricket, happened to be. There are times you hear the phone ring, and you just know something is wrong. Trix felt her heart in her throat, she knew something was wrong, and she knew that Jake was not here. Cricket had woke up as well, and as if she had the same instinct, answered the phone... “Jake, are you OK?!” Cricket said shakily. The big man grumbled on the other end of the line “Hey Bug, let me talk to Trix, alright?” Cricket paled and gripped the phone tight enough that the plastic cracked. “Whats wrong Jake, where are you?” Cricket started to panic. “Everything is fine, just let me talk to Trixie.” Cricket did not believe him for a second. She could hear strange noises in the background, men talking, a radio... then she knew, Jake was at the police station! Cricket dropped the phone, threw on her pants, grabbed her jacket and ran out the door, Trixie called for her to stop and tried to hold onto her, but Cricket was far too strong and fast. Trixie went over to the phone to let Jake know. “Damn. It.” Jake growled in frustration. “Get after her, try your best Trix. If she gets here nothing good will come of it”.

***

Jenny Goldstar was at the police station that day, as she had been a few times before. Allison and Marty wanted Jenny to be familiar with police procedure, and get to know the police in the cities that she was likely to find herself working in. Jenny liked these outings. She got to talk to lots of people on the phone and meet the cops and detectives who were only too happy to accommodate the affable young hero-to-be. Jenny got to pretend to drink bad coffee and eat stale donuts and watch police interviews through the one-way glass. It was great.

The Golden Girl was watching an interview that had been going on for a while now. There were two detectives in the room, and a spooky guy that could have been a central casting extra for The Matrix. He wore a black suit, sunglasses, and had perfectly groomed black hair. Spooky guy was just standing there while the two detectives kept working the man. “Mr... Harris?” “Its Jake.” “Hmm.. Mr. Harris, you've been keeping out of trouble for quite a while now, that will work in your favor but we need you to cooperate...” “Fuck off.” “Mr. Harris, you assaulted six police officers...” “No, they assaulted me. I was just looking for... rather I was just looking around, and the Fed there had your boys come for me.” “You were trespassing.” “That's bullshit and you know it.” “Two of our officers are in the hospital...”

Miracle smirked. So, the biker had beat up six officers as they arrested him trespassing at some condemned building. The big guy had just few bruises to show for it, and he sent two of them to the hospital. Tough dude. Jenny wondered if he was a low powered New Human, he was old enough to be an alpha. “What's a step up from resisting arrest?” Jenny asked the tall thin man in a brown suit beside her. “Assaulting an officer” he answered with a voice like cardboard. “Ah” Jenny said, I wonder if the morgue knows this stiff is walking around up here. She sighed, this had been more fun before brown-suit guy came around. Everyone started like working instead of paying attention to her. The Shiny One. Apparently he was the Police Captain or something. Jenny shrugged. “Hey, whats your name?” “Captain Phillips.” He had not even looked at her. Jenny frowned. Mannequins have more personality then this guy. She made a face at him... still nothing. He didn't even see it.

“Mr. Harris, we are only interested in the girl, considering your value to your community, your business, we are prepared...” “What girl? I help a lot of kids.” “Mr. Harris... she killed a Federal Agent.” “Yeah, that's a shame.” “It is, that man had a family, two kids of his own.” Jake winced. “That's right... she killed a father of two.” “Well, maybe this dude shouldn't have sent a regular guy against a kid that can bench press a city bus, you scared a 15 year old girl who can barely control what she can do... what did you think was gonna happen?” The spooky man spoke for the first time “She can lift far heavier then a bus, Mr. Harris, and you're right, she is dangerous. With your help we can bring her in, no one else needs to get hurt, including... her.” Jake folded his big arms across his chest “Yeah, right. I'm not sending her back to be your lab monkey, so you can forget it.”

It was almost noon and Jenny tried to get at least a smile from Phillips “Hey, do they stop the inquisition for lunch?” she smiled brightly and blinked. Nothing. Jenny sighed, crossed her arms and just stood quietly. His somber mood prompted the young hero to start paying more attention to the interview. She found herself wondering why the guy in the suit, six police officers and two detectives just happened to be at an abandoned building ready to jump on the first trespasser that came around... the girl they want must have lived there... so why didn't they just let this guy go and follow him, and just keep back some people to keep watch on the building...

She was about to raise that very point when she started to hear the yelling. Jenny looked over her shoulder to see cops reaching for their weapons and rushing towards the stairs. “Oo!” Jenny exclaimed. Excited, The Golden Girl teleported out into the main office from the interview room observation area and heard more noise coming through the floor. There were dull groans, and thuds from men being knocked around. Then came gunshots. The hum of Jenny's force-field intensified and it glowed bright, her heart started pumping. She finally might get to do something real for a change after all the training she's had to endure.

The Captain and the detectives came running out from the interview rooms, shouting at each other. The spooky guy ordered the detectives to stay with the biker. He pulled out a strange looking cell phone from his vest pocket.

That is when the girl came smashing through the floor, jumping through it from the floor below. By chance, it was exactly where spooky guy was, and he fell back and hit his head. The girl was young, about the same age as Jenny. She had on street clothes and was covered in the dust and debris from smashing through the walls and the floor. The Captain and detectives drew their guns, but before they could shoot the dusty girl hurled a desk at them, and they ended up in a pile against the wall. That was when she noticed Jenny.

There was a pause while the two girls squared off, both sensing that the other was a threat. Cricket spoke first “Out of my way Goldie!” Jenny smirked, “Um... no” and it was on. The cops had stopped shooting since their bullets were proving useless and they were just endangering themselves with ricochets. They started helping the officers trapped under the wreckage Cricket had left in her wake. A few were shouting into their radios for the M-SWAT team.

“You have heard of doors, right?” Jenny asked sarcastically over the hum of her golden shield. Cricket charged her, leaping effortlessly over the desks in the room. Jenny was too fast and well trained for that. She simply teleported behind Cricket and kicked her, holding back some and not sparking her force-field, in case Cricket was not as tough as she seemed. The girl did not even seem to notice Jenny's strike.

Cricket stopped and spun around, in a rage, her strength and momentum pushing her fist. The Indestructible Girl's wild punch collided with Jenny's force-field, knocking her across the room, through the reinforced concrete wall and out into the street. The Golden Girl fell on top of the remains of the wall which had piled up on the sidewalk and street. Jenny sat up in the midst of a cloud of dust which caused sparks like fireflies all around her. She winced as a sharp pain burned in her side “Yeowuch!” she exclaimed, clutching at it. Jenny had never felt pain like that before... “daaamn” she said, shaking it off. “Okay then!” From her seated position, She looked up at the hole in the wall and teleported right to that spot, appearing on her feet.

Jenny saw Cricket heading towards the lock-up door, she was shouting “Jake! JAKE! Where are you?!” Jenny got it then, she was after the biker. “Huh” she said. “Okay champ...” Jenny teleported again right in front of Cricket, who ran right into Jenny's full force side-kick. Just as her blow landed Jenny sparked her field and watched over her extended leg as Cricket fell back a few feet onto the floor, her shirt smoking “...it's called BAIL? Hello?”

Cricket glared back at The Golden Girl, her blue eyes like angry lasers. “I'd stay down if I were you” Jenny tried to sound as confident as she could, but her ribs were really hurting. Cricket stood up, a cloud of smoke around her from her smoldering shirt. “Out. Of. MY. WAY!” Cricket yelled as she jumped at Jenny. Jenny easily stepped out of the way and Cricket just ended up colliding with the wall and cracking up more concrete. Jenny kicked her again, pushing all the charge she could into her force-field. Cricket was crushed further into the wall with a cloud of smoke, chunks of concrete falling at her feet. The Indestructible Girl cried out in pain, and Jenny saw that she had burnt a hole into the girls leather jacket. She winced. “Sorry about that, that's a nice coa...” Cricket had turned around faster then Jenny expected and again her wild fist smashed into Jenny's protective halo.

The force of the blow pushed Jenny through an interior concrete wall behind her and she tumbled half-way across the main office, plowing over several desks before coming to a stop. Jenny's ribs screamed in protest, and she shouted in pain. Jenny tasted something salty in her mouth and spit out blood, the liquid quickly burning off as it ran down her force-field.

Jenny's head was spinning, she had never been injured like this, had never seen her blood like this, and felt shaky as she flashed back onto her legs. She was finding it difficult to catch her breath.

Cricket had gotten to the door where Jake was, and was calling out to him, the biker was telling her to just leave him and run. Cricket cried “NO!”

Jenny appeared in front of Cricket once again, standing on the table in the interview room, the biker behind her. Cricket grabbed the table and tried to use it like a flyswatter and smash Jenny against the wall. Jenny just flashed through the table, which fell apart against the wall behind her. Jenny aimed a punch at Cricket's head as soon as she appeared. The Golden Girl was fighting more cautiously now, and prepared for Cricket's counterattack.

Jenny's strike hit true, and again she sparked her force-field. Cricket fell back and brought her hands to her eyes, trying to rub the spots out from the flash. Jenny was on her in a heartbeat, punching her again and again in the head until Cricket found herself pounded half-way through the floor. Cricket swung wild at Jenny as her vision cleared, but Jenny blocked it, deflecting her punch away harmlessly.

Jenny kept at it, body blows and head-shots. The room filled with the smell of ozone and smoke from the sparks as Jenny hit Cricket again and again. The Indestructible Girl seemed to be weakening, finally, and her skin was turning red with burns.

Jake called out in alarm, watching his Little Cricket getting pummeled. He'd had enough. The burly biker grabbed the water-cooler from against the wall, and smashed it on Jenny, hoping that it might short her force-field out or something, anything. The water that didn't immediately vaporize on contact with Jenny's buzzing force-field just sloshed over and around it, and Jenny just ignored the superficial blow. However, the water washed off much of the dust from Crickets face, and Jenny suddenly stopped, looking down at her in disbelief.

Jenny coughed up more blood. She asked “who... are you?” Cricket just sneered at Jenny and said “I'm Cricket, and your done!” Cricket took advantage of Jenny's hesitation, got a leg under her, and kicked up at Jenny's chest with all her strength. Jenny's force-field buzzed loudly and flared, filling the room with light as Cricket's foot pushed its way through and struck Jenny's body directly. Jenny screamed in pain from the discharge of her punctured protective shell and felt something give way in her chest. Cricket's foot was violently pushed back out as Jenny's force-field snapped back into place, but the damage was done. Jenny flew up through the roof and into the air. Her chest was on fire, and a red stain of blood spread on Jenny's white bodysuit. The pain overcame her, and Jenny was out cold before she hit the ground in a trash filled alley. Her golden halo buzzed and sparked loudly for several seconds after the impact before becoming dim and quieting back to its soft hum. Inside her small sunset world, Jenny lay very, very still.