NOTE; This story is vaguely based on the idea that Xena and Gabrielle from Xena: Warrior Princess are forever "reincarnated" as the series enjoys playing at. You DO NOT have to be familiar with the series to read! This is my first story on and I don't have much time to proofread it, so please bear with any errors or typos. Similarly, I have never been in a big city (as in the plot) and any mistakes assumed about a large city like NYC are to be ignored please.

DESCRIPTION: (Modern Day) Agent Parker's career rests upon guns, law, and secrecy. But the situation turns personal when she meets persistant young author Shiloh Phoenix, who firmly belives there is no such thing as heroes.

AUTHOR'S COMMENTS: Well here it is, Chapter One! I am really excited...feedback would be appreciated. I really hope you guys enjoy this series, assuming I finish it, and I do hope to. You can find this story and contact me at ht tp:/ / rabiesrai . deviantart .com /

...

"Once upon a time... what a load of it. No one starts a story with that old cliche anymore. There is no white knight to save the day, there is no damned hero fighting for the greater good. For me."

Click. The author clicked her pen and its tip shot back inside of the plastic casing. Upon what seemed to be an afterthought, she clicked the utensil again and rigourously scratched out the "For me," and then stared, satisfied, at her work.

Shiloh Phoenix stood up from her compact mahoghany desk and traversed to ther window, throwing open the pale-green curtains. It illuminated the room efficiently, drowning out her desk lamp and flooding the room with warm, autumn rays. Not that there was much to illuminate... a small desk with a worn chair, a dresser and a sidetable flanking a dull, tattered bed. All closely squashed between four bare walls of bleach-white. Above her desk hung a few old memos on torn notebook sheets, hanging from sparse tacks.

Faintly, she could hear her name called from another room in the apartment. She turned from the dull view of the dank city out her window and padded barefoot from her room, which lacked a door. The blonde woman, short and well-built, with a toned body, thin and sun-kissed skin rounded the corner to the kitchen, where her mother stood patiently at the stove. At twenty-five, Shiloh was no more happy living with her parents than she would be getting run over by a railcar.

"You look so well dear...those kickboxing classes are doing wonders for you. Come here-no-can you run to the store for me? Your father will be home in a few hours...want to have dinner ready so he doesn't...well.." The hesitation. The look. The tremor.

Shiloh had her reasons for living here. The primary of which was the protection of her mother, and secondary, she simply could not afford to move out. She shook her mind of the thoughts of her novel, and nodded. It made her very short blonde hair sway as she agreed a little too enthusiastically, eager to leave the house.

"Yeah not a problem mom...what do you need?"

"Here, here, I have a little list...I'm afraid I can't pay y-"

"That's okay. It's on me," Shiloh said tonelessly, taking the note from her mother and wandering off to find her sneakers.

...

Stepping off the elevator, Shiloh soon found herself slipping out into the bustle of city life. It was early autumn, and as she opened the door the air was cool and bustling with activity. She slid right into the bustle of the early Saturday morning, moving with the steady crowd down the streets until she came to a crosswalk. Shiloh paused amidst the fray and waited with other citizens to cross when something caught her attention. Pale green eyes shot up warily at two men in close proximity, both of whom were bundled in leather coats and glaring (she assumed) through their sunglasses.

Feeling slightly disturbed, Shiloh turned away just as the crowd lurched forward. She cupped her hands as she walked, breathing hot air into them and sinking further into her fleece coat. As she turned into the grocer's store she immediately let her stare flicker down to the list in her hands. Milk, eggs, peas, corn... Nothing unusual. Nothing expensive. The woman walked down one of the colorful aisles and began to hunt for the best bargain on canned corn when she felt stares upon her once again. Feeling the hair on her neck rise, Shiloh slowly raised her list to her eyes and used the excuse to peer around it, hoping she would not be seen.

Instantly she was greeted by the stares of the two men, only now a third was lurking some distance behind them, pretending to observe children's cereal. Judging by his frequent, subtle glances over her shoulder, Shiloh assumed yet another man was somewhere behind her. Slowly, she set the can back on the shelf and took a step backwards. The tallest of the trio removed his sunglasses and took a step forward, ever closer.

"Can I help you?" Shiloh asked meekly.

The man gave a jerk of his chin and suddenly many things happened at once. The two men behind him surged forward down the aisle. Shiloh whirled in panic, smacking the shelf and crying out in sudden pain. Corn and beans cans smashed down all over the aisle, but she wasn't focused on that. The fourth man she'd assumed to be behind her barked at her, "Stop! You're under arrest!" He too joined the panic, managing to get a hold on Shiloh's arm. She could feel panic welling in her chest...something told her these men were not policemen.

In one quick motion she ducked and slipped from her coat, rolling under the still-outstretched man's arm and leaping over fallen cans. Shiloh broke into a flat-out run, surging from the store's entrance.

"Slow down!"

"Hey, did she steal something?"

"What the- hey watch it!"

She was really putting her muscles to the test with her speed. Weaving through crowds and leaping a bench in one case, Shiloh finally ran out of breath and slipped into an alleyway warily, trying to quiet her deep breathing. It was not long before shouting at the other opening of the alley drew her attention.

"She's in here! Hold it right there Phoenix!"

Shiloh whirled around and instantly crashed into the Tall Man again. She lost her balance and fell, but before she and the pavement had much time to get aqquainted the man was grabbing hold of her arms and pinning them behind her back.

"What the hell is going on?" Shiloh wheezed, kicking out weakly.

"We're either bringing you in dead or alive, Phoenix, you choose."

"Let me go, you coward! Fight me one on one!" Shiloh thrashed again and found an opening. She kicked back and broke loose, leaping down the alley frantically, blond hair in a whirl. She ducked past the second opponent, only to be snatched up by a third. His gloved hand snapped closed around her neck, and Shiloh gagged and tried to release a scream for help. What did they want from her? Suddenly...it didn't matter anymore. The world was turning a strange shade of black as she began to stop thashing, stop breathing...

And then came the absurd scream of silent bullets and dull thuds as the lethal points smacked into their victims. Shiloh fround herself falling from the grip, and crashed to her knees. She looked up frantically, right into the coldest, bluest eyes she'd ever seen. There was a sudden widening of this new women's eyes; slightest hesitation. Shiloh's wheeze seemed to bring the gun-wielding heroine to her senses. With a swift kick, she sent Shiloh sprawling into the alley. Stunned, but not exactly wounded from the blow, the blonde rose back to her hands and knees just in time to catch the tail end of a long black ponytail whipping around the corner of the alley.

"W-Wait!" she choked. "Wait, help-who are you? Please! Come b...come back..."

There it was again. That funny edge to things...the black tinge in her vision. She could hardly see the three men anymore... wait, three? Hadn't there been four...? And that woman...

Shiloh lost conciousness in the alley.