but you can set sail to the west if you want to
and past the horizon till I can't even see you
far from here where the beaches are wide
just leave me your wake to remember you by
-GREGORY AND THE HAWK; BOATS AND BIRDS

I frowned at my little sister. "No."

"What?" Ivy snapped, her green eyes narrowing at me from across the breakfast table. Memaw paid no attention to our little squabble, she was used to it by now. Everyone in the house was. In fact it was probably why our parents had taken Tanis on their getaway vacation and not us. "You promised!"

"I lied." I told her with a shrug. I licked the back of my spoon, trying to show her just how little I cared about her anger. Even if I totally did. "Besides, you're not ready."

"I've been training four fucking years, Carmen! Don't tell me I'm not ready!"

And what an eventful four years it had been. Our little hate filled duo had blossomed into a… well, it had blossomed into a small herd of hate filled people. Hate filled women, to be exact. So group therapy did have an upside.

Ivy crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. She had grown over time. She was eighteen now, with short blonde hair and a lean, muscled frame. Well, we both had that. Memaw had found out early on about our little plan and had taught us how to get strong without bulking up. Which is harder than it sounds but I will say this; that wonderful crazy senior taught me more than I ever wanted to know about scrapping, fighting and cussing. Scary things to learn from a seventy two year old woman, but I digress.

"Is Nikki going?" She asked. Her jaw twitched subtly.

"Nikki is an adult and can make her own decisions…" I pursed my lips. In all honesty, I didn't think the twenty year old was ready, but her older sister did, and I trusted Myra's word. I dipped my spoon back into my empty bowl.

"That's not fair! She's only been training a year!" Ivy was yelling now, her pale features flustered and red. "I've been helping you train her, for Christ's sake!"

"Hey!" We looked over at Memaw. She frowned at us and shook her head. "Watch your fuckin' mouth at the table, Evey, we eat there."

The girl rolled her eyes and muttered her apologies. She put her arms on the table and glared at me. "I can't believe this."

I knew she had every right to be angry, and with a sore hand I rubbed my eyes. I had sprained it the night before taking out a crank head. He'd been looking to score some and his dealer had upped the going rate, I guess. He didn't like that, and I had to intervene. If Lein hadn't been there, I could've ended up a lot worse off than a busted wrist and some shallow cuts. Junkies and knives never fair well for us. Probably never fair well for anybody.

"Okay, how about this…" I dropped my hand down on the table. "Stay back with Memaw for a bit, until I get settled, then I'll call down for you in a month or two."

Her mouth fell open and she gaped at me, "A month or two!"

"A month or two." I nodded. "You still have practice your aim anyway." I think I was being pretty damn reasonable. Sure, she'd have to make due with only Memaw for guidance, but with the Heytens gone, she would have her absolute focus. She'd pick it up in no time.

"What about Lein? Is she going with you too?"

I nodded. Lien was the riflemen in the group, and I had a feeling where this was going.

Ivy sighed. "Damn. Couldn't she teach me?"

"No. She has to study. So does Nikki." They were going to New York for school, me and Myra for work… and of course, to find the infamous Justice Forever that Dave had told me about. I hadn't told anyone about his cover, not even Ivy. I hadn't told anyone about Chris' either, but that was more out of shame. He had taken off to Europe, and I hadn't heard from him in little over a year. But I had heard from his mother, and apparently he was on some kind of drug fuelled bender. Not cool, Chrissy. Hugs not drugs.

I heard her groan and looked up from my corn flakes. "What?"

"I don't want you down there alone, Carrie."

"Hey, who's the pro, kid?"

"I know, but…"

I smirked at her and licked the scar on my bottom lip. I had Frank D'Amico to thank for that, and the one along my brow. Not to mention what that glass did to my back- but no sense whining about it. "Trust me. I let a psycho get the drop on me once, Ivy, I won't let it happen again." I stood, grabbing my coffee mug as I went. "Plus, the girls will be with me."

She let out a grunt as I moved over to the stove, where our grandmother stood. "Tell her it's a good idea."

"It's a good idea, Ive." Memaw smiled at her, "Now, who wants bacon?"

I shook my head and went to my room in the back, tripping over the weights in the doorway as I entered it. I glared at them, and moved to sit down on my work bench. I still tinkered around with my gadgets –everyone on the team had a special utility belt thanks to yours truly, and a costume that was lined with bullet proof material thanks to Mindy and Ian- and it was that tinkering that had got me a job at Jake's Mechanics in Manhattan. It wasn't a big place, but well established and it would pay well.

I rolled my wrist with a wince. My blue eyes dropped to the brace and I sneered at it. Why the hell did I think the brace would help? I tugged it off and chucked it across the room to where my duffle bag full of clothing sat, waiting and ready to go.