Chapter 2
Kiana started running.
Though her prey was fast, supernaturally so, even, Valkyrie were just as fast and she wasn't far behind him.
So fast was he that he was keeping up with cars speeding down the freeway, even climbing on top of them if they weren't going fast enough.
Two could play at this game, she thought, increasing her speed and leaping over a car. Just then she saw the dark figure ahead of her drop down.
Another tunnel of cars, she saw, reaching the edge.
He dodged the cars that almost caught him and, just as she tensed to tackle him, he did a move even she in her long life had never seen.
Knocking the motorcyclist off his bike, he spun it around, turning with it, and jumped onto it, all in one glorious move.
Then he was gone
"That was so hot!" she breathed.
Before remembering where and what she was and that she REALLY shouldn't be thinking such things.
Not about her prey, anyway.
Even if he was hot. And innately good. And was the Winter Soldier.
"No, it is not hot, Kiana!" she chided hereself, dropping down to the next level and sprinting in the direction he had gone, catching sight of him ahead. "Not. At. All."
"It was TOTALLY hot and you know it." her inner voice whispered.
"Not listening!", she told it, keeping her eye on the figure just ahead now as she dodged cars and leaped over them.
Suddenly, there was a dark figure beside her.
This was what she got for thinking hot thoughts about her prey, not to mention arguing with herself.
Silly Valkyrie.
And he was keeping pace with her?
Had to be another immortal.
And after her prey!
She turned and gave him a warning hiss.
He hissed back at her.
Then he was sprinting ahead of her.
She increased her speed.
This Winter Soldier was HER prey, damn it!
Before she could catch up to him, and she totally could, both gaining on the motorcycle, he tried jumping her prey. He saw him and managed to fend him off. Then there was the scrape of metal on pavement as the motorcycle tilted precariously as he steadied it with his metal arm, but her prey managed to right it again a second later and was speeding along the freeway.
This really pissed her off and tackling the panther shape-shifter seemed like a bingo idea.
So, with a shriek that could shatter glass, that's what she did.
They both went rolling.
But she came up on top.
"I have no quarel with you, Valkyrie." he said in his accented voice as he got to his feet, both pairs of claws sharpened threateningly.
"Really? Because I have a quarel with you, halfling." she told him, knowing the term halfling, rather derogatory, would get to the half human, half shifter. "You're after MY prey."
He swipped at her with his claws.
She ducked and swiped at him with her claws.
They didn't even damage his armored suite, she saw.
"He is mine!" he declared vehemently as Miss America, finally catching up, ran past them, gaping.
"I saw him first, kitty cat!" she said, drawing her sword.
"He killed my father." he told her.
"My condolences." she said and slashed at him with her sword, but his armor was impenatrable, even to it.
If only she'd had the foresight to bring Odin's sword. It could cut through anything.
Damn Nix. She could have told her to pack it.
Nix the Ever-Knowing was the oldest Valkyrie and a soothsayer. She was also bat shit crazy because of it.
Everything has a price, Kiana knew.
She had learned that lesson long ago.
But she tamped down those old memories that threatened to surface and focused on the here and now.
Suddenly, her ear twitched and there was the sound of sirens.
They both looked at each other and were then running towards the sound.
"Mortals!" she hissed as she slowed down and drew near the crowd of armed men, lights flashing.
Their guns were drawn on one man.
Her prey.
Kiana sheathed her sword and casually strolled to one of the taxis that had stopped because of the disturbance and opened the back door, glancing at the scene as if only mildly interested.
The only thing she didn't do was whistle.
Sensing the shifter's gaze, she gave him a look that deserved, knowing he wouldn't reveal her presence here. No faction of the Lore would risk such open exposure of it to humans, let alone incur the wrath of the Valkyrie, one of the most feared factions of said Lore.
Humans, especially in numbers, were more dangerous to the Lore than anything and they all did their best not to draw their attention. Sure, some slipped up or were just plain stupid, which is where fairy tales and myths sprang from, but to do so invited trouble.
And Valkyrie never borrowed trouble.
She glanced at her prey.
And found him watching her.
His expression didn't reveal much but his eyes said he knew when he was finally beat and that he wished that she HAD killed him.
A rage of sympathy boiled in her heart, which was suddenly aching.
She had been beaten once.
She never wanted to go there again.
With grim determination, she tamped her memories and any sympathy she had down. She hadn't gotten this far by showing her sympathetic side and, though she might be tender hearted with those who were too helpless to help themselves, she never was towards her prey, who were usually blood sucking leeches. Or vampires. Whichever you called them.
She had been sent on this mission to kill him.
And that was exactly what she was going to do, she thought as she broke eye contact with him and slid into the car.
"Where to?" the driver asked in his language.
"When this clears out, just drive. I'll tell you in a minute." she answered in the same language as she watched the police push her target down to the ground.
"This man is the one they have been after." the driver said as she whipped out her cell and dialed.
"Yeah, looks like they caught him." she answered. FOR NOW, her inner voice whispered.
The line rang and, after a few more rings, a voice picked up, "This is Nixie's line. She's out right now building a temple for the future Goddess of Accessions. For foretellings, press one. For future plays in sports, press two. If you're attempting to stop an apocalypse, press three. Bertil, please hold still for mommy! She's on the phone. After the beep! Happy Accession!"
Kiana rolled her eyes as there was a beep, but then never removed them from her prey until they led him away and into a van where he disappeared.
"Nix, it's Kiana. I need to know where they're taking the..." then with a glance at the driver who was undoubtedly listening, "package we talked about. Call me back ASAP." and hung up.
"Follow those police cars." she then told the driver.
He turned to her with raised eyebrow.
"I'm a reporter." she lied.
He looked her up and down pointedly.
What? With the way she was dressed, not to mention her sword, she didn't look like a reporter?
"Who do you work for?" he asked, doubtfully.
She gave him a look.
"The Lore." she answered.
