Oroborus

by Dawn E. Hawkes

The Oroborus...the dragon eating it's tail. A symbol of life's never ending circle, a balance of life everlasting and constant. With life in Stark and Arcadia hanging by a thread, and the Balance at stake, what will become of those who lived and died...

2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: The second chapter to Oroborus. Most of this was written on the fly, though part of it was planned out in advance. And yes, I know that there may not be much of April in this one, but you have to admit… there wasn't much of April in Dreamfall either… true? No worries, there will be more of her later I promise! -NoodleNeko

I. THE TRAVELER

1.

"I can tell he has not agreed to assist in our endeavor." Tatya spoke quietly so not to break her leader's concentration on the maps before her. Her leader and the Apostle had talked alone for more than an hour, and at the end the debate had gotten a little heated, with the abrupt ending that came from the Apostle storming off to his tent. Tatya knew from this and from the demeanor of her leader that things had not gone well.

"He's certainly not going to make it easy on us, no. But then again, you didn't expect that, did you?" April murmured, chewing on her lower lip and staring down at the maps and reports on the table. She squinted in the faint light at one sheet of parchment, then another. "What I wouldn't give for a few fluorescent lights. And to think I used to think candles were romantic."

Tatya smiled softly at her remark. How long had they known each other? Not even a year, and yet they could read each other's minds as easily as reading a book. Maybe it helped that they had been to the same places, seen the same things.

"You have me dead to rights. I did not expect him to give up on his people so easily. And do you honestly miss the noise of all that technology?" She asked it, even though she knew the answer. She regarded April calmly while she watched her shift the question over and over in her mind; watching her expressions as thoughts ran through her mind, converged, and dispersed. No doubt April could feel those intense eyes upon her, but she did not react to it.

"You don't have to tell me that you don't miss it. I can't imagine how much trouble there must have been for you. But I was born there. That was my life…my home… until about ten years ago."

"Ha! You keep talking like that you're going to start showing your age."

Tatya glanced at the large black bird perched on the edge of the table. Crow, as April called him. Turning her attention back to April, she watched her leader wrestle with a possible retort, and then let it go, not breaking her focus from the plans. April and Crow had been friends for quite some time, and they were accustomed to one another. Tatya felt the bird was crude and disrespectful, which is why she didn't mind having him around. From the stories she had heard, he was no coward, and that was all she needed to know to approve of him. He can be as rude as he likes, as long as he does not start taking on characteristics like that damned…

"What of Elias?" April turned away from the maps and papers to look at her second in command. Her expression was all business.

"I have notified several men in the area to send messages if he is found. In the meantime, all we can do is await word." Tatya changed topics. "You know that if the Apostle does not agree to help us, the others will insist you have him killed so he cannot expose us again. The first fear in their minds will be that he will sacrifice them in order to protect himself."

"I'm aware of that. If that time comes, I'll think of something." She paused, taking in Tatya's obvious frown of concern. She knew how her Second would feel about this situation, and also knew that she wouldn't argue it. "You can voice your objections, if you like."

"My objections are my own, and they would not change your mind, so they are irrelevant. I trust you to do what is necessary, and I will not say that killing him will do us any good, because it won't. I am aware of the consequences of killing our only chance of beating the Azadi. Returning him to the Azadi will not assist us either. If we return him, they will not only know of our existence and come for us, but they will kill him as well. Therefore, we cannot kill him, and we cannot return him to his people. The big question will be… if he denies us his assistance: What can we do with him? As the leader, that decision falls on your shoulders. I am aware of that."

"Elias and Kirin are right. You're far too willing to follow." She shook her head and looked upon Tatya with disappointment. "If you have doubts, I want to hear them. If you have concerns, I want to know them. Just because I fought with Brynn on every decision does not mean I don't want to know what you think." She bit her lip after mentioning Brynn, bowed her head and shook it. "I don't need disobedience, but I don't want blind devotion either, you are permitted to have thoughts and feelings of your own, even ones of opposition."

"Your own men question you at every turn, so I beg your pardon if I find it strange that you would desire I question you as well. However, if that is your wish, I will tell you. I believe that bringing him here was dangerous, but keeping him here will be even more so. The men believe that- if by chance his capture was a farce, he could be a spy. Given that the execution was most likely real, this could mean one of two things. He is either legitimately an enemy of the Azadi, or they were willing to sacrifice one of their own on the off chance that someone would attempt to save him."

April shook her head. "I don't think this is a farce. And -though I wouldn't put it past them to kill one of their own if it meant to benefit them- I don't think they'd assassinate an Apostle for a chance at finding out if there were remnants of the rebellion left over."

"I agree, but the men will not. My only concern is that we cannot wait for the Apostle to make up his mind. We must be on our guard, and willing to bring him with us, by force, if necessary. I will concede to one of the men's fears. If we let him go, it will cost us."

"Then he will have to come with us."

Tatya nodded in agreement. "He will be angry. On the ship passing to Marcuria, Kirin promised he would be released after he conversed with you. We now know that this is not an option. This will have to be explained to him. There will also be the matter of keeping the men from exacting vengeance upon him."

"I will deal with that." She shook her head. "And this is not why I called upon you. I need a favor."

Tatya waited for her to explain herself, but she had stalled. Tatya turned her attention to the flame that burned from the lamp, watching it flicker and dance in the darkness that was slowly waning as the sun began to climb into the sky. She knew what April had called to ask her before she even uttered the words.

"You want me to travel to Stark."

April sighed, and though Tatya was not looking at her, she knew that her leader was nodding again.

"Yes. I need you to look into what is going on there, and to locate Zoe for me."

Tatya looked to April and gave a curt nod. She knew that this question was not easy one for April to ask for several reasons. One was that April desperately wished to go back to Stark herself, even if it was just to visit those she'd left behind. It was also because she knew how much Tatya hated the place, but Tatya suspected her hesitation was mainly due to the first issue and not really the second. Though Tatya knew that April cared, she also knew that April missed that life quite often.

"Tell me what I will need to learn, and how I will find her."

2.

Tatya shoved past Kirin as she exited the tent and made her way towards her own small lodging. Her mind was so filled with what April had told her and all the other aspects of her new mission, that she did not even notice he followed her, and was speaking to her. Inside her head were only the echoes of all that she had learned from her discussion with her leader, and the consequences of what would happen if she failed. She did not even take notice of Kirin until she had reached the tent, and Kirin grasped her upper arm gently to stop her from retreating into the small space. It was then that she blinked, noticed her surroundings, and looked directly at him for the first time since leaving the tent.

"What?"

"You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?"

She wasn't a fool, and she knew exactly what this was about by the tone of his voice. Tatya didn't even bother to answer him, but jerked her arm free of his grip and went inside the tent. Only the balance could know her frustration as he pushed his way into the tent after her, determined to finish the debate.

"Have you lost your senses? You and I both know what might happen if you go back there again. Why didn't you turn her down? I'm not asking you to be a coward, just to think before you act."

Tatya glared at him, and pushed him out of the way to retrieve a small trunk that sat in the corner. "You are far too concerned with covering my back, Kirin. I lived in that place for a long time before we met, and for quite some time afterward. I was as comfortable with my abilities then as I am now, in fact more so. Your concern is touching, but it is un-needed."

"The last time I saw you shift you were exhausted for two days afterward. You could barely move a muscle."

"If I remember correctly, I was exhausted because I had to attempt to keep you from slipping into limbo. Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? You feel free to chastise me about my decisions and yet you cannot even put any effort into your own." She shook her head. "There is no way you can convince me to change my mind, Kirin. No one else can take on this mission; it has to be me. So there is no point in arguing with me. My mind is set. And don't make an attempt to follow me again, I have warned April ahead of time that you might try it, and she is prepared to stop you. You and I both have a duty to perform. Yours is to stay here and stand in my place until I return. Mine, is to complete this mission without fail."

He shook his head. "You are only focused on the mission. Do you not see what is at stake here? You have been a big help to April and the others. If you are captured in that place, there will be no one to help you. If you die… no one will ever be able to avenge your death, no one will even know you died. Doesn't it bother you that the only other person who could help you can no longer shift!"

"You are sounding more and more like Elias by the day."

Kirin's jaw tightened and he looked away momentarily, as if gathering his thoughts. "You're taking a big risk. If April is right, and someone is traveling between Stark and Arcadia, they may know about you. If this person is behind all of this, then they will certainly try to put you out of their way." He sighed and shook his head. "I know I can't change your mind. You've set yourself upon this path and maybe for good reason too. Just… don't do anything foolish. There are those here who depend on you, and I cannot fill your shoes."

Tatya nodded solemnly. "You have my word."

That night, when the camp was silent, Tatya exited the world of Arcadia the way she had entered it many times before.

3.

Well… things don't seem to have changed much…

The smell was the first thing that hit her; dank, dirty… the scent of exhaust and garbage. Tugging at the cords of her shoulder bag to make sure she hadn't lost it during the shift, she gave a satisfied smirk and looked at her surroundings. Tatya had not been to Stark for almost a year, since she had shifted and come upon April bleeding to death in the swamp. From that moment on, assisting the rebels had been her main priority. Also, things had changed in Arcadia so much since she had last been; she had to re-familiarize herself with her hometown, the city of Marcuria, and all the surrounding territory. If only these excuses had been the truth. She had honestly used all of those aspects as an excuse to stay away from Stark, away from its technology, from its people. Now, here she was…back in one of the places she would have paid never to have seen again. April wanted nothing more than to return and seek what she had lost. Tatya had decided long ago that she would have loved nothing better than to forget it existed.

Too late to turn back now, she thought.

Gritting her teeth, she gave a frustrated sigh and moved slowly towards the opening of the alley, to get an idea where she might be. There were no street signs, but they weren't needed. It was indeed true, that Stark had not changed in the time she had been away. Unless becoming filthier was change. Before her stretched out a long row of what might have, at one time, been housing. Though she didn't know exactly where she was, she could gather from the look of the place that she was somewhere in Newport, not far from the crossroads. This was good; she was near her first target destination.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had to wonder why April was sending her to see Charlie first. What could this young man tell her that no one else could? Or did she just trust him more? This thought aroused some disgruntled feelings, which she buried. She needed to focus… now, more than ever.

Cautiously, she made her way down one alley and then another, passing cans full of day-old trash and barrels that had been turned into fire-pits by or for the transients on the streets. Everything about this place felt wrong. It wasn't the clean, peaceful place it had once been. And Tatya remembered it, even remembered a time when she had longed for it. She and Newport had a history; it had been her home away from Marcuria for a long time. As she laid eyes on the crossroads, her heart sunk just a little bit more. The ruin of this place could only testify to the truth; that things were going to get much worse before they got better. Time has aged this place further than I might have imagined. I wasn't even gone that long, she thought. This only caused her to wonder what else had changed in the little time she had been gone.

Crossing rickety boards carefully to reach the other side of the crossroads, towards her target, she focused on her objective. No more thinking about the past. That life is gone. The place I knew doesn't even exist anymore. Focus. Focus.

The skitter of stones across paving behind her caused her to tense up, and stop to listen. Slowly, she turned around to look behind her, and let out a soft curse. She knew without a doubt they were gang members. And she was a stranger on their 'turf'. This would only lead to trouble. Sliding her hands deep into her coat pockets, she tried to look relaxed and at home while she gently clutched at the only weapon she had, a small stun-gun she had stolen on her last visit to Stark.

"Someone said a naughty word." One young man taunted, displaying a knife.

"It's my turn, Mo. You got to cut the last one." Another said.

"Knock it off you two. While you're yapping, she's thinking."

That one must have been the leader. She directed her gaze at him, then to the others, trying to discern whether or not any of these men had any fighting experience, or worse… a gun. Even with some fighting skills, she might be able to defend herself, but if one of them carried a gun, she would be taking a risk.

"I really don't want any trouble." She muttered, loud enough for them to hear but low enough not to draw attention from others. She hoped that this would show she wasn't going to immediately holler out for help.

"You're in the wrong part of town then, sister."

"Look, if you want money, I'm afraid I—"

The one with the knife leapt in her direction, and the one who had been complaining about it being his turn reacted as well. Both of them were laughing. Gritting her teeth, Tatya shifted her feet, went into a spin, and used her bag on one of the goon's heads. He reeled back and let out a stream of curses. Focusing on the one had left her open to the one with the knife, who spun her around, pulled her back to his chest, gripped her arms, and put the knife to her throat.

Damn it.

"This one's a fighter, Rick." He chuckled.

"Let go of me." Tatya said through gritted teeth. She was starting to get angry. You have to control yourself. If anyone sees you get angry, it's over. April's words continued to ring in her ear.

"What're you gonna do if I don't?" the one called 'Mo' asked.

"Kill her, Mo! Look what she did to my nose!" the one she had hit with her bag said through his hands as he clutched his bleeding, and probably broken, nose.

Tatya gave a mischievous grin that caused all three of them to raise their eyebrows and look wary. Just as 'Mo' was about to press the knife harder against her neck, she reached her hand back and pushed her index finger and middle finger up his nostrils, and pulled forward. The guy cried out in pain, dropped the knife, and loosened his grip enough that she was able to break away. Immediately, she dropped into a crouch, and sweeping a leg around, swept the man's legs right out from under him. He hit his head on a guard pole on his way down and lay silent. Meanwhile, she could hear the other two moving behind her. Spinning, she pulled the stun gun from her pocket in order to use it, but the leader knocked it from her hands, and tried to get a good hold on her. As she dodged the man's punches and grasps, she noticed that the one she had hit with her bag was running away.

No honor among thieves OR gang members, I see.

"Give it up. One of your guys has run away like a baby and the others on his way to lullaby land."

"I'm gonna teach you a lesson, you b—"

That damned word again. Why must every fool and coward under the balance feel the need to use that word, she wondered. Her eyes narrowed. As he lunged at her, she caught him by the throat and the shoulder, turned him, and pushed him over the railing, watching him fall into the empty, dark abyss below.

"No one calls me by that word." She muttered wiping her dirty fingers off on her pants.

Straightening her coat and picking up her bag, which she had dropped after using it on one of the gang members, she let out a sigh. At least she had managed to remain under control. For that, she was satisfied. She could only hope there would not be more of them to test her before she accomplished what she had come to do. She made her way across what remained of the crossroads, and into the alley where the entrance to the Fringe was located. It didn't look like much from the outside, but she had long ago cast aside the idea that what was on the outside had any effect on what was inside. Personal experience had helped to discourage that sort of thought. When those around you looked upon you as a monster, you started to see how appearances and truth were not one and the same, but two separate entities. The only difference is- I became the monster that everyone saw in their minds. I didn't have someone to tell me the truth, she thought. Immediately, she shut those thoughts into the back of her mind, where she could reflect on them later.

Now isn't the time for self reflection.

She gently pushed the buzzer, and waited.

"Yeah?" A husky male voice spoke up over the intercom.

"You wouldn't happen to know how I could get in touch with Charlie, would you?"

"Who's asking?"

"A friend. I really need to see him."

"I can't just let you in here without knowing why you need to see him."

She allowed an exasperated sigh to escape her. "It's about Zoe."

There was a long pause while the one on the other end of the line thought it over. "Alright, come on in."

The door slid open with a hydraulic hiss, and then shut behind her as she stepped inside. Tatya glanced about at the interior, raised an eyebrow, and scanned the night club until she noticed the gentleman standing over to the far right of the bar, speaking to a young woman that Tatya could only guess was an employee. Tatya walked across the shiny night club floor, and hesitated just beyond hearing range for him to finish speaking to the girl. When he was done, she went up a set of winding stairs to the second floor. The man eyed Tatya warily, but not unfriendly.

"You said you were a friend of Zoe's?"

Tatya cleared her throat. "Not exactly. If we could have a seat?"

"Wait. I want to know who you are and why you're looking for her first."

She sighed. Her lack of patience was one of the reasons she had never gone into the service industry as a teen. She ran a list of possible ideas through her head. What could she do? She could lie to him, but he might call her bluff. She could tell him the truth, and he might decide to turn her in to the Eye. Then again, she could tell him the truth, and he might think she was a nut-job. All of the choices had their draw-backs, so she settled for a half-truth.

"Look, I don't have time for dancing around the subject, so here's the deal. I'm Annika Rush, and I'm looking for her because a friend of hers asked me to."

"Who is this friend?"

She gave another frustrated sigh and dropped her bag onto one of the cushioned seats. "I promised I wouldn't say. Look, if you don't want to tell me anything, that's fine. But I need information and I need it quick, before I lose much more time."

"Well, what CAN you tell me? For example… why come looking for her here?"

"Because she came here, she saw you. She spoke to you and Emma. She was looking for her friend Reza, who had gone missing. She was mixed into some pretty bad stuff, and I think she's paying for it, alright?" Acting had never been her strong suit, and neither had lying, but so far she felt confident that he was buying into it. It's not really a lie… it's just not a whole truth, she thought. I'm just not telling him everything. He doesn't need to know more about April, about Arcadia. Zoe told them enough already.

He blinked and sat down on the seat behind him. "How do you know about her meeting with Emma?"

Tatya bit her lip. "This is personal…"

"You want information out of me; I have to know who I'm talking to."

Another exasperated sigh escaped her. "Alright… is there some place a little more private where we can talk?"

After mulling it over for a minute, he nodded. "Follow me." He turned on his heel made his way over and up the spiraling stair case, pausing briefly to make sure she was following him before continuing up. The second floor had paneled off rooms for privacy. He walked to the second, slid the door open, and stepped inside. Tatya followed him inside, and slid the door shut behind her.

"Now it's just the two of us. What do you want? Why are you looking for Zoe?"

"Do the words 'April Ryan' still hold any significance for you?" Tatya muttered under her breath.

He had been turned away from her, and he wheeled, an expression of shock on his face. "You…?"

She stepped closer to him, and as she did her eyes glowed somewhat unnaturally in the darkened ambience of the room.

"You didn't believe her? Even after what you saw?"

Seeing her eyes, he backed up until he was forced to sit on the padded cushion of the bench, staring up with eyes partially filled with fear and amazement. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Tatya smirked and took a step back, and things were back to normal again, as if what he had seen had never happened.

"Yes. I'm from that place. The place April called Arcadia. I've come here on her behalf. I need to retrace her steps a bit. I also need to find Zoe. I need to know what you know about her. The details April has about her personally are sketchy at best. She thought she could depend on you."

"How do I know this isn't some sort of trick?"

"Before Zoe left…before the last time you saw her, she told you she had met with April, that while she was unconscious she had been to another place. That she had been to Arcadia."

He nodded. "Yes, that is true. But I still don't see how this can prove anything."

"You loved her once, didn't you?"

Charlie glanced up at her, shocked again. "How…"

"You hide your belief that April is alright behind a hard exterior. You wouldn't do that if you hadn't cared about her deeply." Tatya sighed. "I don't expect you to believe me. Just tell me what you know. Anything that can help; even the smallest detail that seems insignificant. I need to know how to find her."

He sighed, seeming still a bit shaken by the surprise she had given him. It was obvious to her that he had not seen something as strange as she in a very long time. "I only know a few things. Her name is Zoe Castillo, and she was here to find her friend, Reza Temiz… a.k.a. Jericho. He works for the Hand that Bites… a feed that—"

"I know about the Hand. Where does she live?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. Check with the Hand. Their bound to have information that can help you." He stood and made his way around her to the door. "What did you mean about retracing April's footsteps?"

Tatya's jaw tightened visibly. She was more than a little bit irritated. She had not only had to reveal that she was not from this place, but she had also had to let him in on a good deal more than she had wanted to. "Any more information would be dangerous for you to know. If something bad happened to both Zoe's friend Reza and Zoe herself, it is dangerous enough just for me to talk to you; let alone give you more tid-bits than you need. Leave it alone. And don't tell anyone I have been here. Not even Emma. The information I'm searching for is not for everyone."

He nodded in agreement, and held the door open for her this time, not wanting her to suddenly get the jump on him, she supposed. As she passed through the door, he spoke to her quietly.

"Do me a favor. If…when you see her again. Tell her I'm sorry."

"She already forgave you long ago, Charlie. Let it go and move on. Tell Emma to do the same. It may be a long time, if ever, that you see her again. Better to put the hope of seeing her again at the back of your mind. It will save you the disappointment."

With these cold words, she left him to think things over and exited the night club as well. It was time to pay the Hand that Bites a visit.

4.

Picking the lock hadn't been difficult. Though Tatya had hated her time spent in Stark, she wouldn't deny that there were things that she had learned that were useful to her. Her time living in Stark had taught her more about how to deal with the real world, the world that was harsher, darker. She had gained a lot of her fighting experience on the streets of Venice, after the collapse, before she had begun her attempts to reach her home again. It had been an ugly world…it still was, and so far all the experiences she had assisted in allowing her to move within that world very easily, without sticking out so much. It was not difficult for her to change ways of speaking. It was not difficult for her to disappear on the streets of the city and not be found. It was definitely not a challenge to pick a lock. And so she waited. The waiting is what killed her. Depending on the schedules of other people had never been one of the things that Tatya had taken pleasure in. It became even worse when you took into account how long it had been since she had had dealings with the Hand that Bites. Would he even remember her?

Two hours passed, and Tatya was just beginning to give up on him when she hear a key scrape the lock, and the door swung open. She was struck by how much older he looked. Not aged, there was not even a speck of gray in his hair, and yet his eyes gave the impression that his mind had aged while his body had not. He looked tired, and alarmed. He stood in the doorway, hand still on the doorknob, and stared at her.

"How the hell did you—"

Tatya picked up a picture from the desk she leaned against and looked at it, allowing him to notice how at ease she was, and how unconcerned she was with being found. The photograph was of a young woman. She had heard stories from other colleagues, about the smiling woman in the picture. Some claimed she was his sister, others, his fiancée. But all said the same thing. She had been killed by men working for the Church of Voltec. This, and many other things, had spurred him into action. Such events had been the turning point in this nameless man's life. And the Hand that Bites was born.

"It's been a long time." She murmured quietly, and set the picture back down.

"Who—"he stopped himself, squinted at her, and his mouth dropped open again. "Mother of god…I thought they'd killed you."

"Not yet." She looked about the office. "You've been busy. The Church of Voltec disappeared into the woodwork just after the collapse. I thought you would have settled down by now. Married. Raised a child. I must say I'm quite confused what you're still doing traipsing around and acting as a ghost. How lucky for me I even knew where to find you."

"The Church of Voltec has diminished, yes. But other organizations are taking their place. I couldn't risk settling down, if remnants of the Church of Voltec still exist, or by chance they have just changed their name in order to cover their tracks…no. It would be too dangerous to have a family now. And besides, you've seen this place. There is nothing left of Newport. The town is past death; it's nearing total decay. And as for finding me, how did you?"

"Come, come, Ghost. You don't give away all your secrets… why would you expect me to give away all of mine. I'm here for information."

"Obviously. You wouldn't have picked the lock if you just wanted to chat." He shut the door and locked it. "You would have made a phone call."

"Sorry about that."

"No you're not." He grinned and set the electronic notepad he carried down on his desk. "What do you want to know?

"What can you tell me about Zoe? Word was she was friends with one of your little errand boys, and that she got into trouble trying to bail him out of trouble himself."

"Wait… you're talking about Reza's Zoe? Zoe Castillo?" He gave a heavy sigh and shook his head, then pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "I should have known they'd distort the truth. Zoe's friend Olivia tried to contact me a while back, but our connection was cut just after the conversation started. She was trying to tell me that Zoe had gone after Reza, and that something had happened. The next thing I heard about her was some incident over the Wire. Oh god…. Do you know how deeply she was involved?"

"Not sure. My information is sketchy. How would I get a hold of Zoe if I wanted to talk directly to her?"

"You can't—"

"I have to. It's important."

"No, no… you don't understand. It's obviously important if you came to me, but you can't talk to Zoe. She's been unable to talk to anyone for a while now."

Tatya's eyes narrowed in irritation. "Don't play coy with me, Ghost. What are you babbling about?"

He sighed, and hung his head. "Zoe's been in a coma for quite some time. On the Wire, they gave some lame excuses for what happened, but I had always felt there was something wrong. I should have checked into it sooner."

"What about Reza Temiz?"

"Jericho?" He leaned back in his chair. "I haven't heard from him since before he was supposed to meet that Rio woman. He disappeared. There have been no phone calls, no messages; nothing. He's vanished. Most likely he's dead, another victim of the Eye… or WattiCorp… or both."

"I need you to tell me everything you can about Zoe, Reza, any contacts that Reza might have had, any relatives of either—"

He sat forward in his seat, shaking his head emphatically. "You know I can't just give you all of that! Reza kept those names quiet for a reason! He didn't want to bring the Eye and WattiCorp down on those people like…" His words came to an abrupt halt when he realized what he was about to say.

"Like you did to me?" Tatya rasped angrily at him. She slammed the palm of her hand down on the top of his desk, grabbed his collar, and pulled him half-way across the desk so that they were face to face. "You owe me!" She hissed at him menacingly.

"I was young and foolish! I didn't know what I was doing! And it has been years… have you not learned to forgive?"

"I haven't enough words to describe what they put me through, and you beg for forgiveness?" She let go of his shirt collar and shoved him back into his chair. "I'm not leaving until I have whatever information you have. You owe me at least that much, if not more."

He hung his head and rubbed the back of his neck, which was sore after she jerked him out of his chair by his shirt. "If I give you all of this information, I have to be certain you'll be careful with it. If word gets out, people could be killed."

"People have already been killed in the name of your crusade for justice, Ghost!" She hissed at him again, slapping the palm of her hand against the desktop again and then flinging it sideways, sending several desk items skittering off onto the floor.

"I just need to know you'll be careful. What I'm about to tell you is sensitive."

She gritted her teeth, and straightened to look out the window. It seemed peculiar how everything always seemed to come full circle. What Tatya had called the birth of her new life had started in a similar office to this one, in front of the same man. Only at that time it had been him seeking information, and she had given it readily enough. Trying to do the reverse seemed to be like squeezing blood from a nickel.

"Annika?"

"You can trust me to be more careful than you were."

He bit his lip, nodded, and then let out another heavy sigh. "Here's what I know…"

5.

According to Ghost, Zoe's last known residence was in Casablanca, and as far as he knew, the father still lived there, traveling back and forth between there and the hospital to visit her. Ghost claimed that Gabriel Castillo was Zoe's only living relative, based on what Reza had eluded to during conversation. It was obvious to Tatya that Reza had avoided telling Ghost too much information about Zoe, and it was not hard to understand why. There were still rumors traveling around about what had happened to one of his informants when he had first begun working to shut the Church of Voltec down. It had been too long now for people to remember the Church of Voltec; the collapse had wiped all other concerns from their minds. Now, it had been over ten years… and the Church of Voltec was little more than a bad nightmare that the public had awoken from.

Ghost had suggested that Tatya speak with Gabriel to get an inside look into Zoe's life before her long sleep, and also suggested that she might see if she could find out information about what had become of the stuff in Reza's apartment; namely- Reza's mysterious notebook. It more than annoyed Tatya that Ghost would still be insisting upon getting his hands on Reza's secrets, even after all this time had passed. Doesn't he realize that Temiz's notebook is one of the reasons all of this is going on? Has he forgotten how dangerous agencies and factions like the Church of Voltec, the Eye, and WattiCorp could be? She pushed these thoughts aside; she knew they could be no help to her in this time. Times like these called for action. For a keen eye, a sharp mind, and someone who was willing to get their hands dirty and maybe ruffle a few feathers to get the job done.

The trip to Casablanca gave her just enough time to prepare the approach she would use on Zoe's father. Intimidation was abundantly useful most of the time in Tatya's 'line of work'. However, it would take finesse if she wanted to squeeze any information out of Gabriele Castillo. Intimidation would only cause fear, and though she often used fear to get what she wanted, it would not work in this case. Gabriel would no doubt either clam up on her, or report her to the Eye. Neither one of them would do; both of them would cost her precious time and lots of patience. And so, Tatya would opt for the more difficult path for her to use –kindness. She would smooth over things with Gabriel, learn what she could, and then move on. Seeing Gabriel was only part of her objective while in Casablanca. Tatya planned to meet with many of Zoe's old friends and those that she had worked with in the past. There were no doubt things that her friends knew about her that her own father did not. That was the way things were, even now in this 'advanced' age.

A world that has claimed to be so advanced, and yet it is still not far from its cave man days. The people have regressed, the streets are filthy, agencies are getting away with murder and no one is doing a thing about it. If this is what is called 'advanced'…

She shook her head and sighed, looking over the dossier that Ghost had given her to read. The only written word she had to go on. It was Reza's notes from previous cases; information building up to the one he had been working on when he'd disappeared. The things inside were invaluable to the right people, and Ghost had warned her to take care not to let it slip from her hands. He pressed her that if she be caught at any time, by the Eye or WattiCorp, to destroy it in any way she could. Tatya could only figure that, although this information had long ago been used, he feared that the dossier itself might someday get back to him. She found that she could almost care less if he was caught. Gritting her teeth, she stared off into the distance, and tried not to think about the past.

I can never forgive him for what he did, though I know it was only a mistake made by a naïve first-time offender who was out to screw those who had made him so unhappy, she thought. I know he didn't mean for any of it to happen, but I don't think I will ever be able to bring myself to forgive him…

The sudden slowing and stopping of the train brought her back to the things going on around her, and she stood to exit. As she did, she slammed into someone, who muttered an apology as they continued to push past her. She shifted out of the way of the others exiting the train, and looked at the one who had shoved her. She bit her lip to prevent letting her mouth drop open in surprise, and glanced quickly down at the dossier in her hands.

Him... it can't be.

Shoving into the line of walking people with barely a murmur, she pushed her way towards the front, to the door. Foot traffic had backed things up, and she was stuck inside, but she looked out the window and saw him again. As if he felt eyes upon him, he turned and looked straight at her, and gave a small smile.

It's him…and yet it's not.

A sudden sharp pain in her head caused her to moan and sway. One of the other passengers gave a cry of alarm and held her hands out as if to catch her, but she steadied herself on one of the seats. Another sharp pain and she squinted as if the lights hurt her.

What is this? Why… she thought.

"Not him! Not him!"

Her eyes flew open in surprise as the pain lessened. Had she just heard voices? She clutched at her forehead, and made her way back into line to get off the train before it left the station.

"Are you alright, dear?" An elderly woman, two paces back from her, asked. Her wrinkled face was etched with concern. "Do you need one of us to call a doctor?"

"I'm fine… thank you."

"You might want to have that looked at dear. It could be serious." She mumbled.

"I will." She nodded, and exited the train.

As she walked away from the train station, she glanced back. What had just happened there? Had she really heard voices in her head? Tatya was almost more concerned than the old woman had been. It was not like her to react to pain this way. She had been injured before…she had been stabbed, clubbed, beaten, brought to the point of death and then dragged back from the abyss. Dealing with pain had become a common occurrence to her. Could it be that this pain was so different from anything she had felt before? And what about the voices? There were things about her powers she was still learning about, and this was a bad time for a new ability to manifest itself. And if it was not an ability… if something was affecting her, some outside source, it could be that they already knew she was here.

6.

The man who looked around the cracked open door was weary. It seemed that the weight of the world was on his shoulders, and there was nothing he could do about it. Dark hair was starting to turn gray; eyes were weary and appeared to be without sleep, his mouth was pulled into a frown. Tatya knew he wasn't too thrilled to find someone at his door, and tried to appear as if he'd been asleep so that maybe she would leave him in peace. She could tell he had not been sleeping. It was written in his eyes; on his face. It had probably been days. Deep down, she felt a twinge of pity. Here was another upstanding citizen that had been squashed and trod on by defeat.

"Can I help you?" He murmured lifelessly.

"I apologize for disturbing you, Mr. Castillo, but I need to speak with you."

"I'm sorry…you've got the wrong house. Mr. Castillo doesn't live here…" He began to shut the door.

Gently, she placed a foot in the crack of the door, and pressed the palm of her hand flat against the wood, preventing him from shutting it completely.

She watched his expression change from tired to mildly irritated. His jaw tightened as he looked her up and down, obviously taking in her well tended suit pants and shirt, and the dossier she carried. The only thing that might have thrown off the look was her shoulder pack, but he didn't even seem to take notice of it.

"I don't want to talk to any more reporters." He tried to push on the door.

Tatya gritted her teeth to keep from yelling at the sap for practically squeezing her foot in the door. "I'm not a reporter." She said, her voice tinged with annoyance.

"You look like a reporter." He'd stopped pushing on the door, but he wasn't opening it either.

"If you give me a moment of your time, Mr. Castillo, I can explain."

"You people always want a moment of my time. A moment here, a moment there; my daughter's in the hospital, don't you understand?"

"I mean you and Zoe no harm, Gabriel. I can't talk about this outside in the open. If you'll let me step inside I will explain who I am and why I'm here."

The use of his first name was a gamble, and it worked. He gave a sigh of defeat, and opened the door just far enough for Tatya to slide inside, which she did. Immediately, she was dismayed at the appearance of the place, and wondered if anyone really lived here. Everything was coated in a thin layer of dust. The place was a darkened tomb.

"You don't live here." Tatya murmured, looking about the place, and noting the winding staircase to her right.

"No. I have a one bedroom apartment downtown."

She stepped further into the room, and ran her index finger across the dining room table. "You don't sell the place because you're hoping she'll get better."

"…Yes…who are you?"

She wiped the dust from her finger and regarded him calmly. "My name is Annika Rush."

"You use to work for the Hand…"

"You've heard of them, and of me?"

He nodded solemnly and sunk onto the sofa. "Reza mentioned you on occasion. Everyone thought you were dead."

"I had to disappear for a while. I've been temporarily re-instated to the Hand, and I'm looking into your daughter's case. How well did you know Reza?"

"About as well as any father knows the boy his daughter is seeing. Why are you looking into Zoe's case? I thought it was closed…"

"Not quite. I insisted on getting this case –for personal reasons I'd rather not talk about. Is there anything you can tell me about Zoe? Something that can help get me started?"

"Started on what?"

"I have to re-trace her steps. Zoe was onto something very dangerous before… this happened. I need to know everything she learned."

This seemed to anger him a little. "So the Hand can put it in a feed? Is that all you people care about?"

"I didn't take this case because of the Hand, Mr. Castillo. The Hand was just able to give me information on Reza that I would have had difficulty obtaining, and they helped me find you, although I'm glad I caught you here, or we might never have met. I want to know the truth, about all of it. There is still a great deal of mystery around what happened to Zoe… I want to solve it. But to do that, I'm going to need your help."

He nodded solemnly again. "Alright. I'll help in any way I can. What do you want to know?"

"How did you know Reza worked for the Hand that Bites?"

"I guessed. I knew that Reza was a journalist… and he was always quite secret about what he was working on. So I naturally assumed it would be something subversive, or something that he wouldn't want people to know about. Naturally, the Hand was the first thing that came to mind."

"Did Zoe know you knew?"

"No. If I had told her, she would have just worried that I would spill it to someone and get Reza into trouble. My job had a lot to do with that."

"I'm guessing you're not working there anymore?"

"I was volunteered for an early retirement. Right after… Zoe went to sleep. How did you know?"

"I didn't. I took a guess. Did you know any of Zoe's other friends… other than Reza?"

"There was Olivia… and then the girl at the Moca Loco –Karen, I think."

"No others?"

"She had other friends… ones from school, but she hasn't seen them in a long time. They tried to contact her a while back. They were pretty broken up. As for anyone else… I don't know. She was supposed to have a party while I was away at Bombay; I was gone for a week for work. I called here several times, but she was always out. When I got back…" His voice trailed off, and he placed his face in the palms of his hands while he tried to regain his composure.

"Do you know where Olivia worked? And where Reza's apartment was?"

"Olivia has a shop not far from here. Alien the Cat. She might be able to tell you more about Reza. I honestly don't know much more than that."

Tatya nodded. "Yes… I passed that shop on the way here." She paused to watch him as he nodded in agreement with her. He really was in a state. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Castillo."

"Please… call me Gabriel. And do me a favor. If you find out anything… anything at all… call me?"

"You have my word." Tatya turned to go, and had her hand on the door knob when he called to her softly.

"Miss—"

"Annika."

"Yes… I go to the hospital in a few hours, to sit with her. If you would like to meet her..."

She looked back at him, and forced a soft smile on her face. "I would like that very much. I'll be busy for a while, so I will meet you there, okay?"

He nodded, and she stepped out. She didn't want to see him break down. It pained her enough already to know more about what was going on than he did.

To know all this, and not be able to tell him…when it comes to keeping secrets like this… I will never be comfortable with it.

Pushing these thoughts deep inside herself, she quickened her pace as she walked down Jardin de Rose to the store at the end of the long narrow section of street. The neon sign above the door featured the words 'Alien the Cat'. Pushing through the beaded curtain, she looked about the jumble of chaos that probably hit everyone as they came in like a brick to the face. Robots and parts lay scattered about the place, boxes on shelves, posters on walls. How does she ever find anything? Tatya wondered. A tan skinned woman stood at a work station, busily typing information onto a keypad, and completely unaware of her visitor, or so Tatya thought.

"I'll be right with you." The woman commented, holding up a hand with her index finger pointed at the sky, the well known 'just a moment' symbol. Once she was finished, she turned her attentions on Tatya. "Can I help you?"

Tatya walked down the stairs to meet up with the woman, all the while taking in the place. When she reached the woman, Tatya turned her eyes on her. "Yes… I'm in the market for a mobile."

"Ah! We have several new ones that just came in…" The woman continued to babble on about her products as she led Tatya over to the wall where they were displayed.

Give her time to get comfortable with me first… she thought. Then I'll broach the subject. She knew that if she brought the subject up too quickly, the woman might freeze. So Tatya listened to this techno-babble for several minutes before choosing one at random. And while the woman was packaging it up, Tatya finally spoke up about what she was really here about.

"You're Olivia, correct?"

"That's right, sweetie. Did someone refer you? I'll need the name so I can give them a discount on their next item."

"I don't think you'll be seeing him in here, though you never know. His name is Gabriel Castillo."

She stopped what she was doing and looked up at Tatya. "Zoe's father? He sent you here?"

"Well… not sent me exactly. He told me this was where I could find one of Zoe's best friends."

Tatya could see she was already starting to freeze up, and so she scrambled internally for something that she could use to get the girl to open up to her.

"I'm here to find out what happened before Zoe went into a coma. I'm trying to… follow her footsteps and see if we can't find the origin of what caused it. Maybe then we could reverse it."

"I thought they had already found the cause." She had crossed her arms, leaned against the desk, and she was looking at Tatya warily.

"I want to know the real cause." Tatya said, lowering her voice. "I need to know everything that she did, or as much as you can tell me."

Olivia relaxed slightly, and sighed. "She was looking for Reza."

"I know that much. She had gone much deeper than that, hadn't she? She was unraveling the story that Reza had been working on when he disappeared."

"How did you—"

"Listen, I don't have much time." Tatya spoke with urgency. Why did it take so much to get information out of everyone? "She was unraveling the story when she went into a coma. I need to know what happened to her. What she learned. Who she spoke to – I need her contacts – anyone who can give me an ounce of information. Something bad is happening, and what she was unraveling is part of a much larger picture. You have to trust me."

"How can I?"

"How can you not? Every moment you waste waffling on this is one moment lost."

"Alright, alright." She raised her hands as if to ward Tatya off. "Give me something. Something that tells me you aren't working for the Eye or WattiCorp."

"The Eye and WattiCorp consider this a closed case, don't they? Why would they be prowling around for more information in a case that is closed? Zoe is asleep, and Reza is missing."

"But Reza's not missing." She said. "I've seen him leaving the hospital."

"Has he come to retrieve any of his things?"

The realization seemed to hit Olivia, and her eyes widened. "The Eye cleared out his apartment soon after Zoe went to sleep… right before Reza showed back up. He never asked me what happened to his things… or his notebook…"

"His notebook?" Tatya jumped on the topic. "What of his notebook?"

"I still have it. Zoe… gave it to me. Reza… why didn't he ask for it back, he would have figured she gave it to me."

Unless Reza's not really Reza anymore…

"Nevermind." Tatya waved a hand dismissively. "The notebook –can I have it?"

She seemed to mull it over in her mind, chewing at her lip, and Tatya knew why. If she gave Tatya the notebook, and she was an Eye agent, or a WattiCorp spy, then the truth would be completely lost.

"You have to trust me. I want the best for Zoe."

"I still don't…how can I trust you?"

Tatya pulled a card from her pocket, one that she'd been given by Ghost, with a contact number. "Here." She offered the card to Olivia, who hesitated a moment before taking it.

"What is this number?"

"This is a number, and a password. You'll need the number to contact Ghost, and the password to get more than a word out of him."

"Ghost?" She looked confused and shook her head. "I don't know any ghost."

"You do, and you don't. Look, if I have to, I will have the Hand pay for your information."

"The Hand?" She looked at the number and then back up at Tatya, and her expression changed from mildly shocked to complete surprise. "You're with the Hand."

"Yes and no –temporarily. It's a long story and I don't want to get into it. Just… if you don't believe me, call this number, say the password the minute you hear a hello, and ask for me –Annika Rush."

"Annika Rush… the informant who…"

Tatya raised a hand and shook her head. She didn't want to go down that road again. "Just dial."

Olivia gave her a doubtful look, and then pulled out her mobile and dialed the number. She waited for a few minutes; no doubt the line rang several times, and then spoke. "A traveler waits."

Another wait. "I need to speak with Annika Rush." Another pause. Olivia looked at her and said. "He said she's on assignment."

"Put it on speaker." Tatya instructed.

Olivia did as instructed, and waited to see what would happen.

"Ghost –it's me."

"Glad to hear you made it okay. Has everything gone as planned?" Ghost's familiar voice over the speaker should have calmed her tension, but it only increased it. She forced herself to focus.

"Some of it, yes. I can't report all of it now. I need you to give Olivia my old identification number."

"Annika… are you telling me you can't remem—"

"Just do it, Ghost."

Ghost cleared his throat, and from the sound of it fought off a chuckle, which only made Tatya more irritated. There was the sound of shuffling papers on the other end of the line, and then Ghost read off Annika's old employee number. As he read it, Olivia punched it into the computer, and pulled up Annika's old photo badge.

"Thank you." Tatya pushed the end call button on Olivia's mobile while Olivia stared at the photo copy of Tatya's badge.

"High clearance..." Olivia looked at her.

"One of the few original members of the Hand that actually knew what Ghost looked like. Now hardly anyone has direct contact with him."

Olivia nodded, and went to retrieve Reza's notebook. "You're well connected."

"I have to be, if I'm to find out what happened to Zoe." Tatya took the notebook gently and looked over it. "It's in code."

"I have the translations here, and my notes on what she had found and where she was going. I finished it just after Zoe went to sleep." Olivia offered her a print out of the translations and her report. "I assume you want me to destroy any copies I have."

Tatya shook her head. "No. But keep them under lock and key. Don't let anyone see them, or get their hands on them. Not even Reza."

"Reza's never asked for them."

"He might –soon. Once someone catches on to what I'm doing. Thank you, Olivia. Be careful. If anyone asks, I haven't been here. You don't even know who I am." Tatya turned and began making her way up the stairs; sliding the notebook, translations, and report in the bag next to the dossier that Ghost had given her.

"I don't understand—"

"Trust me. There's much more to this than just the Eye and WattiCorp. There's a much bigger picture—a dangerous one. Keep quiet, and lay low. Both the Eye and WattiCorp will do their best to keep whatever is going on from coming out. Everyone involved in Reza's old case… everyone involved with Zoe, is at risk. Keep your nose clean, and don't poke around. I don't want to hear from Ghost that another person has died or disappeared."

"How will I get in contact with you if I learn something? Call Ghost?"

"No. You can't call him anymore –the contact number changes after each call. I don't even know what the next number will be. Call the new mobile you sold me."

"That means even you can't call for help… you're on your own?"

"I always have been."

With those last words, Tatya left. All she could do now was trust Olivia's judgment, and hope that if she decided to get involved, she at least kept her head down while she did so.

7.

Two hours had passed, and although she had gotten somewhere with the questioning of Olivia, she had made absolutely no progress since. Tatya had spoken to Karen, at the Moca Loco, only to conclude that Zoe kept most of what was going on at that point in her life; to herself; with the exception of her relationship with Reza, and her own feelings of worthlessness.

There were several other prospective interviewees that Tatya had crossed off her list to begin with, because she felt that they had little to no adequate data. As she rode in the taxi that took her in the direction of Casablanca's main hospital, she took a moment to glance over the translations and the report written by Olivia. There was one name that popped out, one person that she would have liked to speak to a great deal. Damien Cavanaugh. By the report that Olivia had written, they had discovered through Reza's notes that he was an informant inside WattiCorp, and Zoe had gone to Japan to meet up with him. Tatya chewed her lip, and slapped the file shut as the taxi pulled up in front of the hospital. Sliding the files inside her bag once again, she stepped out, and entered the hospital, immediately approaching the front desk.

"Mr. Castillo asked for me. Can I go up?" She hated to ask permission, but she knew that if she had just tried to traipse in, guards would have immediately thrown her out on her ear, and there would have been no getting back in without picking a lock or breaking a window.

"May I have your name, please?"

"Mrs. Rush."

"Let me check." The nurse on duty picked up a phone, dialed a number, spoke into the receiver, and then nodded. "He's waiting for you. Second floor, room 201."

Tatya murmured a thank you, and headed down the hall to the elevator. A sudden, agonizing pain surging through her head, right behind her left eye, caused her to wince, and she clutched at her head until the pain passed.

This pain again? What is it this time?

She squared her shoulders, and smiling wanly at a few concerned patrons, kept walking. As she was reaching the elevator, she caught sight of someone exiting the elevator and heading in her direction. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end when she realized who it was, and she immediately backpedaled to a nearby water fountain and turned her back to him to take a sip, waiting until he had passed before standing up straight. She watched his back as he made for the hospital's front doors. Sliding inside the elevator before he could turn and see her, she waited until the elevator doors had closed before leaning against the wall as another wave of pain hit her.

By the balance, what's wrong with me?

Trying her best to regain her composure, she gently pushed herself away from the wall and took deep breaths, trying to let go of the pain and focus on something else. The pain began to subside just as the doors of the elevator slid open, and she exited onto the second floor. The sign posted in front of the elevator indicated that Room 201 was to her left, and so she turned left down the hall and walked to the end of it. Standing outside, she took several more deep breaths to stop the trembling that had begun in her hands when the second wave had hit her, and then opened the door. Gabriel looked up as she came in, shutting the door behind her.

"How is she?" Tatya murmured.

"Better today. She doesn't look quite so pale." Though he said it, she gathered from the look on his face that he didn't mean it. He had given up hope that she would ever get better. "They say it won't be long now… that she'll be passing soon."

"I'm sure they have been saying that for some time. Zoe seems to be a fighter; I don't think they know her well enough. I'm sure she's in there someone, fighting to regain control."

He smiled sadly and nodded. "She could be stubborn."

"Can. Don't give up on her yet, Gabriel. She needs you to remain strong."

Gabriel brushed his cheeks to wipe away what might have been stray tears. "I'm trying." He took a deep breath and let it out; it shook with his anguish, even though he was no longer crying. In an attempt to regain control, he took another deep breath and then changed the subject. "You missed him. Reza was here."

"Not…"

A faint sound echoed in her ear, or maybe it was in her head, and the pain that had appeared behind her eye returned, though fainter. Tatya winced, and stumbled.

"Woah, woah… are you okay?" Gabriel immediately moved to help her, gently dragging the chair over and forcing her to sit down. "Are you drunk?"

"No…not drunk." Another wave hit, and Tatya moaned, clutching at her head with both hands as surge after surge rushed through her, causing little spots of light behind her eyes.

"Not…"

"That's not…"

Tatya cried out as the pain increased. Her heart seemed as if it wanted to leap from her chest.

"I'm going to get a doctor." Gabriel said, rushing to the door and reaching for the handle.

"No…"

"No." Tatya moaned.

"Not…"

"That's not…"

Another wave of pain hit her, and the pain caused her to heave. Since she had neglected to eat anything on her trip to Casablanca, her stomach was empty, and there was nothing to void. But the pain of dry heaving only made things worse. She shook all over.

"I have to…" Gabriel stammered.

"No…"

"That's not…Reza…"

"Do you… hear me… that's… not Reza."

"Dad…that's not Reza."

"Zoe…" Tatya whispered; her eyes opening wide as the pain disappeared as quickly as it had come upon her. She blinked, and took several deep breaths to again quell the trembling.

"No… I'm… I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Gabriel's face showed profound concern.

"Yes… I'm…alright." Tatya tried to stand but her legs gave out from under her and she sunk quickly back into the chair. "I just, need a moment."

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure."

"You really should be checked out…"

Tatya shook her head, and took another deep breath. Her heart rate began to lower to its normal speed. "No. I'm okay. I'll have them look at it later."

"You're sure?"

"Yes." She rubbed her forehead, and then pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'll find Reza, and talk to him later. I'm sure he's busy. So this is Zoe." She changed the subject, and stood up, then stepped over to the bed to take the girl's hand gently.

This was the girl who had unknowingly walked into the path of a circling storm, the one who had traveled from Arcadia and back without shifting, and the one who had insisted that she had been sent to Arcadia to help April, to save her. Even seeing her lying in that bed, Tatya almost expected her to rise up, and try again. She didn't seem like the type to give up.

Are you trying to talk to me, Zoe? Tatya wondered. You're trying to tell someone the truth, aren't you? Only no one can hear you. No one… except me...? How could it be possible? Tatya was a shifter. She only came by her other abilities by chance. Was it the experiments that had caused this? Was this another ability that was now presenting itself? Why now?

"She's very pretty." Tatya murmured quietly.

"Very. She looks a lot like her mother."

"What happened to her mother?"

"She… died."

"I'm sorry. I know all of these questions seem like an invasion. But you have no idea how important some of this information may be."

He waved it away with his hand. "Did you get to see Olivia?"

"Yes. And she's put me on a path. I can't give you more than that right now, it's too risky. How often does Reza visit?"

"Whenever he can…not often."

Tatya looked down at Zoe, a renewed purpose filling her heart. This was more than a duty. This young girl was being used as a puppet somehow. Toyed with, and then thrown away. Anger surged into Tatya's heart. In some ways, Zoe and Tatya were not very different from one another. Both had been pawns in a very sick and twisted game. Her jaw clenched as she thought about this. No more.

"I have to go. Do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"If Reza shows up again," She pulled a blank card from her bag, and wrote her mobile number on it. "Call me and let me know?" She held out the card to him.

"Sure. What will you do in the meantime?"

"Whatever I can do to help solve this, and maybe get you your daughter back."

Tatya turned and exited the room, heading back down the hall to the elevator. As she did so, she looked out one of the windows to watch the sun set. She would have to go back to Newport, to see Charlie again and find out what all Zoe had found out from him. Any secret hidden from her now, was an objective; a mystery to be solved. This had gone past her promise to April.

I will find a way, Zoe. You're words will not go unheard anymore; your adventure will not go unfinished. I will solve this mystery, and free you; one way… or another.

8.

Finding out, from one of the employees of the Fringe, that Charlie was out increased ten fold the tension she was already under, and made her bitter enough that she snapped at the employee unnecessarily. She had to wonder why the people in Stark felt the need to be so inaccessible or so uncooperative. It would have been easy if she were back in Marcuria. Most respected her, and those that didn't, were normally easy to either bribe, or threaten. Things seemed -less complicated- in Arcadia.

Of course, learning from the same employee that she also had no idea where her manager went made Tatya even more annoyed, and she caught herself mumbling as she stepped out into the cold, bleak, rainy night. He could be anywhere in the balance forsaken city. But she would start at the other side of the crossroads.

Crossing the wooden planks that served as bridges in many places where the pathways on the crossroads had deteriorated beyond repair, she listened and watched for signs of gang members around, but saw none. At the other side, she crossed over a large bridge stone bridge, which was in surprisingly good condition for its age, and headed up the street. Large garbage containers blocked most of the pathways anymore, leaving very few places were people could get past. Down one alley, and then the next, she realized she was headed in the direction of which she had first arrived. This was confirmed when she saw, off to her right and across a small bridge, the Victory Hotel. And standing in front was Charlie. She approached him, not bothering to mask the sound of her footsteps.

"You're a hard man to find." Tatya murmured, stopping at his side to look up at the decrepit structure. Rain trickled down her forehead and tried to run into her eyes, forcing her to wipe her face occasionally.

Charlie didn't seem to be bothered by the rain, and seemed intent on the building. "I'd ask you how things went with the Hand that Bites, but I'm sure you're not going to tell me. You have more questions, right?"

She looked at him and blinked. "You have to be the most straight-forward man I've met in this place thus far."

"Hey, I can't tell you everything, doesn't mean I can't tell you anything. I want this thing solved as much as you do. The word around the club had been that something bad happened to Zoe. I'm guessing if you're back, then it's true."

Tatya gave one curt, affirmative nod, and looked back up at the building before them, trying to imagine what it used to look like. "She's in a coma."

"Geez…" He shook his head, digesting what she had just said.

"Reza has re-surfaced as well."

At first, what Tatya said didn't seem to register, and then he swiftly looked at her, a concerned look on his face. "That's not possible."

"I've seen him."

"Why didn't he come to see me?"

"Would he?"

"You don't know Jericho like I do. May not have known him as long as Zoe, but I got the feeling the minute he got me on the phone that he wasn't letting go of this story no matter how dangerous it was. He knew what he was getting himself into. If he were back, he would have contacted me."

"You're sure?"

"Definitely. I gotta tell you, this has got me worried. Are you sure it was him?"

"I studied the photo. Trust me; it was either him, or a very good double."

"I'm not doubting you… its just weird that Jericho wouldn't have at least called me to follow up."

"I agree; it is strange. What sort of things did Zoe want to know? What places did she visit while she was here? What did you tell her?"

"Strange isn't the word for it. I told her about this place, for one. This was the last lead I gave Reza before he disappeared. She came here, and then revisited me later at the Fringe. Told me that it wasn't a hotel, but didn't say exactly what it was, and I didn't want to know. Gave me an old photo she had found of me with some friends while she was searching one of the rooms. She said this mysterious girl lead her to the room."

"Do you have the photo with you?"

He nodded, pulled it out of his coat pocket, and offered it to Tatya without hesitation. "This was taken by a friend of ours, over ten years ago."

Tatya looked at the picture, and drew in a sharp breath. "April."

"Yeah, that's her. Has she changed much?"

Tatya sighed. "Which room did she find this in?"

"Room 201, April's old room."

She blinked. "What room number?"

"201… why?"

By the balance… the same room number.

"What is it?"

He was watching her now, trying to read her expressions and understand what was going on inside her head. Quickly, she shifted thoughts around and put a blank expression on her face. Shaking her head, she sighed.

"It's nothing. Let's get in out of the rain, shall we?" Tatya made her way up the steps before Charlie could argue, and gently pushed on the door, which had obviously been left cracked by the last person in or out of it. It groaned open, and she crossed the threshold without giving it a thought.

"Wait…hey!" Charlie called after her quietly, following her inside. "You shouldn't be in here…"

"Don't you mean 'we'?" Tatya asked, grinning mischievously at him from over her shoulder as she stepped further inside. "It's hard to believe anyone once lived here."

The place was practically falling apart. It appeared to be so long since anyone had given the building any loving attention, and its wrinkles had more than begun to show. Dingy, unclean floors, walls covered in dirt, cobwebs, and stained with cigarette smoke; and covered with gang taggings. It was hard to see what this unloved, unwashed room might have been ten years ago.

"A lot changes in ten years." Charlie murmured, falling into step just to the left of Tatya, looking around. She could see he was remembering how this place was then, and trying to burn out of his mind the image that now lay before him. "My god… this place…"

"This used to be your home."

"Yes. Ten years ago, before the collapse." He was already walking towards the stairs, and Tatya followed him. In the upper hall, Charlie stopped at the first door on their right, hesitating just at the entrance, before taking two steps inside.

"This room?" Tatya inquired.

"It was mine."

All that remained was a tattered old mattress, and a strange piece of machinery that someone had gone through a lot of trouble to make sure never got used again. Small parts of the machine lay scattered on the floor. Tatya recognized this piece of machinery immediately, even with some of its components missing.

"What is that thing…?" Charlie's gaze had followed hers to the broken down machine.

"It's medical. Some sort of life support system or something."

"How do you know?"

"I've seen one just like it…before." Tatya avoided the subject of the hospital as best she could. "Where was April's room?"

Charlie looked to her, nodded, and led her out into the hall, past what might have been an old computer terminal. Right behind the terminal, was the door to another room. 201. Charlie hesitated again.

"I'm not sure I want to see…"

"It's too late to clutch to your memories of what this place was, Charlie. All that is left of this piece is a worn out shell of what used to be a home. If you falter here, where do you pick yourself up again? Will you continue to push what has happened from your mind?"

"I'm not—"

"You are. I'm not telling you to give up your memories. I'm telling you not to let your memories control you and keep you from making vital decisions. Everyone has a skeleton in their closet, or a memory they don't want tarnished. But that should never get in the way of doing the right thing."

Pushing onward, Tatya reached for the doorknob, and began to turn it.

"Wait."

She drew in a deep breath, preparing for a sigh and the frustration that would follow.

"If we're going to do this, I'm going in first."

Tatya looked up at him and nodded, stepping away from the door in order to let him pass through first. She knew that whatever he saw on the other side of that door would change him forever. He couldn't go on thinking of this place as the home he had once occupied. There were too many images now imprinted in his mind that were contrary to that fact. She understood why he had avoided coming back. He didn't want to see it as it was now. The door opened with a creaking groan of old wood in rusted hinges.

Tatya peeked around him to get a look at the room. It was empty, except for a thread-bare rug and large armoire.

"This was her room…"

"You talk about her as if she doesn't exist anymore." It was difficult to contain the dejected tone in her voice. "Why do you insist upon talking about her as if she is dead? Because you don't want to admit that her being alive, and in Arcadia, could be the truth –or are you afraid?"

He shook his head, and stepped slowly into the room, walking to the window. "I thought you had me all figured out."

She arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms, leaning against the door jam. "You think I analyze too much."

"I think you are obsessed with understanding people, with knowing them. I think you care too much."

"I don't care."

"I don't believe you, and I'm sure if April is still alive, she doesn't either. She was good at understanding people. She read people better than most."

"She still does."

He turned to look back at her. "Why are you doing this –because she told you to?"

"Does it really matter to you why I am here? Or are you stalling in order to keep me from seeing through you -to what really matters."

"Do you always answer a question with a question?"

A satisfied smirk crossed her face. This seemed to irritate him, and he turned to look out the window again.

"You told me to forget."

"And what makes you think you should listen to me? Since when was being a puppet dancing on a string part of your repertoire? You, Emma, and April all walked to the beat of your own drum once. She's told me. I've heard stories about all of you. Do you really think forcing yourself to act differently will change who you are… and who you once were? You're hiding the truth about yourself behind a lead curtain, in the hopes that no one will see your weaknesses. So you didn't believe her. So what? Don't waste my time by giving me the martyr routine. And when did I say to forget her? I told you not to spend your time praying she'll come back. She can't."

He turned to look at her again. "She can't?"

"Not even if she wanted to. She's lost her ability to shift."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"So you will see the futility in getting your hopes up, and so you will stop secretly beating your fists against your chest and praying for forgiveness."

Charlie blinked, and seemed to turn these words over and over in his mind. His expression changed from defensive to aggravated.

Tatya arched an eyebrow. "Did I say something significant?"

Charlie cleared his throat, and shaking his head, leaned against the window sill. "Yes and no. Your religious reference just made me think of something."

"Oh? Do tell."

He sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck with one of his hands. "What all has she told you? About the past, I mean?"

"As you can imagine, she only lets us in on things when she feels it's vital, so we don't hear too much. I've heard most of my stories about you and the others when she was vocalizing her concerns on how you were. As for the whole 'saving the balance' story, I've heard a great deal more theory from others than I have fact from her."

"So she never told you about Cortez?" He shook his head. "Surprising since he's the one that got this whole thing started."

"I'm guessing you mean the transient with the accent, the one who showed her the path to Arcadia."

"Yes…the one who—"

Tatya held up her hand to stop him and shook her head. "Let me clarify a few things before you go on. Cortez was not responsible for all that happened. It would have occurred even if he had not been there. But, if he had not interfered, things may have become much worse."

"He's the one that put those ideas into her head…"

"Yes, he is; and he helped to save the worlds in the process, even though it cost him his life."

Charlie had been prepared to cut her off until those final words sunk in. "He's dead?"

"Yes. He died protecting April."

"My god…I had no idea."

She shrugged. "You had no way of knowing. Now, what about my religious reference -how did that come to remind you of Cortez?"

"Cortez had a friend on Hope Street, some sort of priest."

"Do you know his name?"

He shook his head. "We were never formally introduced. Only reason I heard about him was because April mentioned visiting him a couple times, said he helped put her in touch with someone who could get her important papers. She didn't tell you?"

Tatya shrugged it off. April didn't tell her a lot of things, but she wasn't about to willingly admit that here, and especially to him. "It didn't come up. As I said, she has her secrets."

"True. She didn't feel it was important to tell Emma and me everything…and we were her best friends."

"-Are. You are her best friends. Unless you've recently taken up the notion that she's no longer your friend. If she had told you everything there was to know, she would not only have endangered your lives and entangled you in a mess she was already very much involved in, but the chances would have been real good that you would have felt she was lying to you to hide the truth anyway. Which -if I may remind you- you did."

He sighed, and nodded solemnly, rubbing at his chin. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to go see this friend at the church, this priest."

"About Zoe? They don't even know each other."

"And I'm certain you would know if he did." Sarcasm dripped from her voice. She was more than annoyed. She was as livid as she could get without showing it. All this time spent mulling around, chasing leads, and April had withheld facts that might have helped. Choking back a sigh, she made her way towards the door.

"I need the whole story. No, this priest probably won't know anything about Zoe. However, he may know information about something else I'm looking into. Thanks for the tip, however unwilling you were to lend it out."

Charlie followed, and shut the door behind him as they stepped back out onto the street. As they headed back towards the crossroads, he seemed deep in thought, and Tatya could only guess what about. Maybe it was about April. Maybe it was about everything that they'd said. Maybe it was about what shoes he would wear tonight when the club opened. At that moment, it didn't matter.

As they parted ways at the center of the crossroads, under the old clock, Tatya had the strangest feeling that when she saw him, or any of this part of Newport again… it would be under completely different circumstances.

9.

Hope Street Cathedral was as run down as the rest of Newport, if not worse. From the outside, it appeared that it had not only gone a few rounds with a wrecking ball, but a flame thrower and spray paint cans as well. The surrounding area was cordoned off by large concrete road guards, supposedly put up to keep people out, but only managing to keep garbage in. The tag markings on the face of the church were familiar to Tatya. She had seen these markings before, in different places on the crossroads, and on the face of the Victory Hotel as well. Had the whole of Newport been over-run with hoodlums? Was no one willing to stand up and fight?

What vandalism hadn't done, the sands of time had completed. One of the Cathedral's turrets had fallen, and the roof of the once obviously beautiful building was almost completely gone, revealing only the skeletal remains of wooden beams that were fighting to remain in existence against the unforgivable elements.

The rain and the fog had not dispersed, and all of it, combined with the cold, made for a dreary and dark atmosphere. Tatya could only guess that this place had not been touched since the collapse. There would be no priest here. No prayers. No mourning the dead. The place itself was a tomb; a broken testament to what had been, and to what had fallen.

"It was beautiful once, or so I hear."

The voice behind her startled her, and she whirled on her heel, balling her hands into fists. The young white kid before her couldn't be more than 16 years old. He wasn't looking at her, but at the church. This would have caused normal people to relax, as if by looking at the church and not them, they were safe. Tatya, however, remained tense, like a coiled viper ready to strike.

"My boys over there said you gave them a beating. They'd like to pay you back for it." He gestured over his shoulder with his thumb, in the direction of what might have been some old apartment buildings across from the old underground train station entrance.

Tatya glanced quickly in the direction he had pointed, and noticed two of the goons from before. The ones that had survived.

"Invite them over, if you'd like." The usual cold, hard tone issued from Tatya's lips. Sure, they might have had the jump on her again. And they might even be armed, but Tatya's patience with people hindering her mission was beginning to wear to a very thin line. "I just hope they can do a better job than they did last time."

The young man chuckled and looked her up and down. "You're alright. A little bold, but alright. What are you doing on this side of Newport, girl? You must be looking for trouble, pretty thing like you."

"If you have no intention on using me as a punching bag, I have things to do. If you're still itching for a fight, get a move on. It's my time you're wasting."

"Oh? Wasting your time? You were just looking up at an old church. Are you crazy or something?"

Tatya's eyes narrowed. "Maybe I am."

"You had to be to walk into this neighborhood unarmed."

The young man's friends were crossing the street, heading in their direction. This could quickly turn from a conversation into a free-for-all. She had to think fast, if she intended to try and talk her way out of this.

"I tell you what. If you beat me, I'll tell you what I'm here for. If I beat you, you tell me where I can find the priest that used to run this cathedral."

The young man blinked and raised a hand. His buddies backed off.

"You're looking for Father Raul?"

"If that's the priest's name, yes."

"What do you want him for?"

"He knows a friend of mine. I'm hoping he can give me some information I need."

"Information, huh. How much is this information worth?"

"Invaluable, and dangerous."

"And you think that Father Raul can help you? He's just a priest."

"He may just be a priest to you, but he's important to me. I need to find him so that I can locate information on an old friend of his, who has contact with a friend of mine. She sent me here to find him." It wasn't the complete truth, but it would do. What were the chances that this young man would know anything about April? "Supposedly he knows someone who can get me in touch with another person who can get me papers I need."

"You're talking illegal papers…aren't you?"

"Yes. Supposedly the priest knows someone who can procure them."

"If you're talking about Burns, he's dead."

"Burns?"

"Your friend sent you out here… and didn't even tell you the guy's name? You need some new friends, girl."

Tatya was becoming impatient. "Look, if you aren't planning on kicking my butt, can I just leave?"

"Just tell me the name of your friend first, maybe we can help…"

"You wouldn't know her. She's not from around here." Tatya gritted her teeth and started to move forward, intending to push past him. "I'm out of here."

"Uh-uh…" The young man pulled a gun. "The girl's name, and then you can go."

"Why the hell is it so important who she is? Get that damned gun out of my face." Tatya snarled angrily. She could feel the heat rising into her face, and she knew what would come next. Maintain control, she told herself, control.

His buddies were mimicking her and laughing.

"Shoot her, Kaz."

"Yeah, shoot her and then let's loot her."

"Both of you shut up. Kaz…put the damned gun away and get back to the room. I'll deal with this one."

The voice was coming from a young black man, only slightly younger than Tatya, who had been standing in the shadows. Just how long has he been standing there? She wondered.

Kaz and his buddies started to whine, but one serious look from this new man sent them scurrying off in the direction of the apartments. Now, Tatya and this stranger were alone. For some reason, she felt even more uncomfortable now than with the other three. At least she knew what two of them were capable of. This stranger… balance only knew.

"Not many people come down here anymore, so they tend to get a little riled up. I would say I hope they didn't scare you, but I honestly think they're more afraid of you. Not many girls that look like you can come down here and kick their butts."

"There's not much of a challenge when a man tones his muscle and forgets his brain."

A grin appeared on the stranger's face. He stepped out of the shadows more so that she could see him better, and held out one hand for her to shake. Tatya was immediately shocked by how he was dressed. He wore a nice suit, although slightly rumpled, and good shoes. Not the normal street clothes for a gang leader. In fact, at this point, Tatya was becoming confused as to who actually led this gang that seemed to be popping up every time she let her guard down. He must have immediately noticed how she was eyeing him, because he chuckled.

"I'm not what you expected, right? Don't worry, I don't bite." He was referring to his hand, which she had not taken yet.

Hesitantly, she reached out and shook it. "Who—"

"Warren Hughes. Why don't we get out of here and go somewhere a little less conspicuous to talk, hm?" He turned and made his way away from the apartments, instead heading into another portion of Newport.

For the first time in a long time, Tatya felt confused, and a more than a little alarmed. She followed him to an all-night diner which looked like it was barely paying the bills, but the tables were clean, and the coffee didn't smell too bad. Coffee was one of the few things Tatya could say she honestly missed about not being in Stark, so when he offered her a cup, she took it gladly.

As they sat sipping coffee, he eyed her contemplatively.

"You're not from around here."

"Ooh no, I come down to the hood a lot." Sarcasm again. She couldn't help it. She was tired, hungry, angry with April, and on top of it she began to feel like she was grabbing at straws. She took a deep breath and let it out. What is happening to you? A mission to Stark and a few headaches and suddenly you start acting like a flake. Get a grip.

He laughed. "You remind me of someone I used to know. Similar attitude; another very sharp-tongued woman."

She arched a brow. "Let me guess, she either ended up your girlfriend, or at the bottom of the ocean."

"Ouch. You got me all wrong. I'm out of the gang business."

"Oh… and that was just… what, group therapy?"

Another laugh escaped him. "No. I'm trying to keep them out of trouble, or at least trying to keep them from joining a real gang."

"How's that working for you?"

"Trust me, if they were a member of the Shakespeareans, you wouldn't be sitting here drinking coffee." He was being honest now, and she decided not to argue with him. It may have been true, it may not.

"Alright, I'll humor you. Who was this friend?"

"I never got her full name. She helped me a long time back. Got me my sister back, and helped me erase my record. Because of her I was able to start a new life."

"You make it sound like it was a long time ago. She must have made quite an impression on you." She took another sip of coffee.

He nodded. "Oh yeah, big impression. Ten years may change a lot of things, but there are some things you just can't forget. I never got the chance to thank her either. She disappeared just after Burns was shot. I just hope he got her what she needed."

Tatya nearly chocked on her coffee. Ten years…could it be?

"You alright?" His expression was concerned, and he reached a hand across to slap her on the back, but she raised her hand and shook her head.

"I'm fine… you said ten years?"

"Yeah… it's been a little longer than that."

"And you never got the girl's name?"

"Only her first name. She called herself—"

"April." Tatya finished.

He smiled and slapped his hand on the table top. "I knew it. The minute you came down here looking for Father Raul I knew you had to be involved somehow. Is she alive? How is she?"

Tatya raised a hand to quiet him, and his expression grew solemn.

"I'm sorry, but I can't give you any information on her right now. The situation is… dangerous. I need to find Father Raul."

"How can he help you?"

"Please. I don't have time to explain. Is he still alive?"

"Yeah. He's still alive. He lives in Metro City…but."

She stood. "Where in Metro City?"

"Near the police station." He caught her by the arm as she tried to walk past him towards the exit. "Maybe I can help. He knows me. He'll trust me."

Tatya chewed her lip while she considered it, then she nodded. Warren stood up to follow her out, and then began leading the way uptown where they could catch a taxi to Metro City.

"Being seen with me in Metro City could be dangerous."

"What's your name?" He asked, as if he hadn't heard her words.

"Annika."

"I lived on Hope Street till I was about 15, Annika. And I survived the collapse and post-collapse in Newport until I could afford to get a place elsewhere. Trust me, I can handle it."

I'm not sure you can, Warren. I'm not sure anyone can. Zoe and April were both strong, and look where it got them. Zoe is in a coma, and April... she would have died had not chance brought me through that shift in time. So far, everyone who has stood against this darkness has disappeared, been incapacitated, has given up hope, or has ended up dead. I'm not sure any of us can handle this. The difference is…some of us…don't have a choice.

Her thoughts wandered as the taxi sped them towards their destination. Both of them remained in silence during the trip. However, Tatya's mind couldn't keep from spinning as it gathered all of the things that she had learned in these two days of searching.

The deeper into this I sink, the more of a mess I see. In my attempt to unravel this mystery, I seem to be slipping further into it. And the more I see, the more I understand why they did what they did. I'm getting too far away from my objectives. As soon as I have spoken to Father Raul, and learned what he knows about April, and what ties he has to the past, I will go back to Arcadia with what I know. If I stay here much longer…

I could become totally lost in this web, and lose my footing.

I need to go back.

I have to go back.

I have to…