Chapter 3

The next day she hunted another rabbit and more berries. After eating she travelled farther into the country and following trails and roads until she came upon a town at nightfall. She kept mostly to the shadows as her outfit and lack of ID would arouse suspicion. Wandering around she stole clothes from various washing lines spanning the narrow streets. She felt guilty, but the long-sleeved shirt, pants and worn-down tennis shoes she'd collected, were much more comfortable and infinitely less suspicious.

The first thing she would need was some sort of income. She could find shelter out in the woods for now, but she needed money to sustain her in the colder seasons. Since she had no official identity, there weren't too many jobs she could do. She'd been educated by the scientists at DOATEC and Kasumi's memories, but she did not have any formal education. She'd seen a bar looking to hire a new waitress, so she decided to apply there. The establishment looked fairly rundown yet well frequented. Behind a worn-down countertop, a man with long white hair was mixing drinks. She approached him and asked "Are you the owner? I'd like to apply for the waitress position." The man turned, blearily looking at her. He squinted.

"Kasumi?"

Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest at the name. But she calmly replied "No. My name is Sou Shi" combining the Japanese words for phase and four, as she didn't have an actual name and couldn't refer to herself as Phase 4 in public. The bartender looked unconvinced but let it slide. "Weird name you have there. You can have the position on a trial basis but first you need to change into something a little more suited. You look like a hobo, no offense. Clothes are back in the employee area. Come, I'll show you. Name's Brad, by the way", he explained as he led her down a small hallway towards the back. In a side room there was a row of lockers and a bench in the center. To the right a small entryway led to showers.

"The locker in the corner is free and has a uniform that should be in your size. Change and meet me out front", Brad said as he left her to change. Phase 4 opened the locker, pulled out her new uniform and promptly wondered where the rest of it was. The "outfit" consisted of a very tight-fitting blue and white top that showed off her cleavage to an almost indecent extent and a pair of barely-there black shorts. While the clothes were too revealing for her taste, she was grateful for the shorts as she hadn't found any underwear to steal. After freshening up in the shower area, she met Brad back at the bar. "Much better!" he called when she entered the main area. A few of the patrons turned her direction and gave her appreciative looks. She had tried her best to keep some modesty, but the patrons' looks proved her efforts moot. Noticing her discomfort, Brad went on to explain the items on the menu, the ordering system, her shifts and wages.

After everything had been explained to her, Phase 4 went to work and soon fell into a rhythm. She made good tips yet had to politely avoid the hands of some of the more drunken customers.

As her shift neared its end, a tall, white haired woman in a formfitting, deep cut dress entered the bar. Every man stared at her as she sat down on a high chair calling over Brad with a flip of her wrist.

"Christie. How may I help you?" he said in a tight voice.

"The usual: a Bloody Mary. Make it quick."

Moments later Brad placed the drink in front of her.

"So… what brings you here?"

"Don't worry, I won't do anything, dear. Your lovely little ninja friends keep messing with my employment. I've grown weary of Donovan's and their bloody antics. The pay isn't nearly good enough to put up with it anymore. I know the kind of company you keep in this bar. I'm here to recruit for a new job."

"I find it hard to believe you would leave Donovan so easily… But as long as you don't stir up trouble, we're good."

"My loyalty belongs to whoever pays me best, love. I'm not fond of always losing to those god-awful ninjas. And Donovan's funds are drying up, so I cut my ties. I have no reason to harm you - right now."

Brad didn't say anything more and left to tend to the other patrons. Meanwhile, Christie's kept scanning the bar, her grey eyes settling on the auburn-haired waitress flitting about the tables. She kept observing the girl, who looked an awful lot like the clones she'd seen at MIST's headquarters before Kasumi and her friends had blown it to kingdom come. The girl's movements seemed odd, they were too efficient and graceful to belong to an ordinary person.

Fancy that, a Kasumi clone. Guess I've found my recruit, she mused silently. She couldn't just approach the girl, she'd probably run. Christie would bide her time and wait for an opening.

It didn't take long. About thirty minutes before closing a particularly drunk man approached the clone. He was a big fellow towering over the petite girl. Christie could see the lust in his eyes. She silently followed. When the man reached Phase 4 she was busy cleaning up a recently vacated table, which placed her between the chairs and the adjacent wall. As she was about to leave the man trapped her between the furniture and the wall. He started to reach out for her, when in a move to fast to track, slender hands gripped his wrist and threw him to the floor, wrenching his arm behind his back. "Oh, love, what will I do with you? Playing around with other women, I'll be jealous. How about I play with you… until you break?" Christie cooed into the man's ear, punctuating her last statement with a painful tug on his wrist. The man merely whimpered in answer and she released him. As the man scurried away, she got up and walked to the somewhat shocked Phase 4. She got close to her and whispered, "I know what you are, but I couldn't have you teleporting around here, could I?". Seeing the fear in Phase 4's eyes at recognizing the assassin, she added "Now, now don't be scared, love. I can help you."

The girl's eyes wavered between suspicion and resignation until she whispered "how?"

Christie smiled with glee.

"I need a partner and I know what your kind can do. You'll have an identity and a well-paying job. And don't you fret, I can keep a secret or a hundred. However, for as long as you're in my 'care', you are mine. Do you understand, my pet?"

"I will not kill."

"We'll see about that. But it is much more fun if I do the killing anyways."

After another moment of deliberation, Phase 4 agreed.

"I yield, you may command over me. But only until I can live by myself. I don't want to hurt you, but if you betray me, I will."

"Deal." Christie said shaking Phase 4's outstretched hand. Adding with a wolfish grin, "I'll just call you Phase, the name you gave sounded like seafood. Meet me outside, Phase. Your mistress will show you your new home."