Or else, huh?

I don't know if anyone remembers, but I made a comment on what would happen if a lot of people started telling me that. Listen, I stop the chapters when 1) I run out of rhythm, 2) when my mind goes so totally blank that I can't remember my own name, and 3) when I think it's a good stopping point. I left it at '11:11' because that's when everything major seems to happen in her life. I stopped it there because I got out of my groove (don't screw up the groove, i.e. - Emperor's New Groove. I love that movie, it's hilarious! . . . sorry).

I'll have you know that the story IS complete . . . in my head. But sometimes it's hard to put thoughts into words. There's transitions, and impact points, and all that technical shit that you don't even realize you're doing, but I'm taking into account because like I said in the very beginning, many many moons ago, I'm trying to improve my writing skills. I have big problems writing in the 3rd person omniscient for some reason, supposedly that's the easiest one to write in. I can handle 3rd limited and 1st person just fine. (Actually if you go back to the beginning you'll se that the first few chapters are written in the present, and not the . . . historical present? Is that what its called when you write about the now, but use the past tense? Or is it . . . sorry, all the foreign language I take makes me analyze everything. It's kind of scary.)

But I got off track.

Note: I am normally not a mean person, but I'll kick some metaphorical ass if need be.

For those of you who don't like cliffhangers, intentional or not, get over it. You know that there'll be another chapter. And I AM trying to get this done before I start on drafting my first research paper. I'll write through the gathering and screaming for help parts of the process, but when it comes to sitting down and laying it out, and making sure I'm writing about the right thing (it would be kind of bad if I turned in something on the wrong topic) don't expect to hear from me for about a week.

Sorry for wasting space. I needed to say a few things.

PS- I put up Christmas lights in my dorm. They're pretty.

I'll stop now.

***************************************************************************************************************

XXVII. Persephone

Jake McCartey sat back and watched the team try to piece together what had happened. It looks like there had been no struggle.

A few hours ago he had another one of those vibes of his. She had only been gone a few minutes. He didn't know what had happened, but it wasn't good. He had pulled his weapon and badge and ran through the store to try and find Sara. She wasn't in the rest room. He had gone out the emergency exit. There still was nothing. So he called out her name. The only answer he got was the slight echo of his own voice off the alley walls. Then a small glowing light had caught his attention.

This was important.

Mainly because the light was a deep crimson red.

It was the Witchblade.

It had been taken off her wrist.

Jake knew instantly what had happened.

Mollard had her.

After punching the wall for being an idiot for letting her go off by herself, he had called it in. The others had arrived shortly after. He gave his statement and had been ordered to leave the premises while it was investigated.

He didn't give them the bracelet.

It was still glowing.

It wanted its host.

Jake ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He needed to find Sara. Before anything happened. Please don't let anything happen.

He needed help. He pulled out his cell and searched through his directory for a number.

"She had better pick up."

* * * *

McCartey's rather frantic call had come through a while ago. Orlinsky had paged him to tell him the good news. It was starting. Soon that bitch would be a thing of the past.

"Hell yeah."

Bruno Dante took another swig of his beer. Tonight was a night to celebrate. He and the boys were going to have a little get together at his place when all their shifts ended. This was so sweet. The only thing that could make this night any better, aside from getting laid, would be to hear the news that her body had been found. He'd go out there for that one. Pictures just wouldn't do it justice.

No.

He had to see that in person.

Not that he wouldn't get copies of the photos for his personal collection. Too bad he wouldn't be able to frame them and hang them on his wall.

The only problem now would be if she managed to worm her way out of it. His men were in place. It would take an act of god for her to come out alive.

Jake would miss her though. It might be a little tough getting him to come around after Pezzini was dead.

Oh well, he would get over it.

* * * *

Iceani knelt in the snow next to her friend. He had collapsed sometime ago. Clutching his head in pain. They had been discussing where to look next. They decided that they needed to find a a way into the southern part of the island. Going under the clean up barricades, in to the subway, was too dangerous. The ground was still unstable. And Drew taking them over would be too conspicuous.

So they had decided that they would just have to slip through. Not that it would be overly challenging, but caution was always needed. Just in case.

You never knew who was in play.

He had begun to mention something, and his voice had drifted off.

A few moment later, he had cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

That was half an hour ago.

Drew hadn't moved since.

And she was beginning to worry.

He wasn't prone to things like this.

"Come on, man. Wake up or something." She shook him.

Nothing. He was breathing normally. His pulse was strong. What was wrong?

She let out a small cry of surprise when he bolted up right into a sitting position. A smile spread across his face.

She slapped him on his shoulder.

Hard.

"Ow!!! What the fuck was that for?!"

"Idiot! What the hell were you doing?"

He began to laugh.

"Drew, I think you finally lost it."

"Who me? No no no no. I just found it."

* * * *

Ian Nottingham watched to two youths from the roof top of a nearby building. Sirous had 'found it'. He could only assume that his connection with his comrade had been re-established to some degree. Enough for him to hone in on his friend's location. Irons had done his best ot explain how the two were connected, but it was difficult being that Irons himself was unsure on how it worked. But Ian understood better than Irons knew. He had remembered something. It would have been . . . he laughed at the number of years. He smirked, why was it that something's were easier to recall than others? And what decided who would remember their past selves, and who wouldn't?

That was another answer the normal population would never be ready to hear.

Sirous picked up the girl and rose several feet above the ground. He made his way in a direct line to where ever he was going. When Irons had mentioned them going 'over' he had assumed it would be on roof tops, not by air. It was curious; how he was able to do that. Humans, normal ones anyway, were not designed for flight. But Sirous apparently gave its bearer that ability. Truthfully, Ian was a little envious. Who wouldn't be?

"What?"

The boy stopped upon hearing the sound.

He listened again. Someone had . . . yelled something.

Her name.

Not that it was all too unusual. That was how you sumoned her, but it was how her name had been pronounced. And that you had to be listening for it.

The look on her face told Ian everything he needed to know.

"Oh, any thing but that. He'll be even worse."

Some one had summoned Iceani. In a manner that had not been used in a few thousand years. He could only think of six or so people, mainly old and doting history professors, who could possibly figure out what to say. The remaining few would have to look to memories of their former selves to know.

Some one upstairs was laughing. Ian was sure of it.

A wave of her hand and she disappeared from Sirous' hold. He left and kept on towards his friend. Nottingham knew what would happen with the girl.

Besides he might feel the need to help the other.

* * * *

Nothing.

Either she didn't have her phone on her, she had it turned off, or its batteries were dead. Jake paced his living room. He didn't know where to begin to look for Sara.

And now that it was 'personal', the worthless piece of shit that was Bruno Dante had pulled him from the case. He was hoping it would go to Lubin and Helstrom, but it didn't. The Captain had handed it to Orlinsky. He wouldn't do anything to find Sara. Oh, he'd do superficial things to make it look like he was working hard, but Orlinsky was Dante's right hand man. Nothing would come of his investigation except dead ends, and the eventual discovery of . . .

No! He wouldn't think of that! She was going to live!

He pressed re-dial on his phone when he passed by it. Her voice mail again.

"Damn it! Pick up your fucking phone!"

Jake slumped down on his couch. He stared at the Witchblade on his coffee table. It was still doing its little glowing thingy. He couldn't tell if it was sad, anxious, or angry. Sometimes you could tell by how it was glowing and what not. Right now, all it reminded him of was a flash light.

He pressed re-dail again.

This was so frustrating! Where the hell was she? He needed her help. She had promised. A long time ago. She had promised to be there if he needed help. He didn't remember where she said it, let alone when. All Jake knew was that she had said it and he had been there to hear it.

"Where are you?"

He held his hands in his hands and rocked back and forth. This wasn't right. Sara hadn't done anything. Why couldn't whatever power that was out there just leave her alone? He didn't think that was too much to ask.

Jake leaned his head back against the couch and glared at his ceiling. Maybe Melissa would get his voice mails. Probably not. In desperation he yelled her name. Maybe that would get her attention. He didn't care if he woke anyone up. They could get over it.

Only two others recognized how he had spoken her name. He wasn't one of them.

Too bad.

He squeezed his eyes shut. He hated feeling like this. No that any one liked to feel helpless. The fact that all but one of his resources were useless made it even worse.

Why couldn't thing be quiet and nor-

A rapid knock at his door broke his train of though. He put the bracelet in his pocket and scrambled to the door, falling over his coffee table in the process.

It was her.

He opened the door and let her in.

"Where that hell have you been?! I've been trying to call you!"

"You did call me, Jake. Here I am."

"She's gone."

"Pardon?"

"Sara. He-he took her."

"Do you know who?"

"Mollard! You know, the guy who's been hacking people up!"

"Calm down, and quit yelling. Now, when did this happen?"

"About five hours ago. Dante gave to case to Orlinsky, 'Cani. Nothing will get done with him on it, you know that! I need y-"

"Of course. Drew's found Seiji, sort of. He doesn't need me right now."

His eyes widened.

"Did Seiji tell him-"

"No, not like that. But he can feel him again; in the back of his mind."

His looked down at her in disbelief. She didn't know.

"You don't know, then?"

She shook her head.

"Know what, Jake?"

"I've, um, I've been trying to get in touch with you for sometime. Seiji 'spoke' with Sara. He was taken by Mollard. He's had him the whole time. If I knew that all I had to do was yell your name . . ."

He didn't get a reply. She didn't speak for a long moment. Her eyes were focused on the floor.

"Melissa?"

"We should go." She whispered.

"Where?"

She looked up at him. Still silent. He couldn't tell what she might have been thinking. There was no expression on her face. There was one thing, she was tired. He vaguely wondered what she had been up to before she had come to New York.

She broke her silence.

"Vorshlage."

Jake narrowed his eyes, "Does he-"

"Most likely. I don't think that if we meet with Drew after he gets Seiji that we'll run into your man. Whatever was used to keep Seiji sedated has worn off. Which means one of two things: he's forgotten about him, or Mollard no longer thinks that Seiji holds any importance."

"Are you mad with yourself?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"You don't normally . . . you don't look too good, and speak in monotone. You shouldn't be mad, you're not all seeing. No one is."

"In an odd way, I used to be."

"That was a long time ago." He muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"What?"

"What did you say?"

"I said that you shouldn't be-"

"After that."

" . . . . . I didn't say anything."

Iceani stared at him for a few seconds. That was the thing that sucked about being her. No one could lie when she was around. He honestly hadn't heard himself. Not that it mattered any. She knew who he was. She knew who all of them were. Irons, Nottingham, Pezzini, Woo, and everyone else who was playing a major role. She had met them all before. Only she was the same, and they had all changed.

Well, not all of them. He was still a beach bum.

"We should go, Jake."

He held up his car keys and opened the door for her. He was about to shut the door behind him when he stopped. He looked back at where he had been sitting.

"What the?" He spoke under his breath.

"Jake!"

"I'm coming." He mumbled.

What was up with that? He looked back at her, then back into his home. He had never heard anyone say it like that before.

"Jake!"

He shut the door and locked it.

He'd think about it later.

* * * *

It was cold.

And wet.

Sara Pezzini opened her eyes and squinted. There were several bright lights, but he rest of the area was bathed in darkness. Her head throbbed. She reached up to touch her temple. It was so sore.

Her hand came back down. Her finger tips showed traces of blood. He must have hit her there to knock her out.

The Witchblade was gone.

Seiji had warned her not to rely on it to protect her.

Why did she feel like she could go off by herself. She and Jake had discussed that they stood a better chance to together than alone. So what did she do? She walked into a dark alley. In New York City. Alone. And this is where it got her. She would just have to find a way out of this.

But she was on her own. Without the Gauntlet, she couldn't see Danny. She could do this. She would find a way. She wasn't going to be another one if this guy's 'pictures'. If anything, she'd redecorate with him.

Her surroundings finally came into focus. Oh great, it was the place from her vision.

"Forewarned. Forearmed, Sara." She whispered to herself.

"Okay, I-I need to find a weapon and look for a way out. I can't bee too far from the city if the tunnels look like this."

She stood up and steadied herself on the wall when the world began to spin. Perfect. She had a concussion.

"Can't let that bother me."

Sara picked a direction and began to walk. She kept her hand on the wall, and hoped that she wasn't going the long way. It looked like she was in one of the older subway tunnels. There would have to be some way to the surface. If the was going the right way. She might walk for miles until she found a way out. She wouldn't run. She had run in her vision, and she would do her damnedest to make sure nothing turned out like it did in that.

"No running in the halls." She joked to herself.

"Make it happen." She repeated it over and over in a hushed whisper.

She didn't need some funky hunk of metal to get out of this. She hadn't needed it before. She didn't need it now. But then, she hadn't dealt with any thing like this before she encountered the Witchblade. She had to admit, she had gotten used to being able to whip out the Blade and scare the shit out of her opponents.

Maybe this was a lesson. The girl from China had been punished in one of her dreams for her ego. Maybe this was the Blade's way of telling her that it wasn't a solution to everything in the world. And the vision had been her warning.

She should have known better than to get a straight answer from anything anymore. She side stepped a puddle of water and continued on down the tunnel. The slight rumbling above her signified a train moving past.

She was under the subway. These must be the maintenance tunnels. Sara continued to make her way down the corridor. The figure behind her kept himself at a safe distance.

It would be time soon, she was going right where he wanted her to be.

He smiled.

She would like the place he had chosen for her picture.

It was pretty. Like she was.

**********************************************************************

I have two papers due in about three weeks. They're fairly easy, but I need to concentrate on them. I'll try to get a chapter out next week sometime, but It's midterm time as well. :::Screams at the thought of more tests:::

I wish it were Saturday.