Disclaimer: Not mine. Only Rosalie and Misha.
Author's Note: Big thank you to Feral Shock and Brigitta, two of my more faithful reviewers. :o) But apart from you two, I get the feeling that no one is reading this. Don't know whether to continue or not, so I've decided that I'll give it one more chapter and see how it goes.
Chapter 13: The Invisible Man
She had spent the whole day of worrying herself sick about Brennan and wondering whether there was anything else she could do. This was the time she was waiting for, time for action. Inside the club, the music blared around her as she merged into the crowd. As she looked around, she could see no sign of Emma. That was good. Emma was staying out of sight. It was nearly 10 and still there was no sight of the man. She knew she wouldn't be able to recognise him by sight as she had never gotten a good view of him, but there was no sign of anyone looking out of place.
She felt a nudge in her back and whipped round, but there were so many people dancing it was impossible to see who it had been. She tried to get off the dance floor and over to the bar. Maybe one of the barmen could help her. As she pushed her way through the mass of bodies, a hand fell on her shoulder and whispered into her ear hoarsely,
"I said alone."
As she whipped round to see him, he had gone. She looked around wildly but could see nothing but people dancing and enjoying themselves.
"Did you see that Em?" she asked into her ring.
"See what?" came her reply.
"He was just behind me. I'm going to go see if any of the bouncers saw anything," she continued as she squeezed past a gyrating couple.
"I'm looking for a man," she told the nearest bouncer.
"Best place in town for that, lady," he replied with a grin.
"No, I mean someone who was here a moment ago. I need to speak to him, but I've lost him now. Did you see anyone in that area?" she asked again, gesturing.
"No, love, sorry. Have you tried at the bar?"
As she approached the bar, she saw that Emma had beaten her to it and was talking animatedly with the barman. When she saw Rosa approaching, she beckoned to her hurriedly.
"He says he saw the man, Rosa!"
"What did you see?" Rosa interrogated the young man.
He stuttered nervously. "I didn't really take a good look at him, miss." He turned pink. "But he said two ladies would be looking for him and to give you this," he handed over a crumpled piece of white paper.
Rosa took the paper, and frustrated with herself for not catching sight of him yet again, made her way outside.
Once out in the night air, she opened the paper.
"What does it say?" asked Emma.
Rosa read. "He will be killed. If you want to see him alive again, get to the St. Martin's Street warehouse before noon tomorrow."
Suddenly Emma stiffened. "He's still here," she whispered to Rosa. Rosa looked up, searching the dark alley for an unfamiliar shape. "Somewhere on our left," Emma whispered again, not lifting her head. Rosa nodded her understanding.
"You up for this?" she whispered back.
"Let's do it."
Together, they turned to their left as Rosa fired a streak of light into the corner. It illuminated the alley and outlined the dark shape, which turned to run. The two girls ran after him, determined not to let him get away. Emma stalled him as much as she could and as he slowed down, Rosa got a clear shot and blasted another streak of flame at him.
He turned just before it hit him, and massed as Jesse did. The blast did him no harm. Rosa and Emma stopped short when they saw him stand his ground. They stared at him as he glared back at them. Rosa summoned the glowing ball of fire in her hands and prepared to aim at him, when he suddenly faded into the background.
"Where'd he go?" cried Rosa dissipating the energy. "He just vanished into thin air!"
Emma stepped forward to survey the area. "It almost feels like he's still here," she said.
Suddenly, he materialised behind Emma, and before Rosa could shout out to warn her, he massed and brought his hands across to swipe the back of her head.
"Emma!" Rosa cried out as Emma fell to the floor, unconscious. She ran towards him, determined not to let him get away this time, but he had faded into the background again.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"You two should know better than to go to this sort of meeting alone," Adam admonished then once Emma had woken up back at Sanctuary, and the two girls had told him everything.
"I'm sorry Adam. I didn't know what to do for the best," Rosa explained, feeling dejected.
Adam relented a little. He couldn't bear to see any of his team looking so down in the mouth. Shalimar wasn't helping matters either by sulking in her room. She was annoyed that Rosa had told Emma about the meeting and had robbed her of an opportunity for a fight.
"From what you've told me, this man is a molecular with the powers of imperviousness and invisibility," he carried on. "It's a good thing you told me about tonight. If we're up against mutants, then we have to step up our precautions. This is more than I was expecting."
"Is there anything at all on him?" asked Emma.
"Nothing," interjected Jesse, who was busy on the computer. "The description is far too vague. You'd think that the GSA at least would have something on him. They've got info on everyone."
"Let's have a look at that note again," asked Adam.
"We have to go find him, Adam. If they're going to kill him its because of me. I have to get him out."
"This is not your fault, Rosalie," said Adam sternly. "Circumstances have conspired to put you in this position, but we're a team now and we'll work through this together."
"When?" she insisted.
Everyone stared at Rosa's comring as it suddenly crackled and came to life.
"Rosa!" came Brennan's voice.
"Bren! Where are you? I've been looking for you everywhere!"
"Rosa, be careful, don't worry about me." Brennan rushed over the words, slurring them, before he was cut off and a man's voice came over the ring.
"Highness, we have isolated the problem. He will never again threaten your reign. We will have him disposed by tomorrow. Until then." The clipped voice cut the link.
"What the hell was that all about?" Rosa demanded, shocked after hearing Brennan's voice.
Adam steeled himself to tell what he knew. "I didn't tell you the whole story last time we spoke about it," he began. "Do you remember I said her right hand man eventually killed her and set her people free? What I didn't tell you was that man was also her lover. The Firefly sect believes that the lover will again put an end to her reign. They are determined to prevent the same thing happening again."
Emma raised her hand to her mouth, shocked by what Adam was insinuating.
"They're going to kill him to protect me?"
"To protect Firefly."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Aren't I evil? (Evil cackle) I figured that if this doesn't entice people to review, nothing will. As I said earlier, I'll see what sort of response I get to this chapter before I write any more, so if you're enjoying it so far, let me know you're out there!
Author's Note: Big thank you to Feral Shock and Brigitta, two of my more faithful reviewers. :o) But apart from you two, I get the feeling that no one is reading this. Don't know whether to continue or not, so I've decided that I'll give it one more chapter and see how it goes.
Chapter 13: The Invisible Man
She had spent the whole day of worrying herself sick about Brennan and wondering whether there was anything else she could do. This was the time she was waiting for, time for action. Inside the club, the music blared around her as she merged into the crowd. As she looked around, she could see no sign of Emma. That was good. Emma was staying out of sight. It was nearly 10 and still there was no sight of the man. She knew she wouldn't be able to recognise him by sight as she had never gotten a good view of him, but there was no sign of anyone looking out of place.
She felt a nudge in her back and whipped round, but there were so many people dancing it was impossible to see who it had been. She tried to get off the dance floor and over to the bar. Maybe one of the barmen could help her. As she pushed her way through the mass of bodies, a hand fell on her shoulder and whispered into her ear hoarsely,
"I said alone."
As she whipped round to see him, he had gone. She looked around wildly but could see nothing but people dancing and enjoying themselves.
"Did you see that Em?" she asked into her ring.
"See what?" came her reply.
"He was just behind me. I'm going to go see if any of the bouncers saw anything," she continued as she squeezed past a gyrating couple.
"I'm looking for a man," she told the nearest bouncer.
"Best place in town for that, lady," he replied with a grin.
"No, I mean someone who was here a moment ago. I need to speak to him, but I've lost him now. Did you see anyone in that area?" she asked again, gesturing.
"No, love, sorry. Have you tried at the bar?"
As she approached the bar, she saw that Emma had beaten her to it and was talking animatedly with the barman. When she saw Rosa approaching, she beckoned to her hurriedly.
"He says he saw the man, Rosa!"
"What did you see?" Rosa interrogated the young man.
He stuttered nervously. "I didn't really take a good look at him, miss." He turned pink. "But he said two ladies would be looking for him and to give you this," he handed over a crumpled piece of white paper.
Rosa took the paper, and frustrated with herself for not catching sight of him yet again, made her way outside.
Once out in the night air, she opened the paper.
"What does it say?" asked Emma.
Rosa read. "He will be killed. If you want to see him alive again, get to the St. Martin's Street warehouse before noon tomorrow."
Suddenly Emma stiffened. "He's still here," she whispered to Rosa. Rosa looked up, searching the dark alley for an unfamiliar shape. "Somewhere on our left," Emma whispered again, not lifting her head. Rosa nodded her understanding.
"You up for this?" she whispered back.
"Let's do it."
Together, they turned to their left as Rosa fired a streak of light into the corner. It illuminated the alley and outlined the dark shape, which turned to run. The two girls ran after him, determined not to let him get away. Emma stalled him as much as she could and as he slowed down, Rosa got a clear shot and blasted another streak of flame at him.
He turned just before it hit him, and massed as Jesse did. The blast did him no harm. Rosa and Emma stopped short when they saw him stand his ground. They stared at him as he glared back at them. Rosa summoned the glowing ball of fire in her hands and prepared to aim at him, when he suddenly faded into the background.
"Where'd he go?" cried Rosa dissipating the energy. "He just vanished into thin air!"
Emma stepped forward to survey the area. "It almost feels like he's still here," she said.
Suddenly, he materialised behind Emma, and before Rosa could shout out to warn her, he massed and brought his hands across to swipe the back of her head.
"Emma!" Rosa cried out as Emma fell to the floor, unconscious. She ran towards him, determined not to let him get away this time, but he had faded into the background again.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"You two should know better than to go to this sort of meeting alone," Adam admonished then once Emma had woken up back at Sanctuary, and the two girls had told him everything.
"I'm sorry Adam. I didn't know what to do for the best," Rosa explained, feeling dejected.
Adam relented a little. He couldn't bear to see any of his team looking so down in the mouth. Shalimar wasn't helping matters either by sulking in her room. She was annoyed that Rosa had told Emma about the meeting and had robbed her of an opportunity for a fight.
"From what you've told me, this man is a molecular with the powers of imperviousness and invisibility," he carried on. "It's a good thing you told me about tonight. If we're up against mutants, then we have to step up our precautions. This is more than I was expecting."
"Is there anything at all on him?" asked Emma.
"Nothing," interjected Jesse, who was busy on the computer. "The description is far too vague. You'd think that the GSA at least would have something on him. They've got info on everyone."
"Let's have a look at that note again," asked Adam.
"We have to go find him, Adam. If they're going to kill him its because of me. I have to get him out."
"This is not your fault, Rosalie," said Adam sternly. "Circumstances have conspired to put you in this position, but we're a team now and we'll work through this together."
"When?" she insisted.
Everyone stared at Rosa's comring as it suddenly crackled and came to life.
"Rosa!" came Brennan's voice.
"Bren! Where are you? I've been looking for you everywhere!"
"Rosa, be careful, don't worry about me." Brennan rushed over the words, slurring them, before he was cut off and a man's voice came over the ring.
"Highness, we have isolated the problem. He will never again threaten your reign. We will have him disposed by tomorrow. Until then." The clipped voice cut the link.
"What the hell was that all about?" Rosa demanded, shocked after hearing Brennan's voice.
Adam steeled himself to tell what he knew. "I didn't tell you the whole story last time we spoke about it," he began. "Do you remember I said her right hand man eventually killed her and set her people free? What I didn't tell you was that man was also her lover. The Firefly sect believes that the lover will again put an end to her reign. They are determined to prevent the same thing happening again."
Emma raised her hand to her mouth, shocked by what Adam was insinuating.
"They're going to kill him to protect me?"
"To protect Firefly."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Aren't I evil? (Evil cackle) I figured that if this doesn't entice people to review, nothing will. As I said earlier, I'll see what sort of response I get to this chapter before I write any more, so if you're enjoying it so far, let me know you're out there!