To Ageless, for hauling my ass out of the fire, and preventing me from fucking up this chapter completely. Thanks, babe - I owe you one. I'll even write that pro-Guardians plotbunny for you without complaining too much ^^

A/N 1: As in the previous chapters – ideas for fic and character development, questions, plotbunnies, suggestions, flames, character pictures, corrections, additions, comments, and everything in between can be mailed to hack_heaven@usa.net

Italics indicates thoughts/telepathy

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Chapter Forty-Five: Debt of Honor, part II

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When Jordane entered the girls' room half an hour later, she wasn't surprised to find that the rest of the team was already there. Zach looked at her, his gaze lingering on her for a second, but Jordane fought back confusion she felt and looked the boy straight in the eyes with obvious defiance. For a moment neither moved, then Zach looked away, a hint of defeat in the motion, and Jordane crossed the room to join Blade at the opposite side of the room.

"Is everything all right?" Blade asked calmly, without looking up from the maps he and Hal were studying, planning their future route. Zach looked up sharply, feeling a shiver run down his spine. The words sounded perfectly innocent, but were anything but - with that one sentence Blade had made Zach aware that he knew something had happened, and that it was only a matter of time before he'd find out the details.

Damn.

Zach forced himself to act casually and waited nervously for Jordane's reply, unsure as to how much she would actually tell the older mutant.

"I'm fine," Jordane finally replied uneasily. "Just a bit tired."

Blade nodded, apparently accepting the explanation, and Jordane felt a pang of relief. Not relief on her own behalf, but relief on Zach's. The kiss hadn't meant anything - it was just an argument gone out of hand, a one-time mistake, and none of Blade's business. But Zach - he was a good guy, and he didn't deserve the hell Blade was sure to unleash on him if the truth about the kiss came out. No. She'd made the right decision, she knew that.

With forced casualness she sat down on the bed next to Blade, never noticing the small smirk on her partner's face.

Blade wasn't blind, far from, and he knew that she was hiding something from him. It was nearly impossible for her to lie to him--he knew her far too well for that. And whatever it was she was hiding, he was pretty sure it had something do to with Zach. Talking to Jordane would have been the next logical step for the boy, even if he had been ordered to leave the matter alone.

Oh, well. Blade could be patient when needed be, and he'd find out the truth soon enough. And if it turned out that Zach had been getting involved in things that were none of his business...well, then Blade would find a way to deal with Zach's annoying habit of prying -- permanently.

Laetitia's cell phone rang, interrupting Blade's train of thoughts, and he returned to the maps, listening with half an ear to Laetitia's side of the conversation.

"Yes?"

"It would seem that you're in luck, Nike," a familiar voice replied, a hint of a Russian accent accompanying the words. "The area appears calm for the time being."

"Sergey," Laetitia stated, surprised that he'd bothered to call her back personally instead of letting one of his employees handle it. Not that she was going to tell that to him - she was too much of a professional to show any weakness in front of other.

"Yes. Things appear to be calm. There are rumors about a FoH attack of some sort, but nobody is sure about the details. Once you get out of town, that should no longer be a threat."

Laetitia smiled slightly.

"Well, that's certainly good news. How much do we owe you for that?"

Sergey paused.

"Let's call it a favor between professionals...if I can convince you to do something for me."

"And what would that be?" Laetitia replied suspiciously. She wasn't trusting by nature, and Sergey's choice of words didn't make things better.

"Nothing much...just tell your boss that I have a job for him," Sergey replied, a vague amusement accompanying the words. Amusement at her suspiciousness, probably, much as Laetitia hated to admit that.

She frowned.

"We're not taking jobs right now - not until we've reached a safe place to stay, at least."

"Oh, he'll take this one. Tell him I have a bullet I want to return," Sergey clarified. "He'll know what I mean."

Bullet?

Laetitia's eyes flashed towards Blade, her gaze resting on the man for a brief moment. It wasn't often she didn't understand what was going on, but right now...whatever it was, she was starting to have a bad feeling about it.

"...Alright," she said. "Hang on for a moment."

Laetitia covered the mouthpiece of the cell-phone with her thumb, then looked at the bed where Blade, Jordane, and Hal were studying the maps, quietly discussing the best route south.

"Blade?" The man looked up questioningly, and Laetitia continued. "Sergey has a job for you."

"We're busy," Blade ordered curtly and looked at the maps again.

"I told him that," Laetitia said. "He says he has a bullet he wants to return," she added, watching the man carefully.

Blade's head instantly snapped up, all tiredness gone in a second. There was something in his eyes, something Laetitia could almost - *almost* - recognize, but she dismissed it as too unlikely.

If she hadn't known any better, she could have sworn it was fear.

"Blade...?" Laetitia asked.

Blade didn't reply, but got up and grabbed the phone in a quick, fluent motion. He covered the mouthpiece with his thumb, then sent his teammates a sharp look.

"Get out. Now!" he snapped, and his voice left no room for argument.

The others exchanged a confused look, but did as they were told and left the room. Jordane got up and walked over to Blade, putting a hand on his shoulder, and Laetitia got the distinctive feeling that Blade wasn't the only one who was involved in...whatever this was. She hesitated a moment, then pushed the door shut. Whatever was going on, it was bad news, and that made it her business. Blade's pale eyes rested on her for a moment, but he didn't object, and turned his attention to the phone instead.

"What do you want?" Blade asked coldly

"You owe me a favor, Heron," Sergey replied with a faint amusement, obviously enjoying the situation he'd put the younger mercenary in. "And I have a situation I want you to handle."

Blade didn't reply, and the Russian continued.

"A good friend of mine was captured in New York two days ago. She is a young mutant named Rina Kells. She was transported to Chicago yesterday and is currently being held in the temporary prison facilities. Get her out of there, alive and unharmed, and we're even."

"Why us?" Blade demanded. "You have dozens of people who could handle that...why us?"

"You're currently closest to the prison. You must understand, Heron, that I can't risk having her transferred to an internment camp. Get her out of there, and we're even. Do we have a deal?"

Every instinct in Blade's body told him to say no and get the hell out of town - something felt wrong, and chances were that it wasn't good news for Jordane and him. He didn't trust Sergey on a good day and this sudden 'favor' wasn't making things any better.

But he didn't have a choice, and they both knew that.

"Deal," Blade replied resignedly.

"Excellent. I'll contact you in a five days," Sergey said, and before Blade had the chance to reply, the connection was cut. Blade sighed and tossed the cell phone back to Laetitia.

"Blade...?" Jordane sent him a concerned look. "What did-"

"See if you can get a copy of the plans over the temporary prison here in Chicago," Blade interrupted. "We'll need them as soon as possible."

He could see that Jordane wanted to know what was going on, but he held up his hand to stop her before she could ask.

"I'll explain later. Just get the plans."

Jordane nodded and left the room, already going through a mental list of people who might be able to get the information they needed. Laetitia followed her with her eyes until the door closed, then turned to Blade.

"I though you said that we weren't going to take a job until we had reached a safe area," she noted.

Blade glared at her, but didn't reply, and Laetitia continued.

"What's going on?" she asked softly. "I know you, Blade, and I know you're not the kind of person who'll accept a job you don't want to take."

Blade sighed and sat down heavily in one of the chairs. Under normal circumstances he probably wouldn't have bothered to explain his reasons to anyone, save maybe Jordane, but in this case...in this case he could make an exception. At least when it came to Laetitia. She knew how the world worked, and didn't have the same foolish optimism and morality that most of the others carried around.

"It's a bit of a special case, Nike."

"What's going on?" Laetitia repeated and Blade motioned for her to sit down.

"I don't know if Jordane told you, but we've been here before...three years ago, actually," he began.

"She did...she said that this was where she got her first gunshot wound," Laetitia confirmed, and Blade sent her a humorless smile.

"Yes...because of me," he admitted. "We'd just completed an assignment in this area. We probably stayed here a bit longer than was wise, but at that time I didn't think about it - it had been a hard job, and both of us just wanted to get it over with. We were preparing to leave, when...she was shot by a sniper. We later found out that I was the intended target, but they fucked up."

"How bad was it?" Laetitia asked, not wasting her time on disbelief or shocked remarks. She knew the risks of their profession, and she knew that they could easily find themselves in the receiving end of a bullet. She'd even found herself in that situation on one or two occasions. At best, an encounter like that was an annoyance. At worst, it was fatal.

"It was bad. One shot in the chest, one in the stomach."

Laetitia winced slightly, but Blade ignored it.

"She was brought to a hospital, but they couldn't fix her, only buy her a short time," he continued. "She needed a healer, and Sergey was the best chance of finding one."

"He suggested a deal?" Laetitia guessed, and Blade snorted.

"Deal...blackmail...what's the difference?" he asked tiredly. "As things were, he saved Jordane, but kept the bullets as proof of the debt I owed him. Two bullets, two...favors. I repaid part of my debt two years ago..."

"...And now he's calling in the second favor," Laetitia finished. There was no reaction from Blade, and she continued. "What does he want?"

Blade sighed and walked over to the window, watching the city for a moment.

"He wants us to get a friend of his out of Chicago. She's a mutant named Rina Kells - she was caught in New York, and transported to the temporary prison here in Chicago. Probably because the New York prison facilities are already overloaded as it is," he added.

Laetitia frowned.

"Rina Kells? The name rings a bell...I think we've met her before," she said slowly, then continued as she saw Blade raise an eyebrow questioningly. "While the team was split up - we had to stay in a safehouse for a night, along with another mutant...her, I suspect."

"Interesting..." There was no indifference or ridicule in Blade's voice, only careful consideration as he added this new piece to the mental puzzle that was his and Jordane's future mission. "Did she seem important to you?" he asked, and Laetitia shook her head.

"Quite frankly, no," she replied. "This whole thing doesn't seem right - Sergey would never go through this much trouble for one mutant, no matter how powerful their mutation might be. It feels like a trap. "

"And it probably is," Blade replied with surprising calm. "But what choice do we have?"

None, Laetitia admitted silently. She knew Sergey, and she knew how he worked. You didn't say 'no' to him, not if you wanted to survive another day. His network of criminals reached far - you could run, but you could never disappear forever. Sooner or later, someone would find you, and that would be the end of it. Accept the mission and walk into a trap, or decline and get killed.

"We're accepting the job - neither of us want to just sit around and wait for someone to shoot us. This way, at least we'll have a chance," Blade told her.

And that, Laetitia realized, was what it all boiled down to: death by your own terms, or death by another's.

Blade was a fighter. He might not follow the same code of honor as most other fighters, but he was a fighter nonetheless. And like any other fighter, he had no desire to die from a bullet in the back, or a colorless poison in his drink. If his time had come, he intended to go down fighting, and take as many of his enemies with him as he could.

Laetitia knew this, and recognized it in herself. She wanted to die fighting, and not like some defenseless old woman in her bed. As a fighter she wanted to see death coming, and meet it with the resolve that fitted someone like her.

Yes, Sergey's assignment was most likely a trap. Yes, there was a real possibility that they would get killed, but if that happened, at least they would die on their own terms.

"You knew, didn't you?" Laetitia asked softly.

"That this deal was likely to get me in trouble?" Blade asked. "Of course. But I didn't have a choice. I was the one who got Jordane into this life to begin with, and that makes her my responsibility."

Laetitia didn't reply, and Blade continued.

"Tell the rest of the team to pack their things," he ordered, and he was back to the cold professional once again. "Melee and I will meet up with you in a week in Denver...that should give us enough time to get the girl out of prison and meet with the rest of you. Take the cars - we'll rent one instead. It's easier that way."

"No," Laetitia said and shook her head.

Blade raised an eyebrow.

"'No'?" he repeated. "It wasn't a suggestion, Nike, it was an order."

"What I meant was that I'm coming with you," Laetitia elaborated, and continued as she saw Blade's surprised expression. "You'll have a better chance of succeeding if I come along, we both know that. Besides, this is what you pay me to do, isn't it?"

And if I die, at least it will be on my own terms, and not because I've been hunted down like a dog by the feds, she added silently. The feds were closing in on her, and she knew that if - when - they found her, it would end in an ambush, and not a direct attack. She could run and hide, yes, but she didn't want to spend the rest of her life hiding. And she didn't want it to end in an ambush, either - she was a professional, trained to be the best. As her father had told her so often, it was better to take your enemies with you in death than die running.

Maybe she was suicidal. Maybe she had a death wish. Either way, she owed Blade and Jordane her help. If nothing else, then because of the quite generous salary Blade paid her - that certainly justified taking a few risks, And besides...if Sergey started to believe that Blade wouldn't keep his part of the deal, the remaining members of the Shadow Alliance could easily find themselves in the line of fire. Laetitia couldn't risk that, not with Pheonix around.

"And you're sure about this?" Blade asked. "You're not usually the type to put yourself in potentially fatal situations unless it's necessary."

"'Fatal situation' is such an ugly term. Let's call it a calculated risk instead," Laetitia replied, and Blade sent her a long, measuring look before nodding slightly.

"In that case, we'll appreciate your help."

Laetitia accepted the words with a small nod.

"Let's put Jhonen or Hal in charge of the team until we're reunited again," Blade continued. "Quite frankly, I'm not sure I trust Zach right now. With his current habit of meddling he could easily get the others into trouble."

"Jhonen isn't ready for that kind of a responsibility yet...and I don't think the others are ready to accept him as a leader, however short it may be. Hal would be the better option of the two, even if she isn't much for leadership," Laetitia suggested.

"Probably, yes," Blade agreed. "Talk to the others and explain to them that we have something to do. I'll talk to Hal."

Laetitia nodded, and the two left to room to find their teammates.

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"Excuse me?" Hal asked, staring at her boss in disbelief.

"I said, Melee, Nike, and I have something to take care of," Blade repeated. "We'll meet up with you in Denver in a week. Until then, you're in charge of the team."

Hal frowned.

"But...me? Why not Zach? He's better suited for a leader role, even if it *is* temporary."

"I have my reasons," Blade replied coldly.

Hal wanted to ask exactly what those reasons were, but wisely chose to remain silent. Whatever was going on, it had put Blade in a bad mood, that much was for sure. But that still didn't explain why he'd decided to give *her* control of the team - after Jordane and Laetitia, his usual choice would be Zach. Sure, Zach was younger than Hal, but he did have a certain potential for leadership. He'd handled the job well before...why would Blade suddenly leave him out of the equation?

But whatever the reason, Blade wasn't about to tell her, and Hal knew that.

"Exactly where in Denver do we meet?" she asked, deliberately changing the subject.

Blade handed her a piece of paper and a credit card, and Hal checked the address he'd written down, then looked at him questioningly.

"It's a motel in the downtown area," Blade explained. "If we're not there within a week, get the hell out of there and continue south," he ordered. "*Don't* try to come back - if we don't succeed, there is no chance you will, either."

"Succeed in what?" Hal asked worried. "What kind of assignment is it?"

Blade smirked, but there was no amusement in his eyes.

"It's not an assignment - more like a favor we owe to a...friend."

"It doesn't sound very friendly to me," Hal pointed out softly, but Blade sighed.

"Just tell the others to pack their things. You leave tomorrow."

He didn't bother to wait for a reply, but left the room in search off Jordane, leaving a thoughtful Hal behind.

The young albino wasn't stupid - far from. She'd spent years surviving by her wit alone, using her powers only as an absolute last resort. She knew that this sudden split would weaken the team significantly. Their main strength wasn't their powers or weapons, it was the diverse personalities that made up the team. Blade, Jordane, and Laetitia's ruthlessness was balanced out by the consideration they had to show to the younger members of the team. Her own and Aaron's fairly defensive powers were balanced out by Zach and Pheonix' offensive powers.

It was all a matter of balance...and now the balance was being destroyed.

Hal sat down, suddenly feeling more than a bit tired as she realized the consequences of the split. Blade, Jordane, and Laetitia were nothing short of psychotic when they worked together, and this time there would be no one to prevent things from getting out of hand.

And her own part of the team...that didn't look much better. With Nike and Blade out of the equation, they had lost two of the team's heavy-hitters. If they got into any trouble, they would have to rely on Pheonix's and Zach's powers...and Pheonix' powers would be severely limited as they were heading in-land. Sure, there would always be small areas of water for her to manipulate, but nothing that would make her able to cause the same destruction as she could when she was near the ocean. Hal's own powers were largely defensive, as were Aaron and Jhonen's. That left Zach's power as protection...and if that weren't enough, they would have to use firearms instead.

Hal shook her head, then slowly got out of the chair.

We're in trouble...we're in big trouble.

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