The candle sparked to life right in front of Rue as Dr. Yuni lit it. Rue's jaw clenched. She would not allow herself to panic or shrink away from the candles. Dr. Yuni looked at her evenly.
"How do you feel right now?"
"I feel like I want to blow those candles out."
"Why? Both the table and the candle holders are solid. The only way to knock the candle over is to touch it, and I promise you I will not."
"Things burn. Clothes, hair, skin." Rue only faintly understood she was barely speaking English.
"Yes, they burn, but those candles will not be enough to get to you hurt. Do you trust me, Rue?"
"As much as any technocrat trusts another."
In the eyes of Dr. Yuni this was only a neutral answer. Yes the ivory tower was a pillar of strength but its interior was plagued by cracks. In the field one had to be careful that their fellow associate's directors didn't have a vendetta against the one that you were dutifully engaged with- you could find yourself relieved of the habit of living.
"I can promise you, Rue, I will not turn you into a drone. I've looked at your work, it's amazing. You have a valuable mind in there and I would not take that away. Look at me, not the candles." Rue obeyed, looking at the other woman with a look like a fawn before a hungry wolf. "I want you to keep talking to me, Rue. Forget the candles, just look at me. Keep talking to me; think of it as a candlelit dinner."
"Never really had one of those," Rue admitted. Dr. Yuni raised a brow.
"A lovely woman like yourself not taken out for a candlelit dinner? What kind of men did you date?"
"The wrong kind, every time."
"I know what you mean," Yuni said. Rue realized that talking over the candles was calming. She relaxed slightly into the couch. "But I'm sure that's all changed now, with you the only female in Jynx's team. That must be nice."
"I like the work well enough," Rue admitted. "But I think Jynx was trying to hit on me yesterday."
"That's not surprising. He's never been very good with women, but it's sweet to watch him try."
"I've heard that he fell in love with a reality deviant."
"So have I. It's possible, but he does his work and he does it without complaint so I don't worry about it, and neither does anyone else I guess since he's never been sent here. Rue, I want you to keep talking, but don't watch me. Keep talking to me, but don't look away from where you are now." Dr. Yuni stood and Rue simply did as she was told.
"I don't know how much I should tell you. I know you are supposed to report to Jynx."
"On your progress only, but on what you actually say. Tell me what is on your mind, Rue." Dr. Yuni lit a match and lit two more candles. There were now four in the room, two in front of Rue, and two behind her. The agent recognized immediately what was happening, but faced forward.
"Lexx and I are having a secret relationship, which makes working with Jynx easier."
"Lexx?" Dr. Yuni said calmly. "Oh yes, the agent I spoke to first. He is handsome, congratulations."
"I don't know if you should congratulate me. He's been pushing ideas like weekend holidays, and me waiting for him to come home, and.and commitment!"
"This another fear of yours?" Yuni watched Rue carefully as she lit more candles. She seemed just fine so long as she was kept talking and focused. Perhaps the fear would be remedied quickly.
"I'm just not ready for it, that's all. Besides, Jynx doesn't like the idea of inter-office relationships. And, and well Lexx has gotten odd recently."
"How so?"
"His temper has gotten worse. He throws fits more randomly, but then will be all tenderness and sweetness the next minute. Just last night he got upset when Jynx walked me home to give me a file on our next mission. He accused me of cheating on him with Jynx when he knows that I have no interest in Jynx what-so-ever! When we started it was just about keeping each other warm, and helping me find my way around P.R.E. Now it's all about taking me to the coast, and telling me to wait at home for him like I'm some kind of dog! My mother was like that and she and I never got along. She wanted me to go to college to get married, and I wanted to go to get a masters. Once my tuition was paid, I stopped talking to her altogether, and then I joined the Technocracy."
"Where did you grow up?"
"That's an odd question, isn't it?"
"How so?" Yuni continued to light candles. There were almost sixteen candles lit now and Rue did not even seem to notice.
"I thought we were not supposed to discuss our old lives."
"That's true to a certain extent, but really it's more you're not supposed to re-visit your old life, it's all right to talk about it."
"I grew up in Boston. I was six years old when my brother was born, and ten when he was killed. My parents went to therapy for his death, but it was assumed it was too traumatic for me and I would forget about it. They were so wrong. I mean my friends never guessed I was scared of fire through out all of school. It didn't really effect me, except after my mom cooked and I would always check the stove to make sure she had turned it off. A few of my friends in college smoked, but assumed that because I didn't, that was why I asked them to smoke outside. They were fine with it.
"When I went to college, I did well, as was expected. I meant to go for pre-Engineering since I had always enjoyed logic. But I changed my mind when I took a military history class in ROTC. I loved the way that generals of the past had figured out the most effective use of weapons and strengths and weaknesses. I changed my major after the third class to history with an emphasis on combat. I've never looked back. I was supposed to join the army, but when they found out that fire made me nervous, they said it was a bad idea. So I finished my masters and then joined here. I dated a lot, but nothing ever serious."
"Rue," Dr. Yuni spoke softly. "I want you to look around the room." By now, Dr. Yuni had lit almost thirty candles. Rue sighed and looked around obediently.
"When did you light all of these?" she asked, her throat going dry.
"While you were talking. How do you feel?"
"I'm getting more and more nervous now that I see them."
"I thought so. Well I have good news, I don't think we'll need to do this again."
"Really?" It was the best news Rue had heard all week.
"Really." Dr. Yuni took her seat again. "Your problem is not really with fire, it's with control, you're merely projecting that fear onto something. You remember that you could not stop the fire from harming someone you cared about. Your frustration with Lexx is another example. You can't control it like you can control plans to invade forts or plants. If you're not in control, you get nervous. That's a whole different set of issues."
"So I'm a control freak?" Rue said simply. Dr. Yuni actually smiled.
"I would not put it that coldly, but you do have this need to be in control. Using this knowledge will help you with the fire wariness. Rue, I want you to get a lighter."
"A lighter?"
"Yes. A lighter is a way that man has learned to control fire. Once you learn that fire can be controlled, the more comfortable with it you'll be. All I want you to do is to play with the lighter. Do it during your off time, before you go to bed, or while you're alone. Still come to talk to me once a week, I think this will work, but perhaps there is something I missed. You're free to go. I will tell Jynx why you suddenly have a lighter, but nothing else."
"Actually, Dr. Yuni, I was wondering if you could help me. Jynx does not feel that I should be on this latest misson because of my fear. Would you tell him that it is all right for me to go?" Dr. Yuni tapped her lips with her pen.
"I will tell him that it would not be damaging for you to be on the mission, but ultimately it is his choice to let you on or not."
"Thanks," Rue said and left the candle filled room. She realized as she rushed to into the main building that she was not shaking, or sweating, or showing any other sign of fear. The only thing she looked like, she realized, is a New World Order agent rushing to a meeting with her director- which was exactly what she was.
Jynx was alone in his office when she entered. He smiled to her as she came in. Rue smiled back softly and adjusted her black blazer.
"I'm sorry for being late," she started before Jynx stopped her.
"It's all right, you're not anyway."
"Oh good. Actually, I was hoping to talk to you. When I was going through the file last night, I came across a page that seemed to be missing."
"Missing?" Rue opened the file and handed him the seemingly random page.
"There's no first page, no profile, not even a picture." Jynx tucked the page into his desk and cleared his throat.
"Clerical mistake." He said rather unconvincingly. Rue raised a brow and opened her mouth to question him further, but the door opened as Agent Marshal Augustis entered. He nodded to Jynx and Rue before taking a seat on the couch. Augustis was the oldest member of the team: his brown hair was balding on top, forming a horse shoe pattern. His face was etched with frown lines and crow's feet and it seemed as if he was permanently sucking on something sour. Lexx and Wulf entered not too long afterwards. Wulf winked and formed a gun from his hand to Rue as he sat on the love seat. Lexx did not even seem to recognize director or agent as he sat beside Augustis. Jynx left his desk and sat with Wulf. A tap on top of Jynx's desk displayed blue prints of what could have been an office building.
"Gentlemen," Rue began. "What you're looking at is the blue prints of BioForge's head. This location, set in the middle of Berlin, is the birthing place of all other BioForge buildings. From here BioForge runs all its administrative duties, as well as the standard operations for BioForge, which is largely Progenitor run, as you all well know. Due to some clever paper trails and red tape, compliments of the Syndicate, most Deviants would not be able to locate that this is the perfect position to plan a terrorist attack. The fact that we are looking at it, of course, means that a few have."
Rue tapped the top of the desk again and the slide moved to display a man with spiked red hair, cherry red sunglasses, dressed in parachute pants and red suspenders. "This is the suspected leader. His name is DropOff and his record is impressive. He was the dread of P.R.I.S.M, our stronghold in his home town of Springfield. The least of his antics include the burning, twice, of Springfield."
The agent tapped the desk again and a woman with ebony hair and dark brown eyes dressed in tight fitting black pants and a black tank top. "This is Belle Flower, assassin extraordinaire. She is most likely to be second in command of this outfit. Her killing record is notable and she has been careful to stay off our radar so there is not much known about her."
Another tap and the screen showed another woman, this one a blond dressed in a black skirt and tube top under a trench coat. "This is Kharma, she is probably Belle's protégée. Her record of direct killing isn't impressive, but she was probably the practical joke queen of her high school with all the 'accidents' that happen to the agents which run into her."
She tapped the desk again and the slide moved to show a blue haired man in black leather with blue flames at the bottom of the pants and trench coat. "This is Teke, a friend of DropOff's. His record of trouble making spans the globe, although he is not as much of a bane as DropOff. Teke's father is the leader of the Syndicate in Springfield." A final click showed a man in full black. "This is Ebon Phoenix. He helped burn Springfield to the ground, and has been a bane to P.R.I.S.M.
"So there you have it, gentleman. These five R.D.'s are planning on attacking BioForge within the week from what we have found."
"How do we know the time?" Wulf asked.
"It seems that two Virtual Adepts isn't enough to get everyone over to Germany. They are flying by plane. I have already taken the liberty of locating the gate and time."
"If this place is run by Progenitors, why are they asking for help?" Lexx asked.
"They aren't, but there are flaws in the security that would allow for clever Deviants to get in and trash the place." Rue tapped the desk again, returning to the blue print screen. "To begin with, the guards at the door are human. It would do to change them to Go-bots, or even Void Engineers. Additionally there has not been much in the way of interior cameras. Of course, this is supposed to be just an office building so there isn't much need for security. A few outdoor cameras that are turned on when the building closes, and a few interior cameras incase there is a problem. The interior cameras are only in the lobby though. I could crack into this place when I was ten, these five will have little trouble. That's if they are planning on even really attacking at all."
"What do you mean?" Jynx asked.
"I mean that BioForge, like P.R.E actually took time to add in landscaping. The front would burn easily, providing the perfect distraction to allow the five of them to get in. As you can see, the ways in are multiple, especially when dealing with R.D.'s as dangerous as this."
"Suggestions for actions?" Augustis asked calmly.
"Debatable. We could leave tomorrow and be ready for the five to appear, but that would give them time to realize we are on to them. Another option is simply warning BioForge about the attack. It will be hard for them to believe, but if they follow standards, they'll beef up security a little. The final option is head them off at the airport. This would be the most beneficial, in my opinion since we know where they are headed, and when. We could get there plenty of time in advance and catch them."
"That would risk exposing them to the masses," Augustis pointed out.
"True," Rue agreed, turning off the projector and turning on the lights. "However, it would be the easiest way of apprehending them without a sack and sweep of Springfield. These R.D.'s are dangerous, a public humiliation could be just what they need to realize they are an insult."
"Besides," Wulf put in calmly, his eyes closed. "If they try anything on us, reality will do our work for us." No one argued with him. Wulf had worked with the team well enough that any thoughts of treachery had been erased. He had yet to fail to provide information that had been live saving.
"Perhaps we should warn BioForge anyway? Just in case?" Lexx offered. Jynx nodded,
"It will at least warn them we are coming. This would also avoid the nasty need to involve Control." Everyone in the room flinched. Control was the ultimate Director, deciding which Technocrat would live, and which would die. Jynx's hope to avoid the involvement of Control was pointless, but if the team was quiet about it, Control would not feel the need to involve itself. "Is there anything else, Agent?"
"Not unless you want the time and gate information now, but that's subject to change. Front Line airports are skittish recently."
"Then just keep an eye on it, and let us know if you can think of any other ways to head off the R.D.'s. I came from Springfield, all of these deviants deserve watching. Dismissed." Jynx stood and went back to his desk as he spoke. Rue took her time removing the miniature compact disk and organizing her file.
"Hungry, Rue?" Lexx asked as he approached.
"Not particularly, Agent Lexx, but thank you for asking." She turned her back to him and listened as he walked away. He would be hurt that she did not eat with him, but there were more important things to discuss with Jynx. At last it was only the director and the agent.
"Did you want to talk, Melonie?" the hopefulness in Jynx's voic was undeniable. "You have not spoken to me since last week. I was worried I had offended you in some fashion."
"No, Greg, you didn't offend me. I was hoping to discuss something with you. I had an appointment with Dr. Yuni just before this meeting. She told me that my problem is not so much that I fear fire, but that I have the urge to control."
"You would not be one of the top agents in your field if you did not," Jynx replied.
"Regardless, she has asked me to purchase a lighter, since that is a way to control fire and agreed that it would be all right for me to attend the mission." Rue held her breath as she watched her director. Dr. Yuni could say what she wished, but the decision would ultimately be Jynx's.
"Melonie, I'm trying to watch out for your safety," he said, leaning forward on the desk.
"And what about the team's safety? Say there is a security feature that I assumed would be there, and it isn't? What if there's a last minute decision that must be made? You're having me hold all the information, but you're risking me not even being there to give you updates!" she had not meant to get so passionate about going, but she could not resist. Jynx ran his fingers through his hair and sighed again.
"Melonie."
"Greg, please. My problem is the need for control and without being with the team, I will feel like I have none. Now, you can risk me freezing up when fire starts but know that all angles will be covered, or you can keep me cooped up in P.R.E and run the potential of me being out of the loop. Which would you rather have?" Her brow raised questioningly and their eyes met for a moment.
"I understand, Melonie, truly, I do. All right," Jynx threw his hands out as if giving up. "All right, you'll come with us. I'll add your name to the roster so my directors know." Rue smiled as sweetly as she could.
"Truly? Oh thank you, Greg. You won't regret this, I promise."
"I hope not. If there's nothing else, you may go." With a second smile, Rue left, her spirits lifted
Click.
Lexx looked over to Rue as she sat cross legged in only her underwear on his bed. With a flick of her wrist she turned her new silver lighter on and off, letting the flame glow for a moment before closing it again.
Click.
"How long are you going to play with that thing?" He asked with an edge in his voice.
Click.
"Until I can hold the flame for more then thirty seconds without getting worried," she replied casually.
Click.
"Do you have to do it now?" He asked, crawling towards her on the opened futon.
Click.
"The sooner I get used to it, the better this next mission will be for all of us. I got Jynx to let me go, I have to make sure that I don't make him look bad."
Click.
Lexx snatched the closed lighter from her hand, "But it's annoying, my love, and there are other things that wouldn't mind being controlled by you."
"Simon!" she protested, reaching for the lighter which Lexx kept well out of her reach. "Come on, if I learn to be all right with this, then my dreams might stop haunting me."
"If I don't let you sleep, you can't dream now can you?" Lexx tossed the lighter aside and grabbed Rue, pinning her down. "Kiss me, Melonie," He demanded in a way that was almost playfully.
"Simon, let me go, you know I don't like this!"
"Kiss me and I'll let you go," he countered. Rue made the mistake of looking into his eyes. There was an animalistic quality that chilled her insides as if she had swallowed liquid nitrogen. He looked as likely to kiss her as he was to kill her.
"Lexx," she pleaded in a whisper. "Stop this! Let me go!"
"Why?" he hissed, leaning closer to her. "Why should I do what you or anyone else asks of me?"
"This is crazy! Let me go!" Rue twisted her wrists to try and escape. Lexx growled and squeezed hard enough for her to hear her wrists pop threatening, as if they were on the verge of breaking. Jynx's words came back to her suddenly "I would have to suggest caution on your part with Lexx".
"Why?" He demanded again. "Why should you or I have to take orders? Why don't we leave, together, just you and me? We'll take our shades and take a car and we'll leave."
"Simon!" Rue shrieked before latching onto his lips with her teeth and pulling. Lexx screamed and shoved away from her. Rue released him, licking blood away from her lips as she got to her feet
"You bitch!" Lexx screamed and backhanded Rue viciously, sending her sprawling to the floor. She looked back as Lexx wiped blood from his mouth. He glared at her imperiously from the futon. Part of Rue told her that Lexx was done with his attack, even with the malicious, vengeful gaze that bore into her chest. She got to her feet and pulled on her long blazer which covered her half way to her knees. Without looking back she grabbing her pants and her lighter before running out, slamming the door behind her.
The agent hurried back to her own room, swallowing back sobs until she was safely behind her own locked and bolted door. Hurriedly, Rue closed the blinds that hung by the window slits, she knew perfectly well that no one would be able to look into her room, and that she had no real reason to close the blinds, but before she could think about it, the room was sealed off from the eyes of the world. The agent felt herself curl into a ball inside, somewhere just below her heart.
She hated Lexx, but she loved him, and without him there were thousand of predators just outside her room that would take her out. She would not have the strength or will to out run them, and no one would be there to rescue her because the only person she could trust to had, if even for a moment, become a predator himself. In the back of her mind, Rue heard a tiny, mocking voice which seemed to always tell the truth. This time it told her that she would go back to Lexx, even after he had struck her, and that she would always keep coming back to him again and again and again. She had no one else to turn to, the world was too big, too scary, for her to ever survive alone in, the voice told her.
Her sobs fought with her body's demand to breath and the salt from the tears burned against her bruise. Her wrists' throbbed and she could hardly flex her fingers. Tears blurred her eyesight as she stumbled into her kitchen. With a loud sob that sounded as if she had been stabbed, she plunged her hands into the ice tray. Her cheek throbbed with her heartbeat and the cold air of the freezer felt so cold, it burned her.
Once she could not feel either of her hands, and most of her tears had dried, Rue stumbled away from the freezer and into the bathroom to look at her cheek. Already the bruise was turning purple, with green on the edges. Clever make-up and hair would, perhaps, keep anyone from noticing before it healed, but only if she was very careful. Her eyes puffy, crimson, and sore from her tears, Rue stumbled into bed. She collapsed on the pillows and clutched one as if it would guard her from the monster in the closet.
"Only the monster isn't in the closet," she said aloud. "The monster is five doors down the hallway!"