Okay, sorry it's so short, but I'm getting ready to nuke everything on my hard drive, and I figured I should get this posted today. Anyway... here's the newest chapter, enjoy.





The sound of gunfire cut through the crisp night air, sending shockwaves through the air, and setting Eve's teeth vibrating, but she wasn't the one to fire. The next shot grazed her left ear, rending a gash in the cartilage before colliding with the wall at high velocity, and leaving a pit half an inch wide in the concrete block. Eve felt the trickle of blood slide down her earlobe and trace a path down her cheek.

She never took her gun off Faye, but with her free hand, she reached up to catch the drop where it collected on her jaw, and held up her fingers to examine it. Crimson, and smelling faintly coppery... she had to smile. I mean, god, she bled in red, just like everyone else.

When she found her voice, it was full of dark amusement.

"Maybe you should spend more of your free time at the firing range," she said, lightly, "your aim's a little off." She kept her gun on Faye, and didn't even turn to see who it was behind her. She could hear his breathing well enough to know he hadn't advanced.

"Oh, that?" the shooter replied innocently, "call that a practice shot, next time I'll open my eyes."

Eve glanced over her shoulder, and locked eyes with Jet. He had a determined look on his face... he reminded her of a pit bull, once he locked onto something, he wouldn't let go. That was a face full of tenacity, and determination. God she hated pit bulls. Ugly little fuckers.

She gave him a contemptuous smile.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the one armed man," she commented, and her smile twisted into a malignant sneer. "I go, she goes... get it, pal."

Jet's eyes narrowed. He was really beginning to hate this woman. "She goes, you go... now do *you* understand *me*?"

Eve tilted her head to one side, and raised one eyebrow into a perfect arch. "It appears we've reached a stalemate, then." But her eyes flashed triumph. She would take Corbin in exchange for Faye's life. She still got what she wanted.

"Not exactly," now it was Jet's turn to look triumphant, "In about 30 seconds, this place will be swarming with cops... I still have some sway in the ISSP." As if in response to his words, Eve heard the whine of police sirens. Distant, but fast approaching. She could quite easily have ducked into the alley behind the club... it wasn't more than a few feet away from her, and with her heightened reflexes, it was a safe bet she could get away from him and loose herself in the night. Alone. She wouldn't be able to take Corbin with her.

"Shit," she hissed under her breath.

"You're going to spend several years in the women's correctional facility for attempted murder."

That was all the encouragement she needed. She dashed for the shadows, and was swallowed up by night, leaving behind a curse.



Jet waited for the sound of the sirens to get closer, then pass, before he reached down to sling the two bodies over his shoulders.

"Idiots..." he told them, affectionately.





Irma inhaled, a deep even breath, and held it. She raised her arm slowly, apprehensively, and brought her knuckles into contact with the mahogany door. And waited. A moment later she heard a stirring behind the door, and she exhaled the breath she hadn't been aware she was still holding.

The wood budged slightly, and Irma spotted blue eyes in the crack.

She waved, sheepishly, and gave him a weak smile, almost tempted to say, "hi, remember me?" But that would be a stupid question, right? Who forgets the time they spent as a kidnap victiim? Certainly not John, for he opened the door the rest of the way, and waved the woman in.

"I didn't think I'd be seeing much of you anymore," he commented, as he led her into the livingroom. It was immaculate, nice, neat, tidy... just like John himself. Irma could see why Faye had liked him, a little order in her chaos... she could also see why it was destined to fail. Faye liked to take risks, and John was a sure thing.

She took a seat on his leather sofa, and accepted the tea he offered.

"How have you been adjusting to your new life of freedom?" he asked.

But that wasn't the question he really wanted to ask. She could see his true question on his face. How's Faye?

"I've been managing... it helps that Faye's been willing to give me a job."

"Oh," there was a pain behind his eyes now, and Irma had seen him wince at Faye's name. "And what is it you do for Faye?" Does she ever talk about me?

"I mostly talk to the clients, research job offers, then turn them over to Faye for approval."

"Ah..." Does she know where we went wrong?

"Right now, though, she doesn't have much need of my services."

"Why's that?"

"She's on a vacation, of sorts... something more pressing came up... that's actually part of the reason why I'm here." Irma dropped her head now, avoiding his searching gaze.

"What is it."

She reached into her pocket, and pulled out the band, running a finger over it to rid it of lint, then set it in the middle of the coffee table. "She doesn't have much work for me right now," she said quietly, "but she's got an awful lot on her plate... she couldn't make it to see you, but she needed to give you back this."

She still avoided his eyes, but risked a glance at his mouth. He worried his bottom lip with his teeth in a manner that was equal parts anger and sorrow. She felt terrible. She hadn't thought she would. John was a wonderful human being, that much she knew, he was the first man who had ever seen her as a person, not a possession. She was suddenly very angry with Faye. How could she hurt such a kind man... such a caring man? How could she leave him, when he was more wonderful a man than Irma could hope to deserve.

"Are you alright?" John's melodious voice cut through her thoughts, and she realized that she was crying.

She hurriedly wiped the salty droplets from her eyes. How embarrassing.

"Yeah, it's just..."

He caught Irma by the shoulders, and forced her to meet his gaze. There was an emptiness in his eyes, a wild desperate void. Faye had given back the ring... it was final... no hope for reconciliation.

He kissed Irma. He was one lonely soul, cut away from the one he loved, and he was searching for a companion. He didn't love Irma, but he didn't want to be alone.

Was this how Faye felt?





Faye was conscious, but she wished she wasn't. There seemed to be a sort of Fourth of July fireworks festival going on inside her head. The grand finale was when she sat up, and tried to open her eyes. Color, lights, explosion. She dropped back to her pillow, and shut her eyes tight. When she got her hands on that Eve, she'd make her wish that she'd never been born.

Eve. Oh, god. She must have been taken somewhere by her. She should be dead, why had Eve left her alive, and brought her along.

She pushed herself off her bed and forced her eyes open, ignoring the pain, and willing them to focus. She hadn't expected to find herself back in her room. She let out a sigh of relief. Jet must have found her and brought her home. Thank god for her friends.

Her door opened, and Jet came through, carrying a tray of chicken soup. God, he was truly a domestic.

She smiled at him, and he set the tray down on the side table.

"Glad to see you're up and about." he said enthusiastically. A little too enthusiastically. The volume was too much for her aching head to bear, and she cringed.

"Keep it down." she wishpered.

He chuckled, but nodded in agreement. "Sorry, it's just that we've found something very exciting."

Faye cocked and eyebrow, "oh?"

"Yeah, Corbin..."

"Corbin?." Her eyes were wide, she'd forgotten about Corbin. Was he okay, did Eve succeed in taking him back to 'Father?' Faye shuddered. She couldn't believe she'd let herself be beaten so easily. Eve didn't look like much, but she'd thrown Faye against the wall like a rag doll. There was definitely more to her than met the eye.

Jet saw the sudden panic in his partners face, and gave her a reassuring smile. "Not to worry, the tranquilizer Eve gave him was a powerful one, but he'll be awake soon enough."

Relaxed smiled back. "What happened?"

"Like I can trust you two to take care of yourselves," he said, grinning.

Faye punched him in the good arm, and sat back down on her bed.

"So, what's this 'exciting' news?" she asked.

Jet took a seat beside her, the grin on his face getting even wider. "Well, Eve didn't get out of that confrontation unscathed. I clipped her ear with a bullet. Drew blood." He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and waved it to illustrate his point. It was covered in dirt and blood. "This is what I mopped off of the asphalt."

"You have some strange hobbies, my man."

He gave her a sidelong glance before continuing, "I had this analyzed by a friend... what did he say... increased functionality, and mutative properties... something like that."

Faye went white. "What exactly are you saying?"

"She's stronger than the average human," that was true, and Faye had the bump on the back of her head to prove it, "and she's getting stronger. She's changing into something more powerful than we've ever seen." He gave her a sheepish smile. "That isn't all, a natural evolutionary step, or anythin. Eve, it would seem, was created in a lab, just like the newest member of our team... makes you wonder what else they have in common."