Disclaimer: (Sorry, I keep forgetting to put this…)

I own nothing except Black Cat, Sam and the plot. Unfortunately I can't say that I own Ranger. If I did I wouldn't be typing here so…have fun reading!

Twitch in my eye: Thanks for the review!

Yazmari: Thanks! Did you read the other story? My first one? There are 12 or 13 chapters now!

Right people, enjoy!

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The rest of the day, I spend wondering, buying black clothes for tonight and memorizing the area that looks vaguely familiar.

I go back to the hotel to find my room as I left it, except for the broken mic on the bed, which I had 'accidentally', rolled on while leaving the car park at Pino's this afternoon.

I smile, pick the mic up and throw it in the bin.

Then I shower, dress in my new, tight black pants and skin tight top, get my bag and check the contents.

Oil for the vent if the door squeaks, gun, torch light, wallet without my identity card just in case and last but not least, a small smoke grenade I managed to buy a while off.

I smear a bit of black paint on my face and look at the results. Horrible. I grin.

I get the file from the bed and go out again.

This job will be easy. These guys will expect a strategic attack. Bombs…stuff like that.

I am stealth. I am the shadow. Yeah, I know, very Yoda.

The Mercedes is left a few blocks off and I walk the rest of the way, making sure to stay in the dark alleys, avoiding any possible street cameras.

I soon pop out right where I had look from my car and see the vent.

The guards are playing cards not far off and the cameras make their circular routine.

I stay, counting the seconds I have in between the gaps of the cameras then, taking a deep breath; I make my way stealthily forward.

I get to the shaft a few minutes later, having almost stumbled and been heard but thankfully making it all right.

I try to open it but it is locked. You sure didn't make this easy for me Doe...Vinnie…whatever your name is…

I take my lock picks out and select one. The lock soon pops open with a blessed silence and I open the shaft slowly, pouring the oil hastily as it starts to make the tell-tale signs of loud squeaking.

I sight in relief when it opens smoothly and slide in, carefully closing the lid over me.

The hole is indeed just my size. I can barely move.

I worm my way forward and arrive at a small grill.

Storage room. Ug…unused for a while from the looks of it too.

I push the grill until it gives way and lets me through, scratching me a little but nothing major.

I land stealthily and look around. Nothing. No noise either.

I walk to the door and open a millimeter, peeking through cautiously. Great. More cameras.

I slip out just as the camera faces the other way and hide in an office.

I pull the map out and check my current location.

Ok, I have to climb a flight of stairs, find the 'file room', enter, steal the file and go out.

Great plan. My mind drawls sarcastically.

I grimace and put it away.

It takes me ten minutes to make it out of the stairs without being seen by cameras and another ten to slip into the 'file room'.

I sight in relief and carefully pick the lock of the biggest drawer.

Three more drawers are opened before I get the file out.

Doe had specifically said that it was in a plastic coat and I should not open it.

Sucker! I hate being kept in the dark!

I carefully remove the plastic and open the file, using my torchlight to read.

Joe Morelli.

Suspected in murder of young woman.

Age 26, male, Caucasian. Officer at Trenton Police Station.

Possible connections with the Slayers.

I bite back a gasp and stuff the file in my bag, searching through the whole office before leaving again, another file in hand with more interesting details.

The Slayers are known worldwide. Shit Mafiosos. Woops. Doe's bodyguards could very well be Mafiosos.

The way back goes smoothly until I reach a corridor and a guard seems me. SHIT! How come I didn't hear him?

"Stop! Don't move!"

Like I'll actually listen? What a dreamer!

I turn and run, still staying to the shadows, positive he didn't get a good look at me, besides, I have war paint on.

A sizzling pain almost makes me fall as the guard fires and the bullet grazes my shoulder.

Cursing, I look backwards to find him catching up quickly. Damn.

Before I know it, I run into what looks like an apartment, close the door and hurry towards the window.

Great. Water below. Hey! Good idea.

Let me explain something before I continue. A year ago I found out I had a weird ability.

The government at my hometown as soon as they found out wanted to capture me and examine me. I mean hell, it's not often you stumble across a water wielding freak.

Indeed. I can breath water, make it appear and mold it into any shape I please.

"Stop!" I look back, brought out of my thoughts, the guy actually managed to get in faster than what I can do!

Oh, no, wait a minute, he burst the door open.

I jump before he can approach and pray to god I miss the ground and land in the water.

Even if my body is strained for the impact, my knees still buckle and I shoot straight to the bottom, getting momentarily stuck in the mud, all the air flowing out of my lungs.

I think really hard of my power and take a tiny, test breath. When I see it's all right, I take a huge gulp and sight.

I fight out of the mud and swim as far and fast as I can, stopped by a barrier of some kind.

I change my lungs back to normal and swim up.

My head breaks the surface and I take a deep breath, trying to stay as silent as possible and finally just forgetting about and concentrating on not being seen and staying alive, my shoulder hurting me terribly.

I climb unsteadily out and sway a little, trying vainly to figure out where I landed.

I am on the side of a road, soaked, bleeding and not sure my transformation isn't showing.

"Dudette?"

I look around surprised, and see one of my best friends, Sam, a long, thin, blond haired guy with looks that would make a girl melt. If he wasn't gay.

"God." I whisper before walking over to him weakly.

"No, just me. Hey, you alright?"

I nod faintly. "Oh yeah. Could you get me out of here?" I plead, hearing the shouts of the guys already not far off.

Sam nods, puzzled and makes me sit down in the car I hadn't even noticed.

The drive becomes a blur and I faint.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Different POV xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Sam helps his best friend in the car, noticing her wince and only noticing now her shoulder wound.

Driving at top speed and almost breaking every law, Sam carries her to his apartment and bandages the gunshot, knowing too well the fate he'd receive if he tried to take her to a hospital.

He lets her sleep on the bed, carefully pulling the quilt on top of her and sitting down on the couch, trying to figure out what the Black Cat is doing in a little burg village and what she did AGAIN to get shot and chased by mad looking Mafiosos.

Sam knew The Black Cat had a secret. A year ago she started acting strange then suits were all after her and that was when he had given her the money to fly out of there.

She never told anyone what it was that troubled her and it annoyed Sam. He had been her mentor in the whole thief business. They had become brother/sister close.

He falls asleep like that and only wakes up when a hard pillow swat him across the face.

"Hey! What was that for?" He whines, seeing Cat's giggling face disappear in the bedroom.

"Go get breakfast mate, I'll take a shower."

Sighting, Sam gets up and walks out, buying a box of milk, cookies and a fruit juice for himself.

When he enters again, the water is running and Cat is humming lightly.

From the living room, you can see the shower and the almost transparent curtain does nothing to hide her. Except for the mist slowly forming because of the hot water.

If only I could be looking at Marc instead of The Black Cat…

Sam thinks wistfully when suddenly, a loud banging interrupts his thoughts.

"Yes?" he answers, looking at the three men dressed all in black in front of him and almost drooling.

"Is miss Black here?" One inquires rather stiffly.

"Who's lookin?" Sam asks carefully, suspicious.

"Her employer."

"Oh. Come right in. She's in the shower at the moment."

Sam almost drools over the guys but hides it well and walks back into the kitchen, takes a glass of cold water and heads to the bathroom.

The three men watch him the whole time, eyebrows rising as he approaches the shower.

"Hey! There're guys here that want to talk to you! Get out!"

"Sod off Sam! You just want to shower!"

Sam smiles mischievously and dumps the contents of the glass over the opaque curtain.

A scream echoes through the whole apartment.

"Sam you bastard!"

Cat wrenches the curtain open but quickly puts it back in place when she sees the three men.

"What the fuck was that for? And what are they doing THERE!" She curses, head poking out and eyes blazing.

Following the three men's stares, Cat's eyes narrow even more and she daintily unsticks the curtain from her naked body, hiding her once more.

One of them clears his throat and they all seem to come out of their trance.

"So." Sam asks, clearly pleased with himself.

The three men shuffle a little and Cat grabs a towel, putting it tightly around herself before stepping out and shuffling over to a drawer.

"You are soooooooo gonna pay for that whiny little jerk." She mutters, picking out a three sizes too big shirt and last night's jeans.

"You should have called when you where finished with the job."

Cat glances over at the mocha latte dude and shrugs.

They had noticed the wound but hadn't said anything.

Sam hushes them into the kitchen to give Cat a bit of privacy, even I you could still see her and hands each of them a cup of coffee.

Cat comes in and picks up the glass of milk Sam had already prepared.

"Well that was awkward."

The men blush slightly.

"So. They your employers?"

"Nah. They the bodyguards. Ranger, unknown dude and chewing gum dude. Ma employer's a weasel called Doe, Vinnie or something." Cat turns back into a sort of made up slang she always used with Sam when they knew each other, making it hard for people to understand them.

The guy she named the 'chewing gum dude' scoffs while the others lift their eyebrows.

"And…what kind of job to receive such an honorable medal as a gun wound?"

"Nada. Zip. File. Can't tell you. End of story. Finito. Adios. Hey, did you hear of Shimer?"

Sam shakes his head.

"Dang. I was hoping to grab her before she zooms out of the country again." Cat sights.

"I gotta go work. Be careful." Sam tells her sternly.

"I'm always careful."

"Yeah right." He snorts.

Cat swats his head playfully and ducks just in time to evade the flying pillow.

Sam goes out, already changed for work, leaving Black Cat, Ranger Tank, and Lester in the kitchen, nervously looking anywhere but the young woman in front of them.

She finishes her glass, mentions for them to follow her, grabs her bag and leaves closing the door behind her and hiding the key in a next to the door.

"C'mon, lets get goin or doughboy's gonna bite his…" Cat doesn't finish instead looking through her bag but the three men can guess the rest of her phrase.

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Well…I don't know what to say. I just finished writing this chappie and I hope you readers out there like it!