Dear old Dad…
Faith's world went into slow motion as she went from sitting still to up and running without appearing to go through the bits in-between. The heavy oak table was sent flying as she erupted from her seat like a sea-lunched missile, aimed directly at the window. Captain America reacted first, trying to grab Faith's foot as she kicked off from her chair.
As good as he was, all the science in the world couldn't match the unique spark that made a Slayer a Slayer: Faith dodged the grab without even noticing, one hand grabbing General Fury's arm as he went for his side-arm. S.H.I.E.L.D. security agents went for their guns as Faith leapt for the next table, finding temporary traction on the soft tablecloth as her weight started to tip it over.
To anyone else, it would have been chaos, but Faith was already in a strange sort of trance that she knew well: it happened to every Slayer when they found themselves in a true life-or-death situation. It was like someone flipped a switch in her brain, turning all her senses up a notch, giving her total awareness of her environment.
Bullets moved through the air at a snails pace, easily avoided. Captain America was out of his seat and moving at a slightly faster speed than any other human in the room, but Faith was concentrating on the plate glass window looking out on the busy New York street two stories below.
Quicksilver shot across the room like a bolt of lightning, having been standing in the wings for just such an emergency. He tried to grab Faith, but she turned his momentum against him, sending him into an ornate wooden post at high speed as she twisted in the air, her right foot coming up to catch Captain America under the jaw.
230bl of Super Solider back-flipped onto a table, snapping it in two.
Bringing her arms up to protect her face, Faith hit the window head-on, sending a shower of glass in every direction. One of the waiting Giant Men made a grab for her, but she slipped through his grasp as she hit the ground running.
From Fury's question to tarmac had taken less than ten-seconds.
Her Slayer-side completely in control, Faith ran for the nearest subway entrance, taking the steps ten at a time as the astonished security team attempted to react. Pushing people out of her way like a small, brunet hair icebreaker, Faith slipped into the sea of humanity, looking for the telltale signs of demon activity.
A door, apparently out of bounds but slightly ajar, caught her eye and Faith dived for it. The old wood exploded inward as Faith hit it shoulder first, rolling back onto her feet. Taking a moment to examine her new surroundings, Faith looked down at the signet ring Fury had given her when she'd joined the Ultimates.
The black eagle looked back at her, mockingly.
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"How the hell did she get past us like that?" Fury hissed, living up to his name, "Ten billion dollars worth of surveillance equipment and four security teams, and we're given the slip by someone who still can't legally buy a drink?"
"There is evidently more to Miss Lehane than meets the eye." Captain America stood looking around the now secured subway platform, "We know from the DNA tests that she does not carry the X-gene, and is thus not a mutant as we understand them. She has inherited some of her fathers unique neural pathways, but she seems unaware of just how smart she has the potential to be."
"Yet, with no time to formulate a plan, she got past you, me, Quicksilver, two Giant Men and almost a hundred support personnel. What ever it is that makes her, what ever she is, is like nothing I've ever heard of."
"Have you completed her background check?"
"As much as we can: it appears that we're not the only ones to have given Faith a new past."
"Look into known associates: maybe there is a lead we can use to find out what we're dealing with?" the Captain knelt down, "General, you should look at this."
"What you got?" Fury walked over, "A S.H.I.E.L.D. signet ring?" He turned it over so he could read the name inscribed inside, "Slayer."
"I think Faith is sending us a message."
"I agree Steve, but what is she saying?"
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Faith collapsed onto the seat of an abandoned subway car. The old tunnel looked like it had been abandoned for years, but someone had gotten the few remaining lights working. The crash that always followed such a major use of adrenaline hit the Slayer hard, making her hands shake. Faith gripped the seat in front, forcing herself to take several deep breaths.
"Well, this is another fine mess I've gotten myself into." She muttered to herself, "So much for keeping a low profile…"
TBC