Well here it is... Took me long enough.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and the characters you don't reconise

Now to the reviwers:

Liqia Elena: Thanx for the review ai am pleased you're enjoying the story heres the next chapter read on...

Prince Halliwell: Thanx for the reivew i'm pleased you enjoyed the story. I'm sorry i've confused you a little. I'll try and explain it

Wyatt, Chris and Melinda are Piper and Leo's children

Paris and Patrice are Pagie's twin girls

Amd Penny is of course Pheobe's daughter.

i hope that's cleared that up for you if you're still confused tell me and i will try and explain it next time. Read on...

Shadow Land

Chapter Two: Out In The World

Penny walked through the compound and walked into Leo coming the other way. "You wanted to see me uncle Leo?" She asked, "I did." Leo said as she fell into step with him.

"I'm sending you back out with your group. There has been another attack on one of the cells and they need back up. You move out in an hour." This was unexpected and for once Penny found she didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave Zack now he had just woken up.

Leo seemed to see the conflicting emotions on her face for he smiled and said, "Blue Fire, it is a simple observation assignment you should be back in a week. Miranda will take good care of him."

Penny started. How in hell did he do that? She shook her head. Leo Wyatt, code name Archangel knew and saw everything. That was why he was their leader and why they trusted his judgment more than anybody's. Of course things could go wrong.

The witch hunters were ruthless. Nothing was more ruthless than fear and propaganda could stir up within the normal masses of the people. "He woke up Leo." She said quietly.

Leo looked at her. "Did he give you his name?" "Zack Simon." She said and looked at her uncle. "Do you know of that family? Are they loyal to the witch hunters or a witch hunter family?" Leo shook his head. "No. Hopefully we can get him well and then let him return to his family."

Penny nodded but already didn't like the thought of him leaving. She shook the feeling off. What was she thinking?

She was Penny Halliwell. She was Blue Fire and she would do well to remember it. She had a job to do and that was to protect her people and fight the injustice her mother had died as a consequence of. An assassin of the resistance did not have ties.

There was only her uncle Leo. But Her aunt Piper and Uncle Leo's love was mythic. If they could not be together then what chance had love got at all. She still believed in love she fought for all the people she loved everyday of her life she just couldn't have any attachments.

Attachments were dangerous. They meant that they could be used against you. No. Penny would always stay clear of disasters such as those.

"I take it you heard the alarm go off an our ago?" Leo asked pulling Penny out of her ravine.

"Yes. I am sorry I didn't go to my post. It was then Zack woke up. He didn't want me to leave him."

"I didn't expect you too." Leo said gently. "I put you with Zack Penny and that is where I wanted you to stay. We had it covered. But now I need your team tracking the hunters. They never found anything but I want to know what they were doing here and more importantly what lead them here."

Penny smiled. "That sounds like an interrogation to me Leo. Not an observation." "True." Leo said neither answering her question nor denying it. "I asked you to get information. Therefore its an observation task is it not?"

Penny nodded she narrowed her eyes. So officially they had to watch and get the information through the proper channels but if Penny thought it was necessary she could intercept.

She loved being a field agent.

"I will make sure Zack is comfortable and I will let you know how he is doing. When you return depending on how he is doing you can take over his care if you wish."

Penny never ceased to be surprised by her uncle he always seemed to come up with ideas for the agents without them having to ask so that their assignments exactly fit their needs.

Penny wasn't really sure why on earth she needed to be close to Zack but she did. She didn't want to examine just yet and by agreeing to what Leo was offering it meant she didn't have too. It was orders. That was all.

"Sure." She shrugged. Leo laughed and said, "Well go then this assignment won't wait Penny." She nodded and ran back the other way to gather her team.

Leo watched her go a frown threatening to show on his face. He was protective of his children and of his nieces. They were his family and no one touched what was his. But he felt sure that he had no control over what was going to happen in the next few months.

He just prayed that he was wrong. But somehow he doubted it. "Penny sweetheart, what have you got yourself into now?" He shook his head and went to meet his daughter at the medical tent.

If his guess was right Zack would be up and starting to move about by the time Penny returned. He just hoped to God that this wasn't going to go sideways but somehow he doubted it.

Penny went to Block D. That was were group were housed. Her group consisted of herself, her cousin Chris, twin witches named Marie and Jensen, A demon named Drake

(A/N I know season seven has Drake in it but trust me this Drake is totally different.)

And their leader a powerful witch named Clay.

When Penny got to the equipment locker all of her group were already there. Chris turned and smiled, "Hey Penny I see dad pulled you off the Medical tent. Good. We couldn't have any fun without out Blue Fire could we?" The rest of the group turned and smiled.

Clay came out from behind a gun cabinet and tossed her a laser. "Try not to loose this one eh Penny?" Penny scowled. Her and Clay fought well together but often had many arguments before the agreed on anything.

"Its not my fault I was actually fighting while you organised the retreat. They sent a shatter blast at my other one." "Yeah and nearly sent one at you too." Chris said putting an arm around her shoulders.

"I don't know Penny what would you do without me?" Penny smiled. "Not a damn lot I don't think." Chris smiled. "Nice to know I'm wanted." Penny smirked. "Don't go getting a big head Boy Wonder. I'm not giving you extra credit because we're cousins."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Damn heaven forbid my cousin would love me without a punch line." Penny punched him playfully and walked away. Chris watched her go. The truth of the matter was that at times he worried for his cousin. He knew she loved him. There was no denying that. She loved those closest to her and she was a damn fine agent but she didn't care whether she lived or died.

And while that could give her an edge that many didn't have it also meant she ended up in more scrapes than most. Hence the reason Chris was in their group in the first place. He was not going to let anything happen to her.

He just worried that he would not always be there.

Penny smiled as she walked away. Besides her uncle Leo Chris was the one she got on best with. She loved all her cousins but Chris and her were the closest. He grounded her and he kept her safe. And although she laughed about it she had never felt safer than she did with Chris covering her back.

She went to the changing rooms and put on her armour, they looked like ordinary clothes but they were magically protected so that a shield would be activated should it be hit with a laser or bullet from the witch hunter's weapons.

She found Marie already there pulling on her trousers and fixing her laser to the inside of her arm. "Hey girl," She greeted. Penny smiled, "Hey." She got changed quickly suiting up and strapping on her weapons. Marie waited for her and then they walked out the bunker together.

The guys were waiting for them. "Girls!" Jensen said playfully. "What is it about you guys that even when you're getting ready for a mission you take longer than most guys?" "Hey, you don't complain when we're saving your ass." Marie said punching her twin.

"That's true." He laughed.

"Come on now the girls have decided to grace us with their presence perhaps we can begin the mission." Drake said in his lazy drawl. Penny scowled. If she didn't know Drake was one of the best trackers there was she would have torn him limb from limb years ago.

He was so annoying! And he flat out refused to take part in the group's banter or activities. The fact they were witches and he was a demon shouldn't matter anymore.

They were fighting for the survival of magic. Sides didn't matter. There were simply too few of them.

"Drake," She said conversationally "Remind me why I put up with you when you're the most annoying prat ever?" She remained calm but Drake's eyes darkened. Bingo!

Chris looked between his cousin and Drake and could feel a fight coming. Neither of them could back down ever. They simply liked to get one over on each other too much for that to happen.

"Guys not now ok? We have more important things to do." He shot a look at Clay. "Chris is right. Leo has told us he needs this mission so lets get it done." Penny and Drake broke eye contact and turned to face Clay.

Clay was patient and a good leader but he did not tolerate being ignored or his instructions not being followed. When he gave an order it was usually for a reason and he expected it to be followed.

Penny often clashed with him because he was able to make decisions without emotions causing him to make rash decision. The reason for his distance was Clay was empathic. It meant he had to distance himself to prevent him losing his identity under everyone else's emotions.

Penny always scoffed at this. She was empathic but it didn't make her like him. The fact of the matter was that although Penny was empathic her powers lay in other forms powered by her emotions. So as good as she was at guessing emotions and making calculated guesses Clay was simply better.

His empathic gift boarded on physic and Penny wasn't all together sure he wasn't. He could communicate with each of them telepathically and there was other things which couldn't be explained any other way.

Clay always appeared to be cold and calculating. He wasn't, despite Penny's claims of the opposite. He was a good leader and able to make strategic well thought out moves knowing that emotion hadn't ruled his judgement.

Despite her occasional clashes with him Penny knew he was a good leader and was willing to follow his instruction. Once they had received their orders, which were simply to observe witch hunter activity, OBSERVE not interact and then report to base.

Boring.

Repetitive.

Needed to be done.

Once they were sure they had all their equipment Drake shimmered with Marie and Jensen and Chris orbed with Penny while Clay had taught himself how to blink and used that.

They met in a set clearing and then set about carrying out their mission. Amazingly the Witch hunters had not moved far. The base was warded and covered by the Elders and could not be found unless you had a code and you actually knew where it was.

Clay motioned for Penny and Drake to go left and the twins to go right while Chris stayed with him. They did as they were told without complaint. As much as Drake and Penny hated being around each other they made a good team and could co0operate when they had too.

They just didn't have to like it.

They shadowed round the clearing until they could hear the witch hunters talking and then stopped. "Why the hell are we looking for it anyway?" One asked "I mean we've never found it before what makes you think we'll find it now if anything they'll be more careful."

"I'm just saying we should look." Another answered. Penny motioned that she was moving forward and could Drake cover her. He nodded and signed that he would even though she was annoying.

Penny signed telling Drake exactly where to go. He signed back that Hell was better and she should meet her there sometime before walking silently further round to be in better range for cover fire.

Penny shook her head muttering silently to herself and moved further forward. The witch hunters had stopped talking and were signalling using hand gestures.

Penny tried to interpret what they were saying using her own brand of hand signalling as a base knowledge but it was no good. Their signals were totally different to their own and made no sense.

She managed to lip read a couple of sentences but none of those made any sense either.

The snake is in the pit Now we just have to wait

Penny shook her head. What these humans came up with was ridiculous. Didn't they know the witches would work it out eventually anyway?

She watched them interact. They were good their faces were totally covered only their eyes shone from within their hoods and Penny was sure even the colour of their eyes had been changed. They were learning…

But thankfully not fast enough.

At that moment one gave a hand signal and they turned as one and shot into the trees. Penny yelped and ducked rolling to recover her balance and return fire. They had stun guns rather than guns.

So this cell were out to capture rather than kill? Impressive. Penny's respect for them when from minus 250 up to a grudging minus 248. At least if she got caught she might survive to a trail.

Not that her group would ever let that happen.

She returned fire and heard the unmistakable blast of Drake's gun. So he was fighting for her even though she couldn't see him.

That was comforting. Drake could use a laser gun to the best of his advantage and if that didn't work then there were always energy balls. They worked just as well.

How in hell had this happened?

Penny thought furiously as she fought to keep them from pinning her into a corner she wouldn't be able to free herself from. That so wouldn't be a good thing. She did not need to get herself into a position where she needed bailing out.

She would never live that down not for weeks. Nope. Being pinned down was unacceptable.

But somehow despite her promises that it wouldn't happen it seemed too anyway. The witch hunters broke through the trees in perfect sync with one another.

Five onto herself.

Five onto one.

Hmm. Perfect odds.

Yeah right.

Where the hell was Drake she could have used his help right about then. They broke through and smiled in triumph when they saw her.

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit. This was so not good. She knew that no matter ho good of a witch she was she would never out do five witch hunters.

They bore down on her and as one they fired their stun guns just as screamed

"CHRIS!"