"Are you really going to risk it with just that?" Gell gestured to the artist's tube in Rhone's hand with his head. He straightened, ignoring the stabbing pain in his nether region. The guns were about four yards from his feet and he glanced tentatively at them. Wasn't he closer before? Oh, slowly walking, doubled over, and holding your family jewels can get you a few feet from where you thought you should be.
"Are you going to risk it with just those?" she looked at the same pile of guns and then the tube in her hands. A smile played across her lips as she used her hand to manipulate some of the concealed buttons on the tube. The first part, you've practiced to perfection. But the second part… Ok, Rhone, all you have to do is relax. She began to psych herself up. If you did it before, you can do it again. Just let your mind go blank, let instinct take over. Trust your intuition – your Spider-sense.
She watched his feet. When she saw his weight shift, she started to run for the wall that stood about thirty feet behind her. She didn't watch him; she knew he was going for the guns.
She threw the artist's tube like a javelin against the wall. As one blunt end of the tube hit its surface, the other end flipped open. A long gleaming shaft of silver was ejected out the open end. A soft but high pitched resonating sound accompanied it – not unlike striking a crystal wine glass with a fork and listening until the noise has almost disappeared. She closed her eyes and waited for it to pass within inches of her right shoulder. …There. She bent her elbow, grabbed the tailing end of the glinting streak, and began to turn.
She heard a gun shot. Shit. She needed a premonition. Where would she be shot – where would she be damaged? That is where the bullet is going – it's trajectory. …Her shoulder. She finished turning and brought the lustrous silver in front of her shoulder.
TING! The sound of a bullet ricocheting. She froze and opened her eyes. Gell was staring at her with an expression that only conveyed shock and disbelief, still pointing the gun at her. She spun the katana in her hand absently; it felt so right to hold it.
"I hope you have a few more in that clip," she said softly.
He squeezed the trigger. She deflected it. He did it again with the same result. Gell looked at the gun in his hand like it had turned into a rubber chicken. "You're a freak," he spat, "I always thought so, but after Paris… No one can do the shit you do. …Taking a header off a ten story building… You're not – you're not human."
…Was he right? Was she not human anymore? If so, was it the job or was it the relic that had taken her humanity from her? …Was it taken, or did she give it? What would Bishop or Sensei say if he knew you were questioning yourself like this? Never let them see you sweat, Rhone. "I can't stand a sore loser," she raised her katana, readying it for combat.
Gell started to back up, letting off a couple of shots as he did so. She deflected them. Was it getting – easier? "Where did you get those guys anyway?" she asked, "Your ill-trained cronies."
"I started training them on my – extended leaves," Gell said, still backing up.
"I guess that would explain their lack of talent," Rhone said. Gell would leave for long periods of time while he was still in her employ. Anyone could, they weren't held there. A lot of the guys took vacations and the like. Sometimes they didn't come back for a month. However, most of them stayed in contact. And after The Louvre, Gell's extended leaves lasted at least that long. …What happened? She told Griffin to watch him. It was just luck that she had sent Griffin here for recon. Something could have happened to Lex – to the civilians.
She wondered where he thought he was going. She realized that the bungee cords were still hanging from the shattered skylight. He knows that I won't shoot him, she mused. She did call all of her guys off the building, but where did he think that he was going after the roof? They were all over the ground, a few snipers set up in surrounding buildings.
Gell had significantly distanced himself from her by the time he reached the bungee cords. She hadn't moved from the position where she had deflected a number of bullets.
He dropped the gun and jumped onto the bungee cord. It wasn't doing him any good anyway. He used his hands and feet, climbing as fast as he could up the cord. She wouldn't shoot him. He knew she wouldn't, she had the sword. Once she got it out, she didn't sheathe it again until – until the end. …No. No one is that good and no one is that lucky. But if that's true, she should have been dead a long time ago. Right? No. Fuck Bishop. Fuck her. He was climbing so hard and so fast that he swore he could feel the lactic acid building in is muscles. He felt the bungee cord move below him. She was on it, coming after him. He pushed harder.
She was running for the bungee cord. She gave the guns on the floor a glance when she ran by them, but dismissed the idea. She didn't really like them that much. Sure she used them, but there was something so much more – personal about the katana. It boasted more skill, more – honor.
She turned the katana so the sharp tip was pointing to the ground and jumped onto the bungee cord. She wrapped her feet beneath her so she wouldn't slide down the cord and began using her free hand to pull herself up.
Who – on God's green earth – in this day and age, carries a sword!?! And she just carries it around like a normal woman would carry a purse or – whatever women carry around with them. Lex knew his face was marred with shock and he didn't care. Luthors weren't allowed to be shocked, but no Luthor had dealt with Rhone Chade. …No, I'm asleep. This isn't real – it's impossible. No one can deflect a bullet with a sword. At least, that's what he thought he saw. It happened so fast…
"Gell's on the roof," a voice came through Lex's head set. He had seen Gell's figure get on the rope that hung from the skylight, but he disappeared off the monitor a little more than what Lex guessed was half way up. He had watched Rhone disappear a short moment ago. She hauled herself up that rope with one hand – fast.
"Can you get a clear shot?" Griffin's voice was beside him as well as in his ear. Lex felt someone grab his arm. …This is real. He looked down; it was Griffin trying to lead him away from the Hummer. He slowly consented after he checked all of the monitors one more time – empty.
A voice responded over the head set, "Negative, but it's a pretty safe bet he knows we're here." After a pause, Lex heard, "Rhone's on the roof."
Griffin just grunted in agreement, but knew his acknowledgement wasn't going to be carried over the frequency on the head sets. He led Lex to a police cruiser that rested horizontally on the steps of the museum. There were a lot of other police cars in no real pattern on the stairs. "I want play-by-play. Awol, bring your guys at the door out – we don't need you there anymore," Griffin put his hand to his ear.
Lex looked up at the roof, but saw nothing. He flexed his numbed fingers, realizing for the first time that it was a very brisk November evening. Maybe it was because all the E.I.F. guys were in t-shirts… At least it didn't seem like all of them carried antique weaponry.
"They're just looking at one another, Griff," someone on the headsets informed them.
Another voice quickly added, "I've got a chopper."
"Ours?" Griffin asked. He dispatched the one the Elites used to find the one man that assisted Gell and had managed to escape. He was in custody, but the local P.D. allowed him to get away.
"No, do you want me to send…?" the voice began.
"No," Griffin shook his head uselessly. It would never make it in time.
Lex watched four guys in all black scatter away from the museum door. A few uniformed officers approached from strewn positions around them. One of them spoke, "How long is this going to go on? You can't close off ten city blocks without arousing some kind of suspicion…"
"Tell your chief that we'll take care of it," Griffin said, never looking away from the roof of the museum.
"Are you sure you won't be too busy trying to find a new commanding officer?" the officer said rudely.
Lex and Griffin both looked to the uniformed officer.
"Let's face it, she jumped into a situation that she didn't have control over and now she is on the roof with only a sword," he emphasized the word only.
A voice came from behind them, "It's a katana." Awol brushed roughly between two officers and stood beside Griffin. He tossed a couple of small items to Lex without looking at him. Surprised, Lex barely caught them. …Rhone needs new friends, he thought bitterly. He pocketed the wallet and cell phone he thought he would never see again.
Griffin gave Awol a harsh glance. Awol gave his best innocent look, "You told us to pull away from the door."
"I don't care if it's Excalibur, she's not winning this," the officer pointed to the roof.
Awol stepped toward the officer menacingly. The officer looked frightened, as did the rest of his colleagues, but he held his position. Awol looked at the officer like he was gum on the bottom of his shoe, and then looked him up and down. Finally, Awol said, "What kind of odds you got on that?"
Lex's eyes went wide. Did he just hear what he thought he heard? He looked to Griffin to put an end to this. Instead, he saw Griffin – the guy that was supposed to be in command, setting some kind of example – reach for his back pocket and pull out his wallet. Lex's mouth fell open slightly.
Lex watched them take bets on whether or not Rhone would live. "You want in on this?" Griffin turned to him.
"No, I think it's disgusting," Lex informed him. There were others filtering over and placing bets, both secret military and not.
Griffin smiled and pulled Lex to the side, "You know her."
"That's precisely why it's wrong," Lex began. "I can see those guys doing it," he pointed to the uniformed officers, "But you are…" He didn't even know how to finish his rant.
"Easy money," Griffin said, "All of us are betting on her, not against her." Griffin looked around, but no one was paying attention to them, "You saw what she did in there." Griffin's face changed to one of someone that cared but wasn't supposed to. "She's saved us all more times than I can count," he allowed himself a light smile, "I should tell you about the first time that I met her."
Lex still only looked partially convinced with Griffin, "I'd like to hear it." He looked to the small huddle of gamblers.
Griffin nodded, "We bet on her because we believe in her." Lex looked at him. Griffin smiled, "And if we didn't, she'd kick our asses."
Lex remained expressionless and approached the small group, leaving Griffin to watch him. He heard Awol say to an officer, "Listen, I know you've got doughnut money, so either you're in or you're out…" Lex turned back to Griffin when he reached the edge of the group, looking thoughtful. He turned back to the group, hand reaching for the wallet in his pocket.