Two weeks later, Lilah was let in on all of the juicy details. Storm Shadow and Firefly figured out rather quickly that it was hard to keep things from Lilah. She looked to be on the inside, even if she couldn't sell the information. They also made it clear regularly that they could find her "special someone" easily. This kept her from giving it to the Joes.

Lilah studied explosive arts with Firefly and trained with Storm Shadow. It was a routine that kept her busy so she couldn't dive too deep into the Prototype Project, something strictly off limits to her. It actually kind of pissed her off. But Zues was so interesting that it kept her from acting on her feelings. She didn't want them to suddenly close up about something that could cause so much devastation. Who else would stop it without inside information?

It was hard to keep her true intentions from Firefly and Storm Shadow since she spent so much time with them. It wasn't that it bothered her, but it was easy to let things slip out around them. Especially when she let Firefly get something in her system. Instead, she chose to keep her mouth shut and kept her opinions to herself when it came to Zues. Nothing good would come off opening her mouth more.

In the meantime, Lilah kept up with Joe. She didn't share information, neither did he, but they spoke frequently enough for her to call him a friend. She even confided in him to tell him of just a bit of her past. He reassured her, and she knew that it was all she could do for her sister.

"Lilah, get up!" Firefly shouted. "You gotta come with me to pick up the Commander and Storm Shadow!" She heard him walking away. She threw on a tank top and some camouflage pants that Firefly had gotten Storm Shadow as a joke. He passed them to her.

Lilah was out of the room and with Firefly in a moment. "Jeez, couldn't warn me earlier?" Firefly laughed at her, irking Lilah just a bit. "I was being serious, jackass."

"No, I couldn't. I forgot about it until about fifty minutes ago." Lilah laughed this time. "I can't help but wonder why a pretty lady like you gets away with doing shit with Cobra."

"Pretty girls like me do shit with Cobra because we inflict pain no matter where we go." Lilah got behind him on his motorcycle. "Besides," she whispered suggestively in his ear. "Pretty girls like me are bad girls without the sex. Pleasure from pain, doll." Firefly baked a laugh.

"I knew I liked you."

Lilah watched in sick amusement as her partner's explosives lit up the sky. They weren't detonated, not yet, but there was a beauty to them. Lilah had a few in her belly, shaped like lilies. They weren't as complex machinery as Firefly's, but he loved them anyway. Said they matched her personality.

Suddenly all of it went to hell. Lilah hated this part. She knew it was coming every time, but she didn't really want to acknowledge it. It was in the back of mind, something pushed back for another day and another time. But to see the explosion and watch the men die sent a sick glee through her, then a strike of horror at the realization. A constant battle raging within her.

"You jump when I say, alright, babycakes?"

"How about I jump when I get scared?"

"Chicken is dangerous, girly." He revved the engine. "But if you insist, have at it." He drove forward,shooting at the fence and releasing rockets for the concrete fence. Firefly grinned back at her, jumping off at the time where his life was in least danger but it was most beneficial. Lilah waited until it was in the air before throwing herself to the side, tickled. She protected her head from the explosion using her arms. Firefly came to her.

"You are insanely easy to entertain." He helped her up. "I'll buy you a motorcycle for your birthday. How does that sound?" Lilah grinned at him. "Are you drunk?"

"I only had like three shots, Firefly. That is not drunk," Lilah replied in a matter-of-fact voice. "Otherwise, we probably wouldn't be here, and I would be dead. Now... What are we doing again?" Firefly shook his head, making sure she had her balance before letting go of Lilah. "Wait... You didn't believe that, did you?" Lilah crossed her arms.

"I would never believe you drunk unless you passed out, Lilah, dear," Firefly said easily. He really thought she might have had those three shots. Lilah gave him a look. "When was the last time you were drunk?"

"When did you enter my life? About three weeks before that in the cabin," Lilah replied, entering through the obliterated doorway. "Hurry up. We'll be late. I can't afford to be any more on the Commander's bad side." Lilah entered the elevator, taking out two guards with her dagger. "Hurry up, Firefly!" He was inspecting the bodies she left behind, seeming to look for something on them. He got up, jogging to meet her.

"You got them right in the heart, y'know?"

"Purposely, dumbass." Lilah let the door open, and Firefly threw something into the hallway where it seemed to be a stand off between the wardens and Storm Shadow and Cobra Commander. "Where's Destro?"

"Probably not coming back any time soon," Firefly mumbled back as it went off. Lilah watched as they all flew away, hitting the wall painfully and bloody. She stood up with Firefly as Cobra Commander made a comment about a ride to Storm Shadow.

Then his gaze turned on her. "Who might this be?"

Firefly cleared his throat. "We had a security problem, and the Joes nearly got a Prototype still in Phase One. She was sent to infiltrate Cobra and bring the soldiers we took with us to empty them of information. We were lucky enough that they retained nothing of what they learned, but we got a tracker on her. You are looking at someone that even Storm Shadow approves of."

Lilah held a hand out to shake with the Commander. "Lilah. Assassin, hacker, and a great liar. Anything you want me to tell you now that you're out of prison? I've heard compliments do the trick. Wouldn't know myself though." She held her ground, meeting the Commander's eyes in an unwavering way. "Never been into prison without breaking out within the week."

Commander didn't say anything, and she felt a bit of accomplishment at that. "Remind me to kill her when we've dominated the world." Lilah kept a smug grin on her face, meeting Storm Shadow's eyes as Commander began walking away.

An explosion made Lilah turn around. "Oh, shit!" Firefly grabbed her collar, dragging her as they made a run. The whole place was going up in a fiery blaze. No, Lilah told herself. Just that particular room. She felt the blaze singe her hair, catching Storm Shadow as he yelled in pain, having been a bit behind after dodging something. Lilah didn't get a good look at it. But she saw his back, and her eyes widened.

"Storm?" Lilah held him up as best she could, a step or two away from the elevator with the fence in front of it. She didn't care though. He didn't answer her, and her eyes glinted dangerously. "Help me out, Firefly." He took most of Storm Shadow's weight, already with a destination in mind for the healing process that Lilah didn't really want to imagine sitting through. She was climbing into the helicopter when her back pocket vibrated.

"You gonna answer that?"

"Not around you," Lilah replied to Firefly. "If I had reason to read it around you, I would. I'll go to the mountains with Storm Shadow. Be careful, boys." Lilah waited until she and Storm Shadow were a good bit away from the ground, her hand wrapped around Storm's so she could have easy access in case something went wrong and so she could restrain him in a bit so he didn't move so much. She flipped the phone open, opening the text message.

Emergency. Get to my place ASAP. -Joe

Give me about forty eight hours, Joe. I'll get there soon, and with a ton of information. You won't wanna miss this. -Lilah