Paid In Blood

"Don't shoot!" Aric yelled holding his hands up while his eyes squeezed shut. He turned his face away tensing because in his mind he could already feel the bullets boring into his body.

"On your knees!" the harsh order was followed by a rough hand shoving Aric to the ground. He let out a hiss of breath but bit back the painful shriek he normally would have let out.

"I work here!" he exclaimed instead, still averting his face from all the guns pointed at him. One such gun hit his head knocking him into the wall.

"Shut up!" though the voice sounded fuzzy Aric heard the order and did exactly that while touching the side of his head. It throbbed painfully but that only served to remind him how much he was still alive.

"Leave him." Another voice commanded and Aric peeked at the black clad figures. "He's a temp. Here." The guard threw Aric's laminated ID to the other who glanced at it then him. There was obvious scorn in his eyes as he threw the ID down at him. He jerked his head towards the darkened hallway.

"Get out of here."

Aric nodded bending down to get his ID and mode of escape hearing the guards begin to move off feeling very much like a- a- he wasn't sure what kind of animal he could be compared to. What kind of animal cowered like he had done? What kind of animal slunk away once he found an unobstructed escape route instead of fighting his way out?

Suddenly the hallway was lit with bright bursts of light and the sound of bullets. Aric threw himself face down and covered his head hoping he didn't get hit by a stray.

"Fucking idiots." He muttered to the floor.

-X-

Nÿx went down on her knee firing rapidly as she searched out her targets. Three guards went down then another two. She didn't wait for the firing to stop as she rushed into the hallway. Alec stepped in after her putting down another before they had a chance to hit her. Max didn't spare her a glance as she searched the fallen guards with Krit.

Nÿx fired off another two rounds and the last guard fell. She flicked an inky lock over her shoulder turning around when she looked up. She smiled waving a hand then raised the gun and fired another round. The camera burst, sending a shower of sparks to the ground.

"Don't you ever wait?" Alec griped as he walked past her to check the next hall. Nÿx stuck her tongue out at his back then glanced at the others. Max was handing over the guns to Krit who threw another strap over his shoulders before collecting the three hand guns.

"Seriously, you're not much help unarmed, Max."

Max didn't answer only gave her a hostile glare before finally leaving the dead guards and moving off to stand next to Alec. Krit shook his head sighing as he followed which only pissed her off more. Nÿx was tired of their attitude, all of them behaved as if this were her fault when she hadn't been the one to order Krit into the Conclave's headquarters. Nÿx walked up to Max and seeing the purposeful way she moved Krit grabbed her arm.

"You shouldn't have come." Nÿx yanked at Krit's hand but he wasn't letting go. "Let go." She ordered Krit with a glare.

"No." Krit began. "You're not-."

"I don't like guns." Max stated firmly. Nÿx stopped trying to get free of Krit.

"You don't like guns." She repeated with scorn. "Well, then please, tell me how you plan on eliminating the guards?"

"We need to move." Alec broke in.

"Yeah," Nÿx stepped away from Max hating the way she felt, hated depending on Max and Krit to help her out of this mess. Krit felt her body relax slightly and deciding it was safe to let her go he turned his attention to getting the anti-virus.

"Where to, Logan?" Krit's earpiece crackled as he waited for the ordinaries response.

Nÿx didn't wait; she didn't want their pity or their help, not anymore. She grabbed two more guns from Krit and headed off before the others could stop her.

"Nÿx!" Krit hissed to her back but she gave no indication of having heard him.

-X-

Childish. I was being childish, falling back into the familiar patterns from my first months at the ranch. I still didn't understand how this was all my fault because that's how they were behaving. As if I were some nuisance! I could understand Alec's annoyance; after all, we had no history except for the last couple of weeks but Krit? Of anyone here he should understand how I feel. After two years of living together you'd think he'd try and be understanding about this whole mess.

I don't understand-. This is so frustrating! Feeling as if I'm somehow less than what I am-was and all because of that damn virus! No one told me to go but it wasn't as if I would have made a different choice, not where Krit is concerned. I do care about him, too much and if I hadn't pissed them off, if I hadn't insisted on going would Krit be here now?

Why!

Why do I care at all?

Of course I'm grateful, if it weren't for Krit I wouldn't have my life- not that it's all good at the moment but I've had good days. Spending time at the ranch helping Zane fix the truck or the tractor or helping Krit fix up the house or going off on catburglaring errands with Syl…

"I wish I were back there again."

But I had to leave those thoughts for another time, one where I wasn't intently shooting to kill some guards and get the antidote for this virus. The one specifically manufactured for me. I should feel special knowing the Conclave considered me such a threat they'd go to all the trouble of inventing something just to kill me. I mean, how did I become a target?

"What the hell?" I wondered as one of the black clad guards stumbled forward. "Why aren't you dead?"

He didn't answer me and at his cold smile I understood.

"Familiars."

-X-

She couldn't believe they were using Familiars, then again this was a Conclave building. The gun jammed and she threw it at the Familiars face running up to it. Nÿx rammed her fist repeatedly into his face, never letting up on her advantage. She could feel the bones break beneath her assault and felt a grim satisfaction but she didn't give herself time to enjoy it. Here was a way to release all that pent up anger, the worry and uncertainty about her life and death situation.

"Get down." Krit ordered barely waiting for her to comply before firing off his weapon. The rapid spurts pounded into the Familiars surrounding Max and Nÿx. Both women lay on the floor as the bodies fell around them twitching. Nÿx glanced around the dark hallway more than frustrated at her lack of progress and ignoring the others who'd caught up. Quickly getting to her feet she kicked over a body choking down a cry as it gurgled something.

"They aren't dead." Nÿx threw over her shoulder in accusation as if it were somehow their fault. Max glared down at the female Familiar garbed all in black as she slowly struggled to sit up. She reached down with both hands and took her head quickly twisting it. The snap sounded sharply in Nÿx's head making her nauseous so that she lay a hand on her weakened stomach.

"They die. They just don't die easily." Max said quietly.

"Do they stay dead?" Krit asked behind Nÿx. He could see she was a bit pale and wondered how well the vest was working. Her face was just a bit shiny with perspiration. Max shrugged not knowing how to answer when they all heard the curse. Four sets of eyes turned to the ground searching for the source. Alec was the first to find it and kicking off a dead Familiar yanked the white coated ordinary, not that the coat was completely white.

"Aric?" Nÿx cried in disbelief. She'd thought he was back in Seattle, gambling away his earnings and finding a way to get himself killed again. Of course it had only been a week but considering his track record she was surprised to see him in one piece.

"Hey, Nÿx." Aric waved awkwardly pulling his coat out of Alec's grasp. "What's up?"

"What's up?" Alec grouched. "What's up!" he shoved the ordinary and that meant Aric bumped into the wall behind him very hard. Nÿx put a restraining hand on Alec which barely held him in check.

"Ouch?" Aric grumbled throwing a glare at Alec.

"What are you doing here?" Max questioned more than annoyed. Aric rolled his eyes at the brunette which served to annoy them even more. She couldn't help noticing the lab coat even with the blood stains and the shiny ID once more pinned to his lapel. "You're a spy for them?"

"Come on! You kicked me out of Terminal City, said I wasn't of any use yet here I am." Aric waved his arms looking very much like some white bird. Nÿx couldn't help but picture Azia's huge wings, the snowy white feathers so soft against her face…

"I didn't set off the alarm either. I thought you guys were some sort of expert commandoes or some shit."

"Enough." Krit ordered. "We have to leave. If they have Familiars we can't take them all on and expect to survive." His eyes rested on Nÿx whose look told him she couldn't believe he was giving up on her. This was her life they were messing with, again!

"Screw that. I'm not leaving without my antidote!" Nÿx turned around blurring down the hall towards her only means of survival.

'I have to get that anti-virus!' she thought ignoring the shout behind her. She knew they would follow, whether it was Alec or Krit but she hoped Max and Aric would leave. Especially Aric because he wasn't of any use in a fight. Nÿx turned another corner knowing exactly where she needed to go having memorized the path during the last week as well as two alternate routes. She wanted to be sure there was a way out just in case she had some trouble, like leaving the others behind and doing things on her own.

Krit was going to be extremely upset with her.

'Might even yell at me again. Just like a guy to break a promise after he said he wouldn't yell at me anymore.'

But that had been a long time ago. Almost two years since that yelling match and the goats, by the end of that week she had begun to regret herding the smelly beast's to the ranch and they'd made her feed them! Now there was gratitude for the milk she'd provided.

Nÿx stopped at the door feeling just a little apprehensive since it was unguarded.

'Shouldn't they be swarming this area?' the little voice in the back of her head nagged while she tried to concentrate on shorting out the keypad without using the EMP. Things were much harder this way and she couldn't help but think how much she depended on her extra abilities. Now she really was like the other Transgenics.

"Nÿx!" Audny called to the dark clad figure as she hid the gun behind her back heading towards her. "Nÿx, have you seen Aric?" she asked pretending to want to help them. "We were supposed to meet up but the alarms went off. I'm worried." She imbued her voice with concern for the ordinary and Nÿx couldn't help the anger that washed through her. She had thought this woman a friend, how dare she pretend to care about Aric?

"No," Nÿx replied moving away from the door. "I'm not worried." Nÿx raised her leg kicking Audny's face. She stumbled back in shocked surprise but seeing the look in Nÿx's eyes she knew there was no hiding anymore.

"Is that any way to greet a friend?" Audny asked almost sweetly as she wiped at her face. A thin streak of blood stained her finger from the cut on her lip.

"Funny, all I see is a Familiar." Nÿx retorted with a shrug delivering a rapid set of punches managing to get a few hits while Audny blocked the rest.

"I'm surprised to see you're still breathing," Audny smirked grabbing both of Nÿx's wrists in her hands. She delivered a head butt, effectively knocking Nÿx to the ground.

"You hear something different?" Nÿx mumbled from the ground. "Because I feel great." She said kicking both legs up as Audny reached to grab her neck. Her feet connected with Audny's face sending her reeling back as Nÿx used her momentum to lift into a back flip.

"Sure you do." Audny scoffed turning to face her again. "So why are you here?"

"Oh, you know, just stealing." Nÿx replied with a smile. She threw a punch which Audny ducked but the back elbow strike caught her mid chest with a slight pop.

"You wouldn't be after a particular anti-virus…" Audny taunted in a gasping breath as she clutched her chest. She saw Nÿx's eyes flit towards the door and felt a sliver of satisfaction deep inside that warmed her immensely. Audny loved to cause pain, more than anything else the job entailed and causing Nÿx pain was more pleasing to her than any job she'd had before.

"Already got it." Nÿx faked a smile and strutted towards the Familiar intent on murder.

"Sure you do." Audny replied with a knowing smile as she pulled out the gun. Nÿx's eyes widened in surprise as she heard the gunshot; it sounded too loud in the warehouse building echoing from one corner to the other.

Aric rushed forward without a thought for the others as he followed Nÿx. With all the arguing they'd been doing he hadn't been able to tell her he had her cure right in his pocket. He slipped his hand in the coat pocket to make sure the cd was still there and felt a sigh of relief. He jerked out of the now dirty lab coat and let it fall on the ground. The others passed him up easily though Krit stayed behind to make sure they weren't followed or worse, ambushed from behind. Alec and Max went ahead clearing the path to Nÿx with the occasional shoot out with the guards and some hand to hand with the Familiars. They finally heard the shouts and Aric recognized Audny's voice.

"She's here." However, he wasn't talking to anyone in particular. Krit called for help seeing more guards reach their intersection and Max went to his aid. Alec stayed with Aric watching Nÿx kick Audny's ass, almost jumping out to help when Nÿx went down. Aric was in awe of her strength seeing her gracefully flip to her feet. She turned with another round house kick sending Audny into the wall then she blurred grabbing the red hair and yanking the face down to her knee were it bounced back only be yanked into the other wall.

Alec had never seen Nÿx fight dirty and it was just a bit exciting to watch.

"Alec!" Max called. "We got Familiars incoming."

Alec glanced over his shoulder at the struggling pair then at Nÿx holding her own and finally at the lanky ordinary watching from behind the corner. Alec grumbled, reaching for a gun and handed it to Aric.

"You know how to use it?"

Aric glanced at the gun then at the Transgenic feeling incompetent again. He looked over at Nÿx and stiffened his shoulders nodding.

"Remove the safety, aim and pull the trigger." Alec ordered demonstrating in rapid succession the steps he was to take before shoving the gun into his clammy hand. Aric almost dropped the heavy metal thing before managing to wrap his fingers around the handle.

"Got it." He muttered focusing on the gun and clutching it tighter. He realized then that he hated guns, hated that they were ever invented and that he had to use one now, he even hated the fact that he'd never learned to use one in the first place.

Alec muttered something obscene under his breath before going to help the others. He could tell the ordinary had no knowledge of guns, didn't know how to use one and could bet his life the guy had never even fired a gun in his life.

'And I left him to watch Nÿx?' Alec thought feeling suddenly cold. A Familiar jumped into the darkened hallway and grabbed Alec's throat. He emptied his gun into the Familiars chest feeling every bullet penetrated the mans torso but he never loosened his grip.

Just as he was left alone with a cold metal implement of death in his hand he found himself needing to use it. Aric didn't think, his body moved automatically raising the gun as he stepped from behind the wall and fired the gun. Audny looked surprised to see him then her body recoiled as the bullet hit her chest. Her arm swiveled in his direction and he fired again pulling the trigger once, twice, three times when he felt the burning in his chest. The hall blurred then focused for a second before he fell to the cold floor and he was staring at the red blinking lights on the ceiling.

"Aric!" Nÿx screamed wanting to push him out of the way and knowing she had to get rid of the threat first. The soldier took over, blurring into action as she yanked the gun even as Audny pulled the trigger. Nÿx shoved her fist into the Familiars neck hearing the bone crunch, she turned the gun on the red head and emptied the clip which only had two remaining bullets. The body dropped to the ground sounding hollow just as the gun clattered to the cold tiles. Nÿx turned, heading to where Aric lay on the floor. She could hear his gurgled coughs and knew what she'd find. Her eyes closed as she knelt by him and gently took his head laying him half on her legs before looking down at his pale face. She smoothed stands of lanky hair from his eyes and offered him a weak smile.

"You couldn't just stay home could you?" Nÿx asked softly. Aric's only answer was a sad smile and shake of his head. "Why?" Nÿx whispered feeling her throat close up.

"Had to-." Aric coughed harshly almost sitting up as the fit turned into a wheezing spasm. "Need-, an-virus."

"Hush, stop, stop, Aric!" Nÿx cried patting his shoulder and smoothing his hair already in a panic because she didn't know how to help him. Where was all that med training they were supposed to have? Why didn't she know what to do in a situation like this?

'You know exactly what to do.' The little voice nagged. Nÿx refused to listen to it, to even acknowledge its very existence. The voice frightened her in it sureness, the cold calculating tone...

'It's not mine!" Nÿx cried inwardly.

"Take-t-thi-is." Aric whispered shoving a square case into her hand. Nÿx glanced at it questioning. "Virus." Aric answered with a smile.

"You got it?" Nÿx wondered, his smile deepened at her surprise. "You shit. Why didn't you say so?" Nÿx looked down sadly, knowing this could have been avoided if only she'd known but she never waited to find out. Instead she ran off like always…

"Go." Aric mouthed looking very calm. Blood seeped out of his mouth running down the side of his face as his eyes stared at her.

"Aric?" Nÿx shook him gently. "Aric!" she yelled when he didn't blink. A sob escaped her then and the voice inside her brain mocked her for the weakness. Made fun of the feelings she held bottled inside because even though Aric had been a constant nuisance since the day she'd arrived he'd made her feel welcome, taken her in and given her a place to belong away from the ranch, from the others. He had loved her-.

'And now he's dead.' The voice replied in a soft taunt. Nÿx bent her forehead to his feeling the coldness against her feverish skin. Her body shook and another sob slipped past her constricted throat. How could she let this happen? No one had ever died because of her, ever.

"Nÿx!" Alec yelled, his footsteps got closer but she ignored him. Her whole body was burning and she couldn't let go of Aric. His skin was so cold. "Nÿx!" Alec's voice was filled with shock.

Aric's eyes stared up at him vacantly as Nÿx held onto him rocking back and forth. He knelt by her glancing over his shoulder to where Max and Krit managed to get rid of the Familiars.

"Nÿx we have to go. We can't stay-." He stopped mid sentence as Nÿx shivered beneath his hand. He could feel the warmth emanate from her and felt the beginnings of fear trickle coldly down his spine. He yanked her away from the dead ordinary to check the vest but she fell into his arms with a violent shiver.

"NO. No, no." Alec saw the blood staining her vest, the splatters on her cheek and neck. He ran a steady hand over her chest and abdomen looking for a wound, hoping he wouldn't find any. With the amount of blood coating her there was no doubt she was hurt and low on her stomach he found the bullet hole which had shattered the temperature gauge on the vest.

"We gotta move!" He lifted her in his arms yelling over his shoulder for the others.

-X-

Well, I hope this answers some questions but if not there's a complete explanation in the next chapter.

Don't worry Superdannithis is all part of my evil plan. –Insert evil maniac laugh here- lol.

Thanks for all the reviews. So far there's 3584hits!