2005

A beautiful blue bird soars through the clear sky looking for a nice place to rest his tired wings. He passes by multiple brick buildings and electricity poles. Finally his sharp eyes spot a window garden on one of the buildings with some worms poking out of the dirt thanks to the rain earlier in the morning. He swoops down to it and flutters his wings to land lightly among the flowers. He leans down to pluck one of the worms from the dirt when an object whizzes right over his head. It hits one of the flowers with such force that it rips the roots right out of the soil where both objects then fall to the sidewalk below. Startled from the close proximity the bird scrambles into the sky yet again, his little heart beating more than a mile a minute. Passersby look down at the sink in utter confusion.

Marceline breathes deeply with her face burning with a mix of rage and the physical exertion it took to rip the sink up from the ceramic stand. She whirls around and stomps her way out of the half a bathroom. She passes a tall man after going through the doorway. He leans on the crème colored wall confidently, his arms crossed loosely. He chuckles, a smirk playing at his lips when she kicks a hole in the wall. "There's still some of those fuckers alive!" she shouts, her blood boiling at the news. The brunet moves his bangs out of his eyes before speaking. He keeps his hand in his hair and holds his elbow out.

"I told you not to rush around before. Some were bound to go into hiding once word spread that the great Alice Cross was going after them," he retorts. His smirk grows while his brown eyes widen in bloodthirst. "But I know where to find them. It will be a fun way to prove how much of an asset I can be to you." He winks, causing the green coloration in his right eye to become more noticeable to Marcy. She shakes her head.

"Sorry Daniel, but this is something I need to finish. You and Keas may help, but they will all burn by my hand." Daniel can practically see the flames already in her eyes. He pushes off the wall and brings his hand out of his hair and stuffs it in his dark jeans pocket.

"Why do you hate them so much, Alice?" he asks casually. "I've never seen you so fired up."

Marceline looks at her "friend" with a hint of suspicion. Keas has been working with her for the past two years now while Daniel has been tagging along for the past couple weeks. He was originally working in one of her labs when it was getting raided by a rival dealer. Luckily Marcy and Keas had already been heading to that specific lab to check in on it and got the call about the raid when they were just around the corner. The gang had her workers held as hostages at gunpoint while other crew members were loading the money and meth into a truck. The appointed leader of the group made the stupid decision to grab Katie – one of Marcy's favorite workers and Daniel's acclaimed girlfriend – and shot her in the head when Marcy tried to stop him. After that all hell broke loose. Marcy was able to get the rest of her workers out while Keas and Daniel attacked the gang savagely. Only two people were left alive by the time they were done: a man now missing a leg thanks to Keas and the getaway driver who took off when the first bullet was fired. It was after questioning the last member there that Marcy learned it was the same gang her uncle used to work with.

Keas tied up the man while Marcy instructed her workers to clear the building and to head home for the week until they are contacted again. They then burned the building down with the man inside and left, but Daniel got in his car and followed her home. After that he just kind of stuck around, constantly trying to prove to Marcy how much she needs him.

Daniel reads her silence as stubbornness and moves closer to her. "Come on, Alice," he murmurs. He reaches up to touch her cheek, but Marcy moves her head away before he can. "You can trust me. I have no reason to betray my boss," he states. Marcy raises her right eyebrow at him as she takes a step back.

"I never hired you personally. How did you even start working at my lab anyway?" she questions him. Daniel takes another step closer, making her take a step back. He sighs before giving her an exasperated smile.

"My girlfriend was working there and a few weeks after she started she told me about her work." He puts his right hand on his hip. "She also gushed on about how awesome and understanding her boss was," he continues. Marcy's cheeks get a tinge of pink at the compliments. Daniel grins at the sight. "The man put in charge there hired me just a week before the raid happened."

"A week?" Marcy asks. "It must have been after my weekly inspection because I didn't see you there." Daniel nods.

"Yeah. We got there late because she had gotten into an accident the day before so her car was in the shop," he explains. He takes another step towards Marcy, but when she goes to move back she runs into the door leading down the stairs. Daniel grins and Marcy feels a shiver go up her spine. He lifts his hand and places it softly on her shoulder. He laughs at the sight of her confused expression. "Like I said; I have no reason to betray you. And I'm not the type to force myself on someone." He then winks. "But don't think I'll give up. I can't let Kal have all of you."

Before Marcy has a chance to ask Daniel what he means the door she's leaning on opens. She feels herself fall backwards and she reaches to grab Daniel's hand, but she just misses his fingertips. Thankfully she didn't fall far before her back hit something hard. Familiar arms wrap themselves around her and help her back to the top of the steps. Marcy looks up and smiles when she sees her favorite redhead. After closing the door and making sure Marcy has her balance back Keas finally lets her go fully. He turns to Daniel with a glare who only grins back.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," Dan states. Keas feels his blood start to boil but Marcy touches his shoulder gently, calming him down again. However, he doesn't lower his glare. "I just broke the news to Alice that her rivals are still around and hiding," he explains. Keas turns to Marcy silently.

"It's true," she speaks up. "Daniel says he knows where they're hiding. I know you had plans today, but do you mind helping me?" she asks of him. Only then does Keas smile.

"My plan was ta be with you. I glad to help," he answers. Marcy squeezes his shoulder in thanks before removing her hand. "I get ready." Marcy and Daniel both agree before Keas leaves the room to head back downstairs with his long hair a mess.

Marcy turns to the grinning Daniel with a raised brow. "And what are you so happy about?" She folds her arms below her chest and shifts her weight primarily onto her right leg. Daniel smirks and mimics her stance to the smallest detail.

"You trust my word enough to attempt going after them. Which means you're starting to trust me as a whole," he explains. He walks past her toward the stairs. "I'll win your heart eventually, Alice." Marcy turns to retort, but Daniel is already through the doorway headed to the first floor. She sighs.

"Why am I the one stuck with him?" she questions herself.

After getting everything together and making sure all the magazines were full of bullets the three criminals leave the three story building to go east. In the driver's seat of the green Grotti Carbonizzare is Marceline with her eyes narrowed in determination. Keas sits next to her in the only other seat. Ahead of the two in a matte black Albany Buccaneer is Daniel leading the way. Keas turns to look at Marcy.

"You sure we can trust him?" he asks after a moment. Marcy glances over to him before focusing back onto the road. She quickly passes a Diltanette in her way as she speeds after Daniel.

"He seems pretty adamant on sticking around, so we may as well. I know you have a hard time trusting others, so just leave that to me. You only have to trust in me." She flashes him a genuine grin then focuses back on the road. Keas smiles back.

"I always trust you," he murmurs. Marcy smiles.

Thirty minutes later the two cars stop outside of a single story, simple-looking house with four vehicles parked in the driveway and in front of the property on the street. Marcy and Daniel park on the opposite side of the street before climbing out. Sitting on the porch of the house are two African American men and a younger white teen. The teenager grins when he sees Marcy work her way towards them. Daniel and Keas stay back for a bit as they load their weapons on the other side of the cars out of sight. It's dangerous to drive with a loaded gun.

One of the men stands as Marcy gets closer. "Well hey there sexy. Come here to see what it's like to fuck a real man?" he asks while looking her over. She walks up to him and looks down at the shorter man. The 24 year old lady smirks and pushes his chest lightly.

"If you mean yourself then I'm sorry to disappoint. I'm here on business. Now if you'll excuse me." She goes to move past him, but he stops her with a hand on her stomach.

"This ain't the place for pretty things like you. Why don't you go on home, then," he says firmly. Marcy's face shows her growing boredom. She grabs the man's hand and proceeds to break his middle and pointer fingers. Thank god for the gym. He lets out a cry of pain as he moves away from her and cradles his hand. "You fucking bitch!" he yells. The other two males practically leap to their feet and draw out their guns.

"What the fuck!" the younger one yells.

"Don't fucking move," the other threatens as he aims right at her. Marcy's expression doesn't change. She leans to her right and places her hand on her hip.

"Unfortunately for you, I'm really not in a good mood today," she retorts. Marcy's feeling dangerous. With a bored expression Marcy pulls her Desert Eagle out of its holster on her right hip and aims it back at the man. She shoots him in both kneecaps in quick succession. He cries out as he crumbles to the ground helplessly. She turns her gun to the teen, but he quickly drops his gun and runs from the property. A shot is fired and Marcy sees the young man's lanky figure fall forward onto the pavement. She looks behind her to see Daniel's assault rifle smoking at the end. She gives him an annoyed look as he makes his way to her with Keas. "I told you to keep them all alive."

Daniel shrugs. "I didn't feel like dragging him back," he explains simply. The door to the house opens and another man steps out, but a loud gunshot goes off and he flies back into the building with a hole in his stomach. Keas pumps the shotgun to reload the chamber then aims at the man with the broken fingers and shoots his foot.

"Don't want you runnin'," he utters. Marcy grins and turns back to the house. She takes the pistol the teen dropped and puts it in her holster. She then takes the man's pistol as well as he sobs openly from the pain. She enters the house with a gun in each hand. She sees a woman run through a doorway and down some stairs with a man right behind her. He turns around and opens fire with his micro SMG, but Marcy takes cover behind the couch. While he focuses on trying to shoot Marcy, Keas comes to the door and quickly throws his tomahawk at the man. It hits him on his sternum and he falls backwards down the stairs with the gun still going off on his way down. As he falls they hear women scream. Marcy turns back to look at her two colleagues just as Daniel enters through the doorway.

"Kal, check the basement. Daniel, you're with me," she states seriously. Both men nod.

Keas lifts his gun as he heads down the steps. When Keas gets to the bottom he pulls his sharp weapon out of the man's chest as he chokes for breath. The crimson haired 29 year old looks around the wall to view the rest of the basement only to find the gang's whole meth lab. To his left along the wall he can see the cash and meth stolen from Marcy's lab spilling from some duffle bags. He looks to the right and spots three women hiding in the corner. Keas grins wide.

Meanwhile Marcy and Daniel work their way through the mostly deserted house. Marcy found one man in the kitchen and literally shot him in the dick. He won't be moving anytime soon. Daniel hides behind a wall to avoid the bullets coming from the enemy's assault rifle. Once there's a break in his bullet stream Daniel takes the chance to poke out and shoot the man across his abdomen. He falls, his gun dropping away from him. Daniel moves into the room quickly and goes straight to the gun. He removes the magazine and the bullet in the chamber before tossing it aside and pocketing the extra ammo.

Neither of them find anyone else when they reach the back door. Daniel places his hand on the handle. They both nod simultaneously and he opens the door outward. Gunshots immediately follow, so Daniel and Marcy stay hidden behind the walls by the door. Daniel moves to his right and aims out of the broken window there. A clip later and most of the men guarding the detached garage are on the dirt groaning in pain. Marcy steps out and fires quickly, hitting a man in his upper thigh. She fires again, shooting a man's knee and she watches him fall as well. Daniel joins her outside, and the two of them make quick work of the four remaining men in the yard. As Marcy makes her way to the garage with Daniel taking the lead she hears some of the men grumble through their pain.

"Daniel you fucking traitor."

"I thought he was on our side."

"Fucking bitch."

"I hope he kills them."

Marcy glares at Daniel with newfound suspicion. She knew it was too convenient of him to arrive at her lab just a week before the raid. But Marcy knew his supposed girlfriend Katie for two and a half years when she first started working in her lab, so she wanted to trust him. But now she suspects he only said Katie was his girlfriend because she was killed during the raid and they were close in age. Almost like he used her to help gain her trust and the fact that she died makes it hard to question. Marcy can feel her ears are hot from her growing rage.

Daniel and Marcy enter the detached garage to find the leader of the gang trying to start a piece of shit car and having no luck. Marcy lets out a chuckle at the sight. The 36 year old man jumps at the sound. Marcy aims her pistol at him as he turns to look at them.

"This is really sad, Damien. I would think you had a better escape route in case your base was ever attacked. I guess you were too egotistical to think that far," she gloats a little. Damien glares at her, and then turns to Daniel where his glare darkens.

"You fucking traitor. You're really choosing her over us?" he spits out. "You're making a mistake." Daniel narrows his brown eyes at the man.

"A mistake?" he growls. "You guys made the mistake when you fuckers killed Katie! You said you wouldn't touch her!" he yells, his grip on the gun growing tighter. Damien smirks.

"I said I wouldn't touch her, and I didn't," Damien retorts. A growl escapes low from within Daniel's throat. He grabs Damien by the collar with his left hand and yanks him out of the car. He lets go of his assault rifle and lets it fall against his side thanks to the strap around his shoulder. He then socks Damien across the face multiple times with his now free hand.

"I'll fucking roast you!" Daniel yells between punches. Finally he throws Damien to the ground. Dan lets out labored breaths with his teeth and fists clenched tightly. Damien wipes the blood from his mouth and chuckles, and then turns his attention to Marcy.

"He was supposed to betray you, Alice. My plan was perfect. But Daniel was foolish and chose the day you make your weekly rounds, the idiot. So my boys followed their orders." Damien smirks. "To kill his stupid girlfriend and kill him as well. It would have worked if you didn't show up," he grumbles out at the end. Marcy shakes her head at him.

"You're a fucking idiot," she sighs out. Damien glares. "If you hadn't targeted my lab then I never would have known you were still alive. But because of your mistake, here I am with a gun pointed to your head. Anything you would like to say?" she asks. He smirks.

"Do you know why your uncle chose to work with us? Why he ratted on your dad?" he questions. Daniel sees the way Marcy grows stiff. Damien spots it too and his smirk widens. "Your father was growing soft. He stopped being a part of deals after meeting your mom. He even married the bitch after you were born, and he swore he wouldn't cook again so long as she was by his side. Samson didn't know how your dad made his shit so well so he was losing a lot of business over time. So after a while he decided to kill your mom." At that Marcy visibly freezes. Daniel's eyes soften when he sees it. Damien laughs. "He didn't feel sorry, either. Just ran her right over with a stolen car. Fucking cunt had no idea."

Daniel punches Damien. He grabs his nose when blood comes out afterward. "It sounds to me like her dad made the right choice to try and leave that life behind," Daniel states. Damien chuckles.

"He was a fool! No one escapes." He then grins, blood dripping from his lips. "I still think of the desperate screams he made when I burned him alive."

Marcy can feel the tears in her heart grow as tears fall from her eyes. Without much thought put into it Marcy aims her pistol vaguely and shoots Damien in the thigh. He yells and Marcy feels her tears dry up a bit. She fires again, hitting him in the calf. Another cry of pain and Marcy's tears stop falling, but they still gather in her eyes. She shoots him again, this time hitting him just above his left hip. Damien curses. Finally Marcy wipes her tears away and glares at him fiercely. "My father was a good man! He didn't deserve to die, especially by scum like you." She turns to the somber Daniel. "Grab him and bring him to the house," she orders. Daniel's expression hardens and he nods.

Daniel forcibly drags Damien out of the garage as he follows Marcy back to the house. She stops along the way and bends down to grab a man's foot. She starts literally dragging him to the door. The man screams as dirt and rocks embed themselves into his bullet wounds. The other gang members realize what is happening and try to drag themselves away, but the pain proves to be too much for most of them. One man is able to get onto his feet despite the bullet wound in his thigh. He hobbles toward the fence for a few steps until a gunshot sounds and he feels pain envelop his other thigh. He crumbles to the ground. Marcy stuffs the AP pistol in the back of her jeans after putting the safety on. She moves from the doorway into the house and Keas appears in her place.

Keas can't stop the grin that takes over at the sight of all the injured men. He makes quick work of dragging them all inside. Marcy ties up each one in the living room/dining area of the house. As she does so she can hear the muffled screams of the women downstairs that Keas already tied up. They scream and cry as they watch Daniel spread gasoline around the meth lab and he even makes a circle around them with it. He makes a trail upstairs where it finally runs out. He heads to the front door and grabs one of three more and heads outside to the garage.

A single man's laughter escapes from the center of the tied up gang members. Marcy secures the knot on her last victim before looking at the source of the laughter: Damien. "You'll get caught eventually, Alice. I can't wait for the fucking day you join me in hell," he chuckles out. "Don't worry; I'll give your parents my personal company while I wait." He laughs loudly at her narrowed eyes. A few of his brothers join him.

Her two colleagues join her after dousing the house with gasoline. Marcy reaches into her pocket and grabs a pack of matches. She pauses for a moment before holding the matches out to Daniel. "You do it," she mutters out. Daniel furrows his brows.

"Are you sure, Alice?" he asks. "I know how personal this is to you," he adds quickly. Marcy shakes her head.

"It's personal for you, too. If you really want to work with me then prove it now. Burn your old gang. By doing so you are also swearing your life to Phoenix Inc., and me." It's silent for a moment save for the grumblings from the victims. Daniel's expression hardens in seriousness as he nods and takes the matches.

"You fucking traitor!" someone shouts. "We took care of ya since you were 17! Three fucking years, bro!"

"I knew we couldn't trust you!"

"I'll see you in hell!"

Marcy grabs the last gas can and splashes some over the group tied up on the floor. They exclaim loudly their displeasure as the three friends walk to the door. Marcy leaves a trail of gas behind them on the way. They make it to the sidewalk when the can runs out. She simply tosses it to the side.

All three share a silent nod, and then Daniel lights the match and drops it on the gas. It ignites quickly. The fire works its way to the house rather swiftly. They enjoy the flame show as it works its way up the outer wall. When the screams begin Marcy turns away from the house and heads back to her car. Keas follows shortly after carrying the duffle bags of Marcy's stolen items. Daniel stays where he is, listening to the sounds while feeling like all his troubles are escaping him like the smoke billowing from the building.

"Daniel!" Marcy calls. He turns, expecting a harsh look now that she knows of his part in the raid. However he's surprised to see a grin on her face. "Aren't you coming? You're officially a part of Phoenix Inc. now." Keas stands next to her with a smile of his own. Daniel smiles back and hurries over to her. He salutes playfully when he stops before her.

"I'll make sure you don't regret it, Alice," he says with a grin. Marcy lets out a chuckle.

"It's Marcy," she states. "My real name is Marcy." Daniel's grin softens into a smile. He reaches forward and gently takes ahold of her left hand. He lifts it up and bends down to it where he places a gentlemanly kiss on the ring around her middle finger. Marcy blushes lightly and Keas' smile falls. Daniel lifts his head and smiles at her.

"I won't let you down," he says seriously. Marcy giggles.

"I hope you don't," she replies. She takes her hand back and turns to go to her car door. "Let's go. I'm in the mood for some ice cream sundaes." Daniel laughs happily.

"I'll pay," he offers.

"Works for me. Buy a few different flavors. We'll make them at home. We'll meet you at the apartment." Marcy stops and turns back to Daniel. "On second thought, I'll pay. You head home and pack your things. You're moving." Dan furrows his brows in confusion.

"Where?" he asks.

"You'll see," she answers vaguely. She climbs into her car where Keas was waiting. She pokes her head out the window after starting the car. Daniel moves closer to hear her better. "Don't take too long. Keas loves his ice cream. See you there!" She punches the gas, jerks away from him, and races down the road.

Daniel stands there a couple moments longer, a wide grin on his face. "I'm going to love working with them; I already know it." He gets in his Buccaneer and takes off just as the sounds of a firetruck siren sounds from the opposite way.

The tall brunet man makes quick work of gathering his personal items. He empties the cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer as well. He fills the trunk of his car rather quickly. He stands in the bare bedroom save for the dresser, a wardrobe closet, and the bed. He goes to the dresser and picks up the lone picture frame standing atop of it. Dan gazes down at it with a sad smile. Looking back is Katie, her blonde hair twisted in twin braids and her green eyes shining bright. All the rest of her things have already been sent back to her parents' home in the next town over, but he couldn't part from the picture he took of her last year. Her parents invited him to her funeral; but he politely declined, explaining that he felt her family would like time to mourn her death and he would mourn her his own way.

"Well Katie, I did it," he says aloud. "I avenged you. I know you've always hated violence, but please understand it was something I had to do for myself as well." Dan moves to the bed and sits down with her picture still in hand. "I finally met your boss. You were right that she's very understanding. She's also very strong when she's pissed," he says with a small chuckle. He feels tears prick at his eyes. "Her real name is Marcy; did you know that? And Kal's name is actually Keas. I think the four of us could have been really good friends if we had the chance." Daniel looks up to the ceiling to try and stop his tears. He tries blinking them away, but instead it causes them to fall down his cheeks. Defeated, Daniel looks back down at the smiling picture and lets his sorrows out. A few droplets land on the glass, but he tries hard to wipe them away before they can land on her face.

After taking a few moments to calm himself down, Daniel carries the picture to the last box left in the small apartment. He places Katie's picture atop of his clothes before closing the box. He takes a deep, cleansing breath as he looks over his apartment one last time. He tries not to think of all the memories he shared with Katie in their apartment as he turns away with the box and walks out the door.

Marcy just adds the rotini noodles to the boiling pot when Daniel comes in the front door of the apartment. She looks over her shoulder with a grin. "Hey Dan. I just started on dinner; we're going to have the sundaes for dessert. Did you pack your things?" she asks. Keas looks up from the chicken he's cutting. He offers a smile and a nod in greeting before going back to what he was doing. Daniel smiles back.

"Yeah I did. It's all in my car," he responds. "Is there anything I can do to help with dinner?" he offers. Marcy's smile widens.

"No; we have this covered. You'll be too busy bringing your things to the third floor. You'll be staying there from now on." Daniel is taken aback by the statement.

"Wait, for real?" he asks in disbelief. Marcy nods with a laugh. "Well shit. Thank you so much!" Dan hurries out the door to bring his things inside.

Keas continues to help Marcy with a smile on his face. Although he had his doubts about Daniel at first, Marcy explained to him what happened in the garage with Damien. He was right to have suspected him at first, but after he proved that he no longer affiliated himself with his previous gang Keas no longer felt uneasy about him. In all honesty he was starting to grow a little fond of his personality over the past couple weeks. It was refreshing for Keas to meet someone who wasn't afraid of him at first sight.

The two continue preparing dinner for the three of them as Daniel races through the door every few minutes with one box after the other. He places two boxes in the kitchen before moving back outside for more. After placing the casserole in the oven Marcy's curiosity gets the best of her and she opens the boxes. She laughs loudly at the sight.

Each box is filled with nothing but junk food. In one it has cheese puffs, chips, popcorn, candy, a half a loaf of bread, and cookies. In the other it has ice cream, popsicles, ice cream bars, breakfast burritos, chocolate milk, frozen pizzas, pizza rolls, and a single empty ice cube tray. She takes a couple moments to calm her laugh enough to start putting the food away. Keas stares at the food then looks at the skinny man walking in the doorway.

"You must have a really high metabolism or something," Marcy comments. Daniel stops with his last box in hand. He smiles sheepishly, a bit embarrassed. He had hoped to hide his goodies from the two, but after bringing the first box in he found that the third floor didn't have a kitchen. Upon further investigation he found out that the second floor also doesn't have a kitchen. A light blush comes to his cheeks.

"Katie did all the shopping when we lived together. And before that I was living with my parents, so I never had to go grocery shopping before," he admits. "So I ate what we had left. And I was so depressed when I went shopping I just bought things that sounded good." Marcy gives him a sad smile.

"I can understand that. After my father passed on I only ate these things, too. But I ended up gaining twenty pounds because of it and I worked extra hard at the gym to get rid of it. It's a lot easier and faster to gain weight than it is to lose it," she inputs. Dan ducks his head to his shoulders, obviously more embarrassed than before. Marcy grins wide. "Don't worry. I'll be making our meals. If you would like I can teach you how to cook for when I'm not here." Dan becomes noticeably less uncomfortable and smiles in return.

"I would appreciate that." He turns and heads up the stairs with a smile. Keas turns his head from where he is to speak to Marcy.

"You right this time," he utters. He stands at the kitchen counter squeezing oranges for fresh juice to go with dinner. Marcy shrugs humbly.

"I mainly wanted to help him like I did for you," she states. "When someone is in a rough spot in life genuine support is hard to come by. You find a lot more people willing to turn you away when in need rather than anyone willing to help." Dan starts down the stairs, but stops before reaching the last few steps when he hears Marcy speak. "I feel horrible enough as it is that I wasn't able to save Katie. For all the influence my alias has on people it did nothing to save her. If it weren't for me she might even still be alive." Daniel peaks around the corner to see Marcy at the table. She stares down at the plate in her hands as she pauses from setting the table. "Daniel is still young, and only he can decide what to do with his life now. I hope to support him in any way I can while he figures out what is best for himself," she says softly.

Daniel feels his cheeks burn from embarrassment while his heart warms at the sincere words. She really is a kind person. I won't let you down.

Hello everyone! Thank you for the support, Dovahstav! It really means a lot. It took longer to find the time to type this up than it did to write it out, but the next chapter is taking me a bit longer. It may even be split into two since it seems to just keep going. I hope you all like this chapter! Let me know what you think~!

-Ariel