Little Hunter

Rachel threw the phone against the wall hard enough to shatter the device and chip the plaster.

Cassie jerked and jumped to her feet. Rushing for the door, she looked out covered in suds and puppy licks.

"What happened?" she asked.

Rachel started removing the shirt she was wearing. An old beater. Good for cleaning mud off the dogs and anything else they happened to roll around in. Which was just about anything they could roll around in.

"We need to go," Rachel said.

Cassie's differently colored eyes blinked. "What?"

"Start packing up everything. Call Biter and Colt. Prep the dogs. Brutus. Angelica. Come."

"Wait. Slow dow—"

"We're leaving. Now."

Rachel tossed the shirt aside and stepped out of the old denim shorts that looked almost as worn. She pulled out the basket with her regular clothes and Cassie turned and slowed Brutus and Angelica long enough to rub them both down with a towel. Get them dry enough to go out.

"What happened?" Cassie asked. "Is it that big fight downtown?"

"No."

Rachel did her best to appear calm.

She'd had a lot of practice over the years. It paid off, even if she really didn't want to look calm.

She wanted to look furious.

Using her to advance the group was one thing. The Undersiders and Weaver were Brockton Bay. They did all of that together. Kept it safer, smoother, and cleaner for everyone.

They did that.

It was theirs.

And Rachel would put up with a lot to keep it. Being used as bait by Lisa? That was just Lisa. Normal bullshit. It didn't faze her.

Being set up because Weaver desperately wanted her daughter to have a damned chaperon?

Bull fucking shit.

Rachel inhaled sharply while she dressed.

"Where are you going?" Cassie asked.

"Out."

"For wh—"

"Out!"

Rachel slipped into her boots and stormed out of the room.

I need you to help her, Rachel. Find her. Get her out of the city.

Bullshit.

Rachel inhaled and grabbed another phone on her way out. The Ambassadors wouldn't come before dark. Not in force. Worst case they'd send some stranger or thinker to snoop around. Maybe probe the building and see if there were any signs of Nanku.

She needed to make sure Nanku didn't come back. Not to where everyone who would know knew where Rachel was.

But they'd also take notice if Rachel began running around town looking for Nanku.

…

Rachel inhaled and turned on her heel. She left quickly.

Annette had fucked her.

Thoroughly. And it was infuriating.

But, everyone was about to assume she was in league with 'Huntress' anyway.

And Rachel was leaving the building to look for her. Anyway.

Sometimes Rachel wondered why, and then she tossed the question because what did it matter? Fuck the Nazis. Rachel had no particular liking for Shadow Stalker who had nearly killed Brian more than once before he did die. Fuck her too.

Nanku wasn't hurting anyone Rachel gave a damn about, misguided as her revenge quest was.

And she'd helped save Cassie. And the dogs. And Rachel.

Rachel didn't like owing anyone anything. She wasn't done repaying debts yet.

To say nothing that at the rate she was going the Protectorate would send someone like Cinereal, Dragon, or Alexandria to put her down. Then she'd be dead. Over Nazis and Shadow Stalker.

People were stupid.

Rachel supposed she was people, so she was stupid too.

Fun.

Now. Where would Nanku go after slipping away? Rachel supposed it depended on if she was wounded. Cassie would call if she turned up, but Nanku stayed away before. She might do it again to try and spare Rachel trouble.

Too late. No matter. Enough feeling sorry for herself.

Brutus and Angelica joined her in her trek into the downtown of Brockton Bay. Rachel avoided the still lingering columns of smoke. The PRT and Protectorate would be patrolling the area. Still looking for Night, Fog, and Nanku. If the Ambassadors were going to come looking for her then the Protectorate and PRT would too.

Rachel needed to find Nanku before they did, and before anyone found her.

She started at the library.

Nanku had been there more than once. As good a place as any to start.

"Tall," Rachel said to the receptionist. "Braids. Dark eyes. Never wears clothes that fit."

The man stared at her. "I see hundreds of people come and go everynday. I'm not going to remember what you look like in fifteen minutes."

Useless.

Rachel left and took some time to watch the streets. Nanku was tall and most white girls didn't wear their hair like hers. She'd stand out in a crowd…

And she'd know that and would avoid crowds. It wouldn't be beyond the PRT to decide a secret identity didn't matter anymore. Rachel had her own experience there.

So where. Where would she go and—

A hand tugged on her jacket and Rachel jerked.

She'd not noticed anyone get close.

"Ms. Rachel."

Rachel looked down and met Rose's eyes. Brutus and Angelica growled but a quick motion silenced them.

Impossible.

How had she just appea—Rachel sighed.

That made sense.

"You can't be here," Rachel said. "Lea—"

"I know where Nanku is," Rose said.

Rachel frowned.

"She's in trouble." Rose started pulling on Rachel's coat. "This way."

"How would you know where she is?"

Rose looked left and right. "It's secret."

Rachel grabbed her shoulder and pulled. With a sharp whistle, Brutus and Angelica followed. With the dogs she hauled Rose around a corner and surrounded her so no one could see.

"Explain," Rachel demanded. "Now."

Rose shrank into herself.

Rachel didn't feel bad. It was Rose's own fault. Approaching her at all was stup—"Why were you looking for me?"

Rose didn't meet her gaze. She looked at Brutus and Angelica. The two hounds were sitting and staring at her intently. Not openly aggressive, but present enough to be unnerving. Which Rachel realized might be overkill for Rose.

"I saw Mom call you," the girl claimed.

Saw?

Rose kept talking, saying, "And Nanku will be angry if she sees me but if you find her…"

"And how do you know where I was to find?" Or Nanku for that matter. If she would be angry to see Rose, Rose obviously wasn't helping her hide.

Rose calculated the lie in plain sight. Rachel could see her thinking it up.

Children were easy to read that way.

"Phone," she claimed. "I tracked her phone."

On the whole, the lie was only utterly unbelievable because Rachel doubted Rose knew how to do that. Just because she was lacking in guile didn't mean she was incapable of a good story. Smart kid.

Rachel maintained her frown all the same.

The girl was too young to be inserting herself into anything, whatever her power really was.

"Where is Nanku?"

Rose perked up and quietly slipped between Rachel and Angelica. "This way."

She led Bitch away from the library toward the bus stop. As soon as a bus pulled in, she grabbed Bitch's hand and near dragged her on board. The girl had a grip. And how had she slipped away? Hadn't she nearly been hit by a car?

Rose pulled Rachel into a seat as the door closed. Angelica and Brutus strode on in and pushed themselves into the spaces at their feet. Brutus—because he was a wimp inside—rested his head on Rose's lap.

"I had a bad day." Rose raised a hand and patted Brutus' head. "Today was scary."

"Hm."

"I almost got hit by a car."

Rachel tried making no sound at all.

"But Nanku pushed me out of the way."

Damn it.

"And Dusk and Dawn attacked the mist-man to make him stop."

She was spunky.

"And then there were bugs everywhere," Rose continued. "Lots and lots of bugs. And Laserdream tried to catch Nanku but she beat Laserdream up real bad." Rose grimaced. "That was scary too."

Rachel watched the girl but she wasn't sure what she expected to see.

Power.

Some kind of power.

The kind that was weird and impossible to guess at because it was too weird.

"Then Nanku yelled at Mom and left." Rose sighed. "I think she was really sad."

"Disappointed," Rachel corrected.

"Disappointed?"

"Disappointed." Rachel knew the feeling.

They went uptown three stops.

"She changed her clothes and hid in the crowds. The policemen escorted her away and she escaped."

That explained how she got past the PRT. Probably covered her hair with a hood and managed to hide among others. The Undersiders did that a few times when they were starting out. Back before Aisha triggered, or Brian died, and Sabah and Lily 'joined' the team.

Rachel didn't like being wistful. Waste of time.

But looking out the window, she realized she'd lived in Brockton Bay longer than anywhere else in her life. It was the first place that really felt like home. Before Weaver screwed her over entirely.

Rachel just went along.

Spilled milk. No point whining. However Rose's power worked, it wasn't a threat and she knew what Nanku was.

If they were quick Rachel would get to her before she did anything else. Weaver might have fucked Rachel completely because of her, but that wasn't Nanku's fault. Sort of. No, it was at least half Nanku's fault but—Stupid waste of time.

"This stop." Rose got up and pointed. "That way."

Rachel nodded and rose.

Rose sat back down.

"Not coming?"

Rose shook her head, and there was a slight quiver in her lip. "Nanku would be mad. I wasn't supposed to watch her."

Watch her? Some kind of power to see what she wanted to see… No wonder Nanku didn't want her watching.

"Go home," Rachel said. "And try not to say anything."

"I won't." Rose pointed. "That way. She—"

"I can find her."

Rose lingered, watching as Rachel left with Brutus and Angelica. Rose could see exactly where Nanku was? That was… Potent. There were rumors about capes like that. The kind of thinker who got grabbed up by Watchdog or groups like the Elite. They saw too much too easily not to use them.

And Rachel was seriously considering telling Weaver.

Because that wouldn't end well, but neither would waiting for someone else to notice Rose's power. Something to fret about l—So that's why Missy showed up. She knew. Maybe best to leave it be then.

Missy was capable. She'd keep Rose safe until the truth came out.

Rachel had few hopes of talking Nanku out of whatever she was doing.

The girl was headstrong and stubborn. Too brave for her own good. Skilled enough in a fight she wasn't really afraid of anyone. Never backed down.

Not the kind of person who gives in to mere words. Rachel knew all too well.

Rachel watched the buildings as she went. At first. Then she considered she should really be watching the bugs.

Nanku hid herself well, but Rachel never knew a wasp to turn and looked at her. It probably wasn't the first bug to react to her approach, but it was the first she noticed. A fly landed on her collar and two more on Brutus and Angelica.

Did Nanku know where all the bugs were? Did she see through their eyes? That could explain why Dusk and Dawn seemed so feral but so controlled.

Rachel followed the bugs and found her way into a thrift store. It was closed for the weekend according to a paper tapped to the door.

A good place to lay low for a few days.

When Rachel tried the door handle, she found the lock bolts cut clean through. And the interior of the building buzzed. Angelica and Brutus began growling immediately and Rachel's skin crawled. She didn't have any particular fear of insects, but the knowledge that a swarm of them were in the building but out of sight was unnerving.

The shelves and clothing racks were full, and various bins were occupied with other items. Anything from toasters to tents to cookware.

Rachel heard Dawn or Dusk skitter about. Out of sight but close.

She proceeded onward. She wouldn't stop now.

As much as Weaver had screwed her over, Rachel didn't want to hurt Nanku out of spite. The damned woman would get her way. Rachel would be bitter about it later. When she had the time.

"Nanku," Rachel called. "The noise."

Brutus and Angelica were still growing.

Rachel considered it a good sign when the sound abruptly stopped.

At the back of the building, Dusk and Dawn scuttled around Nanku where she sat. She was about naked from the waist up. Her side was bandaged along with one of her thighs. She'd been shot again.

Her armor and weapons set aside with her mask. With a cloth, her hands ran over the blades and sections of plate. Cleaning them slowly and methodically.

Rachel exhaled seeing her. Wounded she may be, but she was alive and that she moved around clearly meant her injuries weren't too crippling. Not like last time at least.

"Rose showed you how to find me," she declared.

"How would she?" Rachel asked.

It was a lie of course, but neither of them were going to make Rose's life any harder.

"You killed Stalker," Rachel stated.

"She was a coward."

Rachel huffed. "She tried to kill Grue once. Imp's brother. Echidna's clones succeeded."

Nanku continued cleaning her equipment. Rachel supposed if nothing else, Aisha wasn't around. They'd never remember her to talk about her if she was.

No point talking around it.

"We need to leave Brockton Bay."

"I am."

"We both do."

Nanku raised her head and turned slightly. "Why—" She grimaced. "My swarm."

Rachel nodded. "Ambassadors will figure it out. Dead Stalker? PRT is done playing."

Nanku bowed her head, hands still.

When they resumed their movements, the motions were jerky and angry.

"I was impulsive," she snarled. "Stupid."

"Plan got the dogs out safe. It was a good plan." And Rachel was still grateful. "Time to go now."

"I'm sorry."

Rachel's brow rose.

Nanku repeated the words.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to bring trouble on you."

Rachel took a breath. Weaver wanted to guilt-trip Nanku into leaving with Rachel. Rachel didn't know why, but that idea probably would work.

And fuck that idea.

"Weaver told the Ambassadors you were with me."

The girl stiffened.

"Thought she could get you to leave town before things got worse," Rachel continued. "Screwed me while she was at it."

Nanku remained still, but the buzzing started again. Dusk and Dawn's wings fluttered loudly and they tapped their claw tips against the floor.

"Get dressed," Rachel said. "Let's go."

"I'm already leaving."

"Then we'll both leave."

Nanku looked over her shoulder. "Why?"

"Why not?"

Rachel had run before. Been assumed an animal before. Treated like one. She could do it again if everyone really wanted to be an asshole over a few dead Nazis and fucking Shadow Stalker.

Weaver had one thing right—and only that one thing. Nanku needed someone around. Whether she realized it or not.

At least until she finished her business and went back to wherever she'd been all the years she'd been gone.

Rachel frowned while Nanku switched into some plain clothes.

For some reason, the idea of Nanku going away left her feeling a little cold.