Little Hunter

Nanku hid all the pictures at the bottom of the file while they sat at the kitchen counter.

She remembered, for the first time in years, what it was like that night. Fully, and truly. The horror of bodies ripping apart. Of screams. Pleas for help that were answered with screeches and followed by cries of death.

It was so much worse than she let herself remember.

Maybe that's why the nightmares started again. Because she let herself—made herself—forget.

Nanku sat at the counter and hurried through the file as best she could. Memorized the lines. The details. Her mask would be best, but that wasn't an option with so many eyes on her.

"Mom told me my sister died." Rose swung her legs from her seat. "Long time ago."

Nanku turned to the next page. A copy of a sign-in sheet from the Dockworker's Association. Day of the murder. The enforcers wanted to track down who saw her father last before the murder. Lacy, according to the report attached to the sheet.

Unsurprising. Lacy was always at the Association, right at the front. And she'd been sick, according to Kurt.

Rose continued swinging her legs and watched Nanku. Big dark eyes, framed by curly dark hair. Hair like their mother's. Like Nanku's were she to untie her braids.

And she kept staring.

Waiting for an answer like she knew it would come if she simply waited.

"She did die," Nanku finally replied. "Long ago."

Nanku checked the photos to be sure none had slipped out. Rose knew nothing of such things. Nanku found it best to keep her that way. To protect her from the things she didn't need to know.

That was a… sobering feeling.

"Then why are you here?" Rose asked with a suspicious gaze.

She was a child. Not an idiot. Nanku knew that well.

"Because I survived."

"How?"

"I had a knife."

"Why?"

"Found it."

"Where?"

"In a boathouse."

"Why would a boat have a house?"

Nanku started to answer, but stopped. "I don't know."

"Really?"

She shrugged. Why did a boat have a house? Protection she guessed. Boats must be expensive. It made little difference to Nanku after all the years.

"If you're Taylor, why did mom call you Nanku?"

"Because Taylor died. Nanku is my name."

"It sounds weird."

Nanku turned to the next page. "It means little hunter."

"Who called you that?"

"Someone who found me."

"Is she nice?"

"She's not"—Nanku had to invent a word she wasn't sure was a word—"unkind."

Annette sat behind them, watching quietly as her daughters met.

And Nanku tried to puzzle why.

In another part of the building—somewhere out of sight to anyone else—the observers kept watching. Her mother's new husband—Rose's father—and the boy were at the back of the room. Nanku wasn't sure why they watched, but she guessed. They were observing her for Rose's safety. To be sure Nanku wouldn't hurt the girl.

Her mother's idea, or the father's?

Risky, but if her mother and Tattletale did what they said then no one knew she'd killed so many of the Pure. Alabaster was still tied up while Tattletale played with him—and Imp joined in the occasional stabbing just 'for the laughs.' Weird girl.

A search of the apartment revealed nothing new in the walls or fixtures. Those were all the same. A few new objects were scattered about. A vase. A box. Some books that weren't there before and seemed conspicuously placed. The eyes of bugs weren't good for seeing the screens the men in the basement used, but Nanku could guess.

They'd arranged the new objects too perfectly. Only a few blind spots.

Nanku managed to get a gnat inside one and found the device. Lens. Transmitter. A camera.

Perhaps it was a test of some sort.

Or trying to gather information.

"Why didn't you come back before?" Rose asked.

"I was busy."

"At school?"

"Something like that."

"I have school. It's boring. Except reading. I like reading."

Nanku glanced at her but she kept talking.

"Everyone else likes Harry Potter but I like Percy Jackson better. Do you read Percy Jackson?"

Nanku didn't even know who that was. "No."

"What do you read?"

Reports. Survey results. Technical readouts. The occasional poem. Taylor never liked human poetry though and Yautja poetry wasn't the most enticing. Nanku was fairly certain she was tone deaf but they were just bad poets.

"Little," Nanku answered.

"You're reading right now."

"It's not very good."

"But you're reading it. Oh. Mom says reading you do even though you don't like it is called work."

"She's right." Though, Nanku didn't dislike it.

It would pay off when she found whoever killed her father and got to think of an inventive way to hunt them. Something memorable.

"Boring reading sounds worse than no reading at all," Rose continued.

"Sometimes you do it anyway."

"Mom said the same thing."

Nanku did not like being compared to her mother.

"Is your not-school reading not boring?" Rose asked.

"We take lots of field trips."

"I like field trips, but Mom doesn't let me go on most of them."

Nanku raised her head and looked back.

Her mother was straight-faced but her eyes held a bit of shame. "Rose is still upset I wouldn't let her go to a weekend camp."

"No I'm not," Rose protested.

She sounded upset.

But that, maybe, Nanku could forgive. "There's a museum," she said. On the ship. "We keep it. Tell our stories."

"We?"

"Me and… Others."

"Does it have dinosaur bones?"

"No, but there are animals."

There were bones far bigger than any dinosaur there. Centuries of history. Hunts and hunters long dead, but remembered. Well remembered. Nanku knew most of the stories but reciting them might become too complicated.

"And poetry," Nanku added. "I never liked it."

"Sounds like a weird museum."

"It's a family project."

Her head tilted at the word.

She was young. Right.

Nanku examined the reports of suspects. She memorized their names first. They could be found on the Internet later. Maybe one of them did her a favor and admitted to 'murder' at some point. That would be nice.

"Are you living here now?" Rose asked

Nanku looked away from the papers again.

Rose kept swinging her legs and waited for an answer.

Was Taylor ever that innocent? What did it say that Nanku couldn't remember?

"No," Nanku answered. "I don't live here."

"Is it because you're old?"

Nanku took the chance. "Yes."

"You're older than Addison."

"Who is that?"

"My brother. He has a different mom though." Rose bowed her head. "She died."

Nanku cocked her head. "You didn't know her."

Rose shook her head.

"Did you kill her?"

"No?"

"Then why be sad about it?" Nanku went back to work. "You had nothing to do with it."

"Because Daddy is sad sometimes"—Rose spoke low enough that Nanku didn't think Annette could hear—"when he thinks no one is looking. Kind of like Mom."

It occurred to Nanku that the young ones sometimes were the most alert. Not necessarily the smartest, but not dumb.

"Are you sad?" Rose asked. "Because your daddy died?"

Nanku's fingers pinched the pages. "No."

She'd grown past sad.

"That's nice. Being sad is hard."

Nanku raised her head.

She saw it then, and she'd have preferred an actual trap. Another attempt at control. Her mother had changed somewhat in ten years, but some things it seemed never would.

"So is being betrayed," Nanku grumbled.

Rose hummed. "What's that?"

So she didn't know? Maybe that was for the best.

It was a strange feeling.

Nanku had a family. They were different and things were always a bit awkward. That felt about right to her for what a family would be. Rose was a stranger but Nanku felt something. A distant connection. Strangely, it was to her father despite him being no relation to Rose at all.

So Nanku held her temper and her tongue.

"What do you do for fun?" Rose asked.

"I hike."

She played along the charade, for the girl's sake. To let her have the life Taylor never would. That felt fitting in a way and Nanku threw herself into the decision.

Rose filled the time with childish banter.

Nanku focused as much of her attention on her file as she could.

The Empire.

The Nazis were among the leading suspects in her father's murder. Those under a parahuman named 'Valkyrie.' Not one of the current number. Nanku would know.

"Who is Valkyrie?" Nanku asked.

"Who's that?" Rose echoed.

Her mother tensed, but she brought it on herself. Bribing Nanku with a murder investigation and then bringing it to her home. What did she expect? That Nanku would set it aside and become enamored with Rose to the expense of her entire purpose?

"She was a villain years ago," her mother eventually answered.

"What was her power?"

"Changed size or something. I wasn't paying much attention to capes then."

Changed size? Wasn't one of the current Pure members someone who did that? Nanku was certain one was.

Maybe they changed their name.

Two birds with one shuriken. Nanku could live with that.

"Why does Valkyrie matter?" Rose asked.

"No reason."

There were other capes and gangs, but all older. Ones who weren't around anymore. Nanku would get to those after exhausting the more immediate leads.

"Mom." Rose turned. "I'm hungry."

Her mother took the demand and rose with it. "I'll order a pizza."

Rose's eyes lit up. "Hawaiian?"

"Shawn and Addison are eating out tonight, so if you want."

Nanku packed the file up and closed it. "Go ahead."

Rose's expression fell."You're leaving?"

Nanku paused, thinking. She inhaled and closed the folder gently.

It wasn't Rose's fault. She wasn't the one Nanku was angry at.

She was a little girl… Her sister.

Nanku faced her and crouched. "I have things to do."

"Work and stuff?" Rose asked, obviously unhappy but apparently familiar with that excuse.

"Yes. I have a job to do."

"Will you visit again?"

Nanku's response took a moment to formulate, somehow. She busied her hands in Rose's hair, tying a few strands into a small braid. There was something enamoring in her face. The innocence, Taylor decided. Maybe some basic instinct to protect the young as well, but mostly the innocence.

A shadow of Taylor. Who Nanku used to be, and might have stayed.

"Maybe," Nanku offered. "When I have time."

Rose pouted. "Okay."

Her mother stood confused and Nanku didn't linger. She didn't like being watched. She didn't like being lied to. She didn't like being controlled. Her mother hadn't changed as much as she'd hoped.

At least she kept most of her word this time.

Nanku left the apartment and made her way toward the exit. She observed those in the basement closely, especially as their huddle around their equipment broke. They began moving but none reached for weapons. They took out phones, fiddled with their machines, and spoke to each other.

No one moved to follow her.

Her mother's husband—Shawn—did move but he tried to intercept her mother, not Nanku.

Nanku was exiting the building when he reached her. The woman didn't stop, though they spoke briefly. He never went far enough to enter what he assumed was Nanku's sight.

Annette came out the doors, calling. "Wait!"

"What did you think?" Nanku spun around, her voice sharp. "That I'd meet Rose and turn my back on the last ten years? Or the ten before that?"

Her mother flinched.

"You don't control me anymore," Nanku snarled. "My willingness to accommodate your requests is not obedience. Never again."

Her lips parted to speak. Then closed and stayed closed.

Nanku shook her head. She was tempted to throw her knowledge in the woman's face. Point out that she knew they were being watched.

That would be impulsive and would give away far more information than Nanku wanted to reveal. Especially with so many cameras. She thought there must be some outside because some men were still watching their machines in the building's basement.

Nanku held up the file instead. "I'm keeping this."

She turned and left.

Her mother didn't try to stop her.

The kennel was empty of people when she returned. Nanku found that strange but maybe her mother was that delusional. She'd consider Imp might be lingering about but she could remember the girl so she clearly wasn't near. The dogs were present but tending to themselves in clusters and clumps. A few raised their heads as Nanku entered but the animals rarely approached her.

She discarded the clothing her mother provided and sat alone. Dusk and Dawn came in through the windows of the room and Nanku quickly retrieved her mask. She donned it and plugged the cord into her temple. The Twins settled on either side of her.

Then she began rapidly turning the pages of the file.

She didn't read any of the reports or look at any of the pictures. She kept them in view only long enough for her mask to record an image. She'd have an easier time going through it all with her own copy and the computer to help isolate and identify sections. The suspects the police gathered—especially the ones they never found—would be the best starting point.

It might amount to nothing but at least she had a place to begin.

Finally some progress.

She was nearly done when Bitch and Cassie returned.

Their voices were tense as they drove up to the kennel.

Nanku continued scanning the pages of the file. For all she knew her mother intended to have her arrested, locked up, or detained. Well, she could try but—

"I'm not their slave," Bitch snarled. "Not standing for this."

"It's a trap," Cassie hissed. "Please. Rachel, just slow down. Please."

Bitch threw the door open and stepped out of the truck. "No."

"Rachel!"

Cassie turned the key on the engine and scrambled out the other door. Angelica and Sunny snarled and barked as they followed after Cassie and Bitch. Their ears were turned back. Teeth bared.

Bitch was opening the back, pushing the door open and pulling herself into the vehicle's compartment. Nanku sent a few bugs in after her and began exploring around.

She sounded angry.

Bitch always sounded angry, but she sounded particularly distraught.

Something was inside the truck. Something bloody. And dog-sized.

Nanku tore her eyes away from the file and tapped her computer.

The cloak peeled over her and she silently slipped out of the building.

Bitch pulled the bodies out and set them on the ground. She wasn't particularly reverent, but she wasn't rough either. Cassie looked afraid and worried. Sad.

"Please," she pleaded again. "Don't do anything—"

Bitch snarled. "I'm going to do plenty."

She set the last body down and rose with blood staining the front of her shirt.

"They threw these bodies where I'd find them. Beat them. Brutalized them. Killed them."

"They want to get a rise out of you."

"They succeeded."

"It's a trap, Rachel! Let's just call Tattletale! It's not like we can talk you out of it but at least let—"

Bitch scoffed.

"Loves her peace too much… Forgot how we bought it."

"This isn't about Brutus and you know it!"

She nodded to the corpses. "It's not."

Nanku came closer and found a sheet covering each. Whatever color they had been, they were red now.

"And it's not a trap if I know about it."

Nanku stepped aside and let the girl pass.

She stormed into the kennel and started shouting names.

"Rocket! Capey! Butch! Colt!"

The animals responded as they were called one after the other. Dusk and Dawn skittered out the window again and took to the air. Nanku watched Cassie curiously, but the girl only shook her head. She didn't reach for her phone. Didn't call anyone.

When Bitch came out with ten dogs behind her, Cassie was back in the driver's seat starting the engine.

Nanku watched from a shadow, more than curious.

Pe'dte always said opportunity came to those who waited.