Chapter 6: The Angel Protects
6 YEARS EARLIER - NIGHT OF THE MARS LANDING
LIGHTHOUSE PARK - ROOSEVELT ISLAND
It had been Six Months since Nikki met Connar, his wounds had healed and he was back to full strength. They had also grown significantly closer.
Nikki had been in a few relationships over the years, but none of them had lasted more than a couple of days or weeks, this was shaping up to be different.
They understood one another on a level that was incomprehensible to others, partly due to the psychic traits they shared.
The Whisper was still human, but his psychic abilities afforded him an insight into her that no others had ever been able to, or allowed to see.
He had also opened up to her, they had no secrets from one another and despite their chaotic lives, were happy.
It had also been Six Months since Patrick Ross had left Earth on his much celebrated "Excursion Voyage" to Mars. Tonight was the main event.
The Excursion was the culmination of the latest technology and over a decade of planning. Along the way to Mars, the Excursion had been periodically dropping Relay Buoys, which allowed them near instantaneous communication with Earth and also to broadcast live from the ship with mission updates.
Tonight they would drop the final satellite into Orbit around Mars and establish a link to Earth, broadcasting the History Event to the entire planet.
Nikki had zero interest in Patrick Ross, his grin was annoying and his face was a permanent fixture on everything. Large screens had been erected in the park on Roosevelt Island and Nikki had been persuaded to go along by Connar.
She wasn't usually one for crowds, but as luck would have it, the turnout at the Lighthouse Park wasn't that significant. Most people were likely crowded into bars, or gathered in Times Square.
So here they were, sitting out on a towel, on the grass, on a warm August evening watching "Captain Ken-Doll" touch down on the Red Planet. Connar was leaning against a low wall surrounding a flower bed and Nikki was leaning against him.
Nikki looked around as the other people on the park stood, cheered and waved flags as he touched down and announced over the radio "The eagle has landed… again".
There were a few T-Shirts featuring the other Excursion Mission Specialists Dennis Gamble and Anne Sampas, but the vast majority were Ross. Nikki shook her head and sighed.
"They should have sent Sampas down to the surface" Nikki said "I like her". "Or Gamble" Connar countered "He has a lot more personality". "Yeah" Nikki chuckled, and took a swig of her beer "You think Ross would even be there if Daddy Dearest wasn't a big time Senator?". "And also a major donor to the American Space Program" Connar added.
"Anne's definitely the smartest out of all three of them, she should have been the leader, I bet when she gets back, she'll do something good" Nikki said. "Agreed" Connar said "She has drive. You're right you know, she should have gone down to the surface".
"You've changed your tune" Nikki turned to face him over her shoulder "You've been all about Gamble every time the subject comes up". Connar stole the opportunity while she was facing him to plant a gentle kiss.
"Whatever the case though Nikki, its a brave new world, probably won't be too much longer before we colonise the place" Connar said "Asteroid mineral mining, precious metals, it's the next gold-rush". "You really think so?" Nikki asked "I don't wanna go to some dusty red ball at the ass end of space, breaking rocks on the slopes of Olympus Mons for the rest of my days is not my idea of fun" Nikki said.
"Outpost of the future so they say" Connar said. "More like Outhouse of the present". Connar laughed "Cheer up Nikki" Connar grinned "He's still got to get off the planet, he might have an engine failure and have to stay there permanently living off raw potatoes and recycled protein paste".
"Excellent, then they'll all realise that "Captain Ken-Doll" big hero, can't even fix his own ship and then maybe I can drink a beer without having to look at his face on my label". "Will it to happen Nikki, and it will".
"Oh look, he's got something to say from himself". They watched as Patrick stood in his space suit, perfectly framed by the HD Camera on the Rover which he'd deployed out onto the surface. "Not for one nation, not for one people, not for one creed, but for all human-kind" he announced with a big Salute.
"Check out this hypocrite" Connar said "Captain Ken says Not for one Nation while holding the stars and stripes in his other hand".
As they had been chatting rather openly, a man nearby who was sitting on the wall had been periodically turning his head and giving them looks, as had another couple several feet away. They were both aware of this but ignored them.
However, it seemed calling Ross a hypocrite was the final straw and he took umbrage at them both, a real "Patriot" type in a stars and stripes T-Shirt. "Hay you two, what's with you, this is a great moment, he's a great man… and you, British guy, I don't see any of you people going to space!".
Nikki largely ignored the man, only shooting him a passing glance, but she knew Connar well enough by now to know that he would engage with him. She tapped Connar on the side of the leg, her way of saying Don't start a fight, I'm actually enjoying myself.
Connar turned to the man and grinned "Technically, I'm not fully British, but for the purposes of this conversation, the British don't go into space because we don't need to" Connar said… then a few moments later added "We invented gravity after all".
Caught off guard by his comment, Nikki laughed too. "Connar I agree with him on this" Nikki said, gesturing to the man several feet away "The English didn't invent gravity". "Oh really" Connar said, his arms were around her and he gave her a gentle squeeze "Then, both of you, how come Isaac Newton owns the patent on Gravity? He was English".
The man sitting near them shook his head, taken aback by how ridiculous Connar's argument was, yet how matter-of-fact he sounded "What? You're crazy, Isaac Newton didn't invent gravity, and he doesn't own a goddamn patent on it".
"Of course he does mate" Connar argued "He put his name on it". Stars and Stripes guy tilted his head and looked at Connar with a curled lip, not knowing whether to be offended or just confused "What!?".
Nikki squinted at Connar over her shoulder and jabbed him in the side with her elbow "I think you've had too much to drink Shanty, even I think you're talking shit".
"Ok" Connar continued, squeezing Nikki again "If you don't believe me either, you can ask Captain Ken-Doll, or Sampas or Gamble when they get back how every time they did a live stream from the ship over the past six months, they were walking around in it and not weightless".
"Oh come on, man" the Stars and Stripes Guy shouted "Even I know that, they induced spin so they could move and work around the ship more easily".
"Ahh, Exactly" Connar quipped, clicking his fingers at the guy "They induced spin… by employing Newtonian physics… and every time they do that, they have to pay the British a small tax".
At this point, Nikki glanced over at the other couple on the grass who had previously been giving them looks, they were now grinning and laughing.
The stars and stripes guy was absolutely befuddled for a moment, then pulled out his phone, got up off the wall, and walked away while typing something into the device.
"I think you ruined his evening, Connar" Nikki said "Look what you did, he's actually searching that on his phone…High Altitude Mermaids? British Gravity Tax? Where do you come up with this bullshit?" Nikki asked.
Nikki felt Connar's hand take hold of hers and gently lift her hand, and her beer, up to her lips "It makes sense when you've had a few more drinks, Spikey". "You don't want spikey, not where you're sitting" Nikki nudged him and took a drink of her beer.
They listened to more of the broadcast, the Camera was recording Ross as he went from place to place, drilling samples of Martian dirt "Eight years of training and I'm a Martian Ditch Digger" he said, causing a ripple of laughter to go though those gathered in the park. "Yeah, if your engine fails, you'll be digging that ditch for the rest of your life" Nikki said.
They watched on for another hour as he eventually wrapped up his Martian surface walk and entered the lander once again. A few minutes later, the engines roared to life and the camera on the Rover tilted skywards as the lander rose into the dark star filled Martian firmament.
The rising cheer rippled through the gathered crowd, some even stood up and punched the air, waving American flags.
"Well, can't have everything" Nikki said. Another thirty minutes went by, during which time they ran ads and special newscasters exchanged narrative points. Nikki and Connar took it in turns to go get more snacks and beers so they didn't lose their spot.
Nikki arrived back at their spot just in time for the engine thrust countdown and a long 8 month journey home. She was in the process of sitting down, and Connar wrapped his arms around her as she leaned against him again… 5…. 4…..3…. 2….1…..
Nothing…..
It went off like an explosion of visions and voices like tiny razorblades inside her head… a scream… a vision… a ….. knowing….
Visions came hard and fast…
A Black Tower
A Dead Star silhouetted against a dark un-light. It was looking at her, studying her…
HIS FLESH IS MINE… HIS WILL IS MINE…. IT… IS… DONE!
A Voice . . . made of billions of other voices screamed inside her head, as if it could not find a proper tone or inflection. She could feel it, as if it was awakening from a billion year slumber in absolute darkness Anger… Hunger… Lust…
"REJOICE!"Nikki doubled over and instinctively put her hands over her ears, throwing off Connar's hands "UUUGHHHH….NO! STOP! UUGGAAAAHHHH! MAKE… IT…. STOP" she beat her fist on the ground and ripped out large clump of grass and soil.
"Nikki!" Connar shouted. She was only passingly aware that others in the park had turned and were now looking at her.
She struggled to her feet, but didn't make it, holding her head and going into a foetal position on the ground.
"SOOOO MUCH…. LIIIIIIIIIFFFFFFEEEEEEEE!"
It was screaming inside her head. She was screaming. "UUUUGGHHHAAAAHHH! MAKE IT STOP!"
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was aware of other people around her, several hands touched her, she could hear Connar shouting at them "No, don't touch her".
THE FIRE OF LIFE… WILL BE EXTINGUISHED IN SHADOW… JOIN WITH THE ONE … SING CONQUEST … EVERLASTING!
Nikki felt someone, probably Connar, she didn't know anymore, throw a jacket, or something, over her, she realised that her skin was rippling and undulating, her other side was trying to surface, she was doing her best to force it back down, but it was scratching at the door.
She was shaking violently and digging her fingers into the ground, ripping out chunks of grass.
REGENT….OUR…TIME….IS…..NOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW!
And then… as abruptly as it began, it stopped. Nikki lifted he head to see several concerned looking faces around her staring at her with wide eyes.
For the past seven minutes, all attempts to communicate with the Excursion has failed, we await word from mission control while they attempt to re-establish communication. Came the announcer's voice over the big screen.
Nikki looked around her and concentrated on changing back, her hands, part of her back and her lower half. Thankfully, when Connar threw his jacket over her, it covered these things up.
Connar leaned over her, then looked around at the others "It's ok guys, thanks… she has epilepsy, just a little seizure, it's ok". "You'd better get to a Doctor" one woman said. "Right away" Connar answered her "Thank you" then he added "It's alright folks, just a seizure, everything's ok".
Nikki felt him lean down close to her "Hay, can you walk? We'd better move.
Connar helped Nikki to her feet and by the time she was fully upright, she felt fine again and the fog inside her head lifted. She looked at Connar "I felt it too" he whispered "Though you… what was that?".
Err houston, this is Excursion" A familiar voice came over the speakers "We had a malfunction in the KU-Band Antenna, lost telemetry and Comm" Patrick's voice continued over the broadcast, the newscasters had their hands to the microphones in their ears, listening intently to his words. "I performed a bit of IFM, seems to be ok, now… Excursion crew is ok, we're ready for rendezvous with Big Blue… it's going to be good to get home… over and out".
Nikki wasn't listening to his words by the time he said "Over and Out" she was already out of the park and heading back towards the MTA hatchway, the one she had stuffed Connar through six months prior.
"Nikki what was that?" Connar asked. Nikki rounded on him and shouted "I don't know alright!" Connar stopped and looked at her with his hands up in a calming gesture "I'm … sorry" she said and walked over to lean on the railing overlooking the east river.
Connar came up and wrapped his arms around her again. They stayed there for several long minutes before Nikki spoke again "Sometimes I get these dreams" Nikki began "I think they tell me who I am… I don't really know… maybe I never will" Nikki felt a lump in her throat and her eyes flooded with tears.
"I've always felt it, right beneath the surface, something inside me that's dark". Connar didn't speak, he just hugged tighter.
"That…. I don't know what that was…" Nikki wiped her eyes. "I'm different… Connar… if you want to walk away… I'll understand".
Connar gently pulled at her until she was facing him "Hay, come here" they rested their heads together. "You forget, I've seen you… as you truly are… this close". Nikki felt his internal rhythms, his heartbeat slowed until it matched in sync with hers, as did his breathing. This was a gesture only someone with his abilities could achieve. "And what did you see?".
"You ask the wrong question… not what … who I see… You told me who you used to be called… Sil, and you say that she's dead and gone… but I don't think that's true… she still here… and she's searching for hope".
Nikki lifted her face and they shared a gentle kiss.
"I'm not going anywhere… as long as you'll have me, mermaid" Connar said.
Nikki managed a small laugh and leaned in close, chasing his lips for a moment, the kiss that they shared was slow, warm and passionate and in the embrace that followed, their mutual psionic abilities allowed them a joining of feeling and thought on a much deeper level.
"Come on, Shanty" she finally said. . . "I… I don't know what that was, but it's not ruining my night, let's go find a bar".
"What do you think just happened in those seven minutes there when they weren't talking?" Connar asked.
"Who knows… who cares?" Nikki quipped over her shoulder "Come on… I want something strong after … whatever that was".
Nikki noticed Connar's concerned look, he hesitated for a moment and then followed her. The rest of their evening would be spent in bars and clubs all over the city and culminated in them having to run and get down a manhole as police gave chase after they had wandered into a VIP section of one of Manhattan's biggest nightclubs and Nikki had lifted a $1000 bottle of champagne out of an ice bucket.
They had laughed as they made off into the alley behind the club and Nikki pulled up the Manhole with one hand before they both climbed down.
The two Cops and several doormen chased them into the Alley but couldn't get the manhole cover up in time to catch them.
"Goddamn Hobo's… it's fucking jammed" Nikki heard one Doorman shout as he tried to pull up the Manhole cover, not knowing she was holding it down from bellow.
That £1000 bottle had not lasted long once they got back down to Terminus and would spend the rest of its existence at the side of Nikki's mattress with a plastic flower poking out of the top.
- PRESENT DAY -
TERMINUS TUNNEL- BENEATH MIDTOWN EAST
Nikki locked up the old metal doors of Terminus and secured it with a heavy industrial chain and lock. Then began her long journey up through the tunnel at the end of which, she took hold of a large concrete slab and dropped it over the hole at the entrance to the service passage she had uncovered that led down to the abandoned space.
She was leaving tonight for a while, and had locked everything down.
It had been a month and two weeks since the gunfight at the Dark Bohemia. Viktor Nikolaev had fled the country and returned to his birthplace of Novosibirsk where he had taken over management of the other end of his business. He had, however, sent word through his daughter, Katarina, that Nikki, Connar and Kenji were welcome any time.
The whole prospect of it made Nikki feel awkward. She had caught Kirill, Viktor's brother, mercilessly killing a woman in an alley. She had dealt with Kirill. Now, she and Connar had saved Viktor's life and apparently earned his eternal gratitude. . . . to say the situation was FUBAR was the understatement of the decade.
Moreover, Viktor had secured the Cincenatti bounty for Benjamin Revas, who Connar had killed during the meeting, to the tune of $20,000 … however, Viktor had tacked on an extra $30,000 for their help in getting out of the club, he had also matched it for Nikki, she had also been instrumental in getting Viktor and Katarina out of there, not only that, but Nikki had personally killed the man they called "Black Flag". They were both, now sitting on $50,000 each.
It was a lot of money. Both Nikki and Connar had some stashed away. After they had taken down Sulaimann in the DRC, Nikki had found a small bag in his desk drawer full of Conflict Diamonds. She had, of course, shared them with Connar and Maya. They had them stashed somewhere safe should they ever need them. That time was looking like it was upon them both now.
They had also been able to sell the van they found behind the club, however they had kept some of the weapons and equipment they found within. "A Minigun will never fail to brighten up a rainy day" Connar had joked. The rest of the gear, they had stashed in Connar's lockup.
Both of them had been forced to lay low since Dark Bohemia, the Pale Man outside the club had unnerved Nikki a lot. It was clear, he was like her… and yet somehow still different.
For answers, they had gone back into Vikki's files. Patrick Ross had sired a number of offspring, some of which had escaped, but they were unstable with autoimmune disorders.
Whoever he was, it sent a shiver through her just thinking about him, the way he looked at her, there was anger there, and also something else… was it lust, awe? Nikki neither knew nor cared, all she wanted, all she needed, was to somehow put this behind her and move on.
They had both done their usual rounds of the city in the weeks since the fight. There was definite tension on the streets. For someone to attack Viktor like that. There was blood in the water, all the major crews in the city could sense it.
The question of who killed Kirill had yet to be solved, and people were divided. Some said that it was Dankworth himself, and the matter had been put to bed, some said it was an as yet unknown rival crew who got wind that Vikki was carrying something valuable, and acted on that information.
Still others whispered that the fabled Angel of Vermin had arisen from the shadows of the alley to exact brutal vengeance upon those who prayed on the innocent.
Vikki wasn't innocent. She had been involved in a brutal, sick project and had, for lack of a better way of saying it tortured someone just like her, for no better reason than finding a way to kill her kind.
By stealing the Helix Shard and taking her gathered data to Journalists, she was searching for redemption.
Nikki had forgiven her on Eve's behalf right before she died… at the time, she had no idea what she was forgiving her for, or who Eve was. She didn't see the files until hours later, and it had made her blood boil.
Nikki had no idea what Eve might have done in her place, she didn't know her, and was still conflicted as to whether she even wanted to.
Tension in the city was on the rise, so Nikki and Connar had decided that tonight, they would be leaving the city for a few weeks, just until things calmed down.
Nikki had spent the past few nights travelling a large circuit around the city, coming up in every alley where she knew and "Angel of Vermin" had been painted, and taking the canned offerings.
Not for herself or for Connar, but for the few friends they had in the underground.
Rebecca and Jesse would distribute the collections evenly, they had known her ever since she came to the city all those years ago. Nikki was giving it all to them. She found them in their usual spot, in an old maintenance area at the side of the tunnel.
She had told Jesse "We'll be back in a few weeks, when all this has settled down, until then, if you need anything, just use the food here, and hit up the Angel Glyphs on the street". Jesse and Rebecca had given her a big, warm hug and told her to be safe.
The reality was, she had no idea where they were going to go. Connar knew of Whisper, and general safe houses from the streets of New York, to the country lanes of southern France. They had agreed that they would return, but they needed to make a move.
Nikki knew that the Pale Man was behind Dankworth's attack on the club, and he had seen her. She had no desire to be around if he decided to come after her again, she had learned that lesson in L.A. "Stay off the streets as much as possible if you can, things are getting tense up there" she told Jesse. "What about you and Shanty?" he asked.
"We'll be fine" she had told him "I'm going topside in Bowery to get some more supplies, I'll be back later" she said, and made her way up through the tunnels.
She had given both Rebecca and Jesse prepaid burners each and some money. Nikki and Connar generally saw them once every few days. They were friends, they were also eyes and ears on the streets, people came to Rebecca for help, for her medical knowledge.
If there were any significant developments while they were away, Jesse could reach them.
By now, they had squared away most of their belongings in Terminus. They didn't keep much in there just in case this day came.
Connar had shut down the pirated electricity they had run down there and they had locked it up. It would remain like this, secure, untouched, unfound for the time being until they returned.
BOWERY - LOWER MANHATTAN
The Bowery area of Manhattan was a regular haunt for Nikki, there were many Angel Graffiti markings on the walls and there were a few people in the area who practised the "Offerings".
She had been to three, and almost filled her pack… but as she drew nearer to the last one. A narrow alley between housing project buildings behind a fenced in children's play area, she felt it again…
As she drew nearer, she caught a scent, and with it came a mental connection she quickly blocked… a deep… knowing.. A similar, but significantly diluted sensation as the night of the Excursion touchdown… a similar sensation to when she had seen the Pale Man…
Nikki decided that stealth was the best option here. She wasn't going to blindly walk into a trap.
Using her knowledge of the area, she looked around, checking nobody was watching, then pulled up her hood and leaped up, catching a fire escape several metres off the ground and clambering up onto the roof of the complex.
Once on the roof, Nikki slid off her backpack and set it down. Moving low, swiftly and silently, she stayed low, and jumped over onto a lower section of the building that had a better view of the alley.
The street lamp that illuminated the alley had been out for months, but Nikki could see perfectly in the dark. There were several tents in the area, but not as many as normal… and they were all empty, everyone had fled. Nikki leaned over just enough to see the end of the ally.
Someone lay face down on the ground in the middle of the ally, with blood pooling around them. Nikki knew immediately, the body belonged to a man named Gregory Townsend. One of the few people around the city that knew her by name.
He lay face down now, with his neck broken and his left arm torn off at the elbow. Blood was splattered all around him.
She saw the Angel graffiti on the wall several feet in front of where he was laying, someone had lit a small candle beneath it, they sometimes did. All the gangs in the city were feeling the pressure, therefore, those at the bottom were too.
The candle was a warning that The Angel is Watching. She was… Nikki was Watching, she was always watching.
There were indeed several cans of food and bottles of alcohol down there… but the angel, and the whole wall was covered with crimson arterial spray.
Nikki wasn't alone… there was a woman down there too. Just standing there admiring the graffiti art on the wall.
The woman wore dark jeans, combat boots and what looked like a black muscle vest under a cut dark leather jacket. Her hair was long, dirty-blonde and tied back in a ponytail.
Nikki sized her up, she had a shredded physique and powerful muscles. The woman stood admiring the Angel of Vermin graffiti on the wall.
There was no question about it… Nikki was looking at one of Patrick Ross's "Half-Breed" offspring, that she'd read about in the file.
Nikki could sense, however, that this woman was healthy, there was something not quite right, imperfect, but kept in check, and for the most part, her system was stable… strong even.
Her internal rhythms were slow, precise, poised… the woman had sensed her, there was no denying it, she knew Nikki was here.
"So it's true what they say?" The woman said loudly, her voice was commanding, full of drive "The Angel Protects".
Vesper had had her ear to the ground for weeks after arriving in New York, after the big gunfight in the Club, Quinn had told them that he had personally seen Eve leaving the scene.
The sense that he got from her was slightly different, than what he remembered from that night, but it stood to reason that perhaps she had been through a number of adaptations since the night their father died, it had been years.
Quinn had seen her in the company of a man with distinctive looking eyes, using a van that contained Dankworth's second squad to escape through an alley behind Dark Bohemia.
Ever since, Vesper had listened to the word on the street, most of it was gang bullshit, but something about this Angel of Vermin had caught her attention "The Angel Protects" so they said. The homeless and destitute.
While Seth had chased up leads on the Man that Quinn had seen with Eve, Vesper had been patrolling the city every night, looking at these so called "Guardian Markings" places where this "Angel" frequented.
There were a lot of them in the areas surrounding Midtown East, Central Park, Bowery, Hell's Kitchen, parts of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
Over the past week, she had noticed that a lot of the small "Offerings" had been taken in rapid succession, asking around, she heard that occasionally they would be taken, but most often they would be distributed among whoever was staying on the streets in the area… not lately.
Bowery was the last place where any offerings had remained untouched. Vesper had a theory, that if Eve was The Angel, she might show up to take them… She had been wandering around here for hours and her presence hadn't gone unnoticed.
A man had come out of his tent and told her "It can be dangerous around here at night, you should go home" to which she had replied "But, I'm looking for her" pointing at the graffiti art "I'm looking for the Angel of Vermin". Almost as soon as she uttered the words, the man's expression had darkened and he had simply told her to leave.
When he opened his tent to go back inside, she saw something in there, his clothes, he had a lot of military style clothing. "You Military?" Vesper asked. "I was" the man said, "But I don't want to talk about it, please leave".
Vesper then spotted a lot of canned food and some alcohol piled into the corner of his tent "Where did you get all that?" she asked "Have you been stealing from the Angel?... I don't think she'll be too happy about that".
The man turned and fixed her with a stare "No, I'm no thief… she takes no shit, but she shares, she's fair and kind, now please leave me alone". "Awwwwww is that right? Vesper said "She's kind? … Like she was kind when she betrayed my Father and got so many of my brothers and sisters killed… burned alive in their sleep… she gives you extra… maybe she has a soft spot for men in uniform?".
"Lady I don't know what you're talking about, or what your problem is, now, please, I want to be left…" in the next instant, Vesper had him by the throat up against the wall "It wasn't much of a home, it wasn't forever, we all knew that, but we were warm, we were happy, we were together, and we had our father… and then she came and ruined everything… she was followed by men.. many men… in uniforms… they cut, they burned, they gassed and they killed us like animals… AND THEY LAUGHED WHILE THEY DID IT!".
The man struggled against her grip but it was useless, eventually, he used all his strength to try and punch her, but she easily caught his arm and with a short, sharp pull, she heard the bones crack, flesh and muscle tore and it came free in her hand.
The man screamed, but a second later, she silenced him by applying pressure and cracking his neck. The man went silent and limp.
As Vesper tossed the body into the middle of the alley, she spotted the other occupants of the tents further down were now getting out of their shelters and running "Tell your Angel!" Vesper shouted as she casually wandered over to admire the artwork. It was now covered in arterial spray "Blood for blood" Vesper uttered.
Vesper waited, and soon enough, she felt it… she sensed the approach of another, a familiar, yet unfamiliar presence.
It definitely had aspects of the way Eve had come across, as she remembered from that night… but there were differences.
Eve had given off an innocent, yet driven and determined presence. This presence, while similar, was slightly darker, brooding, but also had that strength and drive, it had that … fire…
Vesper could feel her. She was somewhere nearby, she was close, she was…. Watching her…. Yes… finally, this is it. Vesper would exact a brutal price for what Eve had done to them that night.
Vesper would finish what poor, pathetic little Portus had started in the back of that ambulance all those years ago.
They all had specific orders when it came to Eve, she was to be taken alive… Vesper wouldn't violate that …Alive… barely.
"It's true what they say" Vesper called out, knowing that the other presence in the alley could hear her "The Angel Protects".
There was no response, but she could sense the other's rhythms increase slightly.. She wasn't angry, she wasn't afraid, she was … perfectly composed… Vesper would change that "I say, the Angel is a little late to the fucking party… but that's just me".
Vesper didn't turn around, she was genuinely studying the images on the wall. A faceless woman in a hood, her face couldn't be seen. Her hands were long, sharp talons and rising, spreading outwards from her back were angelic wings… but not quite angelic.
Each feather wasn't a feather, it was a snarling, biting white rat. Vesper heard a sound, like a flutter of fabric, and a small bump, someone was moving around in the shadows behind her. She definitely had Eve's attention.
"You know, I never really saw the appeal in this street art… but I gotta say, they captured you pretty good… love the rats, every little detail".
Vesper heard another shift, like something sliding down a wall behind her, she still didn't turn. "Angel of Vermin" Vesper said and snorted out a laugh "That's a good name for you" Vesper gestured at the broken body down in the middle of the alley and added "Wherever you go, Rats tend to follow".
There was a slight pause, and then a woman's voice, soft, but with a lot of edge, broke the silence of the alley "Like the Piper" she uttered.
"Whatever" Vesper laughed, "But, whoever came up with the name, they get points for imagination". There was another brief pause before the voice spoke again "And you are?".
Vesper still didn't turn, she knew her prey was close, she would draw her in closer, Eve would not escape tonight. "Me? I'm lucky" Vesper said "Out of all of us who survived that night, I'm the one who gets to have some payback". Vesper let that hang in the air again, eventually the woman behind her asked "What night?".
Vesper knew that Eve could likely read her rhythms, possibly her thoughts, so she blocked herself, she did her best, despite her rising anger to keep her rhythms steady.
She could sense the Rhythms of the one behind her, close now, they were poised but calm. "What, you don't remember? Did Portus choke that out of you with his tongue? Our Cocoons? The Barn? The old Ross Estate? The night you arrived to meet our Father? You ran all night to find him… ring any bells?"
Vesper heard a slight shift, but no answer came.
Vesper felt her anger rising now in spite of herself "You fucked him, then you turned on him". After a few seconds, there was a response, but it wasn't anything Vesper expected "You're going to have to be more specific".
Now, Vesper was angry. Eve wanted to play games, fine, she could play games too, she turned around and looked into the shadows.
The shadows were so complete on the opposite side of the alley, that even Vesper's vision couldn't penetrate all the way. Vesper began to slow clap "Oh, Ohhhh, That's very good, I like that one" Vesper chuckled.
Now she could see something. Several feet up, pitched on top of a low hanging fire escape with no railing, was a figure. Vesper could only see the outline, but she could make out that the woman wore a long, ragged jacket, that would go down to her ankles were she not pitched like a raven on the side of the building.
She was also hooded. Only two bright, green reflections could be seen.
Vesper smiled as the figure hopped down to street level, but still remained in the shadows. Vesper was actually impressed. Eve had become quite adept at stealth, sticking to the dark places… where she belonged.
"We all Agreed" Vesper began "That for what you did that night… you have to pay… so come on, why don't you come out and play a little". The woman in the shadows made only one move… she blinked and tilted her head slightly. "Come on, Eve" Vesper said "Step out, let me see you".
The woman in the shadows still didn't move. "Not my name" she uttered. Vesper laughed and clapped again "Oh, I'm sorry, what name are you going by these days? Or wait… wait… let me rephrase… what name do you want on your fucking gravestone?" Vesper said in a lower tone.
Vesper was ready now, she'd had enough talk "Not that you're ever gonna fucking get one" Vesper added.
Yet the woman in the shadows STILL didn't move… Vesper stared into those reflective green orbs, waiting for something, any kind of response. "Won't be mine" the woman finally said, this time her tone was lower, and full of anger.
Vesper had had enough, she growled and then braced her feet, kicking herself into a sprint, charging at the one in the shadows… she was going to smash her, pulp her, she would heal… but tonight Vesper was going to find her limit, she was going to make her Beg!
Vesper clenched her fist and brought it back to deliver an almighty, god splitting punch, she was going to put Eve through that wall.
At the last second, the woman did move, but not towards her, or away, through the gloom, Vesper saw that her arm was out stretched and her hand was wrapped around something.
The woman pulled down and inward, ripping a heavy steel steam pipe off of the wall beside her, Vesper tried to halt her momentum, but it was too late, too close. She felt that hot steel pierce her chest and run her through all the way until it exploded out of her back.
Vesper screamed and swiped at the woman, but she was just out of reach, and was now holding the pipe with both hands like a spear, braced against the wall.
Vesper could only watch as the woman raised a leg, kicked the pipe's connection off of the wall with a hiss of steam, and then heaved.
Vesper felt her chest and ribs being cracked upwards at an awkward angle as the woman in the hood hefted it and gave it a mighty shove, pushing Vesper backwards across the alley.
The woman drove her, swiping and screaming until she felt another impact, and realised that the pipe had hit the wall behind her and pierced through it.
Vesper found herself impaled onto the Angel of Vermin graffiti art she had, just a few minutes before, been admiring.
The pain was immense, she could feel the pipe through her left lung and she was struggling to breathe, but she was VESPER, SHE WAS THE STRONGEST OF THE BROOD, and she would not let Eve do this again, not to her, she was stronger, she was faster, she was the best one!
Tonight, she would avenge her father and her brothers and sisters.
Vesper pulled with all her might and felt the pipe beginning to come loose, she struggled and writhed, screaming in abject rage, and could feel the brickwork behind her giving way.
She was, however, still at a disadvantage, the woman was still standing in front of her. The woman turned briefly, glancing down at the body several feet away, and then back up at her.
Vesper saw something, very briefly, an expression beneath the hood, bared teeth, a flash of rage.
The woman launched herself at Vesper, bringing a fist up into her jaw with a might she had never known, it was followed by another, and then another. By the fifth impact, Vesper was aware that the woman's hands and forearms were changed, she was in true skin, at least partially, the face was still human.
The woman reached down and picked up one of the bricks that had been dislodged from the wall in Vesper's struggle.
Vesper swiped and kicked, she was almost loose, but not loose enough. Vesper could do nothing as the large brick was swung with incredible strength right into her face, so much so that she felt it smash on impact.
Vesper knew that her nose, cheekbones and jaw were broken now, her head also felt strange and she knew there was a deep gash in her forehead. Blood leaked into her eyes.
The woman still wasn't done, she grabbed the pipe and began to twist it, Vesper was almost loose, but the woman was trying to anchor her more firmly to the wall.
"NO!" Vesper screamed, and struck out. The woman tried to duck, but this swipe hit home, she got her good on the side of the face.
The woman growled as she was knocked off balance and fell, but she was quick, and she came back at Vesper with a renewed fury, beating and calwing.
Vesper knew that if she rode it out for just a few more seconds, she'd be loose.
Finally the woman hit her so hard that it knocked her to the side and Vesper fell. She felt the pipe dislodge and knew that if she wasn't fast, the woman would press her advantage…Vesper was fast, she was the fastest, the strongest…
Vesper threw herself onto her back and felt the pipe impact the concrete below, through her momentum, it was pushed back out, a quick pull released her entirely.
The woman was already coming at her again, but now Vesper had the pipe.
Vesper's chest felt like it was both burning and drowning at the same time, her lung and ribs were trying to heal, but still full of blood from the injury. She could fight through this, she was stronger than this… more… effort…
Vesper heaved the pipe and swung with all her might. The woman ducked and shot out a powerful kick. Vesper dropped the pipe and was knocked back several paces but quickly recovered and charged. This time she threw herself at the woman with all she had, wrapping her arms around her and driving her backwards.
The speed of Vesper's advance caught the woman off guard, Vesper hefted her off the ground at the waist and powered her backwards towards the building.
She felt several powerful impacts and heard the woman growl as she furiously battered her fists and then raked her claws across Vesper's back, easily tearing her jacket and cutting deep.
Vesper shrieked in pain but kept going, she had to keep going, for all her brothers and sisters who perished, she would see this done!
The wall of the building came up fast and Vesper drove on… still aiming to put this bitch through the wall.
The impact was immense. Brick and drywall flew in every direction. Vesper tripped on a hard piece of wall and felt the woman come loose from her grip as she fell. The momentum of the impact tossed the woman several feet further into the room.
Vesper looked up, through the dust and realised she was now in the living room of a ground floor apartment.
As Vesper rose to her feet, so did the woman. There was a large crack in the wall behind the sofa and the lamp was on. The woman had clearly impacted the wall and fallen down behind the sofa.
Now Vesper could see her properly, the long jacket she wore was made of dark green leather in lair with patches of fabric of the same colour, beneath it she wore a brown vest top and torn blue jeans, her hood had come down, her long blonde hair, and the rest of her was covered in white dust, pieces of brick and drywall.
She looked back at Vesper and bared her teeth in anger, still no full true form, Vesper wondered how long it would be before they would both take their true forms.
Vesper's breathing was still ragged as she got to her feet. It was only then that she realised they weren't alone.
The TV was on, and sitting on the other side of the sofa was a small boy, roughly five or six years old. "Kid" the woman shouted without turning to face him "Get out".
When the boy didn't immediately move she took a breath and bellowed "GET OUT!", at that, the boy startled, got up and ran into a darkened hallway beyond the room.
It was then that Vesper heard the distant sound of police sirens, they were a good way away yet, but she had to finish this nonetheless, if the cops got in the way, they were fair game.
Vesper stared at her, and the woman held her gaze for what seemed like forever as the sirens got louder, she clearly wasn't concerned either, both of them were panting and out of breath.
Finally, Vesper felt ready again, she bared her teeth and let out a long rage-filled growl, then marched forward, only to realise she had made a tactical error, her second of the night, her anger had clearly gotten the better of her.
Vesper had taken two paces when the woman delivered a swift and powerful kick to the back of the sofa she was standing behind, the sofa was catapulted forwards with unexpected, sudden force as if it weighed nothing, too fast for Vesper to duck or get out of the way. When it impacted, Vesper felt that it weighed a lot more than nothing.
Vesper was knocked backwards, taken clean off her feet as the Sofa crashed across the room, and pinned her down between, what was a glass TV stand, and the corner wall, she felt her ribs and shoulder were cracked and broken but she would heal, she had to, she was NOT going to let this escape.
Peering out from the side of the sofa, Vesper began to find her strength and push, as the woman crossed the room, bent down and came back up with a phone… her phone… The woman gave her a quick glance, pocketed the phone and then kept going, taking a long stride over the debris on the floor and stepping out through the hole in the side of the building.
From this angle, Vesper saw the woman go straight outside, she watched as Eve briefly ran over to the body of the homeless man, checked him, then sprang up onto the side of the building, just above the hole.
She was going to double back over the rooftop, and Vesper wasn't ready to give up, not by a long shot.
Vesper shoved the sofa away and got to her feet, then stomped the sofa so hard that it split clean in half and she was immediately on the move.
Smashing out through the apartment door, hearing someone behind her shout "What the Fuck" but she ignored it.
Then she was on her way up the stairs to the second story and then the third. She saw the window at the end of the corridor and charged…..
Have to catch her…. Can't let her get away…. Not Again….
Aside from her need for revenge, Vesper knew that if she could be the one who brought Eve to heel, nobody would ever question her ability again.
If Nikki hadn't seen it, she could hardly believe it, one like her, one of Ross's Brood, a Half-Breed, as Vikki's files called them. Not only that, this Half-Breed seemed to think she was Eve… worse still, judging by what she said, these Half-Breeds Hated Eve…
Eve looked identical to her, and it stood to reason that they most likely gave off a similar scent, psychic signature and presence, Patrick's Bastard Brood all thought she was someone she wasn't.
Sil, Eve…? Nikki hadn't bothered trying to clear up the confusion. There was no point in trying to explain the difference, not after what she had done to Gregory Townsend, he was a man in his' 40's, down on his luck, like Jesse, he was former military, always kind and respectful.
Nikki spoke to him whenever she saw him and often gave him food that people had been left for "The Angel" because she knew he'd see it distributed evenly among anyone else nearby. He liked to be left alone and struggled with PTSD, so Nikki had moved several extra cans of food to the front of his tent throughout the winter.
This had resolved it in Nikki's mind, when she left this City tonight, she was going to have to at least try to find Eve… somehow.
She must be alive if this Half-Breed's words were anything to go by. Nikki would have to find her, and then hopefully come up with a way to fight back.
Right now, Nikki had to disengage this conflict, lest it escalate, and bystanders get caught in the crossfire, then she would have everyone after her.
That had been a hard fight, that Half-Breed wouldn't give up. Nikki knew she had no time to collect the last drop near the Angel graffiti on the wall, besides, it was all covered in blood now.
Nikki got out though the hole in the wall, and ran over to the Gregory's body and briefly checked him for a pulse, a fool's hope, but he deserved the gesture nonetheless. He was alone at the end, like she once was, and nobody came to check on her.
No… he was cold, long gone… Nikki really wanted to stay and finish that bitch, but she couldn't, otherwise there might be more collateral damage. Nikki reached down and briefly touched his head.
Nikki squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, once again, she was too late. You were a good guy… if you see my little one, say hi for me…
Looking back into the room, the other one was recovering and trying to get up. The cops were coming, Nikki did not plan on being here when they arrived, they wore bodycams.
She took a running jump, catching the window ledge directly above the hole in the wall, she heard the other one smashing through the building as she did so.
Nikki managed to reach the fire escape and clambered up to reach the rooftop, once there, she started running, picking up to her full speed, snatching up her backpack as she did so.
Nikki reached the edge of the building and leapt. The next rooftop was roughly 35ft away, Nikki could clear that distance easily… However, in mid-air she heard a smash, followed by a rage-filled scream.
It was the Half-Breed, she had smashed her way out of a third story window just below Nikki and was still in pursuit.
Nikki landed on the edge of the rooftop, dropped, rolled, then was up and running, she heard another smash as the Half-Breed landed in a corresponding 3rd story window directly beneath her.
Fuck, this bitch won't give up! Nikki thought I have to end this chase somehow. Nikki got the distinct sense that this Half-Breed did not care about witnesses, not like she did. If this became any more public, then it risked blowing her streak of anonymity. People were clearly already after Eve… but if they discovered that Sil Lives… that was a whole world of shit that Nikki didn't want to think about.
Nikki picked up the pace, pushing herself harder, faster, she had to break this pursuit. There were two more buildings and then a busy intersection.
Nikki pushed as hard as she could and jumped, the next building was a little further, about forty feet. The Half-Breed was still on her tail. She smashed her way out of the 3rd story window again and once again, entered through a corresponding window on the next building.
She was right below her, Nikki knew that if she jumped down into that busy intersection, it would become a foot chase through the streets. Perhaps if she switched direction at the right moment, she might be able to break line of sight, possibly slow her down.
Nikki made the same move, she ran at full speed across the rooftop and at the last possible second, she stopped herself, switched direction and ran to her left, following the line of buildings down the street. Leaping between them.
The Half-Breed smashed her way out of the window below her and landed in the street below.
Nikki risked a glance backwards and saw the other woman had picked herself up and was now running up the street, dodging and vaulting over cars.
The street quickly filled with angry shouts and sounds of car horns behind Nikki. She had one last chance.
Nikki knew if she was able to reach the Delancey Street MTA, she would be able to pull up the protective grid in the middle of the street and drop down into the tunnel.
The Half Breed's momentum was being slowed by the traffic in the street. Cars were swerving to avoid her and people were shouting all around.
Nikki was almost there. She reached the edge of the building and made her best jump yet. Her momentum carried her all the way over into the middle of Delancey Street. She landed on bended knee and skidded along the ground, quickly recovering and running to the steel grid in the central divide, below which, she knew, was the subway tunnel.
Nikki wasted no time as she grabbed the heavy steel grid, pulled it up, not caring who saw her, and dropped down into the tunnel below, letting the grid fall into place behind her with a loud metallic impact.
Nikki landed on the tracks, only narrowly avoiding the Live 3rd Rail and instantly dove to one side as a train, which had apparently just departed the station, was coming right at her. Nikki flattened herself against the wall. As she did so, she looked up, above her, the metal grid was moving "Shit" the Half-Breed was trying to get down here.
Three cars to go… two … one… Nikki took the last opportunity she knew she would get and leaped back in the direction of the train, catching onto a rail at the edge of the last carriage and heaving herself up onto the step as the train blasted by.
As she did so, she stole another glance upward to see the protective grid at street get ripped up and thrown with no care for subtlety, it likely landed somewhere in the middle of the road.
At that exact moment, the Half-Breed dropped into the tunnel, mere feet from her and was immediately running at full sprint.
The train picked up momentum and slowly the distance between Nikki and the pursuing Half-Breed grew wider, and wider until finally, the Half-Breed huffed in a breath let out a long, loud roar of rage and frustration which echoed around the walls as she was left behind in the darkness of the tunnel…
The Half-Breed's eyes reflected an angry blood red, which was the last detail to disappear into the distance… "Yeah… fuck you too" Nikki uttered as she found herself out of breath.
She looked in through the window, thankfully there was only one person inside this subway car, it was late, and he looked pretty steamed. Nikki punched the lock and let herself in.
It was a slightly older car, likely a replacement put back into service while the normal one was in maintenance or some city budget cut, who cares. Nikki walked through and slumped down into a seat, resting her head back "Fuck this night" she breathed.
Ten seconds later, she was fast asleep.
HUNTS POINT - THE BRONX
Connar had just finished loading the car when he heard the shutters on the lockup being pulled up. Nikki's tall, hooded silhouette appeared in the street light for just a moment before she pulled the shutter down behind her.
Connar could immediately sense something was very wrong. When Nikki stepped into the light, she looked … dishevelled, her shirt, jeans and coat were sporting a few more tears than normal, her hair was all over the place and she had pieces of what looked like brick and drywall all over her.
"Don't ask…." she said…. Nikki walked past him, grabbed a foldable chair by the workbench and slumped down into it, leaning against the table. There were no words for a few moments, then Nikki sighed "Alright, go ahead, ask". "What the hell happened to you?" Connar asked "You get hit by a train or something?".
Nikki let out an angry laugh, as she did, a little bit of dust fell out of her hair "No, the train missed me".
Connar didn't press her, she would talk in her own time. Nikki finally straightened up and made eye contact "It was one of them… like me".
Connar knew that only meant one thing, they had both studied Vikki's files extensively "Shit, was it that pasty fucker we saw behind the club?". Nikki shook her head, more dust fell out of her hair "No, a woman… it was a woman".
Connar finished loading the car and putting everything away while Nikki relayed the events of her evening. It pained him that he hadn't been there to help, but there was no way either of them could have anticipated that.
Nikki was especially upset that this Half-Breed had murdered a man named Gregory Townsend, he kept himself to himself and often travelled between Bowery, Hell's Kitchen and parts of Brooklyn. He was dead by the time Nikki got there, just like before, she couldn't stop it from happening.
It was official, the Half-Breeds were in the city, which meant, for the time being, they wouldn't be. Terminus was hidden, the Lockup was safe and everything was ready to go.
The most disturbing thing was that these Half-Breeds, as detailed in the files they had found, all seemed to Hate Eve for whatever happened between her and Patrick Ross, their Brood Father.
Worse still, they had mistaken Nikki for her "Sister" Eve and now they were coming for her. They had had light discussions about the possibilities of finding Eve, but now it seemed like more of a necessity.
The Half-Breeds seemed to think she was alive, therefore she likely was out there somewhere. Connar doubted very much that they would find her on the American continent.
Under normal circumstances, Connar would have called Maya, but she had been out of contact for months. He had an inkling where she might be. Sometimes, to lay low, Maya would go to a valley in the Himalayas and seclude herself.
There was also the possibility that Maya was training a Neophyte, in which case, she would be incommunicado until she was ready to present the new Whisper. There were strict protocols to be adhered to when one brought a potential new Whisper into the fold, this was to prevent infiltration into the group and test the neophyte's dedication.
The reality was, they hadn't the first clue how to find Eve without exposing Nikki. Likely, as they drove, a solution would present itself, until then, they would stay in low profile mode and only take on Fixer jobs if absolutely necessary.
They had swapped Connar's toyota truck three years prior for classic American Muscle, a 1969 Dodge Charger, it sported several prominent dents and scrapes, along with a bad paint job but it purred like a kitten… until it roared like a lion whenever they took it out of town for one reason or another.
Connar finished squaring everything away, the lockup was paid up for a further three years, and there was nothing in there that they couldn't afford to lose.
Nikki had collected every stash she had around the city, they had enough money between them to stay on the road for months if needed, not to mention they had a very large stash elsewhere.
They had loaded everything they needed into the trunk. Spare clothes, false identities, the weapons they salvaged from the club were carefully concealed in special compartments in the seats, supplies for an extended trip… even the Helix Shard and Vikki's flash drive.
Connar moved the car out of the Lockup, switched off the lights and locked it all down tight. He had to admit, he was exited about this, it was a return to his nomadic way of life before Project Morrigan took him. He and his family had moved from place to place, and they were happy. Now he was about to do the same with Nikki.
Nikki took off her jacket and folded it up before throwing it down into the passenger side footwell, slumping down into the seat as she did so. Nikki usually insisted on driving, so Connar knew from that action that she had been through it.
Connar slid into the driver's seat and turned over the engine. The new engine they had installed roared to life and the aftermarket digital they had installed came on, Connar attached his phone to the Dashboard and pulled up the map, not that he needed it to get out of the city.
It was 1am by the time they once again pulled out of the Warehouse district. Only this time, they hadn't left it in flames. Coming to a junction, Connar slowed to a stop, the streets were deserted at this hour.
"Well Nikki, which way?" Connar asked. Nikki took a long slow breath "What's the options?" she asked, clearly tired but still very much engaged. "For now, let's just call it right or left, up through Connecticut or over the bridge to New Jersey?".
Nikki thought for a long moment, and finally just said "Anywhere but L.A." A few moments later she added "Let's just drive, see where the road takes us, then we need a plan to find this Eve".
"Yeah, you mentioned this Half-Breed kept calling you that, looks like Little Sis got herself into some deep shit" Connar said. "Looks that way" Nikki said "If we can find her, maybe we can find a way of ending this bullshit so we can go back to our unnatural lives".
"Dosen't matter where we're going, long as we're going there together right?" Connar said, brushing back her hair. Nikki leaned in and they shared a kiss… a kiss that was interrupted when the sudden loud music made them both flinch, breaking the moment.
Rob Zombie's Dragula had kicked in right at the chorus, coming from Nikki's jacket in the footwell. She looked confused for a moment, then seemed to remember something.
Nikki leaned over, went through the jacket and came out with an expensive looking smartphone with a hard armour casing "Shit…in all the excitement" she said "I almost forgot, the Half-Breed dropped this". "You swiped her phone?" Connar laughed.
Nikki went to hit the button to end the call "No… wait" Connar said "Let's see what they say". "I don't give a shit what they say" Nikki said. Connar held out a calming hand "We can at least find out what they want".
Nikki rolled her eyes.
"Listen, they think you're this Eve, let them think that, don't tell them who you really are" Connar said. "I wasn't planning on it" Nikki sighed as she held up the phone between them and hit the speaker button.
TRIBECA - LOWER MANHATTAN
Quinn hadn't been back long, it had been over a month since he had spotted Eve and some guy in a van escaping the Dark Bohemia club. His offspring was almost ready. The Chrysalis was pulsing and breathing in the corner of the room, within was the one Vesper had named Orion a new life. He would be strong, uncompromising, a good soldier for the cause.
Vesper and Seth had arrived in town shortly after the Dark Bohemia incident and begun scouring the city for Eve and the Shard, but the three of them hadn't made any headway. Wherever she was, she was clearly nested deep in the city somewhere.
In the meantime, Nikolaev had left his daughter Katarina in charge and fled the country. The only thing he had been able to find out about what happened in that club was that a group of "Fixers" as they were known, had been able to overcome Dankworth's men and even overcome him.
Several reports from terrified onlookers who were trapped in the club said how the big man in tactical gear got taken down to the floor and then shot, execution style by a "Hot Blonde in a Black Leather biker looking jacket"... Definitly Eve.
He had, of course, had to make a number of uncomfortable reports to Arianna herself. She liked to treat failure as a learning opportunity, but Quinn could tell, beneath her calm demeanour, she was growing impatient.
There was every likelihood that Eve had already fled the city. However Vesper had been working a wild theory that the street legend known as the Angel of Vermin was in fact, Eve herself.
Quinn had done some checking, the Urban Legend was much older than Eve, having started long before she was even alive, somewhere in Detroit. Then it spread to several other cities. Vesper had countered that Eve had perhaps come into the city, heard of the Urban Legend and decided, for whatever reason, to "Take up the Mantle" as it were…
Quinn thought she was grasping at straws, and that they should be looking elsewhere, but with no other leads, and every gang in the city on a knife edge, it was all the three of them had.
There was Vesper now, Quinn could tell from her heavy footfalls that she was angry about something, she didn't walk up the stairs, she stomped her way up the stairs.
Quinn was, however, slightly taken aback when Vesper threw open the door and he saw the state of her.
Vesper marched through the room, she looked terrible, Quinn had never seen Vesper in such a state, not even fresh out of her cocoon did she ever look this bad.
She strode past him, holding up a finger in a deliberate and forceful Not Right Now gesture, as she made her way over to the fridge where she kept a large protein shake and a 3 litre jug of water. Vesper took out the protein shake and began to chug the liquid down her throat.
"Vesp….?" Quinn began to speak, but Vesper's finger shot up again, this time accompanied by a low growl, she held it there as she carried on chugging the protein right down to the bottom, before dropping the flask, splattering the remnants on the clean wooden floor.
Before Quinn could speak, Vesper went back into the fridge, this time coming out with a 3 litre jug of water which she also tipped back and began chugging, some of it missed her mouth and splashed down the front of her shirt. Vesper was clearly, incredibly angry, her Rhythms were all over the place. She usually called periodically, but she had been out of contact for hours.
As Vesper chugged the water, Quinn looked her over. There was a hole in her shirt and also the back of her jacket roughly four or five inches in circumference through which he could see her skin. She had healed, but there had clearly been a large puncture wound which had gone all the way through. "Did someone shoot you with a .50cal or something?" he asked. There was no answer, she just kept drinking.
Her shirt and jacket were torn, her entire right sleeve was hanging by a thread. She was covered in shards of glass, pieces of drywall, dust and brick. Her hair, normally neatly tied back was all over the place and caked with blood remnants, her clothes were also covered in blood…. Her own blood.
Vesper finally finished chugging the water, then shoved the two empty bottles back into the fridge in an angry, hurried fashion. When they began bouncing back out, she simply kicked them into the bottom shelf and slammed the fridge door. The whole fridge was wobbled by the impact.
She stood there, facing the fridge breathing heavily, her shoulders rising and falling rapidly. Finally she clenched her fists and let out a long, loud rage filled roar "HHUUUURRRRGGGHHAAAARRRRR!"
Quinn let her settle for a few moments, and then tried again "Vesper…". Vesper turned to face him, teeth bared "What the fuck happened to you?" Quinn asked, as calmly as he could.
She stared at him, panting heavily for almost a full minute before she finally growled "Eve!".
"Eve?" Quinn said incredulously. "Yes!" Vesper growled again. Quinn let it hang in the air for a moment before adding "Eve did all that?" gesturing to her dishevelled state. "YES!" She growled out again, louder this time. "Eve… did that… to you?" Quinn finally asked.
Vesper's response to the third query was a deep, guttural rage-filled growl. "Alright…Alright… where did this happen?".
Vesper seemed to make an effort to calm herself down, but not much "I found her up in Bowery". "Bowery? That's only thirty minutes away by foot, where the fuck have you been for the past four hours?" he asked. "Walking the subway tunnels" Vesper began "It's how she got away, I was trying to see if I could pick up her trail". "Why didn't you call me?" Quinn demanded. "Because I dropped my phone during the fight, and the fucking bitch stole it, ok!".
Vesper pushed past him "Now if you don't mind, I'm going for a fucking shower shower". "No, wait" Quinn said "She's got your phone?". "That's what I just fucking said" Vesper seethed.
"Well" Quinn said, pulling out his phone "I'm not wasting this opportunity". Vesper came closer "You're not gonna try to call her?" she said. Quinn pulled up Vesper's phone contact and hit the call button "Why not?".
They both waited for several seconds as the phone rang out. Unfortunately they wouldn't be able to trace it as Vesper's phone was encrypted.
There was every likelihood that the phone was ringing at the bottom of a storm drain by now, Quinn was about to hit the button when the line suddenly connected.
Both of them listened closely. Almost a full minute went by, whoever was on the other end was doing the same, just listening.
Quinn took the initiative and asked "Eve… is that you".
Almost ten full seconds went by before the reply came "Speaking?".
Vesper growled again, but this time it was Quinn who held up a finger, shutting her down "Well, hello there Eve, my name's Quinn, I've been looking all over for you. I believe you met my sister, Vesper earlier this evening?".
There was another long pause before the response came "What do you want?".
Quinn wasted no time in answering "Ohh, there's a lot of things I want, Eve, but in your case, we can start with the Helix Shard, I know it's in the city, I know you took it". There was no response, Quinn decided to add a small incentive "Return the shard to me, and maybe we can end this peacefully". Vesper seethed, Quinn assured her with a wink that he had no intention of ending it peacefully with Eve
Yet again, there was a pause before the response came "I'm not convinced". She was clearly playing games now, Quinn was in no mood, and Vesper's anger was rising again just hearing the voice "Let's not play games or stand on ceremony here, Eve. Vikki Foster had the Shard, and I know you were in that alley the night those people were killed… nobody else could have caused those wounds".
Eve clearly liked to consider her words before she spoke, once again, there was a beat before he heard her voice again "I just want to be left alone".
"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, Eve, that Shard, it belongs to us… so you can either return it to me, or we're just gonna have to keep going until we're satisfied" Quinn said, doing his best to keep his tone matter-of-fact.
The response this time was quick, but it wasn't Eve's voice, it was a male voice, with a mixed, or regional English accent "I dunno mate, she can be pretty hard to satisfy, and I'm not sure you're up to the task".
"And who's this?" Quinn asked "Let me guess… is this the guy I saw with her in the Van, behind Dark Bohemia… the one with the funny eyes?".
Once again the response came fast "Then you must be the guy I saw crossing the street, the one with the pasty white face".
Quinn felt a stab of anger and then noticed Vesper was actually smirking, he fixed her with a hard glare as Vesper mouthed silently You walked into that one.
Getting back on track, Quinn straightened up and "Eve, here's what's gonna happen, I'm gonna give you one chance, and one chance only to do the right thing and hand over the Shard… you see, for what you did to us that night, most of my brethren want to see you torn limb from limb… but me, I'm less, shall we say…. Reactionary. I have a job to do and I'm willing to make concessions" Vesper snarled at him, he winked at her again by way of response and continued "So, we can resolve this peacefully, or we can go to war on these streets, your choice".
Once again they were back to long pauses before a response "If the one from earlier tonight is anything to go by, I don't think I need to worry much". That was too much for Vesper, who rounded on Quinn and snatched the phone out of his hand before he could stop her.
Vesper roared down the phone "You're the one who ran, bitch! So you can keep running. Run as fast, and as far away as you can! It won't matter, because I'm fucking coming for you, you understand me! I'm not done with you, NOT BY A FUCKING LONG SHOT!"
There was another long pause before Eve spoke again, her voice was perfectly calm "That man in the alley, Vesper… I used to be like you once, I took lives I didn't need to" Eve paused as if considering her next words "It led me to ruin… it'll do the same to you".
"Say what you like" Vesper shouted into the phone "But I promise you we're not done, you hear me? YOU FUCKING HEAR ME!".
Quinn had enough and wrestled the phone away from Vesper, shoving her to one side against the wall, she was growling and fighting not to fully change. Vesper was all fire and passion, Quinn had seen her angry plenty of times, but never this bad, she was barely in control.
"Trouble in paradise?" the English guy's voice came over the phone.
"Nothing I can't handle" Quinn replied "Just like the both of you… you two idiots have no idea what you're messing with do you? We're everywhere. So you can do whatever you want, because in the end I will find you… and as for you, whoever you are… if I were you I'd get as far away from her as possible, she'll turn on you and leave you for dead, just like she did to our father, just like she did to all of us".
The English guy's response was immediate again "Who's your Father?".
"You've heard of Patrick Ross right, Captain of the Excursion mission, the first man on M…." Quinn abruptly stopped mid sentence because what came down the phone next was the sound of both of them in hysterical laughter.
"Really? Captain Ken-Doll" The English guy's voice was full or mirth, clearly enjoying this "The Legendary Captain Ken-Doll of Mars was your father?" He kept laughing "Shit, that means he and I must be Eskimo Brothers!". At this, Quinn heard Eve's voice join in the laughter.
The sound of both their laughter continued down the phone, Quinn felt a near uncontrollable rage building in him, the whole thing was nothing but a joke to her.
Suddenly the sound of their laughter stopped and Quinn leaned on the counter, he looked down at the phone in his hand, it had been crushed and crumpled into a fine point, as he opened his hand, small pieces of components dropped onto the counter and bounced down onto the floor.
"Great" Vesper said, "now neither of us have phones".
Just at that moment, Seth entered, and stopped in his tracks as he walked into the room. He eyed Vesper up and down with a curious grimace, then turned to Quinn and did the same before uttering in his distinctive gravelly voice "What the fuck is going on here?".
Seth turned to Vesper and looked her up and down "What happened to you?". Vesper grimaced and took a breath, she was about to speak when her attention was drawn away by a squelching, cracking sound. Vesper turned, as did the others to the pulsing cocoon in the corner. It was beginning to split, amniotic liquid was beginning to leak from it's carapace.
The Chrysalis eventually split and the naked form of a young man with dark hair spilled forth in a gush of amniotic liquid, landing hard on the wooden floor. After a few moments, he coughed, cleared his throat and struggled to his feet, breathing heavily and looking around the room. Orion had indeed grown into a strong one. Vesper stepped up to him "Welcome to the fucking war, nephew".
"He hung up" Nikki said as she stopped herself laughing. She knew what Connar was doing, he was testing Quinn, to see his limit... and had apparently found it, still, whole call hadn't been anything they didn't know. Apart from the fact that she had actually learned their names.
"So… what exactly did we learn from that?" Nikki said as Connar turned the car onto Bruckner Boulevard and headed west. "We learned, that if we get them good and pissed off, they make mistakes… which is never not useful" Connar said.
"So, these Half-Breeds all think I'm Eve, who they hate…" Nikki began, then tilted her head as a new thought occurred to her "If they found out that I'm really… Sil…. the first of our kind according to those files… what do you think they'd do then?".
Connar looked at her curiously, it was extremely rare for her to utter that name "Not sure Nikki, you were like… the first of your kind right? On Earth at least. Maybe they'd worship you like a Goddess or something… because, of course, you are" he said with a wry smile.
"You're damn right I am" Nikki said and casually gave him a gentle nudge. They were in no hurry now, going wherever the road would take them. From here, they were going to drive across Manhattan and leave via the Lincoln tunnel.
As they did, Nikki went through the playlist in Connar's phone on the dashboard. She selected the title New York, New York B.o.B feat. Alecia Keys as it seemed the most appropriate for the situation.
"Ok…. well, see you in a few weeks, Big Apple, you gonna miss me, Mother of Exiles… of course you are…" Nikki said to herself, as they turned onto the Willis Avenue Bridge she took the Half-Breed's phone, crushed it in her hand and hurled the remnants out the window into the Harlem river far below.
The Angel of Vermin, first of her kind, and the Wandering Whisper drove deeper into the night, a darkened road laid out before them, and neither truly knowing what lay at its end.