9:00pm

South, Sebastian said, so south JACE went. But south where? He crossed over the Stewart, but felt like he was flying blind. The proverbial needle in the haystack and JACE was wasting his time.

JACE sighed. Although he enjoyed flying, he would much rather be in his lab, modifying the ebola virus to make it less infectious and more deadly. He was convinced it would make the perfect addition to his arsenal, if he could just get it to respond properly to gene re-sequencing.

Then, as if in response, his HUD flashed a subtle alert. Monitoring the police band was a simple subroutine and these alerts were commonplace (one of the newer, more annoying additions to the suit). He went to ignore it, but something caught his attention. Instead, he tuned in.

**Dispatch to car 2319. Respond with your location?**

**2319, here. I’m on Calhoun, wrapping up a four-fifteen.**

**Can you head over to Hudson Memorial and check on a twenty-three-oh-one? Victim’s description matches another suspect.**

**2319 en route. What’s the story?**

**Victim is being treated for minor burns to the face and neck. Claims two-forty. Perp matches the description from earlier... the Saints Peter and Paul damage?**

**You mean that meta-human thing? Threw a goddamn car through the church window?**

**That’s the guy.**

**You gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’...**

**The E-D said the victim was pretty intoxicated when they brought him in. Just take his statement. See if it’s legit.**

**Copy that. 2319 out.**

JACE called up a map of the area on his HUD. Once he identified the location of the hospital, he headed that way. Hopefully this wouldn't be a wild goose chase and it would give him a lead on where this Apostate had gone. The man was obviously delusional and dangerous and needed to be put down hard. Of course he was also very powerful. Maybe JACE could arrange to have him available for future testing.

Seeing the hospital up ahead, JACE corrected his course slightly and landed outside the big glass doors. He walked into the ER, ignoring the comments and stares from the people waiting for care. The sights, sounds and smells of the hospital brought back memories of his own residency and the time he wasted here in the ER, treating people who served no useful purpose. It was not a happy time in his life, but it had been necessary to get where he was today.

The armored hero approached the desk, smiling in his practiced manner. The harried looking man behind the desk didn't look up at first, just handed him a clipboard. "Fill out the first three pages, we'll get to you as soon as possible," he said in a bored voice.

When JACE didn't take the clipboard, the man looked up, annoyed. At the sight of the armored doctor standing there, he gave a comical start. "Um, sorry," he stammered. "Can I help you?"

"I hope so," JACE said, "I'm looking for a patient who recently came in. A burn victim. He may be related to a case I'm working on. Could you please direct me to him?"

"Burn victim," the unit coordinator repeated, not exactly a question. Then, after blinking: "Right, burn victim." He rifled through some manila folders, then scanned a vast, enigmatic dry-erase board of what might as well have been hieroglyphics. "Trauma... three?"

"Four," corrected a voice. A passing young lady with lime green ER scrubs and a clipboard. Her name tag read, Julie, RN. She gave JACE a courteous nod. "Trauma four," she repeated, then indicated with her clipboard. "Down this way, fourth curtain on your left."

"Thank you, Julie," JACE nodded, smiling. It was refreshing to meet someone even vaguely competent at their job. Given the state of the world, it was also surprising. JACE followed her directions, finding the appropriate curtain, he hoped. Steeling himself for yet another ordeal, he took a breath, then smiled again. "Excuse me," he said moving the curtain enough to be able to see it, "I'm hoping you can help me." JACE looked into the room, hoping the person inside would be somewhat sober after his experiences and time in the hospital.

The man lay in a hospital gown, under hospital sheets, face covered in sterile bandages. He didn't respond. He didn't move.

"He's heavily sedated." The voice was Julie's. She stood just behind the armored hero, clipboard clasped in her hands. "Morphine. He was heavily intoxicated and in a lot of pain. It took three orderlies to restrain him."

She looked up at JACE with clinical eyes. "It's safe to assume you're not a family member."

JACE raised an eyebrow. That any hospital in the modern age would use such a combination was frightening. "Morphine and alcohol. Interesting combination. I do hope he doesn't go into respiratory arrest." Whether this stellar example of humanity lived or died was of little concern to JACE, but he needed the information the man had.

She gave him a thin, if somewhat impatient smile. "He's waiting on a bed in ICU, but we were told to keep him here until the police arrived." She looked back up again. "You're not who I expected."

"I'm working with the police to apprehend the meta-human subject who did this." JACE smiled slightly, but his manner was fully professional. "From what information we have received, it sounds like the suspect is the same one I'm pursuing for a separate crime. I need any description you may have gotten of the perpetrator as well as the location of the crime." Hopefully he could get what he needed and get out of here quickly. The sooner he took care of this Apostate, the sooner he could get back to important things.

"Excuse me?" A third voice belonged to a young police officer, who poked through the curtain behind them. A thin man, late twenties, not too many years with the force. He removed his hat from his tall and narrow head and gave Julie a nod, but regarded the armored hero with skepticism. "I'm officer Nilles..."

"Ah," Julie smirked at JACE. "That's about right."

"Huh?"

"I mean," she remained professional, "You're right on time, officer Nilles. I was just about to give our friend's case history."

Officer Nilles lingered near the curtain, looking less than eager to step any closer.

"Well," she began after a roll of clear, green eyes. "John Doe arrived this evening at about 2015--

"That's 8:15 pm," she clarified, casting JACE a glance.

JACE nodded, not bothering to tell her he could easily subtract 12.

"Yeah, I know," Nilles said, oblivious.

"He arrived with first and second degree burns on twenty percent of his upper body: face, neck and upper torso..." she gestured with her hands. "He was intoxicated, physical, and very vocal."

"EMT picked him up from somewhere near Freetown under the Duvall. He was going on about a giant man and a little baby, it didn't make a whole lot of sense."

"Can you describe him?" Nilles was in the zone now, tiny notebook in one hand, ballpoint pen clicking into action in the other.

"No," Julie said stoically. "But I can tell you how he was described to me. He was apparently very tall, at least six foot, if not seven, and well over three hundred pounds by the sound of it. White male, thirties maybe. Broad shouldered, solid build, muscular..."

"What was he wearing?"

Julie flinched slightly, irritated. "I'm not sure. The details were sketchy at best. Pants and a white shirt. Sneakers..."

"Any remarkable characteristics?"

"You mean besides the fact that he was a giant?" Julie retorted.

"Any scars or tattoos?"

Julie gave JACE an exasperated look. "I don't know. None that were mentioned."

"About what time did the attack take place?"

"Uhm," she recovered her composure with a hand to her brow. "About seven thirty, I think. Maybe as early as seven."

"Were there any witnesses? Anyone else at the scene?"

She gave him a cold look. "I wouldn't know."

Nilles looked up at them both. "Anything else you can think of, ma'am?"

"Would you happen to know who called the ambulance?" JACE asked. It wasn't likely she knew, but it might help determine any witnesses. Plus it would probably annoy the officer, and that was a plus. The man was obviously an imbecile sent here to keep him away from anything important.

She took in a breath and let it out before responding, not really wanting her frustrations to be misdirected. Her head shook, ponytail bouncing. "No, sorry."

"You've been very helpful, Julie," JACE said, nodding at her. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go find the attacker and stop him." With that he walked away, looking to get out of the hospital and fly to the sight were the man was picked up.

The Duvall Parkway sliced like an old scar through the heart of the city, riddled with orange barrels from one reconstruction project or the next. It was a traffic nightmare, especially during rush hour, but that wasn't the worst of it. It was fed largely by the lower class neighborhoods -- LaFayette, Forsyth, and Freetown -- and it was stained with their marks.

Tucked beneath the Duvall, near the overpass at South Jackson Street, an old subway tunnel emerged from the ground, ran for a half mile, then ended. Abandoned. Forgotten. And long since closed. It was now home to the homeless. A haven for squatters and beggars, drunks and addicts. His brief conversation with John Doe's ambulance driver had left him with these directions and now JACE alighted next in the basin of the abandoned tunnel, next to the tracks, next to a small stream of stale piss and dirty water. His boots crunched over broken glass when he landed. It was almost eleven in the evening.

No one was immediately in sight. The tracks ran to their bitter conclusion in one direction and back into the ground in the other. A battered chain link fence once served to keep people out, but it had long since failed. Within the mouth of the tunnel a small town, like a cluster of fungi, like a cancerous tumor, festered there. A few ramshackle hovels had been precariously pieced together. Some simply slept out with the rats under newspaper and rags. A single barrel burned with a low, orange glow.

JACE grimaced under his mask. This was disgusting. To think that humans allowed themselves to be lowered to this level. Surely there was someone less valuable than himself who could be here doing this. He stepped carefully around the noxious stream and made his way towards the hovels.

As JACE strode into their midst, the people stirred. Like snakes from borrows they rose up around him. Most looked frightened, but a small group had a different demeanor. They clutched makeshift weapons, broken bottles, a baseball bat, a rusty chain. Moving to the front, the one with the chain spoke. "You a stupid one, ain't you, pretty boy. Come into our house, now you gonna pay." The others chuckled as they moved to surround the hero.

JACE looked at the leader with disdain. If he didn't need information, he could just wipe this cesspool off the face of the earth. Unfortunately that wasn't really an option. He had to try diplomacy, although he suspected an object lesson would be necessary. "I'll give you a choice," he said calmly. "You can tell me what I want to know, and I'll give you two hundred dollars for your troubles. Or you can be stupid and I'll put you through that wall and give someone else the money."

"I'll take your money after we kick your ass, mother-fucker," was the only response. The chain swept forward. With his suit enhanced reactions, JACE could easily have evaded the attack, but he just raised his arm and let it hit. The chain slapped into his hand, the impact barely noticeable through the forcefield and armor, and JACE grabbed it.

"Not one of the choices, I'm afraid," he replied. Faster than the men could react, his other arm snapped up. A blast of energy exploded from it as microcircuitry obeyed his cybernetic orders. The ragged man flew backward, his flesh burning from the energy discharge. He slammed into the wall of the tunnel and slid down into the stagnant water. A faint groan indicated he was still alive, at least for now.

The rest of the gang stood, still shocked as JACE turned to them calmly, the rusty chain still held loosely in his hand. He spoke more loudly as he watched them, addressing the people around. "Is there anyone here with sufficient intelligence to grasp two basic concepts? You can not hurt me, I can hurt you. On the other hand, I am willing to reward anyone who can tell me about a large, powerful man who may have come through here last night. He was dressed plainly but was a giant."

"Drug store!" came a ragged voice from the shadows. The violence was stayed, at least for the time being, although JACE wasn't entirely certain it was his speech (or even his actions) that deterred them. Heads turned.

A disheveled man -- adorned with rags, a gnarled, gray beard framing a gaunt and sunken face -- propped himself up from beneath a covering of newspapers and a cardboard box.

"Drug store, drug store, DRUG STORE!" he shouted. JACE counted three teeth in the dim firelight.

"Shut the fuck up, old man," barked one of the gangers, an aluminum baseball bat in one hand. Then, to JACE: "You got the cash on you, hero?"

JACE smiled at the ganger coldly. His left hand continued to hold the chain loosely, but his right dropped to a section of the suit. At his cybernetic command, plus his bio-signature, a slot slid open. Twenty dollar bills popped out as if from an ATM. When ten of them had emerged, JACE held them up. He watched the group carefully, ready for another object lesson should it be necessary.

It wasn't. The ganger - a kid, really, barely old enough to drive - stared skeptically at the money, clenched in the gauntlet for a long time before reaching out. He took the money, which made others around them lurch to a start. They stirred, like a flutter of buzzards over the promise of carrion, but that was all.

"South West," he said finally, as if the words were poison.

"Drug Store," grumbled the three-toothed vagrant again from the shadows.

"To the Kwik-E-Mart," finished the ganger. He took a tentative step backwards. The crowd watched hungrily.

JACE smiled and nodded. Rather than friendly, the smile was predatory. He didn't bother warning the ganger what would happen if he lied. It was unlikely the young man would survive with that much cash anyway.

JACE launched over the squatters burrough, jet boots roaring. Behind him, beneath him, as he flew towards his quarry, the buzzards swarmed. A gunshot rang out.

JACE ignored the gunshot. Merely natural selection doing its job. There would be a few less blights on the face of humanity now. He headed towards the Kwik-E-Mart.

*****

The car turned right on Centre Street and was headed past 24th and towards the tunnel. Getting away from the church was easier than either of the twins expected. They were fortunate not to have to engage the press any further, so they made a quick exit to follow JACE across the river.

Neither of them spoke for the first few minutes of the drive. Each of them thinking along the same lines: playing out this scenario to its possible outcomes. None of which were favorable. Ophilia felt sick.

Elijah’s phone went straight to voice mail. It wasn’t even turned on. She tried it once more in the car, but the result was the same. She was hoping for something, some glimpse into his mind, some signal to his whereabouts. Then, as they exited the tunnel and came up to the turn-around at Cutler, she had a thought.

It was a hunch, maybe. An inexplicable feeling in her gut. But from where they sat at the light she could just see the subway stairs one block over at the corner of Ferry. They passed a similar set between 25th and 26th, two blocks south from the church. Sure it was a long shot, but she had a feeling.

A strong damn feeling.

"Stop." Sebastian heard Ophilia's voice only a pulse later than he felt it echo in his mind. "Find a spot...the subway tunnel. We should check it out. I feel a disturbance, a strong emotional residue. It's worth checking out."

Sebastián grinned, as he coasted up to the stoplight. "What's that Obi Wan? You feel a great disturbance? What happened, someone blow up Alderaan again?" A quick glance over at her let him know this was a bit more serious than he first anticipated. "You really mean it. You want me to pull over and park my car, my baby here? Then we get to go wandering through the dark to the subway tunnel?"

Her brother's attempt at humor brought a slight smile to Ophilia's lips. "You are such a nerd. Seriously pull over and let me out. Then you can either let your baby sister walk to the tunnel alone or you can park your baby." She gave him a daring grin. "I could really care less which you choose to do. But I'm outta here." With that, she opened the door and headed towards the tunnel.

Sebastián's amused look faded with her statement. "You wait right there, let me park and we'll go together. I mean it, wait for me, I'll be 2 seconds." he called to her through the open door. Barely waiting for her door to close, he pulled away looking for the closest parking spot. 'She's going to be the death of me... '

Ophilia didn't give him a backwards glance as she continued on her way. Instead she gritted her teeth and reminded herself that people only told her what to do because they cared, but it did little to assuage her irritation.

The Ferry Street Station was still busy, even at this time of night. After buying tokens and shouldering their way through the turnstile, they stood at the platform. A dozen or more other people waited for the same train, sitting, reading the paper, listening to an iPod. Each one of them isolated unto themselves. Public transportation for the private individual.

Ophilia glanced around her anxiously. That feeling that was so strong in the car had dwindled, leaving her empty and self-conscious. Was it foolish to follow a whim? She caught sight of the subway tunnel map -- a broad mosaic on the wall, depicting routes in red and blue beneath a grayed grid of the city's streets -- and wandered towards it.

It was a maze. But more than that, it was a puzzle. The pieces were here and she felt drawn to put them together. The Apostate was out there somewhere. He had used these routes...

No. He had used a specific route. And it was there, a bold red line, dotted with stations. Where did he get off? She scanned along that brightly colored track, following it block by block, stop by stop. Until she found it.

A strange chill traced up her back. She stared at the pinpoint dot. That feeling was back, deep in her stomach. A lurching feeling. A cross between motion sickness and déjà vu.

Freetown in the middle of the night? This should be interesting.

Ophilia leveled a serious gaze at Sebastian. "Freetown." She rolled her eyes up and shook her head. "...I think. This is so very bad." The idea of a couple of DiSantiagos in Freetown was begging for trouble, just this side of a suicide mission really. "Come on."

"Come on?" Sebastián's voice was filled with incredulity. "Phi, are you serious? Going into Freetown during the day would be a risky endeavor at best. At night you might as well call Dad and say goodbye now, because we aren't going to make it back. Look, you know I love you and I would do almost anything for you, but walking into suicide is not going to save him." He glanced around and shifted to mental communication.

Ophilia's serene brown eyes began to narrow dangerously as she listened to her brother's argument. Although he could tell by the set of her jaw that she wasn't hearing much of what he was saying, and was instead waiting for her turn to be right.

{Look, why don't we call JACE, he's got armor, and he's much better suited to surviving there.}

"No. nononono NO." Ophilia's face screwed up in distaste, a look that was screened for family viewing only. "Actually, I'd rather die tonight than let him do our work for us. As if he isn't cocky enough. I can already hear how we weren't smart enough, or good enough or competent enough to figure out how to take the subway into Freetown."

Ophilia took a breath and gave Sebastian one of her most winning smiles. "Don't worry Bastian, I'll protect you." Her smile turned into a daring grin as she chided him.

Sebastián blinked his eyes, amazed at the resistance he was getting. "You protect me? Do you honestly think my hesitation is about me being hurt? Granted I still think it is a suicide run, but that's not the point. Far from it, Phi. I can take being shot, or stabbed, I think. What I can't take is facing Dad and telling him 'Look, I messed up, and Ophilia got hurt.' Or worse. THAT I cannot take."

{Ah...Bastian, for Christ's sake!} As was her way with him she drifted between thoughts and words like they were one and the same. "Look. Apostate could be destroying another church....right now, or worse. THAT I cannot take. You and Dad are just going to have to get used to me doing this kind of stuff. I'm not going to be able to escape it if I'm on the team. Now stop your whining and come on." She flipped her silky hair with a quick turn of her body and began walking towards the benches next to the subway.

Sebastián briefly watched her walk away, before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was just like their 8th birthday party. Phi had wanted a princess party, Sebastián hadn't. Dad, in his infinite wisdom, had decreed that they would resolve it between the two of them. In other words, he was busy with his flavor of the month and couldn't be bothered. Phi had had that same look in her eyes then as she did tonight. She wanted her party, and in the end she got it. Sebastián knew he couldn't win this fight, regardless of the logic and truth being on his side, she just wasnt' going to hear it. He muttered under his breath as he made his way over to her "I promised I'd watch after you, and nothing, not even Freetown is gonna make me break that promise."

Ophilia didn't seem the least bit surprised that she was getting her way. "Yay! You and me get to take a field trip to Freetown. Come on...admit it!" She grinned up at him impishly, "Haven't you always wanted to ride on a subway and see how the other half live?"

"Oh, yes, you found out my deep dark secret. I long to be shoulder to shoulder with the 'other half' as you put it. If I am truly lucky then this experience will be further enhanced by the smell of stale urine, or dare I hope, vomit?!" Sebastián's eyes twinkled, and he smiled abit, the irritation at being thwarted fading swiftly. It was difficult to stay angry at Phi, for some reason it always has been.

Ophilia gave him one of her trademark sisterly grins at that. It was her silent way of apologizing for her perpetual ability to be a pain in his ass, and to remind him that she didn't plan on changing.

"Speaking of 'the team', when did that become something you cared about? Last I heard you couldn't be bothered with it. What changed your mind."

His sister's face sobered quickly at his question and she shrugged her dainty shoulders. "Just did." She lied. Anyone that knew her knew she didn't just do anything without a reason. "Don't worry, Bastian. I don't expect you to join...I know you have your Practice and stuff. I just needed a thing."

Sebastián knew the lie for what it was as soon as she said it, but let it go. There were better ways of deducing why she would lie about it. "Well, I dunno, my Practice doesn't take all of my time. How many people do you have?"

The sound of Ophilia's laughter echoed eerily inside of the tunnel. "It's not like I'm throwing together a pick up game of basketball. This is like a real thing." Her eyes danced as she looked at her brother, who rarely took anything seriously. A commitment to him was going out with a woman more than once. She had to give him credit though, the few things that he did decide to take seriously, were always acquired through his hard work and dedication.

Sebastián grinned, and took a step back from Phi, his voice filled with humor as he quipped "Of course you aren't throwing together a pickup game of basketball, you're too short to play basketball."

Ophilia's eyes narrowed dangerously as he made the crack about her height, but he was saved when the tram pulled into the station. It purged its passengers, and the twins boarded. A moment later, it lurched into motion.

"But...to answer your question. I have one confirmed member, he'll be the team leader." He couldn't help but notice that Ophilia perked up a bit at the mention of that. Whether it was talk of the team in general or the team's leader in particular, he couldn't quite tell, but he suspected the latter.

Sebastián filed that little nugget away for future reference just in case it became important, but once again let another comment go without calling attention to it. "So, who is this leader? Also, how are you picking the rest of the team, I'm guessing you have dossier's on them all? Did you need me to give them a look, give you my professional opinion? For a nominal fee of course." a broad grin crossed his face, knowing Phi knew he wouldn't take a cent from her.

Ophilia rolled her eyes over a bit to regard her brother, a bit skeptical of his interest. Now days she wasn't sure when they were just talking or when he was psychoanalyzing her. "The leader's name is Nemesis, I have a good feeling that he'll do nicely in that spot. Angelo has given me several names that he wants me to look into as well, and I had some private research compiled. I think that Nemesis, the Team Trainer and myself will be doing most of the selections. ...although, it looks like Raphael might be joining the team." She looked more than a bit unsettled by that thought.

Sebastián couldn't hide the brief look of shock that crossed his face at that last name. "Raphael, that is not someone's name I expected to hear in conjunction with a Hero team. Interesting. Who is this Trainer? Please tell me it's Chuck Norris, that would be epic. Maybe he'll bring us some Total Gym's!" Sebastián loved teasing Phi, as long as it was just the two of them. He'd learned long ago teasing her in a public setting did not go over well. That isn't to say he didn't enjoy it, he generally saved it for something good.

"Oh...It's epic. It isn't Chuck Norris. But it's all kinds of epic." Ophilia gave him a small mysterious smile. "I really do want to tell you who it is...but, well, then I might have to kill you. And I kind of need you tonight."

Sebastián burst into laughter, shaking his head at his petite sibling. She'd got him with that, he'd not expected that answer from her. "So, who is it? You and I both know that you are going to tell me, and now you could say, I am dying to know." He gave another soft chuckle, "I can't believe you actually said 'I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.' to me"

"Okay. It's hella epic. It's so epic, that you're going to think I'm making it up." Ophilia continued to tease him lightly, with a prolonged silence before she gave in. "It's Soldier Boy. And yes, he is still alive."

It took Ophilia a few steps to realize she had lost her brother. She glanced back to see him standing, with a total 'deer in the headlights' expression on his face. " Soldier Boy?! How in the hell did you manage that? Wait, wait." Sebastián hurried to catch up to his sister, and with a conspiratorial tone he asked her "Did you poach him from the United States Government? Is that why he retired?"

Ophilia cocked her head abruptly to the side as her brother spoke, and he could feel her mind working. "You know...that's a really good idea. We should have that leaked to the tabloids. That should make the old man feel good." She saw him looking at her expectantly and shook her head, sobering as she took notice of the dismal conditions at the latest stop. "That's a story for another day, Bastian."

"Another day, Bastian." Sebastián said in perfect harmony with her. It unsettled some people, but the twins had an uncanny knack for finishing each others thoughts. However, to them, they did it so often they rarely even thought about it.

Sebastián knew he'd gotten the last word on the subject, at least for today, but this sounded like a story he did not want her to get out of sharing. "OK, how about this? Since you are dragging me into Freetown tonight, you can take me to dinner tomorrow. I will even let you pick the place. All you have to do is enjoy my company, and tell me that story. Oh, and you get to pick up the check too." a very familiar grin crossed his face, as he finished his list of 'demands'.

"Deal. ...but just you. If this is another attempt to set me up with Geoff, I'll seriously hurt you." Whether it was their new surroundings or something else, he could sense that what was left of her light mood had left her.

Sebastián held his hands up, the grin on his face replaced by an innocent look. "Easy, easy now. Of course it will be just me. Although, what is wrong with having dinner with Geoff? He's a good friend of mine, you are my sister. You both have been eating alone lately. I thought you might like a new face to have a meal with. Forgive me for wanting something nice for you." Sebastián knew he had been busted, the meal with Geoff had definitely been a set up, but Phi truly had been eating alone far too often for his liking.

"There's nothing wrong with Geoff. You know me, I just don't date." Her tone was final and so was the warning look in her eyes.

It wasn't that Ferry Street Station was lavish or immaculate. Nor was their progression into Freetown marked by any single, noticeable, ill-fated stop. But as the tram pulled to each station and opened its doors for a clearer view, Ophilia had the unique experience of watching the world deteriorate in slow, but distinct, displays.

She could have gotten off any time. She could have taken her brother's advice. Or maybe just his car. But that feeling in the pit of her stomach was still there. It grew with each platform view, one more decrepit than the last. Tile walls turned yellow. Passengers grew sparse. Tags were more numerous. More expressive. More vulgar. There was trash. And the occasional rat. Then the smells.

Sebastián nudged Phi and smiled "Looks like I got a two-for-one. Stale urine and vomit! My night is officially complete. Can we go home now?" Sebastián glanced at his sister out of the corner of his eye, and saw her stubbornly shaking her head.

Was she still feeling the Apostate's trail? Or was it Dread that now twisted her insides into a greasy knot? Her feigned excitement from earlier, about wanting to see how the other half lived, had dissipated a few stations ago.

They rode the last three stops alone. It was ten thirty when the doors finally opened and she knew it was time to get off. They walked out onto the platform, then took the stairs to the street. It was long after dark and the moon was hidden behind layers of buildings and smog. A lone street lamp flickered weakly, the last one to die. Smoke curled lazily up from the drains in the curb or the manhole covers up and down the street.

Ophilia felt abandoned and lost. The feeling that was so strong earlier had fled her. Or maybe was just overpowered by anxiety and fear. She cursed her hunch and desperately dreaded telling Bastian that she messed up. They both got these hunches, his were rarer than hers but almost always perfectly accurate. Hers came more often but were sometimes too vague or faltering to be of much help.

For one brief moment, it looked like common sense had caught up to Phi. Sebastián watched as she seemed to hesitate, and he thought maybe she was going to wait for the next train, and take them home.

"Let's go. This way." Rather than admit she was wrong and that she'd lost her vibe, she powered on down the dark cracked side walk, in the direction she thought Apostate would choose to go. Hoping madly that her hunch would come back, but too stubborn to admit to her brother that she'd taken him on a wild goose chase. She pulled out her phone again and dialed Elijah's number.

"Phi, you might want to watch out, and not flash that cell phone around here. Also, who exactly is it that you keep calling?"

Voicemail. Again. It wasn't like him not to answer, especially not her call.

"Elijah. I'm trying to call Elijah. If he'd only answer his stupid phone." Sebastian could sense that her nerves were getting to her, although he knew she'd never admit to it.

"Well, something tells me if you haven't gotten in touch with him by now you are going to have to wait until tomorrow to talk to him, sadly it looks like he is incommunicado currently." Sebastián carefully studied his sister's mannerism's, and body language. The later the night got, the more tightly she seemed to get wound. Hopefully he could stop her from snapping.

The street stretched north into the night. The pair walked alone for a block, and paused at an intersection before crossing. The streetlamps looked in no fairer condition in any direction, most of them dark, only a sparse few to fight back the shadows.

A couple leaned against the wall of an abandoned barber shop on this corner, its windows and doors boarded. The empty shell of a former life. The two were talking close. The woman softly laughed. The man glanced over his shoulder at the twins and his badge glinted in the street light. The fact that Hudson City's finest was on duty in this neighborhood gave them no consolation if this was any specimen.

Sebastián scanned the area as they walked, trying to make sure they weren't taken by surprise. They were in deep now, and his mind raced, it was full of nightmarish situations they might get themselves into. He noticed the cop, and his friend, and that just encouraged him to maintain his vigilant watch. Apparently "to Serve and Protect" was more a suggestion, and not really a motto.

They crossed the street. Halfway across, they were suddenly caught in the swooping glare of headlights. The car didn't even slow as the pair scrambled out of the way. As it tore past them, someone hollered something obscene and Ophilia felt the rush of something fly past her head. A bottle smashed into bits against the curb behind her.

Ophilia's mild manner was already on edge from the events of the night, and now from being in Freetown. She bit the inside of her cheek hard to control her temper from errupting to the surface, it was a very rare thing for her to get angry, but when she did her rage was uncontrollable. She tasted the tangy bitterness of her blood and focused on it, demanding that the urge to make the man drive his car into the police officer to go away. It teetered dangerously as she fought for control over her temper, stock still and without breathing.

The woman across the street stifled a snicker. Her uniformed companion just smirked in the dim, sodium lamplight.

Dark eyes, void of their usual sparkle, swung to regard the whore and the officer. She began reaching out with her mind when Bastian's voice broke through her wall of anger.

Sebastián's dark eyes flashed angrily, stepping around Ophilia to keep himself between her and the vehicle. It took all his restraint not to shout something at the car, but that would just be asking for trouble. "You ok? They did not hit you did they?" He glanced over at the so called police officer {Must be nice to be able to try to get laid, instead of watching out for the people who pay your salary}

He felt a mental acknowledgment from her, there were no words, only a feeling of combined fury and a begrudging admission that she was unhurt. He knew that if he didn't get her moving soon, that she would declare war on the officer, his whore, the car and quite possibly anyone else watching from the shadows. Her brown eyes had that Damian quality to them that always worried him, it was rare, but had resulted in enough catastrophies that he knew to heed that look. Right now that look was leveled on the wench that was laughing at her.

{Shit, shit, shit} Sebastián thought to himself. He slipped his arm around her shoulders, and turned her in the direction they'd been heading. They needed to get out of here, now, before things could spiral further out of hand. Looking into those evil brown eyes, he used his most calming tone "Phi, forget them. She's probably got some nasty cock-rot between her legs, and with any luck he'll get it too. Now, focus. I need you to get back on track. Which way do we go?"

But she wasn't sure. She felt so abandoned. Distracted and distressed by anger, she was unable to reconnect with the trail.

Ophilia focused on her twin's eyes and the mental bond that they shared, and was able to swallow down the rising rage that she felt gurgling in the back of her throat. "I don't know. I need time." There was a bite to her tone as she stomped down the street in the direction they had been going. But Sebastian knew that the remnants of her anger had nothing to do with him, it would just take a while before she was back to her docile self. Right now her I don't know., was much more disturbing than her temper.

Releasing the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, Sebastián felt a flood relief wash over him. Phi was going to need some serious down time when tonight was over, and his mind already raced, considering and discarding ideas. He deliberately tried not to dwell on the I don't know because asking her questions now would only make things worse. He gave her a short bit of space, and resumed his almost paranoid scanning of the area, trusting in her to guide them where they were needed.
 

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