[Fiction] A simple delivery

[GateKeeper]

Ben checked the address one last time and then the time. He knew he was right this was the place. Not that he had anywhere pressing to be but a back alley in La Paz Mexico was not one of the places he chose at this particular moment.

He had a bad feeling the moment he had arrived one that grew worse by the second. Being alone in the alleyway that smelled like someone had died and then been shit on was not helping one bit. But he resolved he would give the situation another few minutes and when the truck pulled in he had almost wished he had not. It looked like a FedEx truck with no logos. The feeling of dread grew as the mustached men got out and approached him.

"You the delivery gringo?" One asked in a thick accent and Ben couldn't help but nod. "You know where to take this then?" Again Ben nodded. The silent man held out a briefcase which Gatekeeper took. "You want to check the amount?" Ben smiled and shook his head. "No need. You two look like trustworthy individuals if you want to hire me again then you won't shortchange me." He lied he didn't trust them at all but it was better than insulting them and having them pull the guns in the waistbands of their jeans.

"Where is the package?" That question got a roar of laughter. "Right here man!" The boisterous fellow slapped the truck. "You can take the whole thing!" Ben growled inside he never agreed to an entire truck. More than likely it was packed to the gills with drugs. Not that it was his problem if people wanted to kill themselves with this shit it was their choice. Again he didn't like the situation but it was better to just deal with it and be done. "Okay no problem. Keys?"

The loud talker tossed the set of keys to the crew cut blond and he quickly climbed into the truck. The two bandito types watched him as a car pulled up behind him. Ben started the engine and checked the delivery address. He concentrated for a moment and the familiar blue wormhole lit the alleyway in front of him as the delivery truck crept forward across the event horizon. The Mustached man grinned broadly at the silent fellow as the truck disappeared. "Looks like we are going to have ourselves a new pack mule." Laughing they both turned to head back to the awaiting car.

Rush City, East Saint Louis, Illinois

The truck came to a stop five minutes later. Ben did not need to double check the address. Two men were waiting and opened the warehouse garage doors as he pulled inside. Stepping out he tossed the keys to the closer of the two trying to ignore the fact they were both carrying MicroUzis in their hands. This was a bad idea from the start he grumbled in his head.

"Mr. Gant." A voice echoed from across the large warehouse. Ben turned and saw three more individuals approaching. Unlike the two in Mexico these three were immaculately dressed in business suits. "Here is your delivery. Sorry I was late but the folks on the other end were running a bit behind." The leader of the three a tall broad shouldered black man grinned broadly. "No trouble at all. We appreciate you service Mr. Gant. In fact we like them so much we have decided to hire you on full time."

Ben shook his head and smiled. "I appreciate the offer Mr.?" "Domino you can call me Domino." Ben nodded and tried not to express how dumb he thought the name was. "Mr. Domino I just work for contract basis. If you need me again you know how to reach me."

The tall man laughed almost mockingly. "I don't think you understand Mr. Gant. You are working for us now." Gatekeeper flinched as the Uzis leveled on him. "No funny moves or light shows Mr. Gant from now on you will always have one of those pointed at your head."

Ben sighed as he dropped the case of money he had hoped to make from this transaction and brought his up open palmed. It was going to be one of those days.

[z-The Morrigan]

The Morrigan sat on the remnants of a city bench and ate her cold, half-stale bagel. She hardly looked to be the hope of this impoverished community in her hand-me-downs; clearly no one had explained that baggy jeans did not go well with yellow flannel pajama tops and a worn tweed jacket. A stocking cap was jammed over her head, flattening out hair that hadn't seen a brush since she had escaped from Amsterdam. But there were signs of improvement; she was wearing sunglasses to hide her glowing eyes, and her sturdy boots had been carefully laced and tied. The people of East St. Louis would have been astounded to see their guardian's glee when she remembered how to perform that little talent.

The hard bagel disappeared with one more crunch, the hardened bread no match for armored teeth backed by super-strength. But dinner was no longer the focus; the delivery van that she had been told to expect was arriving at the warehouse. It looked as though the youth she had shaken for information this morning had been accurate.

The Morrigan had come to hate drugs. As her mental capacities had returned her, she had learned more and more what they did to the people to whom she had become attached, and she hated them all the harder. To a people with little hope, the escape provided by drugs was too promising. But it destroyed those seeking it's pleasure and only stole more hope. It was a cycle she was trying to end. This would be her first real strike against one of the larger gangs operating: the 49 BAD had gotten word that their mysterious suppliers would be getting more merchandise tonight. Or they thought they were getting it; if Morrigan had her way, not only would this shipment be disrupted, but the supply line would dry up completely.

The warehouse doors rolled open, and the van disappeared; a moment later, the doors began to edge shut. Before they were closed, the Morrigan was in the warehouse, watching from a dark corner.

Tensely, she waited out the initial greeting, but the moment for waiting passed when the leader took the blonde delivery man hostage. Not only was that unacceptable behavior, but it was going to put a crimp in her plans. Very well, she’d just have to improvise.

The guns first; they could do a lot of damage to everyone in the room but her. And they would kill her, if she gave them enough time. Not that she planned to give them that. She knew the Micro Uzi; understood it with that strange gift of knowledge: 9mm Parabellum, semi-automatic or automatic mode, thirty-two magazine capacity and 1700 rounds per minute. Closing her eyes, she triggered her speed, feeling the familiar flush of power crawling over her body. With a grim smile, she began.

Time slowed for the world as she dashed to the man on her left with the gun. He didn’t glance at her as she wrenched the gun from his hand and flipped over the safety switch; he still didn’t look at her as she pistol-whipped him in face. He tumbled to the ground; she couldn’t tell if he was out yet. The plastic stock had shattered though, so she had hope he was down for the fight. The other man was just starting to turn as she jammed the top of the Uzi in his ear, knocking his skull to the right.

The Morrigan spun one last time as she flipped the safety off; when she stopped moving, she was pointing the gun at the spokesman. “Surrender,” she grunted, looking extremely competent and comfortable with the gun. “On knees.”

She had forgotten a word in there somewhere. Oh, well. They should still have a good idea of what she wanted.

[GateKeeper]

"Look Domino..." Ben had just started trying to talk himself out of the mess when it happened. The only power he had was to bend space time but still he had other little gifts like the ability to notice a what looked like a homeless girl moving many fold faster than a human should be able to do but just because he could track her did not mean he could keep up with her. So all he could really do is blink as she finished her stomping of the two guards.

Ben sighed he wanted to just grab the briefcase and go since the Uzis where not on him anymore but it had to play out now and he knew if he made a break for a portal one of the bodyguards around Domino could still take some shots at him. Domino looked more pissed than afraid from the little girls demand. "You little cunt!" He snarled he said defiantly while still taking a few steps backward. "Jules get out here! I've got some fresh meat for you." Ben rolled his eyes, he should have known the guy would have a mitetoid for such events hidden somewhere. He was a Nova so if the Uzis had not worked the guy who looking like the hulks black brother now approaching might have been able to deal with it.

The guy must have been huge to start with because the mite had turned him into a monster that made more than a few Novas look downright dainty. Seven feet of muscle, sinew and barely cognant eyes that contained far more primal rage than intellect. "Kill her." Domino stated in a calm voice that was only betrayed by him taking another step backward. Ben looked from the girl to the miteoid thug to the girl again and finally to Domino.

"Uh, I don't know her."

[z-The Morrigan]

The Morrigan sighed through her nose, frowning in irritation. Why did they always have to fight? She popped the clip out of the gun and tossed them to opposite sides of the room. Given this opponant's appearance, he was like her, and the gun would be of little use against him.

Instead, she crouched slightly and curled her fingers under her palm, as if gripping a handle. Very quickly, she was gripping something, a knife handle made of the blood flowing from the pores of her skin. The blade was short; nothing flashy - she was in the mood for upclose and personal. And when the wall of flesh stepped forward, the Morrigan was ready.

A hard slash to the incoming hand made the meat mountain pull back, and the Morrigan smiled grimly as blood splashed to the floor. Her opponant jerked back, holding his hand ahd making high-pitched pain-noises. She settled into stillness, looking evenly at her opponant. It was his decision to continue; his decision to obey Domino's snapped command of, "Get her!"

When he came in this time, she sped up a touch, sidestepping him and drawing her blood blade across the inside of his thigh. He collapsed to the floor, holding his leg and screaming. The Morrigan frowned; that was too much damage. A memory tried to form; it falled, but she knew this was not right, that this nova was not no nova.

Coldly, she turned toward his handler. "Coward," she said, sliding off her sunglasses and letting her eyes blaze forth. "You fight me." She leveled the blood blade at him in a clear challenge.

The strange not-nova was still fiesty; his massive paw wrapped around her calf and twisted, wrenching her knee and pulling her to the floor. He tried to roll over her, but she was simply too fast; he couldn't pin her. But he was able to get a few hits in on her, though he didn't have the strength to really damage her. He had her ribs sore by the time that she knock him out with a knee to the jaw. The idiots pinned her arms but always forgot about her legs.

She's forgetting her language, she knew this, but she was getting angry enough that it didn't matter as she prepared to call out Domino again. Rolling to her feet, she growls, "Big coward to send weak man against strong fighter. Big coward."

[GateKeeper]

She didn't need the Uzi but he sure as fuck wouldn't turn one down. As Domino and his two remaining men watched the battle unfold Ben dashed after the skidding Uze that the girl had tossed away. Snapping up the magazine like a base baller scooping up a ground fly he slapped the weapon back to an active use.

In the time it took him to turn around the little psychopathic Nova has sliced up the mitoid. She came up instantly and was ready to take on the 'businessman' who at this point while still angry showed the definate look of one who was growing in fear by the moment. "Kill her!" He barked to his two remaining men who leveled their own automatic pistols at the girl.

Ben grimaced as he realized just how bad this was getting. Before the caphony of automatic fire began he looked at the red eyed girl as he moved for cover and yelled.

"I don't know him either!"

[z-The Morrigan]

Again, she ignored the blonde man; he seemed to be taking care of himself. Instead she focused on the firing guns, and she cut loose.

The bullets slowed to a crawl, and the Morrigan cast them a contempteous glance as she side-stepped the hail of bullets. Moving around the cluster, she stepped between the two men and released her grip on time. The two goons firing at her blinked, did a double-take, and spun to fire on her. Without hesitation, she did the splits a heartbeat before they fired their guns. With shrieks of pain, the gunmen fell to the floor. One was writhing in pain; the other was silent.

She shot to her feet and tumbled to Domino. Her fists caught him by his jacket and she snarled, "East St. Louis is mine. Stay out." Glowering red eyes glared at him, and her lovely mouth twisted with anger as she waited for his answer.

[GateKeeper]

Ben turned to return fire as he found some cover but withing the scant seconds it took him to move behind the delivery truck the fight was over. It wasn't a suprise the colonel was that good when he saw him in action he knew other Novas who were that good. Still for what looked like a street rat it was a big suprise.

Domino's arrogant eyes drain into pools of fear as the last remaining men he had went down before the slip of a girl. All he had ever known was how to threaten and bluster his way through life with a sense of self deluding bravado. The reality of the bigger fish in the pond seemed to shatter him and the pleading began. "Yeah it's yours!" He fumbled out. "I'm not even from around here. I just got the hell out of Chicago after the Knights but a hurt on my business. You won't see me again I swear!"

Well East Saint Louis's skanky city defender had the situation well in hand Ben decided as he put the machine pistol down on the step bumper of the truck and began making his way forward behind the girl. It might have been a dumb idea but he wanted his payment. He probably should have just cut his losses but he didn't. His heart was pounding and for once in months he was actually excited. It was like a game suddenly, could he get the case before the little psycho realized what he was doing. Her attention was focused on the large blackman but he knew better than to assume she wasn't still aware of him.

He managed to get to the case with one hand picking it up the other giving Domino a mocking salute before he turned to quietly try and make his way back to the door by the entrance he drove the truck through.

[z-The Morrigan]

"Then go," the Morrigan snapped and released him with a little push. "Take trash with you." She internally winced as she realized that she dropped words again, but she kept a straight face as she gestured to the moaning men on the floor.

Which left the blonde man. With a burst of power, she was in front of him, blocking his way to the door. The golden irises take her aback for a moment, but she doesn't let them stop her. Even if he is special like her, she can't let him just walk away. "Take your trash, too," the Morrigan ordered, gesturing at the truck. "Never bring trash to East St. Louis again."

[GateKeeper]

"Not my trash hon." She could kill him, he knew it. She might be cautious since she didn't know what he could do but he saw the reaction in her eyes to his own hints of Novahood. He wouldn't bluff to hard but he refused to look scared either.

Gesturing to the briefcase he replied. "This is mine. That." He pointed to the truck. "Is his. But I doubt I will be driving for Mr. Domino again. Will I chuck?!" He yelled out to the man now running for the office from which he came.

[z-The Morrigan]

"You bring it here, you remove it," the Morrigan said, leaving no room for question. "You not leave it." Her declaration made, she tensed, readying herself for him to use a power on her.

She hoped he'd be willing to remove the truck without a fight, but she couldn't leave it here. If it were full of drugs, then she had to have a way of disposing of them. The police were mostly trustworthy, but it only took one bad officer to put some of this back on the street. And she wanted to stop it here and now.

"Drive away," she repeated, gesturing at the truck again.

[GateKeeper]

Ben did not want anything more to do with the truck than she did. Given he could probably take it elsewhere and make a ton of money dumping it. Even cheap he could offload it for millions. But he was just a delivery man not a drug dealer. Rubbing the bridge of his nose he let out a loud sigh. "Okay okay.. We." He points to the strange red eyed girl then to himself. "Will deal with this."

With that he walks briskly to the truck leaning in he shifts it into neutral and releases the parking brake. Stepping away he goes silent and still then a pin prick of light blossoms forth on the floor in front of the truck. Blazing light pours from the hole on the floor so intense Ben shields his eyes with his arm.

"Give it a push." He encourages the girl with a waggle of the briefcase. "Just don't fall in there yourself."

[z-The Morrigan]

The Morrigan blinked at the light for a second before turning away. Moving to the back of the truck, she gave the vehicle an open-handed shove. It rolled forward briskly, dropping into the blazing hole; as the front wheels toppled in, the undercarriage caught on the edge. The Morrigan seized the bumper and, with a deep grunt, she heaved and tipped the front of the truck down far enough for gravity to take effect.

She was careful to stay from the edge herself; when the hole disappears, she asked, "Sun?" When GateKeeper nodded, a smile flitted over her face, revealing her beauty despite the grime and dirt. "Everyone dump there," she chuckled.

Her humor fled and the serious look returned. "You never bring junk here again. Or I not let you go that time."

[GateKeeper]

Waving his free hand Ben assured her. "Trust me I won't be doing business with that fellow or his crew again. Usually I try not to touch this form of 'shipping' but the offer was good enough to sway me."

Tilting his head slightly Ben looked at the girl beneath the dirt. "Is this your costume or something? Street person I guess is a good look for a Muni D around here for sure."

[z-The Morrigan]

A soft gust of wind blew his scent to her, and she grabbed it for her mental catalog. It was a layered scent, like most people's, and she carefully peeled back the layers. The stink of an alley, from somewhere far away and hot, was first; next she logged and peeled back the nice cologne he wore. And finally she found the man - someone who sweated often, the clean sweat of someone who did it without stress, for fun. No chemicals marred his scent, which meant he wasn't on drugs.

But he was speaking, and she focused on his words. The Morrigan didn't glance down at her clothes like most people would have. "Costume?" Her ravaged mind sorted though what was left to her, and tried to come up with the meaning. Slowly, a concept came to her, and she shook her head. "These are my clothes. I am given. I wear them."

But the term 'Muni D' - nothing was coming to mind with that. Tilting her head, she asked, "What is Muni D?"

[GateKeeper]

"What are you a vigilante then?" Ben raised an eyebrow at the girl and quickly began to realize on him she had no real idea what he was saying. "So this look isn't your style then. Should I offer to at least give you some clean clothing and a bath?"

He watched her reaction to see if he had insulted her. She was odd, Savage crude and cunning yet slow like she had never learned basic life skills or she had forgotten or someone made her forget. "What is your name anyway? Some call me Gatekeeper but you can call me Ben."

[z-The Morrigan]

The briefcase smelled of money. Some had been left for her before; she always gave it to Saada, and Saada would bring her things she needed: food and clothing. The woman had always been coming around, leaving things and talking to her; the Morrigan had finally started to talk back. Slowly, something resembling a friendship had been formed between the two women. Through and unintentional side effect, it had made Saada a leader in the community. The Morrigan didn't understand all that it meant, but she knew that it meant more supplies, and more importantly, more information. If a rumor surfaced, it was carried to Saada, and Saada brought it to the Morrigan.

"The Morrigan," she said, tapping her chest. She had come a long way from her meeting with Douglas so many weeks ago; she still had a long way to go, but reminders of her progress did salve her ego. If she hadn't been so sure that she once possessed more, it might not have bothered her so much.

But his suggestion of clothing and a bath confused her. No one paid her in bathes; she used bathrooms in gas stations occasionally to clean up. She usually got food and clothing, and she never got it on the spot. It was brought to the Majestic later. "Give what you wish," she said, shrugging. "I use what given. What you give, I will use."

[GateKeeper]

"Well.. You could use a little cleaning up I would guess." Ben shrugged and tapped the case of money. "I owe you for saving my hide back there for sure."

The blond stares at her for a few moments. Long enough to wonder what exactly he is thinking. "Come on let's go." The gold of his irises brighten for a fraction of a second as a gateway blossoms behind him. "I promise to drop you off back here in a few hours. Until then let's talk about repayment."

Gateway moves to the lip of the event horizon then turns to see if the girl is following him.

[z-The Morrigan]

"A few hours?" Time was something that the Morrigan was aware of, but she knew that was a good bit of time. "Where this time?"

"My house," he said, and to his surprise, she took a step back.

"No," she said firmly, her face setting into hard lines. She would not go to a stranger's cavern and not know how to get home. For a moment, she almost ran, dashing away in a burst of speed; the only thing that stopped her was the chance to talk to someone like herself. But that sense of brotherhood didn't allow her to follow him blindly into his territory.

[GateKeeper]

Ben sighed as he saw the fear in the girls eyes. Obviously despite the power and prowess within her she was also had so much fear within her. Either her taint had done this to her or more likely someone had did this to her.

"Oookay.. How about a hotel then? Someplace downtown and nice? Where you can take a nice bath and clean up? I know a great surplus store I could take you to get some new clothing? Come on The Morrigan you helped me least I can do is help you."

[z-The Morrigan]

She relaxed as he stopped insisting on her going to his house. "Help me?" she said, tilting her head to the side. "Help by stopping drugs. Help me bring food and needed-things to East St. Louis. People live short here; help me by helping them live long."

In her clothes, she should have looked the fool, but the Morrigan was strangely competent as she said, "I need no bath. I need no clean up. You ask what I want - I want my people to be healthy. I want them to be happy. I want to not have to defend them anymore from drugs and dirty water. I want them to have someplace to go - some hope for the future. That is what I need."

[GateKeeper]

Okay, Ben thought. She is a total nutter. But going along with her rather antimaterialistic and antihygenic philosophy he nodded. Ben thought for a moment and he hated it so much when he started thinking. Because one thing always led to another and his conscious usually started creeping in. He had almost half a mil in the case in his hands and now this little slip of a creature was telling him about helping others and that is all she wanted out of her existence.

"All right red eyes." He grumbled unhappily. "I tell you what. Let's make a deal shall we?" He couldn't believe he was doing this but then again why did he give a fuck? When had he cared that much about money before anyway? "If you clean yourself up a little bit maybe some new clothed and aim for a more pleasant odor. I will give you this case and all the money so you can help your people."

He studied her nappy hair and all. "What do you say?"

[z-The Morrigan]

She would be selling her time and her company for money. The Morrigan had seen the street women doing the same; she had rescued many of them from bad situations related to their work. And while she was confident that she could escape him, it had the same taste in her mouth. But Saada could do so much with that money.

"The root of all evil is money." The deep sonorous voice left her trembling deep inside; the memory stirred a terrible ache in her. She reached for more, driven by the desperate want inside her heart. "It's making Dad act all crazy now. He'll just cheat Sa-" There was nothing more: just that voice and the deep hole it had left behind. Something missing; something gone, and she didn't even know what.

She pulled herself back to the present, blinking at GateKeeper. "Fine," she grunted. Why this charade? Why did he not just help?

[GateKeeper]

Ben could have just gave her the case right then and walked away. He was tempted to do so but he had to wonder if there was a girl under the veneer of a killer and the grime of the street. In a way she reminded him of a mutt you would see on the streets fending for itself. The pang you felt knowing that it could use a good home but had been to abused to ever consider being anything than what it now way.

He watches her get a far away expression on her face. He had seen it enough in his old job to recognize mental trauma, no need to be schooled in the reality he witnesses first hand to recognize it. "Do you have a home to go to or should I make the arrangements. I passed a Motel 6 not to far from here I am sure they have nice showers." Her expression changed to a questioning look to him. "Come on.. How hard will it be for you to clean up and look a bit more.. Human?"

[z-The Morrigan]

"Home not... is not suitable," she said, feeling a little proud that she had remembered the right word. "Home-cavern has no running water." She wondered what a Motel 6 was, but figured she'd learn soon enough.

The Morrigan retrieved her sunglasses and her bag, which she had left back by the barrels. It had her evening's rations in it, and she grabbed a paper-wrapped item for some nurishment. But some hint in her mind reminded her of courtesy, and she extended the cold McDonald's cheeseburger to Ben instead. He looked dubious, so she peeled the wrapper back to show him the half-eaten sandwich, quickly flicking an annoying maggot off of it. She had picked them off earlier when she'd found it in a bin, but she must have missed one. "Hungry?"

[GateKeeper]

Ben visibly recoils from the offer. "Uhm no... No thanks I uh.. Already ate." Regaining his composure the blond nods as if convincing himself internally this is what he is up for.

"Okay let's get going. I am sure this is going to be very intersting." He considered a moment opening a portal to the Motel several blocks away but thought better of it. He could span the solar system with his power cheat out a few blocks felt downright lazy.

Checking to ensure the Domino fellow was long gone Benjammin turned to the girl and gestured with his head. "Alright let's get out of here." He made his way to the door and out into the fall sunlight. "So The Morrigan this is your place huh?" He tried to make that not sound bad but the condition of the area was less than appealing. "Looks like you have a lot of work to do to clean things up as you said." Starting with yourself he added internally.

[z-The Morrigan]

They walked for a time in silence, and the Morrigan became more and more nervous with each step. A flicker of memory surfaced in her shattered mind: a thin, blonde man, lazily pushing his glasses higher on his nose as he smiled coldly at her. The memory is accompanied by feelings of terror, of helplessness and loss. The memory ended in fading awareness, of losing consciousness.

And the Morrigan snapped.

Ben would never understand what set her off; he would never know that the hazy memories of her previous abuse at Vyse's hand had burned themselves into her mind. One moment he was talking to her as they walked along; the motel came into view and he pointed-

And she was gone. A blast of wind; a lone window shattering: these were all the signs that she had been walking near him. But soon the night was quiet again, leaving Ben alone with his briefcase of money.