Aberrant: In the Beginning - Wraith

[Wraith]

Caryn pumped her legs a little harder and fought to pull breath into her lungs. The guy glanced over his shoulder, lost balance, and caroomed off of a trash can. He didn't fall, but kept running. She now saw the handle of the pistol sticking out of the back of his pants.

"Stop you son of a bitch!" she screamed. She reached up to her shoulder, leaned her head over to speak into her comm. "817- I'm on foot pursuit, suspect is armed and possibly dangerous, I need back up east bound on Pennsylvania Ave. Over"

She heard rock music. Of course, the beach concert. Great, civilians and tourists, just what she needed. Six months setting up the bust, and this guy smells a rat at the last possible second. Now, to top off the worst kind of day for a cop, shootout at the O.K Corral.

The guy hurdled the barrier, and pushed into the crowd. Caryn could hear the sirens approaching from a distance, even over the music. She caught a second wind and pushed herself over the barrier.

Some of the people stared as she approached them. Sure, make way for the criminal, but what's a cop doing here, right.

"Move! Move! Move!" She had her weapon out, pointed carefully at the ground. As the crowd split, she caught sight of him. Oh hell. He reached behind him as he started to dart to the left. A large black man stepped in the path of the suspect, grabbed his collar in one hand, his gun hand in the other. He lifted the guy easily and slammed him to the ground. As Caryn approached, out of breath, she threw her knees on the perp's back and pulled his arms behind him. Putting her weapon away, she cuffed his wrists tightly.

"Thank you sir" she said, looking up at the large fellow who brought the suspect down. He really was big.

"Glad to help ma'am," he said, "I have my daughter here, and I just don't allow guns around my daughter."

Caryn keyed her comm unit again.

"817 to base, suspect is in custody, route backup to the corner of Pennsylvania and Oceanside. Over".

Caryn stood, pulling the sweating, panting man from the ground. She Mirandized him, and handed him off to an approaching Sergeant. She walked over to one of the squad cars that had just pulled up, and slumped to the curb, exhausted.

She felt a hand on her shoulder.

,,

"Well, well, Sanders, nice hustle," a voice said. Wonderful. She looked up into the face of her Captain. Captain Bass was not smiling. She knew why.

"Unfortunately," he continued, "we didn't get any video, audio, or photos of any transaction, because the transaction never took place. Don't say anything, Sanders. Not a word. Put it in the report that you will place on my desk before you go home."

As Captain Bass released her shoulder and walked away, Caryn put her elbows on her knees and clenched her hands around her head.

"Damn, I'm glad i'm off tomorrow," she muttered under her breath.

[Titan]

Sergeant Willey half-listened to the witness as she told him how 'the crazy woman just pulled her gun out and pointed it at me, she didn't even say she was a cop'. Mostly he was paying attention to the decent sound of Radiohead's Creep coming from the nearby loudspeakers. No one ever played that anymore.

"Yes ma'am, it will all go in the report. If the Captain thinks that anything improper occurred, I'm sure he will reprimand the Lieutenant," he told the woman, an overweight housewife in a sports bra that was much too small for her. Across the street, some kids had climbed on top of a dumpster, trying to get a better view of the concert.

"Thank you for your statement, ma'am. We'll contact you if we need more information." He walked away, flipping his notebook shut, to avoid further conversation.

He crossed the street towards the kids on the dumpster. He glanced over his shoulder. The Captain was talking to Lieutenant Sanders as she sat on the curb. She looked tired. Willey hitched his pants up, thinking there was no way he could have caught the guy on foot. One of the kids jumped off the dumpster and grabbed his bike.

"Cops, guys!" he yelled to his buddies.

"C'mon, boys, I'm not gonna arrest you, just get down before you hurt yourselves," he said.

One of the boys waited a long moment, then defiantly threw his Big Gulp down on the asphalt before climbing slowly down.

Sgt. Willey sighed inwardly.

"Pick it up," he said, "and throw it in the dumpster."

The kid climbed on his bike.

"YOU pick it up, ass-bag!" he yelled.

Laughing hysterically, the boys rode away, full tilt.

Rolling his eyes, Willey leaned over his considerable bulk and picked up the cup. He kicked the ice into the gutter. He slid the side door of the dumpster open, and tossed the cup in. The setting sun glinted off of something inside, and reflected in his eye. He took a closer look.

"Lieutenant!"

The sound of her title roused Caryn from her contemplation of a full day off. She looked around wearily.

"LIEUTENANT!!"

One of the officers on the scene was frantically motioning her over to a dumpster. He was white as a sheet.

She walked over to him, massaging her lower back. He pointed. She looked.

A woman's left arm, wrapped in plastic but still wearing an engagement ring and with the nails painted a delicate pink, rested in an Amstel Light box. There was no woman attached to it.

[Wraith]

Caryn sighed.

"Sergeant!" she brought him back to himself. He looked at her with glazed eyes. Here was a guy who needed something to do.

"Set up a perimeter around the dumpster," she told him.

She activated her comm unit, turning her head to speak.

"817- I have a 10-54 located in a dumpster at Pennsylvania and Oceanside. Notify forensics and Captain Bass."

"Roger 817."

She made her way around the back of the dumpster "NO ONE TOUCHES ANYTHING!" she yelled.

There's no blood, in or around the dumpster. She also notices inside of the dumpster there's no trash that has been dumped on top of the arm.

"This hasn't been here very long, especially with this crowd of people." Caryn said out loud.

The Sergeant had corralled some of his people, they were blocking off a wide area with crime scene tape.

When the crime scene investigations unit showed up, she let them take over. Caryn briefed their supervising officer on the situation.

"I'm going to head back to the station," she said finally.

She retraced her steps from her chase with the perp, remembering every step in slow motion. As she approached her unmarked car, she looked at the time on the dash. "9:34, jeez," she said to herself as she started the engine.

She pulled up to the station, locked up the car and headed to her office. Sitting down at her desk, she started going through her paperwork. After finishing her report on the failed bust, she started another report on the arm. Thank God it was a short one, just a find and turnover to CIS.

Next thing she knew, though, it was 12:42am, so she called it a night. She put her report on Captain Bass' desk before signing out of Division.

She went directly to the parking lot. As she approached her Ninja, she put her helmet on and threw her leg across the seat. Lights on, motor revved, she started for home.

[Titan]

Caryn woke early, to the sound of tapping on her window. She rolled, and looked at the clock. 6:15. God.

She rolled the other way, and looked out the window. Alexis grinned at her through the glass. She was dressed in a wetsuit, and a surfboard was visible leaning against the side of the apartment building.

"Man, they better be killer waves or I'm arresting your ass," Caryn growled.

"Gnarly as hell," Alexis assured her, "shake a leg!"

Caryn swept off the covers and quickly pulled her suit on. She grabbed her board on her way out the door.

"Can't sleep all day, copper," Alexis yelled over her shoulder as she ran towards the beach.

Caryn came fully awake as her feet hit the sand, as usual. When she crested the break, she looked out at the Atlantic. Six foot waves crashed into the surf at regular intervals. Not exactly gnarly, but pretty decent for Ocean City. She hoisted her board and ran to the water.

They had each had a few good waves, and were resting, just sitting on their boards out in the water, when the wave of light rose up over the horizon.

Alexis sheilded her eyes from the glare.

"What is...," she didn't continue, but watched the blue wave of light cross the sky towards the surfers.

It was a thick bow of blue energy that stretched from north to south. As it passed over their heads, they could hear its crackling rush. It washed the beach in white light, and passed over the beach houses, condos, and hotels as it continued inland. Then it was gone.

Alexis looked at her friend.

[Wraith]

"I better get to the station." Caryn said, and started paddling to shore. Alexis followed her.

She ran up the beach to her apartment. She turned at the door and waved quickly at Alexis, who was staring at the sky. She turned on the TV while she changed clothes. Nothing unusual on. She wondered to herself what the hell that could've been.

Maybe we're under a nuclear attack, she thought to herself as she headed for the front door. She jumped on her Ninja and sped off.

When she got to the station, everyone seemed to be in mass confusion. People were running around, there were telephones ringing at everyone's desks. She headed for Captain Bass' office. She knocked lightly on the door.

[Titan]

"WHAT!?!" Bass yelled.

Caryn swung the door open. Bass had his fists on his desk. He was looking at a map of Ocean City. He glanced up when she opened the door.

"Just the detective I was hoping to see," he barked, "Come look at this."

Caryn walked over and looked at the map. There were four red dots on it. She looked back at the chief.

"We found three more," he said, "two legs and another arm."

She looked at him for a moment. Then she opened her mouth to speak.

"Screw the light in the sky," Bass said quickly, "if you were wondering. I don't care about some light in the sky. I want this guy right here."

"But," Caryn began.

"And don't tell me that you're Vice. I know you're Vice. Go work with Homicide. I want you on this."

He looked at her expectantly.

"Sanders, you waiting on something?"

[Wraith]

Caryn turned and left. As she walked to the CIS unit she started to feel a little sick to her stomach.

Case is giving me butterflies, she mused.

She walked into the lab, where one of the CIS team was looking at photos of all the body parts, and piecing them together like a puzzle.

"Hey, what are you coming up with?" Caryn said.

"Just laying them all out, havn't had a chance to do much else, here take a look" He made room for her to lean over and examine the photos.

The first picture was the arm she had called in. "That looks familiar," she said.

She glanced over to the photo of the opposite arm. A swatch of purple cloth was cinched around the upper arm, and there was a discoloration on the back of the hand.

"Scan this in, so I can see it better," she asked.

The tech scanned the photo into the computer. While she waited, she looked at the photos of the legs. One had an ankle bracelet. The toenails were also painted pink. Most likely from the same vic.

"Ok, it's ready," the tech told her. She pulled her chair over to the screen.

"Can you clear up the hand a little?" She asked.

On the screen, a box appeared around the hand. The view changed to a close up of the hand, blurry at first, then clearer. She grunted, and pulled out her notebook to jot a note down.

"What is it?" asked the tech.

"It's a stamp from a bar," Caryn told him. She examined it closer. "The Royal Fish, to be more precise. I used to go out with the owner, Marlin Prince."

The C.S.I leaned in and after a moment, agreed with her. "You're right, I was just there 2 weeks ago, recieved the same stamp," he said.

Caryn stood, then started to walk away. "Thank you for your time, I'm heading to the Fish," she says over her shoulder

She pulled up in the parking lot. It was mostly empty, since it wasn't even open yet.

As she approached the door, she saw some people setting up the tables inside. They noticed her and one girl came to the door.

Caryn flashed her badge "My name is Lieutenant Sanders, may I speak to the manager please?"

The girl opened the door just enough for Caryn to slip in. She looked at the detective, puzzled.

"Sure, let me go get him," the girl said as she walked behind the bar. Just before she got there, a tall dark-haired gentleman came through the swinging door.

"Rebecca, why aren't you straightening up? This is the second time I've..." He caught sight of Caryn.

"Oh, hi," he said, walking towards her. "What're you doing here?"

Caryn smiled at her ex. "Hi, Marlin," she says.

"So, what's up? Surely you're not here for the early bird special," He asked with a mischevious grin.

"May I ask you a few questions?"

"Uh, sure," he said, glancing at the cocktai waitress listening intently, "Right this way."

They went to his office, and both sat down.

"Okay Lieutenant, what's this all about?" he asked.

"Mar, I'm investigating a homicide. We've got female body parts popping up in dumpsters all around town," she explained.

Marlin looked at her, confused. "That's awful, I'm not sure how I can help you, though" he said.

"The victim, so far a Jane Doe, had your stamp on her right hand. I was just wondering if I can look at your survelliance?" she said nodding at a set of small televisions with images of the bar interior.

"Sure," he said, "But our survelliance only covers the bar register and the exit, as you can see. I'm not sure how that can help you."

"Give me just a second," Caryn said. She pointed at his phone, her eyebrows raised. He nodded. She picked up the reciever, dialed.

"... Steve, hi, it's Sanders. Can you give me a time frame on T.O.D of Jane Doe?" she asks.

"Wow, that helps even more, Stephanie Brown, huh? Okay, thanks, Steve- oh wait, what was her hair color? Ok, thanks again." Caryn hung up the phone.

"Okay Mar, I need to look at the tapes from two nights ago... and if possible, while I do that is there anyway you could search through your credit card reciepts from Saturday night, looking for the name Stephanie Brown? That's my Jane Doe I was talking about. They just found her head."

Marlin's lip curled in disgust. He stood and walked over to a set of moniters. He typed in the date. "This may take awhile," he said. Then he sat at his desk and started tapping on the keyboard.

Caryn stood and leaned over the monitors. She watched the camera on the front doors for blonde heads. Stephanie had blonde hair.

She watched the tape fast-forward for about 15 minutes, pausing occasionally, then moving on. Then she noticed a young woman with blonde hair wearing a purple peasant blouse entering with an older gentleman. Caryn froze the frame.

"Can I do a snapshot of this one?" Caryn asked.

"Sure, let me get that for you" Marlin said, as he walked from the printer with a piece of paper in his hand. He leaned in and hit a few buttons. The photo printed and Caryn examined it more closely.

"Here is the credit card report from 2 nights ago, no sign of a Stephanie Brown," he said.

"Well, let me see the rest of the footage, I'm thinking her friend probably paid," Caryn said.

They switched to the video of the bar register, and waited. They eventually saw Stephanie leaning over the bar next to a man who has sunglasses and a hat on. The man was not the man she came in with. Other than his mustache, it was hard to make out his face from this angle. Stephanie paid with cash.

"Who was the bartender working that night, is he here now?" Caryn asked Marlin.

"I have the same bartender every night. He never wants a day off, would rather come hangout with locals I guess. His name is Jason Buckreis, he should be here around 7. But I can give you his number," Marlin offered.

"That would be great, now.. let's see what else happens with Stephanie." She said sitting down in front of the moniter.

The register view showed Stephanie at the bar twice more. The older gentleman she entered with came to the bar four times. The entrance view showed her leaving alone at 1:13 am.

"Okay, well I'm going to take this photo, and I'm going to give Mr. Buckries a call. Thanks Mar, I appreciate all your help." Caryn said as she headed for the door.

"Anything for you, Caryn," he said, "hope you get the guy."

[Titan]

As Caryn left the club, she thought of Stephanie Brown. Out for a drink, trying to have fun, ends up spread around Ocean City wrapped in hefty bags. She shuddered.

She dropped the photo off at the CIS lab, and checked in with homicide. They had already received word of Captain Bass's assignment. She compared notes with the other detectives. Stephanie Brown was a student at the University. She was not active in any organizations, her grades were poor. She drove a yellow Dodge Ram, a gift from her father. Her torso was still missing.

Corinne went to her office, picked up the phone, and called Jason Buckries.

"Hello?"

Hello, Mr. Buckries?"

"That's me. Who's this?"

"Mr. Buckries, this is Officer Sanders, OCPD. I am on my way to your home. I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Uh...ok, I guess."

Caryn hung up the phone, and ran to her bike.she threw her leg over, and sped away. She turned left on Oceanside, kept going past Shark! restaurant, left on Third, right on Atlantic. She was headed to 125th. She glanced at her gas gauge and saw that she was almost empty. She spied a 7-11 and slowed down to make the entrance. She pulled up to the pump swung her leg off, and removed the nozzle. Her cell phone rang.

"This is Sanders..... What?!...Okay I'm 2 blocks away.. I can get there faster than anyone else."

Caryn dropped the nozzle, leaped onto her Ninja, and gunned it.

[Wraith]

Caryn eased into the parking lot of the Plaza Hotel. She cruised the lot until she spotted the yellow Dodge Ram. She parked in a nearby space, and killed the engine. She dismounted and unlocked the compartment under her seat. She hooked the chin strap of her helmet under the seat, and grabbed her pistol. She strapped the holster under her armpit.

She took out her notebook, yep, it was the license plate registered to Stephanie Brown. She checked with the clerk, who didn't have a record of the vehicle. He let her check the security tapes, though. After he called the manager at home. About twenty minutes later, she had him. Good shot of him walking into the hotel. She showed the guy to the clerk.

"Yeah, yeah, Grinell, I think... uh,126."

She ran in the direction of the room. She slowed down as she reached the door, and put her back against the wall. She peeked at the parking lot behind her. No sign of any back up yet.

She pulled the gun, then her cell phone out with the other hand and called the Captain.

"Captain, I'm at the hotel now, Do I make a move or what?.. Ok, I'm on it.. I know...I had my spare on my bike. I'll be fine.. tell everyone to back off for a minute, I dont wanna scare the guy away..." Caryn whispered.

She put the phone away, still clenching the gun in her other hand.

Caryn approached the door, and overheard some yelling from inside the room. The guy was obviously on the phone, since she only heard his side, then silence, then yelling again.

"I DID WHAT YOU FUCKING TOLD ME, NOW WHERE IS IT!? I WANT MY MONEY!" he yelled.

Caryn wanted to make a move, but her body was telling her otherwise. She had started to feel weak all over. She caught a glimpse of herself in the closed curtain window. She was very pale. She shook her head, then raised her gun again.

An old woman next door opened her door and leaned her head out. Caryn put one hand up, motioning to the woman not to come out any further, then reached for her badge.

"Everything is under control ma'am, please go back inside and lock the door," Caryn whispered.

She looked at her, wide-eyed, said nothing, then shut the door quickly.

Caryn looked around, eased forward, and leaned her head in one more time, to listen. She raised the gun. Then knocked.

[Titan]

For a long moment, she heard nothing. She raised her hand to knock again.

"Who is it?"

"Mr. Grinell, please open the door. I need to ask you a few questions," Caryn said, her heart beating in her throat. Her head was pounding, and her back barely allowed her to stand up straight. She heard the door unlatch, and she pulled her badge to show. She stepped in front of the door, gun ready, and waited for it to swing open.

KA-TOW...KA-TOW

The first bullet tore through the door, and into her left side. The second hit her in the chest. Her left arm fell limply to her side. She staggered back. A spurt of blood shot out of her chest. The door opened. The man wore a bathrobe over slacks and a tee shirt. His black hair had grey strands running through it, and his face was weathered. He watched her as she lurched to a pole and clutched it. Another spurt, weaker, shot out of her chest. She slid down the pole until she was sitting on the cool concrete, leaving a red smear behind. He stepped towards her.

Funny. Heart shot, gut shot... but it's my head that is killing me

She barked a laugh, coughing blood over her chin onto her chest. She was fading fast. A white light creeped in at the edges of her vision. He grinned back at her.

"The truck, right? It was the truck?"

She nodded weakly. Her hand still held the gun, but there was no strength in her. It lay limply at her side. He chuckled.

"I thought so. The fucking truck. And for nothing." He shook his head. He raised the gun to her forehead.

"No hard feelings, huh?" He pulled the trigger. She saw the flash of the muzzle.

***************************

Caryn opened her eyes suddenly. She jerked herself up off of the ground. Dead. She was dead. She looked at herself. She sat on the concrete next to the pole. She was a bloody mess. She looked around her. The man lay on his back in front of her. His face was gone. She could see into his skull, could see his brain. There was no blood on him.

Slowly, she stood. She put a hand to her chest. It came away bloody. She lifted her shirt, and looked at her torso. Bloody, but she saw no holes. Her flesh, though streaked with her blood, was unblemished. She felt her forehead. Felt solid. She whirled around. A bullet hole was neatly punched into the trunk of the car parked there.

He shot me. I know he did. What the hell happened here?

She thought about what to do next.

[Wraith]

She ran her finger across the hole in the car.

"I..I dont understand," she said as she brought her hand back up to her forehead. Footsteps slapped the concrete. Caryn looked up at the old woman from the motel room next door.

"OH MY!! Your one of them! Like on the television!" she exclaimed.

"What, who? Caryn asked.

Caryn heard sirens coming near.

"I called the police as soon as I heard the gunshots, I saw the whole thing! You're one of the- the special powers people, like that fireman guy!" The old woman explained.

"I don't know what the hell happend... He shot me, I saw the wound.. I saw my blood pouring out of me, I heard the shots, I felt the shots... I dont understand," Caryn said.

"Well, I heard the first shot, so I peeked out the door... I saw you fall on the pole and him walk over to you and point the gun to your head. As soon as he started to pull the trigger you disappeared! Into thin air! So he stepped back, and an instant later you reappeared with your hand up and some sort of, of... dark... cloud shot from your hand and then his face was-" she broke off suddenly, looking at Caryn.

Caryn was horrified, she looked at both of her hands. Her skin looked very pale.

The police cars started to roar into the parking lot. An ambulance followed. Uniforms began to run towards her. Some stopped in confusion upon reaching the detective and the body. Two cops threw up at their first sight of the man. The old woman began to tell one of the sergeants the same story she had told Caryn.

Caryn stood still, lost in thought, as the ambulance crew came to her and walked her towards the emergency vehicle. She lay back on the stretcher inside, as they began to cut her shirt open where the bullet holes are.

"What the hell happend?" The EMT asked.

"I dont know, the old lady says it was like some people on TV... I don't feel so hot," Caryn said.

"Where the hell is she!" Caryn heard Captain Bass yelling across the parking lot.

The EMT's turned to look at the Captain, then back towards Caryn, and look shocked, their eyes wandering around, as if Caryn was gone.

"Whats the matter?" Caryn asked. Just as Caryn spoke, both EMT's jumped back.

She reappeared again. And they drop the medical tools.

Captain Bass approached the truck.

[Titan]

He looked at her for a long moment. The EMTs were falling all over themselves, exclaiming about her disappearance. The old woman spied the Captain, and began telling her story. He never took his eyes off of Caryn.

Finally, he turned to the EMT.

"Hush your nonsense, and get Detective Sanders to the hospital."

"But, but sir... There's nothing wrong with her," the EMT protested.

"Then get her a shirt. Sanders, you're with me." He turned, and stalked away.

She dressed in a spare EMT shirt, still grimy with blood, though the EMTs had wiped off most of it. She hurried after Captain Bass, who she found waiting for her in his car. He motioned for her to get in. She did.

He pulled out of the motel parking lot. He drove in silence for a minute. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft, almost tender with concern.

"Caryn. You haven't seen the news?"

"No, sir."

"This is widespread. You aren't alone, so don't freak out about this. There are a lot of other people who are dealing with this. In fact, I recieved a fax from the State Police just before I got the call about the truck." He glanced at her.

"There are people studying this. You have to report it, Caryn. We're directed to inform the World Health Organization of any unusual occurances, anyone displaying supernatural abilities. Like it or not, that's you."

She saw that they had bypassed the station, and were turning onto the 90 bridge.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"I'm taking you to the airport. You need to get in touch with these W.H.O doctors in New York."

"But, Captain, the guy- the guy at the motel- he was working for someone! I heard him demanding money on the phone... this isn't over."

He acted almost as if he hadn't heard her.

"You'll be fine, Caryn. Don't worry, you'll be back here, back on the job in no time. You have to leave it to others for a while. We'll just have to get some bad guys without you."

******************

In New York, they asked her just short of seven million questions, before deciding she needed to fly immediately to London, to some testing facility. On the plane, she got some badly needed shuteye. She dreamed of men without faces who killed girls and dumped their body. Her seatmate was very confused everytime he looked over and found her gone, only to look back and see her there.

[Titan]

This story will continue in the Æon thread...

[Wraith]

[Continued from the 'Chapter 2: The Firmament of Heaven' thread]

Wraith meets with a man about renting a flat. The first one she see's, she immediately wants it. It is very private, a garage, lots of space, completely furnished and even more space outside.

After hours of paperwork, she finally gets back to the flat and falls onto the couch.

She wonders about her peers at the Aeon Society, she felt like she could have become close to a few of them, and yes, she was attracted to Pax, but there wasn't any way they would be able to work anything out. Eventually she drifts off to sleep until she awakes to a thunderstorm.

"wow.. I really dozed off.." she says as she sits up and looks at the clock which read 5:10 p.m.

[Titan]

As she sat up from her couch, rubbing sleep from her eyes, a spectacular bolt of lightning illuminates the room. In that instant, Wraith sees that there is someone else in the room with her.

Fumbling for the lamp, she finally flicks it on. A man, perhaps in his young twenties, but nevertheless balding, is seated backwards on one of her dining room chairs. His arms are folded across the back of the chair, and he is staring at her intently, a half smile on his face.

"Hi. Don't be scared, I'm not going to hurt you," he says.

[Wraith]

Wraith quickly goes intangible... then invisible.. and moves across the room.. her eyes on him. "If you know what's best for you, you will get the hell out of my house." She says to him.

She comes up to him and makes her hand tangible.. as she grabs him by the throat.. still invisible, and lifts him into the air.. waiting for him to answer her.

[Titan]

The man gasps and writhes in her grip. He tries to speak, then gets his feet under him, on the chair. Better able to breathe, he hoarsely says:

"Wait, you don't understand! You're my favorite! I- I've been watching... watching all of you on the tel.. on the telly, and you are the most elegant, beautiful... I just wanted to meet you, that's all... so I- I followed you... I knew you would understand... you did things you regret, but you are still strong... like me. We're the same!"

[Wraith]

"You break into my house... you watch me while I sleep and you expect me to understand! I should kill you!" She starts to yell at him.

She becomes visible again and throws him into the coffee table, holding back some of her strength. She walks over and stands above him and grabs him by his shirt, she makes him intangible as well and she leaps up through the ceiling out into the open air and starts to head towards the nearest jail, as she approaches she turns them both invisible as well and then they drop into one of the cells... she looks around and notices the cell is full of inmates, very rough looking inmates... so she let's him go.. He becomes visible to the crowd in the cell, after seeing their reaction she smiles (still invisible and intangible herself) and leaps back through the ceiling... and makes her way back to her home.

[Titan]

Wraith lingers just long enough to watch the reactions of the inmates to the new arrival.

"'Ere now, what's this? Who're you?"

"Appeared out of thin air, he did, didja see?"

"What're you supposed to be then? One o' these Newbies?"

"Novas, Gerry, they're called Novas."

"Well excuse my naked face. Who are you, mate, how'd you get in here? Some kind of Superhero, are you?"

"I don't much like that idea, do you Gerry?"

"Fucking A, I don't. Come here, hero."

As her nameless intruder is caught up by the inmates, Wraith smiles to herself, and leaps up through the ceiling.

On her way home, the rain stopped, and she paused on a rooftop to look up at the sky. Clouds were parting, and she could see the early evening moon peeking out. Crazy country, she thinks to herself. A gunshot jerks her from her contemplation of the weather.

Just below her, and down the street, four men were running from a fifth, who lay half out of an alley. A crimson stain spread out from his prone body. Her keen eyesight picked out a handgun being held by one of the fleeing men.

[Wraith]

Wraith quickly lowers herself to the man lying on the street, she stands at his feet facing the fleeing men, then she lifts her arms out in front of her and throws a shield of air in front of them and they slam into it.

She leaps over to them as they stand to their feet again, Wraith focuses on the weapon and disintegrates it in the mans hand. She then throws a gust of wind at them, pushing them back towards the man on the ground bleeding.. she makes her way back to him as well, and reaches down for a pulse, still keeping her eyes on the men, seeing if they dare to move.

[Titan]

What had seemed at first like men, were in fact young kids. All of them were black, including the one shot on the ground. A quick look tells her that he has lost a lot of blood. Without immediate medical attention, he will die.

His attackers are not quite cowed, either, excepting the one who had the gun. He is not anxious to confront Wraith. The other three men are pushing themselves up from the ground.

"Hey, hey bitch! You want some, too?"

The three are goading themselves toward her, while the fourth turns and runs towards a side alley, away from Wraith and the dying man. In the distance, a siren approaches.

[Wraith]

Wraith closed her eyes for a moment, and a clone stepped out from her side, then another from her other side.

She points at the guy running away, and one of the Wraith's starts to chase after him.

The other Wraith stands still as the other guys start walking towards them.

The original Wraith picks up the kid who is bleeding and propels herself into the air. She makes her way to the closest hospital hoping she makes it in time.

The wraith that followed the kid running away leaps into the air and lands directly in front of him. Wraith grabs him and walks back to the blood stained ground, where she approaches the others.

The second Wraith is standing still, with out fear of the others walking towards her. When they get close enough, she swings her arm and a gust of wind knocks them back again.

At that moment, police cars pull into the alley. As the officer approaches, one of the Wraiths speaks.

"You have some attempted murder or possibly murder on your hands here, one of them has been taken to the hospital for gunshot wounds. The gun was destroyed." She says.

The two Wraith's turn to each other and then propel themselves into the air and make their way back to the flat, where they await the original Wraith's arrival.

[Titan]

When the three Wraiths are back together, they combine back into one. Caryn shivers a bit as her clones settle back into her skin. Then she notices the blinking light on her answering machine.

She hadn't even bought the thing. The landlord had explained that they kept the line active for tenants, and the answering machine was a courtesy. It was almost certainly a message for the previous tenant, but she pressed the button out of curiosity.

"Detective Sanders, this is... I hope I have the right number...My name is Leo Willets, and this is a message for Caryn Sanders. Detective, I am the PA for Worchester County, we met once at the Mayor's dinner? Anyway, I have a murder trial in front of me at the moment, and I need your testimony to link the defendant to the body. Please call me back at 410-555-6960. I know you are dealing with your own problems right now, but... anyway, call me please."

The machine beeps and resets.