Subject: [OTL]: [Broken Roads] Miles to Go, 4/? Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999 16:53:41 -0600 From: "Shaianne K. PeriHawk" Disclaimer: Deadpool is property of Marvel. Cole Cash is property of WildStorm. Ana Lyon and Stone and Kim are all mine. If you have an immense desire to use any of them, please *ask* first. Feedback: please send it to perihawk@yahoo.com. Thanks. Miles to Go Shai PeriHawk I straddled a chair, resting my head on my crossed arms, watching Kim sleep while Cash poked at the mottled bruising on my ribs. They'd given her a sedative. She looked peculiarly peaceful. Not at all like her world had just crumbled beneath her feet. I sighed heavily. This was all my fault. "He killed them before you showed up in Chicago." Deadpool popped the top off a Budweiser. Once he'd taken off the mask, I recognised him as Loud Hawaiian Shirt Man. "I can't shake the feeling that everything Stone does is my fault." I yelped as Cash poked a particularly sore spot. Deadpool spluttered his first gulp of beer. "Well *that's* dumb." Cash ignored us both. "Let me see that ankle," he said. I rested my foot in his lap obediently. "Are you trying to say something, Pyjama Dude?" I snapped irritably. "What do *you* think, Angst Chick?" I burst out laughing. "I think you're making fun of me, Loud Hawaiian Shirt Man." "Gee, what was your first clue, Bosom Girl?" "I think it was the name calling, Captain Bad Taste." "That's enough," Cash cut in. He pointed at me. "You, hit the showers. You," he pointed to Deadpool, "with me." Oh, goodie. I love it when people discuss "what to do with her." I rolled my eyes and grabbed a towel on the way to the shower room. My shower gave me plenty of time to worry. I had found no sign of slavery yet. Except for what Kim had overheard, and that could be anywhere. It didn't even have to be *in* Chicago. I rested my head against the wall between my arms, just letting the hot water pour over me. Maybe I hoped the steaming liquid would wash away my troubles. Perhaps I hoped it would melt away the barriers on my trapped memories. Whatever it was, I didn't want to leave the shower. But eventually, I had to turn off the taps and dry off. I stepped out of the shower room with the towel wrapped around me from arm pits to knees. Cash and Deadpool glanced up. I glared back, challenging them Cash tossed me a spare t-shirt. "You'd better get some rest. We'll talk in the morning. There's a cot over there." He gestured to a corner. I didn't ask about them. I had a feeling they wouldn't answer if I did. I just nodded and pulled the t-shirt over my head. I was asleep almost as soon as I laid down. ~*~ My dreams were a constant race. I was always running. Running from black demons who clawed at my clothes, ripped at my hair. Running towards the sound of guitar music and a smooth baritone, somewhere in the stars. I wanted to sing along, but I couldn't remember the words. I stopped in my tracks, falling to my knees. The demons swirled around me, then *struck.* I jerked awake, gasping for air. Slowly, I turned over, wiping the tears from my eyes. Sleep came, eventually. ~*~ "Ana?" Kim's voice was accompanied by a gentle shake. I opened one gritty feeling eye. Kim stared down at me with swollen grey eyes. "You awake yet?" she asked. I opened the other eye and sat up. "I'm awake." Impulsively, I pulled the girl into a crushing hug. "I'm so sorry." She squeezed once, then pushed away. "No," she said. "You don't owe me anything. If anyone besides Stone is to blame, it's me." She shook her head. Fresh tears coursed down her pale cheeks. "Stealing was just a game for me. I didn't *need* to do it. I guess I kinda felt like Robin Hood. Stealing from the rich to confuse them. I sold off insignificant stuff, used the money to get more stuff to steal with, and gave the leftovers to charity. Mixed the important stuff up between houses. I never thought of it as a crime. It was just fun." She looked away. "He killed them to make me hurt. He was going to tell me the first time he caught me, but you showed up. "The only ones to blame are Stone and myself." She paused and looked at me again. "Stone most of all. Ana, I want him dead." I couldn't help myself, I hugged her again. "He *will* go down." I heard the door open and watched Cash and Deadpool walk in. They looked like they'd come to a decision. Kim sat down on the cot beside me. The men pulled up chairs. "You know what Stone is really about." Cash presented it as the fact it was. "Yes." "We're trying to break the Chicago Slave ring, have been for months, but we're having trouble infiltrating." A sick feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. "We need you and the kid to pose as our slaves," Deadpool cut in bluntly. Cash *glared* at him. Kim gasped. "You want us to *what*?" She yelped. I put my hand on her shoulder. "What do you plan?" "We need to get inside. We need to gather the information so we can use it to bust this ring." Cash's eyes met mine. They were the colour of gun bluing now, hard, unyielding. "And you *are* going to help us. It would be easier all in ways if you volunteered." Bile rose in my throat. I wanted to break his neck, but I saw his reasoning, and I couldn't get passed it. No matter how much I hated it. I swallowed, hard, before I spoke. "We'll do it. Full consensus." My hand tightened in warning on Kim's shoulder. Cash nodded. Deadpool pulled two twisted metal bracelets from his pocket. One was copper and steel, the other was silver and gold. "These are slave bracelets. The steal and copper is for fight slaves. The gold and silver is for pleasure slaves." I don't think he knew what hit him at first. My knuckles stung from the blow. "Touch her and die." He tenderly fingered his jaw. "Nice hook shot there. And my taste runs a little more mature than 15-year-old girls." Deadpool started laughing. He practically howled. He cut off abruptly when Kim kicked him in the kneecap. "Shut up, Laughing Boy." "One more thing, Cash." I cut in. "Yeah?" "I want to hear everything you know about me, and no BS about not knowing. You've said too much to claim *that* sanctuary." It was my turn. Cash held out the fighter slave bracelet. "Put it on, we'll go for a walk." ~END~