By: Jami JoAnne Russell

The sounds of the men's pounding feet filled the air along with their shouts. Breaths were caught

in snatches. Clio tried to draw farther into the shadows of the dumpster. Praying that the trash

would hide her enough....

There was a flare of pain in her scalp and a strangled cry as a hand yanked her out by her dirty

strawberry-blond locks. The breath was knocked out of her lungs as she was slammed against the

wall. Rancid breath flooded her nostrils as the man got nose-to-nose with her. "Did you think you

could escape me? Huh?" He shook her, her head banging against the wall.

"Let me go." She snarled. If she could just get a chance to breathe. To concentrate. Instead a fist

slammed into her chin, stars shooting around her.

Rembrandt growled. "You know the difference between my men and me? My men are idiots.

They come after you with guns. They don't think to make sure you can't sing. Idiots." There was a

gleam of moonlight on silver as the knife was held before her eyes. "I know better."

A flare of pain filled Clio's gut. There was no time to even cry out in pain as she slid down the

wall. A hand pressed to the bleeding wound in her gut. Rembrandt took a moment to gloat, then

spit on her before walking away. For a homeless woman she had been a thorn in his side, but after

tonight no longer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellcat was looking for Clio. It was one of those chilly Los Angeles nights and Clio was good

about keeping her warm. Sucking her thumb, the little girl paused as she "called" for Clio. The

tendrils of her mind-power pulled back suddenly, the bluish-white eyes widening in shock. Tiny

feet pounded the pavement as she sent up a silent prayer.

Thankfully, she found Clio before it was too late. Laying on the ground, holding her gut as blood

stained her hand and tattered clothing, Hellcat knelt down, pushing the greasy brown hair out of

her eyes. With a calmness of someone much older then her, Hellcat pulled the hand away, looking

at the oozing knife wound. She closed her eyes, imagining a huge bandage that would hold in all

that blood. When she looked again it looked like the blood was pressing against a pane of glass.

She had to hurry. It would only last 20 minutes. She had to find help....

Hellcat couldn't lose Clio. She just couldn't.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, buddy, got a quarter?" A bone-thin hand reached out, lightly brushing the black trench coat

as the man passed. The owner drew back with a fearful gasp as the coat's occupant turned and

looked down at him from the depths of a demonic-looking gold mask. One piercing blue eye and

one unnatural-looking red eye looked down at the man. Then something green and white fluttered

down. The man snatched the bill before it touched the ground and fear filled words of thanks filled

now empty air.

Wraith sighed. If only he could help them all. But they feared him as soon as they saw his gold

mask. Cringed from him. As if he was Satan himself.

As he was lost in his own thoughts something ran into his legs. He didn't feel it so much as hear

the sound of flesh against metal. He looked down on a ragamuffin child with brown hair and odd-

looking eyes. The girl grabbed his hand, tugging. "What is it?" He asked, she didn't answer, just

tugged on his gloved hand, leading him on with desperation. "Alright, alright, little one, I'm

coming."

The child led him silently through a maze of alleys at a rushing pace. Finally she stopped and

pointed to a crumpled figure on the ground. Wraith knelt, gasping softly at the site of the wound.

Just as he looked blood began to ooze from it. Swiftly, he took off his trench coat and tied it

around the thin woman's mid-section. His first thought was to get her to a hospital. But for some

unknown reason he changed his mind. Without protesting he allowed the child to climb onto his

back. Then he jumped, the mechanics in his legs causing him to shoot straight up to the rooftops.

He had to get home - now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rembrandt leaned back in his chair, puffing on the Cuban cigar. There was blood on the cuff of

his jacket. Smiling, he brought the bloody cuff to his mouth and kissed it. "Ah, Clio, such a thorn.

Using your powers for good instead of evil. Silly, stupid woman."

Clio Hartley had been an irritation to him since she first showed up on the streets years ago. A

little girl who barely knew how to read, yet could - and many times came close to - destroying

Rembrandt. A mutant who could control machines. Many times she had used her powers to mess

up his bank records, or to send a shipment someplace it wasn't meant to go - like the time the little

brat had sent 5,000 kilos of the finest Columbian hash to the FBI. Thankfully, he had friends in

high places who could "fix" these things. But one day the little mutant freak would've be able to

make things unfixable. Thankfully, she was dead now. No longer would millions of his dollars find

their way into the bank accounts of churches and homeless shelters. "Ding dong, the witch is

dead."

Rembrandt began to laugh. A high-pitched, insane laugh. The men guarding his door shuddered.

It was getting worse....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wraith sat back with a sigh. Picking up a rag he wiped the blood from the metal parts of his

hands, then washed it from the flesh parts. There had been damage that he wasn't sure a hospital

would have been able to fix... The knife had been twisted, and the woman's own poor health only

added to it. It was a miracle she was alive, probably more due to her own willpower then anything

physical. His nanites though had drawn the flesh together and stopped the bleeding. Next they'd

encourage the woman's body to produce more red and white blood cells, help fight off any

infections, and finally, when their work was done, dissolve and pass out of the body.

Standing, Wraith checked the IV - when you lived like he did it helped to have medical equipment

around. Hospitals were not fond of treating cyborgs anymore then they cared to treat mutants.

This would supply the necessary nutrients and antibiotics. But it would do nothing for that

painfully thin body before him.

This woman could be so beautiful. Hunger and desperation kept her from fulfilling what nature

wanted, though. Wraith carefully sponge-bathed her, his hands trembling. A monster like him

should not be touching this innocence. Yet there was no one else to do this. The child was asleep.

Who had stabbed this woman and why? Who was she? Was the child her daughter? Millions of

questions ran through his mind, but he would have to wait before he could learn the answers.

Wait until she woke up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellcat couldn't remember a time when she was known by any other name. There was a time

when she had a mommy and a daddy. But then Rembrandt and his men came in the middle of the

night. Daddy had done something to make Rembrandt mad. Hellcat remembered how they made

mommy and daddy kneel in the middle of the room - and then there was two bangs. Blood

everywhere. Hellcat stopped talking that day. Stopped trusting.

The child was a mutant. She knew that. She could read minds, or sometimes make people do

things - like tonight, she made Wraith take Clio home. She could also move things, or people, or

make invisible things for 20 minutes at a stretch.

Clio could be trusted - Clio fought Rembrandt and that made her good. She also gave away the

money she stole with her mutant powers to others, even though it meant she might starve.

Because of this Hellcat had attached herself to Clio with a fierce loyalty. It was Clio who named

her Hellcat - because she'd bite and scratch anyone who tried to touch her.

The small child now slipped into the room Wraith had put Clio in. Clio looked so pale, but she'd

live. The small dusky hand took Clio's larger, whiter one. She was going to live. She had to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Now," Rembrandt said, leaning forward, "that the stupid creature who nearly ruined us is dead,

we have plans to make." A high-pitched giggle escaped him, making the men shudder inside. "My

men in Chile are ready to sent 20,000 kilos of the finest, uncut cocaine. The question is, where do

we have it sent?"

The men shifted uncomfortably. There was an insane gleam in the boss' eyes. It was a tense five

minutes before someone spoke and it wasn't even one of them. It was Jackie - Rembrandt's latest

girlfriend.

"Well, since Hartley's dead and the LA police don't have a clue, why not right here?" There was a

pause. "Have the men fly it into Mexico, then break it up and ship it across the border via some of

your legit companies. Perhaps that chemical one - that way the dogs won't smell it."

There was a short bark of the insanity-tainted laughter. Then Rembrandt jumped up. "Perfect!

Absolutely perfect! Boys, get to work. Meeting's adjourned!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Days passed as they tended to do. Clio began to heal thanks to Wraith while Rembrandt made his

plans, thinking his enemy dead. At first Clio had wanted to leave right away - but then she looked

at Hellcat, cleaned up, eating healthy food, dressed in new clothes, even hugging a teddy bear.

That did it - Clio knew she had to stay. For Hellcat's sake at least.

"Ya don't know what yer getting into," Clio said one day. "I ain't nothin' but trouble."

Wraith chuckled, God, he wanted to touch her, hold her - every day was so painful to him - She

was so near and yet so far - "Clio, I know what trouble is." Lightly, he tapped his masked face

with a gloved hand. "I don't wear this because I'm so handsome I'd get mobbed by dozens of

women."

"Why do ya wear it?" Clio knew, but she wanted him to trust her enough to say.

"That -" Wraith said, standing up and moving away, "is none of your business."

Clio watched Wraith's back as he walked away. Such a strange fellow. Yet - there was something

about him.

Hellcat choose that moment to crawl into Clio's lap. There was something on her mind, though

her mouth didn't open. Clio "heard" her though -

"I ain't fallin' in love with him!" Clio snorted.

Shaking her head the little girl jumped off Clio's lap and ran off after a butterfly. Clio stood and

started walking around Wraith's estate. Softly, to herself, she began to sing. Her voice angelic,

pure. It was the one thing that had brought her joy. Her mutant-hating parents had driven her out

of the house. She had nearly starved until she realized she could use her powers to not only

benefit herself, but to help others. Through it all she always had the music.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wraith paused. A sound came to him on the breeze. A song, sung by an angel. His cybernetic

parts could pick up a mouse tiptoeing thru cotton balls, so it was easy for him to focus on the

singing and follow it.

His heart stilled in his chest. The singer was Clio. Ah - and she was wonderful! Were things

different he would've been writing a show just for her. Had those men never set that fire - were he

not a monster.

Gulping, Wraith quickly withdrew from the area. He couldn't listen to this or he would certainly

die.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mr. Rembrandt?" Steve trembled a bit. It wasn't a good idea to interrupt Remy when he was

busy, but this was an emergency.

"What?!" Rembrandt snarled. "Can't you see I'm busy?!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Rembrandt. But - I have a problem." Steve drew near, showing Rembrandt the

papers in his hand. "It's from my bank. My entire account's been wiped out. I had over $50,000,

sir, but in one day it's all gone."

Remy snatched the paperwork, then paled. "No," he muttered, flipping through the papers faster

and faster. "No no no!" Jumping up he shook the papers. "There's only one who can do this! Only

one! And she's dead! I killed her myself!" A short bark of crazed laughter escaped. "But she's the

only one - only one."The papers crumpled in his hand. "Call my men. I need to plan a trap. Clio

Hartley is alive."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End Part One~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Part 2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellcat crept along the edge of Wraith's property. It felt so - different - being in clean clothes. For

the first time since her parents were killed, the child had a place to call home. Now, if only she

could get Clio to see that.

Living on the streets had been hard on the little girl, even with her mutant powers. But Clio had

always been there to help. To look out for her. And in return Hellcat had found Wraith to save

Clio when the evil drug lord Rembrandt stabbed her. The masked man had given them a place to

stay, food to eat, clothes to wear. They lived like queens here. Now, if only the child mutant could

make Clio see that she was falling in love with Wraith....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So you are a thief." Wraith said as he looked at Clio. How his heart ached for her. But - It could

never be. Never. He was too much of a monster. If she saw what laid beneath the mask....

Clio snorted. "Yeah, I'm a thief, but Rembrandt, he sells his poison ta little kids. It ain't right. And

he gets away with it all the time. Ya think I'm gonna sit back and watch him kill people with his

crap? Besides, it ain't like I keep the money. I give it away ta people who need it. Just go ask

Father MacCally at Our Lady Of Mercy. He'll tell ya. If it weren't fer me Our Lady would be

condemned." She glanced briefly at Wraith, wishing she could rip off the demonic gold mask he

wore. "Sometimes, bub, two wrongs do make a right." With that she turned back to the computer

in front of her.

"And what are you doing now?"

"Rembrandt, he knows he can only kill me with non-mechanical weapons 'cause of my mutant

talent. But he still ain't too smart. He always keeps a record of his plans on computer. If I can

hack into his system I can make a mental connection with its hard drive and pull up the

information on what he'll do next. Now that he thinks I'm dead he'll get sloppy." It took a few

minutes, then suddenly she lurched forward, her eyes becoming glassy. Wraith watched in

fascination as Clio's machine manipulating talent took control. The small fingers clicking wildly at

the keys as she stared blankly at the screen. Then just as quickly her posture relaxed, fingers

stilled. The printer began to run. "Got it."

Wraith felt his heart beat wildly as he drew near Clio. How he wanted to run his gloved hand

through those wild strawberry-blond curls, to kiss that little cupid's-bow mouth.... If only he was a

complete man and not this - thing. Quickly he moved his attention from her to the computer

screen. "It's a trap."

"I know." Clio sighed. "Rembrandt's losin' his mind - which means my other talent won't work on

him."

"Other talent?"

"I can hypnotize people - by singin'," Clio said, "but the insane can resist. I think." Quickly she

stood, brushing a bit against Wraith and shivering - No! Hellcat was wrong. She was not falling

for him! Quickly she pulled away. "Which means there's only one thin' I can do now."

Wraith noticed Clio's shiver and the way she pulled away. His heart sank. She feared him as all

did. "What's that?"

There was a long silence before Clio answered. "Kill him."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The trap was set. By now the little mutant witch had to know everything. Rembrandt was sure of

it. She'd come here, thinking of making his trucks break down or something to alert the police.

She, herself, couldn't call them as she was a wanted woman. A thief and a hacker. Though those

idiots on the Los Angeles police force didn't realize that she only stole from those that committed

worse crimes. Rembrandt had seen to it. A little cash went a long way.

Rembrandt smiled as the dummy truck was loaded with the sacks of flour. To the naked eye it

looked just like what Clio would be expecting - bags and bags of cocaine. Only closer

examination would reveal the truth.

"Haul it out!" Remy shouted. The engine rumbled to life and the truck was on its way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wraith adjusted the onyx-inlaid, blackened silver mask. His one red eye glowed eerily behind it.

Next to him was Clio, also dressed completely in black. It had been hard to hide all her golden-red

hair under the black ski mask, but they had managed. Perched high on the side of the hill, the city

glittering below, they managed to hide behind the "Y" in the Hollywood sign.

The one they regretted bringing was Hellcat. Though it was agreed there was no way they could

leave a child as young as her alone, it still felt wrong to have her here. For once Wraith wished he

had tried to reach out to people - but he was so sure of being feared that he never bothered.

And then these two invaded his life and didn't even push to see what was under the mask. They

just accepted him. Dare he hope....?

"This is stupid," Clio whispered, "it's like a bad movie or comic book. 'The Gods must be crazy'."

Wraith chuckled softly, stopping when he heard the roar of an engine. A car pulled up, then a few

minutes later, a shipping truck. Both came from different directions. From the car stepped a man

who could only be Rembrandt. Unimportant, rehearsed words were spoken.

It was only then that Wraith realized Clio was gone and only Hellcat stood beside him. To his

shock he saw she had climbed up to the cross-bar of the famed sign's "H". Her red hair whipped

about her face as the mask fell to the ground. "Ya must think I'm a real idiot, Remy. Either that or

ya've completely lost yer mind, not just a little part of it."

Rembrandt whirled on his heel, sending a puff of dirt all over his expensive shoes. Snarling a curse

he began to run straight towards the "H", pulling out a knife.

"Stay here," Wraith said to Hellcat. Jumping up he began to run towards Remy. He never saw the

gun. Didn't notice it until a pain ripped through his left shoulder and he smelled the burning of

circuits. Looking at his shoulder he saw sparks fly from severed connections.

Whirling, his coat flying behind him like the wings of a bat, Wraith located his shooter. His hand

snapped out, extending swiftly to cover the space between them, and grabbed him around the

throat. There was a "shish" sound as needles shot from his finger tips and into the shooter's flesh.

"Nighty-night."

As Wraith busied himself fighting Rembrandt's men - who suddenly seemed to come from

everywhere - Rembrandt found the ladder that led to where Clio stood. He climbed it swiftly,

laughing like a hyena. Clio resisted the urge to stomp his fingers. Her eyes darted to Wraith

briefly, seeing sparks as a bullet ripped his shoulder in a mass of sparks. Her heart lurched as she

worried he would die....

"Witch," Rembrandt hissed softly, bringing her attention back to him. The knife glimmered with

deadly light as he began to cross towards her. "This time you die."

Clio began to sing - but even though her voice was beautiful enough to distract the men Wraith

was struggling with below, it had no effect on Rembrandt, just like she had predicted. He had lost

too much of his mind. Swiftly, she ducked as he lashed out with the knife. Her foot swung out

and caught one of his. Rembrandt almost lost his balance but caught it just in time. He tried to

return the kick, and Clio grunted as she felt it connect with her thigh. A punch to her jaw and the

world began to spin. Her feet flew from under her....

Suddenly there was a piercing, childish scream of - "NOOOOOOOOO!" Hellcat floated in mid-air

as Clio suddenly found herself no longer falling. The child's brown hair whipped about her face in

the Santana (aka "devil") winds that Southern California was famous for. The white-blue eyes

were filled with hate and fear. For the first time since Hellcat's parents died, she spoke. That one

word that split the sky.

By now Wraith had put Rembrandt's men to sleep, though not without damage to his cybernetic

parts. His mask had been ripped away to show a face that was a monstrous melding of flesh and

machine. His mismatched red and blue eyes looked upwards as Clio was set back on the "H's"

crossbar. Hellcat had reached the extent of her young powers then and Wraith was there barely in

time to catch her as she fell.

"It ends now, Rembrandt," Clio hissed. Suddenly her fist smashed into his gut, then into his chin.

Rembrandt waved his arms wildly just before he went crashing, head first, to the ground below.

There was a sickening SNAP! as he neck broke. When Clio looked down she saw Rembrandt

lying there, his head turned completely around, skull split open and grey matter showing, the

ground blossoming red with his blood.

As soon as she climbed down, Clio threw up.

Wraith was there to hold her, his words soft and soothing. And then Clio looked up. Wraith began

to turn away so she wouldn't scream.

"You're hurt," she said in a raspy voice. Her hand touched the various exposed wires, using her

powers to re-route much of the flow. "That'll help until we get home."

"We?" Wraith whispered.

Clio chuckled. "Ya silly, silly man, ya think ya can hide the fact yer a cyborg from a mutant who

can control machines? I knew from the minute I woke up and saw ya. Just like I knew I was in

love with you when I thought ya were gonna die on me." Carefully, she stood, grabbing up

Hellcat and hugging her close. "Now, the question is, are ya gonna make an honest woman outta

me or not?" It was hard to do this at such a bloody sight. Yet the moment was right. Clio had

realized the second that bullet ripped through Wraith that she loved him, and if she didn't tell him

now she'd lose him forever.

Hellcat leaned her head on Clio's shoulder, looking at Wraith with her pupilless eyes. The horror

was over. Now, finally, they could live in peace. Finally, she would have a mommy and daddy

again.

Wraith kissed Clio softly. Then he got his mask. They locked Rembrandt's men into the truck and

used Remy's own phone to call the police. The nightmare was over. All their nightmares.

Finally - together, they could build a home.

~The End~