Toril headed for a clearing of tall grass, approximately two hundred meters away from a thicket of trees that followed a ridge on the outskirts of town. When he felt that he had enough distance between himself and the marines he materialized in a low area and popped up as if he had been hiding, then when they spotted him he ran like hell toward the trees. In his prime, the super-hero could run the 100 meter in 8 seconds flat, and though older now, he could still put world class sprinters to shame so staying ahead of the encumbered soldier wouldn't be a problem. The soldiers ahead of him that had been combing the ridge north east of the town — That was a problem.

Toril cursed under his breath. "Damn." If he had been well rested this would be child's play, but in his current state he could feel the strain of maintaining his fast pace. Thankfully he could still maintain his wind from more than long enough to evade them and the well trained marines wouldn't shoot while there fellow soldiers ahead of them could get caught in the cross fire. He, fell to the ground and dematerialized, slowly sifting through the grass like a ghostly snake.

The marines formed a skirmish line and slowly moved ahead searching the field but none suspected what they were looking for. Perhaps if they had been informed that their quarry could move like the wind and once in a while cast blue aura in the dark from his movement they might have had a chance, but without this knowledge Wraith was able to easily evade them. He had hoped to lead further away from the others but he had not anticipated that he would run into any other soldiers to soon and as he made his way back, he could hear some of the soldiers holler to get back to the dock. Suddenly then all the soldiers were making a dash toward the lake and Toril could see that Yelena was fighting for her life against some marines that had spotted their get away.

Toril knew he couldn't stop the soldiers that were already sprinting down to the docks but he could divert the attention of the other ten that were following behind them, so he appeared once more and started running eastward. The soldiers spotted him right away, but this time there was no risk of hitting any friendlies and they opened fire. As the bullets whistled by him, Toril dove to the ground once more, dematerialized and quickly made his way to a different location then popped up again still running. He repeated this several times, ducking down behind bushes or diving into a ditch then just when the marines thought they had him trapped he would jump out from some other location way ahead of them.

"Christ! This guys like a ghost or something!" Exclaimed one of the marines as saw the big man move out from behind a distant tree just when he thought he had him pinned in a ditch he had seen him dive into.

When Toril finally got some distance between him and the marines he increased his gate and pushed his body as hard as he could, running along deer trails in the forested areas that fringed Lake Oneida. He knew that the soldiers would not expect him to be able to maintain such a pace through dense forest and without light so he forced himself to run like the wind and then when he was well out of sight became it.



Colonel Petrovsky's expression was cold and unreadable when Yelena, addressed him in the soldier's camera. He watched the video feed as she out fought his marines and when she had used his first name, the Major had thrust the Colonel a curious look but said nothing. She had just placed him in a very awkward position, one that would require much explaining on his part, starting with why they were pursuing a meta-human and how she knew his first name. Even though the Major couldn't speak Russian, one would have to be an idiot not pick up the fact that she and the Colonel shared some sort of history. At that moment then, Vacily had wished he HAD killed her when he had the chance. He had worked too hard to maintain his identity as a Colonel while secretly maintaining his position at Beacon and she exposed him know, he'd hunt her to the ends of the Earth.

When the shot rang out simultaneously with her cheeky farewell and dive into the water, Vacily flexed his fist triumphantly, but when his soldiers yielded no body his heart sank. While they were convinced that they had shot her dead and had yet to find her body, he knew that she was alive. How could this have happened? Where was Shinigami? He would exchange some harsh words with that assassin when he found him, but until then, he ordered his men to search the far side of the Lake, and shoot to kill. No prisoners!






Toril made his way back toward the shoreline. His chest was heaving, sweat was pouring down his back, but he had to keep moving. He couldn't maintain his wind form any longer, he was just too exhausted but he had managed to put enough ground between him and the marines that they would most likely be searching several kilometers behind him not imagining anyone could make such a distance so quickly. He passed by an intersection that read Route 49 and Widrig Road, then made his way to the shore down a driveway marked with a number 9. Along it were several cabins, all dark. Some with cars parked in front of them, some still boarded up. He jogged a little further then when he spotted a well hidden cabin that had not yet been opened for the year, he forced himself to dematerialize just one more time.

The big man appeared in a bedroom of the vacant cabin and collapsed on the bed. He no longer cared if the marines found him, he couldn't run anymore but before he passed out he thought of Yelena and Cassius. Were they okay? For one brief moment he considered trying to make it across the lake, but then darkness enveloped him and Wraith passed out from sheer exhaustion.

(Time - 4:00 am - North side of Oneida Lake - Drive #9 off of Route 49. Between Widrig and Hall Road.)

Tim sped the Hummer southeast along New York Route 8, through Lake Pleasant, Preso and Higgins Bay. The little towns slept peacfully as he passed. When he was about two mile outside of Hoffmeister, three Hamilton County Sheriff vechicles sped past him with thier lights flashing. Seeing them approach, Tim stiffened slightly and slowed down to just two miles over the speed limit.

As he approached the junction of Route 8 and 356, Tim decided to take 356 through Hinckley, Barenveld, Floyd and into Rome, New York where he pulled into an all night convenience store and filling station. While filling the Hummer a Rome Poilce patrol car pulled slowly through the parking lot and stopped next to Tim and the Hummer. The young officer inside rolled down his window and said "Good morning sir."

Tim looked over to the patrolman and said "Howdy thar officer, right nice mornin' it is ain't it."
The officer said "Yes sir it is I just thought I should tell you it appears your right rear turn signal is not working. I noticed it as you pulled in."

Tim walked over and turned the key to accessory, the turn signal on then walked back to the back of the hummer. He tapped the light and it flickered then went out. "Thank ya officer, I'll be gettin' a new buld and fix that righ cher, ifin' they got any."

"They should have, you have a nice day sir." the officer rolled up his window and pulled out of the parking lot. Tim finished filling the Hummer, removed the lens and bulb from the rear tail light walked into the convenience store bought a cup of coffee, a new bulb and paid for the gas. He then replaced the bulb reinstalled the lens and drove away He turned right out of the convenience store and noticed the Rome Patrol car across the street and raised his hand as he passed the patrolman, who waved. Deciding it would be best to avaoid the interstate, Tim turned north onRoute 69 turned back south on Route 46 through Stacy Basin and State Bridge. Tim reached over and typed in a code into a small keypad. The license plates on the Hummer changed to Texas plates CBRESQU. Turning back west on Route 31 Tim pulled up to a Military road block manned by two Marines, he could see several lights from helicopter scanning the surface of the lake. Tim rolled down his window and asked "Ya looking fur a body over thar Sergeant?"
"I can't say sir. May I see some identification sir?" the Sergeant said as the other soldier walked around the Hummer with a large German Shephard sniffing.

Tim reached in his jacket and removed his identification wallet, flipped it open and showed his driver's license and his Gold Shield to the Sergeant, who looked at it and Tim, unemotionally the sergeant then said "What buisness have you in this area sir?" the Sergeant asked .

"Fishin'" Tim answered with a bit of annoyance in his voice. "My uncle, General Pace got a summer place har on the lake. Any thang wrong with that, Seargeant?"

"No sir, just following orders sir. Thank you Sir." and waved him on through the check point.

"Thank ya thar Sergeant and thank ya fur your service." Tim said, then pulled away slowly and drove along the route 31, turning north on route 13 along the eastern shore of Lake Oneida towrads the community of Verona Beach.

Watching the scene from the sideview mirror, Zoe quickly drew her sidearm and leapt out of the car, gun aimed at Frank just as Morgan came running back. She fired once, hitting the front drivers side wheel. She was taking aim again when Morgan jumped into the car and snapped at her to go. There was a brief moment in which Zoe hesitated, gun slightly lowered but still aimed toward Frank before she jumped back into the drivers seat and seemed to merely glance at hte car before it started up and she went peeling down the dark forest road again.

Checking the rearview mirror and seeing only blackness, she glanced over at Morgan a moment before stabilizing the car with her knee and tearing the sleeve off of her shirt. Handing it over to Morgan, she muttered, "best I can do right now." After a moment, she glanced into the back to check on Shadow then turned to the young woman once more. "What the hell was that?" she asked finally in a tone that, for her, sounded at least slightly perturbed.

The burning pain in Yelena’s shoulder was getting worse. Clenching her jaw to keep from screaming, the shape shifter began to feel light headed and knew she would have to stop for a brief rest, but that was near impossible with the Marines hot on their tail. The make shift bandage Cassius had put on her shoulder was now soaked through with blood. The loss of blood was causing her strength to wan even more.

The vegetation on this part of the shore was much thicker than where they had come so it made moving much more difficult. The only good thing was that it would slow the Marines down as well. Still, with each jolt and jerk Yelena winced, grunted and gasped…anything to keep from yelling out like she really wanted to.

Through the thick vegetation they came upon a concrete pillar and upon closer inspection saw it was a support for an overpass. Cassius looked up and all around then reached out to help Yelena to the bottom of the support so she could rest.

“We make quite the pair, dudette. Your bum shoulder and my swollen eye. I just hope ole Windy got away from those bastards.”

Yelena, still breathing heavily, nodded in agreement.

“Da….”

She dared not say anything else. It would expend too much energy and she needed to save all she cold to move on. Cassius looked all around the place and found a road crew access ladder then came back to get Yelena to her feet.

“Come on, ‘Lena….time to get moving. We need to get up over this bridge cuz it’s too thick to go under it. I found us a ladder. Let’s get going.”

Cassius helped the shape shifter to her feet then guided her to the ladder. Yelena looked at the ladder and started shaking her head. Cassius pointed to the ladder and gave her a dose of her own medicine.

“Get up that ladder now.”

Yelena would have argued more with him had she been able to but as it was, she merely narrowed her eyes at the young man and muttered something in Russian that was obviously meant to voice her displeasure.

”Right back at cha chica…just as long as you keep moving, you can call me every name in the book in that pretty language of yours. I really don’t give a shit….”

Cassius had Yelena go ahead of him and start taking the ladder steps one at a time. It wasn’t easy and a few times he had to push her forward. It wasn’t easy climbing a ladder one handed but Yelena did and by the time they reached the top she felt as though she were going to pass out. Thankfully with one good heave from Cassius and using all her energy she half climbed half rolled over the last rung and onto the side of the road near the guardrail. Cassius dragged himself over the top of the ladder then quickly dragged Yelena to her feet and over the guardrail.

”Oh no you don’t…not now…the hard parts over with now….get your ass up and lets get moving.”

With another grunt, Yelena pushed forward and stepped over the guardrail. They were halfway across the road when she lost her footing and tumbled down, landing on her wounded shoulder. Unable to hold back her voice now she let out a scream of sheer pain and curled into the fetal position as she tried to fight off the wave of blackness that threatened to engulf her. Cassius knelt down to help her up when a pair of headlights appeared behind him. Glancing over his shoulder he saw the vehicle was large and he could only guess it was the Marines.

”F$#* ME! GET UP YELENA! NOW!”

Yelena saw the headlights through her blurry eyesight and knew she HAD to move, regardless of how bad it hurt. With Cassius’ help she got to her feet but the first step she tried to take sent her tumbling once more. Her strength was gone and the blood loss made her weaker than she realized.

Cassius, knowing Yelena couldn’t move anymore decided to take a last stand. Turning to face the oncoming vehicle, he drew his hand gun and, with both hands gripping it steady, aimed it at the vehicle and waited for the perfect time to start firing at them. Of course he’d have to wait until they tried to exit the vehicle since the armor plating and bullet proof glass would deflect his bullets like they were gnats.

Tim drove slowly up route 13, turned left on Kensey Rd then right on Beach Road, turning around in the culdesac, re turned left back out on 13 driving south. At the South Bay he turned right and slowly down route 31. Just west of Messanger Bay, the headlights of the Hummer illuminated a young man stanbing in the road leveling a gun at the Hummer. Just behind the young man was Yelena, curled up in a fetile position and a small pool of blood spread across the pavemnet. Tim rolled the Hummer's drive side window down and stuck his head out as he continued to pull closer. "Ya'all need a hand thar pardner, or ya gonna shoot that thing at tha calvary?" Tim then stopped the Hummer and stepped out of the vehicle.

Cassius lowered the gun when he heard Tim’s voice.

”Holy f*$# am I glad to see you. Help me get the dudette loaded in that thing, will ya.”

Yelena recognized the voice as well and when she lifted her head she saw Tim’s face swimming before her blurry eyes.

“Tim?”

“Yep…it’s me Yelena…lets git ya loaded up har in the truck.”

Tears filled the shape shifters eyes and as she felt herself lifted up her one hand reached up and wrapped around Tim’s neck as she whispered hoarsely in his ear.

“Chto ty delayesh? ya blagadaryu boga chto vstretil tebya. Eta kharasho” (What are you doing here? I thank God you are. It is good)

Tim whispered in Yelena's ear "I reckon I can't leave ya alone fur five minutes with out ya gittin' inta trouble. .... Now ya hang in thar ya har me. ...... I'ma gonna fix ya right up soon as we git offa this har road." He then laid Yelena in the back seat of the Hummer. "Cassius, git yur ass on in thar an' ya keep pressar on that thar wound." Tim then climbed in behind the wheel, shut the door and dove a block down Route 31 turned right onto Wilson Point Rd and pulled up in back of an empty Lake Front Home. Tim climbed out, walked in front of the Hummer and around to the rear passanger door. He opende it and moved Cassius's hand from Yelena's shoulder. Looking at the wound he said to Cassius. "Ya get up tha road a peice an keep a look out. I'll tend ta this. Ya see anythang ya high tail it back har."

Tim then reaches behind Yelena's shoulder and felt the exit wound. "Well ya are right lucky thar pardner it went clean thru." Tim then reached in his jacket and took out a clip for his pistol, removed a bullet and twisted the slug off with his teeth, spitting it on the ground. He then emptied the gunpowder into the entry wound of Yelena's should. He placed the clip between her teeth and said "This might hurt a might, but it'll stop the bleedin' and stop any infection, so ya bite down on this." Tim lifted Yelenas shoulder, then took out a lighter from his jacket and lit the gunpowder. A flash and the smell of burning sulfur and flesh followed as he held Yellena down.

”I need you….to keep me…out of trouble…Da….”

Yelena had seen some of Tim’s field medic work in the past and knew that while his methods worked, they weren’t the most delightful things to experience. When he had Cassius take point up the road she knew it wasn’t just to keep a look out, it was to make sure he didn’t see what was about to happen.

When the shape shifter saw Tim pull the cartridge out and break it open, she knew exactly what she was going to be in for then. Her heart started beating faster and faster and when he poured the gun powder onto the wound, Yelena let out a cry of pain then. When Tim placed the clip in her mouth to bite down on, Yelena nodded slightly as her gold eyes held Tim’s gaze as her free hand gripped the back of the seat she had been reclined on.

When the flame of the lighter set off the gun powder, the sudden flash of sulfuric heat cauterized both holes as the flash penetrated through her wound and sealed the blood vessels on the back of her shoulder as well as where Tim had poured the powder. Yelena bit down as hard as she could on the clip and gave a muffled scream as the searing pain caused her to see stars, her body jerking involuntarily from the pain.

A roaring sounded in her ears and as she looked up into Tim’s worried face, her gold eyes slowly dimmed before they closed. The pain was too much for her to take and coupled with the blood loss and exhaustion she was suffering from, Yelena quickly passed out.

Tim slowly released Yelena and reached under the front seat for the first aide kit. Pulling it out, he opened it, Poured some peroxide on the wound, then ripped open an iodine swab, applied the iodine to the wound, ripped open a second and repeated the process. He then poured iodine on two steril gauze 4X4 an applied then to both sides of Yelena's shoulder. After doing that he wrapped her shoulder in a steril gauze bandage securing it with tape. Tim then took a luggage strap and fashioned a sling to support her arm. "Ya'll be just fit as a fiddle my Russian friend. Ya just rest now, whilst I get us tha hell outta har."

Tim took a blanket from the back of the Hummer and placed it over her, tucking it around her so nothing but her down tuned face was exposed. He then arranged her hair over her face to hide it as much as possible, shutting the rear passanger door quietly, he walked up the drive to where Cassius was standing.

"Yelena 'll be right as a new barn calf in a few hars. Now let's get tha hell outa har. Ya just falla my lead at them damned check points. Ifin we have ta make a run fur it make sure yur winda stays up an hang on ta yur ass." Tim said tyhen turned back towards the Hummer "Come on boy daylight's a burnin' an folk ain't takin' too kindly ta us har 'bouts."

Helicopters swept across the shores of Oneida Lake and check points had been set up all around it's perimeter. Colonel Petrovsky had ordered his troops to concentrate on the south side since the pursuit of Wraith was futile and pointless, he could catch up with his former partner any time he wanted. All that mattered now was the boy. He was the key to controlling Killswitch and achieving his ultimate goal of obliterating all meta-human records on the planet and once they were gone, Beacon's other operatives would concentrate on disbanding the Riggs Act. The needs of the one did not out weight the needs of the many! Why couldn't Yelena have understood that the sacrifice of her colleague meant freedom for them all. It didn't have to come to all this.

"Colonel Petrovsky. Road blocks are in place and air surveillance is patrolling the south side of the lake." Informed Major Jackson, whose tone was now more professional.

Vacily could tell that the Major had distanced himself and it was obvious that he was going to file a report in lieu of this morning's events. The timing couldn't be worse. Even though he was confident that he could handle the investigation, he would have to take measures to conceal his operation which would cause a considerable set back. He had already over extended the budget sanctioned by Beacon and had gone against their protocol and dipped into military slush funds to complete his 'disrupter'. The money trail was untraceable, unless someone started snooping into his personal files specifically looking for discrepancies and if Major Jackson's report drew him into the spotlight there was always a chance that some egg-head would connect the dots.

"Colonel?" Repeated the Major.

The Major's deep voice snapped Vacily back into the moment. "Thank you. Report to the south side of the lake and oversee operations." He commanded.

Colonel Petrovsky returned the officer's salute and stood by while the major boarded a helicopter that had recently landed on the hill. The gusts of wind it kicked up reminded Vacily of Wraith and he wondered what kind of hole he had crawled in to to evade his marines. The helicopter lifted off and the Colonel watched as it flew across the lake and already he could see the pale glow of dawn in the east. In another hour, they'd have to abandon the search and head back to the base and he had feeling that Cassius was already long gone. There were just too many roadways to cover and he knew from experience that meta-humans did not differ much from rats when trying to contain them, it seems they always found a way to slip through the cracks with little effort.

As the helicopter disappeared into the distance, Colonel Vacily got into his vehicle. "Back to the base." He ordered the driver as he sat stiffly in the back seat, his eyes filled with plans. Already he had resigned himself to the escape of the fugitives and was just going through the motions. Once he got back to the base he would immediately proceed with the shut down and removal of the 'disrupter array'. He would clean out his files, then maybe take a nice long leave. First, though, he would contact Shinigami and learn why he did not complete his assignment, so many problems could have been avoided by the swing of his sword.

"We'll be back at the headquarters in less than an hour," Zoe replied to Morgan's question, glancing in her direction as she sped down the dark road. "We can get you cleaned up there too." A long silence passed between them as Zoe dug into her pocket and looked crestfallen as she saw only one slightly weathered cigarette sitting in her pack. Rolling the window down part way, she lit it and held the tip out the window letting the blue-gray smoke stream by in the pitch blackness.

After a few minutes, she called back to Shadow.

"What's going on with Demon back there?" she asked, "is he still alive? And what's that shit they're pumping into him?"

Sean had been looking over the equipment in the back and checking the young man. "He's alive. Looks like they've been keeping him sedated for some reason. Is this kid dangerous or something?" He looks over the fluids and and the equipment pumping it into Demon. "I'd shut it off but I don't know enough about this stuff."

"We're all dangerous in their eyes," Zoe replied flatly. We'll figure it out when we get back." They went on in silence as Killswitch puffed on her cigarette before she flicked it out the window and rolled it back up. The silence was broken, however, by Tim's message through the radio.

"Hey thar, Zoe. Ah'v pick'd up a coupla friends'a yurs." At this, Zoe's empty eyes widened and she turned towards the radio with a rare look of shock over usually flat expression as though half-expecting Tim to come straight through the equipment as she had done. Connecting her mind to the radio she spoke aloud as though he were on a speaker phone.

"YOU FOUND THEM?" she cried, "where? Are they alright?"

"Doin' fine now I picked 'em up. No sign'a tha big guy yet, but we'll mosey on down ta yer place an evry'one'll be just fine and dandy." At that, Cassius' voice suddenly rang out over through the car.

"Hey baby! I'm like seriously craven some oral fixations if ya know what I mean! Stock up for me before I get there!" Her expression frozen, Zoe managed to hide the lift she felt within her heart at hearing the voice of Dominic Cassius-- rasped and exhausted but alive and well. For a moment she remained still, saying nothing until she seemed to swallow the tiniest of lumps and spoke in her usual monotone.

"We are about 45 minutes away," she said, "we'll meet you there. Just come to the door. I'll know it's you."