I ditched his Jeep somewhere in the desert. Getting the attention of an older man in a nice car. He looked like someone's sugar daddy. I guess he thought I was a damsel in distress, the way he pulled over so smoothly, chin up, chest out.

I smiled sweetly at him as he asked me if I was okay. I batted my eyes with a sad sigh.

"I was driving when suddenly my car dipped. Could you help I have no idea about cars?" I smiled, purposely pressing my breast against the window ledge as I bend over. "sounds like you've got a flat sweet thing" He chucked stepping out of the expensive vehicle. He was in a suit, in this hot ass weather. Even though the sun was down, it was still so warm. He gave my outfit a once over. I still had on the all-black with the mask. But I used a big coat in the back of the Jeep to cover up my weapons. It was Banes, I could tell by the smell.

"Looks to me the cars fine," he hummed, crouching down to the tire. I snickered. He looked back, confused, before fear washed over him as I drove a blade into his throat. I yanked it out, wiping it on his suit jacket as he choked. Something in me lit up again. It's been so long. I missed this feeling. My shoulders relaxed as I looked down at the choking man. Crimson poured from his mouth as his terrified eyes pleaded for help. I tilted my head as I crouched down to him.

"Next time, keep driving. You don't know who you're pulling over for," I criticized with a disapproving tick. "Do you have kids? What about the kids" I sighed, lifting and walking to his car. This nice black Lambo was roaring as I slid into the seat, adjusting it.

I knew where my first stop would be. Marcel still stayed five blocks from my old home. He wrote to me while I was in prison, although I never wrote back. I needed a place to lie low and to stock up on ammunition. He was the guy to do it.

Old fuck.  

The car drove smoothly. I had never been in something so expensive. I felt like a bougie little killer as I sped down the streets. The scenery began to become recognizable and a small comfort hit me. I'm free. I could do as I pleased and kill who I pleased. I could eat something other than the food they gave us, which wasn't terrible, but they had us on a strict diet. To keep us firm and healthy. I craved a burger so badly.

I passed the church, keeping my eyes in front. I didn't dare look over. I didn't want to get that small reminder of what I used to have. Who I used to have.

I pulled into his house. He had a thing about unannounced visits. He lives with his family. Being his three daughters. I've met them a few times. They've seemed to take a liking to me, but probably heard about me on the news and changed their perspectives. Oh well. I looked over to the passenger seat as I stopped the car. Leaning forward as I slid the beautiful double blade back on me, pulling the coat back over my body. My head whipped to the door as a loud banging came. It was his second child. Riah. I opened the door to be embraced by the surprisingly strong child.

"Auntie V" she beamed. I made a repulsed face.

"I'm not your aunt," I sighed, ripping her smiling self off and exiting the car. She began to ramble about something when the front door opened. Marcel stepped out and a look of shock exploded on him. He gave the street a once-over before rushing us back in. His house was the same, very personal and expressive. My gaze lingered on a picture of him and Kara, his oldest, at her sixteenth birthday party. I was there for that. I came to collect some new blades and got surrounded by his little offspring.

"Did you escape prison?" His worried voice spoke from behind me. My lip lifted as I turned to him.

"No"

"Did you come for my concert?" Riah asked with a chirp. I shook my head. He rested a hand on her shoulder, signaling for her to go upstairs. As she walked by, I stopped her. "Don't tell the other devils I'm here" she just smiled evilly at me and ran off. I followed the rat with a glare, but a small smile was on my face.

"So? What do you need?" He crossed his arms. I eyed him.

"No hello? How was prison?" I grinned.

"You're not the type to come by to rekindle old connections over tea," He huffed.

"You're not curious about how I got out?" He shrugged.

"I've dealt with you long enough to know not to ask questions. You'd tell me if it was my business," he motioned for us to go to the basement.

"Awe, you still remember," I cooed, following.

"You smashed my head through a glass table last time I asked a question I wasn't supposed to. It's hard to forget something like that"

We walked downstairs. He put in the password to the keypad and opened it, letting me in first. It looked the same. Almost every inch of the place was covered in weaponry, a booth to make fake IDs still in the corner. Everything was the same. It made me feel good. Like I didn't miss two years of anything.

"I need a place a lie low and some ammunition" I turned back to him, who now sat on a stool against the wall. His greying hair buzzed now and his face began to wrinkle around his eyes. From smiling, I assume.

"Out of state?"

"No, somewhere not too far from where Cyrus' West base homes are," I eyed him, his face falling with understanding as he stood.

"Going after him I assume"

"What happened to not asking questions" he rattled in a desk full of keys with tags on them.

"It's more of a statement," he sighed and turned to me with a key in hand. "Good. Someone needs to put that asshole down." he handed it to me. "This place is the closest to his primary home as we could get. His people do perimeter checks daily so we couldn't risk taking a home less than a few blocks away"

I nodded, taking the keys and pulling out Bane's wallet. Which I also took. He closed it, giving me a sincere look.

"Lee was like a brother to me. This one's covered. Whatever you need to take his ass out"

I stared at him, not knowing if he was serious or not.

"I'll need a lot of weapons and a new car, Marcel," I explained. He nodded.

"Like I said. Whatever you need." His gaze turned soft. "Welcome home kiddo," he ruffled my hair, and I punched his gut. He chuckled, stepping back. "Same old Novia," he grimaced. I flicked my brows at him, putting the wallet back in my pocket.

"I need a burner phone if you have one on you," he nodded, walking to the other side of the room.

"If you need, you can make a call to whoever on mine," he offered. I huffed with a smile.

"Not if you want assassins knocking on your door," his head whipped back to me.

"What did you do, kid?"

"I didn't do anything," I said flatly. "Besides, break a couple of people but I didn't kill anyone"

"Since when do you mess around with assassins? You seem more of a mercenary kind of girl," he joked.

"Do I?" I asked with a grin. He shook his head.

"Here. I'll have a better one for you in the morning. But this is a one-call phone, so make it count." he handed me the little black flip phone. I nodded as he left out to give me privacy.

"We can figure out everything you need in the morning. For now, when you're done, come up and eat. I know you're starving and Kara would love to see her auntie the killer," he walked up the stairs.

"I'm not their aunt," I called back.

I sighed, putting my back against the wall as I dialed the number. It rang for a while before they answered.

"Hello?" D questioned into the phone.

"Hi kid," I muttered into the phone. It was silent for a moment before I heard moving and the door closing.

"Nat?" He sounded relieved. "What the hell! Where are you?" He spouted out. I was about to speak before I heard another pair of footsteps move.

"Is Bane there?"

"I want my fucking car back, Natasha," he spoke angrily.

"It's in the desert somewhere feel free. Anyway, I wanted to call and tell you something important." I looked down at the gun on Marcel's table. "I left something in my room for you. I made it a while ago and haven't gotten a chance to give it to you"

"Where at in here?" He asked. I frowned.

"Are you in my fucking room?"

"August wanted to see if we could find something to get you to stop- or help," he spoke.

"Help?" I asked with a grin. Bane's angry mumbles directed at him.

"Move! Yes. Even though you give him hell, we want to make sure you come back alive," I heard a small slam and gust of wind.

"I was trying to find something that would stop you. Turn yourself in"

"I told you I can't do that"

"Yes, you can," another door closed, and the echo sounded like it came from my bathroom. He lowered his voice. "He is a gang lord. He'll have over forty men around him at all times. Rather it looks like it or not"

"This isn't my first rodeo Bane"

"No matter how good you are, you will be outnumbered"

"I was outnumbered there and look at where I am now- oh wait you can't"

"Natasha" he warned.

"Is that concern I hear?"

"What?"

"Do you care?" I grinned.

"No," he said passionately.

"Then stop trying to convince me I'm going to die if I continue"

"You might"

"Wouldn't you enjoy that?"

"No"

My smile spread.

"I'm your SO if you die after escaping I'm in deep shit"

"But you're Ross's loyal dog. What, you think he'll put you down, boy?" I teased into the phone.

"I bet that would make your life a lot more enjoyable if he did"

"Surprisingly, no. I don't want to see you die unless by my hand, so don't until I get back"

"Natasha Ross will be back soon. I'm sure he's already got the alert that you escaped. Rather, we want to or not, he will have us come after you. I can't stop that," He whispered.

Hmm. I thought for a minute. Having a group of them after me while I'm after him would bring too much attention and he'd probably go into hiding. I bit my lip.

"He'll send your team, right?"

"I doubt it"

"Well, the best you can do is give him the same warning as I did you, and if he chooses not to listen. Then those bodies are on him"

I heard the stress he felt through the phone as he sighed.

"You can't just kill them. The only reason I let you go was because-"

"Don't tell me you thought this would be a clean kill like the way you guys do? A lot of people are going to die because of me, Pirate," I hummed into the phone. He stayed silent. "You didn't stop me because you knew the only way to was to kill me and you like me too much to do that. Don't lie to yourself. You didn't care about how many people were going to die because of it," I lifted from the wall. I heard them moving around upstairs and decided it was time to say goodbye.

"I'll do you a favor. If your people do, make the mistake of coming after me. I'll make sure to make it quick"

"You're so fucking sick. I should've put a bullet in you when I had the chance," he hissed.

"You put the ability to show mercy in me bane. It's the same thing," I hung up, crushing the phone under my foot.

I made my way upstairs, the smell of tacos hitting me as I opened the door. I took it in with a grin, missing the comfort of fat people's food. Placing my coat on the rack, I walked into his kitchen, the marble and black decor bringing back a memory. The first time I was here with Lee. Marcel made us cookies as we bickered back and forth about who would learn to use a gun first. Riah, Kara, and Demi were sitting at the table and turned to me with wide eyes. Marcel had his back to me but slightly turned his head before going back to his cooking.

I eyed the children, leaning against the wall as their smiles formed. Demi ran over to me, hugging my legs, her cheek pressing against the holster around my thigh. I didn't, not like the children, but this wasn't my family. Just nice people who comforted me and Lee and for that I swore not the hurt them. Kara eyed my weapons, wonder laced in her gaze. She was always the one asking the questions the others couldn't stomach. She didn't have the heart to kill, but she could be a good fighter if she wanted.

"So you're out of prison," she mumbled, taking a sip of her soda. I flicked a brow at her. "Bring us anything?"

"I doubt you'd want the ear of a security guard" I leaned against the island. Her eyes widened.

"Do you really have that?" I snickered, shaking my head. Her gaze dropped to her hands as she played with her sleeves. "You never wrote back," she whispered. I raised a brow.

"I didn't see a reason to," I exhaled. Her gaze turned teary.

"well some of us did. Maybe to know if you were alive or not." She slammed the can in the trash and stormed off. I watched blankly. That's one hell of a Disney channel exit. Marcel came to my side with a sunken face.

"She took it harder than the rest when you got locked up. She was scared for you and wanted to make sure you were okay," He explained.

"There was no reason for her to be scared"

"She doesn't see the world as you do" He eyed me. Then tilted his head in the direction she went.

"You know I can't express something I don't feel" I eyed him. He gave me a look.

"You feel it's just not enough to where you notice. Try to talk to her, ease her mind a bit"

I exhaled as I followed the way she went, knowing she was probably outside on the swing. And she was. Her brown hair flowed in the wind as she sat still. She turned as I approached with a heated stare, but tears fell. I sat next to her and looked out into the trees in the backyard.

"I know you don't feel everything we do, but I thought we mattered to you a little," she began. I looked over at her. I know this is the part when someone should feel bad, but I didn't.

"I care about you and your family," I stated. She looked away.

"So why didn't you respond, just to say hello or I'm okay?"

"I didn't feel the need to. I was locked away. It was for life. You'd move on with yours regardless of a letter or not." My voice was empty, but it wasn't harsh or cold.

"did you at least read them?"

"Yes. I know you broke your ankle from trying to do some kickflip you saw me do once. I know that Riah joined a girl group she and her friends made up and that Demi started middle school." She looked at me.

"When I was younger, and you first came, I remember being so scared of you. The way you talked and moved. The way you bluntly spoke about the things you've done." She looked down at her hands and then at the trees. "Daddy has had a lot of dangerous people come and go, but you were the scariest to me. Because you weren't this big strong guy or tall, muscular woman who looked angry all the time. You were a normal girl, like me. The more you came around, the more I wasn't scared of you but looked up to you" She chuckled to herself.

"Daddy hated that at first. He didn't want me to be a killer and I don't want to be one either. I just wanted to be strong like you, so I'd follow you around and try to be your friend. Mimic, the way you talked and walked until you sat me down and explained to me that I'm not doing anything but prepping myself for an identity crisis sooner or later." She chuckled. My lip tugged at the shared memory. Her hand landed on mine and I looked down at it. "You're just someone I consider a good friend. You looked out for us when daddy couldn't. I got attached and when you got arrested and I could say goodbye or see you later, it hurt. That's why I'm upset about you not responding," she explained.

"Want to know a secret?" I looked down at her, and she nodded. "An agency that trains assassins got me out of prison. They want me to be one of them in exchange for my freedom. That's why I have this" I lifted the mask to show the burnt-out collar. Her eyes widened as she ran a finger over it.

"Does it hurt?" she asked, worried.

"No, it used to shock but now it's dead"

"What was it for?"

"To keep me in line didn't work though, 'cause I'm here with you," I nudged her shoulder. She chuckled. "I broke out of that place to kill West" She moved her hand to my shoulder.

"If anyone is going to end that bastard, it's you," she comforted. "Are you nervous?"

"I'm excited" I grinned at her, and she huffed with a nod. "There's one problem though," I continued. "The agency might come to hunt me down now that I escaped"

"Well, let them," she frowned. "By the time they'll find you, you would've killed him already, right? Then you can run away"

"When have I ever run away?" I eyed her.

"Can you do me a favor before you leave?" she asked, changing the topic. Her face fell serious. I nodded.

"Um, it's funny timing really, but something happened that I can't tell daddy about. Knowing him, he'd do it the legal way or have some big guy go beat him up. He's not capable of what you are." she swallowed her nerves as my hard stare looked back at her. "and since it's not me, he wouldn't go that far anyway, but I need to see this guy suffer. He did something terrible to my friend and I can't help but feel helpless when trying to help her. The cops aren't doing anything really-"

"What do you want me to do, Kara?" I asked, wanting her to get to the point. I could already tell where the story was going, and she saw it in my face.

"I want you to make sure he can't hurt anyone else again," she spoke quietly, but it was filled with venom. "I don't want you to kill him but I want the message to be understood"

I lifted my head as I looked at her, a small sense of pride coming.

"Just give me his address, name, and picture, then consider it done" She let out a relieved breath. She seemed to feel worried about asking me this favor, like she was selling her soul or something. It made me grin. Her arms wrapped around me and I tapped her back.

"That's what I like to see!" Marcel came out, we turned to his smiling self. "Come eat before the girls clear your plates for you," He chuckled, going back inside. She turned to me and was about to speak.

"He won't know," I reassured. She smiled at me.

"I'm happy you're back"

. 

"Remember, I don't want to kill him," Kara said, leaning against the door. I slid my weapons into her closet, leaving a couple of blades on my hips. I lifted, looking back at her with a smile. She gave me a look.

"Okay," I nodded. She handed me a black jacket, and I slid it on. She let me use one of her phones to stay in contact while I was out. Apparently, this guy's name is Chris, and he's going to be at a senior party tonight. I made my way out of her room, but she stopped me. "Thank you" She smiled. I nodded, leaving out.

The drive was nice and quiet, the passing lights and the wind blowing on my face as I drove made a relaxing smile stay on my face. I haven't done something like this since Lee was around. We were involved with some bad people. They usually sent me to send a message, if I took it too far or not was for me to decide. Lee wasn't happy with it, but it's how we survived. Foster care was never an option for us. Getting split up was never an option. Until we did. Lee knew, well, we both knew that what we became was everything our father didn't want. It hit us hard at first, but then we adapted and protected each other. Our loyalty only stayed with each other. The people around knew that and knew what I was capable of and what Lee was capable of when it came to protecting us. We had allies and little, no enemies growing up. Marcel was one of the people that took us in and helped when he could.

The house was full of teens drinking and grinding outside. I missed all