Shadow leaned her back against the counter in the kitchen. It really was a beautiful cabin her shadows crept through watching over the children. Modernly designed, but still built with actually logs, it was a rare pleasure to have such a nice place when on the run. The living room was large with a set of worn leather chairs and a sofa in a dark shade of brownish-black all of which centered around a large flat screen TV with cable. The children had babbled excited about it to no end. There was no dining room but instead a large patio on the back with a table and chairs. However, it was currently unusable due to the large amounts of snow. But there was a nice island that divided the kitchen and living room where they had most of their meals, unless the kids weaseled their way into getting permission to eat in front of the TV. They could sure be determined when their favorite show was on the line.

Of course, that was what they were doing now, both of them were finishing up their lunches of sandwiches Shadow made planted in front of the TV. Missy kicking her feet without a care in the world, laid splayed out on the floor on her stomach. Flitch sat, feet kicked over the armrest of one of the chairs, laughing at something said on the show. These moments were so few. When the kids forgot about what was going on. When they both seemed genuinely happy and childlike, it was a picture of the typical childhood or at least how Shadow had always imagined it. She ran her fingers through her hair as she went back to cleaning up the kitchen. Normally she would make them help, but the decided to let them have this moment to hold onto because soon it would be gone. Shadow never had a childhood perhaps they could have sparing memories of one even if it was false. The problem was they needed to move again and soon.

Shadow wiped her hands dry as the dishes were finished. She glanced over to see both the kids still absorbed in the TV, something silly and pointless that was not how the world worked. Nothing was ever so innocent and easily solved. People were not good and happy. She pulled her eyes away, walking to her room. Shades flickered across the walls trailing her. She flitted a hand to stop them, pointedly directing them back to hover over her charges.

The first floor had only one room and Shadow had claimed it. The children each had their own rooms in a loft above. Shadow had wanted to make sure whoever got in the house had to go through her first. Her room was a descent size and even had its own connecting bathroom, but the real treat was the bed. She always valued a good bed above all else when on a job because, although she could sleep anywhere, there was nothing like waking up rested on one. Now however, was not the time for rest. She pulled out the chair to the desk and sat down. Opening up her laptop, she pulled up data and coding to check on security and their trail. No hacking and the cabin's water, electrical, and cable were still all being rerouted through some fake finances belonging to a family that had got "permission" to rent the cabin from the owner's for the winter. By the time anyone found out what really happened, they would be long gone.

Shadow admittedly enjoyed computers and technology. They really made being a runaway easier at times if you were smart and Shadow knew her way around code. Satisfied they had not been discovered, Shadow pulled up a dark website for trading information among society's less favorable individuals. She had been corresponding with someone under a fake name trying to discover more about the children. After a dead end researching the children's fairly normal past, except for their parents dying in a car crash two years ago and then of course becoming targets for an assassin, the children pretty much had it made. They came from a wealthy family with old money and would have stood to inherit a lot if Shadow hadn't faked their deaths.

Shadow signed in before glancing over her messages. She was aware that reaching out to people like this was dangerous to say the least but remaining in the dark about the truth seemed more so. Shadow frowned, more dead ends and useless speculation. The fact they are heirs seems to be the most popular belief; however, it's highly unlikely. Perhaps it was time to go to more extreme measures. She shut down the computer and moved to the bed. Laying down to stare up at the log ceiling, she closed her eyes.

The open curtains waved, allowing just enough shadows to creep throughout the room to do what she wanted. Unfortunately with the boy's poor fighting skills and the girl's nonexistent ones, she couldn't risk leaving them by physically traveling through the shadows herself to gather information. Fortunately, she knew her fellow assassins more than well enough. Years spent by their sides training and fighting for her life had developed an unwanted connection she would never escape from. She picked a shadow off the wall and felt it peel itself to life. It then moved to a dark corner of the room and was swallowed. Keeping her eyes, shut she could see what the shadow did as it floated through the realm in between the physical and darkness. It traveled at impossible speeds navigating the shadows until it came upon and melded with a particular shadow that she knew very well. Hands slipping in to match the shadow of the same boy who had broken her own so many years ago. He was now a man, deadly and considered second only to Shadow herself in the rankings of assassin's under the Master. Beast.

Beast was in the training room beating on a new recruit that Shadow didn't recognize. She allowed herself to relax enough that she became one with his shadow, so it would still move naturally with the light. His blue eyes glinted, cold and hard, with every downward stroke of his weapon of choice, a double headed axe, colliding with his opponent. Few survived the first week of training, fewer became full-fledged assassins, and his opponent would not be one of them. Beast stood up blood splattered across his face. He was smiling. Beast and Shadow had long been rivals. Many times he had been the one to send her to the infirmary and left her for dead on the ground of the training room. She recognized that smile all too well. Beast always had taken pleasure in the cruelty of the job, hence the axe. It was a crude and blunt weapon that allowed for much power and carnage. Well she had become emotionless and calculating to become a good assassin; he had reveled, bathing in the blood.

"Well done Beast." A foreboding voice boomed.

Beast turned, and with him the shadow she inhabited, to look at the Master. Large and imposing a man as ever, he seemed to never age with the passing of time. Shadow was sure he did something to keep it that way because looking weak was a death sentence. It was how he had raised all of them and being the Master did not exclude him from that. Beast took the stance and acknowledged the praise with a simple head nod. The Master waved his hand and servants scurried to clean up the body.

"Come we have things to discuss."

Shadow drifted with them. The two men strode through the manor to the Master's private office and the door shut solidly, blocking out the world. The Master sat down in a large leather chair behind the enormous desk while Beast remained standing. There was no other place to sit in the room. It was all business no welcoming efforts.

"So what is the latest word?" The Master inquired, his voice had a low ominous tone. He was not happy.

"A trail of bodies was discovered and has been identified to have come from those sent out to find them. The Lady Red has also reached out and sent some of her assassins with the same result." Beast reported.

The Master growled and slammed his fist into the desk causing a crack to form. "How can we not find and kill her! It's one girl with two children! This is a disgrace to us and our good name! How dare one of our own betray us! Blood is demanded!"

Beast just raised an eyebrow but knew better than to otherwise react.

Shadow was aware of her body, even mentally removed. She was shaking, quaking at the man who had taught her the meaning of fear. There was no doubt that they were talking about her.

"Well, she was one of our best." Beast replied lazily, "Perhaps now you will let me have her."

"No, not yet. We don't need a big blowout between you two. This incident is already drawing to much unwanted attention to the Manor."

"Well at least Shadow was kind enough to fake the children's deaths for us."

"Yes, it is one less thing to have to worry about when facing the public. Nonetheless, I want to see her head sitting on my desk along with those two brats."

Beast smiled wickedly, licking his lips. "Don't worry we both know just as well as Shadow that they can't out run us forever. Assassin or not, Shadow will get sloppy and then..." he made a motion with his hand of cutting off his own head.

"See to it or it will be your head on my desk."

Beast's grin widened, revealing pointed teeth, almost taunting of the Master. "One more thing, it seems there may be another player on the board."

"What do you mean another player? The Lady Red?"

"No, though she has offered assistant hunting down Shadow and the targets, she seeks nothing more than the bounty. Someone else is interested in the children."

"Who?" The Master was angry and his teeth were grinding.

"I don't know. The client sent in the warning saying that an opposing organization is on the move against us. They refused to be more specific than that."

The Master stood up throwing the desk to which Beast lazily side stepped. Shadow flinched in voluntarily at the desk flying towards her, only enough to move out of its path. Her eyes darted between the two men, neither seemed to having noticed the unnatural shift of darkness.

"Find out who they are now and eliminate them as well! I will not have anyone messing up this job. There is far more on the line here than a simple payday." The Master roared.

Beast nodded, "Of course, I'll see to it personally. By the way," Beast pulled his axe from off his back "I believe we have a spy."

Beast swung the axe full force into his own shadow causing a scream to rip through her. Shadow had not been prepared for the attack and was too mentally connected with the shadow, even if the axe just went straight through it. It fired all of her nerve ends with a blast of pain.

"Shadow." Beast said with a smile.

Shadow pulled Beast's shadow away from him becoming a free standing form in the small room, poising in a fighting stance. The Master's eyes narrowed at her, his face contouring with rage.

"Either you've gotten far stronger in the past year or you've been hiding powers from us."

The shade opened its mouth revealing an even darker black pit through which Shadow spoke, "A place where the rule is kill or be killed I knew it was best to keep some secrets to myself."

The Master's voice became low and deadly, "You betrayed us, your own family. I took you in off the streets and made you what you are. We will find you, give up the children now and I will consider letting you back to the manor."

"That is true you did turn me into this, a killer, an act that will be your undoing. We both know I'm the best you have. If you really want me then come and get me. I will not let you harm the children and I will enjoy watching you try. There will be a head on your desk Master but it will not be mine or theirs." With that Shadow let go, feeling herself fly through the realm back to her own body, the rage of the Master echoing and chasing her back.

Shadow's eyes flew open and stared at the ceiling as she fought to catch her breath. They needed to move, now. She jumped out of bed and started running around the room gathering things in her bag.

"Get your butts moving, now! We are leaving! You know the drill grab only what you need and some food. You have half an hour!" Shadow's voice boomed through the cabin.

She heard crashing and slipping as the kids ran throughout the cabin yelling at each other. Fletch stopped to pop his head in her room.

"What's going on? Why are we leaving now and in such a rush?"

Shadow gave him a death glare causing him to deadpan and give a sharp nod. He ran back out yelling at Missy to hurry up. Most of Shadow's things were always packed and ready to go. She finished quickly and went to the kitchen to grab food throwing it into boxes she had found in a closest.

"15!" she shouted while throwing open the door to start loading the truck, "Move it or get left behind."

Missy's small form darted past her tossing blankets and a couple stuffed animals into the back of the truck. Shadow narrowed her eyes at the girl.

"What it is necessary! Please Shadow I love them and they won't take up that much room." The girl pleaded with large doe eyes.

Shadow groaned but didn't say anything else causing the girl to pump her tiny fist in the air in victory before racing back inside for more things. Oh well if anything Shadow could have the girl throw them at someone chasing them for a distraction. Stupid kids and their "necessities".

Shadow ran back into the cabin, "You have 5." She grabbed another armful striding quickly as her long legs would go.

With the last load thrown in the back seat, she leaned against the driver's door tapping her foot impatiently. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6... the kids rushed out at the same time, shoving each other through the door. Flitch stopped to slam it behind him effectively putting an end to the life they had here. Missy scrambled into the back seat and Flitch jumped in the front. The old truck rumbled and groaned with all the commotion. Shadow nodded her head satisfied before closing her eyes and raising her hands toward the cabin. All the shadows within the building sprang to life and wiped down every surface. No fingerprints or DNA would be found to tie them to the cabin. The family would still know someone had been there no doubt, but they would never know who. Shadow climbed into the truck slamming down the gas. The four wheel drive kicked in as they drove down the mountain a fresh sprinkling of snow starting to cover their tracks.

"Look it's so pretty! I'm going to miss living here." Missy sighed, dramatically pressing her face into the window.

Flitch nodded his agreement, gazing out his own window with longing. Shadow didn't say anything as her hand tightened on the steering wheel. They had stayed longer than normal because she knew the children enjoyed it there so much. She had too if she was being honest. The cabin had been so different from the cold dark Manor. It had been warm and bright. The snow had been so peaceful and serene. Plus being so far up in the mountains and secluded had allowed her to relax more than normal. Perhaps too much, they should have moved sooner. The kids' feelings were having too much of an influence on her. She was their assassin, their bodyguard, not their friend. It shouldn't have mattered.

"Where are we going?" Flitch asked her.

"Yea and how far away is it? Oh are we going to stay in a hotel again? And can we get a different truck? This one smells funny. How about a pink one!" Missy voice rattled off.

Shadow frowned and it starts again. "I don't know, like always you will know when we get there. So keep your mouths shut because I did bring duct tape this time."

Missy's mouth dropped open to form a perfect oval before the small girl broken down giggling.

"You'd never do that Shadow," she flashed a toothy grin to her in the rear view mirror and then continued rambling away about randomness and questions that she didn't even bother stopping to wait for an answer for.

Shadow Turned on the radio to which Missy only talked louder. How could the girl talk so much didn't she need to breath or even think about the nonsense she was spouting for that matter? Shadow couldn't wait till they fell asleep. Flitch just grinned and leaned against the window gazing out. Perhaps she could just leave them on the side of the road. Between the two of them they had four good thumbs for hitchhiking.