"Hey Shadow how much longer do I have to keep driving? Shadow?"

Shadow blinked, withdrawing from the swirling darkness of her memories. Her eyes traveled to the speaker. The boy was staring intently upon the road his hands white knuckling the steering wheel of the new vehicle.

"Until you relax and look like you actually belong behind the wheel." she replied.

It was the middle of the night and they were driving on some back road. With each turn of the tires, dust spouted up around them. The black car was probably more gray at this point from how long they had been hoping country roads. Her eyes scanned the night sky taking in the millions of tiny lights. She had always loved the night sky. Her favorite part of jobs was when she could stare up at the stars. Of course most of the time she had jobs in the city and the light pollution blocked out the sight; however, there had been the rare occasion she went hunting at some summer house or for someone on vacation. Those had always been her favorite jobs. The night sky was an expanse of black, with prickling little holes of light. An all consuming darkness, that threatened to consume the stars and yet somehow they still shone through. It reminded her of the need for light to create the shadows that kept her alive. The need for the darkness to sheath her from the light. Space was like the ultimate struggle of light and dark painted across the sky.

Shadow shifted to look in the back seat. Sprawled across the entire back row, the girl was fast asleep. In her arms, the girl clutched her "necessary" stuffed animals close to her chest. Shadow sighed as she turned back to the front. Out of her peripherals, she could see the boy visibly shaking even in the darkness of the car. He was too tense. If they were actually in trouble and Shadow needed him to drive, she didn't think he would do well under the pressure. He would need to be thinking on his feet, driving fast, and swerving to avoid shots. They were going about ten under the speed limit at the moment. Things weren't exactly looking in their favor. Perhaps she should teach the girl to drive. She was excited enough that she'd probably go fast at the very least. Then again, the girl probably wouldn't be able to even reach the pedals let alone see over the dashboard.

"You are doing fine. Now go a little faster."

The boy paled at the mention of faster but nodded. Shadow could feel a slight increase of speed by maybe two miles per hour. She suppressed the groan in her throat and tried to give him an encouraging look. Apparently she failed because Flitch grimaced and went even faster, either way, at least they were finally going the speed limit. Shadow went back to keeping watch around them, taking in every shifting shadow with the passing of their headlights. They had been driving most of the night already and in an hour or so the sun would be rising. She planned to take control of the vehicle again at first light and find them a place to stay for the day. Shadow frowned as she felt a movement in the shadows. A moment later a four-door Sudan whipped out into the darkness behind them.

The boy started to sweat, "Shadow..."

"Yeah I see them." she narrowed her eyes at the vehicle watching its movements carefully in the rear view mirror.

It wasn't a police car which was good; however, the way it jumped onto the road from basically nowhere bothered her. It had been waiting with its lights off until they passed. It could be a late night driver going to work or even a random drunk, but more likely it someone far worse. She pulled her pistols out from their straps on the small of her back. The cool metal was calming. Whoever was following them needed to learn to fear the dark.

Shadow checked they were fully load and returned them to their straps. The hunters had chosen the worst possible time to make their move, if they held out for a couple more hours they have have stood a chance of fleeing with their lives. It was time to show them what a real predator could do. She glanced at Flitch whose eyes were staring fearfully ahead.

"Just keep driving. I'm going to pay our new friends a visit."

Shadow unbuckled and turned so she was backwards in the seat. Her long lean body crouched in an awkward position, all angles. She rolled down the window and leaned out, baiting those behind them. It didn't take long for the shots to echo out into the night. Shadow pulled herself back in at that. The bullets confirmation that those behind them were not there for a pleasant chat. Again she risked a look at Flitch, the boy was still shaking, a small terrified animal, but he now had a determined look on his face. Perhaps he would pull through in the face of real danger. What would be his instinct, fight or flight?

"Don't die kid and keep an eye on your sister." Shadow muttered before crawling out of window and onto the hood of the car.

The metal moaned and bent by the unexpected weight of her body. Shadow remained hunching on the top of the roof, she felt the bullets whiz past her in the darkness. She may be able to see in the dark but it was obvious that the pursuers could barely make out her form. Their encroaching headlights would soon change that.

Shadow closed her eyes, the darkness around her began swirling with power. It was time to make a move. She stood up and moved as close to the front window as she could. Taking a deep breath, until she could feel nothing but the darkness, she centered herself. When her eyes flew open again, they were a sickening solid black. She ran and bounded off the vehicle, vaulting herself at the chasers. Their hood crunched underneath the force of her impact.

Bullets immediately started raining down on her. She joined her body with the shadows causing the bullets to go through into the hood instead. It still hurt, but it wouldn't kill her. Focusing on the passenger side, she saw the shooter stuck half out the window aiming straight at her. Shadow pulled herself towards him. The bullets became rapid fire when he realized she wasn't dead yet. He was scared...and he should be. She was coming for him. Reaching up, she grabbed his shooting hand.

"How the hell is this girl is still alive! Do something!" the man shouted at his companion.

How pitiful these men were. Dressed in all black and masks, they were like children playing dress-up. They were nothing, just weak prey barely worth the air that emitted their screams. Shadow twisted the man's hand wrenching it until she heard a satisfying snap. The gun fell from his now limp hand, clattering on the receding road behind them. Shadow smiled as she used him as an anchor to pull herself closer to the window. She reached in and opened the door from inside. The man tried to pull it shut but she was faster. Clinging to the door, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her while slamming his head against the door. He was now dragging on the road the only thing keeping him up was her grip. The string of curses that erupted from his partner's mouth would have made a normal women blush.

"Pull him in now."

Shadow turned to see a gun pointed directly between her eyes. Well this one was going to hurt. The shot's sound ricocheted through her head. She groaned and closed her eyes for a second.

She took in the pain and turned it into concentration. "That was rather idiotic. I could have just dropped your companion just then." Shadow replied calmly meeting his terrified eyes with her pure black orbs.

"What the hell are you?"

"I'm the shade of the night, the black demon, the former right hand of the Master. I am Shadow and you just made the last mistake you'll ever make."

Shadow dropped the man she was holding and swung herself through the window. She gazed at the shaking man calmly, holding her hand out for the gun. After a second, he put it there shakily.

"Please don't kill me."

"You tried to kill me and what is mine. You threatened my wards. Like I said," she put his own gun to his temple, "your last mistake."

The shot echoed through the vehicle as he slumped into the wheel. She reached over and opened the door shoving him out. Climbing into the driver's seat, she slammed on the brakes. The vehicle screeched to a stop, skid marks lining the road. She hopped out with the daunting calm of a killer. Further up the road, squealing tires could be heard as Flitch stopped their car and put it in reverse. He slowly backed and pulled up next to Shadow. The boy and girl both clambered out, carefully looking around.

"Um... are they both dead?" Flitch questioned.

"One is for sure." Shadow's gaze fell upon the man whose head she had just exploded.

Missy squirmed at the sight of the body. She was incredibly pale and gagging slightly. The girl was trying to be tough but it was obvious she was going to vomit. Sure enough, a second later she sprinted to the side of the road and leaned over. She was still clutching one of those ridiculous stuffed animals. Flitch just stood frozen. Shadow frowned. They knew this was their life now. They needed to toughen up to survive and yet...she darted her gaze between the two of them and than back at the body. This was their first body. Shadow had always killed any tailers or hunters away from the kids. She had taken care of the bodies herself. It hadn't really occurred to her that they never actually saw what happened to those who came after them. She had been shielding them from the true horrors of their lives. Perhaps it was for the best, but now, now there was no going back.

"Get back in the car. I'll join you when I'm done."

Flitch nodded but remained rooted to the spot, staring at the dead body. Shadow went over and physically put herself between the boy and the body. She gripped his shoulders tightly and forced him to look her in the eyes.

"Get your sister in the car now. She needs you."

That seemed to snap him out of his stupor. Tears fell down the pale face as he stared at Shadow. So she did the only thing she could think of, she hugged him. Flitch clung back to her, ridding the terror and gathering his courage. She pulled away first feeling uncomfortable but he looked better at least. The boy went over to his sister and helped up the huddled, shaking girl. They both went and got into the back seat of the car without looking back.

Shadow sighed, frustrated. She would have to deal with that later, but for now. She walked down the road until she heard a moaning. Shadow floated towards it and came upon the other man. Blood covered his face from where she had crushed it to the door and one of his legs was at an odd angle. Shadow crouched down over him. These men were not hunters after all. It had been far to easy. They did not come from the Lady Red or the Manor, so who were they.

"Wake up," Shadow reached down and grabbed his already injured hand clenching it.

He screamed and panted heavily, forcing his eyes open.

"That's better. Now we need to have a chat." Shadow stated.

"Screw yourself." he replied and actually had the nerve to spit his blood in her face.

Shadow sighed and twisted the hand again. She didn't even bother to wipe off the blood. She had had worse done to her and being covered in blood was really nothing new. "Let's try this again. Who are you?"

"Like I'd tell a demon like you."

"Yet I'm the one trying to save these children while you try to kill them."

"Who said we were trying to kill them."

This peeked Shadow's interest, "Then why were you following us?"

He didn't say anything, his eyes were starting to glaze over. Shadow squeezed his hand again, repeating her question. But nothing, he had lost to much blood and was slipping into death's grip. She stood up angry at herself for not coming and talking to him right away. As she started walking away she heard a low noise, she whipped back.

"What did you say?"

Nothing. She got down next to him grabbing his shirt and bringing his mangled face right next to hers.

"What the hell did you just say!" she shouted into his.

"The Organization is coming. Darkness will be brought into the light. Your end is near." He laughed right in her face when suddenly it became a serve cough, splattering her face with more of his blood. She dropped him. He was dead before he hit the ground.

"The Organization, looks like I've just met the mysterious new party."