Nia woke as if from a bad dream. She looked about her room. Everything was in order. She was dressed and sleeping on clean sheets. If it wasn't for her aching jaw and shoulder, she wouldn't have believed that what had happened had happened. She gingerly touched her shoulder. It would scar badly, and that's what Loki wanted. He didn't want her to forget what he did to Jun. Jun. Nia sits quickly and jumps up out of bed, but then sits on the edge of the bed again, feeling light-headed. She stands up slower then makes her way to Jun's room. The hall is eerily quiet. She knocks on Jun's door but he doesn't answer. She opens the door and goes in quietly. His bed is made and his things are in a neatish pile in one corner. There is a single red rose on the pillow. Nia goes over and picks up the rose with a shaky hand, her breathing coming raggedly.

"He killed him," came a quiet voice from the door.

Nia turns quickly, clutching the rose to her chest, seeing Callida in the doorway.

"I tried to help him, we took him to a hospital... but he didn't make it."

Leanne slowly sinks to the floor, tears starting to roll down her cheeks.

Callida comes over tears in her eyes also. "I am so, so sorry. I would have told you guys, but he is much faster than I am, and.... I'm so sorry."

Nia shakes her head. "It isn't your fault..... it's mine. I said yes."

Callida nods a bit. "Okay, but it's not yours either."

Nia nods, both knowing who they want to blame, but not willing to say because of the wrath they had seen poured out the night before.

Callida gently moves Nia's head to face her. "That bruise looks pretty bad. You should go back to bed, I'll bring you something to eat."

Nia nods, going back to her room in a haze. Why does everyone I love have to die? She sinks onto her bed, staring at the rose in her hands.

Callida comes in a bit later with a bag of things and a plate of food expertly balanced on her lap. "I thought you might want some of his things," she says softly. The rest will be thrown away or donated."

Nia takes the bag, ignoring the plate of food. A leather-bound book and a sweatshirt were the main things, in addition to his ring. Nia slips the ring onto her chain with the other two then, using her pocket knife, she cuts the stem of the rose short, then presses the rose into the back of the book, which she found to be his journal. She put the journal at the bottom of her backpack with the sweatshirt folded on top. Then she replaces her things. "Thank you," she says softly. "I'm not very hungry, but thank you."

Callida sets the plate on the ground next to the bed. "You should eat it at some point. Get some rest."

A few days later, Nia wakes from a bad dream. She pulls on her boots and Wolves jacket as it is just starting to get chilly and starts outside. She grabs a granola bar from the box by the door as she goes, eating it as she makes her way to the bench where she and Jun sat on his last night. She stands there a while, looking at the sun rising this time, his words ringing in her mind. Just because you are good at something doesn't mean it is who you are. You need to find your own true identity. She realizes that there was a reason she was good at what she did. That's what she was made to do, fight. That was her true identity. Kestrel was. She throws her wrapper away then goes back to the base, the others are just waking up. She quickly goes up to Matt.

"I'm ready," she states.

Matt raises his eyebrows. "R-really?"

Nia nods. "And I'll go by Kestrel now," she says, turning to look at the others.

Callida looks at her concerned but Charlie smiles, a bit too happy.

"Very good, Kestrel," she says. "We will find you a target soon."

Nia, now Kestrel, nods. "I have some things to do today though."

Matt nods. "G-go ahead, we'll l-let you know when we've acquired a t-target f-tor you."

Kestrel nods going to Jun's room and packing up his things. She carries them to a nearby homeless encampment, handing out clothes, shoes, and other items to people who they looked like they would fit. A small girl was huddled alone, cold, and dirty in a corner. Kestrel watches her for a bit, taking in the small, dirty, shivering girl. Kestrel gives the girl one of Jun's old coats then goes to a store. Slyly she drops things in her backpack for the girl. Boots a size big so they would fit her longer, the same with a coat, as well as a brush and a washcloth. She brings a pink backpack, a hairband, and a candy bar to the register and pays for them. Once outside, she puts the boots, coat, hairband, brush, and washcloth into the pink backpack. She takes the backpack back to the homeless encampment and gives it to the girl. Kestrel smiles as the girl's eyes light up and she pulls on the warm coat and boots. The girl hugs Kestrel then runs off with the things. Kestrel watches her run off for a bit then goes back to the base.

The next day Kestrel is given her target, a middle-aged man named Benjamin Parker. She takes the piece of paper with his picture and address on it with a frown. She knows that the targets are randomly selected, but this guy looks nice. Like a grandpa almost. She looks up at Matt still frowning.

"You can forfeit if you want,'' he says with a smirk.

Kestrel shakes her head. She goes to her room and cleans and fills her pistol. She packs the things she needs into her backpack, putting the pistol in her waistband before going to the address on the paper. She waits around the corner of the house for either night to fall or him to come outside the house. Kestrel perks up as the man comes outside but freezes as she sees a teenage boy with him.

"Uncle Ben," the boy asks, "Are you still up to taking Ned and I driving on Saturday?"

"Of course," the older man says, smiling at his nephew.

Kestrel remembers watching her mother die from cancer, the pain of Jun dying. Knowing that the pain of seeing someone you love die was the worst in the world, she knew she couldn't kill the man now. She hoped the man was taking the teen home and trailed them to a drug store on the corner. They go inside and she follows. She slips an energy bar into her pocket as well as a bag of gummy bears.

"Hey!" yells a voice behind her. Kestrel turns to see the clerk. "You are going to pay for those, right?" the clerk says angrily.

Kestrel smirks. "No, actually," she says as she starts for the door.

Ben steps in front of her. "You need to pay, young lady," he says.

She pulls out her gun. She had to kill him, he was in her way and the kid was nowhere in sight. Without thinking she shot him twice in the chest and fled, turning to look back only once to see the teenager staring after her in shock.

In the following weeks, Kestrel would wake from terrible dreams feeling nauseous. She would rush to the bathroom and empty her stomach into the toilet. She began to eat as little as possible to keep herself from throwing up, but nausea never ceased to wake her. After almost a month, Callida noticed Kestrel's weight had dropped considerably and pulled her aside.

"What's wrong?" Callida asks the younger girl, worry etched across her face.

Kestrel shakes her head. "I'm fine Callie, I promise."

Callida shakes her head. "You have lost more than twenty pounds in a month. You are not healthy."

Kestrel hesitates, not wanting to tell her of the dreams and nausea that follows. "I...." She stops, shaking her head.

"Are you sick?" Callida asks.

Kestrel nods a bit. "I think so." She tells her of the dreams, the replays of shooting the man, and the boy's face, as well as Jun and her mother's deaths. Then the nausea that follows.

Callida nods and speaks softly. "I think you should go to the hospital."

Kestrel shakes her head, her eyes going wide. "No, I'm fine."

"I'll come with you," Callida says. "I insist you go, I'm worried for you."

Kestrel shakes her head. "No." Callida sighs and nods, letting her walk away.

And thus our sweet Nia turns into a bird of prey. I'm sorry in advance!

- Bucky