Aquarius wondered how much Carter really wanted to go. She remembered when she was his age how the other boys would always talk about wanting to do daring stuff. She was certain it was in all kids' nature to want to go on adventures and be grown ups before their times. However, Carter had been forced to grow up a lot more quickly than others. Which was all the more reason for him to stay here and enjoy life.

"I went out to the tree house. I set up a laptop out there that is connected to all the security cameras I just installed. I think you will find it useful. Also, that way if someone does sneak around, they will never find that laptop. I made sure that the cameras' feed only went to the laptop. I set it up for you so you can easily use it. You know a little bit about computers from the library. I don't know how much you know, but I wrote out some instructions for you so you could use the internet. By the way, Google is an amazing search engine that will help you learn anything you want. I bet you could master it easily in a day. What do you say? Want to learn more about reading and writing tomorrow while I am gone? There are games there if you want a break. Your life, your choice. I won't make you do anything. You game?"

Aquarius gave herself an internal pat on the back. He would now be focused on that instead of what she was doing tomorrow. It didn't matter what she had said to him, it would be dangerous. But all her trips were so she didn't think about it. And she didn't lie to him, not really. With that mental white lie to herself for her to believe, she enjoyed supper and hoped he would like the laptop.

Carter knew he would certainly appreciate the laptop, and he nodded his thanks as she spoke. But he kept his eyes turned down to the bowl before him, stirring the contents with his spoon but not bothering to take a bite. It wouldn’t settle easy on him, nor would it settle on his mind if he didn’t voice his opinion. Yet the work Aquarius had gone through to set up a computer and cameras wouldn’t leave him be. Though in the end, material items didn’t matter as much as the life of someone he cared about, the only one he cared about. “No.” He said. “No. I’m not. I can’t just sit here… I can’t sit around and do nothing while something’s happening. I wouldn’t normally be this adamant, but I’m absolutely terrified that something will happen to you. It’s not a matter of if, to me, anymore. It’s a matter of when and how.”

He closed his eyes for a moment. He had never cared about anyone as much as Aquarius, and that his intuition told him something would happen made his eyes burn. “I can’t just let you go alone, Aqua. I can’t let you go alone, and let something happen to you and sit here and not know. I know something will happen.” He glanced up a bit, peeking at her from under his bangs.

Aquarius lowered her spoon. Well that plan had failed. Carter remembered and preferred going. "Carter, think about it. I've been doing this for years. I have never gotten into anything too deep. Also, in the end you are a kid. You shouldn't be running all over creation getting into trouble. It is no big deal. Yes, I'm a shop keeper. However I am also a spy. You've shown me that you can handle yourself and all. You have spent most of your life though on the beach and in the ocean. I think you can see that this is a bit out of your league." She could feel herself starting to get upset. Her face had become a carefully expressionless mask. She didn't want to drag him into trouble. He was a kid. A kid infatuated with life of adventure. He should stay at home like other kids. She wouldn't bring him with her.

Carter shook his head, moving himself away from the table. “I can’t stay here!” He didn’t raise his voice, but he could feel his heart pound. “I can’t just stay while you’re out there. I mean, of course I don’t underestimate you, I know what you can do. But you know what I can do, and that trumps age! You may be a shopkeeper on the outside, but indeed I know your strengths and weaknesses. And you know what I’m capable of too.” He looked at the floor for a moment. “I’m not a child in mind and intelligence level. I can go along with you and provide what information you might have ignored or didn’t hear. I can do what you don’t want to do. I can sell your things while you focus on more important issues. I can be an inconspicuous spy. No one suspects a kid! I’ve dealt with a lot, I can deal with this too. Besides, you said it’s just an overnight thing, no big deal, I don’t know why you’re making it into such a big deal!” He clasped his hands. “Please, Aqua, I don’t want to stay here! I don’t want to have to worry about you!”

"No Carter. Your staying here. I leave before sunrise. I'm taking a horse on a tough track through backwoods to reach this really small town. You would stand out if they saw your hands. They are really conservative, superstitious people. I'm just going for a day. It is no big deal. I'm glad you know me well. Then you should know one of my weaknesses. Those I care about. I care about you. If something did, and it is a very SMALL possibility, then you could be used against me. You are in the end a child Carter. And children stay home. Where it is a bit more safer. I've set everything up so you don't have to be bored. Most kids your age would love to have run of the house with adults out of the way. Enjoy it. I'm simply going to sell some tea, eat my meals at the only cafe in town, and then come home. No big deal. You are staying here. That is final!"

Carter stood and, through gritted teeth, shuddered out his response: “Aquarius, you’re not the only one who has someone to lose. If I were to lose you, the first person I’ve ever cared about, I wouldn’t have a will to live anymore. You, mother-like, but you have no idea my drive. I’m a child in appearance, not in mind, not in body. You may be skilled, older than I am, but you’re still, basically, human. All of us are. We can’t predict the future. Someone might be following you. And if you don’t believe me because I’m… I’m a child so you say, what can you believe? And if you can’t believe me this time, when can you!? If you can‘t put your faith and trust in me now, when will you!?”

With that, he turned and ran from the room, out the patio doors and around the house to where the treehouse stood. Climbing the rope, he leapt over the door and onto the topmost roof of the raised, four-room home and curled himself into a small ball among the leaves and branches. There, out of sight from Aquarius, he let a stream of tears fall.

Aquarius let out a sigh. That hurt. It was for his own good though. She supposed that instead of waiting for the horse to be brought to her, she could get a head start and meet the informant on the way. She wouldn't be able to sleep tonight anyway. Might as well get a 5 hour start. Walking toward the door, she grabbed her packed bag and slung it over her shoulder. Carter couldn't track as far as she knew. She would be gone before he got anymore silly ideas. With that she silently closed the door and sprinted swiftly to the road. The horse would be coming from the south. She kept at a swift pace until she reached the ranch. Quietly, she knocked on the ranchhouse door and explained to him why she was here early instead of at her house later. Well, not completely. She just explained she needed to leave sooner without bringing Carter up. No point in pulling him into this right now. Informants that made up The Council could learn of him and his existence later. She quickly tacked up and mounted. Instead of arriving late morning, she would show up in time for breakfast. Turning her horse back to the road, she gallloped back out and headed out.

Down the road until she reached the gravel one, she kept going at a fast pace. Once on gravel, by necessity, she pulled down to a good clip and they headed away from civilization and the modern world. The woods were thick and full of underbrush. The moon lit her way and she found it an easy pace. About halfway there, she reached a Traveler's Station. It was a simple wooden building that visitors were required by honor to keep up. If you used wood, you replaced it. She didn't bother. She simply stabled her horse and climbed into bed for a quick nap. Best take care of herself and the horse. In an hour or so they would take off again and enjoy breakfast in the cafe of the quiet town of Stantonville. She was glad now she hadn't mentioned where she was going to Carter. It would be just like him to discover her missing and attempt to figure out where she went. He couldn't though. He was a kid. A smart kid who had grown up too quickly. Someone she called friend and trusted. Her conscience bothered her a bit that she didn't bring him, but this world of hers was tough and well, he was a young one. She wanted to keep him safe. He had endured enough. He was going to be furious with her, but what was new. He was already. Forcing her mind to quiet down, she let herself get an hour's rest.

After a while, Carter’s anger had turned to simmer in his stomach as he slid off the roof and caught a branch just above the entrance door, flipping himself into the main room. Indeed, the laptop was there, lying on a table. Sitting on one of the chairs in front of it, he moved his finger around the mouse pad. He hated being treated as a child. He’d saved Aquarius already, slitted a man’s neck and broke his spine, called upon sharks and sacrificed the both of them to a watery, sharp-toothed grave without a moment’s delay, all for her, all to help her keep her mermaid side a secret, and save her life, especially.

He spent the night, however, seething in his silent anger, learning how to read. He ignored the sounds his stomach made, hardly caring if he ever ate again. He had mastered the keyboard within a few hours, learning as he went, using an online dictionary to look up words he didn’t know. Finding different sites, he discovered how to make bombs, how to get away with murder, how to de-bug one’s house… He found Email websites, and, just to be on the safe side, set one up for himself. If it were necessary to contact him through the Internet, he would be set.

From the window, he noticed Aquarius leaving, and scowled. He didn’t want to stay in the house, the one on the ground or in the tree. It was too enclosed to stay in long, and his energy was suddenly boundless. That fight wouldn’t leave his memory any time soon, and Aqua wouldn’t be back until morning. Shaking his head, he kept himself calm, letting himself absorb the information he saw. The moon was high before he closed the computer and stretched. “Too quiet.” He muttered. “Too quiet and too alone. Too quiet.” He stood, leaping from the tree and falling lightly to the ground below. “Too quiet.” He ran from the yard, across the street and down toward his beach. “Too quiet…” The waves lapped at the shore, rushing slowly in his ears.

With a sigh, he dug in his pocket, climbing onto the rocks and moving close to the deeper area of the water. “So quiet.” He breathed. Swallowing an eao stone, he let himself leap into the water and move forward with his powerful tails, relishing the water that enveloped him. His eyes adjusted well to the dark of night underwater, yet he couldn’t help but think it was Aqua that had helped him become what he was, something more than just a freak, yet she wouldn’t let him show what he could do like in the past. He’d dealt with conservatives, he often just wrapped up his hands and claimed bad burns. They took it as fact.

Flying into the depths of the water, he let himself glide past the sea floor until he found a vein of hard stone and a wide crevice he could slip into. Curling himself up, he vowed he wouldn’t leave until the water became light again.

Aquarius woke just before dawn and headed outside. Catching her horse from the pen, she tacked up him and mounted. Turning back onto the gravel road, she started riding towards Stantonville. The early morning breeze felt good and refreshed her. She was really feeling bad now for not trying to talk it through with Carter more about this. She sighed. It couldn't be helped now. The predawn sky and morning bird calls gave her a sense of new beginnings. The excitement that filled her on these excursions began to take over. She thought of previous trips such as these. They never went according to plan, and if they did it was because there was a trap ahead of her somewhere . They were always hard work and she knew that it was going to be a long day. However, she did say she would be back by midnight and that was exactly what she planned to do if nothing else. Carter would really worry otherwise.

Hoping Sunday was a lucky day this week, she slowly approached the town. There were a lot of really old cars here. People didn't leave this district much, and people didn't come in. Not without family or business. That was the way things rolled. So hearing from a member of The Council that there were frequent visitors to these parts lately that had neither had been a huge warning sign. Thankfully, The Council got an alibi set up for her. She was as a cover for life now related to an old lady in town. The lady lived on the outskirts and kept up a blessedly large herb garden. So having a young cousin several times removed show up with herbal skills wouldn't be too big of a story for the locals to chew.

Reaching the town, she noticed with amusement that there were just as many horses as cars here. Scary. Riding up to the cafe and jumping off, she tied up her horse to a post. Looking around and not seeing too much of a crowd this early, she headed up onto the cafe porch and went inside. A waiter met her at the counter and seated her at a corner table. There wasn't much space here. Most people ate at home in these parts. There wasn't need for a large dining room. That worked in her favor. The waiter came to take her order. She ordered pancakes and toast. While the waiter went to get those, an elderly gentleman walked over and sat across from her.

"You must be Old Lady Leary's cousin-whatever. She mentioned you would be stopping in town today. Says you have a tea shop and lots of herbal remedies. My grandson is my closest family. He prefers balloons at his age still to anything more healthy." The old man had in a quite few sentences set up for eavesdropped (and there always were a few) who she was, that she was welcome in this town, and gave the key password "balloons" without causing suspician. Aquarius noted this while she switched into acting mode and put on a eager girl look for her facial mask. She knodded to him, "Sure am. Love my tea business. When she mentioned that there were no natural health stores here I figured I better come and see if there was room for business. Thought I would spend the day here. You know where I could do some show and tell?" He laughed, "Oh heavens yes. I can set up a table for you in the market. You can do your speel and peddle to your heart's content. If we get more civilized, maybe we can attract more jobs and such to town to boost our economy. Silly youngsters are all moving away." They talked for a couple more minutes until her food came. Then he excused himself and went on his way.

She finished her food quickly and headed to the counter to pay. The waiter gave her instructions to her "relative's" house and she headed outside. Climbing up on her horse, she headed to Leary's house. It was a quaint cottage with a small shed. She stabled her horse there, dropped in to say hi, and then headed to the market square with her bag. The market was pretty busy already with people setting up or selling their products. She located the table that had been reserved for her and set up her tea displays and presentations. She spent a good morning talking with the locals, blending in, getting some business set up, and having general conversation that revealed who was the strangers in town. Not that they weren't hard to spot. They wore black leather. The locals wore jeans or brown leather. So it wasn't hard to pick them out and track them.

At lunch she closed up her table, promising those there more demonstrations on her tea miracles after lunch. She went back to the cafe and enjoyed potatoes, gravy, and chicken tenders. Again listening in wasn't hard. The strangers were here too. She learned who their newest member was, a fellow who joined two days earlier. No limp or signs of pain, so he hadn't had any toes cut off. It wasn't the Black Heart Guard they were dealing with. She did notice however the scorpion insignia that each member seem to love. One had a necklace. Another a ring. Another ear rings. The back of a shirt had it embroidered. Still another had the belt buckle sporting the design. She thought over the list of known dark guilds and shady groups. There were several possible options. But why were they here?

She ate slowly and bid her time. She picked up bits and pieces. Finally something clicked. They were setting up a relay station and satelite office near town for guess who... that darn king to the south. Seems he had a lot of sketchy characters working for him lately. Increased activity meant something could be going down. The Council would not only need to monitor these groups of his more closely, but try to learn his plans before he did something stupid like kill innocent civilians. He wiped a school out on the border because he didn't like a part of their textbook and felt that the school was a liability. She sighed and continued to take in all that was around her. Before she split, she might need to interrogate someone.

He had to drape the shirt and pants over a tree branch to let them dry, and soon enough they would be splotchy with dried sea salt. He didn’t mind, though, he could beat the cloth of most of the salt. As the morning wore on, incredibly slowly for Carter’s taste, he learned quickly how to access the feed to the security cameras, and review the video for the night. No more than a few animals had wandered by the ever-watchful gaze of the lenses, nothing had happened in or outside. Exiting the screens, Carter decided to travel more sites. He quickly learned what scams looked like, and rolled his eyes when he saw them. It was amazing how people could still fall for them, in his opinion. Closing the computer again, he decided to go inside and perhaps read some of the books he’d seen around the bookshelves in the rooms.

Standing in front of the tall shelves in the living room, he was shaking his head. The decisions were addling his brain, until he decided to read from the bottom up. Pulling a couple books from the shelves, he didn’t look to see what they were, he just went to one of the chairs and curled up. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if he could have given a better argument to Aquarius. Perhaps he could have pointed out his extraordinary hearing, it would be much easier to overhear what others wouldn’t want to be heard by the wrong ears. He could have brought up the fact that he’d killed for her without a moment’s hesitation, and he’d do it again if she asked or the same situation came up.

He could have noted that he wasn’t a child in soul, but in body. He’d lived on his own for two years, bartered with two men so he could get new clothes and they could get rare gems of wildlife they wouldn’t be able to get otherwise. He could have said he didn’t think or feel as a child felt, and cursed his age for what it meant. He’d protected himself for years, longer than when he’d just been homeless. He knew how to take care of himself.

He hated himself. If he were older, perhaps others would take him seriously. If he were older, perhaps Aquarius wouldn’t look down on him so much. Perhaps she’d see past his size and years and find that he was much more well off not being worried about. He could take care of himself, he’d shown that many times. Yet Aquarius seemed to feel like a mother, caring about him a little too much, maybe. He let out a deep sigh. “Too… young.”

The afternoon went well. She received many pledges for orders. Her tea business could afford to ship tea to those who wanted to buy in bulk. Several in town decided to do just that. She was pleased with herself. She made a not in her calender to come two a year out here. At the weather change of fall and spring when people were more likely to really want tea. She kept an eye on the few black leathers that were walking around the market. One of them passed by her table and tried to take off with a box. She asked him if he was would kindly fill out a form so that she could bill him. He had looked her up and down, then put the money on the table instead causing a scene. That was good. They hadn't been in town yet to cause the people to be afraid of them, so they themselves were walking on political eggshells still. That meant not too much harm had fallen anyone yet.

She made a big show late that afternoon of packing up her things. She went back to get her horse and stopped at the cafe for supper. She ate lightly and kept an eye on those in the room. When the waiter asked how her day had gone, she expressed pleasure in the business but needed to get going before it got too late. Of course those who were eavesdropping heard that and knew she was leaving town. That was exactly what she wanted. She paid and left, taking the main road she came in on back out. Then she cut back through the woods and came around. As darkness fell, she slipped back into town dressed no longer as a business woman but a black criminal. She stayed in an alleyway near the cafe and waited for one of those evil dudes to walk by. The first time one did, he wasn't alone. She left well enough alone. The second time was her chance.

She stepped out with her elbow and knocked him unconscious in a quick jabbing swing. Pulling him deep into the shadows, she hefted him over her shoulder and headed out of town. Using a rickety old shed, she lit a lamp there and interrogated him. It didn't take her long to learn where the new base was being planned and built. It also didn't take her long to learn of why they chose here. They were to the dark horse, the lucky dice, that King Goce of the Wastelands would use as leverage if his Black Heart Guards failed their mission. What that mission was, the fellow didn't know. She slipped some tea down his throat that would erase his memories of the last few hours and looted his pockets so it would appear to be a simple robbery. Slipping out, she dragged him back into town and the alleyway.

Then she headed back out. She had just leaped over a stone fence on the outskirts of town when she looked up to a rock rushing towards her. There was no time to react. It caught her in the temple and she slumped over the fence and collapsed on the ground. She was gone to the world and not aware of the scorpion tattooed arms that carried her into the darkness.

He hated waiting. Hated waiting in such close quarters. He wanted to swim, to feel freedom, but forced himself to stay right where he was. Already halfway through the G-H encyclopedia he’d found at the top shelf of the living room bookshelves, Carter fidgeted in annoyance. Aquarius would be back soon, the sun had already set, and it wouldn’t take long. He kept that in his mind, it wouldn’t take long for her to get back, for midnight to be here, for him to greet her quietly, though happily, even after the argument. He’d present his side, let her know he wasn’t a child but in size and years, he was much more, and he’d grown up well in mind, was a good asset, an incredibly convincing liar as well, to those he didn’t deserve to trust. And perhaps she would see reason.

He hadn’t eaten all day. He didn’t want to. Though he knew he wouldn’t be in top condition, wouldn’t be thinking clearly, if he didn’t, and closed the book. Lying it on an eye-level shelf, Carter went into the kitchen and mulled about, wondering what to do. Resigning himself to looking through the fridge, he found chicken left over from the previous evening, and decided to make himself a sandwich from the remains.

Leaving the house, he ate on one of the sturdy branches above a security camera, staring at the road. The moon was halved, the stars glowing in a halfway-cloudy sky. Aquarius would be back soon, he assured himself. It was as though his watch were ticking at half the speed of scent, sluggishly moving along to taunt him and run his sanity thin. He felt incredibly uneasy, as though he knew something was happening, something he could have prevented, but he’d felt that way all day. It was just magnified ever the more with midnight closing in. Finishing the sandwich, he swung his legs up and put his back against the trunk of the tree, lying confidently against it. “Soon. Soon, Aquarius!” He called out. No one was near, and he startled a roosting crow above into taking off. Other than the rustle of its wings against leaves and its frightened voice, the silence was oddly complete.

Aquarius felt sluggish. She was aware that she was on her horse, heading towards the paved road. The events of the last few hours were hazy. She fought to remember. To make sense of the events. Start at the beginning. She got up and saddled the horse. She left the way station. Okay, now she had an anchor. She keep forcing her mind to think through the mental fog that was numbing her brain. She had gotten to town and eaten breakfast. She had gone to market. She had had lunch. Okay, so that was half the day. What came next? It was... back to the market place. She had been there all afternoon and then gotten supper. But then what? Oh yeah. She had picked up her horse and THEN gotten supper. Right order here. Then she had left town. But something wasn't right. Something was missing. Her head hurt. Her ribs hurt. She stomach hurt. She took some deep breathes and tried again. She had gone back secretly and interrogated someone... and then... rock! She had been hit by a rock! Okay, next... she woke up in a rickety shed. They had beaten her where it wouldn't show. Ribs, stomach, thighs. She had refused to answer their questions. They had forced something down her throat and repeated something to her... what was it? Something like, "Go home? Go to bed?" It was so muddled. She gasped in pain as dizziness overwhelmed her. She needed to got off this horse. The hoof beats were hurting her head. She tried to remember more, but the numbing in her brain finally paralyzed her senses. The fog slowly began to cover her memories. She could only remember one thing. That she wanted to go home and go to bed.

Shadows followed the slumped figure on horseback. They kept to the deep woods and far back. Very far back. So that she was almost a speck in the distance. Her tea shop was located in a nearby town. They had men stationed there to intercept her if she went in. They would keep an eye on all the houses they passed between there and here if she disappeared. It was unlikely. With each minute that passed, the rider was falling more and more under the poison. It was a handy poison. Designed to slowly hide memories so that the one poisoned would not remember being in danger. Therefore the victim would have no reason to seek help. Also, the ability to think and reason diminishes greatly so that the victim doesn't have the chance to realize something is wrong. Telling them something over and over as the poison first takes effect is about the only thing they can even grasp. And she was going to lead them to her home where she would lie down and die. If the poison didn't finish her off, then they would.

"This... is... n't... right. Why? Tired? Not sooo ate..." Aqua stopped mumbling and used her energy to push herself up. She must have had a long day to be so tired. Where was she? She was on pavement. She recognized a sandy path to the beach. Her house was just around the corner. Unable to talk clearly or think straight, she focused on just one goal. Bed. It didn't dawn on her that it was after midnight now. Going so slow via horseback had taken longer than it should have. The aching of her temple where the rock had hit her only added to her confusion.

The moment the second hand on the grandfather clock struck midnight, Carter deemed it close enough and ran from the house, skidding in his shoes on the sandy path as it went through the trees. The uneasy feeling had grown nearly unbearable as the night wore on, and he hadn’t been able to concentrate on reading a word more of any book in the house. Though Aquarius hadn’t specified whether she’d be home a bit before or a bit after midnight, but it didn’t matter to him. Aquarius wasn’t home, and intuition told him to leave the house and find out where she was.

When he rounded the bend near the house, which led onto the better-paved road to town, Carter was at a run. He gasped, skidding to a halt when he saw Aquarius flat on the ground, on her face, one hand outreached as though she had been crawling toward home. Three men were near her, two bending down as though to lift her up and a third standing a bit back, watching. Carter’s mind went blank, hand plunging into his pocket to retrieve the knife he’d sharpened while waiting for Aquarius to come back. While letting his legs sprint toward him, he unlaced his belt and wrapped one end around his other hand, leaving the buckle free.

Two of the three had their backs toward him, the third having been bent over so far he couldn’t notice Carter’s approach. He targeted the one standing, being the obvious greater threat, leaping up and grabbing him around the neck, plunging the knife into his back and twisting it as hard as he could. A deep red flower started blooming on his back, staining his white shirt as his blood seeped down. As the first man fell, the other two scrambled away from Aquarius, dropping her arms and fumbling for their own weapons. Carter stomped on the downed man’s neck, spinning and swinging the heavy buckle at the older man nearest him, catching him in the jaw and sending him, surprised, into his acquaintance. Flipping the knife around, Carter swept it through the air, catching the older one halfway along the neck, severing a main artery. Gagging, he grabbed his neck, and before he fell, Carter stabbed down and into his chest, avoiding most of the bone and doing much more damage.

The third one had produced a gun, a small one, its barrel extended slightly with a silencer. Carter dove behind the man he’d just taken down, avoiding one round that bounced off the pavement, shattering a small portion of it. Digging into the older man’s pockets, he found a weapon that resembled the other, bringing it out and pulling the trigger. He’d read about various modern weaponry, and suddenly worried that the safety would be on and he’d leave himself open for another shot if that were the case. But the sudden recoil proved that the man had been ready for a sudden attack. Almost ready, anyway. The shot plunged into the surviving man’s knee, and he howled, stumbling, his hand weakening its grip on the weapon. Carter used that moment to throw his belt back at him, smacking his hand and sending the gun skittering across the road. Carter kicked out, sending the man onto his back, and shot again, this time in his stomach. As the stranger’s face whitened and grimaced in pain, Carter wrapped the belt around his neck in a situation resembling the attack on Aquarius at her home not long ago.

“What have you done to Aquarius?” Carter demanded raggedly. He was breathing hard, eyes stinging with tears at the aspect of Aqua’s death or her being injured. “What did you do? Why are you following her?”

The man shook his head. “Following her. Has information. Ours. Can’t let her live. Important to Council. Poisoned.”

Carter felt the blood rush from his face. “You. Poisoned. Aquarius.” He growled. The man, obviously worried for his life, despite facing a boy and not an adult, nodded slowly. “You. Hurt. Aquarius.” He nodded again. “You.” Carter gritted his teeth, balling up his free hand into a fist and putting all his weight and strength behind a punch to the jaw. As the man howled in pain again, Carter shook him. ”You bastard! You sorry son of a bitch, I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you, damn it!” He didn’t care about the tears that had started falling; his main worry was Aquarius and her well-being. “You have an antidote somewhere?”

“Right pocket. Syringe, it’ll take effect in a short amount of time.” The man was gasping through blood loss and pain. “Right... No, the other right!” He squirmed as Carter dug around his pockets. “It’ll take away the confusion, but won’t take away the fatigue until later on.”

“Why do you carry an antidote with you?” Carter demanded, finding the syringe and holding it up. “You setting me up to kill Aquarius myself?” The man shook his head frantically.

“No! In case... In case someone tries to use our own poison against us. We always carry an antidote to use before the poison itself takes effect.” He watched Carter move to Aquarius, uncapping the syringe’s needle and plunging it into Aquarius’s arm, not quite worried about taking precaution. If it entered the blood, it would circulate, and that was well enough.

Aquarius was floating in a sea of numbing fog. Nothing was real around her. She couldn't think. She couldn't feel. She couldn't remember. She supposed that she was in bed. Wherever her bed was. Whatever a bed was. She didn't know and didn't care. There was a prick, a sharp sting somewhere. Just a small one. Nothing too important except for some reason it irritated her. She was barely conscious of it or anything else for that matter. Yet the stinging sensation grew warm. Her attention that had nothing to dwell on focused on this warm spot. It started to spread. Her weak pulse started to pick up a little. The limp nerve endings nearest this warmth sparked and slowly started to function. That warmth started to spread. Her world, composed of nothingness in a vast void, centered now around this warm glow as it reached tendrils out in all directions. It created a long tube like form, going in two directions. Her senses honed in on this phenomenon and watched one end ball up and the other spread out into five smaller trails. The part that had balled up seeped further and found an empty channel to shoot up causing her brain to finally start working again. Her arm had feeling now and her brain twitched the fingers.

Aquarius slowly became conscious. She felt so numb. Her brain wasn't going very fast. She felt her arm, it was hurting for some reason. Then the warmth that had proceeded the pain spread. Flowing past her should and neck down into her chest. She groaned. Where was she? Why was she in pain? What happened to that numb fog that had enveloped her? It spread to her other limbs, her heartbeat now strong. She could make out that she was laying facedown. She could feel the hard road beneath her. It didn't feel good. She gasped and struggled to open her eyes. They wouldn't focus as first. Her memories were all messed up as if they had gone through a blender. She coughed and forced her hands to move. Survival first, reason later. She tried to push herself up onto her hands and finally opened her eyes. Nothing made sense around her. She was in the dark, with three prone men laying around, and a concerned boy supporting her shoulders with a worried look on his face. She blinked and shook her head. Nothing made sense. Her senses were working but she wasn't processing anything.

Bits and pieces of her memories started coming back. Quick flashbacks in small bursts. Her mother rushing her into the arms of a trusted friend. Being taught to live on land. Dealing with kids her age who didn't know how to talk to her. Finding peace in gardening. Enjoying tea. Setting up a tea shop. Talking to members of The Council. Meeting Carter and trying to be what he never had. Arguing with Carter. Running off like a coward on a mission alone. She squeezed her eyes shut. Now she understood why she really hadn't wanted Carter along. No one ever saw her weak... until he came along. She didn't want to be normal. She wanted to be immortal in all others' eyes. Yet here she lay with the evidence all around her. She needed a partner. She needed to stop being stubborn.

She felt so incredibly weak. Everything was a mess. She forced herself into a more solid sitting position, leaned against Carter, and felt quiet sobs slowly start to fill her. Lovely. She could cry. She had before in the refuge of her home. However, she was incapable of tears. It wasn't exactly tears. It was a silver liquid. And a few drops of it was sliding from her eyes down her face. Now she was going to have to apologize too. She wondered which was worse. The bruised ribs or the broken pride. "Hide me. I'm sorry. You win. I'm..." She gave up and clamped all sound from coming out. No sense in sounding like a moron too. She closed her eyes and willed her brain to pick up faster.

Carter gasped as she tried to push herself up. She wasn’t strong yet, it seemed, and he didn’t want her to hurt herself. Whatever she’d said had been lost on his ears through the worry he felt. “L-lie back down, now, Aqua, you can’t move just yet.” He applied a bit of pressure to her shoulders. “Lie on your side, I don’t want you catching anything in your throat and suffocating.” When he finally got her to lie down, the force of her returning to the pavement had raised her shirt a bit. When he reached to pull it down again, he saw the dark, ugly shadow that stained her skin and reached above. Squinting his eyes, he turned back to the unnamed man. “You hit her.” He growled.

“No!” The man’s voice was weak, hardly a whisper. “The others did. They beat her for information, she wouldn’t budge.” Carter glared at him. “That’s all I know, a’right? That’s all! I don’t do nothing else but help with... things like this.” He indicated Aquarius. “Just... don’t hurt me anymore, right? Let me go.”

Carter shook his head. His anger had reached its peak and he couldn’t even speak anymore. He lifted the injured man up, and pointed to the water. Already it was teeming with the movement of sharp-toothed white-bellied fish ready for a free meal. “Go.” Carter growled. “Jump in.” When the man hesitated, Carter rolled his eyes and brought up the gun from the ground, shooting the man in the head. Tossing it away with the safety engaged, he dragged two of the three up and onto the sand. Tide was starting to come in, so the rocky area was slightly overcome with water from especially powerful waves. Carter dumped the two halfway over, going back for the third, and when he returned, the bodies were gone.

His adrenaline was still rushing, giving him more strength than he would usually have. He managed to lift up Aquarius in her lingering stupor, but his gait was slow as he took her back to her house. At least, he told himself, it wasn’t far off and he’d left the front door slightly open.

The fog in her brain was like the receding ocean tide. It was there, but leaving in lapping waves. She remembered now, in her tired mind, the beating. She hadn't taken a beating in a long time. A very long time. It had been while she still lived with her parents in the ocean. She had been the youngest in a group of merchildren. They had bullied her away. Once on land, she had been considered to beautiful to approach by her human peers. So going through school hadn't been a problem. Once she joined The Council, she was simply stronger than anyone else. No big deal. She didn't usually have to fight more than two thugs though. She definitely hadn't been caught unawares before either. That was embarrassing. There was always a time for firsts though.

She felt herself staggering against Carter as he basically carried her back to the house. Lifting her legs hurt pretty badly as the muscles in her thighs screamed in protest of more abuse. So walking was hard. Climbing onto the porch was difficult. How Carter got them through the door was a mystery to her. Her mind went numb went they reached the stairs. It was more than walking here. Her stomach and chest ached and her brain started to shut down from the amount of sheer pain. Yes, it had been a long time since she took a beating. It wasn't this bad and she had been able to mentally prepare and defend herself. Now she was completely open to her emotions and fears. And anger. That southern king was really starting to get on her nerves. He had two dark guilds working for him. He had somehow learned about The Council. He was plotting and she was in no condition to pass on information or go on more missions.

Carter could. What? That was crazy. But he could at least take her information into town to the library for her. She knew her contact there would believe he was with her because he had seen them together in the library last Saturday. Man that seemed a lifetime ago. It must be after midnight. So that made it what, Monday? It was too much thinking.

It was a task getting Aquarius to lift her legs to get onto the porch and into the house. He was in good control of his stature, though, and whenever Aquarius stumbled or leaned against him, he braced himself and her. He dreaded the stairs to the second floor, though, Aquarius didn’t seem to be in her right mind quiet yet, and undoubtedly she was in a lot of pain and confusion. He stepped up the first two stairs, summoning the rest of his strength, and lifted her off the floor, pushing himself up as quickly as he could. Though she was light, he had to remember he wasn’t the tallest or strongest thing in the world. But he’d handled others of heavier, larger mass before, and Aquarius wasn’t much different.

Straining with audible growls and gasps, Carter braced himself against the wall and huffed, setting Aquarius on her feet and holding on to her arms. “C’mon...” He gasped. “Almost there, Aqua... Almost there.” He drew her along, pushing gently forward so she would walk, going into her room, turning on the overhead light. With one hand Carter drew back the blanket on her bed and pushed her forward, willing her to get in. When she was lying safely among her pillow and softly against the mattress, Carter pulled up the blanket. “Okay, there we go.” He said breathlessly. “Just relax for a while. Sleep and get your energy back. You’ll be okay in the morning. I’ll... see you then.”

His arms were burning. It was all he could do to raise one and shut the light off, close the door. Going through the house, he shut off all the lights, checked all the doors and locked them, drew the curtains. With a sigh and a yawn, he went back to the stairs, but couldn’t lift his foot to climb them. Returning to the living room, he collapsed onto the couch and closed his eyes. Worry gave way to a light sleep.

Morning light gently coming into her room from the window woke Aquarius up. That and the amazing headache. She lay there, clear-headed and bruised basking in the familiarness of her room. How the heck did Carter get her up here? She wasn't sure she could move. Nothing like the present to find out. At first she couldn't, but she managed to make her limbs obey her as she rolled over and stood up. Going into her bathroom, she started up a soothing bath and added extra bath crystals to help ease the soreness. Baths are such amazing things. Then she assessed the damage to herself. She had a lot of pretty ugly bruises. Touching one, she winced. There wasn't much she could do about them but let them heal. She climbed in and soaked for an hour, then dried off and braided up her hair. She was definitely late for going to the tea shop today. Looks like she was taking the day off. That was okay. The girls would do fine without her. She would have to call later and check in on them.

Heading slowly downstairs, she saw Carter passed out on the couch. She checked the clock. 7am. He probably hadn't gotten much sleep staying up for her. She found a blanket and gently tucked him in. Doing a quick assessment, she eyed him and was grateful he didn't seem hurt. She knew he probably had a heart attack when he found her. The gash on her temple alone would have been cause for worry. She turned on some soft music to help him stay relaxed. Then she headed into the kitchen to make some tea. Some nice calming, soothing tea.

Movement and noise hit his ears as would a drumstick on its intended instrument. For a moment, Carter didn’t move, wondering where he was in the dark of his closed eyes. Footsteps. He was in Aquarius’s house, he could recognize the familiar smell, and the sound of Aqua moving about, her footsteps being the drum in his head. He didn’t know how to meet her after the way they had departed the previous day. He worried that Aquarius would be angry with him still for his defiance. But he had helped her in her time of need. Then again, as he listened to her move around, he knew she didn’t like to show weakness, even though imperfection was inside all humans, whether they lived above or below-water. When she laid the blanket over him, though, he felt she didn’t hold a grudge, and concealed a smile with a slight movement that brought his aching arm up.

When a calming, quiet music started, he opened his eyes. The light morning sun had brightened the room, making him squint as his eyes adjusted. Forcing his arms to move, he pushed himself up and looked around. Aquarius had gone to the kitchen already. Sitting back, he felt something on the cushion beneath him, a hard lump. Adjusting himself, he pulled them out and went to the kitchen while Aquarius’ back was still turned.

“Aqua.” He said, fighting back a headache that threatened to overwhelm rational thought. “I got these from last night.” With that, he lifted the two guns up, their safety engaged, setting them on the counter. “Didn’t leave ‘em behind or someone would notice.” He put his head down, pinching the bridge of his nose. The headache had arrived, a compacted form of the worry, stress, fear, and anger he’d felt the last forty-eight hours.

Aquarius looked at Carter calmly. She looked down at the guns and then back up at his face. Without saying a word, she rose and got a tea up. Filled it and gently pushed it into his hands, "You look like you have the world's worst hangover. Drink this. It will ease the pain." Then she turned her attention to the guns. She had been trained in their use, but really preferred not to carry them. Martial arts and occasionally a blade was more her style. She carefully picked up one of the guns, checked the chamber and sliding mechanisms, and set it down. After examining the second one she turned back to Carter. "You know how to use them? We can go get ammo if you want to go out into the woods to target practice."

She figured while they were in town, she could talk to her contact. Also, Carter obviously wanted in on this life of hers. He could handle himself. After all it was always her that seemed to be the one in trouble. She looked out the bright window, an expressionless mask carefully on her face. "While we are in town, you could check around the Tea Shop and see if more characters like the ones from yesterday are hanging around there. I don't they were all behind me. Some were probably ahead of me." There. She was giving him an opening. It was all his choice now.

She slowly got back up and went to the fridge, started pulling out eggs, milk, and cheese. She got out oil, salt, and bell peppers too. She wondered how much surprise her question had given Carter. She wouldn't allow her bruises to show on her face. Unfortunately this early in the morning, that left only a calm and cool look that froze most people. He knew her better, and if not then he would learn. She started mixing things up for omelets.

Carter looked at the cup for a moment, and chuckled. “I feel like it too.” He muttered, drinking down the tea. “I’ve never used a gun before, but you know I pick up things quickly.” He noted. “It was pretty easy after the first shot to control it. But I hardly think I’d use a gun much at all, maybe in desperate times, like last night’s goings-on.” He sighed, taking the empty cup to the sink and rinsing it out. He didn’t quite feel he should mention seeing the bruises Aquarius seemed to be trying to hide from him. She knew about them, and he knew what had brought them on, and therefore, in his mind, it was best they didn’t mention it at all.

Carter bit his tongue at first. He didn’t want to seem too eager to finally be allowed to do what he’d been able to do from the beginning. He knew something would happen, or was about to happen, at the tea shop, or the three who’d followed Aquarius along had stationed others there to ambush her or her workers. Turning, he leaned against the sink as though in deep thought. “I suppose I could join you.” He said at last. Perhaps, he thought, Aquarius would notice his heightened intelligence and catch on to that. Shrugging it off, he looked at the ceiling. “I would tread lightly.” He added. “I don’t like that it’s so quiet after their obvious wish to dispose of you. Maybe it’d be best to carry the guns, especially today, in case they try something. I mean, it’s not likely, being so soon after their first attempt, but if we assume that it’d leave us perfectly open for anything!’

He watched Aquarius as she moved about. At home, he’d liked to experiment with cooking in very small amounts. As long as he was out of the way, his parents didn’t care what he did as long as it didn’t leave a mess. Perhaps he could find new recipes online and surprise her tomorrow morning. It was a wistful thought, and a small, absent smile fell over Carter’s face for a moment. Shaking that away, he cleared his throat. “Um. I’ll go... I’ll go take a look at the recordings from last night.” He said. “If anyone’s been around, we’ll know.” With that, he stepped away and went outside through the patio doors.

Aquarius turned and watched him head out. She sighed then and stepped over to a clear section of the counter and leaned on her forearms. It took self-control to walk and move smoothly. Her breathing picked up and she closed her eyes in weariness. Today was going to be a long day. Unless these thugs asked someone in town where she lived, she doubted that they would find her place right away. However, it couldn't wait too long. There were more. She needed to let another informant in on what happened on her last mission. Carter could run a quick patrol to see who was doing what where. Then they could take them out. Well, nicely at first. If they had intentions to kill then they would have to face their own actions. What separated her from a vigilante was knowing when to scare and when to go further. In order to protect The Council they might have to go further. They were a liability.

She straightened and finished up the omelets. Putting a stack of them on the table, she got out plates and silverware. He was a growing boy. He most likely would be hungry. She wondered how much of a nerd he was. He seemed to know a lot about them for a kid who never handled them much. She shrugged it off and went to get the tea kettle and a pot holder. Carter was a surprise in and of himself. She figured he would probably always have something new to share with her until she knew him better. For now... she was going to have to trust him and work with him whether she liked it or not.

Carter set himself before the computer and opened the lid. He sighed, wondering as he brought up the various different shots how he’d even gotten to be where he was. If he’d never followed Aquarius to her underwater cavern, he wouldn’t have had to been so run down with worry about her, himself, and their situation. He would be sitting on the beach right now, watching the waves as he waited for the two mystery men to come by with new clothes for him so he could dive down to retrieve whatever plants or items needed. He’d not know his true form, and he’d be sleeping in the crevice he’d found that worked well for security. He wouldn’t have bothered Aquarius.

But she’d be dead if he hadn’t been around. Had she ever had so close of calls in the past? What if he were bringing her bad luck, or throwing her off so much she was losing her touch? He felt like such a terrible burden, reviewing the tapes from last night. He felt like she would do much better without him. But he’d made a promise. Perhaps, he noted to himself, he would fulfill that last promise and go back to the ocean. He’d thank her, for showing him how to read and count, how to change from a freakish human to a powerful merman, if he could even call himself a merman yet, and return to the sea. He would decline the offer of the two odd characters he played fetch for, and go explore the farthest expanses of the ocean. He’d seek out Atlantis, maybe even stay around if he were accepted. He was something interesting, certainly, but he wondered if it would impress the merpeople of the legendary, yet elusive, Atlantis.

Sighing, he found nothing odd in the tapes recordings, except his leaving the house and later bringing Aquarius back. Closing the computer, he gathered it and the cord up and under one arm, using his free hand to grab the rope he’d tied to the tree and slid down, returning to the house.

Aquarius saw him come back in and smiled, "Glad you back. Come have some breakfast. It isn't gourmet but it is tasty if I say so myself." She brought the ketchup bottle with her and sat down. She didn't know who all liked ketchup with their omelet, but she sure did. "So I was thinking of running to the library, meeting up with my contact there, introducing you, telling him what we know, and then going to the tea shop and double checking on if it is being watched. What do you say?" She paused, then decided she better say her whole mind. "Also, I'm sorry about our argument. I was wrong. Especially now. It seems that trouble is going after something big. So big that dark guilds are multiplying overnight. And someone is training their members. Those guys weren't just thugs. They were well trained. I've never run across the likes in my life. Something big is going down. I'm going to suggest that no member or informant of The Council go alone for awhile. It isn't safe. Just think, if it wasn't for you I woudn't be alive to pass on the warning. I'm rambling... look, I'm sorry okay. I really am. Things didn't go as planned, which I know happens. But I underestimated them. That was my second mistake. Not having someone to watch my back was my first. With that she looked down at her plate and began to angrily cut her egg to small pieces. "It is dangerous. It is adventure. The rewards for doing a good job are the best, and they are not material. Are you in? Despite all this... despite what happened to me..." she choked off there.