Postage paid by: “The Light and The Darkness” by Liana Devereaux Part 1 “Better watch out for yourself, Gab, ‘cause no one else will...” Another night of fitful sleep ended when the sun filtered through the dirty windows of the abandoned building. Gabrielle opened her eyes and stretched, shaking off the cover of drowsiness that threatened to overtake her. She rose, shaking dust off her jeans and tee-shirt, and crept quietly across the wooden floor to the window. Peeking out, she saw no one. *Thank God, they quit tracking me.* Lowering herself onto the pavement, she ran for the seclusion of the alleys. *I think I remember that fast-food joint’s around here.* Gabrielle’s stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten a decent meal in days. Turning the corner, she spotted the 24-hour restaurant that served those hamburgers passer-bys raved about. The place was deserted, besides the early-morning shift, and she took a booth nearest the back of the room. Ordering a coffee and a burger, she told herself to relax and enjoy the meal. Hiding was hard work, especially when you don’t know the area you’re in. Gabrielle had been to New York before, but that was a school trip and she wasn’t followed by government agents. She began to see the morning traffic taking residents of the city to work. Finishing up her meal, she quickly paid the bill and realized how low her money supply was becoming. *I’d better keep moving and save what I’ve got.* On the way out of the building, the head waitress gave her a small box of cookies. She said they were on the house. *Great, probably out of pity for my horrible state.* She needed some place for a hot shower and a nap. Wandering back onto the sidewalk, she chose the alleys again decided to go east. She still had to watch her back, they could be anywhere. She heard a yell from an open window above her. Sudden noises always startled her, and then her defenses went up. A shield of armor covered her body immediately. It began to radiate energy around her as she looked for the threat. Footsteps echoed near the street, slow, shuffled steps. The voice got louder as a person approached. Gabrielle inched her way to the end of the alley, towards the sounds. The steps stopped. “Who’s dere?”, a voice muttered. Gabrielle tried to calm her fear, but it got the best of her. With a gasp, she turned in the opposite direction and fled. Pounding steps behind her was evidence that the person had followed. *Run, girl, run!...* Weaving in and out of the alleys, Gabrielle tried to lose the figure who was now gaining ground. Finding a corner where the shadows were thick, she knelt down and prayed that they wouldn’t find her. The steps stopped. The figure spoke low, under their breath, and proceeded back towards the street. Gabrielle’s heart was pounding in her chest as she waited a few seconds to make sure they were gone. Crawling away from her hiding place, she checked the alley for signs of life. She found none. Realizing her armor was still up and the energy covering her might have given her away, she lowered her guard. How had they managed to find her in the city? She was sure she had eluded them three days ago. *All those tests, all that training...* Why was she so important to them? She knew there were other mutants around besides herself. She was just a regular teenager that happened to have awesome powers that she thought were rather cool. Was that so bad? The armor protected her against bullets, knives, and anything thrown at her. She was able to fly when the mood struck her, and use her energy aura against attackers. The people at the lab had said she’d be an addition to their team, but they first had to see what the range of her powers were. She hadn’t been there of her own free will. She was a prisoner there. Lost in thought, Gabrielle didn’t notice the figure had slipped back into the alley. It crept up behind her and quickly put a hand over her mouth. “Don’ move.”