Demons and Saints

Evan smiled not knowing the implications of that and tossed the one he had grabbed onto the floor. He lowered down again to continue kissing her and before long their bodies became embroiled into a fight for dominance and a contest on who could bring more pleasure to the other. After over a half an hour, a good deal of energy spent and their bodies covered in sweat, they finally collapsed beside one another. Evan was pleased to see that Natalya was panting to catch her breath just as much as he was. Evan had become quite a good and generous lover, something he would not admit that his mother had coached him on when he became of age. An altogether embarrassing time for him, but he appreciated that knowledge now as Natalya seemed to require a lot of effort on his part to reach those places that sent her moaning or into a frenzy of passion. His sheets were dark gray in color and not silk but of a soft, expensive thread of cotton. His damp, jet black hair of waves was pressed down in a mass upon his pillow as his chest rose and fell as he tried to get his breath back.

He felt she owed him but he wanted her to know he was far from a slouch when it came to making love to a woman. He could have just let her pleasure him but somehow he wanted to pleasure her too. He couldn’t possibly already have feelings for her, could he? Certainly not! She was a cold, programmed assassin! Could she even come to love someone? He wasn’t certain of that at all.

“Well, that was fun,” he said in between breaths as he drew his arms up and laid his head down upon his hands. “Just a couple hours…” he said sleepily and yawned once more. The headache was subsiding but his back and the back of his legs felt like he’d been hit over and over with a leather belt from that grenade.

Natalya had been quite impressed by Evan’s abilities in bed. He was far more generous than most of the men she had been with over the years. Most men didn’t care about her pleasure and she had been used to only sleeping with a man to get information. She herself had been very well taught on pleasuring men and after being raped several times during training she was prepared for anything. Her orgasm had been far more intense than she had planned on and she had moaned and gripped the sheets under her until her knuckles had turned white. Afterwards she and Evan both collapsed with struggling to catch their breaths. It had been nice to find someone who could keep up with her in bed and offered a challenge to her. She was left feeling exhausted and slowly drifted off to sleep next to him.

...Several hours later Evan might be awoken by the sounds of someone talking. Next to him Natalya was asleep but wasn’t sleeping restfully. She was tossing and seemed upset and was muttering in Russian. She almost seemed to be pleading with someone and she trembled against him.

Evan had fallen into a light sleep but he was awakened by the sounds of someone talking. A woman’s voice and not in a language he could understand. He shifted in the bed to look over at Natalya and saw her arms holding herself and her body trembled like she was frightened. He knew better than to shake someone awake. If she were in a state she might kill him. He didn’t wish to die, not by her hands especially so he leaned over and stroked the side of her face softly with his thumb. He kissed her cheek lightly.

“It’s alright Natalya, its just a dream,” he murmured in between his kisses as he tried to console her.

Natalya moved faster than anyone Evan had ever seen before. Before he would have realized what was happening she had awoken and had him pinned on the bed under her. She didn’t seem to recognize him at first but she slowly blinked and awoke fully. She released him as the memories of her dream faded away.

“Sorry,” she said as she moved off of him. “I...I am not used to sharing a bed with anyone.”

Evan felt at his neck to make certain that he wasn’t bleeding as she got off of him. He was right, she was fast and he cleared his throat as he cleared the moment of complete surprise from his face. “Well, I guess I can’t expect you to be completely housebroken in just a single day. That will take time I think,” he said as he shifted to get out of bed. He yawned and scratched his left
butt cheek as he lazily headed toward the bathroom. He relieved himself, going back to sleep after that was not going to happen! He decided he’d take a shower. They couldn’t stay there forever. Eventually someone might just have a look just incase and he didn’t want to be there when that happened. He hoped that she’d join him but wouldn’t push the issue as he lathered up a washcloth and began to wash his body.


“We’re going to have to get you some clothes!” he said hoping she’d hear him. “There is a mall nearby that should work. Dying your hair blonde might help too,” He added as he rinsed out the washcloth.

Natalya watched as Evan got out of bed. He headed towards the bathroom and after relieving himself she heard the shower turn on. She heard him, but she didn’t respond right away. Instead, she stood and walked into the bathroom. His shower was a large, and all glass enabling them to look at each other for a moment before she entered the shower and closed the door behind her. As they stood under the rain head faucet they began to kiss heavily. She managed to pull back enough to speak to him.

“Yes, to the clothes, but no to bleaching my hair,” she said in a way that would let him know there was to be no argument about it.

It had been a while since Evan had been with a woman. Natalya wasn’t just any woman though. Every part of her was as if engineered for grace, finesse and beauty. He took her in the shower making use of the polished stone of the wall as she wrapped her legs around his middle. She seemed to enjoy having sex with him. At least he hoped she did and wasn’t just putting on some act like she was trained to do. He didn’t need to be seduced. She didn’t ‘need’ to employ any of her wiles on him. But that didn’t mean she didn’t anyway, he just hoped she didn’t.

After he helped her wash her hair and body and helped dried her hair after they got out of the shower. “I’ll make us some pasta before we leave,” he said as he left her to finish up in the shower. He moved into his walk-in closet and began to go through all of his clothes. He had no pants that would fit her but he grabbed a few t-shirts and an older black, leather jacket that he thought would be just big enough on her to be a fashion statement. He had all sorts of baseball caps so he found a plain black one and tightened it up a little for her as well. He brought it all to the bed and saw through the bathroom door that she must have found his unopened toothbrush.

Evan put on his usual black cargo pants and black boots but didn’t put a shirt on yet as he began to make the sauce for the pasta. He started water to boil and tossed the salt into it. He cut tomatoes and opened the cans of tomato sauce and paste then began to add the spices. There wouldn’t be enough time for it all to properly season but it would be good enough for noodles. He knew he didn’t need to tell her to keep her head down when in public places. There was alot he knew he didn’t need to tell Natalya, she was better trained at this than he was. But he still couldn’t help worrying about it though. She was not herself and when people were out of sorts they did odd things sometimes. It wasn’t long before the whole room smelled like the tomato sauce he was making and it smelled delicious. He tasted it with a spoon and then nodded. He had made it so many times he knew he had it right.

After getting out of the shower, Natalya towel dried her hair. There was no hair dryer so she would have to let it air dry. She used his robe and began to go through drawers until she found an unused toothbrush and some toothpaste. She brushed her teeth, trying not to think too hard about everything that was happening. Whenever she did she felt a tightness in her chest. Her entire life had been shattered and she was frantically trying to figure out how to put it all back together. She was an agent who followed orders and without orders she felt confused and unsure of what to do. Her entire life had been tightly controlled, but now she would have to think for herself and that terrified her.

She had to put back on the same panties and bra she had been wearing before. They were black lace and she could see Evan watching her from the corner of his eye as he continued to cook. She could smell the food, but it didn't excite her. Food was fuel and nothing more. She slipped back on her black pants and put on the grey tee-shirt Evan had laid out. It was a little big on her so she tied it on the side to make it look more feminine. She then put back on her black, leather boots. Even without any makeup, Natalya was exquisite. She didn't need it. Her skin was unblemished and the color of expensive porcelain. Her lashes were dark and long and her lips and cheeks had a natural rosy tint to them. She walked into the kitchen and poked through his cupboards until she found a glass. She got some water and took a sip.

"So, are your parents mutants as well?"

The question was as a big surprise as how good she looked just then. She smelled clean and her hair, still damp had a silky, shiny look to it. Her pants weren’t so obvious now that she wore the shirt. The jacket would help even more. “I’m not certain I want to answer that question,” he said as he strained the noodles. “Why don’t we keep it simple between us for a bit alright? I am willing to help you acclimate to not always having someone in your ear telling you what to do. I’ve worked like that a few times. Can’t say I liked it much,” He said honestly as he put some noodles onto a plate and then added some sauce then sprinkled parmesan cheese on the sauce.

“Normally, I’d have a little wine with this but I don’t have any at the moment suitable for this meal,” He said as he made himself a plate. “You can sit Natalya,” he said and put her plate in front of the chair on the opposite side of the island. The cupboards were a dark gray and the top was a dark, almost black, shiny concrete. He twirled his fork into the noodles and then deftly brought it into his mouth. He chewed slowly, savoring the texture of the noodles and the taste of the sauce. He nodded and shrugged to the taste. It was passable though it needed much more time. Time they didn’t really have.

Natalya watched Evan closely. Her intense training had forced her to always be aware of what was happening in a room and even though she and Evan had slept together twice now in less than four hours she was still wary and on edge.

"I don't drink alcohol," she replied when he apologized about not having any suitable wine. The SSB had kept close tabs on what she consumed and her body was meant to remain clean and unimpaired at all times. She had never touched alcohol or anything with high amounts of sugar or fat. She ate lean protein, vegetables, and fresh fruit. She didn't drink caffeine and stuck to water or un-caffeinated tea. She had only had pasta a few times and as she sat she watched Evan as he dished out their plates. She felt wrong eating this and she hesitated, but she was hungry...very hungry and she had to eat something. She finally picked up her fork and began to eat. Natalya ate robotically and without passion or seeming to even really taste the food. She ate quickly, though still with grace, but there was no real connection between her and food.

Evan could only watch her for a few moments before he stopped eating and held up his hands. “Ok, stop please Natalya,” he said and saw that she didn’t understand the problem. “That’s home-cooked pasta there and a pretty decent marinara sauce. You could try to enjoy it, at least. There’s no hurry and no one is expecting anything from you right now,” He said with a smile. He didn’t want her to think he was calling her down, both his expression and tone of voice didn’t sound like that. Instead it was an amused smile and his words were encouraging.

“I won’t say that I’m some kind of expert on food or drink but you might find that food can be an enjoyable experience if you use your senses,” he said and smiled warmly at her. His mother was big on making those she cooked for enjoy their meals. Even strangers. When you ate at his mother’s table, and few who had been at it once would balk at the chance to put their feet under it again, she made certain it was a feast of the senses.

“For some, a man making a good meal for a woman is considered an aphrodisiac,” Evan explained. And then there was a small twinge that tickled something in his head. The shadows in the alley that ran along one side of the building told him all he needed to know. Someone was coming. He didn’t know who or why but he didn’t want to be seen here. His expression changed abruptly.

“We need to go...get your jacket and anything else you think you’ll need,” He said quickly and took her plate and emptied it and his too into the disposal. He tossed the dishes into the dishwasher and quickly cleaned up the pans he used and disposed of the sauce and noodles.

“Pull out the box under the bed please,” He said as he finished up. “The code is 429547,” he said The box was black and large. When she got around to sliding it out and entering the code she’d open it to find all kinds of weapons. Handguns, knives, sub-machine guns, and even a rifle that could be disassembled and used as a sniping weapon. There were also a few frag grenades and 2 camera scramblers. “Take what you need,” he said. ‘But hurry, we need to go, now,” he said in a more urgent tone.

Natalya looked up when Evan asked her to stop eating. She blinked in confusion and attempted to understand what was wrong. She was eating. She had made no comment about the food and so she didn't see what the problem was. Food was something to be eaten to give fuel for her training or missions. That is the way it always had been. It was a foreign concept for her to consider food anything more than that. However, before she could say anything her senses told her that something was wrong. Her eyes changed and she switched immediately into agent mode. She quickly moved over and grabbed the black leather jacket and put it on along with the black cap. When Evan told her to pull out a box under the bed she did as he instructed and entered in the code. When she opened the box she found it contained numerous weapons. She was familiar with them all and wanted to take the entire box, but knew that wasn't possible. She spotted a duffle bag and she grabbed it and took as many weapons as she could and the appropriate ammo for the guns. She quickly slung the bag over her shoulder and nodded to Evan that she was ready to go.

Evan put on his own jacket and took one of the camera scramblers just incase he managed to miss them or he couldn’t cover them with shadows in time. He gestured for Natalya to come to him and when she did the shadows near them actually moved eerily as if they had minds of their own. The largest one seemed to suddenly have more depth than the others and Evan smiled as he reached out his hand toward her. Most people never understood his powers. How could anyone control a shadow? Or darkness? What was it? Unfortunately Evan couldn’t ever really explain it all very well either. He just could see and hear through them. Feel them and they’d warn him through some odd, simplistic fashion that they figured out all on their own.

As she took his hand he leaned toward her. “It’s alright Natalya,” He whispered and then he took a step back. Once he did she saw that he was moving into the shadow and all she could see was his wrist now as it held her hand. When she followed him the darkness seemed to swallow her up and then after another step they were somewhere else. Not in the apartment or the building at all. They were in an alley near a busy intersection in the city. Evan still held her hand and the sounds of the city around them filled their ears.

“Does the SSB have an office nearby, a safehouse or do we need to go to Russia?” he asked. “If we do I’ll have to get to my stash and get a passport. I can hide the weapons in pockets of shadows during the flight,” he said as he moved out toward the busy street to hail a cab. One pulled up, an older yellow car with more than a few dents but nothing new to Evan. He opened the door for Natalya then got in after her. Once he shut the door the driver sped off out into the street. He looked at her expectantly.

Natalya moved quickly over to where Evan was and seemed unsure when the shadows around them began to move as if on their own. This was all still very new to her and she didn't like things that she didn't understand. However, she was going to have to trust Evan...and that was entirely new to her too. She had been taught to trust no one, but as Evan took her hand into his own she somehow knew that she could trust him completely. It was a strange feeling...but also a nice one. No matter what they were in this now together and they would need to rely on each other to make it through. She took a deep breath and followed him through the darkness...

The first thing that Natalya heard was the sound of sirens. Blinking she quickly realized that they were on the street in an alleyway. She noticed that Evan continued to hold her hand even though they were out of the shadows. When Evan asked her about a possible SSB location in the city she hesitated. Giving away this information would truly mean that she was now an enemy to the very institution that had raised her. Evan would see the struggle in her eyes as they got into the cab. Finally though, she spoke...sealing her fate with the SSB.

"142 Westmore Street."

Evan squeezed Natalya’s hand and gave her an encouraging look. He turned toward the driver. “Drop us off 2 blocks from Westmore please,” Evan said and the cabbie just nodded. Evan fished into his pocket and drew out a 20 dollar bill. Westmore wasn’t really that far, too close for comfort infact. His shadow step had a maximum range when he didn’t know where he was going. That and it took a bit of time to sense shadows too so they’d have to case the place for a bit before they did anything anyway. Evan held her hand and rubbed her knuckles softly the entire time they were in the cab and he used shadows to dim the windows so there'd be no chance for anyone to pick them up on a camera. Once they reached their destination Evan handed the cabbie the 20 and then they exited onto the street.

He pulled her back away from the road and into a small coffee shop that looked like it had been here on the corner of Castle and Newbridge forever. There was only one waitress, an older woman in a white and pink uniform. She had menu’s in her hand and as he and Natalya took a seat in a booth she came and set down the menu’s and 2 waters. There were others there, 2 men at the bar and a couple in the booth behind Natalya. “2 Coffee’s please,” Evan said and the older lady just nodded.

Natalya’s senses, being who she was were keen. In an instant she took in the room, the exists and the smells. She smelled the cheap aftershave on one of the men at the counter, the flowery perfume on the woman in the booth behind her. The smells of the soup cooking and the grease in the kitchen. There were other things too, she noticed that one of the men at the bar was trained to fight and could handle himself just by the way he sat. She also noticed the small bulge under his coat near the crook of his back. He had a handgun in there. He idly looked over at them as they entered but his gaze lingered just a little too long on them, her especially. The man next to him looked like a truck driver and there was a large truck parked along the street near the shop. He was looking at his cell phone and he made a disgusted noise at it then turned to the other man.

“You know, They charged me $250 for this piece of shit,” He said though he spoke in Russian and her suspicions were confirmed.

Natalya's mind was already thinking of the Westmore branch and trying to recall every detail that she possibly could. She wasn't sure if they would find what they were looking for there, but it was a start. Natalya kept her gaze forward, though she remained aware of Evan's hand holding hers. The way he lightly caressed her knuckles was calming, though she remained ever vigilant. Neither of them spoke for the remainder of the cab ride and they exited on the right hand side of the vehicle several blocks from the building. There was a coffee shop and Evan led her inside. The restaurant was quiet with only a few people. They took a seat at one of the booths and the waitress brought over two menus. Natalya was too busy discreetly surveying her surroundings to tell Evan that she didn't drink coffee. At first nothing seemed amiss until her eyes fell upon the two men sitting at the counter. One glance was enough to tell Natalya that he had a handgun hidden beneath his jacket. She began to tell herself that that meant nothing, but the way he looked at her raised her suspicions even more. However, it wasn't until the man next to him began to speak in Russian that she knew they were SSB agents. It was impossible to know all of the agents employed by the SSB. There were far too many, but all of the SSB agents knew of her. This put her in an extremely dangerous situation now that she had become their number one target. She knew that she couldn't say anything to Evan, but she needed to get his attention. She lightly tapped his leg under the table with her foot so he would glance up at her. When he did she motioned ever so slightly with her head to the two men at the counter all while looking at the menu so as not to alert them to the fact that she knew who they were. They needed to get out, but Natalya was prepared to fight if necessary.

Evan hadn’t really noticed anything unusual about the two men but when Natalya alerted him to them his first thought, his first worry was that she would kill everyone in this coffee shop. He couldn’t know for certain though and somehow that made it all worse.

“No. There is another way,” he whispered nervously. He wasn’t afraid. Evan couldn’t feel real fear but he didn’t like people dying unless it was absolutely necessary. The problem was that he didn’t know how to avoid this...this travesty from happening. He saw Natalya move her hand by how her shoulder and upper arm were angled. He gave her those weapons and he was going to be responsible for the deaths at her hands.

A little voice in his head kept telling him that they were SSB agents so it didn’t matter but to him it did matter. Death was final unless you were a god and he didn’t want to kill these men. And then the thought came to him…

The shadows in the main room began to create a gray fog. Evan grinned his usual knowing grin as he looked at Natalya. “It’s alright, I’ve got this,” he said almost pleased in his tone. And he was pleased as the two men only just stood up where they were and remarked about what was happening. Shadows swallowed them and also himself and Natalya.

Natalya would feel the booth seat give way beneath her and the voices of everyone wondering what’s happening echoing in her ears. A few moments later the darkness lifted and it was just the 4 of them in an empty video store that had recently closed. There were shelves everywhere and boxes as well. Evan had to work quickly to change what he was doing to command the darkness to subdue those 2 men. Moving 4 took real effort on his part and sweat beaded up on his forehead already. Bonds of darkness took hold of the men’s wrists and he hoisted them up over their heads.

He tilted his head and looked st Natalya…”Well?” He said. “You’re up.”

Evan hadn’t really noticed anything unusual about the two men but when Natalya alerted him to them his first thought, his first worry was that she would kill everyone in this coffee shop. He couldn’t know for certain though and somehow that made it all worse.

“No. There is another way,” he whispered nervously. He wasn’t afraid. Evan couldn’t feel real fear but he didn’t like people dying unless it was absolutely necessary. The problem was that he didn’t know how to avoid this...this travesty from happening. He saw Natalya move her hand by how her shoulder and upper arm were angled. He gave her those weapons and he was going to be responsible for the deaths at her hands.

A little voice in his head kept telling him that they were SSB agents so it didn’t matter but to him it did matter. Death was final unless you were a god and he didn’t want to kill these men. And then the thought came to him…

The shadows in the main room began to create a gray fog. Evan grinned his usual knowing grin as he looked at Natalya. “It’s alright, I’ve got this,” he said almost pleased in his tone. And he was pleased as the two men only just stood up where they were and remarked about what was happening. Shadows swallowed them and also himself and Natalya.

Natalya would feel the booth seat give way beneath her and the voices of everyone wondering what’s happening echoing in her ears. A few moments later the darkness lifted and it was just the 4 of them in an empty video store that had recently closed. There were shelves everywhere and boxes as well. Evan had to work quickly to change what he was doing to command the darkness to subdue those 2 men. Moving 4 took real effort on his part and sweat beaded up on his forehead already. Bonds of darkness took hold of the men’s wrists and he hoisted them up over their heads.

He tilted his head and looked st Natalya…”Well?” He said. “You’re up.”

Natalya tensed up and was ready to fight if necessary. She knew that if she and Evan got up to leave that these men would attack and if she began to fight she couldn’t guarantee that the innocent people in the restaurant would leave unharmed. She shifted slightly and started to reach into the duffle bag to grab a weapon. However, before she could pull out a gun Evan told her that there was another way. She looked at him questioningly but before she could say anything she saw the shadows close in around them.

When the shadows cleared she saw that she, Evan and the two men were together in an empty store. The men’s arms were bound by the shadow tendrils and she eyed them slightly. When Evan told her that she was up she glanced at him before taking off the baseball cap and tossing it aside. She also took off the jacket and placed it aside. She slowly walked over to the men and crossed her arms over her chest.

“How did you find me?”

The two men grunted and struggled a bit in futility in their bonds. Being suspended like this was not comfortable at all and the one who looked like he drove a truck seemed to calm himself sooner than the other. Natalya didn’t know them by name but the one that looked like a mobster with his thick, leather jacket, bald head and thick body, scowled at her as he laughed.

“You think I expected you to come into that coffee shop? You give me too much credit Sokolova! Now let me go!” He growled. The other man said nothing though he knew Natalya from reputation only. He whimpered feeling as if he wasn’t going to get out of this alive.

Natalya wasn't sure she believed him. She calmly walked over to the duffle bag and pulled out one of the handguns. She loaded it and then turned and shot the man in the leg. Her aim was perfect and she made sure to keep him alive. She walked back over to him. The entire time she remained cool as cucumber. Her intense training was coming out and though she wanted to just kill both men, she knew that she needed them alive...for now.

"Now, let's try this again. How did you find me?"

The man growled and struggled against his bonds again. “You fuckin bitch!” He said in Russian. “We were told to watch for you! And that’s all!” He said as spittle flew from his mouth in an angry hiss.

“Just sit and wait was all!” The other man blurred out in hopes that she’d not turn her violent attentions to him. When she looked at him he tried to turn to face her but the bonds of shadow didn’t move much so he had to turn painfully to look into her face. “That’s all we were told! I swear it!” He said in desperation. The other man who was bleeding now kicked at him. “You spineless worm!” He spat in anger and outrage at the cowardess of the man.

Evan only watched. The bonds had a structure above them to hold the men up so he didn’t need to maintain his creation as strongly as he did initially. He crossed his arms and stood back into the shadows and hoped they’d not remember too much about him. If she let them live at leaat.

Natalya wasn't phased by the man's reaction and barely blinked as he cursed at her. Her attentions turned to the other man, however, when he told her that they had been ordered to sit and wait for her. She now knew that this man was the one she needed to speak to. He clearly was afraid of her after seeing what she had done to his companion and she decided to use that to her advantage. She walked over to stand in front of him, but kept the handgun out and unlocked.

"How did they know I would come there specifically and what were your orders after you found me?"

The man trembled and his eyes were close to a crazed, fear induced frenzy. Ofcourse Evan was using his fear generation on him since he appeared the more susceptible of the two. He swallowed hard as if his mouth had gone bone dry.

“Uh...they gots some sorta super who can see...you knows...what’s gunna happen,” he said in a soft voice. “You shut your trap Pavol! You shut it right now!” The bleeding man shouted and he tried to kick him again. Pavol only tried to brace for the blow but just kept right on talking. “But it ain’t perfect is the thing. Says there’s somethin blockin em err interfering or sumpthin like that,” he said as he tried to pull every bit of information he could out of his skull. He didn’t want to die!

Natalya completely ignored the other man and kept her focus on Pavol, though, as always, she remained vigilant of her surroundings. She could sense that Pavol was telling the truth, as far as he knew it, and he was proving to be rather informative. She couldn't help but wonder how much more information he knew. Natalya was curious about this "super" but she could sense he didn't have any more information about him.

"Thank you Pavol for your honesty. I greatly appreciate it," she told him, hoping he would relax a little and let whatever other information stored in his brain come free. "Now, have you ever heard any information about the "Dark Matter Filament?"