The Enhanced Ones (paused)

Ch. 12 Sage

I fight the urge to watch the woman walk to the street and quickly close the door. Pulling my hair back with a heavy scrunchy I hurry towards the bar area.

"Where have you been?" Frank growls at me as I come in from the back. "It's time for my cig break."

Without a word I walk behind the counter and assume my roll. I begin to collect abandoned glasses on the bar. Frank passes close to me and whispers. "Don't forget to smile." The smell of cigarret ash nearly makes me gag, but I just nod.

The near empty bar room echoes with the clink of glasses and whispers. To keep myself busy I grab the towel Frank had dropped I begin to wipe down the bar top. Someone steps up to the bar and takes a seat a short ways down. Glancing up I smile recognizing the small man right away. "Hey Bert, welcome back." I start to poor a beer for him but he shakes his head.

"Vodka."

"You okay?" I ask as I reach for the bottle and shot glass.

"Bad day at the office." He smiles grimly then takes the shot. "Leave the bottle." He says when another person walks up.

"What can I get fo-" My voice cuts off when I recognize the woman from the alley.

"Blue Moon." She smiles.

"Um I-I.D.?"

Her smile drops in an instant. "I don't have one."

"I'm sorry but-"

"Give the lady her drink." Frank growls from behind me. I jump then head towards the tap. Fighting the shake in my hands I bring her the beer. She doesn't even look at me when I place it infront of her. Instead she stares down the bar at the ever drunker Bert. Poor soul. His head hangs low with his short cropped hair normally immaculate in a terrible mess.

"What's his name?" She asks nodding towards Bert, her voice low.

"He's a good guy, leave him alone." I say in his defense unsure why I fear the woman across from me.

Her eyes swivel to me and they are so cold my entire body seems to freeze up. "If that's the man I think he is, you would not be so quick to come to his defense." She hops off her bar stool and santers towards Bert.

I turn away and go out to the tables. I go to check on Hal, one the regulars. He always sits in a back corner nursing a scotch. "How ya doin today Hal?" I ask letting my mask slip a little.

His glassy eyes roll around the room before falling to me. "There's my Sage. Oh how am I? I'm as well as ever!" He winks then takes a shot. "Sit." He points to a chair beside his.

"Can't Frank'll kill me." I say with a laugh.

"Psh! I'll kill 'im first." Hal says laughing at his own wit. I pat his shoulder in farewell, then using a fresh towel from a nearby shelf I wipe down a few tables that were reciently used. The song that was playing on the JuteBox ends bringing the room to a quiet calm as the few occupants of the bar sit enjoying the quiet escape from the fast pace of the city outside.

Suddenly the sound of shattering glass fills the air. I swivel to face the bar and feel my mouth drop open in shock. The woman from the alley is towering over Bert crushed glass all over the bar with spilled vodka dribbling over the edge.

"Hey! What is the meaning of this?" Frank bellows rushes over. Before he can reach the woman an invisible force throws him back into the bottle racks behind the bar. His heavy body slumps to the ground and I try to feel pity for him, but can't. Instead I run over to where Bert now stands with a pistal pointed at the woman.

"What are you doing Bert?" I ask my voice trembling. "She is unarmed!"

Bert's glazed eyes look slightly up at me before training back on the woman. "They are never unarmed. I have been hunting this one for awhile."

"Oh please." The woman snarls and crosses her arms. "You didn't even know what I looked like."

"Didn't need to." Bert smiles and I take a step back. "All I need to know is that you're a hot head that can't control her anger or her abilities."

"Wanna test that theory?" The woman glances at me then and winks. I gasp as the woman lunges for Bert.

I watch as he squeezes the trigger and nothing happens. "What?" Her fist smashes into his face and he rocks back slightly. She backs up immediatly and I stare as I realize that her feet aren't touching the ground.

"What? How?" My eyes dash from her face to the empty space beneath her feet. "How?"

"Ask your friend Bert." The woman says pointing a pale finger at Bert who has is rubbing a slight red mark on his face.

"Ask me what?" Bert kneels down as if to tie his shoes.

"You know."

"No, I don't think I do. Remind me." Right as the woman is about to speak Bert whips out an ankle pistol and fires.

"No!" I scream and jump to block the bullet. I question my sanity as soon as my feet leave the ground, but my fear is fleeting. Right as the bullet should have entered my body a sensation of pillowed air surrounds me and I am lifted to the ceiling. My body suddenly changing directions hits to hard and my arm strikes a socket for one of the florescent lights and I see stars.