The Second Moonlark: A KotLC Fanfic

Chapter Two (Screaming: The Best Aspirin Around!)

A.N. Everyone, this next elf is my own- also Glitch. Just raising the red flag for you. Also, in this fanfic, Trix and Umber (both first appearance Neverseen) were married, before Umber died.

Sonia Nox had a headache.

It was the kind of thing her mother, Umber, would have said to harness. To pull it in and use it according to her will.

But Umber was dead.

So, she followed her father's instruction when things got tough:

"YAAAAAAARGGGHHHH!"

Scream.

"EEEEEEEEEEAAAAAGH!"

Scream so the whole compound could hear.

"What is that dreadful racket?" Lady Gisela stormed through the open door to Sonia's small room, her Neverseen cloak billowing behind her. Sonia smirked- Ruy and her had an ongoing competition about who could make Gisela the angriest, and it looked like she just won. The only other thing she had ever heard Gisela describe as dreadful was her son, Keefe, although the way Sonia normally completed training exercises came close.

"Nothing. Just me letting out my headache." Gisela sighed heavily, rubbing her own growing migraine.

"You Vociferators. Well then, save it for the Black Swan." She swept back out of the room, leaving Sonia to her own devices. Literally.

Sonia was a Technopath as well as a Vociferator, which meant that she could speak to technology and manipulate it. She had long been the Neverseen's tech provider, and it helped that the Black Swan had never seen her platinum-blond-haired, indigo-eyed face. They would have loved to know who she was, though.

"Hey, Soni! What're you working on?" It was the new recruit, Glitch, and she was teaching him ways to use his Technopath ability. She loved his energy, especially on a stressful day like this.

"I'm trying to make a device that'll mess with the tracking feeds on the registry pendants the bad elves wear. Do you want to keep building your daggers?" The younger elf nodded, and she pushed his tray of sharp parts over to him.

As they chatted with the tech and each other, Sonia felt a buzz in her implanted communication device. Gisela, had to be. She stood up, pushing her chair away from the table.

"Sorry, Glitch. Gisela wants to bother me again. I don't know when I'll be able to be in touch again, so just keep building."

"'Kay. Don't get killed out there." He nodded, and Sonia stepped out the door.

Into whatever mission that she had to accept.

*****

"Took you long enough."

Sonia was sitting in the Roundroom, the highest-ranking meeting room, with the rest of the Shadow Council. The Shadow Council was made up of Gisela, Vespera, Brant, and Fintan, before two of them died. Right around that time, Static, the Technopath who trained her, died in a raid. As the senior Technopath, she was required to be there, even if she didn't particularly enjoy it.

"Yeah, well, I have an apprentice to assist in building his first weapons. So, I think I have a right to take my time, given that he was known for getting injured before we took him in." Fintan snorted, at almost the exact same time that Gisela sighed.

"Very well. Let's get on with the meeting. Do any of you have any information to report?" Fintan raised his hand and cleared his throat.

"The Moonlark's kidnapping was a success." Gisela and her nodded. Sonia would have wondered why she didn't know about this, but she stopped herself. The different cells of the Neverseen almost never knew what the others were up to- it was nothing personal, really. She apprehensively tugged out an eyelash as the other members shared a significant glance. Fintan finally spoke up.

"Sonia, we have a field mission for you." She sat forward, intrigued.

"Why me?"

"We all are either too old for Foxfire, or would be recognized. Ruy cannot, given the exposure he has had to the Moonlark's band. Also, your unique abilities give us an advantage that... Well, let's just say you'll be spying." Sonia nodded, quietly excited. Her calling in the Neverseen was espionage, and she was quite good at it- She always came back with the most information during practice runs. Her Technopathy made it easy to make and use bugs, along with other skills.

"Will I be using an assumed name?"

"No one knows you exist except us, so no. We'll set you up with a way to the Foxhole, and you have always looked older than you are. That'll work to our advantage."

Sonia nodded, and the meeting was adjourned.