6.

Copper and I are on our way to retrieve my axe.

I know, I know. It's just an axe. Why go and get it at the risk of being caught by S.H.A.D.E.? It's probably been taken back at this point, anyway.

But it's mine, and I want it back. I want to take every piece of me back from them.

Besides. I haven't even used her yet.

Copper is the only one who agreed to come with me, and I don't blame the others. I was going to go alone, but when I finished showering after my electrocution fiasco and went down to the truck, he was already sitting in the driver's seat, waiting.

"No," I said to him. "I know how stupid this is. Let me do it on my own."

He shook his head. "No can do. We're a team, aren't we?"

A grin spread across my face at his words. "I thought this was a dictatorship?"

"Not anymore."

"Really? Isn't it unproductive?" I pressed, remembering how he always shut me out before.

He fought a smile, nodded for me to get in. I chuckled to myself as I did, first grabbing a gun from the truck bed.

We are now driving to Glenford Estates, to my old apartment. Copper pulls off into an unfamiliar street.

"Where we going?" I ask, crinkling my brow as I look around.

"Relax, I'm popping in to a friend's. We gotta ditch this truck."

I smile at him, excited. "For something faster?"

"Something practical, inconspicuous."

I'm disappointed, but that makes sense. "Can we trust this friend? Who is he?"

"She."

"Oh," I say, trying to hide my curiosity, "is she apart of S.H.A.D.E.?"

"In a sense. Works for the mechanics who provide cars for the Shades."

"Like Al's Impala."

His eyes slide my way, worried. "Yeah."

We drive until we reach a professional garage. I hear the sound of clanging metal and drills. There is a line up of cars set in a parking lot, prices marked on their gleaming windows.

Copper pulls the truck, like always, around the back of the building. Immediately, we are greeted by two sturdy looking men who emerge from the garage, smeared with oil and sweat. They smile warmly when they see Copper climb out of the truck.

I exit as well, feeling strange. I never considered that Copper had a life outside of S.H.A.D.E., that he had friends. But Copper is different from me, I realize. He still knows who Will is. In a way, he is still Will.

The bigger man with the salt and pepper beard claps him on the back when they reach each other. "Copper! How's it going?" he gives a toothy grin, exposing silver fillings.

There is a series of questions after this, a lot to do with S.H.A.D.E., which Copper is impressively able to answer without pause or even a hint that something is wrong.

"We just wanted to talk to Raza about exchanging cars. The truck is too noticeable for the mission we have coming up."

"Ah, that won't be a problem. She finished working on a Corolla there just the other day. It's not perfect, but probably will blend in nice," the other one, with a skull tattoo on his neck, says pleasantly. He smiles at us both, but then rests his eyes on me. "Who's this one?" he grins at me, offering a hand.

"My name is Ebony," I say, giving him mine.

"Hope old Copper's treatin' ya right. If not, you let us know. We'll handle him!" Both men laugh and I notice there's a faint blush on Copper's cheeks.

This makes me laugh along with them. Despite their looks, these men seem kind-hearted, and I instantly like them.

"Copper?" I hear a girlish voice call.

We all turn our focus to the girl coming out of the garage. She's got light brown hair that sweeps elegantly out of her face, but this is the only dainty thing about her. She wipes her oil stained hands on a rag as she walks towards us, wearing a white tank top that is discolored from work and jeans that are ripped at the knees. Yet somehow, this look doesn't come off as ragged, and it must be because of the way she carries herself, upright and confident.

She has a million watt smile on her face as she looks at Copper, and I quickly observe that Raza has a crush. I gnaw at my lip, trying to quell an uncomfortable feeling stirring within me, like when I seen him comparing me to Jade in his mind earlier today.

Copper had told me back in the desert that night that what he had with Jade was not love, but it seems that Jade haunts his mind always. It's evident now, because Copper greets Raza like she's a little sister, and I try not to take too much pleasure in the disappointment that flashes briefly across her face. Without a doubt, this whole jealousy thing is an ugly part of me that I am now discovering, and I don't like it at all. It's a petty and anxious thing.

"We need a new car, Raza," Copper tells her. "Neil says you just fixed up a Corolla?"

"Yup, and she's yours if you want her," Raza offers proudly, leaning out a hip. "Did her all up myself. It's nothing special, but it gets the job done." Her eyes flick my way, trying to get a read on me.

I give her a friendly smile, which softens her face before she returns it. She's a nice girl, and obviously smart too. I need to smarten up.

Raza takes us down the car lot to a navy blue Corolla, a simple little car. Perfect for going unnoticed. It doesn't stop me from staring longingly at the lime green Mustang down the line though. Raza follows my stare and elbows Copper in the ribs. "You're girlfriend's got good taste," she laughs. "You should glam it up once in a while."

Copper shakes his head at me. "You'll see, Ebony. Slow and steady is much better. Dependable."

"Whatever you say," I sigh wistfully, abandoning my dreams of racing off in style.

Raza gives us the keys, no questions asked or paperwork filed. After loading the arsenal of guns out of the truck and into the trunk of our new car, we drive straight off the lot. "I feel like shit for doing that to them. The bill's gonna be put in S.H.A.D.E.'s name, and they'll hear about it, but we needed this car."

I nod in agreement. "Yeah, especially going where we're going. You know, you can still head back. I can get my axe on my own."

"I'm coming with you. Someone's gotta defuse the situation."

"Excuse me? Are you saying I'm reckless?"

He throws me a look which says that's exactly what he's saying.

I harrumph in reply, but realize that he has a point. I need to tone it down a bit.

We reach Glenford Estates, and my heart palpitates in my chest.

I decide right then and there that this is the last reckless thing I will do. Once I have my axe, everything I do has to be calculated from here on out.

"Remember," Copper says, snapping into Sync mode, "Arnold would have been informed that you are a Necro Proxy agent, since that's what you told Silver. If he sees you, he will report you, and I'm sure this building is under surveillance already."

"You think they'd expect I'd come back?"

Copper lets out a laugh, "Just for an axe? Probably not. This is their territory after all."

"It's not just an axe to me."

He looks at me. "I know it isn't."

We park the Corolla around the street corner, walking around the side of the apartment Complex in search of a back entrance to the building. Of course, when we find one around back by the garage disposal, it's locked.

"Great," I mutter, kicking the door in agitation. "Maybe we should just forget it?"

Just then, we hear movement from the other side of the door. We duck behind the dumpster.

Gray walks out of the door. He's already lit a cigarette between his lips and begins pacing around, loosening his tie, and taking a drag per second it seems. He's clearly stressed.

Copper and I trade a look. I have no idea if Gray had a role in the execution of my Swatch. The last time we spoke was after we arrived at Reg's Front, just before my team and I were grabbed and dragged off into the basement to die.

I'm about to suggest we leave when Gray's cell goes off, and he whips it out of his pocket angrily. "What?" he barks, then takes a deep inhale of his cigarette. He listens for mere seconds before shouting, "I don't care! I don't give a shit if Rouge wants that little punk back. If I see Copper, I'm gonna put a bullet between his eyes."

I grit my teeth. I feel Copper still beside me, but when I look over, his face is not fearful. He looks pissed.

Gray stomps around some more, spouting out smoke from his mouth like a chimney. "Listen, listen. Get the girl, that'll draw him out. His family lives in the city as well. Just go grab her."

I grab Copper as he goes to lunge forward, shaking my head violently. We cannot expose ourselves right now.

"Fine, fine. Listen, they aren't coming back here, okay? Ebony isn't stupid. She knows this place is ours. Why would she come? Let me go get the girl. I'll get the job done."

He nods a little after. "Alright, I'll be reporting back." He hangs up, takes one more pull of his cigarette, and stomps it out. He throws the door open, going back inside the building. I race around and catch it right before it shuts.

I hold Copper at bay, knowing he wants to chase after Gray and tear him limb from limb, and count to ten slowly before allowing us to enter after him.

In the back hall, I whisper, "We go up to my unit, we get my axe, we go after Gray. Understood?"

He nods, looking determined. We take the stairwell up, my injured shin complaining the whole time. Once on my floor, I crack the door open to the hall. The coast is clear. We move to my door as fast as possible, and I put an ear against it, listening for any activity on the other side. Nothing.

I unlock the door, and we step in quickly, shutting it behind us. Surprisingly, my unit has not been emptied yet. I know that they wanted to wait and see if I'd come back.

Bellona is leaning up against the wall in the living room, right where I left her. I run over and grasp the handle, relishing the smooth feeling in my hands. "Okay," I say, "Let's go!"

We head towards the door, but a knock lightly taps on the other side. "Cara?" I hear Danny's familiar voice say, "Is that you?"

"Not this guy!" Copper groans. He takes my axe from my hands and moves around the corner, out of sight. "Get rid of him!"

I sigh, steel myself, and then open the door. I smile as best as I can. "Hey, Danny. How are you?"

Danny is standing there, concern all over his face. I see him take in my oversized clothing and freshly- beaten face. He shakes his head. "Cara, what's going on? Are you in some sort of trouble? There have been people asking about you, men in suits. They said to let them know of you returned."

Ah, crap. What to say?

"You know, Danny ... that I'm into axe throwing?... Well, some guys lost on a bet, that-- that this other competitor would beat me, so after I won, they've been pretty aggressive."

"What?" Danny's eyes widen in horror. "They did that to your face? We need to call the police!"

"I already have!" I say quickly, wishing he'd just go back to his apartment. Copper and I don't have time to be sitting around here. "Don't worry, it's all looked after. I was at the station the entire night. That's why I look like this."

He doesn't look like he believes me, but nods at my story anyway. "Okay, alright. If you need anything though, or you know, something scares you, just come over to my place, okay?"

I make myself smile, feeling really guilty for lying like this to him. He only wants to help. "Thank you, I appreciate that."

"Here, let me help you to the couch, at least. You're limping," he notes.

"Ah, yeah, sure," I say, attempting to sound nonchalant about my leg. I don't want him to somehow figure out that I was shot, even if it is just a graze. He'd alert the whole L .A. P. D.

I turn around, going to thank him again for all his help when I feel a sharp jab in my neck. I jerk away, turning back to him and bringing a hand up to the sting. Danny is holding a needle, and there's something different about his face now. It's lost the concern and is replaced by a sinister smile.

I back up, but my vision hazes, causing me to stagger. "Wha--?" My legs go weak, and I fall to the floor.

"Oh, Ebony," Danny sneers down at me, "You dumb bitch."