Sliiissssshhhhhhhh…

Jarred's sword cut cleanly through the wooden post that he had erected in the middle of a grassy field. The sun shone brightly down into the valley as the sound of the river flowing gently down stream wafted through the air. Redwoods lined the hills surrounding the valley, as well as ring the field he stood in. Under the cover of those redwoods sat a simple cabin, with a barn next to it.

Jarred hefted his new sword in his hands, examining it. It had held up to the slash, and he had indeed done an excellent job of forging it. He missed his old katanas, but there was no way he could've gone back for them. They had barely gotten out as it was. So, he needed new swords.

He looked at the inscription he had put on it. It was simply two letters: JJ. The other sword he had left in his workshop in the barn, as it was not quite finished yet. He would put the finishing touches on it tonight. But, it should hold up to the first sword just as well. Then, he had to work on replenishing his supply of shurikens, as he had to leave those behind as well.

Jarred held his sword aloft, and started going through the motions of his exercises. He needed to get familiar with his new sword, learn how to wield it. Every sword is different, even if the seemed to be the same. He needed to learn how well the sword was balanced, so he can use it effectively to enact vengeance on the one who had brought him pain. He was there in San Francisco, though who knows where he is now. But, he knew who employed him, & he knew the organization that employed him well. When he was ready, he will find his prey, and the prey will die and vengeance will be served. But first, he had to get ready.

He finished one last slice, before looking back towards the house. One of the twins, Sherry, was lazily striking the training dummy he had built for her training. She was wearing very short and tight training shorts and a tank top, which showed a lot of her tanned skin. She had been out sunbathing every chance the sun came out, even when she should've been practicing and training. She had potential as a fighter, being very gifted and coordinated. She just lacked the motivation to apply herself, as it came so easily for her.

He tried to apply her, to motivate her, but her utter contempt for him drove her to not pay heed to him. Nevertheless, she did listen to his lessons, and had picked up the rudiments of his style. But she didn't apply herself to perfect his lessons. The only time she ever practiced them was when she was sparring with him, but he suspected she enjoyed hitting him, or at least attempting to hit him. She was very strong, stronger than he had read in his report back when he was hunting her. That concerned him, because if her powers continued to grow, she could become one of the more powerful Paranormals he knew of. And with her carefree attitude, that could be dangerous.

He looked over to the barn, where the other sister was working on making the old tractor work. She was dressed more conservatively, wearing coveralls and a brown t-shirt. She had grease all over her, as she examined everything carefully, seeing how it's suppose to work, and then figure out why it wasn't working. Jarred sighed.

Terry had been eager to learn what he had to teach, but had a hard time with even the simplest maneuver. She had practiced and practiced, but still couldn't get her body to do it right. She was a bright girl but was not really that adept at physically coordinated activity. She had finally given up and started studying her intellectual endeavors. But, as he had no books out here and no access to the Internet, she had started to occupy her time by tinkering with stuff around the place, the tractor being the latest.

He honestly didn't know what to do with her, as he had no idea how to train a Psi. He knew that she was a powerful one, and was picking up on her abilities pretty fast, but he didn't have to deal with Psi in his department. They had their own training program and served a different function. He had gotten a washed up Psi who had "lost the glow", but he was able to forge him into a decent swordsman, before he went Rogue.

Alan…he was out there. If he could find him, he could train her. He had gone through some of the training. He would have a better idea how to train her than Jarred did. But Alan, like Jarred, knew how the PCU operated, and how to avoid detection by them, which wasn't easy.

He glanced back over to Terry, who had just ducked her head under the tractor. Another problem he had with her was that she was shy, and avoided speaking to him. Not a problem Sherry had, as she would argue with him whenever the opportunity presented itself. And Jarred avoided talking to Terry as well. Because she knew, had experienced his deepest, most hidden nightmare. He didn't know what to say to her, really. What could he say?

Terry ducked back underneath the tractor, her face red with embarrassment. He had to have seen her that time. Why did she continue to sneak glances at him? He wasn't that handsome. But there was something about him that she found intriguing, that she always found intriguing.

Its because I can't really see into his mind as easily as most people.

But she had been inside his head before. That had been a frightening experience. What had happened to her? No, it happened to whoever he was remembering; she was only thrust into that role. But why?

She looked over to the wrench she needed, reached out her hand, and with her mind, pulled the wrench to her hand. As she tightened the nut, her mind wandered to the only other individual who was able to escape her telepathic might, though not her telekinetic might. She didn't even know his name.

For some reason, she didn't like him. Maybe it was because he had broken the glass of the illusion that had surrounded her life. That she was no longer free to live her life, as she wanted. That she was now hunted by probably the most powerful organization in the world, if anything Jarred had said was true. But, she trusted Jarred because she was able to see into his true self.

The man in the white gi…

She put the wrench down and closed her eyes. Her mind went back to her experience in Jarred's head. She felt her body shudder as she ventured into that memory. She pulled herself back from the memory, as if she was watching it on a movie screen. There was the shadow man, with the silver glint of his blade protruding from his left hand. His hollow, void eyes staring at her, with such a cold viciousness that made her shudder again.

From her seat in the theatre, she took out a bright flashlight, and shone it on her attacker. The shadows fell away, and in her head, she imagined that it was the Asian man she hated so. If she hadn't needed his help to get her sister out, she was tempted to crush his bones with her mind. He claimed he was following orders in freeing her, but he didn't feel like one who would take orders easily. He seemed more like someone who gave orders.

She glanced across the way, where Sherry was hitting the training post, with a greater intensity than she had been a few minutes ago. Sherry pulled her fist back, and landed it into the post, breaking it into two. She stood there a second, before Jarred walked up to her. Sherry swung her fist around to strike him, only to have Jarred block it easily. She then screamed something at Jarred, which Terry couldn't make out, and then stalked off into the cabin. Jarred stood there a second before turning in Terry's direction. Terry ducked her head back under the tractor.

Sherry hadn't been the same since they rescued her. She and Jarred were always at each others throats. Sherry resented Jarred taking over, being the one in command. Their parents had always given Sherry a lot more freedom, and now Jarred was taking that freedom away from her. Up here, she had no friends, nor would Jarred let her go out and make friends, if there were actually any teenagers within ten miles of them. It must've been harder on her than it was on Terry, as Sherry had a very active life before this all happened.

And, she got all the information Terry had gotten from the Asian man from Jarred. Maybe she was having the same kind of reaction to Jarred as she had to the Asian man. But, Terry knew that Jarred was a good man deep down, who was the victim of tragic circumstances. There was something she inherently didn't trust about the Asian man. She tried to talk to Sherry about it, but it went badly.

"You ok, Terry."

Terry was sitting by the river, watching the water pass by. She hadn't heard any footsteps approaching behind her. She turned and saw her own image, though scantily clad in a bikini.

"Aren't you cold in that thing."

Sherry shrugged, as she responded, "Not really."

Terry was wrapped up in her now worn brown jacket that she had gotten at Macys. It was worse to wear, particularly after being dragged through the bay wearing it. But, she had gotten attached to it. She felt comfortable in it.

Sherry laid out a towel next to Terry and stretched out to grab some sun.

"Aren't you suppose to be practicing those new maneuvers Jarred taught us?"

Sherry smiled.

"Suppose to be."

"Why aren't you?"

"Why should I do anything old scarface wants?" Sherry rebutted.

Terry turned to her sister.

"Scarface?"

Sherry sat up casually, rubbing some suntan lotion into her skin.

"Well, he has all those icky scars on his face. If it weren't for those, he wouldn't be that bad looking. He keeps his form fit, that's for sure."

Terry's face reddened a little at that comment. She had noticed Jarred's physique, and had admired it. But, she knew that Jarred's heart belong to another. But, she can dream.

"I don't know what you see in him," Sherry commented.

"What…do you mean," Terry stammered back, totally flustered.

Sherry smiled.

"C'mon, I've seen the way you look at him. You got a crush on him. Don't know why, as he's such a big asshole."

"He is not!" Terry blurted out.

"You do have a crush on him," Sherry said with a grin on her face.

Terry looked down at her boots.

"Well, he did get us out of that…"

"He left that poor guy that really helped us behind! He tried to kill us in Macys!"

Terry was taken back by the outburst. But then it hit her. That poor guy that really helped us. She had to mean…

"I don't trust that man."

Sherry smiled.

"Finally, you see things…"

"I meant the poor man we left behind," Terry interrupted.

"What?"

"There was something about him I didn't trust."

"Did you read his mind?" Sherry asked.

"His mind was closed to…"

"Then what do you know! You always avoided people, while I embraced them! I think I'm a better judge of character than you and I say he was a far better man than Jarred ever would be!"

And on that note, Sherry grabbed her towel and marched back up towards the cabin.

"Are you ok?"

Terry's mind snapped itself back into the present, as she looked up to see the muscular form of Jarred Jacoby standing over her. Terry smiled weakly as she crawled out from under the tractor.

"I'm fine. I was just…lost in thought."

Jarred managed to crack a smile.

"You seem to do that a lot."

His face straighten as he wrinkled his brow.

"Now that I think of it, you do do that a lot. Maybe I should teach you how to focus more."

Terry twisted her face in a puzzled look.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been having a hard time teaching you the combat style and maneuvers, but maybe what you really need is to learn how to meditate."

Terry looked up at him thoughtfully.

"Perhaps you are right. How do we begin?"

Jarred sat down on the ground, crossing his legs.

"Do as I do," he instructed Terry.

Terry followed suit and sat down across from Jarred, crossing her legs.

"Now, close your eyes…. and breathe."

Sherry looked out her window down at Jarred and Terry. They were sitting across from each other with their eyes closed. She shook her head and turned away from the window. She was still furious. She knew that the man, and she didn't even know his name, told her to go and leave him, and she felt it was right to do so, but she still can't stop blaming Jarred for it. It was ridiculous, when she thought about it. But nothing much made sense to her anymore.

It was bad enough when Jarred had explained what had happen to her. That she and her sister had manifested as Paranormals, with abilities beyond normal people, and that the organization that was hunting them captured and controlled that population, so as they wouldn't be a threat to the normal population. It was worse when it was told to her that she could never go back to her former life, as everyone who knew her believed her dead. A carwreck, if he remembered the file right. As if that made it better.

And the rules he placed over her, for her own protection. Not letting her go out and make friends, not to have a social life, but to stay here and to train and train. She was going nuts from the lack of a social life. She was not meant to be without friends and admirers. Particularly admirers. The only man around was Jarred himself.

Maybe that was why he kept her here and not let her go out. So she was his and his alone. Who wouldn't want to keep her to themselves? He was jealous and that she would find a life away from his endless training. Well, she was determined to foil him.

Sherry got up and looked out the window. Jarred and Terry haven't moved from their spot. Good, then maybe she had a chance to get out of here. She quietly slipped down the stairs and out the front door, which was on the other side of the cabin from the barn. She quietly and carefully took a couple steps, until she hit the open field. She turned her attention to across the field and started to run.

-Click-

Gaijin head jerked up from behind his camera, that had a telephoto lens mounted on it. His masked face ducked behind the camera again and tracked Sherry as she ran across the field. He saw a good shot, waited a half-second, and then pressed the button.

She's bolting, he thought to himself. And a fast mover as well, he added.

He stood up, the sun glinting off the darkened visor that covered his eyes. He picked up his camera and walked over to his pack that was sitting on the ground behind him. He put the camera away and pulled out a comm unit.

"Gaijin reporting, sir," he said into it.

A few seconds later, the ever-calm voice of Te Dee responded.

"Report."

"Sherry is making a run to get away. My observations indicate she was not taking to Silent Death's instruction."

There was a silence over the calm, as Gaijin calmly awaited the response he knew was coming.

"It appears that my hope he can train her was just that…a hope."

Gaijin nodded his head, as if Sifu was there, and can see him nodding in agreement.

"My observations tell me that she actually hates Jarred, and refuses to acknowledge him as an authority figure, and without authority, he can't really teach her the discipline needed to become a master we both know she can become."

"I see," Sifu responded, followed by another silence.

"Perhaps you could…" Gaijin started to suggest.

"In my position, that would be quite impossible. Besides, I wish her to be free out there. If she was in our environment, I couldn't hide the improvements we made to her."

There was a brief pause, before Sifu continued.

"Maybe it is time to increase their ranks."

Gaijin nodded.

"What do you propose?"