Blood and Water
by Lisa L. (a.k.a Rift McCoy)
Chapter 2

It's been two months since she left her home at the orphanage and started a new life with Venom. To her it felt like one big happy family, despite the loses due to MASK interference.

Cliff Dagger, Bruno, and Sly Rax were like the brothers she never had. They were always quarreling about something. Every time they fought she would hide her giggling. Vanessa was more like her own mother in some ways, always looking out for her and teaching her. Thanks to her she now understood the complicated structure of Venom vehicles and their masks. She may not have her own, but she certainly knew how to repair them. Lastly there was Miles Mayhem, she spends most of her time staying out of his way. He seems to always be in a grumpy mood. Vanessa told her that he has a lot on his mind and it's always best to stay away. Specially since he doesn't like children. Although she doesn't have much of a relationship with him, she still likes finds ways to impress him.

She yawns as she helps Vanessa repair her vehicle Manta. "Gee Mask sure hit you good this time," she notices as she looks the car over.

"Yeah well if Bruno was watching my back, as he was supposed to, it wouldn't of happened," Vanessa threw a fit. Roxy smiled and shakes her head," Oh well, if I were watching your back I would never take off to pursue MASK, I'd wait, it would obviously be a trap."

"Roxy get over it Mayhem not going to give a 14 year old one of these," she throws a rag stained in oil at her. She catches it, " A girl can dream, can't she?" She sighs as she and Vanessa look under the hood, "It would be nice if for once I could go with you guys on a mission, instead of being stuck at base all the time."

Vanessa thinks of a nice way to put it, "Mayhem only doing it for your safety. What we do is no place for child like you, give it some time he'll put you on something eventually."

"Another thing," she places her hands on her waist," I don't understand why Mayhem keeps trying to steal some old statues or rotted old maps. Sure he wants to get rich, we all do. I thought he was planning to destroy Mask." "Well these things..uhh take time..and well umm...," Vanessa wasn't sure how to reply.

"Because I need to know how to make my ultimate weapon without Mask interference," Mayhem said in a loud booming voice. Both of them hit their heads on the hood as they look up at him. Roxy was a bit stun, she shouldn't of opened her mouth,

"Uh Mayhem, sir I didn't know you were there."

Mayhem didn't look amused with her previous statement," We're having a meeting in 30 minutes be there." He walks off looking for his other members, while mumbling something under his lip.

"You know he creeps me out sometimes he never smiles," She looks to Vanessa.

"I've seen him but that's only before you know what spoils it," both finish off the car and walk off to get ready for the meeting.

She walks into Mayhems office. Everyone was quiet as she quickly takes her seat. "Now that were all here," he looks down on her for being 10 minutes late, "It's time to put operation lights out into play. We need 5 major parts in order for this laser to work. Were going to need two solar panel mirrors. Cliff Dagger and Sly Rax I expect you to handle them with extreme care."

Both nod in agreement. Mayhem continues, "Bruno I need you to get some quartz metal, enough to make a very big tube, even you can't screw that up. Vanessa your in charge of getting two extremely hazardous chemical gases on this list."

Mayhem hands it to her with haste," I expect at least 200 gallons of each. And to make sure Mask doesn't catch us were all going to do this exactly at 100 hours this Friday. Yeah I think that is all," Mayhem thinks for a minute.

"Ugh sir I thought you said there were five major parts you've only mentioned four," she speaks up acting a bit like a smart ass.

He narrows his eyes on her, " Ah yes, we need a special chip that will allow this laser to work properly. This chip can not only be used to kill but cure. My dear dear old friend," he looks at the wall with a bit of a smile," Matt Trakker is having a fund-raiser for the development of this chip. Therefore, it will be on display."

Sly speaks up leaning back with his hands behind his head, " So when do you want me to break in and get it?" Mayhem shakes his head," I'm sorry not you, her."

She lifted her head up in disbelief and pointed at herself, "Me? I've never stole anything in my life, besides a pack of gum."

Mayhem stands in front of her," That's not the point. By the time we steal the first four parts MASK will be on alert and know what were up too. Therefore, Mr. Trakker will willingly allow MASK to take over security. MASK has no idea who you are; therefore, you are the best choice. You will be debrief about everyone who is attending that party, and Sly will teach you everything you need to know. Well?" he looks down on her waiting for an answer.

"I...I don't know if I can do it," she looks uncertain.

"I believe you can do it," he puts a hand on her shoulder with a smile. To her it felt as thought he was trying to be nice to her, to get what he wanted. She looks at him how much this reminded her of the father-daughter moment she always wanted to have.

"I'll do it, I want to do it."

"Good you have two weeks to get ready for this," he sits down at his desk. "Soon MASK will no long interfere with our plans," he laughs and so did everyone else, except her.

She walks out of the office, while Mayhem was still busy trying organize this whole plan with the rest of the team. She heads towards the garage and sits inside Manta. She hits her head against the steering wheel lightly enough not to hit the horn. She looks at herself in the mirror, "What am I doing? This can't be right. Since when was I ever a thief. I can't do it. I should of backed out along time ago, now I'm stuck in this way too deep. Maybe it's time to call a quit. I'm not Venom material."

Without even realizing it Vanessa slips in the passenger side door, "What do you say we go for a ride away from the guys."

She turns her head in surprise rubbing her eyes a bit," Yeah sure I'll..."

"You drive," Vanessa sits back comfortable. "All right, let's see if I remember," she puts her hand on the clutch and puts her foot gently on the gas. She drives slowly out of the base, keeping her full concentration on the road. "All right not bad, now take it up in the air," she says in a calm voice.

She looks at her a bit shaken," The air? Ugh I don't know about this. I've never flown before, especially not in this car."

"Relax after you get it the first time, it's a breeze," Vanessa smiled. After a few minutes of explaining, she was up in the air flying. She smiles," Wow your right it is easy. This is amazing."

"Tell me about it, I love flying," Vanessa looks out the window then back to her. "You see Roxy if you put your mind too it you can do anything. Mayhem right to pick you for the job. Your brighter and quicker then you think. Once you learn everything the first time, it will seem like a piece of cake the next time. Besides somebody got to show Sly who's the better thief."

Roxy looks out the window and completely forgets her worries,"Yeah, your right. Everything's going to be all right."

"All right then when your ready to land let me know," Vanessa smiles. Roxanne face went blank, "Ugh land? Umm no sweat."

The week was very rough for her. Everybody was running around getting everything in place. She hardly saw Vanessa, which disappointed her. Most of the time Sly was too busy get things organized with Cliff Dagger, he couldn't fit in the training Mayhem told him to give her. When he did he always rushed it, which made it even harder to learn.

She tries to pick a lock with his lock picks he gave her. "Grr this is hopeless every time. He shows me once then runs off," she slams them on the ground. "I can't give up Vanessa told me I shouldn't, calm down you can do it," she picks up the picks again and trying again.

Meanwhile, Sly was talking to Cliff Dagger, " That kid will never get it. It usually takes a person at least 50 times before they actually get the hang of it. She'll take a year."

"Why don't you help her out, I can handle setting the operation up," Cliff Dagger insisted. "That wouldn't be fair I need some part in planning this," Sly protested. Just then Roxy walks up to him,

"So teach, what next?"

He lets his shades slide down a bit, "Your telling me your done?"

She nods her head," Well yeah, it wasn't too hard to figure out what I was doing wrong. Do you want me to show you?"

He laughs softly to himself, "Yeah."

She walks back to the lock and gives him a demonstration. "Umm how many tries?" he ask curiously.

"Seventeen, I figure you probable got it on the tenth time," She puts the lock picks away. "Yeah you got that right," he says lying through his teeth,"Just meet me in my room in 2 hours, and I'll show you how to disable security locks."

"I'll be there," She walks off whistling a tune. "Oh really Sly? I though you said it took you at lease 50 tries on your first lock?" Cliff Dagger laughs at him.

"Shut your trap, let's get back to work," he says in an angry voice.

That Friday afternoon the base was loud and crowded. Everybody was returning from their mission and bring in their loot. She walked around in her boxer shorts and a T-shirt yawing. She glances around the base. Sheets of metal were stacked all over the place, two very large canisters marked flammable and toxic gas now stood in the middle of the base, and Cliff Dagger and Sly were placing the solar panel mirrors in a safe spot or so she hope.

She walks right up to Vanessa," So it looks like the missions were a success?"

Vanessa smiled wickedly," Correct and nobody knew what hit them. I'd love to see the expression on MASK faces when they realized the stunt we pulled. Did you just get up?"

She looks up at the canisters," Yeah well nobody woke me up this morning, this place was deserted, of course it's always like that when you all take off on a mission. So when are we going to start putting the laser together?," She ask as an excited child.

"We don't exactly have an instruction booklet to put it together. After we..I mean you get the chip, Mayhem going to get himself a scientist who will willingly work for us," Vanessa responded.

"Don't you mean kidnap?" she says trying to clarify it better English.

"Yeah, what do you say we get something to eat," Vanessa leads her towards the mess hall.

"All right lead the way," she follows." So what hell is Mayhem going to put me threw this week?" she looks to Vanessa curiously.

"Well I hear you've so far outsmarted Sly Rax a few times, so Mayhem figures you need some basic training. You know target practice, hand-to-hand combat, that sort of stuff," Vanessa grabs a plate and makes herself a sandwich.

"That sounds kind of hard," she doubts being able to handle such training.

"Don't worry I'm going to be teaching you. When I'm threw you'll be just as good as I am. Training starts at midnight, I suggest you get more sleep," Vanessa walks to the table and eats.

Roxy gulps as she gets her lunch," This is going to be a long week."