Disclaimer: I don't own Jondy, Krit, Dark Angel, or the song "Wild" by Poe.

Spoilers: And Jesus Brought A Casserole..., Pollo Loco (sort of)

Setting: After And Jesus Brought A Casserole...

Characters: Jondy, Krit (Ben and Max mentioned most)

Summary: Krit has a run in with Jondy. Jondy isn't quite the sister he remembers.

Rating: PG-13

Author: Ty

Archive: Ask me first, freeze the second I walk into the bar. I know something is off. Something is not right in the atmosphere. The air feels too predatory. I look around cautiously and move slowly up to the bar. I repeatedly glance over my shoulder and scan the room peripherally. My senses all go on alert.

The girl behind the bar approaches silently, but slowly and the movement attracts my eye. I look up at her and lock gazes with her for a long moment. Something about her eyes. Something familiar, but more than that. Her eyes are so dead and yet so filled with pain. I look down.

"What can I get you?" she asks.

"How about a beer?" I respond.

"Sure thing." she says and spins on her heel.

Her long brown hair whirls after her. Something about the way she walks is strange. So quiet. I don't know many people who can walk that silently.

She returns with my beer and plunks it down in front of me.

"What brings you here, stranger?" she asks.

"Looking for an old friend of mine." I say, turning my back to her and looking around the bar as if this friend might be here.

I only leave my back to her for a second. I feel too threatened to leave my back to her. There's something about her...

"We went to school together." I continue, "Military school."

"Really?" she says, staring at me intensely.

"Yeah. In Wyoming." I say, watching her carefully for a reaction, "Heard of it?"

"Can't say I have." she says, looking down at the bar and wiping it carefully with a small white rag.

I can't tell if she's lying. But if she really was one of us, she wouldn't lie. So I must be wrong. Maybe I'm getting paranoid. I shrug, chug the rest of my beer, and decide to go look for a more relaxed atmosphere. I leave five dollars on the bar. She says nothing and does nothing to stop me as I leave the bar and head out the door.

"I go wild, 'cause you break me open

Wild 'cause you left me here

I go wild 'cause your promises are broken

Wild because the chips are down

Wild because there isn't anybody else around

Wild when the waves start to break

And God knows they're breaking in me now

I go wild because it doesn't make sense

For me to cry out in my own defense

And wild because I would do anything

To tear you off your precious fence

So this is what it's like living in limbo

First I'm high, then I'm so low"

Krit is here. But why? I haven't seen Krit since the escape. I don't think he recognizes me. But I recognized him. He never should have turned his back to me. He never should have let his guard down like that. What a poor excuse for a soldier.

I excuse myself from the bar. They're used to me going in and out and don't ask any questions. Everyone learned quickly not to ask questions. I don't like questions.

I weave my way out of the bar and the simple-minded drunks shy away from me without even knowing they are. I find the simple natural instincts of humans to be highly amusing. They sense a predator with their instinct, but their minds do not register it.

The night is dark. The way I like it. My eyes adjust immediately, even before the door behind me completely shuts to cut off the noises of the bar. I drop the facade of being normal and streak away into the night, following my own instincts.

I'm glad Krit's here. I can't stand it anymore. I can't stand being forced to act like a pathetic human when I can do so much more, I am so much more. I hate oppressing what I am. I can't help the way I was made. But no. If I so much as move too quickly or punch too hard or act like the alcohol doesn't affect me, I get killed or put in a cage. But finally, finally I get the chance to stretch my legs again. I'm a hunter. And finally I've found qualified prey.

"I go wild 'cause you break me open

Wild 'cause you left me here

I go wild 'cause your promises are broken

Wild when I know you're near

I go wild

I go wild...

Tell me what you've come here for

Moving like a hunter through my back door

Leaving the perfume of all you adore

To die nameless on my floor

Yeah, well we both know that you don't play fair

I guess you really think that you'd get me there

Let's be honest, perhaps it's no ride

It's too much for even you to bear

You've got some nerve to come back here

You're not the only one who can smell fear"

I know I'm being followed. I know I'm not safe. I try not to let on, but my skin is crawling. Every nerve I have is on edge. Bells are ringing in my head, warning me.

I try to shake them, but it's useless. Whoever's following me is good. Too good. I stop and wait.

The girl from the bar. I knew there was something wrong about her.

"Who are you?" I demand.

"Come now, Krit? Don't you remember me?" she replies.

There's a dangerous glint to her eye and she's circling me. It is obvious she has every intention of attacking me. I think I know her, but I can't place who she is. I decide it would be best to contain her and force her to be passive so I can identify her.

"Let's talk." I offer.

"Let's not." she replies, "Come on, Krit. Is that all you've got? Just talk?"

She darts in and shoves me hard against a building, then backs off and waits for me to counterattack. I just stare at her.

"How do you know my name?"

"Doesn't matter. Let's play." she replies, darting in again and whipping around to land a kick across my face.

I spit out blood. I have to do something or she'll just keep this up forever. I push away from the wall and she smiles a feral smile at me.

"Here, kitty kitty." she taunts.

"I don't want to do this."

"Too bad. I do." she says, darting in for another attack.

I dodge and grab her from behind, pinning her arms down to her side.

"Stop this." I command.

She stops struggling and carefully I let my arms go slack. A mistake. She elbows me in the nose and pain explodes. I stumble back. She smiles and tosses her hair over her shoulder.

"Sorry, Krit. We play by my rules."

"I go wild 'cause you break me open

Wild 'cause you left me here

I go wild 'cause your promises are broken

Wild, don't you get it dear

You're not the only one who runs on instincts

No, I got instincts of my own

You've got a lot of nerve to come back

Plan your attack and I am still waiting

Did you want something?

You wrote the rules to try and contain me

You broke them now, you haven't tamed me

And I'm wild

I go wild"

Krit didn't want to fight. He still doesn't remember who I am. He didn't want to fight me, but he will. He will because he knows that if he doesn't I will kill him. I'm not above killing my little brother. Not if he can't defend himself like he should. Krit's better than that. He has to be.

"Don't disappoint me, Krit." I say, gesturing at him to attack me.

Krit wipes blood off his face with the back of his hand. His teeth are stained red. My tongue moves in my mouth as I think of the coppery taste of blood in my mouth.

"What do you want from me?" he demands.

"I just want to play." I say, "Don't you want to play?"

"Not like this. Please. Don't do this." he pleads.

My smile twists into a disgusted sneer. He's begging me not to fight him. How pathetic! Completely unacceptable.

"It has to be this way, Krit." I say stiffly.

"Why?"

"Because you told me that everything would be alright." I spit out, "You told me that night that everything would be fine. You said it would be so much better. That we would be free. You promised me. You lied to me."

His eyes flash with recognition.

"Jondy?" he asks in disbelief.

He looks sad and surprised. He looks like he pities me. Why would he pity me? He's the pathetic one.

"You lied to me, Krit." I growl, "It's no better out here than it was at Manticore. No, I think it's worse."

"Oh, Jondy." Krit shakes his head, "What happened to you?"

"I don't want to talk! I want to fight!" I scream and rush him.

My fists fly out and connect with his face twice before he starts blocking my punches. I whip out a swift kick and shatter his kneecap. He collapses slightly on that side. I punch him in the stomach, but he grabs my arms and we both fall on the pavement. I twist his arm and he releases with a gasp of pain. I straddle his chest and lean down in his face.

"Pathetic, Krit." I hiss, "Pathetic."

"You've got a lot of nerve to come back here

Speak up now, darling, I have been waiting

I go wild 'cause you break me open

Wild 'cause you left me here

I go wild 'cause your promises are broken

Wild, don't you get it dear?

You're not the only one who runs on instincts

No, I got instincts of my own

You got a lot of nerve to come back

Plan your attack, and I am still waiting

Did you want something?

You wrote the rules to try and contain me

You broke them now, you haven't tamed me

And I'm wild..."

Jondy was always one of the best. She excelled at hand to hand combat. She hasn't lost her edge. I can't walk. I think she'll kill me.

The night of the escape, Zack briefed us all. Jondy was terrified of being alone in the outside world. She couldn't talk to Max because of who Max was. Jondy could never show weakness to her best friend. So she came to me with her fear. I consoled her. I promised her a good life out there where she would be free to be herself. No tac leaders telling her what she must do down to the last breath of air she took. I thought that was what it would be like. I couldn't know that life out here would be a constant drill in escape and evade. I couldn't know that she would be so isolated for so long. I couldn't know that the constant hiding would get to her like this.

"Well, Krit?" she demands.

"Well what, Jondy? If you're going to kill me, just do it!" I yell at her.

"Kill you? I never wanted to kill you. It's your own fault that you forgot everything we were taught. You're a hideous excuse for a soldier." she replies.

"Then what the hell do you want?"

She doesn't reply. She doesn't do anything but stare blankly past me at the pavement where blood is pooling. All mine.

"I heard about Ben." she says suddenly.

My eyes darken and I watch her carefully.

"Even ran into him once." she continues, "I tagged along with him for awhile. He was exciting. He was every ounce the soldier. But his mind wasn't in the game. He was still obsessed with his little fairytale. I couldn't accept that. But he at least understood me. I miss him."

"What about Max?" I ask cautiously, "Do you miss her?"

"Max." she whispers, "Yes, I miss Max. Have you seen her, Krit?"

"Yes." I nod, "She was the one who killed Ben."

Jondy's gaze snaps back to mine.

"Are you lying to me, Krit?" she asked, her voice dangerous.

"No." I say.

Her hand is at my throat, squeezing.

"Are you lying to me?" she demands again.

"No!" I choke out.

She releases my throat.

"She wouldn't like what you're doing, Jondy." I say, hoping that I can get through to her, "Max loves the outside world so much. All she wants is to live like a normal girl."

"Max..." Jondy says, looking slightly confused.

"Yeah. She has a boyfriend. She has friends. She works at a bicycle delivery service. Her boss is a jerk. She lives in a crappy apartment. Owns a black motorcycle that she loves more than anything."

"And what about Manticore?" Jondy pressed.

"She hates Manticore with a passion. I helped her on a mission to blow up the genetics lab." I stop there.

I can't tell her that for all I know Max is dead. I can't tell her that Zack has been captured. I can't tell her that. I know she won't be able to accept it.

Jondy gets off me and I slowly sit up. She looks at me and I see the pain she's in. A single tear has managed to fall down her cheek, but that's all she can cry. She never learned how to cry. Carefully, I move to hold her. She clutches my shirt and buries her face in it. Her whole body shakes even though she can't shed tears.

"It's okay, Jondy. I'm sorry." I tell her, stroking her hair.

She pushes away from me slowly, looking into my eyes.

"No, Krit. I'm sorry." she says.

Jondy's fist appears in my face. Then, I feel my head being slammed into the pavement. The pain overwhelms me and I lose consciousness.

"Oh, oh, oh...

Wild...

Tell me what you've come for...

I go wild...

Like a hunter...

Tell me what you've come for...

(come back here)

Like a hunter..."

Krit's body goes slack and I step away, rising to my feet. He's not dead. No, but he will remember me now. Next time, he won't be so stupid.

I think it's time to move on to a new city. I've worn out my welcome here.