A/N - I know, I know. Omigosh, what's this? She's updating! No way! For the record, I'm not dead. I just want you guys to know how terribly sorry I am and what a bad updater I am for my Princess Diaries stories, but no matter what, I'M NOT GIVING UP ON THEM. So rest assured, they will be finished. Maybe not in the near future, but they will be finished. I swear.

Chapter 4

"Come on, Michael, you're just being paranoid," Lilly said dismissively. She was flipping through a magazine nonchalantly, as if I didn't have any real concerns that, oh, I don't know, might threaten my mental well-being, as well as my dignity.

"I swear, Lilly, she knows!" I cried as I nearly ripped the hair out of my scalp. "It said clearly, 'stay safe' and she gave me the perfect shirt to complete my suit!"

"I just think all of this is getting to you," she responded with absolutely no urgency. "Don't worry, Michael, going insane comes with the territory."

"I'm not insane!" I screamed.

"Whatever."

"I'M NOT!"

"Um, was this a bad time?"

I turned around and found Chris McLachlan standing in the doorway of my office. "Hey, Chris," I said as cheerfully as I could. "And no, this isn't a bad time, we always argue. I assume you've already met Lilly Moscovitz, my sister?"

He nodded and flashed her a friendly smile. "Yeah, I met her at the night of the charity ball. Hi, Lilly."

She nodded dismissively and looked back down at her magazine.

"Can I help you, Chris?"

"Uh, yeah, I just came over to deliver another product we need testing." He pulled out a silver-colored little gadget out of his pocket. "This is a wonderfully nifty little gizmo that straps onto your wrists and gives a shoot of adrenaline into your bloodstream when you need an extra little push for energy."

"Cool!" I exclaimed as I took the object out of his hands. "How do you put it on?"

"Well you put it on like—"

"Thanks, Chris," Lilly interrupted firmly as she forcibly turned him around by his shoulders and pushed him out the door. "I think we can handle it from here."

"Are you sure?" He asked concernedly. "I think—"

"Bye, Chris," Lilly interrupted.

"Hey, wait!" I shouted. "Don't push him out—"

"Too late," She said grimly as she shut the door and locked it.

I glared at her angrily. "What do you think you're doing? He was showing me how to work this thing!"

She rolled her eyes. "Are you insane? Do you know how dangerous adrenaline injections can be?"

"How dangerous?" I shot. "Please inform me, oh paramedic sister of mine?"

"Well for one, you could overdose, get a heart attack and die," she retorted.

"I'm sure this thing would prevent and overdose," I scoffed. She was seriously way too worrisome sometimes.

"Michael, why would you need this gadget?"

I looked at her incredulously. "Have you lost your mind? Or have you just forgotten what my new hobby has been for the past few nights? Did you think I was out bowling with my work mates? Just how dense can you be?"

"You idiot!" She screamed. "How the hell would Chris know what you've been doing for the past few nights?"

I froze, her words shocking me to the core.

"Yeah, who's thinking now?" She growled angrily. "Think carefully, Michael. How the hell would he know that this object would be of any use to you?"

I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. "Maybe he thought that a lawyer would need it."

She shook her head. "I don't know what he thinks he's playing at, and I don't know what you think you're playing at, but you are definitely NOT using this thing, or any other gadget he happens to give you."

"What about the watch?"

"No."

"But—"

"No."

"But—"

"NO."

---

I didn't care what she said, I was using the watch and there was no way she was gonna take it from me.

But what she said really did make me think. If I truly believed in conspiracy theories, I would say that Chris was doing all of this to make me look bad in front of Mia, just so he could get her all to himself, but now that I seem to have taken a liking to the little guy, I can't possibly think he's all that bad. I'd punch his face in if he ever tried to lay a move on her, but he's nice enough.

I walked down the cold, blistery streets of downtown Genovia, wrapping my scarf tightly around my face. As I walked, I glanced though the windows of various stores and shops, looking for something to give to Mia for Christmas.

Did Mia and Chris really know? Did Mia know first and share it with Chris? Did she find out from Lilly, then tell Chris to make some gadgets that wouldn't harm me or anything? If she did, that was awfully nice of her.

Suddenly, something in a nearby window caught my eye. And I remembered the annual Holiday Masquerade that was only a few weeks away.

A sinister idea was beginning to form in my mind.

---

"So, whaddya think?" I asked as I pulled the mass of icy blue material out of the box and twirled it around before Lilly.

She took one look at it and paled. "Oh, God, please tell me you're not gay."

I gave her a withering look. "The dress isn't for me, stupid, it's for Mia."

She regained the color in her face and adopted a curious look instead. "It's pretty. But why are you giving this to Mia?"

"Remember the annual Holiday Masquerade?"

"Yeah…" her eyes widened in realization and grinned. "Michael, that is the first good idea you've had in a long time."

"Why thank—wait, what do you mean in a long time?"

"It's almost time to roll. I have to get back to the palace 'cause Mia's gonna be working tonight. I'll still have the communicator that links to you, okay? But I just can't talk to you as often."

"She's gonna be back on the streets?" I said worriedly. "Will she be alright?"

Lilly rolled her eyes. "She's a superhero, of course she won't be alright. She could die, but she's perfectly up to the challenge."

"I meant if she's healthy enough, stupid."

"She thinks she is," Lilly replied with a shrug. "I should be going. What do you plan on doing tonight?"

"I was thinking of going back to the factory."

She bit her lip. "I don't think that's a good idea, Michael. I know you want to catch this Blue Blur guy, but—"

"I'll be fine, little sis. Just take care of Mia for me, alright?"

---

"Just where do you think you're going?" I heard a voice down in the alleyway and I crept up to the edge of the building to see what was going on. There was a big, bulky man cornering a smaller guy. But right behind him, Phantom Phoenix grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him against the wall.

"He's trying to get away from you, stupid, in case you didn't realize," she said coldly. She turned to face the little guy, but I could almost see the shock register across her features when the he brought out a gun.

"Thanks, but I didn't need your help Phantom Phoenix," he spat out vehemently. Sensing trouble, I quietly crawled down. Phantom Phoenix hadn't let go of the man she was holding, but she was staring coldly down the gun's barrel that was being aimed at her.

The man she was holding began to chuckle. "You're so easily fooled, Phantom Phoenix. You really need to reevaluate of some people need saving or not." Suddenly, the little guy rushed at Phantom Phoenix and the man she was holding twisted out of her grip, but I was already on the ground. In a swift movement, I launched myself at the smaller one and threw him in the guy that was about to attack Phantom Phoenix with the knife.

Both stood up, confused and sore, only to stare at me with utter contempt. The bigger one rushed at me while the smaller one took care of Phantom Phoenix. Luckily, the guy attacking me had no sense of balance whatsoever. As he came charging at me, I quickly ducked, punched him in the gut, and threw him into the side of a nearby building. When the fact that he never caused me any harm registered in his miniscule little brain, he struggled to get up and went at me again, but I caught him with a quick punch in the chest, effectively winding him. It seemed almost pointless, dragging out the battle like this, so I dug my index and middle finger into the meaty flesh between his neck and jaw bone, cutting off his air supply and knocking him out.

I looked up and saw Phantom Phoenix standing over her guy, facing me. Even though her eyes were covered with her mask, I could tell she was glaring at me. "I didn't need your help," she growled.

"Um, from where I was standing, yeah you did."

"Then get your eyes checked," she shot as she pulled out he Bo staff and prepared to scale a nearby wall.

I panicked a little. I couldn't let her run off without getting some answers, so I ran up to her and grabbed hold of her ankle before she could get very far.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she shouted.

"I have some questions," I told her simply, not releasing my vice-like grip.

"Well forget it." She tried wriggling out of my grasp, but it didn't work. She might have been a better, more experienced fighter than me, but I was still stronger. "Let me go."

"No," I said simply. "I'm not letting you go until I get answers."

She sighed, realizing that we were going in circles. "What do you want to know?"

"Have you been following this Blue Blur guy too?" I asked. That was the number one question on my mind.

She shook her head. "No. I haven't been on the streets in a while, so I decided to start off small before I went onto the bigger fish. Why?" I hadn't realized I let go of her ankle at this point, but it didn't matter. She wasn't going anywhere. "Do you know anything about it?"

"I've been following him for a few nights now," I began, "back to this factory and I managed to sneak in and the place was filled with metal. There was molten iron, the walls were made of corrugated metal, chains, scrap, just everywhere. Can you think of a reason why that may be?"

She thought for a little while before shaking her head. "No. I couldn't tell you."

I sighed. "Okay then." I was prepared to climb up one of the fire escapes when she grabbed my arm.

"Not so fast," she said in a husky voice that made my heart pound. "I have a few questions myself."

I smirked, though she couldn't see it behind my face mask. "What makes you think I'll answer them?"

She pushed me by the shoulders up against one of the brick wall. Her body was pressed against mine and all of a sudden breathing was very difficult. "Please?" she whispered against my neck, her lips just a hair's width from touching my skin.

Damn it.

"What do you want to know?" I asked with more breath than sound.

"Why did you come to my bedroom the other night?" she asked as her hands traveled up my chest, her fingers trailing fire on my skin through the thin, skin-tight material of my suit.

"Because word on the street was you were lonely," I replied with some difficulty. It was hard to think when she was touching me like that.

"And you wanted to keep me company?" she asked, her mouth now against my ear. I swear, this woman would be the death of me.

"Something like that."

She trailed her nose down my jaw line and to the sensitive skin underneath my chin, making sure to breathe on every inch of my skin. I knew she was getting her revenge for when I was in her bedroom, and she was enjoying torturing me like this. "Oh, Shadow Knight," she chuckled, the sound coming from her throat. "I hardly deserve the honor."

I was seconds from ripping my mask off and kissing her. She must have sensed my waning control for she, very slowly, began to back away. "I'm sure I'll see you again." And without another word, she leapt up and began to scale the brick wall.

It took me a little while to get my heartbeat under control. Mia really did know how to push my buttons, how to drive me crazy the way no one else could.

"Um, why did you break up with her again?" Lilly's voice sounded in my ear, bringing me back to reality. I rolled my eyes when I realized that she had probably heard and seen the whole thing from Mia's point of view.

"Shut up," I muttered as I began climbing the fire escape.

She chuckled. "Oh, and for the record? The score stands at one to one."

A/N - I know it's been awhile, but I'm still a review whore. Please, please review.