"Marina?"
Marina Nightshade blinked, stifling a yawn as she sat up in her desk chair. She looked up at the confused man standing above her, looking at her incredulous. "Hey, Tony."
"You didn't go home last night?" Tony DiNozzo asked, sounding surprised.
"I didn't either, DiNozzo," another voice rang out, and Marina nodded as a silver-haired man entered the bullpen, a coffee cup in his hand, a frappuccino in the other hand. "Double chocolate chip," he added, setting it down in front of Marina.
Marina sighed happily, taking the cup and sipping at it. Tony looked at both of them weirdly. "You've both been acting weird since Marina broke her ankle out in the Hills," he told them. "Why?"
Marina choked on her next drink, and Gibbs glared at Tony. "Weird?" he repeated, getting closer.
Tony threw his hands up in the air. "Truth told, boss."
Marina swallowed, leaning down and pulling up her jeans cuff. On her left ankle, three circular scars of different patterns glared up at her. She pulled it down quickly. The most recent one was still sore. Gibbs shook his head at Tony. "She just survived a potential fall to her death at the Hills, Tony. Of course we're acting weird."
Tony raised his hands up in defense again, taking his place at his desk closest to the windows. Gibbs raised an eyebrow in silent question: Are you okay?
Marina nodded in reply, and Gibbs sat down at his desk in reply. Marina heard her phone chirp, and she looked at it, smiling at who it was. "Kate's running behind," she announced, putting her phone away again. "She got stuck in traffic."
"I wonder why it's so bad this morning," Gibbs commented thoughtfully.
Tony was glancing up at the TV that they used for information when they were briefing Gibbs. He jumped up. "They found that missing man in Kenya," he told them.
Gibbs's head shot up. "What?" he asked.
Tony pointed to the TV screen. A black-haired, stern-looking man was lying dead on the ground, "Breaking News" streaming across the top. "A few months ago, while you were out on an op, a man and his son went missing. It's been weeks, and now they've found him. But not his son."
Marina's jaw dropped, and Gibbs looked equally surprised. Tony messed around on his computer a little bit more, then sighed and stood up. "I'm running to the vending machines," he announced. "Anyone want anything?"
"Chocolate bar," Marina replied dazedly. "Please."
Tony left, and the instant he was gone, Gibbs stood up, pulling up a world map. There were two red dots already on there. One was marked just with the number one, and it was over Malaysia. The other one was marked two, over England. Gibbs made another red dot over Kenya and put in the number three. "They're coming closer to the States."
Marina nodded numbly. "They're going after Four."
Gibbs nodded thoughtfully. "You're still sure you don't want to change your name?"
Marina shook her head. "No. The others will. I won't."
Gibbs nodded again. "If you're sure."
"I am."
Gibbs sat back down, pulling down the map just as Tony was coming up. Marina leaned backwards, taking a bite off of her chocolate bar as she thought about how she had gotten her scars.
***
Five Years Ago
Marina crouches in the shadows behind Tony, gun ready for the attack. Gibbs stands on the other side, counting down. When he hit one, she feels searing pain flash over her left ankle. She screams, unable to hold it back.
Tony curses, dropping his gun and turning to catch her as she falls. Gibbs curses, too, and he fires at the criminals they are trying to catch. She tries to stop screaming, but the pain hurts too much.
She awakens from being knocked out. Gibbs is standing over her, a wet washcloth in his hands. He drops it, sitting on the couch next to her. "Are you alright?" he asks.
Marina shakes her head, reaching for her ankle. "I think I - " She cuts off when she sees a circular scar burned into her leg, a circle surrounded by a crescent. She gasps in shock, looking up at Gibbs.
He grimaces. "Marina, there's something I haven't told you yet."
"What?" she asks worriedly.
He reaches towards the table, picking up a silver pendant on a chain. The pendant has a pattern of three swirls of dots spiraling out from the center of the pendant. "This is yours."
Marina cocks her head. "I've never had that before."
"It's because I never gave it to you. There are eight others like you, who have pendants similar to these. The first one had the symbol of your scar."
Marina looks down at her leg, at the scar. "Who was it?"
"I think it was a girl, if I remember from Lorien correctly," Gibbs replies, dangling the pendant over Marina's neck. "She was Number One."
"Lorien?" Marina asks, looking at him. "Number One?"
"That's the land where you lived before you came to Washington D.C.," Gibbs explains. "You were a member of their Garde, tasked with protecting the land. When the Mogadorians - Lorien's 'enemies,' you could say - invaded, you and the other eight members were the only ones to get out alive."
Marina squeaks in fear. Gibbs smiles at her, squeezing her hand. "I'm your designated Cêpan, as the one originally meant for you was killed in the invasion. I'm your guardian. I'm going to keep you alive."
"Keep me alive?"
"The Garde can only be killed in number order, unless they meet up. Number One is dead. It's on to Number Two."
"Gibbs?"
"Yes?"
"Which number am I?"
Gibbs smiles. "You won't be killed next. You are Number Seven."
***
Marina sighed, remembering that conversation. She ran her fingers over the second scar, the one with the offset circles getting steadily larger and wider. The second one had come when Gibbs was in autopsy, away from where she was while she was in the forensics lab.
***
Two Years Ago
"Have you got anything, Abby?" Marina asks curiously, walking into Abby's lab.
She smiles at her. "Yes, I do. I'll call Gibbs up."
She walks over to her phone, dialing something on the phone. Marina looks curiously at the computers, and she's about to ask a question when something starts to burn on her ankle. She screams, falling to the ground, wrapping her arms around her legs. She hears Abby shouting something and feels her being laid back on the ground, but she can't understand any of it.
She feels hands on her shoulders, then hears Gibbs: "Seven?"
She nearly cries with relief. "Number Two's dead."
Gibbs stiffens, then hugs her tight, and Marina finally starts sobbing. Abby leaves the two alone as they both mourn the loss of another of the Garde.
***
She took another drink of her frappuccino while pulling up a news article. She's standing arm in arm with her sort-of friend Savannah Starlight, both of them in front of a secret hideout in front of the Hollywood Hills they had stumbled over before, and the only other person besides Gibbs who knew her true identity as Number Seven.
Marina trailed her fingers over the final scar, a complex whirlwind of crescents. The last scar she had gotten had been the worst way ever.
***
Four Months Ago
She dodges a punch thrown by Savannah, then leaps back up to her feet. Savvy dances away, laughing. "Well?" she taunts.
Marina runs forward to go at her when she stops dead in her tracks, feeling a prickling on her leg. Her eyes widen in shock.
Savvy notices. She runs over, finding Marina's cell phone as Marina drops, clawing at her left ankle. She hears Savvy calling Gibbs, but all she pays attention to is her new scar with psychedelic crescents.
Then she's out.
***
That had been four months ago. Number Four was next, and he or she had not been caught.
After what had been going on the last few years, Marina hoped he or she wasn't caught any time soon.
***
Yeah, I know, major time difference, but had to do it. Remember, fanfic. ;)
Also, for those of you who haven't seen the movie, the death of Number Three is on the side!