La famille

 Sha’s almost lifeless body lay bare on the slab as the top medical staff worked around her, watching the monitors for any change.   Her breasts moved slightly with her laboured breathing, the tubes and wires in her arms and chest hidden underneath a simple robe, her body covered with a light sheet. Light gleamed off every metal surface the fierce overhead fluorescents glaring down. A single figure stood at the glass wall watching, his face covered, resting against the glass as he watched over the Ninjetta girls form. His head resting against his forearm his eyes floating between the black mask. Little Sparrow, Gamblers bodyguard watched the doctors work til he heard his call, pushing off from the wall and striding down the stretch of hall. 

Fear followed the bodyguard. Traversing the halls of the Order the man turned as he passed a small wooden door, nodding briefly at one of the trainers handling Surreal’s men. Members of the orders elite army shifting through their paces silently and swiftly ignored him as he watched for a minute before moving off once again. Pushing up through the plush mahogany doors he greeted Gambler briefly, looking into the man’s white eyes. Moving to stand beside his quarry, they followed the sounds of Surreal and her men in the large greeting room. The pair entering as Soverign Son’s body was laid flat on the surface. 

Turning as the men entered Surreal bowed slightly deliberately moving the air around her, to Gambler and dropped her head in greeting to Sparrow. 

The Leader of the Order approached his General with a smile on his handsome face “Well done Surreal, you have again proved your worth” looking down at the still body of his friend Gambler waited as Surreal moved the ring he had gifted her. He inhaled deeply his senses opening to the energies in the room; he could feel the shift as she opened up the power and waved it across her brother’s form.  “Now we wait” Surreal spoke softly next to him, nodding slightly the three of them turned in unison Sparrow indicating to the guards to watch the body. “We need to allow him time to wake up” Surreal stated as the three of them emerged into bright reception area, smiling Gambler straightened his coat as he began to walk away from them, set to attend his next meeting. As he moved off he called back “Sensei, we will be calling a meeting of the clans, please make sure the Noir Grenouille are prepared for what is to come” Bowing to his back the warrior replied “my men are always ready” 

Back in her private chambers Surreal slipped out of her red wrap uniform and dropped the clothes to the floor; stepping into the shower she dropped her head letting the water drum down onto her aching muscles. Her scarred back showed a large elaborate phoenix tattoo coating her back settling atop her firm arse. Moaning slightly as the water hit her bruises and cuts the woman moved to gently touch the tender skin, her body still recovering from the attack on Asgard. Resting her head against the water she allowed her mind to wander…

“come on Surry get your butt up here” his smile lit up as she dragged herself up off the grass and ran up the hill with him, the cherry blossoms were in season, their colour floating around the hills, the wind catching the beautiful flowers and lifting them up above the green. Mikes young face was red with the exercise as Surreal caught up with him holding out his hands clasped together at his hip she placed her hands on his shoulders to reach up an grasp the tough branch, twisting her hand to tear at it she ripped the blossom branch off the tree an back flipped off his hand landing in front of him with a cheeky grin. “Show off” he grumbled good naturedly as he picked up the flower, spinning it in his hands “Sensei is going to love these” rolling her eyes she snatched the flower from his hand and began to twirl around him taunting him “who loves their sensei, who loves their sensei” …… 

Surreals head snapped up shaking the memory loose she frowned at the moment of sentimentality, the memory of her time back with Mike when they were younger, and stepped out of the shower. Wrapping her silk robe around her shoulders she slipped the black lantern ring back onto her finger and felt it all slip away as the power took her over once again. Thinking over her brother downstairs, waiting on the call that would alert her to his awakening, she had not used the ring as yet and they were all keen to see what would happen.Wiping the steam off the mirror she looked at her large black eyes no expression showing on her face as she whispered to herself “la famile” 

Gambler’s secretary straightened her skirt as she heard the sound of the men approaching “Master Le Beau how are you feeling today?” the leggy black haired girl smiled brightly as they walked past into his office, following behind him with her pad, her heels clicking lightly on the bare floor boards. Pushing the soft silk coat off his shoulders Gambler shrugged out of it and hung the coat carefully over the polished rack near his desk “Much better chere, now Sophie dear, I need you to send a message to all of our” he hesitated slightly “board members, ask them to attend a meeting here within de next day, make sure to outline the importance chere” flashing his stunning smile the girl blushed slightly as she took the notes smiling back at him then frowing at herself forgetting that he could not see she stuttered out a reply “o.. o.. of cour..s” pushing her hair behind her ear she straightened and replied “Of course sir, I will send it directly” Shutting the large black carved door she leant against it briefly fanning herself with her pad “get a hold of yourself Sophie he is your boss”. Moving to her desk she began to type out the message making the calls that were needed tapping her red tinged nails on the black file next to her, “members” written I gold pen across the top. 

The invite had been sent out; the members of the Order of Sancta Camisia were being commanded to attend their leader within the day.  

 The hollow wind echoed through the trees and is coerced like a slithering viper through the branches and boulders that dwelled within its passing. Its swirled like a hurricane bristling the placid heavy laid brown leaves from their branches and tossing them into the possession of this cold force, this captivating force of nature. The moon with a ghostly light glared upon the forestry terrain that beheld the mountain scope. The cold rocks curved to form jagged tips and steep slope that if one was to take a wrong turn would inevitably be lost in this pandemonium of nature’s grasp. The clock work of the owls and there non stopping always screeching voice shattered whatever hopes silence had for rising to power. It seemed as all chose had been unleashed and no one could stop it.

Sweat poured down her forehead as she crawled her way out of the mental and physical ditch she had fallen into. Scares…scares all over her littered her body, teeth marks in both arms and legs and even neck were visible due to the blood still spewing out of it. Her dirt filled nails dug deep into the soil as she groaned pulling herself forward…onward not looking back. Her entire body convulsed as she staggered to attempt to get a grip of herself. Her legs, they were mere things dangling behind her figure, currently dead weight. They were littered with buries of black and blue upon them as twisted in ways that would cause people to look away in disgust. Barely breathing barely alive her mind was still active. The pain was natural it was something common to her life, but what was even more painful was who did this.

She didn’t see it coming in truth she never thought it would, but it did. She remembered, their teeth sparking like as if stars in the moon light, their feet their speed as fast as lightning and their hands their nails digging deep into her, scratching her. Their voices the almost deathly like screeching that could cause anything to kill itself as if death was deliverance. She stood no chance, in truth she would have died if they wanted her too but they didn’t they couldn’t…what did they want. These were the questions floating in her mind as her wounds slowly but surely began to heal. The slashes and bit marks began to fade yet blood still stained her garments.

Her deep green eyes like the lush woodland green scanned the area as if making sure they had left her. She detected no scent…it was strange she didn’t even detect their presence until they attacked. But she remembered one world a single word that they spoke “They’ll be happy we found you.” Those were the last words they spoke, she might not have known who they were she might not even have been able to smell them but those worlds “They” who were they possibly referring too? She didn’t know what they were all she knew she was greatly outmatched by them…and once again Gemini had not come to her aid, she could not believe it!

Ever sine she entered Vine city though most of the memories of that period of time was hazy she knew for certain something happened, her sword was gone and she knew Gemini would not allow herself to be taken, she chose to go…chose to go with..”Him…” she whispered. Her memories of that moment might have been either temporarily unavailable or wiped but she remembered two vague people…no not vague, two heroes. One no doubt had her sword the other had something to do with her memory loss she knew that, and she hated them! She wanted to kill them both. Right now her anger for them fueled her actions fueled why she needed to live to fight another day “I swear…” she coughed out blood as her voice was raspy.

“I’ll get you back.” She was now referring to Gemini. It was strange through, despite the rage she felt toward this ‘him’ she was unsure if she would kill him. Whenever she tried to remember anything an instant surge stopped her train of thought as pain would overwhelm her. Now she had a hypothesis that either it was natural due to memory loss or she had made sure that for whatever reason she’d not remember him. Her body became more bearable as feeling soon entered her legs, and movement resulted. The lightning bolt of pain surged through her chest as she felt as if she was suffocating but denied it she ignored it. Instantly her twin claws unleashed themselves from their dormant state as she dug them into the trunk of the nearest tree as for an anchor.

Her breathing was at a rapid pace yet husky all the same. After coughing up more blood that how all that rested below here was a pool of it she finally swallowed.   Cringing slightly as she could feel her throat had taken a strong beating in truth it was almost ripped out. Once again she was in a venerable situation and she hated that more than ever.   Her tattered clothing barley hung to her sleek, think body as most of it was naked basking in the moon light. Her love midnight blue locks laid upon her chest curving around her shoulders and on her back as well.

An icy wind beckoned her as it spun around her body. She turned retracting her claws as she laid her back against the trunk taking in a deep breath. Her eyes slowly grew to a close as a sigh or relief escaped her pain stricken body. She pushed her back against the supportive structure as she let her head slum forward. As her eyes tightened to a shut her lips curled in as another surge of pain stricken her helpless. Blood ran down her forehead and fell to the ground causing ripples in her crimson pool hat her bare feet had sunk into.

The shuffling in the woods toward her left caused her eyes to flash open with the speed and precision of a jaguar she lunged forward claws unleashed just in time to pin the oncoming intruder to a rock face not far off. Her breathing was heightened as her eyes had faded to their feral yellow. Her eyes stared at him with the ferocity of a lion as her canines had sharpened to a point. She was on the brink of her losing her humanity but the individual’s message caused her to retract fully and hide her savagery once more. “My Lord Gambler calls for a meeting of all OsC members…” he panting out of fear, no doubt this was a bad time..how did her find her? That didn’t matter she knew that Cajun was crafty no doubt had people watching her every movie. She was a loose Cannon with Wolf Pack and so she would remain so with this Team as well…anyway she had learned from the best, Gambler being one of them, and that was enough to know that the Cajun would keep an eye on her.

She looked him over, he indeed was speaking the truth. Her teeth glimmered in the moon light as a smile curved up her lips and she slowly let go. “I see…” she whispered. With that she pulled away and slowly walked toward the location of OsC base but before she made far she paused, her feet resting in the soil as then the wind stopped. Her hair laid motionless on her shoulders as she turned to observe the man that had given her the message, fear plastid on his face. “Oh…and one thing.” She said turning slightly on her heel to look upon him “Your services are no longer needed.” With that she stooped down picking up a twig as a single claw unsheathed from her right hand. Throwing the thing in the air her hand swept toward it slicing it and aiming it toward the man’s skull. Due to the speed it was propelled by and the angle of the cut it inserted itself deep into the skull of the messenger. “No one sees me vulnerable…”

With that she took off in a desperate sprint, the wind picked up again as if on cue. The base nevertheless was not far from her previous location in truth she was heading to the base until her little encounter with those creatures that left her in such a state. Yet one thing remained in her mind as she wiped the drop of blood that slid down her cheek. Now standing before the base a devious smile appeared upon her face as she ran her hands through her hair. Licking the crimson wine off her finger she whispered provocatively “It’s good to be back…”

 Sparrow bowed to Surreal and excused himself to Gambler as they headed their separate ways. Gambler would be safe within the halls of the OSC, every hall and room had one of Sparrows scrolls hidden under the wood. If anyone made a hostile action within their home, sparrow would know of it as would half of the garrisons based in key points of the OSC. Not much was known about the young ninja and very few had seen his face, Surreal and Gambler where amongst the five people to look upon him. Turning he entered his room, in the center of the room sat a single bed laying on the floor, next that was a small bowl of water and a single white cotton towel,  the dark oak creed under his feet as he moved to the bed. Kneeling at the end of the mattress Sparrow pulled back a floor board and placed his Katanna into the floor, moving his hand to the right he pushed back another floor board that held his clothing, Sparrow removed his mask and laid it in it's place. Standing he looked round at the walls. This was not only his home but his library, all of his scrolls where neatly rolled up and placed into slots around the walls, a library of power. 
 

Each scroll held a spell empowered by Sparrows on Chakra. Each one held a spell or attack made by him and sealed to his blood. The scrolls held that power until he called on them and saving Sha had forced him to use one and now it was time to replace it. He sat for several hours. The tip of his paint brush running over the rice paper, the black ink soaked into the paper as if it was alive, his power running over his hand and into the brush, his lips spoke the magical words that held the spell. When he was finished the sweat beads rolled over his head, closing his eyes he fought against the sickness that now touched the back of his throat, rolling up the scroll. He became dizzy as Sparrow stood and placed the scroll into it's own slot. Gulping down the pain in his neck he replaced his mask and sword and walked back out the room. Gambler had told him that their was no need to worry about Sha, but his honor did not allow that, he had saved her and as such she was his ward until she woke.


He found himself standing in front of the glass window that looked onto her still body again. two guards past him and bowed, Sparrow replied in kind and felt a small smile tug along his face at the raven uniforms they where forced to wear, they looked like ninja's from the american movies he thought to himself. Turning back to the glass he watched his eyes focusing on her, he had done all he could after saving her in Asgard, stopped the bleeding and had even released a mix of herbs into her blood stream that would prevent her mind for closing down on her. She needed to fight in order to wake, a fight that he could help her on as could most of the OSC but that was not their path, they had no permission to enter her mind and their honor would not allow it, she was now on her own. Letting his mind wonder as he began the long walk back to Gamblers office stopping in front of Sophie. her eyes locked onto his and she froze stuck in his gaze, he slowly bowed to her and she just stood there. It was as if she was trying to decide to run or stand her ground.
 

"Im afraid he is busy" his look turned sinister in a flash as he straightened up "who" all of a sudden the fear was replaced by confusion "Mr...Le" Sparrow began walking past her and towards the door, she span her hand catching his arm. It happened in a flash, she lay on the floor his sword just an inch from her neck, there was no compassion in his eyes, those deep green eyes seemed bottomless and once again she found herself frozen, she wanted to scream but her throat was dry her hands sweating. She had been hand picked by Gambler because she was clam in a dangerous situation, she told herself that over and over again, Sophie fought to find her voice and then the doors behind them opened and their stood Gambler leaning against the door frame his smile sitting upon his face. "Do try not to kill the help, they are hard to replace." Sparrows eye's remained on her, but his sword was gone from her neck and he allowed her to stand. " Now please do come in" Gambler had seen Sparrow's fury before, this could turn dangerous very quickly. Sparrow would never harm Gambler, but he had seen him near the killing edge before.


"I said come in" Sparrows eyes now lay upon Jean, the darkness in those green eyes where replaced with the man Gambler had known since he was a child, the man that his father had help train. bowing he walked past gambler and into the room. Staying at the door Gambler watched as Sophie got to her feet and fixed her dress "You handled yourself well." he said, Sparrow had a difficult life when growing up, before the Thieves guild had found him and returned him to his family. He had been beaten raw, the top layer of skin had been removed from his body while he was awake, Sparrow had three toes missing on his left foot, he had be burnt and cut and pushed further then any man should have been. But he was not a man when this happened, no he was ten, a boy trained to be a weapon and he had never spoke, never told them where to find his family and their clan. From that day forth no one had been allowed to lay a hand on him without his consent. Gambler turned his back on Sophia "If you do it again I will not stop him". the door shut on Sophie and Sparrow waited for his orders.    

Las Vegas Nevada, Mandalay bay surveillance room.

“It would seem that she isn’t dead, whatever they were doing worked, as she has been hooked up to a respirator”.   Zing Xiao (Y intercept) remarked a bit intrigued at the turn of events. “Not only is she still alive...She’s also pregnant.” Gwen replied with her hands across her mouth, in disbelief. The room quickly grew silent as all eyes lay fixed on Gwen.   Feeling the pressure she got on the loud speaker and addressed the room. “Everyone out to lunch”.   “You almost killed your grandbaby” Y said almost jokingly. “She broke the oath, and I did what I had to do to insure the secret of this society” Gwen explained being brought to tears.

“Well I’m sure you could have easily erased her memory, killing her was a tad bit harsh was it not?” Y remarked again. The two once again looked at the screen and noticed Sha’s “protector” had returned. “He’s been watching over her from the last few weeks, you would think she was his child.” Gwen said again moving her pen across the bottom of her lip. “How is she pregnant, I don’t see anything” Y said looking closely at the screen.

“Look at the end of her hair; it’s a lighter blonde then the rest of her hair. I’d say she’s been pregnant for a while now, although I don’t think she knows it”. Gwen said writing a note down on a piece of paper.   “Who’s that there?” Y asked pointing to another person lying down on a flat surface in another room.   Gwen moved in close as she couldn’t see who Y was talking about but the discovery shocked her. “That’s Sovereign Son! Why do they have him?”Y looked a bit confused as to why Gwen was so adamant about his “capture”.

“That man is my best friend’s husband; he is also a member of VERITAS Inc, where my daughter Maya stays.” Gwen once again looked to the paper; which she had previously written, and jotted down a few more notes.   “I know Sarah said he was killed in San Francisco during the whole earthquake fiasco, but why would THEY need his body?” Gwen said this time speaking to herself. “You would think this would be simple… Sov.Son and Gambler have a storied history, bring SS back, and sway him to jump ship and then play the “Kurrent didn’t save you” card to trump him”.

“How’d you get hose Cameras in there?” an Inquisitive Intercept asked. “Last time I went to that cathedral I went to look for Sha.” “To kill her?”  Y interrupted. “Yes” Gwen continued. “ She wasn’t there, but I knew I would need that place bugged for future purposes, so before I left I had the place bugged.”

Rising from her chair she took the piece of paper, and delivered it to Tiffany Fairbanks, whom was waiting right outside her office. “Take this and the rest of the LOVE 2 squadron and retrieve Feral Nova from hell. Take Delta Sha with you, she can open a portal that will get you there but your time is limited.” She watched as the “Sha clone” walked away with her orders and then returned to her desk.  “I wonder if this was the right idea…” she said rubbing her temples with her hands. “So what do you plan to do?” Y asked leaning on the desk with her hands folded.

“First you need to disappear, secondly I’m going to go get my baby” She said looking Y in the eye. Y was still on the Run from the Chinese government, a ruthless killer in the eyes of humanity. She had recently become Gwen’s business partner, but she was a shadow Gwen wanted to keep hidden.

“How are you going to get Sha back; You just sent the love squad to hell, and the Alpha Love team hasn’t even been in commission for a month” Y said putting her disguise on, whilst moving towards the door. “I’ll just have to organize my own team.

Y bowed and then exited the office building; Gwen rolled over to her desk and removed files on various registered heroes across the country.

Looking at her computer registry she pulled up Kurrent’s name and a list of his most recent involvements that had been nationally recognized appeared in the registry. She started to dial the number to VERITAS but then she hung the phone up.

“I need a team that’s not likely to be perceived as a threat, a team I can call upon when I need them…I need a Coalition!”

3 hours later

Gwen’s thoughts

“Hmmm, War Killer he’s a member of the Vine Titans; a long term member. I’m not seeing any family members, Says here his mother was killed.  He was also involved in the relief unit for the San Francisco event. Says here he was trained by the best. He’s known but not KNOWN…he’s perfect.

Her head began to nod, as she was getting tired; War Killer’s file went on for ever; it gave extensive details about his history   all the way back to his last dental visit. These files were confidential, but Thanks to Sarah’s networking and her own persuasive talents, she managed to get a multitude of LOVE members in the Pentagon, and C.I.A.

Gwen’s thoughts.

Eclipse… He’s an ICE Dragon; I know they don’t trust the government so my approach to him must be casual. He briefly worked along side Sicily Boss in the Vine Titans. I’d say he’s a great edition to have around for the simple fact that he’s a natural hero.

She was getting a butt cramp from sitting in her seat to long.  “I’m so f**king tired”.   A loud bang resonated from the walls and Solace appeared. “What are you doing mom?” She asked a bit curious.   “I’m creating a strike team” She didn’t want to elaborate on anything because of the integrity of the mission.

Maya nodded her head and then folded her arms watching her mother work temaculously on her computer. “Maya, Sha’s Alive…it seems that Gambler Bullet didn’t hit any major nerves in her brain… I’m going to rescue her.” “I WANT TO HELP!”

Maya screamed with excitement in her voice. “No you can’t… I need a team that will be more so about completing this task without a lot of casualties. “Fine but that won’t stop me from going after gambler” Maya teleported away leaving Gwen on her lonesome, “Maya My dear I love you my heart and soul, but you are truly the worlds dumbest Telepath.”

“Constantine, MR, Lazystudent, and Portrait also, and with the pending arrival of Feral nova… We’re good for a strike”.  Minimizing the Microsoft word window, and once again looking at the Camera that was watching Sha; she felt all types of remorse; switching back over to the Camera that was housing SS, She instantly felt a reason to justify her COALITON. Pulling up a database, filled with Catalogs of the various heroes teams that had been registered she composed a message a group message and sent them to the squad she had mentally drawn out.
 
"Dear Valued Defender of the just"
 
As, I'm sure you know the events that transpired on Asgard were not without consequences. First and foremost I come to you as a Concerned Mother. My darling Sha was shot cold blooded by the ever traitorous Gambler, and left for dead; he seemed to still have use for her and now is holding her hostage within the walls of the OSC stronghold. Secondly, Mike Lockhart also known as Sovereign Son, was killed during the California earthquakes; Gambler and his minions have clasped their grimy hands around his body doing God knows what. So i come to you for your temporary alligance, i must warn you this is not for the feint of heart; if you would like to help you can meet me at this location  36°3′27″N 112°8′15″W , Hope to see you soon

 For the first time since the Battle of Asgard the Sancta Camisa were being summoned home to the Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France. The fabled church and its secretive connection to the legendary Templar Knights, as well as the original assassin, only helped to add an unprecedented level of mystique and intrigue. Its political and religious connections formed the foundation of the OsC's strength. Giving the church a respectable public face that afforded the illustrious group of assassins unfathomable carte blanche throughout France. Seldom did the members of Sancta Camisa remain together in the same place at the same time do to the superstitious nature of their leader, Gambler. A student of history, the Living Legend was well versed in Templar lure and believed it to be unlucky to have all the figure heads of the organization in France together. In 1305 various leaders of the Knights Templar, including Grand Master Jacques de Moley, were invited to discuss a possible merging of the two main Templar factions only to be rounded up, tortured, and eventually put to death by Pope Clement V and King Phillip IV. Because of this historical betrayal Gambler had avoided assembling all of the members at once, but recent events demanded immediate attention.

Gambler and the Serpent of Shadows, Little Sparrow, sat patiently behind the extended executive boardroom table. Its walnut gloss finish reflected the overhead lights like a mirror while individually engraved swivel chairs lined the outer rim. The conference room was overly decorated openly displaying the Cajun's thirst for excess trademarking his overindulgent attitude. Even the braille chart that rested in front of him was lined with silver and gold trim. Running his fingers slowly along the the various curves Gambler carefully deciphered the latest report on the fallen Ninjeta's condition until he suddenly stopped, a look of confusion and disbelief plastered on his face. "She's pregnant?" he said, almost choking on the words.Sparrow showed no emotion as the Cajun's words filtered through the air, his ninja discipline so acute he was never taken by surprise or found off guard.

Holding his head sideways in a somewhat unorthodox manner, but common for the visually impaired, the King of Kings continued reading over the report methodically processing the information as his fingers traced over it. "Interesting. It says here dat they removed the fragmented pieces of a high caliber bullet from her skull....Hunter rarely, if ever, uses such tactics in dee midst of combat." pausing for a second as he contemplated the new found variable. "Say it." Sparrow's low whispering yet direct voice breaking through the Cajun's momentary trance. "Hunter did not do dis" he responded. A new wrinkle was now developing as what was previously believed to be the work of the Wolf Pack, had taken an unexpected turn. New information had cast doubt on Hunter's involvement but with so many operations set to begin the mystery would have to be back shelved. 

As various members began to filter in Gambler straightened his suit and adjusted his platinum crested cuff-links. "Lets begin shall we? I've gathered the Order here today so dat we may organize a thorough tactical plan for what is surely to come. Right now, several floors below us, the World's top medical and research teams are working around dee clock in an effort to revive one of our teammates. She has slipped into a deep coma as a result of blunt force trauma to dee head. I'm sure I do not need to stress how important it is dat Sha not die. We also, thanks to Surreal Diablo and her deadly Noir Grenouille, have retrieved dee body of dee infamous Sovereign Son. No doubt dee heroes will launch some sort of attempt to gain him back. Now you understand dee importance of your attendance. Dee Order must be intact in order to withstand what is coming. Dee's operations are to important to be left to chance."

Nodding his head slightly Gambler rose up to leave. As he exited he grabbed Talon by the arm holding her back from the others. "You and I need to discuss an important matter. Your mother.....I believe I know where she is." he smirked. 

 Jane slowly came out of a peaceful sleep. She opened her eyes and blinked. “Mmmm..” Jane put her hand to her face and rubbed her eyes. Then she noticed that Amanda wasn’t laying next to her, Amanda was Jane’s girlfriend and to put it bluntly, was the love of her life. Sitting up and beginning to stretching “I wonder where my kitty is.” she said to herself in a half awake, kind of voice. Thinking on  how lucky she was to be with Amanda, life wasn’t exactly fairy tale. Jane swung her legs over the side of the bed and slid off. Standing up, adjusting her black baby t-shirt, pulling the bottom back down to her cotton pink panties.

She grabbed the pillows and set them aside, then dragged the sheet to the top of the mattress, then the comforter. Taking her hands, smoothed it out, then put the pillows back up. “ Time for a shower.” Jane made her way out their room and into the hall. Wandering the halls, felling a slight chill from the lack of proper attire. Alone in the bathroom, Jane looked into the cabinet mirror. Jane’s brilliant red hair was messy and wild from last night’s .... “activities.” Minutes went by, the bathroom door opened and emerged Jane, in a robe, feeling fresh and rejuvenated.

Now standing in front of an open closet, back in the room, being reminded of the importance of owning  more then a few outfits. Jane was examining Amanda’s selection, mostly tank tops, jeans shorts and not a lot of colors, no problem. Cheap, comfortable and low maintenance was good. Fully clothed, Jane sat on the edge of the bed, drying her damp hair with a white towel. Things have been going in a good direction as of late, after leaving the scenery of Volgograd, leaving mother Russia, a place of grief and turmoil. Since joining the Order of Santa Camisa, a group of individuals, she felt a certain sense of “kinship” with and since falling madly and deeply in love with a wonderful woman.

Sitting and humming to herself, a thought jumped into her mind, the invite. A order to report to the headquarters on this day. “Maybe that's where you are” she thought, in regards to Amanda “Where I should be too.” She got up and walked on over to the dresser. The invite sat neatly on top of the dresser, contrasting with the burgundy finish. She picked it up and read it, the low, booming voice of her former trainer and guardian, Jakob Franz the third,  rung in her ears “ Punctuation is always, always key.” Jane reached for the top drawer, pulling out a red pen and a notepad. Jotting down an explanation and leaving it in place Amanda could find it, just in case, she wasn’t already there, she picked up her stealth suit from the corner of the room and rounding up her gear, Jane did a quick change and was out the door.

..........................................................................................................................................................

The Headquarters of The Order of Santa Camisa

A couple hours later, Jane was there, upset that she didn’t have the time to find Amanda first, but as she was taught “Mission first.” Feeling a tad bit overwhelmed by the baroque style of the lair, Jane kept her composer. “One must always must retain proper posture, even amongst degenerates.” another gem of insight from Franz.

She focused on the words of her leader Mr. LeBeau. She listen to his elegant Cajun accent, "Lets begin shall we? I've gathered the Order here today so dat we may organize a thorough tactical plan for what is surely to come. Right now, several floors below us, the World's top medical and research teams are working around dee clock in an effort to revive one of our teammates. She has slipped into a deep coma as a result of blunt force trauma to dee head. I'm sure I do not need to stress how important it is dat Sha not die. We also, thanks to Surreal Diablo and her deadly Noir Grenouille, have retrieved dee body of dee infamous Sovereign Son. No doubt dee heroes will launch some sort of attempt to gain him back. Now you understand dee importance of your attendance. Dee Order must be intact in order to withstand what is coming. Dee's operations are to important to be left to chance." That was mission and the Red Princess was ready to prove her worth.

 A bright blue light pierced through the darkness of hell as the screaming Fire Goddess could be heard coming from it. The smell of sulfur and brimstone stunk the air all around her as the light faded away, leaving her laying on the dirt and bone infested ground. Her wounds were still bleeding as she her screams finally faded into sobs, her body throbbing in pain as she coughed from the stink in the air. With her vision blurred she stayed laying as cries of fear, misery and pain could be heard echoing all around her.
 
“uhg…” she couldn’t speak as she struggled to sit up on her own, her hand placed upon her head. Where was she? What was this smell? And why was it so damn hot?

Then within seconds she could hear footsteps rushing towards her followed by a pair of strong arms that wrapped themselves around her. Moaning in pain she struggled to focus her eyes as she could feel a warm hand moving the air away from her bruised face. “I’m here Stephanie… I’m here…”  
 
Clearing her throat she finally realized who it was. “Emiel… where… what?” She was disoriented as her head became light.
 
“Were… were in hell Steph.” His voice was filled with regret, and shame as he mumbled the sentence to her, it took Nova a few seconds to register what he had just said.
 
“Y-you…” She then remembered, flashback of their battle rushed into her mind, the bright light, the pain… Her dark emerald eyes glared at him as then felt it as on cue, her blood began to boil, her skin began to burn she could feel her heart beat almost through her chest, the demon blood… being in hell must automatically activate it, it would make sense. She could feel the anger rising inside her, the fight within was beginning.
 
“Come on Stephanie, I’ll get us out of here, together.” She could feel Precise try to pull her up from the ground but she shoved him away from her.
 
“NO!” she snapped, she looked over at him to find him confused of what she had just done and said. “You cant be around me… no one can.” Her jaw was clenched tightly as her knuckles were white from being balled up so tightly. Shock filled the Mage’s face as he began to shake his head but before he could speak again Nova interrupted. “DON’T!” she yelled out as she threw up a wall of fire and took off in a sprint, her feral instincts beginning to take over her mind as she continued to run to the darkest pits of hell without looking back, she didn’t want to hurt him… she didn’t want to hurt anyone…
 

Present

At LOVE HQ

 The icy wind recoiled against the stone monolithic walls that stood rooted into the soil. As she approached the base located in an unknown reaches of Spain she could almost hear he wind whispering to her as its soft soothing melody beat against her blood stained skin. It was a strange thing, somehow she would always arrive here in he worst conditions, she sometimes wondered what Gambler must think of her, probably the same thing William Greystoke thought of her. Shaking her head in disagreement she attempted to stop thinking of that man, the Hunter. The man who did nothing but loved her, raised her trained her and in his    stead she betrayed him, and his team by forsaking them.

A Single strong gush of wind caused her arms to tightly wrap about her body as a single tear managed to beak from her emerald eyes and be carried off into the darkness that belayed the fortress. Walking through the tall heavy wooden doors of this Cathedral she entered a once more familiar yet unfamiliar place. The eerie lightning reminded her almost as the light of another church, the walls of another cathedral one where instead of meeting with the OsC, she was following the one person whom she desired most only to have that person bring her to a point of death. The memories flashed once again in from of her as she leaned against one of the several strong pillars that supported this structure. She remembered everything, her mother’s long locks, that hideous smile, she even remembered the teeth that dug into her flesh.

Her eyes lowered to the marbles slab floor, and instantly noticed that a picture had been created. Removing her body from the icy wall she slowly walked around in almost full circle to observe what the picture might represent. It was a man on a cross, a cross being killed, nails in hand. She shuddered a moment her eyes shutting a moment as her lips curled in. Falling to her right knee as it came in full contact with the hash ground she swept the tip of her hand upon the marble slap.   Images flashed before her eyes of what occurred this ghostly night. It was like reliving a nightmare, the blood soaring through the air as she could feel their bites in her skin.

Her fist clenched staggering to her feet as she slowly approached the moon light entering through the stain glass picture upon the top. Standing still in darkness she outreached her hand and placed it in the light. A silent gasp escaped her throat as she saw the wounds had gone yet the scares were sill visible, the bite marks…and it was done with a purpose. She swallowed cautiously as she noticed that the bite marks placed on both her arms were unique and in the same location to form something, she had never seen the figure before but it was enough to make her blood cold. Recoil back into the darkness her back plummeted against another wall. Her heart was pounding as her eyes darted toward every window, ever entry point.

Her imagination was running away with her, she knew that but how could she make it stop. Eventually she stopped her emerald eyes from their frantic travel and brought hem aback toward her arms now in the darkness. She held them out only to freeze out of fear. A dark, dim glow was resonating from her wounds, from the marks on her hand, now the thing on her arms looked even more deliberate. “What…what is going one.” She stuttered a moment before looking away and running up the steps. Her eyes still looked around scanning every area her heart was still beating at full speed, she needed to calm down, there had to be a logical reason for this…and that was why she was afraid.

Entering a side room that was not even hers she shut the door locking it behind her. Nevertheless for a moment her mind was distracted by the room before her. It was empty, probably just a spare room. Except that’s what she would have thought if not for the fact that Gambler never had spare rooms, everything was for a purpose nothing was there without one. No member was here without a purpose even she had one which was amazing for her. This was her room. She slowly approached the bed that was placed against the right wall as the black linins curtains blocked out all moon like surrounding Laura in darkness. She could not help but remember her room back at Greystoke Manor.

Sitting herself on the edge of the bed she looked at the opposite wall. Her black locks of hair sweat and blood drenched laid upon her face, the smell of blood lingered all over her, the smell of death. There was a Mirror in the opposite corner, it was to dark to see any reflection so she approached it slowly. Eventually she got close enough to see her appearance. She was a mess, her hair, her body the scares. It was uncanny that once upon a time she was a Priceless of a King. Then while staring into the mirror she saw him and her, a reflection of her team. Sylver, Risky even Ferro and the pain returned. She’d killed her team mate, that’s why she left…no she left for his safety.

Ramming her fist into the glass she shattered the reflection of her as pieces of glass fell upon the ground.   Brining back her hand she looked at the scars now on it as they instantly healed, but hem looking upon her arm the marks where there. “Calm down..” she whispered as she got to her feet removing all her attire as she walked toward the bathroom. Stepping into the shower she turned on the water. A sigh or relief escaped her lips as the water slid down her washing away the crimson stains the sweat and tears.  Combing her hands through her hair she used the cube of soap to good use and cleaned herself up to be presentable to the Cajun. When her showering was done water still dripping on her face she pulled aside the curtains to look upon the image of her…and instead her eyes fell upon something else.

Her body slowly turned half way so that she could viably see her back. She might have screamed if she was human, if she cared but there it was. On her back a now more visible mark than the ones on her arms. Instantly she heard something in her room footsteps and pushed open the door only to reveal the window open and the icy breeze blowing through it. Running out to the window exposing her body to the moon light she called “What do you want from me…what else could I possibly have! Are you trying to rip me of the little honour I have left!” her voice was carried off to silence as tears filled her eyes, she saw something running in the woods…she saw a glimmer of black hair. She might have gone after her but her but she was too tired right now..and she had a meeting.

Cladding herself in a more….appropriate uniform that would not mistake her from Talon of Wolf Pack she was ready. Clad in royal purple that covered both arms and back so no one would see what this night had already given upon her. The final touches as a cloak hiding her current uniform and most of her face, she had never worn one before she hated the fact of hiding her identity but only those people who knew her not would continue not to know her and those that knew her…well they would continue knowing her.  

She walked through the silent halls and once again she was the last person to enter. A small smile appeared on her face as she took her position next to the wall , and listened while her leader, her lord, her king the man she had swore honour and trust to spoke. "Lets begin shall we? I've gathered the Order here today so dat we may organize a thorough tactical plan for what is surely to come. Right now, several floors below us, the World's top medical and research teams are working around dee clock in an effort to revive one of our teammates. She has slipped into a deep coma as a result of blunt force trauma to dee head.” Laura’s mind as if snapping back into reality remembered, It was during the siege of Asgard that this happened because once again she forsook her team for her own Idea her own plan. No one would see but underneath the hood she was drawing blood from her lips.

 Turning her mind back to the words of Gambler he continued “ I'm sure I do not need to stress how important it is dat Sha not die.” “She won’t” Laura said in a dark tone before listening to him continue “ We also, thanks to Surreal Diablo and her deadly Noir Grenouille, have retrieved dee body of dee infamous Sovereign Son. No doubt dee heroes will launch some sort of attempt to gain him back. Now you understand dee importance of your attendance. Dee Order must be intact in order to withstand what is coming. Dee's operations are too important to be left to chance."

She nodded her head in understanding. For a moment her eyes fell upon the floor, as she considered her place, she was stuck in a controversy of her own choices. Should she remain with Sha, and SS’s body down in the medical bay or stay to fight It was a simple question, she would fight. But Laura was feeling responsible, if she was there she would have been the one to take on her father, she would have been the one to kill William Greystoke she would be the one in coma! But it was then that she seized her heart and for a moment her breathing stopped. Her eyes turned to the Cajun, who now stood grasping her hand. Her breathing became shallow as she had to retain some sense of sanity. But the words…the words that escaped his lips next those were the words that brought her soul to utter torment…

"You and I need to discuss an important matter. Your mother.....I believe I know where she is." A devious smile appeared on his face, as she was currently still trying to believe what he had said. She looked at the man who had lost his sight, despite this he still seemed to know exactly how to get the young assassins attention. Leaving the group the Cajun and herself went to a more private area. When the doors were shut the Living Ledged seated himself across the room in the shadows. Laura stood in the middle of the room, the ashen ghostly light upon her cloaked figure. Her jade eyes still looked upon the Cajun in fear, his figure might have been in darkness but she could almost see the expression on his, his fingers folded as he sat staring at her. Removing her hood her locks of hair slid to either side of her shoulder as her eyes fell upon him. A stern look was upon her face as both of her fists were clenched. She wanted to walk out of the room anyway her mother didn’t want anything with her, why should so go after her.

But instead of leaving instead of ignoring his words she said the first thing that came to her mind, the only thing the only option she didn’t care she was with him and with him she could speak the truth. Kneeling before him her head bent she took in a deep breath showing him a singe of respect. Getting to her feet once more she brushed her hair out of her face as her emerald eyes glistening in the moon light looked upon his figure. “My Lord…” she paused as a slight smile curled upon her face. “Where is she?” there was no care in her voice, she had locked off all emotion, she would not mess up she would not make a mistake. She needed to know, no tricks no nothing   all she wanted was an answer…

 Life was beginning to take a strange route for Michael, he went from bad to worse, as the days went by he was begging to lose his dark powers more and more, most likely a side effect of him using the Destroyer armor. The funny part about this situation was the fact that the armor was supposed to attack his soul and not his dark powers, he was begging to see things, to see people, or beings that seemed to be people.

The truth was he was losing it, or so he thought, he had lost almost everything till then, the power he was supposed to gain through joining earthly factions. In the end none of them help him with anything, not the friends he had gained, not the enemies he had confronted till then. He probably deserved it, he was now paying for his sins, for all the hatred he had inside his heart. Despair was growing in his heart, as he realized that death was approaching him, and it was coming with the speed of light, yet it was willing to let his suffer for a thousand years.

But the self inflicted torture wouldn’t last for long, as his computer would give him news of what happened while he was battling in that pocket dimension. Elsewhere, another battle went on, one that would show Michael a new means to obtain more power.  He would learn of this secret Order a few days later, when one of the satellites he hacked, intercepted a few encrypted messages, but it would be a encrypted letter that would answer his question about this Order. The encryption letter was hard to decode, but he managed in less than a half an hour.

“How pathetic?” Michael said as soon as he read the message that was in the letter, “So this Order of Sancta Camisia, is supposed to have its headquarters in Chartres France. It seems to be lead by Gambler, the notorious villain, that inspires fear in every person that see him and death in every person he touches.   Things are finally getting interesting once more.” He smirked while saying this last fraise, he then rotated the chair he was on and got of his chair, if he didn’t have too much time, the he might as well used the time he had left more wisely.

Michael grabbed his armor, the weapons that he had around, not too many weapons, but it would have to do, for now. He then took one of his teleportation devices, being a genius had its advantages. He kept the Destroyer armor in a darkforce dimension nearby, such a shame it was losing his mind and powers because of it. “Now then. Let’s begin.” And with that being said, he activated his teleporting device, teleporting near the cathedral, instead he now found himself in a cemetery.

As he was walking through the cemetery, he began seeing people once more, only these were not people, they were spirits, ghosts. He evaded them with ease, since there was so little they could do to harm him, he had arrived. “The journey wasn’t as bad as I originally thought. But it did have its bad moments.” Suddenly for a moment his heart had stopped, he had saw Talon, the same Talon he had betrayed not too long ago, abandoning her and her former team Wolf Pack in the jaws of a alien race. Luckily for him the trees offer cover from her eyes and from her nose. The fact that she was wounded also helped.

As she entered the cathedral, Michael decided to go inside using his shadow travel, since Talon couldn’t sense his smell while he was inside his own shadow. He quickly used her shadow, as a camouflage, in order to evade the eyes that were watching from behind the walls. He would leave her , alone as he went on a exploration mission, using the shadows in each crack to move through the walls and around them. Michael found several seals, but he managed to evade each of them without tripping any booby-traps on them.   Using his shadow mode he would make his way to Gambler’s office, this was the hard part to convince the big man, that he needed him.

Amanda woke up in the middle of the night and sat up from the bed, this was the time that Amanda would put on her cat costume and steal some Jewelry, Cash, Diamonds, and secret files from the Government.  But tonight she was going to a midnight club to have some fun and grab a drink before sunrise without any of her teammates knowing, even her girlfriend Jane. Amanda yawned and got quietly off her bed and opened her closet where she kept her cat costume, she smiled and grabbed it and began to put it on, Amanda remembered when she was just a little girl when her butler Mr. Smith had trained her to become a great thief, but she could not remember having a childhood which she probably did not even have one cause her father was so hard on her to fight and train. Amanda quickly put her mask on and looked over at Jane who was sleeping like a angel goddess with her red long hair. Amanda sighed and moved toward the bed side she was sleeping in and gave her a kiss on the cheek, and quickly made a dash for it toward the window where she sneaked out and headed for the club.
 
Amanda leaped from building to building quickly like a cheetah, she could not waste anytime or any second or she would be late for something big today in the base. Amanda finally spotted the club and took off her cat costume and left it on top of the building where she would get it back after she was done in the club she quickly changed into a gray suit and black heel's she also clipped on her blade gauntlets under her sleeve's where it could be hidden, Amanda could hear the loud music from where she was standing, she smiled and leaped from the building to a light pole and then jumped down to the ground, Amanda walked toward the club when a tall white built man quickly stopped her from entering and shouted. " I need to see your ID.... sweetheart!". Amanda grinned and replied back. " Some ID I see... how about I show you some of THIS!!". Amanda quickly stabbed the man on the chest with her blade gauntlet's and grinned, the man fell on the floor and Amanda bent down and whispered in the dead man's ear. "Audios". and  walked right passed the dead body and into the club. 
 
Amanda eye's widen when she saw so many people dancing and drinking, some of the men were playing Poker and Liar's Dice which was a old western game back in the old day's, Amanda walked toward the bar and sat down and waited for the bartender to get to her, that's when suddenly three guy's in a weird looking outfit grabbed Amanda by the shoulder and whispered. " Nice killing our friend back there honey now it's time we hurt you." Amanda smiled and threw the man's hand off her shoulder, Amanda then did a uppercut on one the men then the two joined in, Amanda leaped into the air and jumped kicked the other man in the face who tried hitting her with a beer bottle, she then grinned and rolled up her gray suit sleeves and leaped at the last man and stabbed the last one with her blade gauntlet's in his eye's which left him screaming in pain, Amanda pulled her gauntlet's out of the man's eye's and looked around as the dancer's were all gone, the men who were playing Poker were hiding under the table's and the other group who were playing liar's dice had there hand's over there head in fear. Amanda sighed and walked out of the bar.  
 
Amanda climbed back on the building and grabbed her cat costume, Amanda noticed that it was already morning and she did not get to have the fun she wanted which was drinking and after that going to steal maybe, Amanda quickly leaped from building to building back to her room, and then quickly sneaked back into the room where she noticed that Jane was not there and her bed was neat and fixed, Amanda smiled and took off her gray suit and gauntlet's and quickly ran into the shower and did whatever she had to do to get started, when she finally got out she went back into her closet and grabbed her other costume which had a black leather vest and pant's and put them on with her gauntlets which she clipped back on her hand's. Amanda looked around her bedroom and noticed a letter on the dresser which maybe Jane had left, Amanda grabbed it and began to read it when her eye's widen and saw that there was a order to report to the headquarters on this day. Amanda smiled and quickly ran out the door to the HQ.
 
Amanda finally made it to the HQ and noticed Jane and her teammate's, she quickly ran to Jane and sat next to her when Mr. LeBeau began to speak. "Lets begin shall we? I've gathered the Order here today so dat we may organize a thorough tactical plan for what is surely to come. Right now, several floors below us, the World's top medical and research teams are working around dee clock in an effort to revive one of our teammates. She has slipped into a deep coma as a result of blunt force trauma to dee head. I'm sure I do not need to stress how important it is dat Sha not die. We also, thanks to Surreal Diablo and her deadly Noir Grenouille, have retrieved dee body of dee infamous Sovereign Son. No doubt dee heroes will launch some sort of attempt to gain him back. Now you understand dee importance of your attendance. Dee Order must be intact in order to withstand what is coming. Dee's operations are to important to be left to chance." Amanda smiled and began to sharpen her gauntlet blades with her knife and was ready for her mission.

 "Where is she?" Her voice was cold and void of emotion. Even with his heightened senses Gambler could not detect the slightest alteration in tone, heart rate, or stress levels, as Talon questioned the whereabouts of her mother. "Sit child" his response equally apathetic. Reluctantly, the feral assassin reached back grabbing hold of the delicately refurbished 16th century Victorian style chair, before pulling it away from the nearby table and into position with its back facing forward. Nonchalantly she sat down with her legs extended around either side, and her arms folded on top of the backrest like a high school trouble maker staying after class for detention. Her actions bringing a hidden smile to the Cajun's face, his white teeth barely visible through the shadows. Methodically  adjusting the Sancta Camisia ring on his finger Gambler rose from the shadows out of his chair and towards the never ending library that coiled around his office, instinctively picking one book out of thousands. His lips extended releasing a small yet forceful gust of air that streamed over the cover of the ancient literary tale removing a decades worth of dust and webbing.

Returning to his seat Gambler once again sat back into the shadows displaying his notorious flair for the dramatic. "Have you ever heard of dee, Espiritu Los Cazadores, chere?Ohhh dhey are in interesting read I assure you. Dhey are also your legacy, your.....family, if you will. Dee Circle of Eclipse is, at its core, dee foundation of a Vampire group dat dates back to a time of Roman supremacy. Maybe you already know dee story? Maybe you've forgotten who you are and where you come from....but its all here in dis book." his low raspy voice paused as he extended the book towards Talon. "Take it, tis yours."he rose once again before making his way to the door."Your mother's name is....Victoria, daughter of a powerful Vampire named Demarkus. I believe you will find dee answers you seek in Spain. But I cannot allow you to go alone. Time chere, just give me a little more time and I shall personally accompany you. Together we will....search out dis, Demarkus and your mother."lowering his head he continued briefly, "You are to important to dee Order....to me, to simply let you go alone." the words trailing off as he exited the room leaving Talon alone with the newly reveled revelation.

With long confidant strides, his all black Cesare Paciotti designer shoes gliding across the polished hallway floor, and his notched collar Roberto Cavalli overcoat stylishly swaying behind him, the Analytical Assassin confidently swaggered towards his main office. His thoughts running through, and cataloging, a multitude of possible scenarios before suddenly flooding over with an overwhelming sense of disturbance. With a cocky smile he continued on until reaching his destination. There, waiting to great him, Sophie stood with perfect posture prepared to not only give the Cajun an updated status report of Sha's condition, but to alert the OsC leader about a recent security breach. "I already know Sophie" Gambler said with his hand raised. "Make sure I am not disturbed." he continued, leaving the poor girl with nothing but a look of confusion on her face. As he sat down he couldn't help but slightly shake his head "Tis truly amazing" he thought to himself. "Did people really believe they could enter France, let alone the sanctity of the Chartres Cathedral without the OsC's knowledge? Without his knowledge?" Slowly removing his glasses and clasping his hands together as they rested on his desk, the King of Kings waited for the inevitable. And without disappoint, a figure emerged from the shadows.

"Mr. Gambler I have a proposition for you, one that I think you will like, I would like to join your Order and provided it with something I think it needs, the future." Instantly Gambler's senses were flooded with a metallic taste. But the intruder was not robotic, nor was he human. The enigma intrigued his curiosity. "Dee future you say?" questioned Gambler as he moved from behind his desk one finger scratching his chin. To the naked eye the gesture was unimportant, but to the deadly Shadow Assassin Sparrow, who silently hung upside down from the ceiling just above the stranger, it was everything. A coded command to retract the intricate razor sharp, nearly invisible, strands of wire that draped from his fingers. Placing on hand on the armored covered shoulder of the new arrival while facing the opposite direction, Gambler whispered, "I've already seen dee future, and you're lucky to have one." he smirked before walking out. "We shall talk later. Ms. Sophia will escort you to a temporary room.........Micheal" the Cajun arrogantly displaying his senses, as he revealed the stranger's identity without having been told.

Miles under Vine City

 
"I still don't know what to call this place..." Eclipse muttered as he landed on the cold ground. A few of the nano-bots, which his suit was comprised of leaked onto the floor and wriggled through miscroscopic gaps. A few seconds later, the lights burst into existence as the bots found the switch. "The Eclipse Cave?" he pondered, walking swiftly to the centre of the huge underground cavern, where a variety of equipment was gathered. Many years ago, in the Golden Age of superheroes, Vine City had another protector. Like Jason, this hero was a fundamentalist, who went by the name of Thunderbird. In fact, the two were related, as Eclipse was the great Grandson of the Thunderbird. While the massive earthquake which recently obliterated the West Coast of America had caused great damage to Vine City, there was one positive for its Crimson Guardian. It had unearthed the headquarters of his ancestor. Eclipse then swiftly moved into the place and updated it with his own touches. 
 
Scattered around the occupied area of the cave were various relics and trophies which Thunderbird had collected in his time from the villains he fought and the heroes he knew well. Jason had added his own touches to this display as well, though many were in fact photographs: a group image of the six founders of the Vine Titans; Jason rolling his eyes at Arach-Knight, one of the founding six; trying to get Blair and Solor out of his room so he could get on with his work; shaking hands with War Killer as he joined the team; reluctantly nudging his pizza as the team enjoyed a meal (the day before Eclipse left the team, due to being unable to handle leadership); Nighthunter, looking quite reluctant to have his picture taken; the Ice Dragons, at Jason's 16th birthday party and many other random occasions. Along with the pictures were actual memoirs. There was a poster, hanging from a metal frame, which advertised the circus act he had performed in with his parents and a series of glass cases, containing various costumes. The first was that of the Thunderbird, red with a black hooded cape and black leggings. Next in line was Jason's first costume, with the green tights and sleeves on the red shirt. Third was his costume as Madros' apprentice, a battered and dirty looking, harsh, metal design. And finally was a fabric replica of the nano-suit Eclipse now wears, the full red suit with a long black cape.
 
In the very centre was a large piece of technology, which Eclipse had acquired through his connections with Nighthunter of the Ice Dragons. For all intents and purposes, it was a supercomputer, which Jason was about to put to the test. He had just come back from placing various high-tech, microscopic cameras all around the city. Using the computer, he could monitor all events in the city and then, using his powers, either influence things from a distance or teleport right into the action. The supercomputer consisted of a thick, round metal plate on the floor. There were bars perpendicular to the surface and, attached to these, horizontal bars. On these bars, there was various display screens, though all were currently empty. As Eclipse ducked under the bars into the device, his nano-bots activated it and the cameras went into action. All the displays flicked on as they began to slowly rotate in a circle around the Teen Wonder. He grinned as how well his idea had worked and looked closer at each screen. Using his nano-suit, he was able to link up with the machine directly, increasing or decreasing the speed of rotation and manipulating the volume controls of each input. Homing in on one screen in particular, Jason spotted a bank robbery in process. He chuckled to himself as he heard the criminals yell in surprise and shock, as their bag of 'loot' was suddenly glued to the ground by Eclipse's power over gravity. They too were unable to move, and Jason kept it that way until the Police arrived a short while later. 
 
He continued to moderate the crime in Vine City like this for the next few hours, occasionally jumping into a fight himself, to strech his tired legs and give the criminals more of a personal touch. Things had gotten much worse since the earthquake and Eclipse was thankful he had a place like the Cave to work his magic from. It was far more effective than running across rooftops and hoping to find crime. But his work was soon interruped, by an e-mail. Eclipse was taken completely by surprise, as he didn't actually have an e-mail address. Apparently that small detail would not possibly stop the power of L.O.V.E. On every visual input, the e-mail appeared, bearing the same message... The same invitation... Eclipse smiled as the location of the co-ordinates popped up on his computer. "The Grand Canyon? Sure, I know where that is." he stepped off the metal plate and the computer shut itself off immediately. The second part of the message was what had made him so certain he would go along on this mission. Sovereign Son was the teacher of Nighthunter, who in turn was the teacher of Eclipse. Jason did not think he could bear to tell his master this terrible news, so there was a simple solution: save his Teacher's Master from the forces of darkness, before it was too late. The Teen Wonder grabbed a beltful of gadgets, strapped it around his waist and teleported on the spot. The lights immediately shut off, plunging the cave into darkness as Jason reappeared at the rendezvous location...

“Always standing still as the world moves around you!” Arrow’s voice was like velvet as he moved into the light in front of weatherman “Death is really the only constant presence in this world.” Final Arrow finished as he took a bite from a ripe red apple, the satisfying crack seemed to fill the distance between them. The apple in his hand paled when compared to his crimson eyes, Arrow’s pale face was almost porcelain as if sculpted, it looked fragile as a single strand of light crossed his face, when he smiled that face could end wars or be the start of them. Brushing back a single strand of hair that had dared to escape from the rest of his black hair Arrow smiled and took another bite. His eyes danced dangerously over death and with a mocking smile he winked “but what would I know of that?” The question was simply enough but the undertones that hid beneath it where far more dangerous.

The apple rolled from his hand as he began to turn towards the hall Gambler had left by, his long black coat seemed to flow as if it had a life of it’s own. His green shoes clicked as he walked down the halls of the OSC and smiled as he set off one or two of the scrolls embedded into the wood. Several guards came hurtling down the endless maze of corridors and secret tunnels that built up the home the world’s greatest assassins. It was only a few months ago that he had entered the Cathedral above and shown Gambler the way to Asgard and so much had changed since then, a story that will one day come to light. Arrow’s light skipping came to a sudden halt as several of the guards stood in front of him, their hands hovering over their blades. Arrow’s raven eyebrows lifted for a moment begging them to charge, but one of the ninja’s held his arm across his men and they all stood down. “Little Sparrow has given orders that we not engage you, Will you allow an escort.” The man asked with a bow.

All the excitement escaped from Arrows face “well you’re just no fun” A small questioning smile replaced the lack of amusement. “But of course lead the way and let us not stop for anyone.” His voice was different a touch of cold midnight had replaced the velvet tones he had used. “Very well”, the man turned and started up the hall towards the reception area. Arrow stopped and looked forward “It would be a better idea if we waited just a moment.”  Finding a place against the wall Arrow looked his escort up and down, placing his hands into his trousers Arrow smiled, the frustration in the man was clear, even with a mask covering his face.

“Do you all dress like that?” It was an obvious answer but Arrow disliked one thing more then stupidity it was silence. “Yes we all where the OSC uniform, it is an honor.” Arrow let out a little sigh “really an honor” The man turned and looked towards him. “It is all I have known all my life and I serve them with pride. I will die if they order it.” Arrow almost rolled his eyes; this was not the direction he really wanted the conversation to go. The guard went to say something then stopped. “Speak your mind” his voice once again the velvet tone it had been with Weatherman “You said you wanted to stop for nothing but now we stand here?” Arrow pulled a hand out of his pocket and pointed at the doors opening. A young woman walked out followed by Michael the fly, Arrow masked his presence the moment he had entered the OSC if it was not for the Scrolls and other magical defenses that lined this Cathedral he would have managed to sneak in unnoticed, but he could hide his essence to those who where not already aware of him.

Turning Arrow nodded to the man “I think I can mange from here on, I will tell the Cajun that you argued with me to the best of your abilities, that you where to escort me to the room, but the front door of his office is far enough would you not agree.” As the ninja went to reply Arrow walked off and into the reception. Opening the doors to the large hall Arrow whistled “You’re taste has never changed.” Arrow never looked at Gambler merely took in the mixes of decorations within the room, 16 century mixed with a modern twist, reds and gold all copulated into an admiring mixture of power and prowess. “Impressive, you managed all this without even laying an eye on it.” Moving to the seat in front of Gamblers desk Arrow pointed “May I”, taking the seat he rested his feet on the edge of the desk.

“I really like your guards, but they all seem a little serious, On that note so does everything about this place, to much discipline not enough spark. “ removing his legs Arrow smiled and leaned forward “And from what I hear there may be a spark plug on it’s way. Now with that said I was wondering how you would feel about a snake in your nest? I have time to spare and none to waste, it’s a rather intriguing matter that I don’t want to bore you with.” Arrow leaned over the desk and offered his hand “So what do you say, one last dance… Oh and if you need to know where my hand is it is just in front of you.”

 12 Hours after Soverign Son’s body has been stolen.

VINE ACADEMY- Lockheart underground homestead

Fans whirred in the cold dim room, the machines and lights flicking on and off as the lone red haired woman sat, her legs tucked underneath, pale face focused one screen showing her husband’s body lying flat on an ornate table inside the Order’s cathedral. Monitors surrounding her hung from the wall flashed showing every hero and villain within range. Yellow tinted glasses askew on her face, her hair piled high on her head, the soft green eye raw with tears had spent hours in this room watching the cameras Miss Lopez had placed inside the Order.  Occasional incoherent words slipped out of her slack mouth, the phone ringing beside her left to go to the answering machine as yet another well wisher tried to contact her to offer condolences. Piles of flowers sat in the house outside her door, sympathy banners and fruit baskets, all offering support for her dead husband. Shock had taken over her entire body, Mike’s death, his capture, her total inability to take on Surreal and her army everything had lead Sarah to this point, sitting and watching, watching her husband’s body being abused by those people.

 Light spilled into the room as a small pair of feet padded across the cold floor, blue painted nails reached up to take Sarah’s hand tugging slightly. Chevies face, a mixture of pain and worry a face too old for her years watched her comatose mother and tried desperately once again to wake her up “Mummy…. Mummy” tears welled up in Chevies eye’s the girls world shattered as both her parents seemed to have abandoned her.   The door opened again, Crazy followed through the door “come on wee one, come and show me again how you can kick my butt on street fighter” the little girl stared long and hard at her mother before taking her uncle’s hand and leaving the room, Crazy shutting the door behind them both.

Sarah’s face did not move, her daughters pain barely breaking through her own. A loud buzzer went off around her and the monitors changed to show Gwen Lopez standing at the front door, her impeccable suit and hair immaculate, the woman was all class. Crazy opened the door and nodded, the two of them talking briefly in the hallway before the woman entered the house, Sarah’s face not shifting from the monitor in front of her. Heels clacked in the hallway, before a stern knock was heard on the outer door, air whooshed and the light bathed the room as Sarah’s assistant headmistress entered the woman’s den.

Gwen looked around the room, her nose wrinkled at the slight smell emanating from Sarah’s unwashed hair and clothes, her eyes sharpening on the image of Mike on the screen, recognising her camera footage. Gwen reached out and placed her hand on Sarah’s shoulder, the red haired woman flinched slightly but did not move, Gwen remained silent for a moment as she watched her dear friend. In a flash of movement Gwen spun the chair around and swiped her hand across Sarah’s face slapping her hard, Sarah’s head snapped up her eyes trying to focus as Gwen slapped her hard again smashing the woman’s glasses against the wall as they flew off. A red handprint on Sarah’s face glowing in the green light, raising her hand again Gwen smiled as Sarah’s own hand grabbed hers stopping the slap. Sarah’s eyes locked on her friend, her breath coming out in pants, Gwen smiled down at her and spoke “good your awake then, now snap the hell out of it and let’s go rescue your husband, my daughter and our best friend, you have work to do darling, and I am not going to let you get out of it this time”

HELL

Get our best friend Gwen had said, of course as usual failing to mention that she wanted Sarah to go to Hell and back for her! Yet here she was, rescuing Feral. Hell was not entirely what she expected, It was a dark and cold place, no hell fire or brimstone just suffering, she could feel it, sense it, it was all around them.  Delta Sha had warned them to get in, get Feral and get out, the bubble gum stuff that Delta Sha had made her swallow was helping to keep her breathing but she had to move fast, ducking low with her hands out in front of her she loped towards the only light in the area, coordinates flashed as she held out the monitor in front of her a small hand held device showing her the entities within the area, the others moved around her all searching the spot for Feral Nova. A faint voice shifted out across the darkness and Sarah focused on it “…I can’t NeVann… I can’t stand it anymore… I don’t want to...” Sarah ran towards the voice, calling out Stephanie’s name as she did her feet flying over the uneven ground as she searched for the small hole Feral was curled up in. Shock hit her as she spotted her dear friend curled up on the ground, her clothes damaged and her face contorted with fear and pain. Reaching down she gently touched the girls shoulder; trying to wake her up, “I found Feral Nova.”   She spoke in her communicator as she knelt down in front of the girl; her eyes were focused on her as Steph’s eyes looked right back at her, an emotionless expression on the fire goddess’s face.   “Stephanie, its Sarah, it’s ok… your safe”

Grand Canyon

Wind whistled over the edge of the massive cavern below them, Sarah leant against the bars trapped around the edge, watching the tourists nearby snap photos, happy families in matching outfits with baseball caps, sunglasses, big smiles and warm hearts. This was what she did it all for, these simple idiots who wanted nothing more but to have lives that were fulfilled and simple. The family looked up at the red haired woman in the green leather jump suit, her blue tinted glasses flashing light off of them as she turned away. Pulling her helmet over her hair, her long legs swinging over the black Kawasaki Ninja she nodded to them as she jumped the bike, roaring the engine to life. Pebbles spat across the ground as the bike spun a 360 roaring off down the simple road of the Grand Canyon national park, pushing a button on the handle a light flickered on the small dash in front of her, co-ordinates Gwen gave her flicking them off again she revved the engine harder and flew towards the location, thinking over the contingent Gwen had organised.

The hero community was rocked not so long ago with the death of Andferne and the loss of Darkchild, a small few managed to carve a life for themselves out of the ruins of the great ones. Heroes like Nighthunters trainee Eclipse, Portrait, War Killer and Lazy Student had been on her radar for some time, along with Percy Jackson the god of the seas. Each of them had amazing skills and strength of spirit; she hoped they could stand by the more experienced veterans at the table to hold back the evil that was Gamblers sadistic order.

Her thoughts were broken as her phone trilled in her ear, shaking off the reverie she answered the call, hearing Gwen’s voice she smiled, the woman continued to speak and her smile faltered “… how far away are you? We may need bigger help than these guys… I just received intel that Final Arrow has entered the Order compound” Sarah’s hand gripped the handle tightly as she thought of the man connected to her family, her dead sisters lover and her nieces father, the man who wore destruction like a cloak “I thought he was away with Rina on the Carnivale circuit?” the last intel any of them heard of the crazy pair was that they had started a unique industry in fear and were well away from Vine City. Sarah received the odd postcard from Rina happily outlining all of the girls journeys and.. conquests. Gwen’s voice was annoyed “I know, I thought the same, but it seems they are back, the only thing we can find is that Rina has disappeared into the voids again and Arrow is at the Compound, It would seem that Slither and another of the acts have taken over the Carnivale for now” Sarah ground her teeth and sighed shifting the bike up a gear and spinning around a corner, the bike almost touching the ground “I’m about five minutes from the location, we will just have to step it up Gwen, somehow… we will rescue them” logging off the call the woman re focused on the road and allowed her thoughts to shift.

Black and green flashed past the mountain as the warrior roared to her location, knowing that one of the greatest hero contingents were waiting to take on one of the biggest evil this world had known and all she could think about was slashing her husband’s sisters, Surreals throat and saving the love of her life… not particularly in that order.   

 The cemented silence filled the room like a bitter sweet aroma of burning candles. It swept her into its presence as it circled the room tightening its grasp. The dim moon light swept into the the for cornered area through the cracks in the lavender curtains. No doubt the window was slightly unlatched for the curtains blew like on a mid summers morn. They light velvet tapping against the floor before the wind died fully causing them to fall once again to their position. The light that escaped through the velvet could be seen casting shadows of the outside, causing them to dance. Though the light happened to pass just within the   figure of Gambler causing his silhouette to be glimpsed from where Laura was standing.

She could hear the beating of her heart in sync with the beating of the Cajun’s own. Her breathing was calm and steady as she attempted to recoil the viper of emotions lunging within her.   The suppressed force the, storm that raged with in ones self with in herself that she was attempted to gain control over. Though the silence filled with the impact of a poisoned dagger drifted between the two, she had no doubt that the Cajun was speaking truthfully. She had observed this man since their first encounter, fascinated by him to a point of almost… “Sit child” his subtle calm tone striking the silence like the atomic impact of a bomb. Her mind snapped back into reality as her eyes focused on him. For a moment she considered , but complied to his will.

She rested her body upon wood carved, laced with leather along with golden tasselled pins securing it, chair. It felt quite comfortable to the touch as the tips of her fingers slid them against the wood before fully laying her arms upon the front backrest in a relaxed gesture. Both of her legs were separated on either side of the rest as she knew it was slightly unorthodox but it was comfortable. She never felt for the too formal and with Gambler presence, she didn’t see why not. It was then that she saw the man of mystery and supremacy rise once more, his eyes...for a moment she thought she saw something. Oh how she longed to stare into those aged eyes, the eyes that had seem many a victory and many a defeat. She never would admit it, but she was honoured to be here, from the moment she had met with the Cajun she had longed for this day…longed to be this near to a ledged that would live on in history, a man that had made his mark several a time upon the pages of time and reality itself. Her black locks of hair slid slowly down her shoulders and past the chair rest causing her hands to be almost fully covered.

He seemed to have chosen a book to fall into the possession of his shifty hands, she could see a glimmer of his face as he blew the years worth of dust off the cover, and slowly seated himself once more. "Have you ever heard of dee, Espiritu Los Cazadores, chere? Ohhh dhey are in interesting read I assure you. Dhey are also your legacy, your.....family, if you will.” By now he had gained call of the young girls attention, her emerald eyes were focused upon him as if he was the giver of life and death. “Dee Circle of Eclipse is, at its core, dee foundation of a Vampire group dat dates back to a time of Roman supremacy. Maybe you already know dee story? Maybe you've forgotten who you are and where you come from”   “No..” she whispered as her lips parted and air escaped through them. She knew who she was…didn’t she? Family!? She wanted to find her mother she was not aware or even considered the fact that included in this would be a family.

“ ....but its all here in dis book.” Now her eyes were on a book like a wolf gazing at its prey with feral intent. Nevertheless the words that the Cajun had recently uttered haunted her very essence. Vampires? how was it so? She was a mutant before coming to this world and before then she was a weapon….she had not shown any thing resembling any ability toward any vampire clan, all though the blood lust. But she thought it was merely with her Lycan abilities. And if so no doubt she would have some physical attribute if she was a descendant…but due to her being a Lycan it was almost impossible to distinguish any. Though even before that she had nothing…she was normal…compared to any mutant!

It was then there was a pause in his poetic voice as he handed the book he once clasped to tightly toward her. She was instantly taken a back as her face expressed it fully, her eyes widened as her gazed locked onto it before darting toward Gambler himself to make sure he was serious. "Take it, tis yours." It was then that for a moment as she reached out to receive this gift that their hands touched, the tip of her fingers glided against those of the Living Ledged. Her heart skipped a beat as she soon realized she had not taken the book yet, it remained between the midsts of the two. Though knowing this she book fell into her hands as the arms of the Cajun returned to the shadows.

Yet it was then that he rose to his feet gracefully as he walked toward the door. When Laura prepared for his exit he continued taking her a back. "Your mother's name is....Victoria, daughter of a powerful Vampire named Demarkus. I believe you will find dee answers you seek in Spain. But I cannot allow you to go alone. Time chere, just give me a little more time and I shall personally accompany you. Together we will....search out dis, Demarkus and your mother.” There, he said it something that either stirred her heart or froze it in stone. Accompany her? Personally! He could not…why would he do that….he was endangering himself him of all people. She never suspected that he would come with but as she thought trying to figure out what he could possibly gain by all this…she drew a blank.

She wanted to speak to ask him why he wanted to do this before he finished off by saying "You are to important to dee Order....to me, to simply let you go alone." “To you..” the weight of the book in her hand seemed to increase as his final words trailed over and over in her head. It was a slip of the tongue it had to be…but sadly Gambler was not the one to make mistakes like that. His words had caused her to fall deep into confusion something she didn’t desire to fall into. Instead she focused on the words before then. “Which would mean I am the Grand Daughter of Demarkus which would obviously portray me as…” she paused moment her eyes lowering to the floor “Next of Kin after my mother.”

It was then she slowly rose to her feet, the book she carried under her cloak she didn’t need anyone to know her personal affairs. Once passing through the doors, she felt something. Her eyes scattered like the wind searching for something to prove she was not losing it or possibly being over cautious. But Alas once again nothing was present. She prepared to leave for her room, do some reading and prepare for the inevitable attack that would ensure on this night. It was then out of the corner of her eye she noticed something. "We shall talk later. Ms. Sophia will escort you to a temporary room.........Micheal"   It was obvious they were arranging something but whoever this Micheal was, the Cajun had allowed him to live, for on his own turf within the fortress of his own home she was assured that even if she wanted do she would be unable to harm him.

Her eyes then rested upon no doubt this Ms. Sophia, his secretary in certainty. She could only wonder how much pay this woman got annually if any at all. Was working along Gambler pay enough? But she would honestly hate to be her, for the constant threats of death for dropping a tea cup would ring in her ears never ending. As if they were not there she ignored them both as she walked toward her room. She knew Gambler would be busy...he was always. He had things on his mind meetings with very…different people. Eventually finding herself before her door she turned the handle a moment but as the door swung open she froze. Like a deer staring into head lights she noticed something was different. The Windows she had left the agar when she went to meet the Cajun. The curtains were pulled differently and a scent lingered strongly.

Finally her jade eyes fell upon a shimmering object that laid upon the bed. It was a medallion, no…something else. She was still in shock for the scent the smell of the person who no doubt left this artifact was none other than “Father…” she whispered as her hand slid over the pure gold of it. This was the crest, the one that she had found the one that lead her to her father, Emiel Chabot, Precise. It was because of his possession over this thing she worked alongside him, wanting it more than the world. She thought her desire went unnoticed but obviously not to him. As her fingers closed in around the crest she pressed it against her heart before sliding it over her neck and under her attire. Then she laid herself upon the bed her legs bent upward and crossed as a pillow laid between her neck and arms for support as she read the beginning title “ Espiritu Los Cazadores” which when translated into English meant…Soul Hunters…

 The stakes were now raised, what started as a simple “rescue me” mission now had turned into an “Orgy” for supernatural affairs. The arrival of Final Arrow caused her spine to buckle with fear; her oldest Daughter Carmen, had confront Arrow and it cost her; her soul. She reclined in her seat whilst putting her hands over her face. “Gwen?” she heard the sweet voice of her good friend Sarah Lockhart, the two of them had been partners through many endeavors but; for some reason this would felt like there would be so much more on the line. “Yes, come in come in.” Gwen said trying to shake off the worry.

“Nova’s here, she’s a bit rattled but she’ll be fine…” Gwen gave a faint smile and then nodded her head, not having the will to utter anything. “This Gambler tends to be very florid in speech” she said trying to ease the situation a tad bit more. “Yeah he’s great; what’s bothering you Gwen?” Sarah asked resting her bottom on the corner of Gwen’s desk. Gwen changed the cameras from the OSC hideout to the LOVE briefing room, to see that her “Strike Squadron had finally arrived. She knew shaking Sarah’s question was damn near impossible so she finally addressed the matter. “Nothing’s really wrong I’m just worried…”

“Worried about what? I was a mess when you found me earlier, but I’m fine now.” Gwen looked at Sarah who then raised her hand as if she was going to smack her senseless. “You gave me one do I need to return it?” Gwen steadily shook her head no and then gave a vivid smile. If only Sarah knew the terrible crimes against humanity Gwen was responsible of; her whole perception of the LOVE director would be disproportionately inclined for the worse.

“I guess I should go out there and entertain my guest” she said jokingly. She and Sarah walked down discussing various things from their children to the VP; eventually a maid, and a butler steadily walked behind them with trays of refreshments. “Sarah I feel we could be entering a dark age” All four of them stopped, giving Gwen their undivided attention. “The events in San Francisco were just the beginning, earthquakes in Japan, and In Russia have been registered in a 6’s and 7’s. There’s a Sinkhole the size of Solace city in South America, and there’s a drought in Serbia…” The servants’ looked back at the two women; Gwen happily took a shot of Vodka and then progressed forward down the stairs.

“Throw all of that on top of The Carnival running around enticing people with their sick sadistic view of entertainment. “Lord knows where the Vis Vires are, and the Damn OSC has the most resources to infiltrate every government on this planet.” She stopped again, this time looking at the coalition she placed a hand on the glass and then another on her hip allowing her curvilinear figure to show through her business skirt.

“Is it not enough that these young heroes must; live life as a normal beings and Super beings, but also have to combat those who abuse their gifts AND the earth. Sometimes it feels as if this war is not supposed to be won.”

It was at that moment she felt a huge hand come barreling across her face. Her glasses went flying across the hallway quickly making her vision distorted.   She felt her glasses being put back on her face; finally getting a grasp on things. “I supposed I needed that…” She said, looking at Sarah who was preparing another before she shot her a distained look. “Thanks’ Sarah I got it now” she said finally cracking a smile before walking through the door.

As she walked through the door a few of the heroes were some she had employed; others she had got to see through footage of them. She didn’t know what exactly to say to break the ICE so she just went right into it.

“Good evening, as all of you are here I’m guessing you read my email; I’m extremely grateful for your help.” She paused for a moment and glanced at Feral Nova whom seemed to be in good health. She then turned her attention to Eclipse; of the esteemed ICE DRAGONS and Lazystudent of the CODA.

“Eclipse Sicily has informed me of you courageous efforts; so I hope to be pleased with your efforts. She then turned to LS, with a bright smile. “You’re a member of THE CODA a team off my charter; nice to see the fruits of my seeds.”

“Alright where’re attempting a strike; that’s expected but not expected.   Gambler and the OSC are holding Sha and Mike Lockhart within the walls of this Cathedral.   Seeing as though half of the Vatican City is ran by private police, seeing as though this attack is by international standards, unprovoked we’ll be taking the blame if something goes wrong. Taking a moment to look around at those attending her notice everyone has a completely adamant look on their faces.

“There is a sewer system that leads directly to the Cathedral that should put you directly under the body of Sha. Over in the next Room Mike Lockhart lays, they’ll both be heavily guarded. Pulling out a black and white snap shot of little Sparrow on the ground in front of Sha, she tossed it on the table for all to see.

“He’s been in and out of their routinely; again, I cannot stress to you how difficult this task will be. Once you’ve retrieved the bodies a helicopter will meet you approximately 2 miles from the manhole you entered any questions?”

Gwen paused, she had said a lot and there was a lot of information to process and take it. The maid and butler then came in with the refreshments while Gwen took back to her room. Lighting incense, and sitting back in her chair she allowed the opulent aroma of ginseng and jasmine to fill her nostrils. The smell placed her in a euphoric state of mind. Removing a small cross from within the confides of her desk she said a small prayer and then headed back to the briefing room.

“Ok let’s move out!” she said with no hesitation in her voice, she quickly loaded up into her suit of armor. “It’s been years since I last had this on” she said looking at the maid before climbing in the chopper.

“Eclipse you’re the leader here, I’m hooking you up with a intercom so you can tell me when to drop the plane got it? Ok take off”

And with that the plane departed from the Grand Cayon.

Edward was thankful he could run so fast becuase the run from Solace city to the Grand Canyon was not only quite a distance but it would of been very hot to if he wasnt creating his own mini coolant streams,  hitting supersonic speeds where it was safe to. Due to vehicles and pedestrians  being all over the route  Eddy had to be careful the air flows alone he creates at high speed could easily affect the  area around him not to mention the damage caused by a collision of himself with anything at over standard car speeds. Being carefull on the trip slowed him down by a good few mins but better to not harm anybody on way to location than cause a wake or trouble and getting there margainly faster. After roughly  7 mins Eddy arrives in Arizona  and heads into  gas station , grabs  a drink and walks up to the counter " just this please sir" , " your not from around here are you?,  traveling to a fancy dress party or a convention? " replies the clerk. Edward smiles politely and replies " Nope iam English, and as for where iam going you wouldnt believe me if i told you, thanks for the beverage i gotta get going no time to waste"  drops money on counter turns and leaves.
 
Eddy  holding onto his drink  sets off again following  signs to the Grand Canyon  before finally using the GPS locator taken out of his boot to try and match the coordinates  with thoose he had received in his email. After a couple more  mins of whizzing around the area he finally finds the location of What must be the HQ of LOVE.
 
Walking into reception trying to maintain an air of cool he walks up to the reception and announces his arrival " Hi iam Edward Windsor i was invited her under my username Lazystudent" before opening his drink, which as you imagine had been shaken  to hell and pretty much explodes all over him "slick"  Eddy thought to himself before apologetically smiling at receptionist saying "sorry about that can you give me something to clean that up with" trying to reassert some sence of decorum. The receptionist  smiled almost laughing and replied " dont you worry about the spill mr Windsor  somebody else will sort that out, the washrooms are other there if you need them and when you are ready your expected in the Briefing room"
 
Deciding that making his first impressions on the other heroes was important  he heads into the washroom and cleans away the remnants of the beverage explosion off his suit and his face. Last thing you want before heading into any meeting or battle is a suit thats covered in sticky drink stains, doesnt set the right impression and not pleasent strolling around in a sticky costume. After a brief clean job Edward now looking much more presentable and feeling far less sticky  walks out of the washroom,  nods politely at the receptionist and heads into the briefing room.
 
After a small amount of time the other heroes started to fill the table he was sitting at,  being both new to America and hero work in general Eddy didnt know or recognize any of them he hadnt spent his time in America so far studying heroes only Villians off the CODA database, something to do when he gets back he makes a note to himself. Eddy doubles back and spots a familiar face at the far end of the table, Ebony Sparrow of the CODA Edward acknowledges her with a smile and salute. Shortly after the seats where virtually all filled a smartly dressed business type woman walked up to the table and started to speak. 
 
“Good evening, as all of you are here I’m guessing you read my email; I’m extremely grateful for your help.” before addressing a member of the assembled team to his left who he know knew to be called Eclipse  then turing toward Eddy himself and saying to him through a smile“You’re a member of THE CODA a team off my charter; nice to see the fruits of my seeds.” Edward smiled and noded back realizing that the woman who held the meeting must be  Miss lopez who some of the CODA members had informed him about. 
 
Miss lopez then went into deatils over the plan, with eddy listening intently and taking in the key words specificly  heavily guarded, seen as unprovoked , sewer. This is gonna be a tough mission he conludes to himself, while cheking out a small black and white photo of one of the villians seen at the location. Getting the bodies out once we can get to them is easy if Edward can get hold of them and run the 2 miles would take seconds but  a heavily protected location and a small point of entry would make this escape tough as hell. Eddy decided to have a think about what he would best be used for. The meeting comes to a close and they head off to the transport while Eddy  thinks to himself "looks like spur of the moment idea it is then, unless some inspiration strikes you along the way" Edwards thoughts are broken for a second as he looks out the side of the choppa and views the magnificent scale of the Canyon below , " wow" he says "hopefully get to check it out some more when we get back"   to pretty much anyone who will listen before putting on his Ipod for some  tunes to pass the travel time.

Titans Tower: Home of the superhero team known as the Vine Titans, Canada…

“Ah!” A deep scream echoed through the room as Charles violently rose up in his bed. Ever since coming to this world, being thrown from his own as monster destroyed it, Charles never had what people would call “a peaceful sleep.” Every night he would spend tossing and turning, only to finally be awakened by the nightmare itself, “It was only a dream, Barnes…only a dream.” He told himself as he moved his hands over his sweat filled face and then moving them through his soft brown hair as he tried to calm himself. Moving himself to the side of the bed, letting his feet mesh into the soft carpet as he looked over at Larry the Dragon, who could always be found sleeping at the end of Charles’ bed every night, never being awoken by the young boy’s nights of terror.

Looking over at his computer, he noticed something blinking on the screen which quickly grabbed his interest. Planting himself into the computer chair, he pulled himself up to the small wooden desk as he clicked the small email envelope that annoyingly continued to blink until he fulfilled its desire of being opened, upon clicking it, a message of sorts quickly spread itself across the screen, allowing Charles to read what it had to say…

"Dear Valued Defender of the just"
 
As, I'm sure you know the events that transpired on Asgard were not without consequences. First and foremost I come to you as a Concerned Mother. My darling Sha was shot cold blooded by the ever traitorous Gambler, and left for dead; he seemed to still have use for her and now is holding her hostage within the walls of the OSC stronghold. Secondly, Mike Lockhart also known as Sovereign Son, was killed during the California earthquakes; Gambler and his minions have clasped their grimy hands around his body doing God knows what. So i come to you for your temporary alligance, i must warn you this is not for the feint of heart; if you would like to help you can meet me at this location  36°3 ′ 27 ″ N 112°8 ′ 15 ″ W , Hope to see you soon

Moving his fingers across the screen, Charles began clicking and moving objects and tabs across the screen as if it were a game and he a pro at said game, opening up a map of the entire globe as he then entered the coordinates that he had been given, which soon enough the map began its search for. Charles got up out of the seat as he gave the computer time to complete the task that it had been given, allowing him time to think over what the message itself had said as he grab his red, white, and blue uniform which was currently resigning within his closet. Charles didn’t know Sha, nor did he know Sovereign Son, but he did know of them, as he knew of Gambler…and not just from the files he had read either.

“Gambler….” The villain’s name echoed through the boys mind as he began to put on his uniform, for with the thought of him, only one person came to Charles’ mind above the rest, one girl, “My name is Laura…” He could hear her voice as if he was there in Vine City all over again. But his little flashback was quickly diminished as he was brought back into reality with the beeping sound of his computer which was alerting him that it had located what it was searching for. “The Grand Canyon…?” He said with a bit of surprise in his voice, “Well better get going now if I want to help out at all…” He continued as he made his way out his bedroom door. He didn’t know Sha or Sovereign Son, but in truth he really didn’t know anyone who he had rescued before, so this would make the mission no less any different, which is exactly why he was going to do his part.

Charles made the pilot seat of the VT Jet as it saliently rose above the tower thanks to the power of modern day technology of quieter jet engines. He had checked through the tower to see if he could find any other Titans, but most were either asleep or nowhere to be found, probably out on their own little adventures. Either way, he doubted that CellPhoneGirl would mind if he borrowed the team’s jet, it’s not like he could fly on his own or anything. With the jet engines roaring now, Charles took off into the sky, putting in the coordinates for the Grand Canyon into the planes GPS system, letting the plane do the driving as he sat back, grabbing a can of Dr. Pepper from the cup holder as he opened it up, taking a sip as he sat back and enjoyed the ride.

Grand Canyon…

Leaving the jet in stealth mode, Charles left the jet in a safe location as he made his way in search of the base he was asked to meet at. He soon found the headquarters and made his way inside with no real problems, making his into a briefing room along with the rest of the team that he himself had been chosen to be a part of, out of all the heroes, Eclipse stuck out like sore thumb to Charles, it was like two seconds ago he was with him in Vine City, now their together again here for a rescue mission. He recognized Miss Lopez as she entered the room, “Good evening, as all of you are here I’m guessing you read my email; I’m extremely grateful for your help.” She said as she took a moment to chat with Eclipse and to another whom he did not really know of, but most likely would find out on this mission soon enough. “Alright where’re attempting a strike; that’s expected but not expected.   Gambler and the OSC are holding Sha and Mike Lockhart within the walls of this Cathedral.   Seeing as though half of the Vatican City is ran by private police, seeing as though this attack is by international standards, unprovoked we’ll be taking the blame if something goes wrong.” She continued, “There is a sewer system that leads directly to the Cathedral that should put you directly under the body of Sha. Over in the next Room Mike Lockhart lays, they’ll both be heavily guarded.” She said as she showed the group a snap-shot. After giving a few more orders and a little time to process everything, along with putting Eclipse in command, the quickly team moved out.

France, hours later…

The Sharia Mansion, Phoenix,Arizona

The Grand Canyon

Sewer System

 The icy wind swept through the curtains letting the sweet aroma of the forest fill Laura’s nostrils. The flipping of pages resonated beside the silence, almost in pure synchronization with the battering of the curtains against the clear glass windows. Though when the wind died down, the pages stopped for a moment until the moon light would resurface. She could have obviously gotten to her feet and adjusted it so they would remain open but she wanted darkness, she wanted it to hide her scares, she wanted it to hide her pain. Blood, carnage…war…that was her legacy that was where she came from. Ruthless…soulless that was where she came from that was her past. Cringing as the icy gale swept against her smooth skin it touched the very scares that had remained from that fight…no a fight is when you stand a chance, she stood no chance, it was torture.  

Her finger tips paused upon age 135, as her forest green eyes glided upon her arm, in the darkness she could still see the marks, the curves the dim red glow of iridescent light that seemed to flow out of it, as crimson blood pouring out of her body. Once again the curtains blew to the beckoning of the wind as the moon light shimmered through the gaps within the fabric. Breaking gaze with her arm she returned to her previous activity. Each time she turned a page it felt like turning a page of her life of her very essence and soul. Finally she paused as her stare became like that of ice unmoving. Her eyes as if hypnotized fell upon a name, but swiftly as if she had seen nothing she skipped that page entirely continuing to the next. The room had grown cold and the color gray with the light of the moon.

Her hands slid across the medallion…or crest whichever it was. As she gazed at it her emerald eyes filled with clear tears as a slight grin appeared upon her face. “Father…” the crystal droplets of pain, sorrow, longing fell sliding down her ashen cheeks. She missed him, she missed her father, she missed the man that accepted her, the man that she loved. She loved her father more than anything in the world, she wanted to prove herself to him, to make him proud of her.  Nevertheless in order to do that she had to tear herself away from him, and hardly ever see him. And right now being in this place where she had not heard anything from him in months she only wished she could have spent more times with him, more time with the man that cared for her, the man that was her father. “I wish you were here” she said holding back the fountain of tears ready to slid down her cheek.

Placing the crest upon her heart she shut her eyes once more as she attempted to steady her breathing to recline this wave of emotion that had consumed her. “I want you here” she whispered clenching the golden crest with all her might as she placed it upon her heart.   “I wish I had both of you..” now referring to both mother and father. “I wish we could have grown up…like a normal family a happy family…I wish I had both of you here with me!” tears were now streaming down her cheek as she found it almost impossible to recline them but eventually she managed to as the relinquished her hold of the medallion as she turned her eyes upon the book.

The noise of the book slamming close shattered the silence and caused even the wind to jump as it began pillaging against her windows. Her curtains…noticing now that they were red blew like a frightened dove hovering over a battle field. Her body while laid upon the bed rolled upon her back as her black locks scattered around under her like slithering snakes. Still retaining an almost hypnotic appearance in her eyes she stretched out her arms so that they hung of the edge of the bed.   Her quixotic stare faded as her eyes came to a close, as she just listened. She listened to the moaning of the wind as it slid its hand around her body, she heard the taunting of the curtains as they blew due to the continuous gusts of wind.  What scrutiny had befallen her that had brought her to such a low place?

Eventually she pulled herself out of the metaphorical hole that she had somehow managed to plug forward in without even taking into account how she would escape. Walking over to the curtains in a slow pace hearing the floor boards groan as the weight of her feet befell them. Reaching her window sill in an almost violent motion she gripped the curtains and pulled them aside to reveal the full view of the woodland.   Her shoulder rested on her sill as the wind blew her velvet locks back from her face revealing her face, her full face. Not many had seen her full face, she always had something covering it, her hair, a cloak…a mask. In the distance she saw the wind was carrying a leaf, in instinct she stretched out grasping it tightly as it crumbled in her hands. Bringing it toward her face she looked at the shattered piecing remaining her of her own shattered self, family, heart.

Letting the pieces of the leaf blow in the wind something grasped her. Not a being but a scent. It was unfamiliar yet at the same time familiar. Her eyes shimmered as they reflected the light of the moon as they scanned her surroundings, but no being in sight. The scent was far off, weak it anything probably some animal but she knew better. As if she had broken out of the mold that had formed around her she dashed toward the bed grabbing her cloak as she swept out of the room like the wind. Her door flung open as her body surged forward, her breath was panting as she hurried down the long flight of steps before getting impatient and vaulting herself over the railing and upon the marble floor. Her legs crouched she arose to her feet once more pushing aside the wooden bolted doors as she ran outward into the wilderness.  

 She heard the slamming of the doors as they barged shut leaving Laura alone once more. Her feet beat against the harsh terrain of wood and stone, grass and hill. She knew this scent…she knew it more than anything in her! But at the same time she didn’t. Her panting grew in sound as she outstretched her hands pushing aside the thistles and branches that attempted to snare her off her pace. Sweat began to built up as the wounds…the markings on her hands began to burn as they faded between the moonlight. Her eyes for a moment lay upon them noticing that the dim glow was much harder to see now as before.

But these thoughts did not dwell in her mind for long, for then a harsh breeze of the wind blowing her body caused her to freeze. Immobilized she stood there, the scent was strong much stronger but far…still far. Shaking off this feeling of despair she carried on, thorns snagging upon her legs and arms as her cloak gave her good resilience to the harshness that nature held. As she continued running she finally stopped regaining her breath. Despite her heightened ability and built stamina she had been running way beyond her capacity and for some reason she was still recovering from the attack previous. As sweat slid down her shrouded face her eyes dropped to the ground as they slid slowly to look upon the moon. The palm of her hand was rested upon the trunk of the tree that grounded itself beside her.

Her mind continued as she tried to remember tried to desperately remember the scent she knew it! She had to! Why would her instinct her nature run all this way…away from her base when the whispers of an impending attack hung in the air? A fist was formed as she pounded it into the tree yet the trunk didn’t move. “I will not allow you to harm this hero…" Like a stabbing of a heart into her skull she fell to her knees her hands ravaging through her own hair in desperation. “Hey, Fulcrum! You coming or not?!” Another one, with the pain and swiftness of a flash of lightning but containing the lasting pain of a spiders bite, another memory.

 Sliding to her knees her nails scraped against the trunk of the tree as darkness consumed her. The moon disappeared behind the swarm of clouds that began consuming the sky. Her eyes moment a moment as she looked off in the distance she looked to where the scent was coming from. “Thank goodness…for a second, I thought it was a Pizza Hut.”  Cringing in pain as tears slid down her cheek she let out a wimpier of pain as she tried with everything in her to regain control. Gripping the trunk as if It was the only support in the world she staggered to her feet. It was now she let go and began walking once more, toward his scent toward this man’s scent. Desperation extensive pain filled her heart as the memories returned.

The joy, and acceptance that she felt once filled her mind as the memories continued to surge like an uncontrollable storm, yet she managed to stay focused she managed to press forward.  “Hey, are you okay?”  his voice was soft, clam in the mists of her utter turmoil. His voice, she remembered it like the ringing of chimes on a Sunday morning….but who was he? As she continued onward she realize that on being bent to find this person there were several other scents that accompanied. For a moment she wondered why, but then it hit her in all truth and fear it hit her.

“The bodies…stupid stupid stupid little girl!” she whispered to herself realizing that no doubt the strike was occurring and where was she…she was following the enemy! For a moment she let out a deep sighs. She knew how experienced her team mates where and if she knew Gambler he knew well what was underway. She saw no reason to hurry, her team mates were dangerous they could surly take care of a few vigilantly heroes.

As she casually walked back she paused a moment…”Heroes…” she whispered “Fulcrum…yeah..um me being that I’m a hero and uh…well….what’s your…alias?” “Uh, yeah…I’m War Killer….” War Killer! He was a hero he was on this team….he was going to die! As the revelation occurred in her mind she ran she ran as fast as she could faster than before she didn’t care the scares on her legs the burning in her hands she just ran! He stood no chance…her team the OsC they were going to kill him, he was going to die! But why did he have to live why was she so desperate on keeping him alive? “I will not allow you to harm this hero…prepaid to die” that was it! She swore not to him not to anyone but to herself that she would save him fight for him die for him she would protect him.

Obviously she knew this would be impossible…he was invading her team she could not protect him, she could not betray Gambler but at the same time if he died, she would never be able to forgive herself. As tears were building up in her eyes as the horrid images flashed before her face of War Killer’s body mutilated, decapitated, burnt killed by her team mates the horrid visions of death and ways that this hero could die were countless. “no…”   she whispered at first. “You can’t die” the pictures didn’t stop she saw Little sparrow she saw his sword in a flash of lightning Peirce War Killers chest, she also saw KGB Jane she saw Cat Burglars she saw how he would die, and then then she saw Gambler, she saw the Cajun severing each of his limbs and letting his body fall to the floor and then finally inserting his katanna into the skull of War Killer.  

The list of options were endless the ways he would die were amongst the grains of sand…she could not allow that! “Please don’t die…” her voice was whimpering as relief ran over as the Cathedral came into view. It was still a great deal run and she could feel exhaustion overcome her. She outreached her hand as almost so summon herself closer but once again Gemini didn’t appear.  Why…why didn’t she have the sword, who had it? Why would Gemini not be here when she needed the being the most. It was still death like silent so she assumed that the attack had not commenced. No! She stopped dead in front of the church doors as her body became a pole for the wind to beat against.

“I won’t let my emotions mess up this mission…I can’t” she said to herself as she pushed open the Cathedral doors and entered upon the marble stair way. Attempting to chose between duty and emotion she came up short. For some reason she found it harder than anything she had done before. Slowly sliding her hand against the railing she walked to her room, she had ensured that it was the farthest away from everyone; she hated the noise some of her team mates gave off. Pushing aside the door she reached under her bed revealing a smooth, silver made Katana that she had forged herself. Its clean cut blade shimmered in the moon light as the light danced off the walls. She had made it once she realized that Gemini would no longer be her weapon of choice. Her eyes became that of a cold monster as the moon light shone through her window upon her.

Her locks shrouded her face as she pushed passed the door into the hall way, leading toward where Sha and Severing Son’s body were being kept. Hr cloak still hid her uniform still hid her body's appearance, along with her face. All that was viable were those stone cold emerald eyes and her long black locks of hair. Sliding her hand across the blade she tried to forget, she attempted to forget about this man about this War Killer, about this hero. She needed to complete her duty and she needed to make a choice. She prayed that she would not come in contact however. She hoped that he would be separated that their gazes would never meet because if she saw him, if she saw that man she was automatically be inclined to kill him…with no mercy.

Eclipse felt pride as Miss Gwen Lopez, the one who had organized this team, complimented his "courageous efforts", but after listening to her instructions, he felt the bottom of his stomach open up with a lurch as she appointed him the leader of this group. He tried to open his mouth to argue, to demand that someone else should be in charge of this insane mission, but no words came out. All he could do was stand there, mouth open in numb shock, as he followed the others onto the plane. Jason took the seat next to War Killer and remained silent, barely even noticing who else was on the plane. He remained like this until he felt a hand upon his shoulder. He looked up and saw War Killer, smiling encouragingly at him as he gripped the young hero's shoulder.
 
Jason thought of all that Charles had been through recently (and secretly blamed himself for all the trouble) and gulped loudly, swallowing his fear. If War Killer had the strength and courage to go on a mission like this, surely Eclipse could summon the bravery to lead the charge? He looked down at his hands and noticed with some surprise that he was clutching some papers on his lap. Flicking through them quickly, he realized that Gwen had given him short files, which provided basic details on all the members of his team. Jason relaxed a little, confident that now, at least he would know what the team was capable of. He leant back in his seat and opened the first file on Project Windsor, absorbing in as much knowledge as he could. 
 

France, hours later... 

Wind screamed through the night air, whipping up the tree limbs and lowering them just as quickly a breeze that contained the promise of a storm but withholding its promise for a little bit longer like a virgin on her wedding day. The Matriach of the Noir Grenouille, the hardest, strongest unit of assassins ever to grace the earth sat with her legs crossed on the roof of the Cathedral, a small space set aside for her, a garden area, for meditation and peace. A small wooden black stained Pergola stood in its centre, cherry blossoms wrapped around the area sitting in ceramic pots.   Centred inside this pergola sat Surreal, cross legged and hovering about a foot off the floor her whole body focused and poised. The door opened across the way and sounds from below disturbed the tranquillity before the door was shut and order is restored, a tall man swathed in black, swords crossed on his back dropped to one knee as he met his leader. Opening one eye Surreal closed it again and addressed the man in Chinese “Chin Hi, you better have a very good reason for disturbing my peace” nodding with a stiff neck the warrior rose and addressed his leader “Madam, they are attacking from the sewer, half of the house ninja’s have already been taken down, the Noir Grenouille await your orders” the assassin lowered his head as he waited for his mistresses reply.

The house ninjas, that guarded the house were a sort of distraction Gambler had hired, Surreal despised them, she recalled during a heated conversation with Gambler about them once that he had stated “dese men, dese ninjas will do their best to protect us, they are the first wave, before we require the NoirGrenouille” Smiling slightly as she thought of it, she agreed that finally perhaps he was right, the ninjas could distract while her men took the heroes down.

Surreal lowered her body to the ground and stretched out her legs, standing she reached to her arm and slowly unwrapped the red band encasing it. “Allow those pathetic house ninjas to continue attacking, one of them has already been dealt with, I felt death’s power a moment ago” lifting her arms she wrapped the banner around her head “Notify Little Sparrow of what has occurred, he will already know, but please make sure to officially notify him” pausing she tightened the band on her head and lowered her arms “Gambler likes everything to be official” Stepping down from the pergola she placed a hand on the Assassins shoulder and he rose, turning to follow her the pair moved  through the garden door and down into the main building. Noise below alerted her to the house ninja’s retaliation on the attacker, the underground sewer system was blocked and well guarded but it was still a weak point for the castle. Her assassin bowed low to her as he moved to alert Little Sparrow and Gambler to the situation, Surreal moved to the large doors leading to the training room.

 A wave of red dressed warriors sat in the area, 500 assassins spread across the gigantic training hall kneeling with their hands pressed into their thighs awaiting her orders. The men that sat awaiting her were some of the most powerful warriors in all the land, each of these men had been picked from birth to train with the greatest warriors in the land, trained in Chi energy control, telepathy, every form of martial arts and weapon control. Gambler and Surreal had travelled across Asia and the world searching for these men.

Facing the men and women of her army she wrapped her hands around the barrier and leant forward to address them “It is time once again for your services, allow the first wave of Ninjas to complete before you attack” she continued on outlining her plan to the men and women directing them to their hidden areas around the compound both inside and out. The red clad army, the Noir Grenouille rose as one slamming their closed fists into the palm of their other hand and bowing low before disappearing to their positions. Moonlight shone through the windows as Surreal stepped out of the room, she knew who was here and she knew where she needed to be. Stepping out into the long hallway, quiet had spread out, the members of the order dealing with their business, padding across the hall she rounded a corner and was flung back against the wall.

Her chest exploded with blood as Mistress Redhead fired another shot gun round into the warrior’s chest. Surreal’s body slammed into the wall bent over her blood stained hand clasping the wall, another shot firing over her head as she managed to drop and roll out of its way. Gasping for air she looked over at the tall red haired woman standing in the hallway, MR spoke her voice calm but tinged with hatred “where is he Surreal?, where is my husband?, where is Soverign Son?” another shot this time to Surreal’s leg made the other woman scream in pain as her bone shattered. Surreal, tears of pain hovering in her eyes smiled at Sarah as she felt the power of the ring spread out across her body, healing her wounds with precision, the warrior slowly began to stand as MR pumped bullet after bullet into the woman’s body, her eyes wide with shock as Surreals magically altered form spat the bullets back out, healing the assassin. Surreal ripped the blood stained cloth off her body and stood crimson dripping down her firm naked body,  MR began to run at the woman, dropping her gun, flipping across the walls, she leapt up and flung back to slam her foot in Surreals face, Surreal grabbed Sarah’s leg and threw her to the ground, slamming her head against the tiled floor with a loud crack, Surreal then flung the body up again hurling MR down the hallway to the other end, her body smashing into the mirror, shattering glass across the floor of the hallway.  MR bent over on all fours shaking off the mirror and trying to stand. Surreal moved fast, racing down the hallway flying at the other woman, screaming as she leapt slamming her foot into Sarah’s chest and twisting to break the ribs, MR roared with pain and dropped to the floor as Surreal flipped back out of her way.

MR began to rise again, clinging to her ribs and panting as she tried to crawl her fingers across the floor desperately reaching for the gun belt lying across the floor, Surreal stepped over the belt and slammed her foot into Sarah’s hand, looking down Surreal spoke “Sarah, give it up, you cannot beat me”. 

Not too far from the drop point.

“Alright Y, you’re up, remember no one is to know who you are” Gwen said messaging in over her Comlink.   Y hoped down from the Helicopter and moved quickly through the sewers. The foul stench of the city’s bowels was hard to bypass, this was no place for the leader of “The nation of Hong Kong”. The water splashed against her shin guards scaring the rats before they even caught a glimpse of her. Regardless of the lightening she was still hard to spot making it easy to slip past people due to the lack of proper lightening.

She could hear the cars riding over top the manhole, and not too far from her currently location, she could hear the grunts and thuds of combat. She quickly dashed down the tunnel again this time tripping over a downed Ninja that had been k’oed. <I guess the dark, is working against me too>.   Pushing herself up off the ground she ran around the corner only to see that Gwen’s strike force had been caught up by more red hooded Ninja’s. “It seems Ebony Sparrow’s preemptive strike has back fired” She said messaging into Gwen.

“They can handle them, you just do what I tell you, for now” Gwen replied giving the order to bypass the fighting. Cloaked by the demon of darkness she ran horizontally up the side of the wall and landed on the other side of the hooded Ninja, that lay north of the heroes. Not turning back she continued forward through the doors, which eventually lead to a vent. Removing her green dragon blade she struck the grate and crawled inside which put her into another staircase this one leading to the gates of the Facility. “I can’t find weatherman in the house Y, you better be careful” Gwen said, to Y then also replayed that same message to Eclipse.

“Oh no” Y heard Gwen said again, this time her voice was far more concerned than Y had ever heard.   “It’s SURREAL AND SHE’S KILLING SARAH!” Gwen screamed in Y’s ear, but the young assassin wasn’t even going to pretend to care. <Do I need to give you a moment?” Y asked a bit frustrated. <No just proceed>.   As Y came up the steps she was about 30 feet from the entrance into the facility, there didn't seem to be anyone guarding these doors.   <F*ck, this is too easy>.

Y said removing her Green Dragon Blade, and her crescent moon blade. As she walked towards him, two Ninja’s jumped out from nowhere. Y’s eyes quickly surveyed there stances, on fought with a switch, the other a southpaw.   They danced around her as to try to rattle her nerves; Y’s nerves were non-existent.   Y quickly began breaking down the situation in her head. <At first glance the one of the right is a female, anywhere from 20- 26, most likely a grunt>. She could tell this by the way she held her weapon, it wasn’t with confidence. <Now the southpaw, he’s probably an higher ranking grunt, nun chucks are his weapon of choice, he’ll probably strike off the right first.>

No sooner than she finished the southpaw struck at her face with his weapon, causing Y to fall backwards, she caught herself with her hands, just barley touching the ground and lunged forward, at the female. She was able to kick her leg out from underneath her causing her to fall forward on her face. Feeling the aura of the southpaw, she quickly spun into a leg sweep and knocked him down as well.

 Both ninja’s kipped up, a feat Y hadn’t seen before, the grunt went for a leg sweep of her own, which prompted y to jump up; when she did a powerful kick knocked her from the air knocking off her black mask.   <ZING!> the grunt quickly yelled, and took a step back. It was clear that the south paw couldn’t speak Cantonese, so he charged in and paid for with his life, Y tapped her foot against the floor and a knife came from the tip of her boot, She kicked in right in his thigh, and then removed his head from his shoulders.

The grunt looked horrified looking back at the doors, and then around too see she had no help., and then at Y whom had her hands folded. <Why do you know me?> The women removed her hood to reveal herself to be Sha’s adopted daughter Zariah(#1).   Y had been training Zariah before she left for Asgard, she herself must have joined the OSC, since they were going to save Sha, and did this make Zariah an enemy?

<These people shot your mother, and you side with them!> Y said visibly angry. <That’s a lie Grandma shot my mother! I saw it!>. Y’s eyebrow rose a bit, NOW she HAD to kill Zariah. She took her weapon in hand and presented it towards the young Ninjan. The Ninjan responded by creating a blade of her own from Ice.

Y jumped high into the air and bring her sword down crashing it through the floor making a small indention in the linoleum. She happened to be far too quick for Zariah, so she was able to rebound and send a powerful mule kick at the young teen, but Zariah braced herself. For it; she rolled back and planted her feet on the floor. She extended her hands out towards Y shooting ice shards, but the assassin jumped in the air and landed on Zariah’s blade. Y’s balance was that of a crane, she was really light on her toes; she maintained excellent composure and kicked Zariah square in the eye.  Zariah hit the floor hard, which caused Y to smirk at the Young Ninja’s efforts. Y finished her gloating and then    lunged at her trying to jam her sword into her chest, but Zariah rolled and then fired an ion blast that veered to far to the right.   “Crap!” Zariah said backing up into a corner as the deadly assassin stalked her. She managed to get up and run into a nearby bathroom, Y smiled and began to kick at the door.

Y had kicked the door down with Zariah on the other side of the door, As soon as the door came down Zariah elbowed Y in the face, and then she sprayed her in the eyes with a can of raid. For the time being Y was staggering, Zariah used this time to kick her back out the door. Y fell down, but like Zariah had done before, she quickly kipped up.  By now Zariah had created a bit of distance between the two, Y steadily dashed forward when she got in striking range, she jumped and rolled on her spine holding it for a bit she then shot up pouncing up trying to jam her sword in her neck. She missed, but she did manage to ­­­­­snag Zariah’s clothing, and succeed in knocking her to the ground causing her shirt to come up exposing her half naked body. She skids across the floor leaving a streak from the blood she had been losing over the course of the fight... She backed up towards the wall, trying to gain some more space to think however, Y jumped at her trying to kick her head off, she moved out the way and quickly grabbed A Vase and smacked Y with it. Y staggered again, she happened to be bleeding from, her own forehead. Y was able to catch the young teen, and flip her over using an arm bar take down, a basic grappling move. She slammed Zariah on her back and watched as she cringed with pain. A huge jolt of pain split her back seemingly in two however she quickly took a fighting stance and was preparing to fight back. Y couldn’t believe she still had the courage to fight back, but she finally blamed it on that Ninjan Durability that was keeping her up. She dashed quickly, towards Zariah but Zariah created an ice weapon and smacked Y right in the face with it knocking her into a nearby fountain.  She ran towards Y quickly and skillfully, breathing hard but desperate, she jumped up and kicked the radio that had been plugged in, towards the fountain, this was to no avail, and Y back flipped out and cut her ice pole down with her sword. Zariah managed to get in close, using her hand she pushed her back on the wall and tore off her shirt full exposing Y’s bosoms. The Chinese leader looked a bit surprised, but it didn’t stop her from hoisting her mammoth of a sword up, she tried to jam it in Zariah’s face, but she moved and then kicked him in the thigh. Zariah found the perfect opportunity she used Y’s hunched posture as a step and back flipped off her, parried the wall and then landed behind her.
“ION CANNON!” she yelled firing her blast but it was poorly executed and sloppy, and it missed again, however this time it knocked the wall near the door down, Y jumped in pursuit again but quickly did a matrix bridge avoiding the kick that Zariah had sent, she slowly popped back up and kissed the young girl before smacking her with the flat part of her blade. She flew backwards and landed on the floor in front of the sink, trying to muster up enough strength to continue.  Zariah staggered to her feet trying to send a punch at her, however Y swayed out of the way, brining her sword up quickly; she cut Zariah’s left boob causing her to bellow in pain, and she fell backwards on the floor ready to give up, Y smiled with her eyes turning red. She moved in for the killing pulling her by the hair ready to cut her head clean off her shoulders. Zariah reversed into an arm bar take down throwing her on the floor, she quickly ran through the room towards Weatherman on the far side of the room, but a dagger ripped through her leg tendon and caused her to fall. Blood came from seemingly every pore on her face, she had a huge pool on her chest and now she had some coming from the back of her leg. She tried to punch Y again, but the narrow part got up under the skin on her face and drew more blood. This caused her to fall backwards not too far from the door she needed to get through. She was bleeding profusely, so bad she had to wipe it from her eyes.
Zariah’s undies had now been ripped exposing her more, so Y had torn this room upside down, really just toying with her. She dragged her sword against the ground cutting up the floor making sparks fly in the process, and leading a stain of Zariah’s on blood towards the place where he was going to kill her. A Single blood bead dropped down the sword and landed right before Zariah.

<I’m not going to kill you, but you won’t remember any of this> using the flat part of her blade she smacked Zariah senseless.

“Y come in” She heard Gwen on her communicator, yet again but she chose not to answer it. Glancing straight at doors she knew her skills would be put to the test further., she bent down and placed her mask on again. <We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way, I’m not sure if you noticed but I enjoy the hard way>. She said to herself thinking about Surreal.

*<>* Translated from Catonese

     A body was sent hurling across the room and into the large wall. A cracking sound could be heard as his bone collided with the weak wall, leaving a crevice in its wake. The man groaned and winced. Mustering all the strength he could the man planted his hands on the ground and slowly worked his way up. But then another figure dashed across the room, jamming its foot down on his back, his face slammed against the hardwood floor. Blood dripped from his purple dutch stained lips as he started to cry in hushed tones. The larger figure lifted his foot and brought it down again. Stomping out any thoughts of retaliation on his victim's part. After a few more the man lifted the batter body off of the floor and dangle him in the air by his bloody collar. "Surrender your assets." The Storm said with a calm attitude. The man shook, gripped by pain in fear. With a finger he pointed at a safe in the corner of the gigantic room. Stormy tossed him to the side and went for the chest. Picking it up he wrenched the door open with his strength and inside laid numerous documents and some car keys. He took all the contents and went back to the body.     

The pulse was non-existent and the body lay motionless, silent. Stormy hefted the body over his shoulder and escorted it out of the luxurious Artemis Mansion. He proceeded to bury the body deep in the backyard. A 12 foot burial was too deep for even the strongest dog nose to catch a scent. After burying the former home owner Ryu stalked to garage. Inside was a medley of different vehicles. Right in the center was a black and red Camache Chopper on a blue and white helipad. Circling the chopper he recalled his first night in this grandiose abode with an audacious , provocative blond. The two of them had met earlier that day on the Ionos Islands . The attraction was immediate. By nightfall they lie in bed with one another. Her name was Sha but Ryu believed it to be false, seeing as how there were no records of it that he could find. Sha had left before dawn's break to Ryu's surprise, his seed implanted within her.

Sirens broke his chain of thought and the villain took off. Hopping inside the Aston Martin Vanquish in the corner of the garage he picked up the black glove that was hanging off of the wheel. The moment he slipped it on blue circuitry lines revealed themselves. The electrical current that flowed through his hand was amplified. Ryu grabbed the wheel and the car sparked to life with a roar of the engine. The million dollar vehicle shot out of the garage like a bat out of hell, placing two armed officers on their back as it sped off past the gates and into the main roads. Digging into his pocket Ryu retrieved a piece of parchment. Eying it he grunted before tossing the paper out the window. “I'm gonna be late.” He said shaking his head as the car tore down the empty roads at 130 mph. Another set of sirens appeared behind him. "Pull over!" The police hollered through the speaker phone. Ryu smiled, jamming his foot on the brake as he slid into a tight turn. The tires screeched as they grind against the asphalt. The police followed as best they could, but the chevy impala could only do so much. By the time they made the turn Ryu was nearly out of sight. Realizing his acceleration was too great they called in for a bit of help.  

 Ryu checked his rear view mirror and took in a relaxing breath believing that he'd gotten away that easily. Turning onto the freeway Athens Airway was only 6 miles away. The minute Ryu hit the freeway he realized these next six miles would be brutal. Ahead of him was a blockade, spike strips, tanks, and police auxillary vans all awaited his entrance. He pulled the car to a stop. The tanks turned their barrels towards him. "Last warning. Get out of the vehicle with your hands up." The Aston's engine roared a few times and the back tires began to spin rapidly. Smoke spewed from the back and screeches filled the air. The men loaded the missile into the chamber. "Fi-" That was all the commander managed to shout. Lightning struck the armada with devastating force. The tanks were massacred and the freeway was left with a hole big enough to swallow a monster truck. A piece of the front of the tank lay in front of the gap like a small ramp. The Vanquish took off, unleashing all the pent up speed it went from 0-60 mph within half a second. In another second it reached 100 mph. The next second the car his the chunk of metal at 140mph. With a loud clang the car soared through the air, rotating to the left. Amidst the dust clouds the car emerged, executing an elegant barrel roll and landing on the cleared roads and jetting towards his goal. Soon after the pounding winds of a copter could be heard. A bright circle of light enveloped Ryu and the spinning rotors could be heard. Bullets panged against the roof and hood of the car. "Sh!t.." Stormy Gold said, again being forced to jam on the gas. The engine roared fiercely as two cars sped up behind the luxrious speed demon. The chase was on.

Edward paused for a second as the heroes rushed into the sewers turning and placing his ipod on the chopper " no water damage" repeating in his mind, its not like  he would need it where they where going anyways. A short burst of speed later he was back with the pack of heroes entering the sewer system. The sewer had quite a confined sence of space to it being both narrow and long it felt as if he was in the throat of a giant snake, or something equally as sinister. Edward could hear some fighting up ahead but  due to mas of bodies in front of him and lack of light he couldnt rush to the point of the scuffle. He moved foward as fast as he could finding only a very wet and very unhappy looking Ebony Sparrow and a collection or what appeared to be badly injured ninjas when he got there, patting Sparrow on the shoulder Eddy said " Welcome to France, you ok?" before adding " Ninjas argh i hate ninjas, stay with the group next time thou  you could of been seriously hurt". Eddy continues to move throught the tunnel knowing that Sparrow and the rest of the heroes are close by. Eddy remembers his SAS training "consolidate forces and  prepare for superior numbers when entering an  enemy stronghold, use of cover and bottle necks are essential" the words of his mustached advisor whos name he never knew, while gently lifting away a drain cover above his head.
 
No sooner than Edward stepped out of the sewer and hes mind senced a mass of claocked minds in the area he never understood while telepaths could locate each other must be something to do with how  their powers worked , but if he could detect them they would know hes here " Oh crap " he thought as he heard Eclipses shout echo through the open unnel behind him confirming what he already senced would happen "Ambush". Eddy stood ready while moving away from the sewer entrance while also covering it, making sure that if anybody was still near him they had a chance to get out to the surface.  In Edwards perifial vision he detected movement in the shadows, quick a a flash a bright glimmer of an unhilted sword was flying through the air at him. Edward Cartwheeling out of the way of the balde then used he telekenesis to propel his would be attacker face first into a nearby wall which made a ratehr nasty crunch sound on impact. But that was only one of many that where swarming towards the sewer, Edward decided that perhaps the sewer lid could be of use to him lifting it and floating it directly in front like a shield. Eddy then does something rather rash charging into a group of Ninjas at somewhere near his top speed with his new sewer cover battering shield.  
 
Eddy hears impacts on the sewer lid and can feel multipal impacts to his armour but none of these slow him down, he hits the pack of ninjas at a supersonic speed which is nigh on undodgeable for any non superspeeder. The air current alone skatters the first few ninjas like skittles, flinging them dramaticly in all directions like somebody had just bowled an invisible  strike. The unlucky ninjas that didnt get the free flying lesson where introduced to the feeling of supersonic steel which almost completly liquidated the pour soul who took the blunt of the hit with the rest of the outshoot group not fairing much better. Eddy dropped the the  sewer cover after this mad dash and returned back to the ranks fo the heroes in a  short sprint, standing still for a second in their ranks he felt the warm and sickling feeling of his blood running and dripping off the end of his fingers. Looking at the source of this sensation he began to feel the pain of the throwing star wedged in the center of his palm, he looed at thewound amazed that the ninjas he just brutally ran down managed to hit him, he would not be so stupid again. Wincing as he pulls the star out  he thinks to himself at least taht will heal quickly next time i might not be so lucky, he then throws the throwing star with no skill at all right back at the advancing ninjas missing shamefully wide.
 
Eddy attempts to shout out to the other heroes telepathicly "This is Windsor i have an idea"  before dissapering into the shadows. Eddy grabs the body of a nearby and obviously dead ninja  looks clearly at the mans face and start to undress him of his ninja robes. Edward standing in the shadows concentrates focusing on his own body and he begins the process of altering his features to those of the man laying in front of him. After a brief 10 seconds or so Eddy is now the spitting image of this anonymous ninja and is dressed in his robes and carrying th ninjas sword with his own hidden under the disguise. Edward hides the ninjas body in the dark corner he was ambushed from, before continuing his telepathic message to his fellow heroes " in disguise as a ninja making a play for target 1, i think i found a differnt exit than planned  Sparrow open exit North East of last position"  before jumping up and then  pulling himself  onto the roof and heading towards the main building across the rooftops.
 
Eddy manages to get into the building via the front door and heads roughly in the direction Sha's and the rest of heroes where trying to enter. Making sure to look as conspicuous as possible he heads down a long corridor but then as swiftly as Edward gets into the building things turns on there head, a barrage of arrows come flying out of various automatic slots  the shear mass and speed of which meant it was time for some serious acrobatics or something clever. Eddy Jumps, rolls and twists his body through the air waiting till the last second then realising a blast of pure telekentic energy around his body  defelcting the arrows away. Feeling rather happy that he had got so far relatively unscathed,  Eddy let hes guard down for  a second but that was all it took. A rebellious arrow  causes Edward to wince, this time leaving a nasty flesh wound on his neck. This new wound added to the freshly healed hand had both been brought about by carelessness, if Eddy was to get the job done he had to be better, he can do no good getting killed off by something stupid.
 
 
Continuing down the corridor Eddy felt a sudden shift in the floor " oh crap , what now" he thinks to himself before seeing the floor give way.  What was now below opeing up below him looked to be a steel spiked laden punji pit, Eddy jumps hoping that a little computer game inspired plan can be pulled off. With a quick " prince of persia style" wall sprint eddy finds himelf now on the other side of the pit. He was lucky this time the walls where slippery and without his speed that would of been virtualy impossible. Continuing down the corridor he finds a stairwell down to the basement " pefect" he thought to himself the point of entry must be near, walking down the stairs slowly while trying to remain in charecter he the heroes planned entry spot. Eddy is then spotted by  a Ninja marked in all red clothing who asks " what are you doing here ? your supposed to be in the sewers"  Edward replied " Lord Gambler himself posted me to watch over this corridor, with specific orders to inform him of anybody who enters here, now who are you? so i can name who questions his orders". This was enough for the red glad ninja who proceeded to walk off up the stairs in something of a hurry, "close one" Eddy thought to himself before walking towards the nearest door.

 An unexpected visit from the notorious Shadow Manipulator himself, Final Arrow, had caught the Cajun by surprise. Hiding his discontent Gambler listened as the villain spoke with a forked tongue. Announcing that his ever present touch would see its way into the unfolding events, not as an enemy, but of course not as a true ally either. His interest, as always, a mystery to all. Fastening his hands together and leaning back into a more comfortable position, his posture showing no signs of duress, the Aristocratic Assassin simply smiled, "But of course old friend. Let us hope your involvement in dis endeavor proves more fruitful dhen our last, no?" The Cajun arrogantly referring to Arrow's absence in the Asgarding Siege. A costly maneuver that had left the OsC leader permanently blinded. Gambler then stood while adjusting the flaps of his suit before reaching out to meet the outstretched hand of Arrow. Its cold chalky texture causing the tiny hairs on the back of his neck to stand before an undignified look washed over his face. The reaction bringing a momentary sparkle of enjoyment to the Master of Evil.

"MY LIEGE!" interrupted a bloody and battered assassin. "We are under attack! Intruders have infiltrated the sanctity of our Cathedral and are deep within her walls, my lord!" With both a look of surprise and intrigue the Living Legend nonchalantly walked from behind the desk, his body sliding out from the top layer of his suit like silk letting it fall to the floor. Continuing on, Gambler, followed by the lone assassin, made his way down the well lit hall simultaneously removing his cufflinks, tie, and top button of his shirt without breaking stride. "Wait here" he ordered before entering his private chambers, only to reemerge seconds later fully draped in his ceremonial garb. Black from head to toe along with his sheathed Katana strapped horizontally along his waste in his traditionally unorthodox manor, Gambler was once again heading down the hall. Only now he was followed by four assassins, which quickly became seven, which eventually became fifteen. All dressed alike, all silent, all deadly.

With long confident strides he raised his hand before pointing left which instantly caused several members of the entourage to break off. Twenty passes further a subtle head tilt to the right caused another section of the group to break off leaving only a handful in tow. The metal intricacies of their armor clicking and clanking as they marched out a secret passage way near the sewage intake. Cloaked in darkness Gambler and his men briefly disappeared into the night leaving only the gusting winds in their stead. Then, suddenly and without warning, a large explosion lit up the area revealing their silhouettes as they walked away from the burning wreckage that once was the Coalition of Heroes transportation.

Gambler and his assassins paused at the opening sewer valve, the sounds of conflict resonated through its never ending maze of tunnels and pipes. Without a word the King of Kings thrust his hands forward removing the metaphorical collars and releasing his dogs of war. "None of you will leave dis place alive" he whispered to himself.

 

Their discussion was short and to the subject, Gambler temporary disabled Michael, probably thinking he was going to subdue him that easily. But the Fly decided to play this game a little more, seeing how he was now in control replied “I've already seen dee future, and you're lucky to have one. ”, the smirk on his face told the entire story, this guy was playing for keeps, he knew exactly what he wanted, fear. Humans often say that love is the most dominant sentiment of all, but they are wrong, fear makes this world go round, it is was fear that conquered entire civilizations, it was fear that destroyed empires, it wasn’t love or money or man power, you can gain all of the above through fear. Unfortunately for Gambler he wasn’t going to receive fear or servitude for that matter from fellow.

Michael saw in this Gambler an intelligent human, no more, no less, of course the same couldn’t be said about his apprentice, Little Sparrow, who was hanging upside down, thinking probably that Michael hadn’t noticed him. His computer started reporting about another heart beat inside the room, but again Michael threw his pride aside, he was in a house of killers and a battle would prove nothing, he needed to play smart and so he did. And so he did, he then swiftly moved his right hand in order to activate a hologram, a special kind of hologram, he then pressed a button on the mechanical fly, o his left hand, revealing schematics for a armor, a special kind of armor, his own.

He then explained how this armor would improve Gambler’s army, “This armor is my gift to you, my armor, a armor that would increase the abilities of your ninjas tenfold. Imagine speed, agility, strength, and stealth, all beyond your wildest dreams. I can give you what you lack technology. ”, from the look on his face, the King of Kings seemed to approved. "We shall talk later. Ms. Sophia will escort you to a temporary room.........Micheal" , he was a bit surprised that Gambler knew his name, but it wasn’t shocking , he had good informants, Michael had to give him that much. Michael the quickly turned and decided to follow instruction at least for now, but as he approaches the door he sees Talon, or what was left of her, from all the people that would end up in a organization like the Order of Sancta Camisia, she wasn’t supposed to be among them, they say there’s a psychopath in all of us, it was true, at least in this case.

As he was being walked by Miss Sophia to his room or the place where he would make the armors Gambler needed, Michael began to experience the same illusion that plagued him not too long ago in the cemetery. This time stronger than ever, he began seeing guns being fired, sword that chopped   others in half, a mountain of dead bodies. But his visions stop when his computer reports another agent in the area, “Anomaly detected, current position unknown, anomaly is possibly using a form of magic to conceal himself.” Whoever this guy was, he wasn’t your regular day magician, but Michael would live the current situation be, seeing how he couldn’t pinpoint the exact location of this “magician”. He decided to investigate the “magician” later, as soon as he was done with the gift of “future” he was planning on giving to Gambler.

A few hours later after talking to Gambler, Michael had finished 15 armors that he would you to bribe Gambler into letting him join OSC, he would be satisfied, for now. Soon after Gambler and his pack a four ninjas left for the battle beneath the cathedral, in its sewers, Michael gave one of his armors to one of Gambler’s assassins. This nameless assassin was to follow the Fly into the sewers after Gambler and with the armor Michael built for him, to crush Gambler’s henchmen. And so they did, after a very fast journey to Gambler’s location, they managed to catch up to the King of Kings. At first Gambler looked unimpressed by Michael’s so called offer of “future”, but he would prove him wrong, “OK I think we had enough katanas and shuriken, if we are to survive this war we need something more than tradition, something more than the future, we need to combine the history with technology. The result stands before you, this armor, not the man inside it, but this armor, able to withstand a herd of mad bulls, it can run as fast as a jaguar, the agility of the most agile of spider, the strength of the 5 men in each hand. This is my gift to you, the Marion.” Bragging was one of his strong suits, but if he wanted to convince Gambler of the armor’s valor he would have to give him a demonstration, of its might.

“They say its deeds that count, not words. And you know something they’re right.” With this said, Michael gave the signal that would lead to the death of Gambler’s death squad, blades thrown everywhere, left and right, but it was all in vain, the Gambler’s assassins would meet death in mere seconds.  "Interesting demonstration."  He clasped his hands together. “But what can I do with a single ninja, I need an army”, Michael replied “And you will have one in time, these heroes picked their time to attack, I will give them that. But I managed to built 15 such suits, all of them at your disposal, Mr. Gambler.”, a few moments later 14 more Marions entered the scene, trough Michael’s shadow travel, "Let us hope, for your sake, dat they are equally as impressive in battle" .

Michael then declined the offer of joining the battle “I shall supervise from a distance, I will make sure that the Marions will successfully carry out their mission.” Gambler would then continue his mission, but behind him, Michael couldn’t help but think of the mission he had given to the Marions, “Ooo, Gambler you fool, you were right, you do need an army, the Marions are just something that I made to keep you company. They will allow me to keep a close eye on you and your assassin friends. Ha ha ha, hahahahaha.”

Gambler had left Arrow in the room, with more questions then answers, shrugging Arrow stood brushing his hair aside, he smiled at Little Sparrow who followed his leader from the room and found himself for loss of a better word bored. He could sense the beings all around him, heroes and villains battling for what they believed to be right, there were also those who wished nothing more then to play their own games mixed into the madness. Where was he to have the most fun, Sovereign Son would wake soon, but he had already played that game far to long, the child was another obvious choice, take it from the womb of Sha and the possibilities where endless, but no he wanted something different, with a dark smile the master of manipulation vanished from in side the room with a mix of shadows. Arrow was a natural predator everything about him drew a person in, his voice, looks and his eyes all a design to hunt. But his natural powers did not stop there, Arrow gave off no heat nor did he leave a scent, but most importantly he had no heart beat. A silent snake built for one purpose, even if he would tell you different Arrow was made to hunt.

“Ooo, Gambler you fool, you were right, you do need an army, the are just something that I made to keep you company. They will allow me to keep a close eye on you and your assassin friends. Ha ha ha, hahahahaha.” Arrows midnight voice rolled over Michael the fly, to the outside world he would still be standing alone as Arrow placed a magic bubble around them. “Do you often talk out loud?” Walking out of the shadows that had kept between worlds Arrow moved in front of the machine, the shadows poured off him like thick lumps off oil distilling as they hit the ground around him. Arrow was at him in the dark, “It seems silly to me” Arrow shrugged looking straight at the robot in front of him, “With all those electronics running around in that tin head, you find the need to spurt out your alllll so evil plan in a place full of people who can use the shadows as well as me.”  Arrow’s face shifted, there was no   hint of a smile, no emotion along his face. “Do you think you understand humans so well?” Tilting his head to the side. “Or is it that you think yourself so powerful that you underestimate your surrounding? No I don’t think that at all.”

“Let us look at your actions, See while talking to Gambler myself I allowed part of my mind to wonder, creating an echo of what had happened moments before. I won’t bore you with details, lets just say it was magic. Now do you honestly think that you could surprise them the way you entered, did you know of the scrolls that line the very halls they walk. Did you honestly think Gambler or little Sparrow would show themselves if they never wanted to? Do not underestimate your prey, there is a reason Sparrow was picked as Gamblers body guard, do not mistake him for anything less. Now as for your little speech im going to keep that to myself, I hope you don’t mind.”

Once again Arrows face turned back to a smile and he tilted his head, “You have a lot to learn and so do I, let us talk a while about how we can help each other?”    

The light rushed over him, as his body began to wake, he could hear fighting outside, somewhere in the distance. But he was in darkness, he battled to open his eyes. He needed to stand for Sarah for Chevie he needed to get up, he needed to fight. But the darkness held onto him like talons digging into his skin, he wanted to scream but nothing came, nothing but the darkness. A giggle snapped his eyes open, he was not awake but also not asleep, he watched as images flew all around him, so fast he could not make them out. The space he floated in was the brightest white, almost blinding as if light was flashing a cross newly laid snow. Turning his head he saw two large black talons dug into his shoulder and thigh. It had broken the skin and yet he felt no pain and there was no blood, he looked at the other side of his body and again saw the talons holding him, no they where pulling him. He looked over his shoulder and saw nothing but darkness, Mike sat of the line between the light and dark, but what had saved him at the last moment, what had woken him before the darkness could take him.

He looked around and then realized he was looking with both eyes, his mind began to race; he looked down only to see his naked body with no scars. “What” his voice was bright like a breeze on a hot day. “Where” he said testing his voice again. The giggle was louder now, as one of the images slowed in front of him, it was Chevie, it was a memory from when they had gone to the Zoo, Chevie was laughing at how her pet dinosaur had stolen Mikes ice cream and he had began chasing her, she was so happy, he had to find away to escape this place, to get back to his little girl. He felt one of the talons loosen from his shoulder, he pulled with all his strength and broke free of it, moving his arm round to he tried to break free of the others but they dug in deeper. Swearing he gave into to his anger and the talons began pulling him back.  “NOOO”  he yelled resting his mind back to Chevie the pulling stopped, he thought of Sarah and another image appeared stopped in front of him as the others span around.

This time it was of his wife, Sarah brushing a single strand from her hair, gunfire breaking out all around them. She had not even seen him looking at her as the bullets slammed into their cover. This was the day he fell in love with her, the day when Ice had been called to deal with the VV and Mike and Sarah had went to stop a bank robbery. They had entered the bank and all hell broke lose, they had found cover behind the teller counter, four of the robbers where down and two where left standing, Mike had clocked them for ex-spec ops the moment they entered the bank, Sarah took out two of them as Mike took the other two. Now their was two left, She leapt over the counter her gun blazing taking down one of them with a shoulder shot, the other raised his gun and Sovereign Son picked up a pen from the desk a threw it down the barrel of the gun that was now pointed at Sarah, just as she turned and kicked the robber in the gut. She bent down and looked at Mike and back at the pen. “Really a pen?” she said with a smile.

Another one of the Talons began to slip, Mike now knew what he was doing, where he was. Mike sat on the edge of darkness and gave it the finger, he knew what he was fighting for, the images grew faster and faster, as Mikes mind landed on his friends his family as the images began to build the talons all broke from his skin, falling back into the abyss he now knew the reason he had to fight, the reasons he had to live!  The light engulfed him and escaped from his body, blowing the doors off the room he had been placed in, the men standing guard fell to the floor, they where alive but would have one hell of a headache. Sovereign Son stood in the door way, white smoke raising from his body, a white shield placed itself round Sarah’s body stopping surreal attack while healing Mikes fallen wife. On mikes left hand sat a single white ring. “Get away from my wife b!tch” mikes voice ran down the hall towards his sister, In a flash he was in front of her Sarah body vanished and reappeared at the other end of the hall and Mike stood reborn “Now sister, it is time someone took you into line”, Mikes body changed as he took a fighting stance.

Mike smiled and removed the ring, “With honor sister”, his hand came at her and the two began their dance.

There is nothing worse than losing one of your own, especially when it was someone like Mike Lockhart. His tenacious spirit, strategic and combat prowess have helped the Veritas team as well as others for many years. What Mike had was special and it could not be taught and it could not be copied. If you were smart you would learn from him, you would try to see things the way that he did and try to make yourself a better person, a better hero. He died a heroes death, helping people and he deserves a heroes funeral. If Kurrent had learned anything from his years of service is that friendship go beyond the grave.  Mike Lockhart, Last Arrow, Sovereign Son whatever you want to call him was dead and his body was nowhere to be found. The thought of someone sinking so that they would take his body sent a chill down the Veritas Leaders spine. not only that but fact that his body needed to be returned to his family and laid to rest in a secure location brought a violent sense of duty to him that would  make his friend proud. 
 
His search began in California, which took him on a goose chase around the Golden Coast looking for anything around the wreckage of the Earthquake that devastated the land. After hours of searching he stopped and starting to use his head. He and besides Nighthunter and Mistress Redhead the only other person that was really close to Mike was none other than Gambler. Nighthunter has been MIA for a while now and risking communication with MR might send the Sentinals to her he didnt want to risk that and she was probably dealing with enough at the moment so that only leaves Gambler.  It was hard locating the Master of Manipulation he was an assassin after all being discrete was part of his deal but Kurrent having succeeded Renegade Lantern knew where to start and his investigation took him to New Orleans. 
 
The  place was called Joe's Craw Fish House but it was affectionately called "Joe Claws" probably due to the owner had his hand cut off and replaced it with a claw hooks. The more Kurrent thought about it it was probably Gambler that did it. The place had become popular after a famous battle was fought there and The Hero believed that he could get some information from the Cajun Clientele.  
 
The Electric Ace walked in with poise and an aggressive bravado. The place housed about ten or twelve patrons  that all looked like scum. "Where the hell is Gambler" he said to the room that got silent as he walked in. The silence continued after he asked his question so he asked again with more authority in his tone "Where the hell is Gambler" . Still he got nothing until suddenly a man in the bar began to laugh which in turn lead the others to laugh. The cheerful man said to Kurrent "get de hell outta here, or me and dees boys going to show you what happens when you come in here askin stupid questions" 
 
Gritting his teeth Kurrent began to walk over to the man. He didn't look afraid like if he somehow feared Gambler's blade instead of Kurrent's bolt, that had to change there was no time to play nice. The Veritas Leader soon charged his hand with electricity and punched the man square in the jaw. The little bit of teeth he had hit the ground seconds before he did as he screamed in pain and bathed in his own blood. The three closest guys all stood and began an onslaught towards Kurrent while the others began to pull out there fire arms. Two broken arms, 6 cracked ribs, a pool of piss and one of vomit later the three men where down and the others began to re think there next move. "Where the hell is Gambler" Kurrent asked again this time glowing with electricity. They now looked scared as these were not the disciplined assassins that Gambler rolled with now but they were still loyal and they were going to take their beating until the bartender spoke up..."Gambler don't come round here no mo" the comment made Kurrent stop and ask "I don't blame him where is he""Damn man France he is in France now leave dis place" "Where in France" "The Chartres Cathedral dat is where he is leave now before you destroy my business"  "You better not be lying to me pal or I ma going to come back here and I wont be to have a drink"
 
After getting the information Kurrent took off towards France knowing that he was probably heading into a trap and that Gambler was probably getting a phone call that very minute notifying him about what just took place. It didnt matter he was one step closer to finding Sov's body  and that was the only thing that mattered right now.

 Totally enthralled in the moment, focusing hard on Mr. LeBeau’s speech. Memorizing it, word for word. Jane developed this hard line attention to detail from years of training, trying to succeed, to please her “masters”. With the mission briefing over, Jane snapped out of it, blinking. She noticed that image of loveliness.

Amanda must have gotten there as soon as the briefing started. She sat tall and straight, looking perfect as ever. Jane couldn’t help but smile, leaning in she whispered in her love’s ear. “ I missed you this morning.” she said, before planting a long, passionate kiss on her sultry lips. Pulling back, she was plagued with an un-happy memory. If this was the “old days”and being caught engaging in public (or other wise) displays of affection would result in punishment.

Dragged out in the white, frigid ,winter snow. Then striped from head to toe, hung from a tree branch by the wrists with heavy industrial chain and caned relentlessly, the mere thought made her shudder. But looking into Amanda’s eyes, reassured her that won’t happen again. Here they were, out in the open, certain that a few wondering eye of the OsC assassins were on them. “Silly boys.” Jane giggled to herself.

Suddenly..the mood all changed, It was time to spring into action. Jane sensed an air of conflict, the headquarters was under attack. The urgent shouts of assassins hitting eardrums, Jane swung her AKM assault rifle, that hung from a strap on her shoulder, taking it in both hands. Shooting a look at Amanda, Jane broke from the meeting area. “Familiarize yourself with the terrain and use to your advantage.”Mr. Franz’s voice echoed, information burned in her mind after memorizing the Art of War, in it’s original Mandarin Chinese. Marking her way up the stairs, she stop at a marble statute, crouching down and she ready the rifle. This was as good of a vantage point as any, solid cover, low lighting. Plus it was a high traffic area, the attackers had to pass through here eventually.

 Having the element of surprise and taking ten deep breaths. Jane uttered her trigger phrase. “Jane, Mr. Franz expects your very best.” sighing slightly, her eyes dilated


 

 Y quietly crept through the halls of the facility, pressing her back towards the wall behind her; she removed a mirror and positioned it so she was able to see around the corner. There were ninjas everywhere; the fighting style of the southpaw she fought earlier was a premature version of hers. Surreal had trained these soldiers. Glancing at the way they were patrolling the floor, there was something they were trying to avoid. <Zing comes in…> Gwen’s voice came in over the headset, she seemed somewhat panicked. <You rang?> Y answered back well collected and calm despite the fact that There were Ninja’s coming from every direction now.

“Our plane has been destroyed, not sure what the hell happened, but now were stranded and even more bad news. “The French government has been alerted to your presence, they are treating this whole situation as if China has invaded; I was able to clear the heroes’ names from all of this but yours I could not. If they catch you; they’ll kill you.” Gwen’s words didn’t hinder Y’s emotion; she rather enjoyed the thought of capture. <Thanks for the heads up, and for your own safety, I would suggest you, get the hell out of France; if and when Sha wakes up, the situation may turn worse.>

<Not a chance I’m staying> Gwen responded ending the transmission. By now the skillfully adept ninjas had spotted the leader of China, with her back pressed against the wall. Like the skillfully trained Ninjas they were, they opted to surround her and strike. <This is about to hurt…” she said putting herself into a fighting stance. She knew they’re techniques, she and Gambler’s daughter Angelique were the top apprentices of Surreal Diablo; and even since then Y had learned to branch out and master other skills as well.

<Seven Ninja’s, three to the right, three to the left, one in the center, three of them are south paw’s, 2 of them are orthodox and the last two are switchers> before Y could finish thinking a foot came flying her way, she smacked it out the way, which made it veer to the right and hit another converging Ninja.   An open palm smashed against her face, which set the tone for the next few moments. One of the Ninja’s on her blindside managed to grip her from behind. They kicked and clawed and the young leader while she struggled to get away.

Flipping forward she was able to toss the Ninja that had, her in a reverse clinch. She sent a barrage of punches at the surrounding ninja’s to nullify their punches. Her speed was one they could not match, as she quickly swept most of them off their feet. <I need to get to a bigger area.> Y did a vertical leap over the ninja’s and landed in the middle of the hallway, alerting MORE ninja’s to her presence. <Oh to hell with this...> Y’s eyes instantly flickered a checkerboard black and white; as she hoisted her demon Green Dragon blade a mystic aura began to visibly emanate from the blade.

The Ninja’s stopped in their tracks, as she happened to be the radius of their circumference. Wind continuously forced it’s self from the blade; causing their clothes to erupt violently in the force. <Can, you feel the anger of hell> She asked from her blood splattered lips. She stood with them quivering, not from fear; but from being completely pummeled at the hands of her former classmates. Slashing forward a huge wind gust pushed from her sword cutting down the Ninja’s that were standing in front of her. She then slashed to the side of her cutting down the ninja’s who where previously on her blindside.

Tapping into the powers of the beast, drained her energy; her body began to quiver, and grow cold. She snapped out of her powers to see that she had neglected to kill one of the ninja’s. She could see that he was just like her, cold and calculating, a viper when it came to emotions. Zing acted on reckless abandon, she had no family; no emotions, not really anything to live for. HE however did, she knew him, just as her chest had been cut, and breast exposed; his was too. He had a very distinct tattoo, a rose petal for every person in his family that had been killed. A vile smile crept across the face of the Asian viper, her cerebral just happened to be one of the wickedest evils. <I’m going to cut every one of those petals from your chest…”> she said in her native language.   He smiled and then quickly drew his stance. Y slid her blade back into its sheath. She too drew a stance, there was a brief moment of awkwardness, and however they could both feel the pending battle in the atmosphere. There was no doubt that both of these fighters were addicted to the art of combat. They stood completely ignorant to the screams of various people in the facility, her brown eyes locked on him, and his hazel eyes locked on hers.   They slowly began to walking around each other, it became clear at this point that neither was going to back down, he smirked, she smirked and then he attacked.

 “Ten Zen fist!” The man struck fast and hard connecting with all his blows on Y. Y looked pretty banged up, she did just fight his buddies and Zariah, so she expected some Fatigue, but not to the point where her defenses were low. “HA!!!!!!!!” Y screamed as she let loose a barrage of powerful, strikes at his upper body and head regions. The ninja master stood wiping his face; he had managed to block all of the strikes and, not break a sweat. Apparently he had been trained a bit higher than that of the grunts she had previously fought. He came in with a round house kick that Y ducked, and reversed by coming up so that he was hunched over her shoulders. She tossed him forward but he simply rolled and retook his stance.

“How the hell did you do that?” Y thought nursing an injured arm. He came in again, this time Y put all of her energy into attacking with her left hand, striking at his face with her elbow, she then brought it back and then did a pirouette and struck him in the chest with an open palm which knocked him back to the floor. The man began smiling while wiping his chin, blood had set in; up to this point he had only been toying with Y.   “Your Chi energy is high but your focus is, tried to look past the fact that I’m a sexy Asian woman with her breast exposed, and maybe you’ll be able to kill me. Y said with partially broken English.  His face had been damaged, but he had managed to dislocate her shoulder, so if they were receiving points it was one to one. The young man managed to kip up, still smiling.   He ran towards Y and sent a punch at her face, which she met with her dislocated arm; she capitalized and swept her legs out from under her.   No sooner than she hit the ground he mounted her; placing his hands on her neck sending powerful blows to her facing drawing blood. However like Y had warned him not to do; he took the time to play with her breast. This allowed Y’s snake like legs to snap and snag him on the front side of his shoulders. Using her leg muscles she pulled him down of his back, so that the position had been switched. He however was able to kick Y, off of him and create some distance between him and her.

Y smiled, she knew exactly what she was doing, but she did have to give Surreal credit he was well trained. She used his down time to regain her breath, another thing he was doing that was potentially a fatal mistake. Taking the time to put her hair up in a ponytail, she ending the intermission, by giving him a head nods. Y bent down as if she was setting her blocks for a race and, then charged directly at him. She kept 100% focus on him as she darted through the hallway, she blinked once, and before she knew it, he was in her face. “sh!t” he kicked her point blank in the face and then did a leg sweep, causing her to fall back, however Y pushed her hands and did a back flip landing on her feet. He once again invaded her grounds, this time sending a strike towards her neck; Y smacked his arm out of the way and, tried to counter with a knee to his gut. “pfft” He caught her knee and spun her around with force. Y spun around but when she met back up with him, he smacked her with a spinning heel kick. The Chinese leader quickly hit the floor with tons of blood pouring from her face, but she rose to her feet again. She didn’t see that he gained access to her blind-side and he sent a butterfly kick to her face knocking her back towards the ground.

The sweat began to fall harder as she landed on her back; the man walked up to her and opened his legs.   He put his leg inside her right leg, grabbed a hold of her leg. He fell to the ground and began to pull back. “The sharp pain from the submission left Y, scrambling for something to do. Y looked down at the man’s huge thigh muscles engulfed her legs, any second now her legs would snap from the pressure. She didn’t remember ever being put in a submission, or applying one for that matter. She felt his vice like muscles gripping against hers every time she breathed. Y, in a desperation attempt sent a haymaker towards the face of the Ninja master, however he smack it aside and then jammed his elbow into her jaw. As her head jerked back, the old man readied his Ten Zen fist once again, Y knew he was fast but she’d have to be faster. His snake like arm snapped towards her face, using her free back arms she push up on the ground turning her body so that he faced South and she faced North. She used his own momentum to reverse the leg lock. By this point there were, more ninja’s standing around for the kill but he yelled for them to stay back. His pain was visible, her pain was visible; but this was far more than just a fight. This was kind of the passing of the torch between Y and this particular ninja.

The pressure from Y’s vice caused him to catch a pain in his left thigh. “Sh!t a Charlie horse!” he screamed nursing his injured leg” Y could feel a pain in her own leg so she released the lock.  While he lay on the ground nursing his leg Y did a rolling senton towards him and dropped kicked him in the jaw. His head jerked back, but he quickly kipped up and sent a diagonal strike to Y’s midsection. She caught the kick, used her own foot to step over his foot and then brought her last leg over to kick him in the face. As her foot met his face a fountain of blood shot from his face, landing on the floor before her.

“You’re on your death bed, my lovely, we can quit right now!” Y said standing while rubbing her injured arm. Y even though she was visibly damaged, mentally she remained completely untouched and completely fine. The man rose to his feet hurting inside and out; spitting the blood from the corner of his mouth. The Ninjan Queen rested not too far from where they were fighting, after she defeated him it was pretty much a straight shot to Sha. Y began thinking to herself <clearly his durability is through the roof, but he’s hard-headed, he has fast powerful strikes, to bad I’ll have to kill him.>  Her ears picked up a movement in the hall, he was attacking.

Y was momentarily distracted by the noises that emanated from the rapidly increasing ninjas. She could hear the every present sound of a nostril taking in air. The fight had heightened her senses almost to the point to where she was super human. Too much thinking not a lot of fighting Y said to herself and with that her leg swept out in a wide, graceful art, connecting with the man’ ankles, throwing him off balance. Without even realizing what exactly was happening, The man found himself flat on his back, sucking in deep breaths of air that seemed devoid of oxygen, wincing as tiny pebbles from the forest dug painfully into his back The subsequent tunnel vision that threatened to take away his sight cleared with just enough time to roll away from a kick to the ribs.

Throughout most of the fight, momentum had swung back and forth but it had finally seemed like Y gained the upper hand moving while occupied to say the least. Channeling her energy from her Green Dragon blade she did what he had been damaging her with the whole fight; his own fast fist strike “Ten SIN FIST!” She yelled and fired a sloppy thirty strikes, at the man, who managed to dodge the attack to the fullest. He was taking a beating but that didn’t mean he lost his focus.

He smirked and then applauded. “Good show!” He said and then charged Y again, this time attacking heavily on the side of her injured arm. His fast and hard attack managed to make her knee buckle giving him an opening. Back by the power of his Chi he charged up a knee strike to her face; the man soared through the air with a target on Y’s nose. She couldn’t believe that momentum had swung so quickly, but with her knee now damaged she couldn’t do anything. With some precise quick thinking Y leaned back, gritting her teeth through the pain and caught his knee. With a valiant effort she kicked him dead in his jaw and then tossed him into a Wall, however he managed to stop himself before the impact and then landed. He grew tired of the hand to hand and removed a katanna, Y smirked. This was severely to her disadvantage, because no sooner than she touched her Dragon blade, her injures were healed.  His eyes instantly grew big. <I guess you know what this means right…> she said doing a perfectly executed vertical jump, feining like she was going to cut him, instead removing a 9mm and put a bullet through his head. Before he hit the ground, he yelled to his ninja friends, to run.

Most of them scattered, but Y managed to grab one. “You tell Surreal, OR Gambler whichever one you come to first that I’m here and I’m taking Sha. After the ninja ran off she looked down at her opponent and smiled; and began to carve the petals from his chest. From the inside of her coat she laid a black rose within his palms, and walked on.  Loosening the muscles in her thorax, she got on her Comlink and messaged into Eclipse sounding like Gwen. ““Eclipse this is Gwen, there has been a change of plans, I’m going in to get Sha; our plane has been destroyed so now your mission is to retrieve SS and hold off until back up comes.”

Dragging a body that she had previously killed around the corner, she dropped it on the spot; that the ninja’s were previously scared to venture. The body exploded and then dissolved in a bluish like flame. “Looks like some sort of ninja magic, but this magic is more so advance than anything I’ve seen.”  Y pulled out a walkie talkie, on the other line was the general of her personal army; The Green Dragons.

<Ok, time to put an end to this charade, proceed with the plan, and lay all these mother***kers to waste>.

Y was going to need help if she was going to escape this facility alive; Surreal’s drones were swarming this place, not to mention the actual members of the OSC. Ducking around a corner, she saw the room that she was in. The Ninjan Queen lay rested on a bed with all types of machines hooked up to her. <Sheesh, she really looks pathetic>. Y though to herself. She turned a corner to be met by another ninja, she quickly jabbed him in the face, but that was clearly not enough.

The two fighters traded punches in the middle of the hallway. The surroundings grew silent, not even a flickering light could be heard.  Y’s concentration and toughness grew after every fight, so she was able to skillfully master the craft of quick concentration. Through a solitary whiff of air, her own perspiration hit her noise; this snapped her out of the concentration trace she had fallen into. She sent a powerful jab at the ninja’s throat killing him instantly. Taking the key off, the man’s chain; she then opened the door containing Sha. Placing the Ninjan Queen on her shoulders, she began to walk back the way she came. “HOPEFULLY, going out will be a hell of a lot easier than coming in was.

 The energy from the broken seals swam over Sparrow, the fine hairs on the back of his reborn skin stood on end. He turned from Gambler who instantly caught his movement. Sparrows eyes looked beyond the twilight. He was honor bound to protect sha, she still had not awoken from her sleep and yet he also had his duty to protect Jean. Gambler had been shocked at Sha’s pregnancy and Sparrow was already sure that Jean had placed the puzzle pieces of Sparrows over protection of his ward. Sparrow never allowed a child to be harmed, not after the pain that was placed on him at such a young age, he would never harm a child nor would he allow harm to come to them. His body screamed to be let go, to head towards Sha, the women he hardly knew nor cared about, but the unborn child had already endured so much. Gambler looked over his friend and guard and tried to read his expression, but even with all the rage and emotions that burned under his flesh, he remained ever calm.

“Go” Gambler said turning from Sparrow and looking back at the troops “Thank you”, Sparrow bowed before setting off in the direction of the hospital wing that Sha had been placed into, he already knew of another within the OSC who had set off two of his traps and the sudden explosion round Sovereign Son’s tomb. Surreal was already on site dealing with what ever had happened with her brother and she was more the capable of handling the threat. The other stranger would have to wait for now his goal was Sha and her attacker. The air broke as he pushed into one of the many trap doors that lead onto the halls and he broke once again into a sprint along the soft wooden floors. “HOPEFULLY, going out will be a hell of a lot easier than coming in was. “

Sparrow’s whole body came to a halt, the micro fibre wires already interlocked round his right hand as he heard the word. He stood head to toe in black amour fitting to his stature, on the side of his arm sat a single sparrow. Reaching up he removed his blade and stared towards Y-intercept with ever darkening eyes  he was watching her every movement waiting for her to run or attack. His mind stopped for a moment as he took her in, her stance almost echoed that of Surreal’s. If this was the case she was extremely skilled and now he knew who he was facing, Y-intercept. “But I am honor bound to protect Sha until she awakes. As long as she remains here she will be secure and safe, safe for her and the child she carries. Many will try and stop you and you may save her but the child may be harmed. I warn you if you decide to try and leave I will stop you for the Childs safety.”

Sparrow hoped that the woman was unaware of the child and that the news would at least shock her enough to wonder if she is doing the right thing. Biting back the anger that was growing w“I do not wish to fight you”, , he heard the voice “Let me out, let me end this all.” His mind raced, it had been over a year since he had heard his brother’s voice, a year he had managed to suppress the Oni that his brother had turned into, the Oni that now rested within him. All those years ago when the rival clan had taken his skin, they had also forced him to watch his brother get beaten to death. His little brother gave into the darkness and returned, killing half their own clan many years ago, in the end Sparrow had killed and sealed his brother within himself, hoping to bring him peace. “no” he said within his mind, keeping himself clam “I must do this alone”.

He looked towards her and closed his eyes once. “my apologies” he said as the wires tore across the space between them, each wire could cut stone with ease and Sparrow had mastered the weapon many moons ago, each wire was almost invisible to the human eye. It allowed him to attack with speed and keep a strong defensive distance from his target. Sparrow was considered one of the fastest members of the OSC and was just as deadly as he needed to be. The first two wires headed towards Y’s legs as the other three moved for the head, Sparrow was already moving in hope that his target would drop sha allowing him to catch her before she hit the ground and remove her from their battle. 

 Y’s personally army would be storming the facility any moment, with orders to kill everyone, but before all that broke down she needed to get Sha out of there. As she took the Ninjan Queen in her arms, she felt a presence, a powerful presence, kind of like the presence that was released when the ninja sent off the booby trap earlier. Turning around she was face to face with another Ninja, this one’s spiritual energy was a hell of a lot stronger than that of the grunts she had fought previously.   As she started to just proceed past him; he removed his blade.

A fight was inevitable; she could see this, as a matter of fact she remembered him from the video she had previously viewed.  But I am honor bound to protect Sha until she awakes. As long as she remains here she will be secure and safe, safe for her and the child she carries. Many will try and stop you and you may save her but the child may be harmed. I warn you if you decide to try and leave I will stop you for the Childs safety.” There was no actual concern in his voice, more so his dedication to his duty, Y wasn’t going to back down from this. She didn’t want to make any fast movement that would ignite a fight with Sha in her hands.

“I don’t want to fight you” he said again, surprisingly the usually chatty Y had nothing to say. Her breathing was slow going; ­­she had fought so much on her way down here she almost didn’t want to fight. Her eyes caught what appeared to be an inner struggle, between him and some inner entity. “The things people are doing for you” she said to Sha, whilst rubbing her head.

Y cautiously turned, and laid the Queen on her bed, No sooner than she turned around a swift wire like weapon binded her at the legs. With a quick and clean swipe from her weapon, she managed to repeal the wires that came barreling towards her face. Y dug into her satchel and tossed a black smoke grenade, this wasn’t for offensive means, and she simply tried to free her legs from the wires that had been lying at the base of her legs.

Once free, she stood with her blade in hand in a defensive position. <I can’t get a good read on this guy, he’s not trained by Surreal…huh what’s that sound?> Y’s stance was broken by the sound of a piercing scream let out by Sha.   Glancing over at Sparrow, she cautiously turned around to see Sha thrashing around in the bed, assumingly in labor. <What a hell of a way to wake up from a coma…> looking at Sparrow then back at Sha, she pointed. “We’ll have to wait, but you might want to get someone on that because something doesn’t seem right…”

 There was a skulking silence, a living silence that wrapped around the Cathedral. It was the calm before the storm the pause between the first droplets of rain. It was the poised viper watching its prey’s last movements before striking. The many scenarios and situations that were presently unfolding were endless, Gambler and Final Arrow still locked away behind closed doors, discussing things that not even she could hypothesize. The rest of the team preparing for an all out attack and removal of the bodies that held deep within the infirmary doors. At the same time a mysterious stranger known as Michael who has joined sides with the OsC itself. And Laura? What of the young Lycan princess who betrayed her adopted father, the one who separated herself from friend and family alike in order to secure their safty? What of her?

She was alive, she was here….if alive is what she was then she was it. But she had started doubting that assumption. Just because you draw breath does not mean you live, in truth it could mean the exact opposite. Her hand slid against the wood carved banister as tightly clasped in her other hand was her silver blade. Her weapon reflecting the rays of moon light that even now entered through the large stain glass windows. She was walking, her feet dragging upon the velvet crimson carpet that laid the long hallway. On either side walls stretched forward leaving no way of exit except to continue forward or go back. It was a narrow way but large enough for two people to walk side by

side in. A darkened corridor stretched out beyond her, in truth she thought this path would never end. There were large spells of darkness for only a few windows laid on either side of the wall, and most of the time the curtains were drawn. She assumed that this was used as a bridge…joining the other areas of the cathedral.

As she continued walking silencing being her closest companion she came to a doubled closed door. Pressing her hand against the wooden gate she found her eyes following down another hall way, but much different. Now she was assured she was walking on a bridge, for now the walls were gone and replaced with clear windows, no curtains shrouding the light. Hesitantly she walked almost appearing to patrol this platform that joined the Large and many different wings of this Cathedral. Eventually she stopped, staring out the window as her eyes phased to see her own reflection in it. Placing the palm of her hand upon the glass she let out a deep sigh sliding her hand across the glass, and instantly her scars caught wind of the moon light and an instant burning sensation resonated.

She cringed slightly as the deep red glow began to fade. Studying once more the marking she recalled that page, the page she had stopped on. The page that she had slammed the book, Gambler’s book shut. In truth the writing was of no concern to her, but the image, the picture. It was a human sacrifice or a sacrifice of sorts. It was female and on either side her hands were bound with chain as she was laid upon the altar. But the one thing that caught her attention was the markings upon the female’s arms.    She knew it was just a painting and nothing more, she didn’t really read much about it which no doubt she should have.

Eventually the burning became unbearable as she retraced back into the darkness. A smile them appeared on her lips as she muttered “Some would already think me a Vampire…” then like a presence had just grabbed her she recalled meeting her mother, she recalled how her mother tried to kill her….and still she didn’t know why. Shaking this off she began in a running pace toward the main establishment of the Cathedral. The one where she had previously been. As stated before she lived in the farthest wing, away from anyone though usually she would just ignore this passage way and go outside yet she desired to remain inside, inside his scent was weak, inside she almost forgot about him.

The memories were still a mess in her head, an undesirable coloration of memories images…emotions that still even now knowing his name, she could not put together. She’d not say his name, she couldn’t. It hurt too much, “But why…” she whispered. Instantly the smell of blood entered her nostrils as her ferocity she could even feel lashing out telling her to run. But she remained walking, slowly calmly she walked onward. “Young man…whomever you might be I shall find you.” She whispered in an icy tone as she brought her blade to her face. “And I shant hold back for you…I won’t.” Despite her brave words her heart was not in agreement.

Lifting her hood of the midnight cloak that laid upon her she hid her face approaching the doors that would lead her to the main area. The noise of battle, and blood lingered as one but then she caught the scent, of Sovereign Son. Lowering her head as she slid her weapon into its sheath she moved her hands into her pockets. “Nothing ever goes as planned”. Eventually pushing past the doors she saw pure chaos unleashed upon this once silent and serene location. She saw the several trained forces enlisted by Gambler running no doubt to the scene of the crime. So far most of the trouble was not near her location which suited her just fine actually.

Bam! An instant push shoved the young girl into the wall almost in reaction she removed her weapon only to find it pointing to one of her several ninja’s of the OsC. Laura retained somewhat of a holographic memory and knew instantly who this man was by his scent not appearance. “why are you no longer stationed near the stairs” her tone was calm, cold it was controlled. Panting the man swiftly replied “I was ordered elsewhere but forgive me I must go.” With that he bowed out of respect and left Laura’s sight. Lowering her weapon she thought a moment. Ordered elsewhere? She doubted that Gambler would remove his troops and replace them at certain key points in the heat of battle.

Hoping that it would misdirect her from the heroes she clasped the banister overlooking the foyer and vaulted herself over. For a moment the glimmering of her midnight suit in the moon light was glimpsed but soon was veiled by her landing. As the tips of her fingers rose from the marble floor she retraced that individual’s scent that she had recently encountered. Down a slanting hallway she it eventually led to several flights of stairs leading down into darkness. There was a scent, one unfamiliar to her, which in truth gave her relief. But one thing she was assured of, it was not one of Gamblers employees or soldiers it was someone else. As silent as the moon her feet slid from one step to another spiralling down to the cataclysmic abyss that appeared to continue endlessly.

Her one hand slid down the railing as her other hand held tightly to the weapon she now possessed though she hid the blade from the light entering from above. For even in utter silence a glimpse of light in utter darkness has the same effect as an ear shattering cry. Step by step hardly breathing   the smell grew stronger. Her eyes synced to their more feral yet adaptable vision. Finally the stairs came to an end leading to an opening that lead…into darkness. The cries of battle were no longer in Laura’s ears as the sound of a heart beat was all she could detect. Stepping into the mist of uncertainty her feet trod as a light as mist upon the morning grass. Her finger tips slid against the damp rocky wall of no doubt the basement. Taking in one final deep breath she lunged toward the figure to where she knew he was, and placed her forearm upon his neck with her blade inches away from his face. She could not see him she could not see anything really.

But she could feel, his scent even the touch, he was one of the heroes she would know their kind anywhere. Most of them did not have a trace of blood, and there was always that feeling of slight innocents that resonated from them. Oh but he had blood, upon his neck and hands the scent was very tempting. He had fought possibly killed but she had no time for thought. One thing she knew for sure, he was dressed like a ninja, jet black suit face covered and he was well skilled, for it took her some time to find out his location. “Okay…hero now I need some answers from you.” She said keeping her grip tightly on him, knowing that she’d not be able to hold him like this forever. “War Killer, you know his name! I know you do he was part of the group that was put together to retrieve that of Sovereign Sons and Sha’s body. “

Pausing once more she pushed him against the wall feeling her grip loosen. “I want to know where War Killer is.” Instead of a cold callous tone filled with hatred her voice had segments of desperation, fear. But she was afraid, very. She knew that if she got to him to late he’d be killed that if he met Gambler if he met anyone he’d die. “Stop it!” she thought to herself a moment, she’d not allow meaningless emotions to get in the way of something she had worked for most of her existence on this earth this reality. “Where is he!?” she shouted now angered. He didn’t say much, he was not afraid she admired it. “Sewers…” was all he said. With that she pulled away from him retracting back into darkness. Sheathing her sword her hood hid her smile. “Thank you.” She said turning to leave swiftly she knew he would attack any moment. “Also...” she paused upon the first step “If you continue forward you’ll reach a door, there’s a guard there several possibly. Avoid this by going around and not through.”

He didn’t have to listen to her, sure she could have been lying, but she was not. He had aided her and the most honourable thing to do was aid him, sure he could still probably get killed but at least she attempted to help, at least she tried. With that she swiftly returned to the flight of steps this time not caring about noise, only speed. Avoiding all people all situations unfolding before her she crawled beside the wall clinging to the obscurity that had fallen. Her back was upon the wall as she slid as unvoiced as anything. The sewers were no doubt blocked to a point that it would be impossible to get there undetected, now in truth she wished she had remained in the wilderness for at least that way she could have been able to be behind them.  

Finding an unoccupied room that was as low as possible she then turned and shut the door. Unleashing her talons she dug them deep into the ground cutting out a small circular hole out of the wooden floor. This however led to another floor lower down and so she continued vigorously. After two times in progression she came to stone flooring. Already panting out of exhaustion as blood slid down her finger nails she continued hacking away without hesitation without regression.  Her panting grew to a point of slight whimpering as her voice was detected. She didn’t know what she was doing, why she was skulking around like a common criminal like some misguided child who no longer knew who to trust. Like a helpless infant crying out desiring clarity to the world’s simplest issues.

Her hands ached as she chipped away each block of stone, her claws were unbreakable made from the purest adamantium but laced with silver. And Being a Lycan and using so much force upon the blades that were attached to her hands, the silver laced blade in effect protruded backward into her own hand, causing the blood. Eventually several feet below covered in dust and scares and her hands raw with the skin literally peeled off she hit pipe works. The first assurance of this was the smell everything else was a dead giveaway. Letting out a silence cry she dug her talons deep into the metallic structure and pulling it across to form a way for her to slide through. Kicking away the now scrap metal and door for her entrance the smell she almost found unbearable as she felt like vomiting the food she had not eaten. In truth she’d not eaten in days.

Sliding through the circular gap her feet splashed aside the liquids that dwelled within these pipes. Talon’s system body system and requirements were much different, and so gladly nothing of hers…was present or else she would have surely been sick. Ignoring the smell and shutting off her nose, she progressed. Clabbering of commotion resonated down the pipe lines but due to the echoing of voices off the walls she could have been walking around here for hours without finding a trace of anyone…only following and echo.  But his scent, the soft ever present aroma was so close she could reach out and touch it. This is what drove her, in the direction in the right direction. Both scents they were nearby Eclipse and him.

Their shadows danced in the glimmering of light further down the tunnel she knew which one was which she knew which one to strike at. Her movements needed to be swift precise. Eclipse was with him, but once his friend was down no doubt Eclipse himself would be enraged and so his fighting would become sloppy and she would swiftly sever his head from body.”Pst” instantly her blade was redirected  performing a 180 degree turn her weapon was met with another of Gambler’s soldiers. “We shall dupe them from behind.” Was all he said and suddenly uncertainty filled her mind. He walked in front of her, she knew what he was going to do, he was going to kill the one while she was…suppose to take on the other. Swallowing as she held her Katana with both hands she looked at him a moment.

Finally turning a corner she found her face to face with their backs. The assassin raised his blade aiming toward War Killer, he was silent and she knew his one attack would destroy all questions she had. “No…” she whispered as he moved his blade toward the young heroes’ neck. But before the blade could touch him hers swiftly moved. Like a bolt of lightning unpredictable yet with great speed she instantly let out a slight cry as she decapitated her alley. As she watched his head drop and roll on the floor his body collapse moments after that all the exhaustion filled her. The exhaustion that she had buried in hope it would go. Her once silver toned blade was now stained with the blood of not her enemy on no, but someone who she was supposed to work alongside.

Unable to breath as the revelation of what she had committed revealed itself without mercy. She stared at the dead body her eyes wide with shock as she was frozen in horror. “What…what have I done.” She whispered under her breath panting greatly. Her hands were shaking and her weapon along with it, if there was any time she was vulnerable now was the perfect opportunity for either to strike. Her hands were still poised around the weapon as it hovered motionless in the air. Her hood still shadowed her face, but her astonishment was not a secret. Black locks of hair streamed from her covering and came to rest upon her shoulders as her face was splattered with the blood of a comrade.

Her eyes then rose to look upon War Killer as her weapon lowered. She needed to strike she hat to kill him why else would she trek through hell to find him! Why would she go through all this trouble denying anything and everything about what she felt why in the world would she kill her ally!? There had to be a reason there had to be a logical reason! Why else would not she not strike him sever his head like she had done to the assassin beside her the assassin for a moment who trusted her, and that caused him his death! Why didn’t she strike why did she keep staring she wanted to run but she only knew that would lead to her searching for him once more. Why would so go through hell to protect him when her objective was to kill him? Why else?

Amanda listened carefully to Mr. LeBeau’s speech which was pretty interesting. Amanda tried not to think about what had happened in the bar, she had killed the stupid guard for no reason just to get in and have a drink when she could have got one from the store or stole one, but she had to do it the hard way she had to kill him and his little posse, Amanda then noticed she was not even paying attention so actually she was thinking about what had happened which got to her. Amanda then eye's widen when she heard her lover Jane who both just started going out whispered in her ear. “ I missed you this morning.” Amanda smiled and went to reply but Jane suddenly kissed her and pulled back, Amanda looked into her eye's but she then turned back to the attention of Gambler. 
  
Amanda then noticed that the speech was over but she had no clue what he was talking about since she was day dreaming the hole time, Amanda turned to Jane and went to ask her if she was paying attention so she could brief her on what the meeting was about but then something stopped her from asking, she noticed that Jane pulled out her weapon which she had never seen before, Amanda eye's widen and Jane looked at her and ran out of the meeting with the member's and some of the assassin's, Amanda then knew that the OsC Headquarters was under attack. Amanda grinned and got up from her chair and ran out the meeting room with full speed, Amanda stopped when she noticed a blood trail and noticed some of the assassin's dead, Amanda smiled and walked up to each body at a time and searched for Jewelry, money, or anything that was worth having but they all had nothing. 
   

Amanda then heard something coming her way and she knew that she was about to have some action but first she wanted to surprise whoever was coming toward her way, so she quickly leaped into the shadow's where the enemy could not see her, finally she saw a guard holding a M16 stopped at the dead bodies and began to check them, Amanda slowly reached out from the shadow's and grabbed the man and pulled him back into the shadow's, the man tried to break free from her grip but her grip was strong, but with her other hand she stabbed the man in the throat with her blade gauntlet's leaving blood splatter all over the wall, Amanda walked out the shadow's with blood covering her face and gauntlet's. Amanda smiled and shouted. " I knew I should have brought my cat costume and gadgets with me". Amanda then ran again with full speed to take care of the other enemies who were attacking the base.
 

 Followed closely by his newly appointed guards, the Marions, Gambler descended deeper and deeper into the sewers. Even now, immersed in the filth and blood streaming through the tunnels, the Cajun maintained a dignified expression reflective of his self-induced heir of entitlement. Taking lead of his assassins as they navigated the suffocating darkness, his radar sense mapping out the area allowing the blinded swordsmen a superhuman level of clairvoyance. All the while the Living Legend's mind was running through a never ending list of possibilities, theories, and outcomes. The fact that he was now surrounded by men nominated by Micheal the Fly, former ally of the current Vine Villains leader Voidhert, had not escaped him. However the Technological Terror had over played his hand by wiping out the LeBeau Legacy's Imperial Guard. Men who's loyalty had already been proven, hand selected by Gambler's most trusted assassin, Surreal Diablo. It was this course of action that had instantly alerted Gambler to the possible treachery in play.

It was then, just as the darkness had become overwhelming and the Marion's were forced to rely on their technology for sight, that the Black Mamba struck. In one swift motion Gambler spun around releasing a blinding flash of kinetic energy. Simultaneously drawing his katana allowing its harmonic metallic symphony to sing as the blade was unsheathed. Every movement was direct as Gambler methodically cut a  path through fifteen men in the blink of an eye, painting the moss covered walls with blood, leaving behind a signature of the massacre. His sword was still ringing and his back turned away from the slaughter as the last man fell face first into the murky water. His breathing was somewhat erratic and his body visually heaved with each inhale, all signs of the Cajun's advanced age catching up with him.

With a quick flick of his wrist the crimson fluid was flung from the shining fang of death before being returned to its lavishly decorated home. Now Gambler was free to pursue the intruders on his own. Like a venomous viper he weaved through the labyrinth beneath the Cathedral instinctively stalking his prey as they dispatched wave after wave of OsC assassins, completely unaware that the deadliest killer of them all was closing in. The loud splashing and death gasps from up ahead singled the proximity of the heroes War Killer and Eclipse. Two up and coming heroes who were in the process of helping restore the security that had once blanketed the World before the fall of Andfrene. War Killer was will versed in the art of combat bordering on being a tactical genius, while Eclipse was a 15 year old prodigy, deceptively experienced for his age. Together they formed the foundation of a new generation that would one day lead the future out of turbulent times of the here and now.

Cloaked by the shadows the lengthy Cajun contorted his body allowing his triple joints to bend and twist in an unorthodox manner as he wedged himself up in a small crease where the ceiling and wall came together. Methodically inching along the seem utilizing unequaled stealth and patience, pausing every for feet in order to allow his body to adjust itself. His ears following the rhythmic heartbeats of both War Killer and Eclipse as they displayed breathtaking maneuvers in an effort to dispatch their opponents. But it was something else that caught Gambler's attention causing his ears to slightly shift as they picked up the sound of something just beyond the two heroes.

"No" the words infiltrating the Cajun's eardrums as if the traitorous woman who spoke them were standing right next to him. The whisper was followed by the interrupted breathing of a man newly removed of his head. The racing heartbeat and distinctive speech pattern of Talon was as recognizable to Gambler as that of his own daughter. Disbelief racing through his thoughts, anger and hatred racing through his heart. The time for misdirection was over. No longer did Gambler cling to the shadows as he slowly lowered himself stylishly emerging from the dark, his left hand loosely gripping the hilt of his blade as it protruded sideways off his waste. Even though he was unable to see, the emotional tension in the air painted him a picture that spoke more then visual effects ever could. There was no deny the spark that currently resonated back and forth between War Killer and Talon. Disgusted, the self proclaimed King of Kings announced his presence.

"You have feelings for dis man?You betray your Order for dis man?" his hate filled words striking out at Talon. "You betray ME for dis man?" lowering his head, Gambler casually unsheathed his katana. "I'll bury you ALL down here." he said before firmly planting his right foot and propelling himself across the open space that separated the two parties. As he closed the gap the Aristocratic Assassin, mimicking the movements Nighthunter, dropped down to one hand using it to balance his body as he swung his legs around in an attempt to sweep the legs of Eclipse. Before using his momentum to spin up into a one handed handstand, allowing his legs to twirl around like a helicopter blade aiming for War Killer's head. Then without waiting to see if any of his strikes had landed, the Cajun continued his assault after returning to his feet and slashing at Talon with his blade in an underhanded motion, letting it reach its apex and bringing it back down targeting the length of her chest copying the lethal strikes of the Ninja Tenjin.

Arrogantly Gambler had thrust himself into a battle against three of the World's top fighters, and only one side was going to walk out of that sewer alive.

     The Aston sped down the open road leaving dust in its wake. The two vehicles on its tail were a smooth jet black with tinted windows and rims of the same shade. These cars were nipping at Ryu's heels as he pushed his car to the limit. The last sign spotted read "Three miles to Athens Airway." As the Aston Martin achieved a speed of 190 mph the helicopter began to push harder, struggling to keep the spotlight on the evasive driver.  The speedometer  hit 195 mph and thats when Stormy Gold slammed on the brake. The dropped out of the frame in an instant. The two cars tried to swerve as the Vanquish fell into the background, thinking they'd collide. The Aston skidded through the space and the two speedsters crashed into one another. The Aston's engine returned to life as it zoomed forward once again. In the blur a spec of light was seen emerging from the right window of the Aston Martin Vanquish.  
 
Ryu peered into his rear view mirror as he jetted up the freeway and reached the two mile mark. The spec of light hit the top of the car and separated into three separate balls of light.  After this the balls of light bounced for another second before unleashing a large amount of black and red energy. This explosion of electricity sent the fiery cars flying into the air. The helicopter swung around trying to avoid the car on the left only to be caught by the right one. The three vehicle crumbled to the ground in smoldering heat as Ryu escaped.  

Pulling into the the airway Ryu found that his flight option was gone. The police had spread far, there commands reaching the ears of air traffic control. No nor people entered or leaved until the so called “Potential Threat” was apprehended. With a sneer and a grunt Stormy stalked towards the large facility with the intention of raising hell. Reaching the entrance the two officers that stood guard immediately drew their firearms. Without so much as a glance at the two Stormy continued to push onwards. The men fired and he brought his hand up in front of him. A clear, circular shimmer enveloped by a red aura appeared in front of his hand and expanded to cover his entire body from the small rounds. They pinged harmlessly off the shield. The cops were astonished by this showing, their jaws hung agape. Stormy's arm drew back, reabsorbing the energy used to create his protection. Black currents streaked up his arm. The policemen's look of awe vanished and they charged at the herculean figure, nightsticks drawn. With a wave of his arm a shockwave formed and flew into the two officers. Their carcasses were sent flying through the glass doors. The black and red lightning ran across their bodies and people yelled in spite of the hasty intrusion. The bodies erupted in a burst of lightning that chained from one person to the next. Screams, panic, and cries for assistance filled the crowded yet inactive airport as mass destruction took place. “I've yet to step foot inside and already chaos has devoured the area.” Said a whimsy Ryu who chuckled before entering.

Lined up in front of him were at least twenty warriors. Armed to the teeth they raised their automatic rifles to the shoulder and fired upon the Storm. His superhuman speed kicked in, allowing Ryu to dash out of the way of the shots and take refuge behind the outer wall of the the building. A flurry of bullets zoomed past him, one scraping against the side of his car. “Where'd he go?” A confused soldier said. His eyes as well as those of his comrades were too weak to track the velocity the Storm possessed. Just as the Storm was about to pop around the corner to engage the men his highly acute senses caught wind of an interesting turn of events. A vernal, erratic chakra had suddenly made itself known. This chakra called to him. In that instant Stormy realized where Sha was. The seed he had implanted in her was blossoming. Its chakra was a beacon that Stormy homed in on. Energy gathered around him as he popped around the corner. “Sorry men, I have a son to meet.” Stormy's body glowed a blinding red and he vanished. The soldiers rubbed their eyes, affected by the spectacle just enough to miss the opening Stormy left for himself in using such an ability.

Suddenly the entire City of Chartres went dark. The moonlight shone elegantly with stars as all the energy was concentrated into one area. Deep within the Cathedral a single glow of red electrical energy could be seen as a blonde woman expelled shrieks of pain. The energy strands increased in number as they arced around an invisible focal point. Slowly the arcs began to connect. Coming together create an outline of a humanoid form. This form took the appearance of skin and flesh. Stormy stood amongst a man, smaller in stature. He'd recognized this man as a personal guard for the leader of the Order. The bloodcurdling cries of a woman filled Ryu's ears and he turned to see Sha, pain written on her visage as she underwent labor. Another female stood a few feet away from Sha. She looked weary and mildly concerned. The temple was gripped by entropy. Ryu could sense many battles around him. Though he was eager to test his skill he knew his place was here to ensure that the birth went smoothly and that his son made it out of this turmoil stricken facility in one peace.   

Eclipse was dispatching the ninja easily. He ducked, weaved and leapt about the battlefield; knocking his enemies unconscious with his boots and bo-staff. The battle was going well, the heroes were winning the fight. But that fact made Eclipse more nervous than ever. It was too easy. This was the Order of Santa Camisia, led by Gambler, deadliest man alive and one of the greatest tactical minds on the planet to boot. This was way, way too easy. Suddenly, as he tossed a barrage of crescent-rangs at a group of ninja, Jason realized what a fool he had been. This was chess. This was the most simple, most obvious tactic ever. Always send the pawns in first. The pawns are weak, cannon fodder, only taking out enemies due to sheer luck. It was the other pieces you had to fear. The Rook, the Knight, the Bishop. And the Queen. 
 
"The Queen..." Jason whispered, pausing in mid-battle, holding back a wave of ninja with a gravitational field. Fulcrum. She was the Queen of this game, one of the deadliest and most skilled warriors on the planet. Eclipse knew who she truly was now, but he still refused to refer to her by her other name. In his mind, she was Fulcrum, not Talon. She was a hero at heart, warped into a villain and a killer by manipulative men. Of course, he had no idea whether any of this was actual fact. Jason was just very good at making guesses. But regardless of her true nature, Gambler would use her, his most powerful piece, to mow down the opposition. And heroes, they had no pawns. Heroes ignored the basic rules of chess and charged into battle, headfirst. Risking their own lives every second of every day for a single reason: because it was the right thing to do. 
 
Blasting a clump of ninja away with a gravitational pulse, Eclipse cleared the path to War Killer and fought alongside his friend. "This is a well thought out trap!" he yelled over the carnage, abandoning his bo-staff in favour of his telekinetic-esque abilities. There was no time to waste and he couldn't use his electrical powers, not with all the water running around their feet. "These are pawns in Gambler's game! The power players will be here soon! The Queen will come to kill us all." he added, with a meaningful look at War Killer, knowing he would understand who he meant by the Queen. He continued to blast away ninjas, slamming them against the wall, until he eventually turned around and froze in shock. An assassin, set apart from the ninja by the sense of power he radiated, had raised his sword, ready to separate War Killer's head from his shoulders. "NO!" he yelled, raising a gloved hand, at the same time that a similar "No" was whispered by a familiar face. 
 
Suddenly, the assassin who had intended to decapitate one of Earth's most promising young heroes had been decapitated himself. By none other than the one person Eclipse had been afraid of meeting this entire time. It was Fulcrum. She had saved Charles' life. She then broke down completely, clearly unable to cope with the fact that she had just betrayed her own allies. Eclipse, however, gave a nervous smile. One of the greatest threats to the heroes was on their side now. But his smile did not last long. " You have feelings for dis man? You betray your Order for dis man?" A force deadlier than even the young woman known as Talon came stalking towards the group of heroes, rage clear on his face and in his voice. Though he had never met the man before, Eclipse recognised him instantly. This man was Gambler. One of the greatest and most powerful villains on Earth. This man fought Andferne, in the battle which led to the death of the world's greatest hero. He was enemy of the Ice Dragons, the Vine Titans, We Are Legend and every other superhero under the Sun. He was a one man army, with no need for the legions of ninjas and assassins under his rule other than the fact that he needed pawns. Eclipse still bore a scar from his fight Uchiha NeVann, but he knew that in this battle, he would be lucky to walk away with nothing more than a scar. 
 
"You betray ME for dis man? I'll bury you ALL down here."Jason was silent as the Living Legend continued to stalk towards his prey, unsheathing his instrument of death as he did so. He didn't know what to say. He wanted to shout tactical advice to War Killer and give encouragement to Fulcrum. He wanted to think of a plan. He wanted to know that everything would be fine and that good always prevails over evil. But he couldn't. He couldn't do anything. He was paralyzed by fear. Then, suddenly, the battle had begun. Gambler opened with one of Nighthunter's signature moves, emulating his style. But Eclipse was used to sparring with his teacher and easily leapt above the attack, using his powers to levitate in the air above. He would have loved to electrify the villain then and there, but he knew that such a move would do just as much damage to his allies as his enemy. So Jason withdrew his bo-staff and dived, headfirst and spinning like a top, towards the leader of the Order. Expecting to either miss completely or be deflected, he landed, crouching, on the ground and hurled a crescent-rang at his blind opponent, aiming for his chest or back. He then put his right foot forwards, lifted his left leg forwards and into the air, before following with his right foot. Extending his kick with a snap, Eclipse intended to kick his opponent in the head... 
 
... But then he wasn't there at all. Jason had no idea whether he had hit sword, skin or clothing, but the battlefield had vanished. War Killer, Fulcrum and Gambler were gone. The sewers were replaced with a smooth, metallic room. A humming noise echoed through the silence as Eclipse turned on the spot, panicking and pondering his location. He tried to teleport back to his allies, but couldn't. His powers were being blocked! Suddenly an image of Jake Hamilton, the Nighthunter, was projected onto one of the walls. "I'm sorry, Jason" Nighthunter said with a stony expression. Eclipse immediately deduced it was a recording from the fact that Nighthunter was not looking at him. "You're a good fighter for your age, but you can't hold your own against Gambler. If you're watching this, you've just come face-to-face with the man himself. When I designed your nano-suit I implemented this program, in order to protect you. If your suit ever came into physical contact with Gambler, you would be teleported here. To safety. I know your first instinct will be to teleport right back, which is why I installed the electromagnets to block your teleportation powers. They'll stay like this for the next two hours, then you'll be allowed to leave. This is for your own good, Eclipse." And the recording ended. Eclipse screamed insults at his Master, not caring that Nighthunter couldn't actually hear him. He clamped his eyes shut, concentrating entirely on teleporting back to the fight. But nothing happened. He yelled and screamed and tore at his hear. But Jason Dodd couldn't leave the room. He couldn't go back and help his friends. And without his help, Eclipse feared for their lives.

France, Sewer Systems…

Standing alongside the team as they made their way off of the jet and into the sewers below, they all watched as Ebony Sparrow suddenly dashed off ahead of the group with Eclipse quickly chasing after her further into the sewers. Charles went after them along with the rest of the group, “Running off ahead of the group….been there, done that….not the smartest move…” Charles thought to himself, remembering not too long ago where he did the exact same thing, which almost cost him his own life. Once catching up with the two, and seeing the ninja’s Sparrow had already defeated only helped the team realize that their suspicions that Gambler would have the sewers guarded were correct…and that they weren’t alone.

"She's in there, isn't she?" Eclipse said to Charles as they both made their way through the murky sewer ways. "I may not know as much about her as you, but I know enough. At least, I do now..." Charles had no doubt about who Jason was talking about….he knew she was in there. "And I can tell from the way you're acting, too. You're nervous. You're angry. You're unsure of what you'll do if you find yourself face-to-face with her. There's a good chance this rescue mission could end with a fight. And if that happens... I want you to promise me something," Well of course he was nervous, he was entering into a building full of some of the world’s deadliest people, who not only out classed him in every way, but to top it off had an army of freakin’ ninja’s at their disposal; and angry? The only person he was angry at was himself for letting her go in the first place…back to THIS world. But Jason was spot on with that last remark…Charles was 100% unsure on what he was going to do…"I want you to promise that you'll leave her to me. Let me fight her. You still see her as Fulcrum, the hero. But if you fight her, thinking like that... She could kill you. Promise me, War Killer." “Promise?” Charles thought to himself…in truth, he did still see her as Fulcrum, to him, that’s who she was….who she is.

"AMBUSH!" Eclipse suddenly exclaimed, cutting Charles off just as he was about to answer Jason. It took Charles a few seconds to even register that Eclipse had just saved them both as he could hear the sounds of what appeared to be throwing stars, ninja throwing stars. As Eclipse took to the air, the young patriot tightened his grip around the straps which were bolted to his red, white, and blue shield. In the blink of an eye, Charles dug his feet into the murky water, holding up his shield in front in himself as even more throwing stars broke, sparked, and ricocheted off his shield. Looks over the top of the shield, Charles could see a figure closing in on him from the shadows, but he became completely caught off guard as thick line was quickly wrapped around his neck as a ninja who had stealthily made his way behind Charles while he was paying more attention to the other ninja, whom was now leaping out from the shadows, his sword drawn as came down from above ready to end the young heroes life right then and there.

Thinking quick, Charles threw his body weight to the left as he slid his feet across the mucky floor of the sewer tunnels, pulling the ninja who was like a monkey on his back with him, letting the other ninja’s blade miss him by just an inch. The first ninja quickly tighten his grip of the cord around Charles’ neck, causing him to gasp out for air, only to choke on his own saliva instead. With all his might, he threw himself back, slamming the ninja back first into the concrete wall, forcing him to lose his grip and allowing Charles to breath precious air once again, even if it tasted like utter trash. Slinging his head back, crushing the ninja’s head between Charles hard headed skull and the concrete sewer wall, causing both he and the ninja to become disorientated for a moment, but also allowing Charles to slip away from the ninja’s choke cord.

Hearing the splash of water behind him, Charles quickly remembered the second ninja of whom he had almost forgotten. Splitting his legs apart, burying his feet into the mucky goop over the sewer tunnel as he held his shield up as the ninja came rushing down from above once more with his sword, sparks lit up the darkened area as the unstoppable force of the ninja’s sword met the unmovable object which was War Killer’s indestructible shield, causing the ninja’s blade to crack and shatter under the mass force of the two as the ninja himself slammed face first into the shield. His screech of pain echoed as his skull cracked against the metal shield, “One…down” the hero sighed as he let the ninja’s body slid off his shield and into the muddy waters. Turning around, his shield suddenly flew into the air as the other ninja manage to get the jump on the hero once again, kicking his only protection into the darkened waters, quickly turning things into a full-blown fist fight as Charles tried with all his skills to block his foes advances, but soon figuring out that he was out classed as he groaned and grunted while his body was impaled with sharp jabs and punches, as if he was quickly being stabbed by knifes over and over again, even with his suit taking most of the impact it still wasn’t enough. It wasn’t long for Charles to figure out that the ninja was trying to hit his nerves, trying to paralyze his body so that he could finish the young Titan off without any struggle. Jumping back, trying to get some distance between himself and his foe, he had to think of something quick or he wasn’t going to last much longer.

 His eyes swiftly searched around, hoping to maybe spot his shield within the muck filled waters but having no luck. But as he did so, it quickly dawned on him that the body of the first ninja he had take out was practically hidden within the deep water, and if Charles was going to beat his current foe, he was going to have to use some new tricks. Stretching his arms out, the hero’s body fell back, causing a small splash as his body disappeared underneath the degusting waters, hidden with the aid of darkness from within the sewer tunnel itself. With his air running out fast, Charles frantically searched for his shield through the mucky and dirt filled waters, keeping the best he could on the ninja’s feet as they moved through the water as the ninja searched for the hero who had suddenly vanished right before his eyes. As his eyes moved back and forth, they finally zeroed in on his shield which thankfully was only a few feet away. Moving both quickly and stealthily as he could, sliding his body across the bottom of the sewer tunnel, the muck and goop sliding across his back as he moved inch by inch towards his best chance of finishing this fight, watching as the ninja’s feet began to move towards his direction, worriedly began to reach for his shield his hand, reaching out for it as the ninja’s feet moved closer, and closer, quickly developing a grin upon his as he felt his had grab onto to something metallic. Up above the water, the ninja began to notice movement underneath the water, and without hesitation quickly unleashing a barrage of throwing stars into the water, only to be filled with utter confusion as the stars stuck into the metal tunnel as no body, nor blood rose to the surface.

And like a starving lion stalking upon it’s pray, Charles suddenly appeared from beneath the watery depths behind the disturbed ninja, unleashing his fury as he sliced the shield across the enemies face, ending his search with his own defeat. “Two down” a smirk grew across his face. Standing in the muck Charles looked down at the two ninja’s who rest at his feet, defeated, but Charles suspiciously turned his attention towards the dim lighting above as something had hit it from the darkness around, causing it’s light to flicker on and off above Charles’ head. Turning his attention to his surroundings, a chill ran down his spine as he felt presences on all side as the light flickered off and then on again, quickly looking around as every time the light flickered, the hero found himself surrounded by one, then two, three, and finally four ninja’s, all ready to avenge their brethren, “I soooo hate my life right now.” The boy muttered as he prepared for the fight of his life. But thankfully, War Killer was not alone in his battles, like a flash of light, his foes were blown away by a gravitational force, smile quickly appeared upon the hero’s face for he knew that it could be one person, Eclipse! "This is a well thought out trap!" The Boy Wonder said as he and Charles went back to back, continuing to fight off the army of ninja assassins that were still flooding the sewers. “And we were foolish enough to walk right into it!” Charles answered back as he wiped out his pistol; fire off at the dark cloaked army, aiming to kill.

"These are pawns in Gambler's game! The power players will be here soon! The Queen will come to kill us all." Charles listened to Jason’s words; he knew exactly who he was talking about. “Fulcrum” the name echoed in Charles’ mind, he knew she would be there, even though he didn’t tell anyone, it was the main reason he chose to go on the rescue mission in the first place, if it meant finding her again after letting her go back to Gambler again, letting her go back to a life she do much better than. Silence filled the air, Chares stood in place as he searched through the darkness, looking for any possible enemy, "NO!" Eclipse’s voice shouted out, causing Charles to quickly turn around, only to find his feet surrounded by blood as it washed in the sewer waters around him, leading to a head and its dismembered ninja body. Looking up, his eyes widened as they fell upon her once again…Fulcrum.

“My name is Laura.” Her voice rang out through his mind as his lips began to open, but nothing, he couldn’t utter a single word once he found her, she was right there and he couldn’t say anything! "You have feelings for dis man? You betray your Order for dis man?" Charles’ entry body froze as the man appeared between himself and Fulcrum. “…Gambler…” Charles exclaimed out of pure shock. Charles had faced villain’s before, mostly C-list, some B-list here and there….but this guy? He was the King of A-list….the Living Legend himself. "I'll bury you ALL down here." The villain declared to the three as he swiftly lunged towards Eclipse, who managed to dodge the attack by taking to the air, but Charles wasn’t as lucky as the Legend spun his legs towards the hero, slamming him into the head, and throwing him back into the concrete wall behind him.

For a moment, all Charles could see was red after being hit so hard upside the head, he was lucky to still be even conscious from such a blow. Trying to shake off the aching ringing in his head, he managed to see Eclipse lunging towards Gambler, but in a blink, Charles friend was suddenly gone. “Eclipse!!” He exclaimed as he leaned up against the wall, holding himself up. “Bring him back!!!” The young patriot demanded of the villain, as he slung his shield, sending it slicing through the air, aiming towards Gambler’s head. “Get a hold of yourself!” Charles ordered himself as he tried to get his emotions under control, “Come on…think! You need a plan! Something if you’re going to make it out of this alive!” He thought, knowing that without Eclipse’s help, he had very little chance of making it out of those sewers alive.

 “If you would have asked me months ago which was more important duty or emotion I would have answered duty.”

The world seemed to slow down the moment she appeared. Her swift movements were precise enough to stop the ninja from harming either of the heroes. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as her eyes fell upon Eclipse a moment, she could see his nervous smile and possibly if she was in a better mood better situation she would have smiled back. It was odd this situation, she never expected to have the advantage of meeting them both. As she lowered her weapon a moment she realized that she was suppose to be fighting, she killed that ninja so she could have been the one to kill them both! She wasn’t doing that anymore. Possibly she might have said something if her eyes did not fall upon the one man that caused her blood to freeze and utter terror consume.

"You have feelings for dis man? You betray your Order for dis man?" his words contained all of a silver blade slashing away at her very soul. As she saw his figure remove itself from the darkness filling these pipes she wished she had never come. To see the hate boiling with in his eyes she felt the pain of what she had recently done, and the trust that she had severed the moment she severed that man’s head. She never knew how much and if the Cajun had ever trusted her, but if he had what hopes of trust between the two had been dashed upon the rocks of betrayal, and misinterpretation. But how he put his statement when he spoke, in truth he was right. She had betrayed a team she swore to protect for one insignificant man, a man that no doubt felt nothing for her, and that was the humiliation. That she went so far for someone that had forgotten she existed.

“You betray ME for dis man?"She wanted to instinctively say no she wanted to deny this but she found impossible. He was right, her eyes fell upon War Killer a moment, but there was no regret in them. She had finally done something rash, without thought she had listened t her emotions and not followed her mission. She had single headedly betrayed the very man that gave her hope and the chance of finding her family and she had betrayed him! She had lost any glimpse of honour she retained in that swoop; the blood spattered on her face was not the blood of a man. But the blood of betrayal, treachery something that Laura seemed to be getting better and better at. "I'll bury you ALL down here." He shouted, sending an icy feeling up her back, he meant it with all in him, The Cajun meant his words.

She didn’t move as she watched Gambler perform those attacks. She owed him enough not to get involved, she had done enough. She was relieved that that Eclipse managed to distain an attack and followed with one of his own. But then something happened. Something that she would curse Eclipse for or thank him. Without any prediction any say from the young boy Wonder he disappeared. He was gone, one life gone not dead just gone. She didn’t know what to think, she knew he was not running away she knew him well enough to never call him a coward. There was a good side to this, at least he was safe. Where ever the young hero was he was safe. Though she wished that wherever he went he could have Taken War Killer, with both boys gone she would let the Cajun inflict the wrath of hell upon her for that is what the man had with in him.

It was then she saw him unleash his attack upon War Killer, and though she desperately wanted to get involved she stopped herself, for knowing that in truth Gambler’s anger was focused on her. She stood there unmoving awaiting her judgment. As she saw his weapon aim for her chest her extinctive response was to attack but no she defended. Raising her silver Katana it cut the very air itself and the sound of the two blades colliding echoed down the maze of pipes. Her emerald eyes stare helplessly into his enraged orbs. She knew nothing to kill that fire that hate though she wanted to so much. She felt the tears of regret finally filling her eyes as a single droplet of salt water slid down her blood stained check mixing with the crimson it encountered down the way.

Holding her silver weapon tightly in hand keeping the Cajun’s attack stable her wrist was twisted in a way that caused her pain but made her block strong enough to hold his. Strands of hair lay over her face, the hair that after all he movement and emotional toil had became unkempt and was now covering half of her face. “Eclipse!!” Instantly her body froze as weapon still locked with the Cajun, he was shouting for his friend that not even Laura knew where he was. “Bring him back!!!” and with that the star spangled hero flung his shield toward Gambler in one swift motion. She had no choice, out of pure instinct and with her swift reacting she raised her opposite hand clasping the shield a moment and staring at the young hero that stood upon dead itself.

Breathing heavily she slid her blade forward only to brake the hold that both weapons had upon one another. This also in effect slid Laura a few feet away separating her from the Cajun for a few moments. No much closer to War Killer she aimed her weapon at his neck while still holding his shield, her emerald eyes had regained composure as she whispered “You should never have come…” her voice was filled with pain as tears slid down her cheek, though her face beside the tears was a stern one. As she stood there her weapon at the young hero’s neck she needed to decide something. She needed to decide how much he meant to her, and how far she was willing to go.

Lowering her weapon she slid her hands across his shield a moment taking in the indoctrinating scent a moment, funny thing she didn’t even know this hero’s name she had never asked, and he never told her. She knew if she gave him back his defensive weapon he would surely take part in what was to happen, but if she kept it he had to run.   Sliding her arm in it as to grip it the right way she stood in front of War Killer her Katana still tightly held. Glancing back at him she whispered “Think if this as pay back…for all the times you saved me in vine city.” to him, and with that she smiled a moment holding back the tears.

"My lord, I have not betrayed you.” she finally said standing firm and her voice stern. With a violent act she inserted her blade into the cemented pipe. For a moment her eyes were focused upon the ground as she formulated what she needed to say next. Eventually she looked upon the man that had opened so many doors for her, and tired to forget about the one who had closed most of them…except one. Her eyes were pleading already for the life that had caused her nothing but pain, for the hero’s life.

She knew the worlds she was about to say would no doubt anger War Killer to some extent but it was necessary. She needed to get the young man out of here, and already knowing that if she escaped with him Gambler would hunt her down and all those close to her for betraying him and eventually he would wreak his revenge on War Killer. And it was already decided that she would not kill either of them, harm but never kill. So many compromises so much pain all for this man. She needed the young hero to run! Why could he not run, she would be able to let the Cajun deal with her, she would beg him and in truth she didn’t want War killer to witness what she was about to do, it was already humiliating….but in order to save his life it was necessary. For she would never dare raise Gemini against the Cajun, she couldn’t even if she had that weapon.

“I vowed months ago to serve you, to devote my abilities to your will and to protect you over my own life. I have broken neither of my vows in this action. I shall not raise my blade against you master I cannot." she said her voice braking as tears filled her own throat yet retain in her voice was determination and exhaustion. For she knew what her words would cause by War Killer listening. Swallowing the spit that had gathered in her mouth she continued vigorously "I know I have broken your trust though and I deserve on right death, I shall accept that punishment but you must know that from the beginning this was never intended”. Gathering her breath she stabled her stance and lifted her arms but leaving her Katana lodged with in the metal of the pipe. She knew no doubt Gambler would feel as if he was being used, for recently he had given her something she had desired for years, and now obviously it would appear as if she got what she wanted and no reason saw any use for working alongside him.

“I want you to know that just because you divulging the information of my past is prior to this situation, please I beg you to not think I was using you simply, but that would be incorrect one hundred times over!" Her voice was loud barring shouting almost but she did her best to remain calm headed in this situation. Every moment she wanted to look back at the young hero to check if he was still there to see the expression on his face, but she had to hold back.“I worked alongside you…not only because I knew you would be the one to find my family…but because I wanted too” she whispered her eyes lowering a moment in shame as a deep sigh escaped her lips. Gambler alone infuriated by her action was enough emotion for her to bear and feeling this she desperately tried to patch this situation knowing in truth it could only go on one end. "I will give you my life, my body I would allow you to tamper with me, brainwash me whatever you want.” she began as tears slid down her cheek. It was pitiful, so pitiful for her so humiliating that she wanted to die! How low would she stoop for this hero for his life!?

Lowering to one knee as she bent her neck a moment, just like she had bowed before in that room where Gambler handed her the book she did the same.  She still tightly held the shield with her hand, as for encouragement for War Killer to rum, why could he not run. She wanted to shout call out to him tell him to get away. Her eyes were at the man’s feet knowing that if he wanted to he could decapitate her in an instant and her miserable life would be over. She knew how low she stooped and knew that this probably would make the Cajun more determined to kill her, for no doubt he’d see this as a weakness and that’s what hurt her so much. She never wished Gambler to see her as week she was always determined to prove herself and she had failed. Nevertheless she would not hurt this man. Gambler, had opened so many doors for her, he had even saved her in several occasions, one which held the most emotion. On that cold snowy night when she was a mere prisoner by the Hidden Lotus, he rescued her and profited nothing except her loyalty.

“ I would allow Final Arrow as punishment to throw me in hell for eternal torment. I would allow you to torture me anyway you see fitting. I would even give my daughter to be in your care without knowing anything of me....I would let you do all this, in exchange for you sparing the life of this man." Her breathing swallowed as tears streamed down her eyes, emotion that seemed to consume her that always seemed to get in the way, and she wished it would leave her, she wished the Cajun could have hooked her up to whatever type of machinery and rid her of this baggage that now caused her such pain, and placed those she cared about in danger, referring to both Gambler and the two heroes because she cared about Gambler more than he would ever know. Slowly and cautiously she looked up into the man’s cold eyes, excepting nothing but hatred. Her eyes were filled with pain, she cared for Gambler and she in truth had hurt herself so badly by hurting him.

"I will give you my all if you just let me have a moment with him if you spare his life, and in return take mine...please my lord I beg you, I know I have dashed what hope and trust you possibly had for me but please if you give me these moments, you will not regret it I swear…I know you have no reason to trust me…and if you deny me this I shall understand...and I shall   allow you to kill me just let him go.” she said her head lowering instantly and she remembered her place. If he did deny her this in honestly she would let him kill her, maybe in that War killer could get away, no doubt he could. There was no way she would hurt Gambler, for if she did she would break her promise and in truth destroy her life. She would forever be haunted by the sins that she had committed and never be able to rid them, so death right now seemed a pleasant last resort.

She didn’t know what she’d do if he gave her a moment with the man she didn’t know what she’d do if he didn’t. A young man that singlehandedly destroyed her life and turned it into chaos but at the same time she had convinced herself that she meant nothing to him it was the best way to think at the moment. Maybe she wanted to kill him maybe she would protect him she didn’t know anymore.   Finally the silence became unbearable as she looked at the man who right now held her life in his hands with her tear stained jade eyes “My life will be yours and what happens to it in your power just please...spare me a moment with him or at least spare his life….please….Mr Lebeau” There, she had said it, finally she had used his last name, never before had she but she would do whatever necessary to repair the chaos that she had caused for both men. For she knew that these words might calm the heart of the rage filled Cajun standing before her, but in the same way it would no   doubt brake the heart of the man she desperately tried to save. She tried to make it as clear in her words she wanted War killer’s life saved, and if only she had a moment with him she’d explain everything, but if worse came to it and the Cajun was not calmed, no doubt the young hero would be infuriated enough with her that he would allow her to die, and that in truth left her broken….

Edward  suddenly feels someone grab him from behind and pull a blade to his neck. "Dammit how did that happen " he thinks to himself before this unknown person speaks
“Okay…hero now I need some answers from you.” Oh great an interrogation perhaps i should play along for the meantime he thinks,  if needed  can use a telekinetic disarm if it looks like things are gonna go badly. Then the question comes  “I want to know where War Killer is.” This is an easy one he thinks to himself Warkiller is with the rest of the group one lone villian isnt gonna be a problem for them so he mouths the words " sewers".  This information was all the villian wanted Edward was then realesed from the hold and was just about to do something, when the villain turned and said  “Thank you.”  before following up with  “If you continue forward you’ll reach a door, there’s a guard there several possibly. Avoid this by going around and not through.”  Edward was stunned by this behaviour was this some kind of trap or a ruse?, but not one to look a gift horse in the mouth took this new information and  two went there seperate ways. 
 
Edward could now see a door ahead of him  and could feel that there was a few minds in that room, thou some of them where reading wierdly to him. Being carefull to be quick to see a rough estimate of numbers and not give any clues he was there, or at least he hoped. Edward now semi aware of what laid ahead him had to decide does he play hero and try and take the guards on and rescue the body alone or does he go back and gather the heroes, so they can attack the room on mass and potential help out warkiller with the villian that went after him. Eddy reaches out to his team mates with his mind " guys iam at the room have a few guards at least their readings are dirrent from the ninjas, iam guessing i have some OSC here get to this location ASAP". Now Edward faces a dilemma does he go for the shock and awe approach by kicking the door at speed and doing as much damage as he can and hope its enough, or does he take the other route and try and get around them and attack from a less obvious position. Eddy decides that he should block the door from the outside for the moment moving anything he can find with his mind so it makes as little noise as possible, before jamming the sword he stole from the corpse earlier between the door handles.
 
Knowing this would at best give him a seconds warning if these people in the room try to leave and thats all he would need before he could hit the gas and get out of sight. he reaches out to his team one last time " Guys iam going in , heavens knows what they will do to Sha if we dont get in there soon  my Locator is now on so i should apear on any signal devices you have wish me luck Windsor out".  Edward  now aware his locator would probably appear on Villian tech decideds to hell with it pulls of the ninja disguise, pulls out his sword and smashes through the wall into the room. Grabbing a large chunk of the wall with his mind he  then throws it the direction of a woman standing by the body of Sha. Eddy follows this by attempting a speed dash sword swipe aiming at the man in ninjas robes chest knowing that Blueflame wouldnt need much of  a contact to do some real damage to  this villains flesh or even his soul. Finally edward still in motion attempts to telekenticly push the 3rd "bodyguard" a unknown man into the wall at maximum velocity he couldnt show any weakness full throttle is the safest option for him. Edward comes to  a stop in a corner with his back to the wall  he can see all the corners of the room and has the cover of the corner at his back.  
 
"Well Edward" he says to himself time to show what your made of and hopeflly not have spill out all over the floor as a result. Standing unyielding and unflinching in his vantage point he stares down the 3 people bewteen him and his objective " well i guess that makes it you move doesnt it" he says to them 

 As Ebony waited for the rest of the team to catch up she leaned back on the wall.She smelled horrible,she felt horrible. She was sticky and wet from the sewage and it didn't get any better as it dried. By the time the team caught up it wasn't long before they were ambushed by more Ninjas. Ebony excelled in team battles because she was crafty and she got the concept of "United we stand". The whole time she was paralyzing Ninjas she kept her game plan in mind and she thought about Sha. When the Ninjas were all out cold, she and Eclipse took the uniforms off two ninjas. Eclipse had a plan in mind. Ebony just wanted to get out of the leather nightmare that had become her costume. She was ordered to exit to the North. For the moment they would split up. "Divide and conquer". When Ebony made her way through the exit she didn't see anyone, but instead of running ahead like she did before she crept slowly. She stopped for a minute and stripped down to her bra and panties and replaced her costume with the Ninja attire she had stolen off of the fallen. Her hair was a mess so she grabbed a large chunk of it as if she was going to put it in a ponytail, took the knife from her utility belt and then sliced it all. Then she took a black cloth from out of her utility belt as well and wrapped it around her head. Then put on the Ninja's mask. 
 
As she crept down the hall she felt something. She had a feeling something was a head or behind her. Quickly she looked back but she saw nothing. So then she came to the realization that it would be safer if she moved further through the church in the ventilation system. This place was crawling with Ninjas and she could feel it. Her first thought was to jump up and rip the hinge off of the air vent above but that would leave the door of the vent just sitting there for ninja's to see, so banking on the odd chance they won't look up she used her strength and simply jumped right through vent, breaking a human sized hole right through rungs of the vent's door. So then she began crawling through. She crawled and crawled and eventually she got to the next vent when she looked down she could see what appeared to be Sha and other people standing around her. She said to herself, "that can't be Sha, Sha isn't pregnant. Wait...IS Sha pregnant?" She thought for a minute as she watched to see what they would do. As this woman kicked and screamed on the bed. She was having a baby. She said to herself again, "I know that attitude from anywhere, that IS Sha!This is quite a mess you got yourself into old girl.You can trust that i'm going to get you out of it though." She pulled a flash grenade from her belt but she didn't open the vent and throw it just yet. She just stood watch as Sha's screaming became louder and more violent. Just then there is a ruckus in the room. It's Eddy. He's in there risking his life to save Sha and the others haven't gotten there yet. Ebony thought to herself that if she didn't figure out how she was going to execute her game plan in a second, Eddy is going to get hurt. 
 
In all of the commotion she hears Eddy say " well i guess that makes it your move doesn't it", so Ebony just went for it. She jumps down out of the vent, holds the flash in the air and says. "Nobody move or I will blow this place sky high"! She was bluffing. It was only a flash but they didn't know. The action stopped momentarily. She told the girl closes to Sha to step back and away. or there was going to be a problem. She looked around at everyone. Still in the Ninja costume she believed that the enemy may have been confused as to who she was. She got nervous. She looked at the flash she looked at Sha and again and again and again and then she went for it. She said "Fire in the hole" and tossed the grenade." Hoping they would all dive backward believing it was a real grenade and keeping everyone away from Sha. By them time the Flash cleared, Ebony was standing by Sha on guard. She thought to herself "That wasn't much of a game plan"  By that time though they had realized it was a flash all eyes were on her, she didn't want to have to use that flash with Eddy in there but she had to do something. She was hoping the others would get there soon so she doesn't have to pull all of the wait. Ebony wasn't much for doing here own thing. It was usually Sha who made the plans, she thought off picking up Sha and just running out of there but she figured they would have to clear the room so they could remove her safely. The only way out is through combat.

Pulling back on his wire’s he looked past Y-intercept as she was set free of his grasp round her ankle, Sha’s body was convulsing in pain. His emerald eyes fell onto the assassin in front of him “Let me help her” Intercept showed no emotion and stood aside, Sparrow nodded to Stormy Gold as he walked passed him and headed for Sha replacing his blade and  began walking towards Sha, reaching for the herbs he kept at his back. As his hand touched a dried leaf, the world began to slow down, the room erupted in rain of violence as one of the heroes entered and Sparrow twisted his body to avoid a strike to his chest. The blow forced more distance between him and Sha, time was becoming a factor, if they didn’t act soon the child would be lost, Sha had no control over her body. She could not push the child it was choke and die with in her body without having the chance to be born.

" well i guess that makes it you move doesnt it"  Sparrow replaced his blade again and went to speak, Just as he opens his mouth other hero enters the room, he had been too busy thinking of sha to even notice the warnings."Nobody move or I will blow this place sky high"!  It was an obvious bluff, the heroes where here to safe Sha not kill her with such a pointless attack. He watched her look from Sha and at the grenade in her hand, and then it happened, following her hand Sparrow moved with grace and speed his sword already out meeting the flash in mid air, the flat side of his blade knocking the grenade towards the others and away from him “Stupid children” he spat. As the flash cleared Sparrows sword was now pointing at Ebony his eyes sung from the effects of the Flash even if he did not feel it directly. Sparrow looked at the young woman dressed as a ninja and then at the other hero and placed his sword upon his back.

Pointing at Ebony Sparrows words became vicious “You do not deserve to dress like one of us, nor do either of you deserve to call yourself heroes. “ he spat out the last word. “ Did you think to judge the room, before entering, the fact that myself and no other has lifted a fist in violence did not even occur to you. Stupid children playing a game they do not understand.” His eyes went back to sha “Move out of the way before the child dies, I have no time to fight and you have less to live if you wish to. My only concern is Sha and the child, as soon as they are safe you can continue your. “ Sha’s body once again began to shake, this time a sickening scream broke the tension in the room. “MOVE NOW” Sparrow screamed removing a blade from his pocket. He ignored the protest and moved much faster then they could prevent him.

The silver edge of his blade cut into the lower edge of Sha’s stomach, he turned to lazystudent and looked at him, he had noticed during the attack that the man wore a med pack “You’re med pack give her something for the pain, I would use my herbs but my hands are full, make yourself useful.” His eyes danced round the room as he spoke, the cut was now deep enough he began placing his arm under the cut and bleeding skin, bloody spurted but only for a moment. Sha would heal from this, he would make sure of that, but right now he needed to find the child and quickly.  His hand found what it was looking for and gently he pulled and the child came free, blood followed, a lot more blood then what was normal, he cut the umbilical cord with one expert snip and then, keeping the child in one arm, removed one of his scrolls and placed it over cut he had created, it began to heal itself.

Sparrow moved from Sha and hoped that her body was strong enough to recover from such an ordeal, but his eyes lay on the silent child, clearing a space in the room with his free arm, Sparrow removed his mask, his flesh was red from the top layer of skin being removed when he was a child, he had no eye lids and his deep emerald eyes seemed to move loosely around in their sockets, where his lips should have been their was only teeth. His face was a reminder of the darkness he had lived in all those years ago. Placing the child down he began working, using his index finger to clear the child throat, he then pressed on it’s chest with the same finger. A gasp of air escaped it’s throat and Sparrow turned the child held out in his arms as it began to cry. He had it facing the room and not at himself “Take it, I should not be the first thing it looks upon, let it see the world for the first time and not look upon a monster.”

When the child was taken, he replaced his mask and turned to them “Leave now, for if you stay a moment longer I will follow out my orders. I may have brought the child into this world, but I have sworn to be the one to remove it as well.”  Sparrow looked round the room once more “foolish heroes.” He said as he left the room.

The screams continued on and Stormy could feel multiple targets nearing the area. The assassin retracted his weapon and stepped to the Storm, ensuring him that he would do what was best for the child. Another scream escaped the rapid moving body of Sha as he stpped aside allowing Sparrow to pass. In this moment one of the targets arrived, ambitious as ever. After unleashing two quick attacks on the woman and Sparrow he lashed out at Ryu. Setting his feet Ryu assume a horse stance with his arms held tightly in front of his face. As the telekinetic force impacted his body the Storm's legs buckled, the concrete cracking under the immense weight. He swung his arms forward, deflecting the push. With a few quick breaths he steadied himself, knowing combat was out of the question.

Like clockwork the next target arrived amped up. "Nobody move or I will blow this place sky high"! She said in fury. Stormy chuckled as he sensed the light energies inside the flashbang. When she finally let it off Stormy simply blinked, his eyes unaffected by the intense rays. “Moving on.” Ryu said with a yawn. After a quick tongue lashing by Sparrow he got to the business of birthing the child. Stormy turned away, unable to witness a scene such as this for reasons not even he was sure of. In less than two minutes he caught glimpse of a small body in the gloves of Sparrow.  

  Suddenly Sparrow removed his facial cover, revealing a lifetime of scars that culminated his face. Stormy approached Sparrow seeking to gain a closer look. After looking upon the young boy for a slight moment Sparrow cleared the child's throat and the cries of life erupted. Sparrow turned his body away from the child and held him out. Stormy immediately grasped the baby ever so gently. He ran his fingers along the child's head, reading its power. The reading made him grin widely. Lifting up his head he watched as Sparrow left, issuing a warning that riled Ryu up. Knowing that his son's life was endanger Ryu realized he would have to make a choice. His child or the Order.

“ You three have your prize.” He said pointing at Sha's healing body. “This is my child and I bear the sole responsibility of his protection. If, Sha awakens, I will seek you out." Stormy turned to the window, placed a hand in front of it, and blew the glass off. With his child in arm he leaped through the window and fell down to the ground, leaving a crater in his wake. He lacked the power for another rapid transition at the moment so he was stuck in this country while his battery recharged. Soon the battle would end and the Order of Sancta Camisa would count their losses. It was only a matter of time before his betrayal was realized and the age old order of assassins would come for his blood. Stormy couldn't wait.